When Women Connect, We Make Magic Happen

I consider myself to be a woman of action. As a podcast host, perhaps thatā€™s a funny thing to say, considering how much time I spend talking. However, HIT Like a Girl pod is both a podcast and a community, so itā€™s very intentional that we make an effort to ā€œwalk our talk.ā€ On almost every episode, I like to point out how complicated and complex healthcare is ā€” itā€™s the 30,000-piece puzzle that weā€™re all trying to solve, and that to which each of us holds a piece.

When we all have a better understanding of the different pieces and how they connect, it offers an opportunity to see the big picture more clearly, thereby allowing us to be more intentional with our efforts.

The idea behind our inaugural retreat in Baja California, Mexico was based on the same concept. That if bring a small set of women experts from different areas of healthcareā€”and different areas of the countryā€”together, they could share their knowledge, learn from one another, and make meaningful connections, both personally and professionally. We couldnā€™t precisely define what the outcome would be, or how we would measure success, but held a strong belief that it would be worthwhile to make the effort to find out. Is it even possible to measure magic?

Our schedule was loose by design. We rented a large, comfortable home on a cliffside overlooking the Pacific Ocean, brought in chefs to make homemade dinners and breakfasts, made time for at-home spa treatments, compliments of Ada Rose, and took these typically busy women (mostly moms) to beautiful settings, to create a safe and sacred environment for them to relax and to forge and foster relationships.

More than anything, it felt like the adult version of an epic sleepover party.

There were 8 guests in total, each with a unique perspective on the industry.

Most of these women did not know each other before the event. For me, having a front-row seat to their conversations was such a treat because they had so much in common and such respect for each otherā€™s work ā€” that they couldnā€™t stop talking! There was so much connection happening that our guide, Manny V, had to interrupt them on occasion so that they would pay attention to things like the beautiful, picturesque sunset happening just outside if they would only take a moment and look to their right.

We visited La Bufadora, the fish market in Ensenada, checked out a local pharmacy, stopped at a winery in the Valle de Guadelupe, went horseback riding on the beach, and ate lots of Mexican food in a variety of beautiful settings.

Some of the most interesting conversations touched on:

  • How much of healthcare happens outside a healthcare setting? What does it look like?

  • What is wellness? It canā€™t just mean not having a chronic illness, right?

  • What are effective ways of addressing mental health and challenging feelings of burnout?

  • How can we advocate for womenā€™s health at all stages of their lives?

  • How can the collection of data, and even naming conventions within medical terminology be used to further womenā€™s agency over their bodies and access to healthcare?

  • What if leadership could also incorporate an aspect of fun?

From Lygeia Ricciardi:

ā€œWe talked about everything from the digital health landscape and tech standards to career development, including the challenges of managing personal and professional life.

Engineers and PR pros need to better understand each otherā€™s roles. Policy experts, tech company execs, and patient advocates benefit from exploring synergies. And everyone needs a life hack or twoā€”like how to make DIY chai on the go.

Weā€™re all busy, but for me and the others on this trip, itā€™s a priority to make time to nurture friendships, particularly among other women. Some may lead to new partnerships, collaborations, and ideas that shape our industry for the better. In the immediate term, the value of human connections and women supporting other women is value enough.ā€

From Jamie Skipper:

What an honor it was to join all of you amazing-world-changing women these past few days. Thank you Lygeia Ricciardi for inviting me and for forging new paths across digital health and wellness! I felt like I got to sit at the feet of gurus and learn better ways to proliferate key messages on health equity, health data, and data infrastructure design. I have also never felt so encouraged and empowered myself. Joy Rios, thank you for your genius in creating such a special and impactful environment that certainly birthed lifelong friendships across digital health game-changers! #digitalhealth

Did we sing? Did we dance? Did we play? You bet we did!

Thank You!

To Manny Vargas, for helping with logistics, language, driving, amazing photos, and an eternally positive attitude.

To the women who joined me in Baja for trusting me to lead you on a calm, yet adventurous journey in Mexico.

And thank you to their families and companies who managed without them for four days!

Want to be invited on our next retreat?