Cultivating Purpose with guest faculty Jerry Colonna

Reboot: Leadership & the Art of Growing Up

May 5 - May 10, 2025 in Santa Fe, USA
Led by: Jerry Colonna, Chip Conley, Darby Rose, Lee Johnson

The secret to becoming a better leader, impact-maker and human being

If you’re in your 40s or older and have achieved some measure of success in your life, you have an enormous amount of power.

Through your lived experience and your accumulated skills and insights, you have so much value to offer the world. And if you happen to be white, cisgender, or straight, and middle-class or wealthier, you have an incredible amount of social influence as well.

So, how are you going to use that power during this next stage of your life?

And who do you need to become to make the kind of impact you hope to have on the world?

Exploring the answers to these questions is the key to “growing up” and taking more conscious charge of your life so you can evolve into the kind of legacy-building leader you know you can be. 

In this Cultivating Purpose workshop co-facilitated with REBOOT: The Art of Growing Up author Jerry Colonna and Chip Conley, you will embark on a journey of radical self-inquiry that will deepen your relationship with yourself and others – and empower you to make a bigger impact in the world.

What you’ll gain

Through a combination of our MEA Cultivating Purpose curriculum and Jerry’s process of self-exploration involving a blend of Buddhism, Jungian therapy, and entrepreneurial straight talk, you will:

  • Identify the habits and patterns that may have helped you succeed professionally, but have had a detrimental impact on your relationships and wellbeing
  • Get comfortable with uncertainty and the fundamental impermanence of life – and the freedom it offers
  • Redefine “success” as growing toward a life where meaning is derived by purpose and fulfillment
  • Discover how becoming an “inspirational listener” is the key to being an impactful leader
  • Step into your role as “modern elder” and become a leader who inspires people of all generations to show up as their best selves

By the end of your five days with Jerry and Chip and the MEA faculty, you will have powerful clarity into the gifts you have to share and the steps you can take to accelerate your evolution into the legacy-builder you know you can be.

Meet your faculty

Jerry Colonna

Leadership Coach & Author

Founder of REBOOT Coaching | Former Venture Capitalist | “CEO Whisperer”

Jerry Colonna is an author and executive coach whose unique blend of Buddhism, Jungian therapy, and entrepreneurial know-how has made him a sought-after coach. He has worked with leaders of some of the biggest firms in the country, including Etsy CEO Chad Dickerson, Soundcloud CEO Alexander Ljung, and WME Ventures managing partner, Beth Ferreira.
 
Jerry is author of two books: REBOOT: Leadership and the Art of Growing Up and REUNION: Leadership and the Longing to Belong. In his work as a coach, he draws on his experience in venture capital as co-founder of Flatiron Partners, one of the most successful, early-stage investment programs.

Jerry is dedicated to helping people lead with humanity and equanimity and do the challenging work of growing up, so they can become the inspiring and impactful legacy-builders they have the potential to be.

Chip Conley

MEA Co-Founder and Bestselling Author 

Entrepreneur | Innovator | Disruptor | Speaker

A three-time TED speaker on the big stage, Chip Conley is one of the world's leading experts at the intersection of business innovation, psychology and spirituality.
 
As one of the creators of the boutique hotel movement and the "modern elder" to the young Airbnb founders, Chip's been a disruptor and expert on entrepreneurship and business leadership. He’s a globally-recognized thought leader on the future of work and the competitive advantages of a multi-generational workplace.

Inspired by his experience of intergenerational mentoring as a “modern elder” at Airbnb, where his guidance was instrumental to the company’s extraordinary success, Chip founded MEA and has since dedicated his midlife years to reframing the concept of aging and supporting people in navigating midlife with a renewed sense of purpose and possibility.

This workshop is for you if...

You’re a leader who’s looking for guidance in growing both personally and professionally

You’ve hit a plateau and have found yourself wondering, “Is this all there is?”

You have come to the end of a significant chapter in your life and are looking for your next “big thing”

You’re seeking deeper clarity into who you are what the work you’re meant to be doing in the world

You’re ready for something new and eager to evolve into the next impactful iteration of yourself as leader and human being

You’re committed to taking conscious charge of your life and aligning your actions with your values and the impact you want to make in the world

Do this powerful work on our beautiful regenerative ranch in Santa Fe

Santa Fe, USA

Rising Circle Ranch

An upscale regenerative ranch featuring traditional Pueblo architecture and spanning nearly 2,600 acres of wildlife, hiking trails in the arroyo, with ancient petroglyphs, and awe-inspiring beauty. Close to historic Santa Fe, an artisan’s mecca.

  • Big-sky desert country
  • Breathtaking nature
  • Interaction with horses and donkeys
  • Evenings around the campfire
  • Star-gazing

Meet your MEA Facilitators

In addition to the powerful sessions conducted by Jerry and Chip, you will be guided through the core MEA Cultivating Purpose curriculum by our seasoned faculty members:

Darby Rose

Experience Facilitator

Darby Rose is a multidisciplinary artist, arts administrator, cook, actor and animal lover, currently living in Santa Fe, NM. Born into a family of travelers in Austin, TX, she’s lived more places than she can count — all over Texas, Boston, Jackson WY, Baltimore and Los Angeles, to name a few; and outside the US in Peru and Italy. After a long stint in Marfa, TX, the vast, mountainous horizons and monsoons of New Mexico captured her. This travelers life has built in Darby a deep curiosity and compassion for others, and a gratitude for the beautiful complexities of the human condition, with its myriad expressions of love, humor, struggle and strength.

Lee Johnson

Land, Livestock, and Mindfulness

Lee likes to say that he’s as ordinary as dirt but as complex as soil. He’s resident “cowboy sage” at our campus in Santa Fe, where his love for the simple yet complex hum of nature has led him to work in holistic land management. As steward of our four-square mile regenerative ranch, Lee translates nature’s teachings into simple insights that encourage us to tune into the inner and outer landscape of the world around us.

You will appreciate the opportunity to be in his presence and slow down, listen to nature, and gather around the campfire of shared understanding.

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“Growing up” is a lifelong process of transformation

It doesn’t stop when you reach a certain age or attain a certain pinnacle of success.

The whole point of life is to continue learning and evolving, as you let go of what no longer serves you and embrace the growth-focused mindset and behaviors that will help you become your best self and have the kind of impact you want to make in this stage of life.

And what got you to where you are now isn’t what’s going to get you to where you want to be.

So if you’re ready to look at the world with a new pair of glasses and step into a new position of leadership and impact, be sure to join Jerry and Chip for this radically transformative experience. 

Are you ready to discover who you might become once you release the story of who you are?

People come for the workshops,
but they stay for the community

This is truly MEA’s “secret sauce” and something you can only experience in person: the powerful connections you will make, not only with your fellow participants and the incredible MEA faculty, but also the deeper sense of connection you will feel to your own inner self and the natural world around you.

Research into aging shows that your relationships play a HUGE role in your health and wellbeing later in life. At MEA, you will make deep and lasting connections and become part of a larger community that will make your life richer and more meaningful.

Many of our alumni cohorts have stayed in close touch for years after their workshop and we have a growing number of local alumni chapters all over the world. It’s a joy for us to see them continuing to offer each other community, friendship, and support as they create thriving midlives for themselves. So if you have been feeling at all disconnected or isolated on your journey, we would love to have you join us!

Have we mentioned the food?

The MEA experience is designed in part by Chip Conley, a world-renowned boutique hotelier, which means the food is amazing.

All of the ingredients are locally sourced, organic, and made from scratch in our kitchens by hand-picked chefs. The delicious breakfasts, lunches and dinners will leave you feeling nourished inside and out – not to mention the blended drinks made with fresh fruit and other top-shelf ingredients. 


Each retreat center has multiple kitchens that always have snacks and beverages available. At MEA, we believe that thriving is delicious!

Your Workshop Includes

  • 5 days and nights of lodging at our boutique luxury retreat center in Baja or Santa Fe with all of your meals, snacks, drinks and other amenities included
  • Daily sessions and experiential activities to help you connect with your inner self, envision your desired experience, and release what no longer serves you
  • Meditation covering a range of practices to soothe your nervous system and help you cultivate greater mindfulness and presence in the moment.
  • Movement to get the energy flowing and build your strength and agility as you chart your course forward to the life you want to live.
  • Incredible bonding experiences with the most amazing humans you’ll ever meet.
  • Three delicious, chef-prepared meals plus snacks throughout the day prepared from scratch with the freshest local ingredients.
  • Festive gatherings to cultivate connection and celebrate the joy and beauty of life.

Tuition starts at $4,000

Ready to start your journey?

Reboot: Leadership & the Art of Growing Up

May 5 - May 10, 2025 in Santa Fe, USA
Led by: Jerry Colonna, Chip Conley, Darby Rose, Lee Johnson

Step into your next chapter with confidence and ease, knowing that every detail of your experience is being taken care of by our world-class faculty and hospitality team.

Starting at

$4,000 per person

Still deciding or have questions?
Connect with our helpful team of Advisors

Our Advisors are all MEA alumni who can offer genuine insights into our programs. They’re passionate about helping you finding the right fit to make your next chapter the best one.

Daniel Booz

Dana Anton

Lucas Erie