From Castle Defender to Empowered Leader: The Transformative Journey of Aaron
- Carlijn Nelissen
- Sep 30
- 2 min read
“Every day was a fight. I felt like I was the only one protecting the castle.”
When Aaron, a founder at the helm of a growing scale up, arrived at our retreat in Nature Reserve of South-West Portugal, he was deep in the trenches of entrepreneurship. A tough year behind him, stress mounting, and the overwhelming sense that everything depended on him.
“I was feeling really stressed out and overwhelmed by all the burdens of being an entrepreneur… I even gave this metaphor at the retreat: I felt like I was the only one protecting the castle, instead of having all my soldiers doing the work.”
The timing of the retreat couldn’t have been better. Secluded in nature, unplugged from technology, and immersed in a consciously designed program, Aaron began to slow down—for the first time in a long time.
“Those five days felt like weeks. The world just stayed on pause.”
What unfolded was more than just a break from the hustle. It was a deep personal recalibration. Through workshops with reflective dialogue and journaling, transformational breath work and embodiment practices, Aaron began to uncover how his own patterns—especially around responsibility and vulnerability—were shaping his leadership.
One evening session in particular revealed something unexpected.
“We explored how behavioural patterns are stored in the body. The posture of ‘taking up space’ triggered resistance and shame in me. That really surprised me… I realised I was doing the same inside my company. I wasn’t showing the flaws, or challenging the team to step up. I was holding the weight of the business—plus that dose of shame. It fueled my overwhelm.”
That insight became a turning point. Over the following days, Aaron began to piece together what needed to shift—not just in his company, but in himself.
“I started to let go of the burden of holding the castle alone.”
Back home, that inner shift translated into bold action. Aaron redefined accountability across his team. He let go of under-performers. He raised the bar. But most importantly, he changed how he held leadership—not as a solo protector, but as a guide empowering others to lead too.
“I realised I had assumed they were responsible for the tasks, but not for the outcomes. That shift allowed me to supercharge the team. Ironically, the shared burden made the team more engaged, more proud. And I felt more confident, calm, focused—and excited for the year ahead.”
A year later, those shifts are still with him. In his own words:
“I keep talking to my wife about some of those sessions. Magical and powerful. They were really consciously created. And the momentum is still lasting.”
The ON PURPOSE STUDIO Retreat: It's not just unplugging, it's a whole-system reset. Deep inner work, nature’s rhythm, and silence that brings leaders back to their source.
To find your path.
To be on purpose.
Want to learn more? Or be part of the next retreat?
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