Planning Big, Riding Scary Rides, and Stepping Into the Next Season of Business
Earlier this year I did something a little unconventional for a business planning session — I went to Disney World.
Not for vacation. For a working retreat.
Four of us from Huntsville Design House packed up our laptops, notebooks, and a lot of big questions and spent four days walking through the parks while talking through the future of our businesses. It was equal parts strategy session, mastermind, and creative reset.
And somewhere between spreadsheets, Lightning Lane reservations, and a few rides that were way outside my comfort zone, I walked away with something incredibly valuable: clarity about where Grace Girl Beads is headed next.
Stepping Away to See the Bigger Picture
One of the first things we did during the retreat was zoom out and talk about what success actually looks like in 2026.
While all of us agreed that freeing up more of our time for our families was high on our lists, for me, the answer became very clear:
I want free up time to enjoy the last two months of my youngest son, Andrew's high school years.
Isn't that why I started my own business in the first place? Shifting my focus from a growth mindset to just maintaining what I have for now and savoring the time I have left with him still at home.
It was about making sure the work I’m already doing is sustaining the business while I do this.
Getting Honest About Strategy
One of the most helpful parts of the retreat was our “hot seat” sessions — where each of us talked through a real business crossroads and the group helped brainstorm solutions. We took every opportunity that we were waiting in line, strolling down Main Street USA or eating a meal, to strategize what is next for our four individual businesses and for Huntsville Design House, that we all contribute to.
For Grace Girl Beads, that conversation centered around a few key questions:
- Are my prices aligned with where the brand is going?
- Are my product descriptions written in a way that supports B2B buyers and SEO?
- What does the next season of this business actually look like?
Those questions turned into some very specific action steps for me:
- Reevaluate pricing
- Revise product descriptions for wholesale and SEO
- Define what the next season of the business should look like
It’s amazing how much clarity can come from simply saying those things out loud in a room full of people who understand business.
A Creative Exercise That Changed How I See Branding
One of the more unexpected parts of the retreat was a daily creative exercise.
Every morning we were assigned a color, and our job was to photograph that color throughout the park.
It sounds simple, but it completely changed how I looked at the Disney parks. Their use of specific colors in certain parks is fascinating. The picture to the right is from Magic Kingdom Day for me.
I started noticing details everywhere — signage, textures, packaging, costumes, architecture. Everything is intentional. Every small design decision contributes to the overall brand experience.
As someone who builds products and visual storytelling through jewelry, that exercise stuck with me. It was a reminder that great brands are built in the details.
Doing Things That Scare You (Yes, Even the Rides)
If you know me, you know I’m not exactly the first person in line for the big roller coasters. And my boys are so mad that I rode all these rides without them! Expedition Everest, Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind, Tron Lightcycle Run and Tiana's Bayou Adventure tested my limits. Yes that's me with my eyes closed and mouth wide open screaming at the top of my lungs.
But part of this retreat — both literally and metaphorically — was stepping outside my comfort zone.
There were a few rides where I had the moment of thinking, “Why did I agree to this?” (Tiana's Bayou, I still don't like!)
But that feeling is oddly similar to what happens in business when you decide to grow, pivot, step back or try something new.
The scary thing is usually the exact thing that pushes you forward.
And honestly, the rides ended up being a pretty good metaphor for this next season of Grace Girl Beads: a little intimidating, a lot exciting, and absolutely worth doing.
What Comes Next for Grace Girl Beads
The biggest takeaway from this retreat wasn’t a new idea.
It was clarity and direction.
For the rest of this year, my focus is simple:
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Focusing on family while still doing small things to move the needle in the right direction for my business
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Refining pricing and wholesale strategy
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Improving product descriptions for SEO and B2B buyers
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Being intentional about what the next chapter of this business looks like
And maybe — just maybe — saying yes to a few more things that feel a little scary.
Because sometimes the best strategy sessions happen somewhere unexpected.
Even if that somewhere is walking through Disney World with a notebook in one hand and a Lightning Lane reservation in the other.