By Lakisha, Founder of Goldenweeks Retreats
For four years I traveled the world with the same three unfinished projects in my laptop. An MVP that was always almost ready. A course that lived in Notion. A book outline that never became anything.
Every new city felt like the fresh start that would finally work. Bali would be different. Then Lisbon. Then Mexico City. Then Zanzibar.
New coworkings, new coffee shops, new sunsets. Same unfinished projects.
I told myself it was a discipline problem. That I just needed to wake up earlier, try harder, push through the resistance. I bought the productivity books. I built the Notion systems. I did the pomodoros.
Nothing shipped.
The moment I realized what was actually wrong
It hit me one afternoon in a coworking space in Zanzibar. I was surrounded by other nomads, all typing on their laptops. Everyone looked focused. Everyone looked productive. And then I overheard three separate conversations about projects that had been "almost done for months."
That was the moment I understood. The problem wasn't me. The problem wasn't them. The problem was that nomad life is designed for movement, exploration and freedom. Not for finishing things.
Working alone from cafes and coworkings gives you flexibility. But it gives you no structure, no accountability, no witnesses to your progress or your stalling. You can carry the same unfinished project from Lisbon to Bali to Mexico City to Zanzibar and no one will notice.
I realized what I actually needed wasn't another productivity system. It was a room. A room full of other builders. A structure that made discipline feel less like a heroic act and more like the natural thing to do.
So I built it.
What Goldenweeks is
Goldenweeks is a 2 week accountability retreat in Zanzibar for founders, makers, freelancers and remote workers who keep carrying half finished projects around.
The premise is simple. Show up with something unfinished. Leave with it done.
Format:
November 1 to 15, 2026
Ocean side venue in Michamwi, Zanzibar
Small group of 8 participants maximum
Structured deep work mornings
Daily accountability check ins
Weekends free to explore the island
Local food, community dinners, sunset sessions
This is not a networking event. Not a wellness retreat. Not a luxury vacation.
It's a working retreat where the outcome that matters is the project you finish.
Who this is for:
If you are a solo founder with a MVP that has been almost ready for months, this is for you.
If you are a freelancer who wants to finally build your own product but client work keeps eating your time, this is for you.
If you are a solopreneur launching a course, a book, a program that has been sitting in Notion for too long, this is for you.
If you are a remote worker with a side project that keeps dying every time life gets busy, this is for you.
The common thread is not job title or industry. It is having a specific unfinished thing you want to ship, and being ready to give it two weeks of focused effort in a structured environment.
Why Zanzibar
I spent months here before deciding this was the right location for the first cohort. Zanzibar has slower pace than mainland cities, warm ocean, real food, and something intangible about the light and rhythm here that supports deep work. Coworking spaces exist. Internet is good enough. Time zone works for both European and East Coast US remote workers.
But mostly Zanzibar is far enough from your normal life that you cannot pop back to whatever distracts you at home. You commit to being here. And that commitment creates the container for finishing.
An offer for the Mapmelon community
If you're reading this from the Mapmelon community, use code MAPMELON10 for 10% off the retreat price. Valid for the November 2026 cohort while spots remain.
The first cohort has 8 spots. A few are already taken. If Goldenweeks sounds like the environment you have been looking for, application details are at goldenweeks.co.
If you have questions before applying, feel free to reach out directly.
This is my first cohort ever and I care deeply about the fit for each person who joins.
Show up with something unfinished. Leave with it done.
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Lakisha is the founder of Goldenweeks Retreats. Originally from Germany, based in Zanzibar, background in remote work and SEO.
Website: goldenweeks.co
Instagram: @goldenweeks.co
