Align Your Career With Purpose
A 3-Day Career Transition Retreat for Experienced Women in Education & Philanthropy
Kefalonia Island, Greece | 29 September – 2 October 2026 | Limited to 8 Participants
For Women Who Are Ready to Pivot their Career. Now It's Time to Define Your Own Mission.
You've built a meaningful career in education, philanthropy, or international development. You've managed programs, led teams, created impact. But somewhere along the way, the work that once energized you has started to feel misaligned with your purpose, goals and values.
Are you questioning if your current path is what you want for the next 10-20 years?
Are you curious about different work paths, such as consulting, portfolio careers, fractional work, but don't know where to start?
Are you ready for more strategic work but can't quite articulate what that looks like?
You're at an inflection point, and that is the start of a new path forward.
And you deserve more than circling the same questions alone.
We have created an exclusive space where you can reflect on your own and in a trusted community of peers, finding your individual direction and clarity.
What You Will Leave With
✓ Your North Star – A directional career purpose to guide decisions going forward
✓ Pathway clarity – Understanding which model (traditional employment, consulting, portfolio career) aligns with who you are now
✓ Tools to advocate for yourself – Frameworks for owning your expertise and asking for what you deserve
✓ Foundations for your professional voice – Key elements of your unique perspective and first steps for visibility
✓ A 90-day action roadmap – Concrete next steps with brave first moves
✓ A peer network – Connections with 5-7 other women on similar journeys who understand your context
How You Will Feel Differently
After 3 days, women describe feeling:
Lighter – No longer carrying the weight of unanswered questions alone
Grounded – Clear on their direction, even if the path isn't fully mapped
Energized – Ready to take brave first steps instead of circling endlessly
Seen – Witnessed by women who understand their exact trade-offs
Permission – To prioritize what they actually want, not just what they "should" do
The Program
Set at the beautiful, tranquil Rodi Studios boutique hotel on Kefalonia Island, this immersive retreat combines strategic clarity with coaching, peer support with expert guidance, reflection with action planning.
Through a blend of strategic frameworks, guided reflection, peer dialogue and a trusted community, you will move from questioning to clarity, and leave with a grounded action plan as well as a supportive peer community.
Day 0: Arrival Day - Gentle Landing & Community Opening
Day 1: Discover Your North Star
Day 2: Define Your Compass
Day 3: Activate Your Next Chapter (check-out day)
Throughout the Retreat: Space for Integration
Afternoons are intentionally spacious. Career transitions require time to reflect, integrate, and allow insights to settle, often where the deepest clarity emerges.
Optional Cultural Experiences (book separately with us):
Gentle hike on Mount Aenos overlooking the Ionian Sea & Zakynthos
Wine tasting at local vineyard
Olive oil press tours
Organic honey maker visits
Excursion to Myrtos Beach (ranked among world's top 10)
Cooking classes with local chefs
Your Facilitator: Nora Marketos
Nora Marketos mentors senior professionals navigating career transitions in education, philanthropy, and international development, particularly women exploring portfolio careers, consulting, or strategic leadership through cohorts or on a 1:1 basis.
Her approach is grounded in 15+ years leading multi-million dollar social impact initiatives across Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. As Director at the Jacobs Foundation, she managed a CHF 30M+ annual portfolio and built strategic alliances across UN agencies, foundations, NGOs, and private sector. She lives what she teaches: splitting her year between consulting, talent work, and managing a boutique hotel in Greece, the portfolio career model she helps you design. She founded PurposePhil Career, serving 630+ professionals in over 100+ countries.
EMBA, MAS in International Development, MA in Social Anthropology | Speaks 5 languages
Philine Zimmerli combines senior leadership in philanthropy and humanitarian work with certified systemic-psychological coaching, supporting professionals through career transitions and organizational change.
She brings 15+ years of leadership experience across international development and humanitarian cooperation, including senior leadership roles managing programs in 10 countries, leading organizational restructuring, and directing advocacy strategies in child and youth development across Europe for the Jacobs Foundation as a Director. From her own leadership journey, she understands how career transitions affect direction, identity, and purpose. Participants value her empathetic presence combined with strategic clarity.
Certified Systemic-Psychological Coach | MAS in Children's Rights | Fully Qualified Lawyer (Germany) | Speaks 3 languages
The Setting: Rodi Studios, Kefalonia
Nestled among olive trees with breathtaking views of the Ionian Sea and Mount Aenos, Rodi Studios offers the tranquil setting essential for transformation.
Why this matters: Career transitions require separation from daily routines. When you're physically removed from your inbox, others' expectations, and routine momentum, you finally have permission to ask: What do I actually want?
What you'll experience:
Fully renovated rooms with minimalist design
Stunning sea views, large swimming pool and peaceful surroundings with olive trees
Multilingual hospitality (English, German, French, Spanish)
Minutes' drive from a variety of sandy beaches and traditional tavernas (transport is required and can be organized by us)
Family-run boutique hotel with authentic Greek warmth and great pool bar
Who This Retreat Is For
You're the right fit if you:
Have 10-15+ years in education, philanthropy, development, or MEL
Feel misaligned with your current role
Are curious about career change and different options, such as fractional work, consulting or portfolio careers
Want to develop your authentic professional voice and visibility
Are willing to be vulnerable and do deep self-reflection with peers
This retreat is NOT for you if you:
Want quick fixes or job placement services
Need tactical help (CV review, interview prep) vs. strategic clarity
Aren't ready to invest in yourself
Don't feel comfortable reflecting in a trusted group
Women-only format: Creates a safe space for conversations about women specific challenges such as daring to imagine a career change aligned with your values, asking for what you deserve, navigating caregiving and career, and designing work that honors both impact and sustainable rhythms.
Why This Investment Is Worth It
You've been thinking about making a change for how long? Six months? A year? Longer?
Every month in misalignment costs you: Sunday night dread, opportunities you don't pursue because you're unclear, the gap between the impact you could have and the impact you are having.
This retreat gives you three days to finally exhale. To ask "What do I actually want?" without your inbox buzzing. To be witnessed by women who understand why you can't just change partners or a MEL framework. To leave feeling lighter, clearer, and ready to move, not stuck in analysis paralysis.
What You Can't Get Elsewhere
Generic career coaches don't understand foundation cultures, MEL pathways, government contracting, or the nonprofit-to-consulting shift. Nora and Philine bring combined 30+ years in your exact sectors. They have navigated these transitions themselves, Nora through building her portfolio career, Philine through organizational restructuring and leadership shifts.
You will spend three days with 5-7 women who understand your trade-offs, speak your language, and are equally invested in change. These connections become collaborators, accountability partners, and sounding boards for years.
The Long View: What you decide in the next 6 months shapes the next 10-20 years. This is the investment in clarity about where your expertise takes you next.
Investment & Booking
Early Bird (until March 31, 2026): €1,250
Standard Pricing: €1,500
Deposit to secure spot: €300
What's Included:
✓ All workshops (9 hours over 3 days)
✓ Welcome apéro riche with Greek specialties on arrival
✓ 45-min individual consultation
✓ 3 nights accommodation
✓ Daily rich breakfast, dinner + fresh fruits throughout the day
✓ Materials, templates, frameworks
✓ Post-retreat resource package
Not Included: Lunch, optional activities, travel to Kefalonia
Cancellation Policy:
90+ days before: 100% refund (deposit non-refundable)
Under 90 days: No refund (we'll attempt to fill your spot)
FAQ
Between jobs, is this still for me?
Yes! Perfect for employed and exploring, between roles, or actively searching.
Interested in consulting but don't know where to start?
We explore consulting pathways, pricing, positioning, and first clients.
Can my employer pay?
Possibly. Position as leadership development. We provide documentation.
Group size?
5-8 women for intimate, high-quality experience.
What if I can't attend after booking?
Deposits non-refundable. 90+ days: 100% refund. Under 90 days: no refund.
What should I bring?
Comfortable clothes, swimwear, walking shoes, journal, open mind.
Meals?
Rich breakfast included daily. Welcome apéro riche on arrival. Pool bar with healthy options and organized taverna dinners available for lunch/dinner.
How do I get there?
Kefalonia Airport (EFL): direct flights from London, Manchester, Milan, Amsterdam, Munich, Frankfurt, Vienna, Athens. Ferry from Italy also possible.
Can I pay in installments?
Yes. €300 deposit + remainder by June 29, 2026.
Future dates?
Email [email protected] to join waitlist.
Questions?
Email: [email protected]