Blog | the-ranch

Dec 5, 20242 min read

Showing up for myself in Santa Fe

It’s been a minute. I felt like I wanted to reintroduce myself. Hi, I’m Denise. I’m a clutter-cancelling creative catalyst. I firmly...

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May 21, 20243 min read

Do these three things...

Are you tired of unproductive meetings? How many times have you been in a meeting that just rambles on without a clear purpose?

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Jan 9, 20243 min read

How are you starting 2024?

Are you charging forward full speed ahead? Or are you easing into it? Personally, I’m easing into it. 2023 was…hmmm…a year. So I’m giving...

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Sep 23, 20233 min read

What do you need? I got you.

I’m a helper. That’s just who I am. I can’t help it. Heh. See… I think I’ve always tried to make calm out of chaos. I really do love...

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Sep 13, 20232 min read

Who do you want to be?

When we think about our futures, our dreams, our plans we often think about what we want to have, what we want to get. I’d like to...

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Feb 27, 20232 min read

KEEP CALM and COOK with CHICCA (and Denise)

I'm so excited to announce that I'm entering into a dream partnership with my dear friend Chicca Maione from Cooking in Tuscany. Starting...

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Jul 13, 20222 min read

Play in the kitchen day!

Today is one of my favorite days. Two days before a retreat. The shopping is done. The agenda is locked. So today it’s play in the...

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May 28, 20221 min read

I have a 30-year-old son!!!

How did that happen? Oh yeah, day-by-day, year-by-year. I'm not sure how this fits as a Peach Cheesecake Ranch blog post, other than...

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Jan 14, 20223 min read

Checking back in + five resources

We’re still here out here at The Ranch. Feeling very grateful for the open space and separation from “the city”. We’re just waiting for...

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Aug 12, 20213 min read

My version of the Field of Dreams

It’s hot in Oregon right now. I am one of the lucky ones that have central air conditioning. So I'm beating the heat while I’m typing...

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Jul 15, 20212 min read

Ahhh, summer. And some fun stuff.

It is so weird so much has happened and yet, nothing really has. You know what I mean? Do you feel that way too? I mean, I am so grateful...

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Mar 22, 20211 min read

What have you learned or gained during this past pandemic year?

In all seriousness, I really want to know. This was a question we asked in the Mission Video that was created for the All Hands Raised...

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Oct 15, 20201 min read

This is how I feel, sometimes

Sometimes I feel just like these red chairs. In a fog, all cattywhompas. Especially right now when we’ve been cooped up for months with...

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Jul 28, 20202 min read

How's your focus right now? And what are you focusing on?

Are you having a hard time focusing right now? If you’re nodding, there’s absolutely no shame in that. The COVID-19 situation is bad and...

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Jun 1, 20202 min read

I will make mistakes. And, I’m trying.

I’ve been trying to find my way to help fight injustice toward black, indigenous, people of color. I’m trying to figure out how to...

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May 18, 20202 min read

How are you?

I’m fine. That is such a knee-jerk response to that question. I pretty much absentmindedly give that answer to that question every time,...

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May 11, 20202 min read

Are You Becoming a Zoombie?

Please keep yourself from looking like me and my cousins. Zoom burnout is no joke. Take it from us. All kidding aside, I think so many of...

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Apr 29, 20201 min read

Virtual-ing Well

While I’m not able to host groups out here at the Peach Cheesecake Ranch right now, I, like some of you, am spending A LOT more time...

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Apr 13, 20202 min read

From Classic Denise —> Action with Intention

Soooo, I have found myself finding anything and everything to keep myself busy right now. I fill just about every single second of my...

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Feb 28, 20202 min read

It really did start with a little Field Notes book and a Vision Board.

I was on a plane in March of 2014 and it came to me. I knew what I wanted to do, what I wanted to create. I pulled down the tray table...

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Jan 20, 20201 min read

8 Ways You Can Supercharge Your Next Meeting.

Tired of uninspired meetings around the same old conference table? It might be time get your team into a fresh environment so you can...

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Dec 16, 20191 min read

Recipes for Gathering | Baklava

Making baklava is one of my holiday traditions, what are some of yours? While in middle school I was in the 4H. As part of 4H, you...

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Dec 12, 20191 min read

First day of school jitters

Ok, it wasn’t my first day of school, but it was the first day of a new contract at a way cool digital agency that I hadn’t worked for...

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Nov 6, 20193 min read

Recipes for Gathering | Doodlebird Icebreaker

Do you remember when you were a kid and you would spend hours with your crayons just drawing whatever came to mind? Do you still draw a...

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Oct 14, 20192 min read

Recipes for Gathering | The Unofficial Start

You know at the beginning of a gathering or meeting when folks are just starting to arrive, there’s this sort of awkward moment when...

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Sep 19, 20192 min read

Working with, not against

I'm pulling a blog post out of my archive as a result of a conversation with one of my clients today. This particular client is a gifted...

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Sep 7, 20192 min read

Get some traction on your year-end goals.

It’s Fall Y’all. You know what that means? Just a little over three months to finish out your 2019 goals and projects. I have a tool I...

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Aug 26, 20193 min read

The Ranch on the Road

This weekend I had the chance to take the Peach Cheesecake Ranch on the road. I helped plan and cater the amazing Mary-Beth Frerichs'...

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Jun 18, 20192 min read

This is how I stay sharp.

One of the things I do to stay sharp as an event space owner is to continue to work as a contract event planner and project manager....

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May 14, 20192 min read

On being in alignment

My dream to build The Ranch was born out of my desire to serve people. To create an environment where folks could make sense of all the...

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Apr 9, 20191 min read

Be like these two

These two may look like they are just kicking back and enjoying the view. In fact, they are badass action takers. They are taking control...

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Apr 3, 20192 min read

Self-Care = Productivity

A blog post from the folks at Trello landed in my in box today. Why self-care is the secret to becoming a productivity powerhouse, it...

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Mar 26, 20191 min read

These exercises are game changers!

If you gather with your team whatsoever, if you haven’t used this book, you should start right now. Gamestorming: A Playbook for...

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Mar 21, 20191 min read

✅ New dates announced for the season of action 💥

THREE NEW DATES TO TAKE ACTION Saturday, 4/20 Friday, 6/7 - Collaboration with Council of Visionary Business Builders Founder, Michael...

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Mar 13, 20192 min read

Tools for productivity

I’ve been a project and event manager for most of my career. Even when that wasn’t my title. I have always found myself shepherding teams...

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Mar 4, 20191 min read

I'm featured on a podcast! | Side Hustle School

I’m so excited to be featured on Chris Guillebeau’s Podcast Side Hustle School. As he says in the episode, I’ve built the place (and it’s...

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Jan 20, 20192 min read

Acting as if

I wrote this yesterday morning after being being inspired by a powerfully vulnerable email from my amazing friend and writer Sage Cohen....

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Jan 7, 20191 min read

Get focused, get clear, get sh*t done.

Have you ever said this to yourself? Man I have so many things swirling around in my head. I’m not sure what to do first, second, or...

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Dec 19, 20181 min read

Oh my, what a year!

Being able to host people and teams truly is a dream come true. I’ve been able to see my friends, colleagues and family take advantage of...

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Oct 22, 20182 min read

My Manifesto

This is my manifesto. I wrote it in 2015. It was written as part of a workshop given by the incredible Jan Black. It was intended to be a...

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Jul 27, 20182 min read

I'm on HGTV!

Be careful what you wish for… For the past year I have been shy to be the face of my business. As a project manager, my role is to clear...

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Jul 18, 20181 min read

Nature = Productivity

Did you know that just gazing at nature can boost productivity? I had a hunch that was the case. I know I feel more productive now that...

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May 10, 20185 min read

10 Tips for an Awesome Team Off-site

I created the Peach Cheesecake Ranch so there was a place people and teams could go to catalyze their best thinking and take action. As a...

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Mar 30, 20182 min read

It really did start with a little Field Notes book and a Vision Board.

I was on a plane in March of 2014 and it came to me. I knew what I wanted to do, what I wanted to create. I pulled down the tray table...

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Oct 12, 20171 min read

Having a bad day?

Sometimes you just have a bad day and you can't dig yourself out of it. Here are 10 ways brought to you by my friend Greg Bell, thought...

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Sep 28, 20174 min read

Dreams really do come true…I’m living proof.

My dream started almost exactly 10 years ago. I wanted to earn a living bringing people together, to bring them together so they could...

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Jun 28, 20162 min read

Let’s just say, SH*T WAS DONE!

It’s amazing when things go as planned. Or maybe even go better as planned. I had the most beautiful day last week with my partner in Get...

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Jun 1, 20162 min read

Your business idea is awesome and THREE take action steps to do right now.

It starts with a kernel of a thought. You start to daydream about it. You do some research on what else is out there, who else may be...

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Apr 21, 20162 min read

Future Salsa in the Making

We plant our seeds, we water them, we hope for some sunshine, we water them some more then one day a little green sprout muscles its way...

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Apr 15, 20162 min read

100 People Project | What do you need?

It’s simple, I’m going to ask 100 people “what do you need?” Then I’ll spend 15 minutes helping them meet that need for free, yep FREE....

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