be here, as you are
Sept 14-16, 2026
Being Here, As You Are
a quiet return to self
Date : september 14-16, 2026
Length : 2 nights / 3 days
A Casa Portal retreat for reconnecting with your voice, your pace, and your creative well
A space for creators and entrepreneurs navigating the quiet, often unseen tension of modern identity—where who you are and what you do are no longer separate.
When work and life blur, it’s easy to lose your own voice. This is a space to step out of that cycle.
Hosted by Leigh Tillman of Leigh Tillman Facilitation & Melissa Schneider of Casa Portal
Hear yourself, clearly, again
Hosted at Casa Portal—a working farm retreat in mid-coast Maine—this experience is designed for creators and solo entrepreneurs whose work is closely tied to who they are.
When your work and your life are deeply connected, it takes space to hear what’s actually yours—versus what’s shaped by pace, expectation, or constant visibility.
Over a few days together, we step out of that cycle.
a different rhythm of time
Shared meals. Time on the land. Tea on the porch, gardening, being with the sheep. Quiet moments alone, and guided conversation in community.
We will hold space for discussions exploring the questions we hold around our work, our ideas of success, and how we’re showing up in our work and our lives.
Not to solve our quandaries/questions.
But to understand how we’re holding them.
At Casa Portal the environment is part of the experience.
Set on 100 acres of working farmland and forest in Maine, the land invites a slower rhythm. Being in natural beauty—and in relationship with the land—creates permission to pause, to stop producing, and simply be.
This is not about giving you answers or a plan.
It’s about creating the conditions to hear yourself clearly again.
From there, clarity doesn’t need to be forced.
It begins to surface—naturally, and in your own time.
our time together
Walking with a Question Session in the gardens & trails
Chef-prepared meals using seasonal, local ingredients facilitated meal discussions
A sound bath in the barn loft
Journaling, reflection, and facilitated group conversations
Time with the farm’s Navajo Churro sheep
Time to read, sketch, stitch, walk, or sit quietly with a tea & coffee
Storytelling Evenings by the fire
Hosts
leigh tillman
leigh tillman facilitation Melissa Schneider is a creative and marketing executive who has spent over two decades working with artists, creators, and founder-led businesses. Her work sits at the intersection of expression and execution—helping people translate what they sense internally into something real in the world. As a certified forest therapy guide and steward of Casa Portal, she creates environments that support clarity, presence, and a more grounded relationship to both work and life.
casa portal melissa schneider
Leigh Tillman is a facilitator who creates the conditions for people to think, listen, and see more clearly—both individually and together. Drawing from a background that spans global travel, community work, and consensus-based group facilitation, she guides conversations that help people navigate meaningful questions around identity, direction, and how they show up in their work and lives.
What People Are Saying
"Leigh masterfully leads peer groups for female entrepreneurs, creating space for both personal and professional development. She constantly receives rave reviews from participants and is a pleasure to work with."
— Client from Women's Business Center MaineMelissa and Pete's hospitality is top notch, as is the food, as is the decor, as is the way they tend this incredible land.
— Client Casa Portal Facilitator “What impressed me most about Leigh was her natural storytelling ability. Her life experiences give her great fodder. The way she delivers her stories is magnificent and her movements are graceful and beautiful to watch. She has great ideas on how to draw people out, even those who are unwilling to talk about themselves. Her personal warmth does much to loosen them up.”
— Storytelling Workshop Participant farm hospitality
Every decision we make is shaped by a clear sense of purpose. Our journey has been anything but ordinary. Our retreat is designed with intention, from the atmosphere we create to the way each session flows.
Everything is included. Just come as you are.
Expert & Supportive Facilitation
All-Inclusive Accommodations
Chef Prepared Farm to Table Community Meals
