Well, the 6th Digital Organization Retreat is in the books!
These 4 ladies had almost 3 entire days where all they had to think about was getting their digital workspace in order. You might assume that that doesn’t sound very exciting, but as Debbie, a teacher from Indiana, rightly stated:
“Who knew being organized could be so fun!”
In this photo, Dee, a teacher from Ohio, was celebrating getting the first level of her file manager down to less than 10 folders.
Here are a few more fun stats:
One attendee started with 62 tabs open in her browser and and rarely if ever completely shut it down for the night. She ended with only 5 open and closed it down for the first time at the end of the day in forever.
As a whole, attendees were in 384 Facebook Groups and were following 925 pages. They cut it down to 171 groups and 176 pages! Amazing! Imagine how much better their news feed will be now?
We started with 126,774 emails total and got started cleaning out the accounts getting down to 85,630. (One attendee had almost 60,000 and texted me after the retreat that she had gotten it down to 28,000!
The thing about this event that makes it really special is it is SO MUCH EASIER for me to help you with your digital struggles when I can literally sit next to you and see what is going on!
Keeping it Low-Key
Yes, most of the time we work from the table, but attendees are encouraged to make themselves at home and really “retreat” as they need and get comfortable as they hunker down and pound away.
There’s direct coaching time and then there’s large chunks of open work time to use as needed whether it’s continuing cleanup or taking a break and reading a book!
We also tried to stretch our legs as much as possible – visiting the bison at the state park and also the new organic farm next door.
Breakfast and lunch meals are provided by me and then we go out for dinner.
We didn’t get to spend as much time on the back porch this year as the weather was on the cool side for this time of year, but it’s nice to get outside when we can!
Connection
Besides organizing our digital spaces, we take time to connect and have a little fun. One attendee brought a really fun trio for us to try (Out… Standing by Kevin Olson) where one person has to move back and forth to various sides of the piano during the trio. It was entertaining to watch as they were trying to sightread!
For the first time I also included door prizes so we had fun using an app one of the attendees suggested called “Tap Roulette.” You open the app, lay your device down flat, everyone places a finger on the device screen and then it will highlight a finger for the winner.
I had lots of choices available related to teaching, building habits, technology, or cooking.
I also love inviting attendees to be part of recording an episode for The Piano Pantry Podcast. It’s always so much fun getting to not only hear how they were impacted by the event, but hearing about each teacher and little tidbits of teaching and life wisdom they share.
You can listen to it any place you get podcasts or from right here!
Get More Details and Join the Waitlist
If you would like to learn more about the details of this event, visit the retreat page here on Piano Pantry.
If you would like to receive direct notification regarding this event, and pre-notification when registration opens before it’s open to the public, join the waitlist here.
Previous Recap Posts
Access the recap posts from the previous three years of events her:
Announcing the Piano Pantry Digital Organization Retreat (and a recap of the 2022 Retreats!)
Recap: 2023 Piano Pantry Digital Organization Retreat
One More in the Books! The 2024 Digital Organization Retreat
Testimonials
Here’s what this years attendees had to say about the event:
“The Digital Organization Retreat is an incredible value for your money! I highly recommend it for all piano teachers, even if you think of yourself as a person pretty comfortable with technology, you will be amazed at how much you didn’t know.
I had no idea how much more efficiently I could operate my studio by making these small tweaks to my computer, phone, email and filing system. Amy’s mind is a powerhouse of organization and she willingly shares her concise ideas for improving efficiency.
It was surprising to me that I could lighten my mental load by reducing my digital clutter. The food was great, the conversation encouraging and I came home ready to tackle another year of teaching.” ~Jennifer Kurtz
Amy is a whiz at walking others through the landscape of their digital lives. You know when areas of your life are getting out of balance, but you don’t always know how to regain control. At this retreat Amy comes alongside as a coach & cheerleader equipping you to improve with tips, tricks, best practices & a look at mindset. The Before & After worksheet is eye-opening. The dedicated work sessions are invaluable ~ so motivating with Amy at hand & fellow attendees simultaneously making headway in their own areas. The accommodations are wonderfully inviting & Amy’s menus are delightful!
~Jenny FisherI can’t say enough positive things about the Piano Pantry Digital Organization Retreat! The topics we covered were things that I use in all facets of my life: personal, professional, and volunteer work. I learned so much, and will continue to learn and grow in the topics we covered. I have a great start in organizing my digital life. Amy’s materials were excellent, as were her delicious meals and snacks. It was fun to meet people from other areas of the U.S.–and the setting was comfortable, relaxing, and beautiful. Who knew being organized could be so fun!
~Debbie Lagomarsino Woidke
