Montana Field Trip: The Power of Stepping Outside From Executive Life.

There's something so powerful about stepping away from the office, the meetings, the ‘networking’, and immersing oneself in the vastness of open country. The inaugural Wild Duchess Field Trip to Montana was a spontaneous yet enlightening adventure that united executive women from the music industry, eager to escape the city's hustle and plunge into the expansive skies of the last best place, Montana.

As seasoned horse riders, we saddled up and ventured deep into 35,000 acres of homesteaded ranch land. We witnessed hundreds of cattle being moved between pastures and participated in private equine Gestalt therapy sessions that opened our hearts and minds.

As thunderstorms painted the sky each afternoon, we found ourselves not only exploring the land but also engaging in deep conversations about our individual career goals and crossroads, offering each other fresh perspectives born from years of experiences. It was an incredible field trip with remarkable women, and it's wild to think that just a few weeks ago, this was a mere idea. The transition back to city life is no joke, but the memories will remain with me forever.

Lightning storm over the Crazy Mountains, Montana

Completely Unscripted

I won't lie, this field trip was thrown together very haphazardly, and I honestly wasn't sure if anyone would be able to come at such short notice. After leaving my very cushty C-Suite job at the end of May with only plans to ride through the open country and a burning desire to connect with other women deepening their roots to the outdoors, I posted an invite on Instagram for others to join me riding and to experience Equine Gestalt Therapy at a ranch I stay at in Montana.

The response was overwhelming, with both men and women eager to fill the limited spots available, though the timeline wasn't ideal. The only available dates were five weeks away, and with summer and school holidays on the horizon, many working women couldn't commit at such short notice. However, within 24 hours, two spontaneous women confirmed, and within 36 hours, they had sent me their flight confirmations. Initially, I worried they might be bored with so few of us, but it turned out to be the perfect combination. It's funny how things work out that way.

We all managed to catch the same flight out of LAX, and unsurprisingly the conversation revolved around horses and riding before we boarded; after all, horse girls rarely talk about much else. We were met at Bozeman airport by my badass wrangler friend, Pam, who in retirement enjoys spending her summers wrangling, riding, and essentially living THE life. Pam and I shared many deep conversations on horseback across these lands last summer, covering nearly every inch of that ranch, as my imagination ran wild over all the old homestead cabins scattered across the property. I'm surprised they let me back on the ranch to be honest, given how much I pestered everyone with history questions, but they’re amazing, welcoming folk and haven’t held it against me.

The drive to Bonanza Creek Ranch is about two hours from Bozeman airport, and the drive itself completely resets you after being cooped up in a city for a while. Granted, I'd been in Somerset just days before, but those four short days in Los Angeles were enough to make me crave the rolling hills and fresh air. There are a few places on earth that truly feel like the land before time to me, including the Scottish Highlands and the North of Iceland, and this is one of the many reasons Montana is known as 'the last best place.'

Fresh Air for These Los Angeles Lungs

When we arrived at the ranch, the collective gasp from us city gals as we breathed in the fresh air was almost comical. The lichen danced from nearby tree branches, mocking our weakened, fire-scarred lungs, purifying us instantly.

After a hearty home-cooked meal and chat over dinner, we settled into our cabins for the evening as the summer thunderstorms rolled through. I could stay up all night watching them move across the Crazy Mountains. The sky is so vast out here that you can follow their path for hours, as it moves across the landscape unobstructed; something we don't have the luxury of witnessing in the city, where our skies are blocked with towers and skyscrapers.

Riding Through Homestead History

Our horseback rides through 35,000 acres of pristine ranch land were nothing short of awe inspiring. In between the silences where we were all just taking it in, conversations naturally flowed about our lives, careers, and the shared experiences of the industry we've known for decades as well as our personal hobbies and growth. The vastness of the Montana landscape was a powerful backdrop, reminding and inspiring us of the possibilities in our own lives and futures.

We rode across streams, through forests, and across vast stretches of pasture. We explored dilapidated old cabins from the turn of the last century, as well as my favourite place on the ranch, a long-abandoned two-story homestead house. I've dreamt of moving to and renovating this place since I first laid eyes on it last year; however, it's completely unreachable most of the year, so perhaps not my smartest escape plan. But if you've been following my English cottage renovation, you'd know I'm a sucker for old buildings and easement headaches.

Pulling up to my dream abandoned homestead house, Montana.

Transformative Outdoor Experiences

The Wild Duchess Field Trip was curated to offer more than just a getaway. There are plenty of 'guest ranches' out there with beautiful scenery and good horses. What makes Bonanza Creek so special is the ranch owner, June Voldseth. June offers Equine Gestalt Therapy with the horses, both in private sessions and through her women's cowgirl retreats. When I met June last year, I wasn't sure I wanted to do a Gestalt Session. Despite loving and owning horses, I’m cautious of opening myself up outside of my therapist’s office, but after spending time with her, I decided to book a private session. So much shifted for me that day, both through the session with June and her therapy horses, but also due to a strange, mesmerizing encounter I had with a doe in the pasture immediately afterward. That was the day I realized I couldn't keep working in an office, or be in the city, or sit in front of a computer screen for the majority of the rest of my life. The next day, I frantically began thinking up ways to survive outside the system I'd found myself in. June's practice was the main draw for this retreat, and the women who joined me in Montana had experienced various forms of equine therapy before, making them the perfect attendees to experience it nestled in this beautiful landscape.

Equine Gestalt Sessions

Our retreat included private Gestalt therapy sessions with June, a graduate of the Touched By a Horse Program, a comprehensive two-year equine coaching program.

Gestalt therapy focuses on the present moment, encouraging individuals to become more aware of their thoughts, feelings, and actions. Even though we had traveled to Montana to detox from work life and feel inspired, the session helps identify possible blocks in your life, and therefore a helpful lens to view work or career challenges.

We spent time in a small arena with the horses, who are remarkably attuned to your emotions during the session, picking up and responding to your emotions and body language throughout the session. As a horse owner of a feisty mare and an exuberant gelding, I can attest to how their personalities and emotions are completely different, as is the comfort and safety response you get from each individual horse when you’re bearing your soul in the depths of the wilderness. I’m no stranger to sitting with my horses and crying my eyes out, but something hits different out here with June guiding you through the session as a herd of 30 horses meander nearby and wild deer stroll through the setting.

You can find more information on Gestalt therapy at The Gestalt Centre, and if you're up for an adventure to Montana, I highly recommend visiting June at Bonanza Creek for an Equine Gestalt Session. She also offers sessions via Zoom, although without the horses.

Executive Networking and Mentorship

Between us attendees, we've collectively notched up decades in the music industry and extensive networks across artist management, record labels, A&R, and live touring. You name it, one of us has done a successful stint in it. As most of us are now either consulting, or in my case finding my path out of the industry (again), we all had deep insights and vast contacts to share with each other. We each offered clarity on challenges we might be facing, the right person at the right place to pursue a new idea, or a potential client connection. After years of coming up in such a competitive, male-dominated industry, it was a breath of fresh air to be with a group of women, cheering each other on with encouragement, ideas, and mentorship.

Sharing Insights and Journeys

Sharing our personal insights and journeys became a cornerstone of the retreat experience. Each woman's story contributed to a tapestry of wisdom and heart from which we all gained. On horseback, by the fire pit, or over dinner, we filled each other with encouragement and suggestions. In my case, I was presented with pivotal questions I'd been avoiding asking myself when one artist manager's brain kicked into gear as she questioned me on my sticking points and goals. It was so supportive, and dare I say, even beautiful?

For those seeking similar experiences in nature with other women, Wild Roots Collective offers a range of women's retreats that combine outdoor adventure with women's circles. I’ve not been to a Wild Roots retreat yet, but it looks pretty interesting and worth checking out.

As our Montana adventure drew to a close, we left the ranch with new friendships and rekindled old ones, expanded networks both in and beyond our careers, and found the clarity needed to return to our lives with renewed passion and purpose. By the time we left the ranch, each of us had clarity on our next steps and had already moved something pivotal forward toward our goals. The conversations (and some tears) shared among us, with shared decades in our industry and a sense of adventure and curiosity, proved profoundly valuable; something I personally found overwhelming and heartfelt to be a part of.

For me, the retreat reinforced my passion for creating spaces where women can connect, grow, and support each other. It solidified my commitment to organizing more Wild Duchess field trips in the future, not just so I can share beautiful spaces with interesting women, but mostly selfish reasons, because I personally gather so much from these intimate circles.

If traveling further afield for a women’s retreat isn’t on the cards for you just yet, HikerKind is another excellent resource for outdoorsy women seeking community in various locations.

Feral executive women on horseback in Montana

Reset and Recharge for the Future

This Montana retreat served as a much-needed reset button for all of us. Away from the constant notifications and demands of life, we found space to recharge and reconnect with ourselves and learn about each other. Not that I need reminding, but these moments of pause are crucial for maintaining my own effectiveness as a people manager, and now a business owner building something from scratch again. We left the ranch energized and brimming with ideas and next steps, but equally with a renewed commitment to incorporating more nature and stillness into our daily lives.

I'm forever grateful to the women who threw caution to the wind and chose to saddle up with me with only five weeks notice. Breaking bread at the dinner table over our third home-cooked meal of the day after a full day in the saddle, sharing our visions, offering career insight, and finding solutions to challenges together was something I've been dreaming about for a long time. And here we were, sitting in the depths of Montana with fifth-generation homesteaders, finding our compasses once again.

What a privilege to have shared this field trip, these meals, the views, and the company of these curious and adventurous women. I cannot wait to explore the outdoors with more awesome women on future retreats, maybe on horseback, perhaps on foot, or four wheels. Wherever that may be, I hope to share it with other likeminded women, and maybe I’ll see you there.

Sign Up for Future Wild Duchess Retreats

I’m lining up future retreats for executive women to find clarity and forge meaningful connections starting with a riding retreat in Somerset, UK, plus Montana dates coming in 2026. I’ll also be hosting day workshops in Los Angeles in the months ahead.

If you're an executive woman feeling the pull of the great outdoors, yearning for personal growth, career clarity, and connection, join us for future retreats that will reignite your spirit. Sign up for our mailing list and become part of a community of executive women who are answering the call to get outside.

Also, for the dudes (and gals) out there... Usual Projects has some awesome workshops and retreats going on around the Los Angeles and New York areas.

For a glimpse into the Wild Duchess experience, check out our Instagram.