You Need To Recharge: The Shams Club Palm Springs Retreat Is Calling Your Name

“It was an incredible experience. It left me inspired, energized and connected,” this is what Mariam Hattab said after Shams Club's Creative Retreat in Mexico City just earlier this year. “It was a magical time with true attention to detail. The insights were personalized, smart and intuitive.”

Mariam had come in as an entrepreneur; she began her membership with Shams Club seeking connections with other creative entrepreneur and creator founders and that's exactly what she found. 

By Halluma Seklani

As creatives, we’ve all had those aha moments. They can be small ones that accumulate over time or sometimes they come as a single revelation that reorientates everything and sets the track to all of your creative endeavours. Those moments matter and can be crucial especially in the beginning of growing something real. Kindling that spark is exactly what Shams Club Creative Retreats are all about.

"A membership to Shams Club opens the door to a community built specifically for creatives from the SWANA region and Arab diaspora, wherever they’re based"

Shams Club is a SWANA based cultural and global hub for creative entrepreneurs and creator founders. It was Co-Founded by Lena Kouri from Between East, Yasmine Rasool from WAASTAA, and Anousha from Joy Culture. The platform is a gathering ground for creatives in all stages of their careers from makers, thinkers, story tellers, artists, etc. 

A membership to Shams Club opens the door to a community built specifically for creatives from the SWANA region and Arab diaspora, wherever they’re based. Members get access to: IRL meetups where members get to meet and connect in person; creative sessions offer direct access to established entrepreneurs or founders where they can learn from the hard-won experience; Announcement feeds give the community a chance to share their work, opportunities or events; job opportunities connect members with roles and projects that actually fit a creative career; Special member discounts for brands, and so much more. With global group chats and direct DM’s where you can reach members one-to-one.

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"We built Shams Club because we wanted to fill a room of creative entrepreneurs that were similar to us. One where we can grow alongside other founders and help guide new opportunities for our new members and community. Mexico City showed us what's possible when you put the right people together, Palm Springs is us doing that again. It's somewhere our members can slow down, share their work, and leave with something real." — Lena Khouri & Yasmine Rasool, Co-Founders, Shams Club and Anousha, Founder of Joy Culture.

‍What to expect 

Here’s the rundown of everything you need to know. Running from Sunday May 31st to Wednesday June 3rd, the retreat draws 6 creative entrepreneurs from pivotal stages of their journeys to Palm Springs, California. The theme (because, let’s be real, we all love a theme) is Creative Recharge. What does that mean? This retreat is all about dialling it down, taking a step back, moving with intention and pairing that slowness with productivity and, of course, community.

You’ll begin every morning with wellness practitioner Anousha guiding the group through fascial movement and meditation. This acts as a deliberate uncrutching from the urge to doomscroll, check emails and jump straight into the day's work. Communal breakfasts follow, prepared by a private chef, to ensure you're fueled and ready to start the day. By the time the first workshop starts, the retreat has already done the most important work of turning creative strangers into colleagues and colleagues into collaborators.

The programming itself moves between learning and application. By setting a 30-60-90 day business plan, attendees can leave the retreat with a concrete roadmap that gives them clarity to actually execute when they’re back at their desks. A session on pitching led by Shams Club Co-Founder Lena Khouri, breaks down what actually makes a bid land whether for brand partnerships, investors or creative collaboration. Then an open portfolio evening where attendees can present their work to the room, to showcase their work and receive real feedback, in real time from people who get it. One to one peer sessions, pre-matched by values and goals, ran concurrently along other discussions on brand voice, operations, scaling, and so much more. The retreat closes on Wednesday with a farewell session  before an optional exploring of Joshua Tree and the wider Palm Springs area. The Shams Club crew will have staggered 30 day, 60 day, and 90 day post-retreat catch up calls with all the attendees to keep the momentum going and offer further support if needed. 

“Personally, this retreat truly shifted something for me. It gave me the chance to connect and share my art with people I truly admire and respect in such a supportive, uplifting space. The thoughtful structure and one-on-ones with each organizer offered real, tangible guidance, and time to explore Mexico City added another layer of inspiration,” says Yasmin Souza about how impactful the first Shams Club retreat was. “I’m deeply grateful for the genuine relationships that grew from this retreat. Being surrounded by creatives with shared goals and encouragement didn’t just motivate me, it shifted my perspective and how I see my own work and path forward." 

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If you are building something and you have been waiting for the right room to walk into, this is it. To find out more or apply visit the Shams Club website here: www.joinshamsclub.com/palmsprings.