Alchemy of Men is a men’s retreat, coaching, and brotherhood organization built for men who are ready to stop pretending and start living. We run 4-day immersive retreats, ongoing men’s groups, and 1-on-1 and group coaching for men of every kind — fathers, founders, executives, husbands, sons — who are tired of doing it alone, ready to level up, or just looking for more peace, purpose, and clarity.
The work is real, grounded, and transformational. It’s not therapy. It’s not religious. It’s not “alpha male” content. It’s a structured, tested approach to helping men become who they’re meant to be.
This work is for any man who’s quietly carrying more than he’s letting on. The high-performer who’s killing it at work but feels dead inside. The father who’s present in the house but absent in the home. The husband who loves his wife but doesn’t know how to actually connect anymore. The man who has the money, the title, the house, the life — and still feels like something’s missing. The twenty or thirty-something who feels stuck, lost, or lacks drive.
It’s also for men who aren’t in crisis but want more. More presence. More aliveness. More brotherhood. More purpose. We work with men of all stages, ages, and backgrounds.
The work is real, grounded, and transformational. It’s not therapy. It’s not religious. It’s not “alpha male” content. It’s a structured, tested approach to helping men become who they’re meant to be.
No. Therapy is a clinical practice with specific licensure focused on diagnosing and treating mental illness. We’re not therapists, we’re coaches and facilitators, and we’re clear about that distinction. We don’t diagnose, prescribe, or treat clinical conditions.
What we do is help men examine their lives, take honest stock of where they are, build new tools, and step into who they’re becoming. For most men, that’s exactly the work they need. If you’re navigating clinical depression, trauma requiring therapeutic care, or a mental health crisis, we recommend working with a licensed therapist alongside (or instead of) our work.
It’s not religious. We don’t promote any specific religion, and men of all faiths (or none) are welcome and have attended.
It is spiritual in the sense that we believe every man has a soul, a purpose, and an inner life that matters. We do use practices like fire circles, breathwork, time in nature, and have been trained, given permission, and share some indigenous practices and rituals. But there’s no doctrine, no dogma, and no requirement to believe anything specific. The work meets you where you are.
Most men’s work tells men what to be and gives them what they believe is the “right” map. The right kind of masculinity. The proper way to lead. The version of “real man” you’re supposed to step into.
We don’t do that. We believe every man has his own path, and our job is to create the structure, the brotherhood, and the space where you can find it. We’re not gurus. We’re guides. The work is yours — we create a space to bring it out of you.
Most men’s work tells men what to be and gives them what they believe is the “right” map. The right kind of masculinity. The proper way to lead. The version of “real man” you’re supposed to step into.
We don’t do that. We believe every man has his own path, and our job is to create the structure, the brotherhood, and the space where you can find it. We’re not gurus. We’re guides. The work is yours — we create a space to bring it out of you.
Each day combines structured workshops, fitness and movement, time in nature, fire circles, breathwork, meals together, and downtime for connection and rest. The workshops cover the foundational areas of a man’s life: identity, integrity, courage, brotherhood, purpose, money, relationships, leadership, and presence.
You’ll be challenged. You’ll laugh hard. You’ll probably cry at some point. You’ll sit around a fire with men you didn’t know four days ago and realize you’ve never felt more seen. That’s what tends to happen.
A typical day includes early-morning movement or breathwork, a hearty breakfast cooked on-site by a chef, morning workshop, midday meal and break, afternoon workshop or activity, dinner, evening fire circle, and lights out.
We balance intensity with rest. This isn’t a boot camp. It’s also not a vacation. It’s structured work designed to make sure you actually integrate what you’re learning.
Real talk: this is challenging work, but it’s not punishing.
There’s no shouting, shaming, or pushing you past your limits. You’ll never be forced to share anything you don’t want to share. You’ll never be made to do something that feels unsafe.
That said, the work asks you to be honest with yourself in ways most men avoid. That can feel intense, we encourage you to get out of your comfort zone, and you will be challenged, but it’s the good kind of intense and challenge, the kind that leaves you lighter, and proud, not heavier.
No. Nothing is forced. Ever. You always have a choice. In life you have choices and opportunities, and here we give you choices and opportunities.
Most men come in worried about this exact thing. By day two, most are surprised by how much they want to share — not because anyone made them, but because they finally feel like they’re in a space where it’s safe to. That’s the whole point.
Each retreat draws a diverse group of men — executives, entrepreneurs, fathers, athletes, founders, husbands, professionals — across age ranges from late 20s to 70s and beyond. Most are high-performing, accomplished men who’ve recognized they want something deeper than what their current life is delivering. And some of the men are struggling, up against some challenging times.
The mix is intentional. The man sitting next to you might run a tech company or lost his job. He might also be carrying something almost identical to what you’re carrying.
Pricing depends on the retreat location and the room option you choose. Investment ranges from approximately $2,000 to $5,000. The experience is all-inclusive, covering all meals, all programming, all activities, lodging, and on-site facilitation. Some retreats offer multiple lodging tiers (shared room, private room, premium lodging) at different price points.
For the most current pricing on a specific retreat, visit the retreat page or schedule a call with us.
Most men who attend tell us it was the best money they’ve ever spent on themselves.
Compared to what most men spend on cars, watches, vacations, or even therapy over a year — a 4-day immersive that fundamentally shifts how you show up at work, at home, and in your own skin is a different category of investment. But only you can decide if the timing and resources are right.
We run retreats in two primary locations:
San Diego, California — held on a private ranch in the San Diego hills, about 90 minutes from San Diego International Airport.
Austin, Texas — held on a 500-acre private ranch about 45 minutes from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Round Mountain.
Both locations are remote enough to fully disconnect, comfortable enough to actually rest, and beautiful enough to ground you in something bigger than your inbox.
We have also hosted retreats in Tubac, Arizona, Salt Lake City & Provo Utah, and Idaho Falls Idaho
A New York-trained chef is extrodinary and cooks every meal on-site. Real food. Lots of protein, fresh vegetables, healthy fats. Meals are designed to fuel the work — not weigh you down.
We accommodate most dietary needs (vegetarian, gluten-free, allergies). Let us know in advance.
Lodging varies by retreat and tier. Options typically include shared cabins or rooms, private rooms, sometimes yurts, Airstreams, glamping tents, and a sleeping porch. All lodging is on-site at the retreat venue — no driving back and forth to a hotel.
Typically, guys share Ubers/Lyfts from the airport. Often a few men are local to the retreat city and have a car and pick up a few guys on the way. We help coordinate rides. We do not recommend renting a car. Details and timing are provided after registration.
A packing list is sent before the retreat with everything you’ll need. The short version: comfortable clothes for movement and fire circles, layers (it gets cool at night), athletic shoes, an open mind, and a willingness to put your phone in a drawer for four days.
No. Some men come having done extensive personal development work. Others come having never done any. Both are welcome. The work meets you where you are.
If you’ve never done a retreat before, you’re not behind. If you’ve done a lot of work already, this will still go deeper than what you’ve experienced.
Yes. We strongly recommend it. The work you do here will affect the people you love — usually for the better, but the shift is real and they should know it’s coming.
Many men actually attend at the encouragement of their partners, who could see they needed this.
Mostly, you don’t. The best preparation is to come open, come honest, and come ready to put down the armor you usually wear.
You don’t need to figure out “what you want to work on” in advance. That tends to reveal itself once you’re in the container.
And join the orientation/welcome call that takes place about two weeks before the retreat.
First off, there is no such thing as not ready. You are ready because YOU say so.
Most men who feel “not ready” are the men who love this experience. There’s no perfect time to do this work. The men who keep waiting for the right moment are the men who are still waiting five years later wondering where the time went.
That said, if you’re navigating an acute crisis (active substance addiction, recent major loss, untreated severe mental health issues), we may recommend stabilizing first. Schedule a call and we can talk it through honestly.
You go home different. Most men describe an immediate shift — more present, more grounded, clearer about what matters. The challenge isn’t the retreat. It’s the integration.
To support that, we offer ongoing brotherhood, integration calls and coaching options including weekly men’s groups, the Crucible mastermind, the Covenant 4-week accelerator program, and 1-on-1 coaching with Alex or Bob.
The shifts that happen at a retreat are real. Whether they last depends on what you do after. The men who integrate the work into ongoing community, coaching, or practice tend to keep building on what they discovered. The men who go back to their old patterns without support tend to slip.
That’s why we built the ongoing programs — to make integration easy if you want it.
Almost every retreat ends with men exchanging numbers, planning calls, and joining the alumni community. Many describe these as the closest friendships they’ve made in years.
We also have an alumni call and group for retreat graduates that stays active long after the retreat ends.
Yes. Many men, over 50% have attended more than one retreat — sometimes back-to-back retreats, and sometimes a year apart, sometimes longer. Each retreat is its own experience because the group, the season of your life, the exercises change, and the depth of work shifts over time.
Visit our upcoming retreats page to see available dates and book your spot. Or schedule a call if you want to talk it through first.
To the leader you know you could be. The man you know you have the potential to be. The father and partner you want to be.
This isn’t just another meaningless trip, adventure, achievement, or notch in your belt. This is real growth & change from the inside out.
You are capable of more than you realize. You are more powerful than you realize. You can have the life you want and the business and career success you want.
Discover your untapped potential. Find that missing piece.
Bob Conlin is, first and foremost, a father to his son, Forest, and a deeply passionate and loving husband to his wife, Shona. Bob is a visionary alchemist, coach, and leader who believes that our relationships have the power to shape our life experiences. We can create powerful and fulfilling relationships that enrich our lives by taking responsibility for our generational traumas, triggers, and limiting beliefs. Bob’s unique and courageous approach to creating relationships has been featured on ABC World News Tonight, CBS, NBC, and Good Morning America. His experience spans almost a decade; he has become a Master Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation and authored Why My Relationships Suck: Create Strong Relationships with Courage and Heart. Bob lives in Chicago, loves singing Ikaros and beating a drum at a fire circle as much as playing metal and screaming into a microphone, often bragging about how he can bench over 315 lbs. Something you’d never expect about Bob is that he was center stage to a global viral story about the birth of his son. Google his name and “Date Night Dad.” – ConlinCoaching.com
Alex Terranova guides men to become leaders their companies and families can be proud of. Alex is deeply devoted to his wife, Evin, the family they are creating, and his personal growth and expansion as a man and leader. Alex is an Executive and Leadership Coach, 2x Author, and Sacred Guide who has helped hundreds of individuals and organizations transcend mental barriers, unlock their boundless potential, and support men in healing, growing, and expanding as leaders at work and home. His unique and effective coaching style has been described as “cutting through the bullshit while powerfully channeling spirit at the moment,” which has helped businesses grow, marriages heal, parenting improve, the development of new leaders, and increased overall happiness, peace, and fulfillment for individuals and companies. His commitment to telling the bold and direct truth earned him the “The Anti-Excuses Coach” title by Yahoo Finance. Alex is obsessed with his wiener dog, Cali, and his cat, Tucker. He loves the gym and a spiritual plant medicine ceremony. Something you’d never know is that Alex created an online bachelor-style contest to meet his wife, Evin. – AlexTerranova.com
By the end of this retreat, you won’t just feel different, you’ll be different. You’ll walk away clear, confident, and in control, with a renewed sense of purpose and the tools to create real fulfillment in every part of your life. You’ll have faced fears, expressed yourself in new ways, and gained new tools and skills. You’ll have built real accountability and support-no more going it alone. You’ll have gained the clarity you’ve been searching for—knowing exactly what’s working, what’s not, and what to do next. You’ll leave reinvigorated, resilient, connected to yourself, your purpose, and a brotherhood of powerful men.
This isn’t just a retreat. It’s the turning point!
To create a loving global legacy of bold men fully expressed in their purpose, families, and communities. By forging both masculine strength and nurturing feminine spirit, we empower men to heal, grow, and find balance, cultivating wisdom, fulfillment, and spiritual connection to leave a lasting impact of love and positive change.
Based in San Diego, retreats in San Diego, CA; Austin, TX; and Utah
© 2026 Bob Conlin | Site by m33, made from love with purpose
