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boehringer ingelheim
BEan in Nature
BETH ANSTANDIG
Head Cowgirl, Owner
It’s time to wake up your true self.
We are human animals but we are cut off from the natural signals of our animal bodies. We are ruled by thought, language, ego, and story. As adults, we have learned to put our mammal bodies to sleep.
When we learn to listen to our inner world and its signals, we are alive and attuned to the depth and texture of our lives. We wake up a fundamental part of our hard-wiring that transforms our ability to shape our relationships. We call this our Natural Leadership, and though it may be hidden or forgotten, it is never lost.
At The Circle Up Experience, you awaken your Natural Leadership so you can navigate the world, take hold of your most genuine desires, and build authentic connections.
Our Offerings
Retreats, Courses, and Coaching for Human Herds
Choose your experience
Custom Business Retreats
1-3 DAY CUSTOM EXPERIENCES
Escape the office and get to know your human herd by spending 1-3 days at one of our Circle Up locations, or our team will come to a special location closer to you.
Teams will strengthen current relationships, welcome new members, and increase their awareness of each other’s strengths when they engage with our horses and experience the nature-based activities we offer.
Our workshops may also feature sheep, dogs, falconry, meditation, art, writing, movement, and mindful hiking. You don’t have to be interested in animals or know much about them to have a profound transformation.
“Circle Up gathered together our group and turned us into a team! The Circle Up team (humans and horses) took our newly re-configured group—made up of people from three different countries—and gave us the opportunity to get to know each other in a completely unique way. We have been able to stay connected despite geography and to continuously develop and respect our soft skills."
LAUREN PFEIFFER, ADOBE INC.
Retreats
for all people, great and small
We host exceptional retreats at our unique Circle Up locations. Our retreats focus on personal leadership, relationships, and spiritual development. The retreat experience offers the space and time to pause from everyday life for reflection.
P.S. If you have an idea for a retreat or a group of people who want a meaningful experience together, we can help you design a gathering that meets your needs. Plan your retreat with us...
"Getting real-time feedback is a rare gift, and yet it's the biggest opportunity to learn about ourselves and grow. Circle Up’s program delivers just that, through the eyes of a partner who acts with total honesty and vulnerability, and without their own ego or agenda — the perfect mirror: a horse. My experience was simply incredible and has made a huge impact on me. I highly recommend it to anyone.”
AMY J., GOOGLE WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP FORUM
Coaching
FOR INDIVIDUALS, GROUPS & INSTITUTIONS
Create a culture for the people you care about by stepping into your Natural Leadership.
Each year, we take a select number of clients for individual, executive or group coaching programs, including a limited number of large institutions for customized programs.
As coaches, we’re not afraid to ask tough questions. We pick up on core themes and issues quickly and know exactly when to be gentle and when to push. The transferable skills we teach will help you support, develop, and mentor colleagues and peers.
"What Circle Up offers is different from other team-building exercises, and is also based on the way a horse lives and works. No conference rooms. No binders. No powerpoint slides. No blah blah blah.”
FORBES MAGAZINE
Courses
For Aspiring Leaders
If you are already a leader for your herd, our courses help you step into your role with confidence and power.
Courses are offered through our online learning platform so they are accessible anytime, anywhere. They often include group coaching calls and private discussion groups.
Our integrative model teaches basic concepts about human nature through the lenses of psychology, animal behavior, interpersonal neuroscience, and meditation.
There is nothing quite like having the privilege of working through one-on-one executive coaching with Beth Anstandig. She wastes no time assessing a person’s needs and crafting an organic experience. There is an immense opportunity for personal and professional growth for anyone who chooses to embrace it.
VICTORIA CONKLIN, VICE PRESIDENT – LENDING, AMERICAN AGCREDIT
Latest News
Posts about Relationships and leadership
Mare in Management
Hey Sally, I’ve been with my herd for 6 years, but I have never quite felt like I belong. Sometimes I’m seen as negative more than I “should”. I’ve been told the negative talk is just not good leadership and to put a positive spin on it. I see my words as more realistic and…
Read More
The Art of Redirection: Badass Boundaries With a Touch of Love
There’s a sweet and simple time in baby and toddler development when redirection is just about a foolproof discipline strategy. Baby is teething on your cell phone as it starts ringing and you need to answer it. You grab it from his hand, scan the floor for a bright and shiny almost anything, hand it…
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Uncomfortable
Dear Sally, My boss is asking me to do something I’m not comfortable doing. How do I say no? Dear Uncomfortable, For horses, comfort is a funny thing. We live with and tolerate all kinds of external pressures: wind, flies, predators, fences, humans, humans, humans…. Let me share with you, as a fellow mammal, some…
Read More
Restless & Wondering
Dear Sally, I’m writing to you because I think there’s something wrong with me. I’m a 37 year old woman with a great job. I’ve been working at this company for a few years now, and I’ve been promoted twice. To everyone else it must seem like my career is on track and that I…
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Border Collie Leadership: Learning the Power of Scope
I love the unique perspectives about relationships, leadership, and culture that animals have to offer us. As humans, we can get quite stuck in our heads, thinking and staring at our own stories, identities, and egos. The animal lessons are tangible and straightforward. What you see is what you get. And if you spend a few…
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I Think I Just Got Kicked From Behind
Dear Sally, I have an employee who recently challenged me on a decision but in a disrespectful way. His tone of voice, eye contact and posture said “I’m right and and I won’t even listen and consider what you have said”. Even after my repeated attempted to explain why I disagreed with him, his behavior…
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The Book We Need Now
Part guidebook, part manifesto, part wake-up call, The Human Herd: Awakening Our Natural Leadership offers a framework for living, relating, and leading a more empowered life.
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