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Masterminding and excursions in paradise

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January 23, 2020 By Donna Johnson

Bon Voyage Indie Cruise

As the founder and CEO of the Indie Business Network, hosting an annual Caribbean retreat was not originally on my entrepreneurial bucket list. But after leading the organization and thousands of members for a decade, I wanted something different — not only for myself, but also for my members. So, in 2011, I hosted the fist Indie Cruise Retreat.

Indie Cruise 2020: Aruba. Credit: @wynnphotographytx

It wasn’t that IBN wasn’t enough. It was. It was everything I wanted it to be. But as full a reflection as IBN was of my organizational vision, it was not a full reflection of me personally.

On a personal level, I am so much more than the leader organizational network. Sure, I’m at the helm, but I am not the type of person to lead from “on high.”

I believe that business is not just about making money. It’s also about relationships and camaraderie, and I happen to enjoy building and nurturing both.

I’m relatable and down-to-earth, and I genuinely like getting to know people and enjoying their company on an intimate level. I was doing all of that through IBN, but I wanted something more tangible.

I was seeking a way to turn virtual relationships into personal friendships. Indie Cruise was the answer.

So Much More than a Cruise

Indie Cruise originally launched in 2011 as an actual cruise, aboard a real cruise ship. For various reasons, by 2006, I had transitioned the event to a single Caribbean destination location.

A cruise ship was great, and I love cruise vacations, but they can be somewhat confining. Our beach time was always limited, and we generally only saw sunrises and sunsets from the deck of a boat. (Both are so much more beautiful from the sand.) The food options were great, but somewhat narrowly defined, and while I never personally experienced it, someone inevitably dealt with sea sickness.

While I probably will host a cruise retreat again, for the last several Indie Cruise Retreats, I opted for flying in and staying at a luxurious resort.

It’s been an amazing 10 years!

Where We’ve Been

Since 2011, Indie Cruise has been honored to deliver an entrepreneurial experience like no other to dozens of women (and a few good men) via destinations and ports of call in 17 exotic locations. Let’s have a look back.

Indie Cruise 2011

Ports of Call: Key West and Isla Cozumel

The peace of Isla Cozumel, Mexico

Indie Cruise 2012

Ports of Call:  Ocho Rios, Jamaica • Grand Cayman Island

I will never wash that cheek again; a kiss from Ziggy the Dolphin, Grand Cayman Island
With my son at 3am, nursing my son’s ear infection aboard Royal Caribbean

Indie Cruise 2013

Ports of Call: Cozumel • Belize

Fancy staircase shot aboard Royal Caribbean, Atlantic Ocean

Indie Cruise 2014

Ports of Call: Labadee, Haiti • Falmouth, Jamaica • Grand Cayman Island

Masterminding in paradise, Labadee, Haiti

Indie Cruise 2015

Ports of Call: St. Thomas • St. Maarten • Cocoa Cay

Sunset cruise, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands

Indie Cruise 2016

Destination: Cancún, Yucatán, Mexico

White Night, Las Cazuelas Bech, Cancun, Mexico

Indie Cruise 2017

Destination: Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

White Night, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Indie Cruise 2018

Destination: Ixtapa, Mexico

White Night, Ixtapa, Mexico

Indie Cruise 2019

Destination: Turks and Caicos, Caribbean

White Night, Grace Bay Beach, Turks and Caicos

Indie Cruise 2020

Destination: Aruba, Dutch Caribbean

Cocktail Party and Gift Exchange, Barry’s Bar, Aruba, Dutch Caribbean

Bon Voyage Indie Cruise!

I have loved and cherished every single Indie Cruise moment. But, alas, it is time to release it as the past and make room for some amazing new things I have up my sleeve.

If you’d like, you may peruse our photo albums at this link.

I cannot wait to share what’s coming up next!

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