By Erin Hughes, Founder of Here, There, Everywhere
Last year I said yes to something that really scared me.
Three nights away. No kids. No routine. No one I knew. The scariest part? Going somewhere for three days with complete strangers.
This year, I went back.
Three nights at the beautiful Villa Riad just outside Byron Bay — and even though I knew what to expect, I still didn’t know what the second time would ask of me.
There’s something confronting about walking into a room of 15 strangers and knowing you’re about to share space, ideas, vulnerabilities and ambition with them.
No hiding.
No distraction.
No slipping back into “mum mode” or work mode.
Just you.
And that’s the part that changes you.
Being removed from my day-to-day life — the juggle, the noise, the constant pull — allowed me to focus in a way I rarely do. Fully present. Fully engaged. Fully open.
Lisa and her business partner Jade create a space that feels expansive but grounded at the same time. There’s depth. There’s strategy. There’s challenge. And there’s honesty.
Nothing surface level.
Here’s what I walked away with this year:
The confidence to walk into the unknown.
I arrived knowing no one. Again. And I left with genuine connections. Not Instagram connections. Real ones. Conversations that felt aligned and energising.
A completely different understanding of AI.
Not just how to “use it,” but how to integrate it properly into HTE. Strategically. Intelligently. In a way that supports growth without losing our voice — or losing myself in the process. The new skills will absolutely change how I run the business, but also how I manage home life. Smarter systems. Less chaos. More clarity.
A community that feels collaborative, not competitive.
There’s something powerful about sitting in a room of ambitious people who are willing to share — not gatekeep. It shifts your perspective on what’s possible.
A stronger sense of who I am.
Every time I put myself in uncomfortable spaces, I come home clearer. Less apologetic. More certain.
Trust.
In myself. In my decisions. In my family.
Leaving for three nights used to come with guilt. Now it comes with gratitude. I know I am supported — and that changes everything.
Was it comfortable the whole time? No.
Was it worth it? Absolutely.
It can feel scary to invest in yourself. To step away. To walk into a room where you don’t know anyone.
But every time I’ve done it, I’ve come back more grounded in who I am — and more capable of leading HTE where I want it to go.
Growth doesn’t happen when we stay in the familiar.
It takes a lot to put yourself in situations like this, but it’s exactly what helps you grow into the person you’re becoming.
Putting myself in confronting, uncomfortable spaces — again and again — is what has shaped the version of me I feel most connected to.
And I know there’s still more growth to come.
