3rd July 2026 · Leigh Court Bristol Early bird ends midnight, 8th June
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A day retreat for women founders

The Art
of the
Founder

A canvas; and the conversation that follows.
Leigh Court · Bristol
3rd July 2026 · Doors at 10:30
Reserve your seat What's the day?
Early bird Ends midnight, Sunday 8th June
Why this day exists

A coach told me to get comfortable doing nothing.

For me, that's hard. I struggle to switch off. So when Hannah started running art lessons on a Monday evening, I went; thinking two hours once a week would be a nice break.

It was more than that. I was switched off from the world around me. I started to notice things about myself that I'd been fighting in business; things I couldn't see when I was performing the version of me I'd prepared to present. At the canvas, I was unguarded.

My nervous system began to regulate differently. My business changed shape. Hannah noticed it too. The vulnerability wasn't failure; it was information that needed to be decoded.

This day exists because I want other founders to have that. To put their hands on something, switch off the performing self, and meet the version of themselves that the business has been quietly waiting for.

Jess Middleton Founder · Anaptyx
A note from Hannah

I watch people meet themselves at the canvas.

I've been running art workshops in beautiful rooms for years. Across that time, I've watched something happen again and again that has nothing to do with how good the painting is.

A woman picks up the brush. For the first minute, she's apologising; she can't paint, she doesn't know what to do, she'll just copy what I'm showing. By the third stroke, something quiets. By the end, she's looking at a canvas she made with her own hands and she can't quite explain how she feels.

Art does that. Not because it's special, but because you are. Because something happens to a nervous system when the hands take over and the head finally rests. Because a blank canvas asks nothing of you except to begin.

That's why I've built the Sip & Paint at the centre of this day. Not as a warm-up. Not as an icebreaker. As the work itself.

Hannah Fernando Founder · Hannah Fernando Art
Before you keep reading

This is not the day you think it is.

A lot of things look like this day on paper. None of them are this day.
It's not

A paint-and-sip social.

The art is real and the wine is good, but the painting isn't the point. It's the entry. What happens once your hands are busy and your head finally rests is what we're really here for.

It's not

A business masterclass.

There are no whiteboards. No twelve-step frameworks. No here's what I did, do this too. The Learning Centre is built from what just happened in the room. It's personal because it's literally about you.

It's not

A networking event.

The QR wall replaces the elevator pitch. The conversations start at where you actually are, not what you do. A room that grows by design; no name badges, no performance.

It's not

A retreat in pastels.

We're not asking you to journal your way to clarity or breathe through your business decisions. This is a day of real work, dressed up the way real work deserves to be. Candlelight, prosecco, structural honesty.

What this is, is the first day of its kind. Art as diagnostic. Conversation as intervention. A founder's room held with care and rigour.

Built once. Held in editions. This is edition one.

How the room is built

Three rooms inside one day.

The day isn't open. It's curated in layers. Each layer earns a different room, a different conversation, a different depth.
20
retreat seats

Doors open at 10:30. These twenty are in the room for the painting, the late lunch, and the Learning Centre. The work that doesn't get repeated anywhere else in the day happens here.

+30
join in the afternoon

Thirty more arrive at 5pm for Deborah's talk and the Done Differently networking. The full room of fifty opens for ninety minutes; then the day closes.

10
stay for The Founder's Table

Of the twenty who held a retreat seat, ten will choose to stay. A private dinner in the Morning Room with Jess, Hannah and Deborah. The deepest conversation of the day.

The painting room is small for a reason. The dinner room is smaller still for the same reason. Once those ten are gone, they're gone.

The shape of the day

One day. Four sessions.

Doors at 10:30, painting from 11. A glass of something on arrival, drinks during the day, late lunch, a private dinner. The Tapestry Room at Leigh Court.
Session 01 · 11:00 · two and a half hours

Sip & Paint:
Trees in Season.

Led by Hannah Fernando · twenty retreat seats only

A guided painting session in the Tapestry Room. The theme is trees in season; the canvas in front of you is yours to interpret. No experience required, no advantage to be had, no version of yourself to perform.

Hannah guides without directing. What you paint, how you paint it, what you do when something goes wrong, is entirely yours. By the end of the session, you've made something with your own hands that didn't exist when the day began.

A glass on arrival. Prosecco midway through. Canapés to keep you going.

This is not a warm-up. It's the entry point into everything else the day does.
Session 02 · 14:30 · ninety minutes

The Learning Centre:
What Your Painting Told Me.

Led by Jessica Middleton · twenty retreat seats only

Not a masterclass. Not a presentation. A conversation built from what just happened in the room. Interactive, alive, and personal.

Jess spends the painting session observing: who improvised, who abandoned mistakes, who compared their canvas, who stayed in their own lane. She opens with those observations. No names, just patterns. The room recognises themselves immediately.

The session covers the nervous system and business, the seasons framework, and one specific shift for each person to take away.

You'll leave knowing more about how you make decisions, where you get in your own way, and what needs to change next.

The insight is personal because it comes from the room. Not a theory. Not a framework applied from the outside. A mirror.
Session 03 · 17:00 · thirty minutes

Guest Speaker:
Understanding Your Why.

With Deborah B. Williams, Founder & CEO · The Women's Association

Deborah built The Women's Association from scratch; straight out of university, driven by what she calls a burdening passion. In five years she's worked with EY, Investec, LEGO and Bloom & Wild, and spoken at Google, Stella McCartney and summits across the country. All whilst raising three children under five.

Her talk is on understanding your why: the thing that keeps a founder going through the seasons, through winter, through the moments when the gap between where you are and where you want to be feels too wide.

She knows that gap. She has lived it. And she knows what gets you across it.
Session 04 · 17:30 · ninety minutes

Done Differently:
The Networking.

Twenty become fifty · the art gallery opens

At 5pm, thirty more founders arrive. The room of twenty grows to fifty for the final block of the day. No name badges. No elevator pitches. No "and what do you do?"

A wall in the room carries every attendee's name, business and a QR code straight to their website. If you want to know what someone does, you scan. If you want to work with them, you keep their details. The seasons framework lives on the wall as prompts; alongside it, the question of why.

What's left is the real conversation. Everyone on the same level, whatever the size of the business behind them.

A different kind of room because it's a different kind of conversation.
The framework that runs through everything

A tree in winter is not failing.

Spring, summer, autumn, winter. Every business is in one of them. Every founder is doing the work of one of them. The trouble is, most of us are trying to do summer's work in winter and wondering why it's so hard.

The seasonal framework is the spine of Anaptyx. It's the lens through which every conversation in the Learning Centre is filtered, and it's why this day works the way it does. Not as a metaphor. As a diagnostic.

When you understand which season your business is actually in, three things become clear at once: what the right work is, what the wrong work is, and why the thing you've been pushing against has been pushing back.

First quarter

Spring.

The launch.

Energy is high, ideas are everywhere, growth is fast and visible. The founder building something new, signing first big clients, stepping into a bigger version of themselves.

Demands boldness and momentum.
Second quarter

Summer.

The peak.

Full expression, maximum visibility, the business is working and you're in it fully. Not a time to rest; a time to harvest. The room you're walking into is summer.

Demands presence and focus.
Third quarter

Autumn.

The edit.

The tree releases what it no longer needs. The season for raising prices, dropping what isn't working, choosing quality over volume. The founder who is done expanding for the sake of it.

Demands discernment and courage.
Fourth quarter

Winter.

The root work.

Quiet on the surface, essential underneath. The founder in winter is restructuring, resting, building the foundations the next spring will grow from. They aren't behind; they are preparing.

Demands patience and trust.

A tree in winter does not die; it slows down and prepares for what comes next. There is a body of work in winter. It is not failure.

If any of those seasons just made you exhale, this day is for you.

The three women holding the day

Your hosts.

Jessica Middleton

Founder · Anaptyx

Works at the intersection of nervous system science, human behaviour and business. Helps capable people be more consistently themselves at their best.

Built Anaptyx around the seasonal framework that's now the spine of how she works with founders: structural clarity, accurate diagnosis, and the right work for the right phase.

Hannah Fernando

Founder · Hannah Fernando Art

Runs curated art workshops and immersive artistic experiences across premium venues and high-profile occasions. From corporate days to private celebrations in some of the country's most beautiful rooms.

Hannah believes art isn't a hobby; it's a language. On this day, she brings all of that to the table: the artist, the teacher, the woman who's watched what art can do to a person in real time.

Deborah B. Williams

Founder & CEO · The Women's Association

Built The Women's Association from scratch straight out of university, driven by what she calls a burdening passion. In five years she's grown it into one of the most credible founder-led platforms for women in business in the country.

She has done all of this whilst raising three children under five. She knows the gap between where you are and where you want to be, because she's lived it.

Grade II* listed · 27 acres of parkland

Leigh Court, Bristol.

The venue does the work before anyone walks through the door.

In plain English

What this gives you in your business.

You leave with a clearer read on the season your business is actually in, a better understanding of how your nervous system has been shaping your decisions, and a more honest picture of what has been quietly getting in your way. That changes how you price. How you lead. What you stop doing. Where you put your energy next.

This is not inspiration for inspiration's sake. It's clarity you can use.

  • A clearer sense of the season your business is in, and the right work for that season
  • A named pattern in how you operate, and one concrete shift to take into the next quarter
  • The contact details of every founder in the room; on your terms, never theirs
Reserve your seat

Three ways to be in the room.

Each ticket buys a different layer of the day. Once those ten Founder's Table seats are gone, that's it for this edition.
Payments are taken securely via Stripe checkout.
Evening only

Done Differently Networking

£47
Per seat
  • Guest speaker session with Deborah B. Williams
  • Ninety minutes of the Done Differently networking
  • The art gallery opening
  • A glass of something on arrival
Reserve seat
30 seats available
Only 10 seats
The full day, plus private dining

The Founder's Table

£697 £847
Early bird · ends 8th June
  • The full retreat, plus private dining
  • A private three-course dinner in the Morning Room, 7:30 'til 10pm
  • Hosted intimately by Jess, Hannah & Deborah
  • One question at the heart of the night, and the room to answer it
  • The kind of dinner you'd usually need a personal introduction to be invited to
Reserve your seat
Ten seats. Once they're gone, that's it.
Full day

The Retreat

£597 £697
Early bird · ends 8th June
  • Drinks on arrival and throughout the day
  • Sip & Paint: Trees in Season with Hannah
  • The Learning Centre with Jess
  • Guest speaker & the Done Differently networking
  • Late lunch, your painting in a curated goody bag
  • Private post-event resource extending the Learning Centre
Reserve your seat
20 retreat seats
Voices from the work

What founders say after.

"

Could not recommend highly enough. I've been working with Jess for over a year on my financial growth and my experience has been incredible. She makes life as an entrepreneur so straightforward and easy.

Rachael McQuade
"

I had no idea if I was really moving forward in my business. And then my session with Jess was AMAZING. It was such a proud moment; I started the year feeling confident.

Sinead Campbell
"

I came in thinking just another team building event. I left with something I'm proud of.

Corporate workshop attendee · Hannah Fernando Art
In case you're wondering

The questions worth asking.

Do I need any painting experience?

None. The people who've never held a brush often produce the most honest work in the room. Hannah guides you; she doesn't direct you. There's no right way to paint a tree.

What should I wear?

Dress up. It's that kind of day. Aprons are provided, though paint happens. If you're staying for The Founder's Table, bring something for dinner; you'll want to mark the shift.

What about drinks?

A glass of something on arrival and a few thoughtful drinks across the day, alcoholic and beautifully non-alcoholic. We've chosen not to run an open bar; this is a day of nervous system work, and we want you sharp for the Learning Centre.

The Founder's Table dinner has good wine pairing across the three courses, served properly.

Who is this day actually for?

The woman holding it all. The one others rely on. The one who's been performing the version of herself she'd prepared to present for months, maybe years, and is quietly ready to put something down.

If you've ever found yourself awake at 3am running the business in your head, this room is for you.

Are men welcome?

Yes. The day was built from a particular angle, and the headline framing is for women founders, but the work travels. If you're a founder who recognises yourself in what we've described; the performing self, the nervous system that runs the business, the quiet pull to put something down; you're welcome here.

The room will be predominantly women. Come because that's a room you want to be in, not in spite of it.

What's the difference between the retreat and the networking ticket?

The Retreat (£597 early bird) buys you the inner room. Twenty seats only. You're in from doors-open at 10:30 for the painting, the late lunch, the Learning Centre, and everything after. It's the part of the day that doesn't get repeated.

The Networking (£47) opens the door at 5pm for Deborah's talk and the ninety-minute Done Differently networking; that final block of the day where the room of twenty grows to fifty. If you can't do the full day, this is the door in.

Only retreat-holders can choose to stay for The Founder's Table.

What's The Founder's Table, really?

Ten people. Three courses. Candlelight in the Morning Room at Leigh Court. Hosted intimately by Jess, Hannah and Deborah. The framing is simple: what is the thing you've been carrying that you haven't put down yet?

This is the conversation that usually only happens when you've been in someone's orbit for years; when you've built enough trust for the questions you'd never ask in a public room. Ten seats means ten conversations the rest of the world doesn't get to hear.

£697 early bird, £847 after midnight on 8th June. Once those ten are gone, the dinner closes until the next edition.

When does early bird end?

Midnight, Sunday 8th June. After that, The Retreat moves to £697 and The Founder's Table to £847. The Networking ticket stays at £47.

What if I can't make the date?

This is the first edition; there will be more. Drop your details on the waitlist and you'll hear about the next one before anyone else.

Will the day be recorded?

No. What happens in the room stays in the room; that's why people open up the way they do. You'll leave with a written takeaway and a private post-event resource. Nothing else leaves.

Honestly? The price feels like a lot.

It should. A one-to-one day with Jess is four figures. A one-to-one day with Hannah is four figures. A keynote with Deborah is four figures. This day brings all three into one room, at Leigh Court, with a small cohort of founders and a structure designed to stay with you after you leave.

The Founder's Table sits in a category of its own. A private three-course dinner with three women operating at this level is usually the kind of room you need a personal introduction to enter.

If it still feels like the wrong sum, this may not be your edition. The next one will come around. These seats won't.

A final word

Come as you are.
Leave with something you didn't expect.

Most days, you turn up as the prepared version.
On the third of July, we are asking for something different.

Twenty retreat seats. Ten at The Founder's Table. Once this edition closes, it closes.
Reserve your seat
Leigh Court · Bristol Friday, 3rd July 2026 Doors at 10:30, until 10pm