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Army
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Sutter Health
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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
Emotional Garbage: The Practice of Coping
In the mornings, I leave the ranch with my dogs and walk through the valley and the hilly neighborhoods above our property. We love the safe confines of the ranch, but it’s good for us to interact with the world outside of our fences. The other day, as we were hitting our stride, I noticed…
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From Voluncheerful to Voluntearful
Dear Sally, I say yes to everything. I say YES with my mouth but NO with my heart. When someone invites me to a meeting, I squeeze it into my calendar. If I get an email late at night, I feel like I need to respond. I’m on committees and sub-committees, task force groups and…
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More Play and Less Nay: Leadership Lessons from a Working Dog
We’re standing on the expansive hills of Zamora, California, and I have an earpiece dangling on the side of my head, stuck in my hair. I can’t seem to get the damn thing to stay in my ear, although I’m still able to hear Bill’s voice in spite of that. There’s too much dog and…
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Get Your Matriarch On
Dear Sally, Lately, I’ve noticed my plate is too full. I’m overwhelmed, irritable, and snapping at people. I’m normally not that kind of person and it’s upsetting to me and those around me that I’m acting this way. But it feels like everyone wants a piece of me. I’m in a director role in a…
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Power: Are You Missing the Secret Ingredient?
You read the word. Power. It pulled you in. And, at the same time you were enticed, you bristled and balked. We have a love/hate relationship with the topic of power, mostly because we don’t fully understand it. We associate power with the misuse or abuse of it. We imagine people who overpower or rule…
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Best Micro-Manager Ever
Dear Sally, How do you know if you’re giving members of your herd the right amount of support? I want to make sure the people who work with me feel like I care and I’ve got their back. But I don’t want to come across as being to involved in their business, or even worse,…
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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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