Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Polina Tarutin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Polina thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you share a customer success story with us?

I graduated with a psychology major/psychology of advertising minor in 2006 and since then worked in advertising agencies and business consulting in the Russian Federation. However, when I moved to San Diego, California in 2011 I immediately started feeling different; the corporate work didn’t excite me anymore. California and especially San Diego showed me that life can be meaningful, yet relaxing. It felt unique, almost divine. Little by little I focused on the spiritual aspects of life and surprisingly found a lot in common between science and different spiritual practices. Finally, I could incorporate my deep psychology knowledge and experience and carve my own path in life.

Before the COVID pandemic started in 2019 I hosted my first retreat in Big Bear, California. It was a very baby step in my business but it was super important movement for my future growth as an entrepreneur. At my first retreat I invited only my friends to check the program, spiritual activities, retreat format, and even menu. Also, I was curious if my vision of retreats will work for the future customers.
My dream retracts were not only the way of withdraw from your regular life, practice yoga, and meditation but also growth in multiple directions.
In Ravi Retreat you can find a new perspective, likewise minded peers, regroup and release your traumatic experience through energy healing sessions, the Neuro Art and art therapy by Carl Jung, re-energize your body and mind with assembled a team of certified yoga instructors, Peruvian and Mexican shamans.
I am a dreamer, I love different type of beauty and seeking for the magical moments everywhere. That why I always work with professional photographers in Ravi Retreat to caught the momentum in the endless universe divine.

The Ravi Retreat is not a template retreat. It doesn’t happen in the same place with identical agendas and facilitators.
To get the most out of every Ravi experience with our fantastic team, I always choose the most energetically powerful and picturesque places like the top of a mountain or a field of cacti in a desert, in the jungle and other places where the energy of the Earth flows, which helps to transform faster.

Polina, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I had a corporate job for many years and tried to combine it with my growing business. I spent all of my time off work planning upcoming retreats, looking for new places, new facilitators, and new concepts to make the retreats the most valuable for my customers. I was exhausted trying to kill two birds with one stone!

For a few years I was afraid to quit my corporate job and not be able to pay my bills. Like many people, I was afraid to lose my financial stability and my weekly paycheck, but only now I could see that it was an illusion of stability. I was going back and forth figuring out my choices and was not sure if I was ready to dedicate myself only to business.

But when you are ready the universe gives you a sign and after that there are no more doubts, no more uncertainty, just a resounding “yes” to the bright future. My moment came through the very sad incident: my American godmother was diagnosed with two brain tumors. She went through a couple brain surgeries and a long recovery process but she could not get back to her previous, healthy condition. She has a disability. One day I visited her and since then I have changed a lot.

It was as if a lightning pierced me. I saw a loved one who until recently was full of strength, energy, plans for the future, in a state where she could not take care of herself and now her husband and family had to take care of her 24/7. For me, this was a tremendous shock, it was very painful to look at her, my brain refused to believe that this was a new reality. But at the same time, this tragic situation showed me how unpredictable life can be, full of surprises and shocks, and how a person never knows what awaits them around the next bend. After I left her house, I made the final decision that I would no longer wait for the right moment to make a choice to remain in an office job or give myself completely to my business. Life happens here and now! We only live in the moment. I immediately remembered my trips to the Vipassana Center and this moment became a moment of truth for me. Fear was gone, doubts were gone, all I heard in my head were the words that I can, I am ready, I will succeed.
The fog cleared and my mind became light. I wanted to realize my dream. I wanted to be of service to the people around me and help them cope with difficult situations that I and my clients go through. As someone wise said, all people and events in the universe are our teachers. I thank each of my teachers for the lessons that brought me to where I am now.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

For a while I’ve been busy assembling a team of certified yoga instructors, energy healers, Peruvian and Mexican shamans, professional photographers, and chefs to make each retreat as memorable and as unique as possible. Ravi means Sun in Hindi and just like the Sun, Ravi Retreat began to attract professionals who have achieved significant results in their industry, who are interested in sharing their experiences, and who are now ready to go further.
These yoga teachers, energy healers, art therapists etc. continue their own journey and illuminate the path for other people with their sun.
To get the most out of every Ravi experience with our fantastic team, I always choose the most energetically powerful and picturesque places like the top of a mountain or a field of cacti in a desert, in the jungle and other places where the energy of the Earth flows, which helps us to transform faster.
It would be a great privilege for me to share with you many years of experience in creating the most emotional events, love for personal improvement through knowing yourself and learning your true path!

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Whatever the product, there is always a whole team of people behind its creation. And these teams create a successful future of business by their daily efforts. For me, any product and any service is always a sale through a person, through a specific character, through a personality, through a smile, through a look. I know most of my clients personally, and they know me and trust me with their valuable free time, which they otherwise could spend with their family, their children or building a career. I appreciate their trust and always strive to exceed the expectations of my clients.
My clients find me through their friends who have already gone on a retreat, got a quality result and shared their recommendations with friends. Around two thirds of my customers return and often bring their friends and relatives with them. In a way, I even feel like I’m growing my own social network, because satisfied customers brings more people with them.
And circle grows. Of course, I have a presence on social networks like Instagram and Facebook, but this is more to maintain interest in the brand with minimal visual presence. I consider personal meetings much, much more important, as well as organizing Women’s Circles, Full and New Moon Ceremonies, and the Solstice celebrations. It is at personal meetings that my clients can personally meet with me, realize whether our group responds to them, and whether the information that I and my assistants can convey is valuable to them. Of course, as the Ravi Retreat grows, I will embrace and incorporate social media more into my business, but right now I enjoy face-to-face interaction with my clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://raviretreat.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ravi.retreat/