G3 Press Release
G3 Sonoma Refocuses, Reframes, and Resets in a Virtual World
October 1, 2020
There has never been a more important time, personally and professionally, for us to look at how the world has dramatically shifted in such a short period of time. Daily, we are required to redefine what it means to work together as a team and show up in a changing environment. Although this shift was abrupt, we are embracing the invitation to tackle the challenges of adapting, virtually, to a new way of working.
At G3—Gather, Grow and Go—, we are committed to you and your team’s ability to navigate this unfolding dynamic by facilitating new virtual experiences. We offer interactive workshops and engaging team building exercises featuring topics such as communication styles, inclusion and diversity, professional wellness and leadership development. Our G3 facilitators work with you to deliver purpose-driven experiences that consider not only the work you’re doing, but the people behind it. Through dynamic activities layered with thoughtful discussion and reflection, we offer inspiration, tools and time to cultivate your next level of excellence.
Wine Country has always provided an amazing backdrop for our work, allowing us to integrate farm-to-table cuisine and the beautiful outdoors into your experience. We are ready to welcome you back to Sonoma when you feel the time is right, working within the parameters of social distancing and safety protocols for added peace of mind. In the meantime, we are excited for the opportunity to continue partnering with organizations and companies around the country to cultivate leadership and growth in a dynamic virtual setting.
At the end of the day, there has never been a better time to make an investment in your people—we’ll create a program that meets your objectives, desired results and has your team walking away feeling connected, refreshed, and engaged.
We are proud of our previous work in building stronger more aligned teams, giving back to our community through teen leadership development, and gathering around inspiring speakers. We’re here to create experiences that will ignite passion and purpose, helping you leverage your best-self, team and organization—in person or virtually. Visit our website at G3Sonoma.com to get started.
G3 Press Release
G3 Sonoma Expands Offerings and Adds New Partner
May 17, 2018
Best known for their work delivering boutique conferences, creating engaging speaker events and cultivating leadership in teen girls, G3—Gather, Grow and Go—is now substantially expanding their offerings to include purpose-driven experiences for teams and organizations. The new programs for men and women will include customized team building activities, fully curated corporate retreats, and focused workshops covering a variety of topics such as Strategic Communication, Peak Performance and Team Effectiveness.
“We are excited to introduce this new direction for G3 to provide programs that mix fun and creative activities with meaningful discussion and reflection, all designed to create sustainable, high performing individuals and teams,” said Piper Abodeely, co-founder and partner at G3. “Wine Country provides the perfect setting to deliver unique and engaging experiences to motivate and inspire teams and organizations with an integrated approach.”
The new offerings include:
Team Building: Engaging activities and challenges followed by intentional discussion to foster communication, connection and trust within a team or organization. Programs can be scheduled to last a full or half day.
Corporate Retreats: Multi-day experiences to cultivate a stronger, more engaged and higher performing team. G3 can provide retreat content and activities or deliver a turn-key event including lodging and meals.
Workshops: Focused content on specific topics for inspired results. Topics address a wide range of challenge and growth areas to provide insight, reflection and tangible solutions.
“We’ve hosted eight women’s conferences, a women’s retreat, annual monthly Speaker Series, and multiple G3 Girls events,” said Michelle Dale, co-founder and partner at G3. “We still love the power and energy of public events—and will continue to bring amazing speakers, artists and filmmakers to Sonoma— but we also love the impact when these same basic principles are applied to men and women in a corporate setting to inspire and engage individuals and teams to perform at their highest level.”
In addition to expanding their offerings, G3 is also expanding their leadership by welcoming Melissa Parker as Partner. Parker holds an MBA from Arizona State University and brings over 20 years of corporate communications, branding and strategy experience at companies including Intel and CoreLogic. Parker will focus on marketing and strategic planning in addition to facilitating programs with Abodeely and Dale.
“When I met Piper and Michelle I immediately knew I wanted to be part of their amazing work,” said Parker, who has been collaborating with the organization since 2016. “I’m thrilled to join G3 in this capacity to continue creating opportunities for others to find their own power and authentic purpose as individuals or as part of a team.”
G3 Press Release
Gather, Grow, & Go in Sonoma, California
November 13-15, 2016
Slowing down to take time for ourselves is one of the hardest things to do as a woman, yet it is one of the most essential ways we can maintain wellbeing in our health and in our relationships. So, what’s a girl to do? “Talk to other women, share our stories and our journeys, rely on one another’s wisdom and have fun together,” says Michelle Dale, co-founder of G3, a curated boutique conference that invites women to “Gather, Grow & Go.”
The next conference, scheduled for November 13-15, 2016, in Sonoma, Ca., features speakers including former American Idol Finalist Kimberley Locke, who will share about her journey in self-image and body awareness, and Haley Kilpatrick, founder of Girl Talk, an organization that sets young women up for a lifetime of successful relationships by creating a space for high schoolers to mentor girls in middle school. Other topics include grief and spirituality, sex and intimacy and finding the humor in the world of “adulting.” Experiences include cooking demos, a special one-woman performance by Manchester Girl Sue Turner-Cray, and a chance to play a game designed to spark passion and purpose. More on speakers and topics here: https://g3sonoma.com/november-2016-conference/.
“We’re constantly working to bring together experts and experiences that empower women to grow through all the ages and stages of their lives,” said Piper Abodeely, co-founder of G3. In addition to speakers, G3 features morning fitness options, delicious and nutritious food and drink, and ideas about how to bring good habits home. It’s also a chance for women from all over the country to enjoy wine country living, including a special cocktail hour and dinner at Suite D, a special event venue from Sondra Bernstein, founder of The Girl and The Fig restaurant.
Tickets are $649 for general admission, $799 for VIP and until September 13 – tickets are by one, get one half off. The host hotel is The El Dorado Hotel, and each day’s events take place at Ramekins Culinary School, Special Events & Inn. For more information, visit G3Sonoma.com.
G3 to Host New Conference Series
Featured in the Sonoma Index-Tribune
By Lorna Sheridan, Staff Writer
February 4, 2016
The G3 (Gather, Grow & Go) conference series created by Michelle Dale and Piper Abodeely is hosting a three-day Mind, Body & Soul event from March 6 to 8 in Sonoma.
“The conference was created in the spirit of the G3 conference that focuses more deeply on the care and keeping of yourself from the inside out,” say conference organizers Dale and Abodeely. “We have created a compelling two-and-a-half days of content that includes speakers from our own backyard, while also bringing in women with a national platform.”
Among the 12 speakers scheduled to appear include:
Simran Sethi, a journalist and educator focused on food, sustainability and social change, who will talk from her new book, “Bread, Wine, Chocolate: The Slow Loss of Foods We Love,” about the story of changes in food and agriculture told through bread, wine, chocolate, coffee and beer. She has been designated one of the top eight women saving the planet by Marie Claire magazine.
Casey Beck, a Sonoma resident who documented a year in the life of her husband-farmer, Austin. Her film, “The Organic Life” will screen on Monday, March 7 at 5 p.m. and include a Q&A with Beck. This event is open to the public.
Joanne Martin Braun will conduct a workshop on financial well-being, work-life balance and mindfulness-based stress reduction.
The conference will be held at Ramekins Culinary School and Event Center on West Spain Street.
The conference draws attendees from all over, and there is a special rate for locals who receive a $100 discount.
Register at g3sonoma.com.
Sonoma Women Gathering, Growing and Going
Featured in the Sonoma Index-Tribune
November 2, 2015
Gather, grow and go. With those three words, and resulting G3 logo, three local women have launched a series of unique women’s conferences that are striking a chord with attendees near and far.
Piper Abodeely, Anne Marie Sebastiani and Michelle Dale saw a void in the market for a combination retreat and business conference – one where women could explore topics of work-life balance, self-image and well-being.
“No one else was offering anything quite like this,” said Dale.
The three founders brought different strengths. Abodeely is an executive coach who has worked with Fortune 500 companies. She brings a focus on strategic communication skills. Dale has a background in corporate recruiting, sales, management and training in the food and beverage industry. She focuses on the importance of cultivating healthy and well-balanced life styles. Sebastiani played a key role in the founding and building of the G3 brand but she recently left to focus on other projects. G3 is now G2, in terms of leadership anyway.
Each G3 conference features a dozen speakers and workshops. “We create a thoughtfully curated agenda featuring experts and experiences so that women can learn about these topics, together in one place, with great wine and food,” said Dale.
“The conferences are for any woman, any age, at any stage of life,” said Abodeely. “Our topics resonate with women no matter what their situation is. A session might be on improving relationships, and for some people that’s their children, for others a spouse, and for others, their colleagues at work.”
Recent topics have included: taming your inner critic, engagement in marriage/parenting/career, graceful aging, and socially responsible investing, among dozens more.
“Whether you want to live a healthier lifestyle, or manage your time more effectively, or better understand your passions, these are goals that resonate across age or situation in life,” said Dale.
“Many women choose to attend the conference for one reason, and leave getting something entirely different out of the experience,” said Abodeely.
Sonoma realtor Kathleen Ball had no expectations when she signed up for the conference last March. “I was new to town and it ended up being fun as well as valuable for me both personally and professionally,” she said. Local business owner Lisa Carlsson has attended two conferences and said that the sessions on the life-work balance, prioritizing and maximizing one’s time were particularly valuable to her.
The women form bonds that continue after the conference is over. “Attendees stay in touch with each other and with us through small groups and our newsletter and blog. And about 20 percent of all attendees return for another conferences, as each is different,” added Dale.
The conferences draw between 60 to 80 women each time, about half of whom hail from the Bay Area. The plan is to always keep attendance under 100. “We want it to be a boutique experience and we want to be able to learn from each other,” said Dale.
The next big G3 event will run Nov. 8 to 10 in Sonoma at Ramekins. The three-day conference will feature almost a dozen speakers and workshops, as well as networking opportunities, nutrition and exercise.
“We gather women in an idyllic, intimate setting and provide great food, wine, conversation and company,” said Dale. “The setting is a huge draw.”
The G3 “empire” now includes conferences twice a year in Sonoma (November and March), a monthly speaker series, a bi-annual conference aimed at teens and private on-site team building and leadership coaching services for organizations and companies.
Once a month on Wednesday evenings, G3 invites the public to hear speakers on topics that vary but, stressed Dale, “always, in some critical way, support our goal of adding to the enrichment and education of a woman’s life.” Past speakers have included the nutritionist from “The Biggest Loser,” comedian Cyndy Bragg, the author of “Coming Alive: The Journey to Reengage Your Life and Career” and social media expert Karen Clark.
Dale and Abodeely are now giving a lot of thought to how to make G3 accessible and affordable to more women. To that end, they register dozens of women and girls for free and have launched the G3 Angels program where donors can sponsor a participant. “We would love to partner even more with those organizations who share our mission of supporting the lives of women and girls,” said Abodeely. “We are about empowering and changing lives. We aren’t going to turn anyone away because they can’t pay to attend.”
A G3 Girls event in September was a big hit with the two dozen girls who participated. Sonoma Valley High senior Ellie Rohrbacher got some great ideas for her senior project on female empowerment. “I was particularly impressed by the session on mindfulness,” she said. “I’ve done a lot of research for my project and wasn’t sure what new things I would learn but it was really helpful and interesting.”
Like the women who attend, the G3 founders themselves are gathering, growing and going.
“Our idea for G3 started from a place of passion and a desire to leverage our expertise,” explained Dale. “As we expand, we know we personally face a steep learning curve. But by approaching the challenge with belief in ourselves, we’re now doing exactly what the women at our conferences are asked to do.”
At the end of each conference, the women write down what they have “gathered,” how they have “grown” and what they are going to “go” out and do now.
“That piece of paper is private,” said Dale. “But we each say one word out loud to each other to sum up our experience. And then we toast each other with a glass of champagne.”
G3 Women’s Conference Helps Attendees ‘Gather, Grow and Go’
Featured in the Vail Daily
June 22, 2015
The G3 conference ended at Paragon Backcountry Center in Arrowhead. Attendees hiked to the center with llamas. They enjoyed wine and appetizers while speaker Ellen Miller talked about graceful aging. The G3 Women’s Conference, traditionally held in Sonoma, California, took place June 15 and 16 in Vail. It encouraged women to “gather, grow and go.” An early morning Vail Mountain ascent set the pace for this high-energy, encouraging group of 40 women dedicated to becoming their best physically, mentally and emotionally.
Piper Abodeely, founder of the G3 conference, said the goal of G3 “is to help women leverage their best selves from the inside out by tapping into all aspects of a woman’s life — from health, wellness, nutrition, balance, career and more — while always having fun and enjoying good food and wine along the way!”
This was not a traditional business conference with suits and over-coiffed hair. Each speaker was reputable but infused their talk with fun. This year’s speakers included Ceil Folz, president of the Vail Valley Foundation; Gaby Milhoan, a social entrepreneur; and Ellen Miller, a local outdoor fitness coach.
The diverse speakers offered something for everyone. Rosie Holliday, founder of travel agency Holliday Adventures, was pleased by the topic breadth and information quality. “I was really impressed by the quality of all the speakers (who made the conference) uplifting, educational, inspirational and fun,” Holliday said.
Although most women attended the conference to glean what they could from the speakers, Holliday was pleased to observe that there were “a lot of very bright, thoughtful and compassionate women. I was particularly impressed with the younger women. If all women of their generation
were like these, then the future generation and the planet would be in good hands.”
Banishing Negative Thoughts
Liz Horan Jenks, CEO of Jenks & Co. Inc. stated that “the women who attend G3 are incredibly supportive of one another and are there to go beyond their comfort zone, thus because we all are equally vulnerable, as a speaker I just felt like an extension of the overall experience.” This vulnerability allowed many women to get the support needed to learn different skills and develop the confidence to start business projects they’d put on hold, or say no to projects they can’t accept.
Gretchen Hovey, owner of Ripe produce in Edwards, private chef and founder of Vail Pop, a pop-up dinner company, said that she attended the conference “hoping it would help me narrow down some of my projects.” Abodeely observes that G3 organizers “find that most participants come for one thing and get something entirely different out of the experience with great connections, networks and personal ah-ha’s.”
Holliday registered for the conference eager to learn everything. “I was open to anything that resonated with me,” she said. “And it pretty much all did.” Banishing negative thoughts through self-talk was one of the most revisited topics in the two-day conference.
“I plan “to zap myself with an elastic band around my wrist when I have a negative thought and replace it with a positive thought,” Holliday said.
Biana McCarty, a local photographer, said that she is going to approach her art and business differently after the conference. She learned that she needed to “just shut up and do it” to limit the criticisms she projects on her work.
Jenks said that not only did she walk away with “a renewed sense of confidence and value” but while preparing for her talk she “realized that I had more to offer than I thought.”
‘You are enough’
The most empowering aspect of the conference was “being surrounded by amazing women who are supportive and inspire each other to be their best self,” Jenks said. She encourages women who have not attended the conference to do so next year and “invest in yourself and your happiness — the payback is big!”
On the final day of the conference, the women enjoyed food and wine at the Paragon Guides Backcountry Center, and they were encouraged to share what they had learned and how they planned to maintain balance and health at home. While this team-building exercise would seem trite at most conferences, this supportive community was eager to share.
Elaine Kelton, longtime local and author of the book “Women of Vail,” said that “women are awesome” and that she will remind herself “you are enough, trust that.” Many women were looking forward to continuing their growth by sharing their knowledge with their daughters.
Holliday said that “even if you are familiar with the topics and practice a healthy mind and body lifestyle, know the right things to do for the environment and so on, it never hurts to be around people of a similar bent. We all can learn something even if it is just a tidbit. The exchange of ideas can be very powerful.”
G3 Press Release
“G3” Women’s Conference Comes to Vail
June 15-16, 2015
The powerhouse trio that created the recent G3 Sonoma Conference has announced dates for a Summer 2015 event, to be held June 15-16 at the Christiania Lodge in Vail, Colorado. In addition, G3’s dynamic speakers, workshops, and networking, this special two-day event is offered in partnership with Peak Wellness Retreat, a wellness adventure travel firm founded by Gaby Milhoan and Lauren Arnold, former competitive athletes whose experiences overcoming ovarian cancer and a debilitating knee injury inspired them to dedicate their life to wellness – living it and sharing it.
Organizers promise that attendees will walk away from G3 with a heightened awareness of who they are and who they want to commit to becoming both personally and professionally, while feeling refreshed from the Rocky Mountain, high altitude, high impact experience. Registration is now open at: http://bit.ly/1CJdd4q
“G3 has a track record of providing an intimate conference in idyllic settings, combined with a thoughtfully-curated agenda featuring experts and experiences that promise to open our hearts and minds to all the possibilities that define a fulfilled life,” said Michelle Dale, conference organizer. “G3 Vail will build on the foundation we have created in Sonoma, with content and conversation that touches on all aspects of our lives – from family and career, to relationships, health and well-being, spirituality, fun and recreation.”
G3 has partnered with Vail-based Peak Wellness Retreat to offer conference attendees a life changing VIP experience on Sunday, June 14. The VIP package is a must-do for any woman looking to kick start a health overhaul, receive empowering coaching and education, or simply find inspiration from active immersion into the Rocky Mountains. The day kicks off with Peak’s proprietary “360º Fit” panel of four fitness assessments, an in-depth look that combines body composition, Vo2 Max, RMR, and a Functional Movement Screening to paint the entire health picture and diagnose a personalized nutrition and fitness prescription. Guests will then enjoy a guided hike and coaching session with Everest Trilogy climber Ellen Miller, lunch on the mountain surrounded by views of the Gore Range, and a “Skin Fitness Spa Party,” to round out the day with relaxation and rejuvenation.
Peak Wellness CEO and Co-Founder Gaby Milhoan will share her story of how she turned fighting and overcoming ovarian cancer into discovering, living, and building a business around her passion: inspiring people to live a healthier, happier, more vibrant life. Gaby says, “We are inspired by the mission of the G3 conference and honored to be a part of this experience. Our purpose at Peak Wellness is to empower people to grow young and we are so excited by the opportunity to reach as many women as we can through this partnership with G3.”
G3 Conferences is committed to supporting women even after the conference itself is complete. To that end, ongoing learning and connection opportunities are available to attendees through +G3 Circles, formal small groups that keep the spirit of G3 alive for attendees via facilitated in-person and teleconference get-togethers.
From Wine Country to the Mountains
Featured in the Vail Daily
April 12, 2015
A new event coming to Vail in June aims to attract women looking for personal growth in a healthy environment. The G3 Women’s Conference, an event that started in Sonoma, California, offers women of all ages several days dynamic speakers, workshops and networking, as well as fitness assessments and workouts in a mountain atmosphere.
Speakers at the Vail conference, which goes from June 14 to 16, will talk about topics that include reinventing and being your best self, overcoming physical and mental obstacles, leveraging social media, and of course, how to improve your health. The wellness portion of the conference is held in partnership with Peak Wellness, a Vail Valley-based fitness retreat company, which will give participants a “360 Fit” panel of four medically based fitness assessments that include a functional movement screening and body composition test. Classroom time will be interspersed with outdoor activities such as a guided hike and coaching session with Everest Trilogy climber Ellen Miller, lunch on the mountain surrounded by views of the Gore Range and a llama lunch excursion with Paragon Guides.
“This conference brings together every aspect of who we are as women together,” said one of G3’s founders, Piper Abodeely. “It’s a boutique experience with about 100 women attending. At our last conference, they were from all walks of life from 30 to 70. We have people who are retiring, stay-at-home moms, women at the beginning of their careers and companies who send employees as a professional development opportunity.”
Gaby Milhoan, Peak Wellness co-founder, said that the conferences can appeal to a wide range of women.
“It’s for people who want leadership, to explore their potential, who are looking to grow,” she said. “I saw myself in it, and thought that I would have loved something like this four years ago as a budding business owner.”
G3 conferences began in Sonoma a couple years ago by Abodeely, Michelle Dale and Anne Marie Sebastiani, using the wine country as a backdrop for the sessions and activities. The conferences are held twice a year in Sonoma, but Abodeely said the goal is to take G3 on the road once a year. Vail seemed like a perfect place — a rugged change from Sonoma, as well as Abodeely’s hometown (Her father and brother run Paragon Guides in Edwards).
She said the conference expects an even mix of locals and destination visitors. G3 will be held at the Christiana Lodge, and attendees can choose between attending just the two-day conference or adding on the one-day wellness package.
“This is also a great way to showcase local businesses. It’s perfect for a girlfriend getaway weekend,” Abodeely said.
The two-day conference costs $799, and the full VIP experience including the wellness package costs $1,300. Costs cover the conference, excursions and some meals, depending on the package. Attendees who register before April 30 using the code “g3special” will receive $200 off.
