Up the River: What 25 Business Owners Learned When They Finally Stepped Back
Last week, we hosted Durable’s first-annual, invite-only retreat for business owners — 25 leaders who collectively represent more than 500 jobs and over $100M in revenue. They came up to White’s Ranch in Cache Valley for one reason:
To step out of the business long enough to think clearly about it.
We started the morning on the river. Fly rods, cold water, quiet banks. Something happens to your mind when you’re standing in a current. The urgency drops. The noise falls away. You stop reacting and start noticing again.
That reset mattered. Because the rest of the day asked more of them than just showing up.
Fast Trust: Getting Real, Fast
Most business events start with surface-level intros. Instead, we chose to open up with conversations designed to get past the résumé and into the real story — how they became owners, what they’re trying to build, the moment that changed their life, and what 2025 actually felt like behind the scenes.
We call these “cannon events.” Everyone has one — a moment that forces you to grow long before you’re ready.
By the end of the hour, the room felt different. People weren’t posing or performing. They were speaking as peers, not rivals.
That shift set the tone for everything that followed.
The Operator’s Review: Making Sense of the Year You Just Lived
The heart of the retreat was a deep reflection on 2025 — not the highlight reel, but the honest year.
Business owners rarely slow down long enough to see the full picture. They’re already on to the next fire. The Operator’s Review workshop forced a pause and a higher altitude.
People dug into what really drove the year: where the wins came from, where the misses piled up, what the financial story revealed, and how they showed up as leaders. It wasn’t about judgment. It was about clarity. Throughout the exercise, business owners paired up with one another to exchange stories and lessons learned.
For the first time in a long time, many owners were challenged to see the year as a single story. A theme, or a pattern. Something worth directing, not drifting into.
That clarity becomes the foundation for every meaningful decision in the year ahead.
Designing Your Level 10 Life: The Owner Behind the Business
In the afternoon, we shifted from the business to the person running it — a transition most owners avoid. Many people start their business to gain freedom, then fill that freedom with noise, obligation, and constant urgency. So we asked a simple question:
What does a great life actually look like for you? And where are you now?
Across pillars like work, family, health, time, friendships, and legacy, the gaps were obvious. Not because anyone was failing — but because most owners never pause long enough to check their alignment.
The exercise wasn’t about chasing perfection. It was about designing a life that matches your values and fuels your work, instead of draining it.
If the Operator’s Review clarified the business, this workshop clarified the human being responsible for steering it.
And the truth held: A company only becomes healthier when the owner does.
Dinner, Drinks, and a Firepit That Kept the Conversation Going
We wrapped up the day over ribs, cocktails, and a firepit under the Cache Valley sky.
No agenda. No exercises. Just a group of owners talking like people — sharing stories, trading lessons, laughing, and comparing notes on what they’re trying to make true next year.
The conversations carried into the night. The kind of conversations you remember — the kind that remind you you’re not building alone.
Why This Work Matters — And an Invitation
You can’t build a strong business from a reactive mindset. You need clarity. You need reflection. You need community.
That’s why we hosted this retreat.
And it’s why we’re building Utah’s Business Commons — a place where owners come to think clearly, grow as leaders, and make better decisions together.
If you’re not yet part of the community, we’d love to have you. There’s a place for you here. And a group of operators who will make you better.
We hope to see you at the next one.