Inside the £10,000 BVI retreat teaching ethical capitalism
There are certain moments in life that you will always remember. For me, one of these is paddling out to sea at night in a transparent, glow-in-the-dark kayak, while looking up at the stars off the shores of a private BVI island.
Back on land, a banquet was taking place on the beach – everyone was dressed like animals and there were flaming torches embedded in the sand. Before dinner, we had to hold hands and pray (I’m an atheist), and then during the meal, everyone was invited to stand up and speak about their “key wins and takeaways” from the day, while being filmed by a professional camera crew. It sounds like a scene from a movie but sometimes fact is stranger than fiction…
Earlier this year I turned 40 and because of that milestone I felt like doing something radical. I’d been listening to a podcast called “Broke to Woke”, which is co-hosted by self-made millionaire and philanthropist Britnie Turner, and stock trader-slash-motivational speaker Jerremy “Money” Newsome.
Having been inspired by their journey as entrepreneurs and the secrets they share in relation to wealth generation, I decided to sign up for the annual four-night “Abundance Summit” that they host on Turner’s private island, the Aerial BVI, in the British Virgin Islands.
If you’re anything like me, and are at a stage in your life where you are thinking “what’s next?” or “how can I level up?”, then the Aerial BVI is probably the most awe-inspiring location to attend a transformational retreat. (That said, you can also rent the whole place for $40,000 per night if you prefer a more traditional holiday, or you can book a room during a Getaway Week when the Aerial BVI operates as a hotel.)
Not only does it look like the location from a reality TV show set in paradise (cliff-top mansion, circular infinity pool, fleet of candy-coloured, electric buggies to ferry guests around) but it’s built on principles of sustainability and health. What’s more, Turner has a captivating, guru-like presence that makes her unlike anyone else you have ever met.
A thirty-something former body builder and beauty queen from South Carolina, Turner has long flowing hair and an athletic physique. She’s a thoughtful listener but also a confident, emotive public speaker who, throughout the retreat, shares her journey from growing up “dirt poor” to accumulating enough money through real-estate to buy her own island.
The Abundance Summit is one of five themed retreats that take place throughout the year (the other options are Strength, Love, Presence and Dream), all designed to help attendees achieve “whole life success”, providing you can afford the $10,000 (all-inclusive) entry fee.
Each day starts with an early-morning activity such as hiking, yoga or “equine therapy” on Redemption Ranch, which is where Turner rehabilitates horses, ponies and even zebras that were rescued from slaughter in the US.
Next is a sumptuous, healthy breakfast buffet on a terrace that overlooks the ocean and other islands dotted across the archipelago. There are platters of scrambled eggs, frittata, smoked salmon, avocado, fruit salad, Greek yogurt and jugs of homemade smoothies. There is no meat, no alcohol and no refined sugar. Weight loss is not the objective but despite three plentiful meals a day, it’s a welcome side effect.
After breakfast and before dinner are keynote sessions on things like “How to be Wealthy 101” and “The Divine Code of Abundance”, while afternoons are spent doing team-building activities such as beach olympics, raft building and sailing. At night, there are themed fancy dress parties.
I was interested in the Abundance Summit because it specifically related to money and how to use it as a force for good. I have been interested in the idea of “ethical capitalism” for a while, and when Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard recently announced he was giving his entire multi-billion-dollar company to a nonprofit that fights climate change, it confirmed that there are emerging blueprints for “force for good” business. As Turner says: “You are either building your wealth on one of two systems – a ‘greed system’ or a ‘give system’.”
So what is Turner setting out to achieve with her summits? “For a long time, people with money have been branded ‘successful’ but I think that is an old idea. What I have witnessed is that people are caring more about their relationships and recognising that if their body is broken, they can’t go very far, and you can’t buy your health.
“The summits are immersive events that address each one of these pillars. Abundance is about how you can align your finances with your purpose on Earth; Strength is about aligning your body with your purpose on Earth; Love is about aligning your relationships with your purpose on Earth; and Dream is about getting that clarity for your vision in the first place.”
At this particular summit, which was fully booked, there were about 20 people of differing levels of net-worth. Although no one was transparent about their bank balance, it soon became apparent that there were at least half a dozen multi-millionaires in the room. Turner says her ambition is for everyone who attends to become a “deca billionaire”. (Given that there are only 2,688 of them on Earth, that is no mean feat.) But why?
She defines “abundance” as having “more than enough to respond to the needs of the world”. She dismisses the idea of money being “evil” (despite being taught that herself when being raised Christian); instead she believes that what matters is what you do with your money.
Turner wants people to attend the Abundance Summit to think big. And then bigger still. She describes how her own experience of working as a first-responder in disaster and war zones, as well as a missionary in Africa, where she has seen parents being forced to sell their own children into sex slavery, has made her recognise the power of money to solve the world’s major problems, with human trafficking, hunger, the climate crisis and a lack of clean water being top of the list.
One of my key takeaways was realising that many people – even super-wealthy people – have a “scarcity mindset”, which means they hold on to money tightly and believe there is never enough. An “abundant mindset”, on the other hand, is about believing more is available and more will always come.
What’s really compelling is that Turner appears to practise what she preaches. Just over a decade ago, she was homeless and living in her car while she underwent an unpaid real-estate apprenticeship that taught her how to flip houses. Today, she has $200m worth of active domestic and international real-estate projects, and has set up a nonprofit organisation called the Aerial Recovery Group, which trains and deploys US Army veterans on humanitarian missions to places such as Ukraine and flood-hit Pakistan. She says this is a manifestation of her life’s purpose, which is to “serve”.
Also speaking at the Abundance Summit is her husband Jeremy Locke, who is a former Green Beret and chief operating officer of the Aerial Recovery Group, as well as her former real-estate mentor Paulie Kazanofski, who discusses property investment tactics, and Jerremy Newsome, who leads sessions on how to build wealth in stocks, survive a recession and convert “limiting beliefs” into “limitless beliefs”.
Nuggets from the latter include: “Create systems that allow you to purchase liquid assets repeatedly”; “Surround yourself with people who are in this world to grow and learn”; and “Bad times make for good buys”. A former Jehovah’s Witness, he still retains a faith in God, and is overflowing with kindness and enthusiasm –nobody gives full-body hugs quite like Newsome.
It’s impossible to share everything that I experienced at the Aerial BVI, but I can say that transformation isn’t always easy, even when it takes place in paradise. Tolerating the religious component of the summit, which didn’t align with my own beliefs, was certainly a step outside my comfort zone, but I did feel changed and inspired.
“The Aerial BVI is a private island experience that elevates you and your purpose,” says Turner. “It is a force for good. And if you’re not attending an event that I run, then the island is made to heal anybody that comes here anyway – all the programmes, the food, the activities are going to help you ‘centre’. You are going to be restored.”
NEED TO KNOW: For more information on the summits and how to book go to aerialbvi.com
The movers and shakers in paradise
Moskito Island
Owned by Richard Branson, Moskito Island opened to guests last year and is one of the most exclusive places to stay in the BVIs. There are three mansions available to book including the 11-bedroom Branson Estate, the Oasis Estate (sleeping 18 guests) and Point Estate (for 14 people). A fourth property will be coming on to the rental market soon, complete with a cantilevered, glass-bottomed hot tub among other surprises. • virginlimitededition.com
Scrub Island
The Scrub Island Resort, Spa and Marina, which is part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, unveiled two new villas for 2022. (In total there are 13, plus a good selection of sizeable rooms and suites with doors opening onto generous balconies.) Ideally located for fishing excursions, the property’s marina has 55 deep-water slips, five of which are specifically for larger mega-yachts. There is also a helicopter pad and a sandy beach. • scrubisland.com
Saba Rock
Under renovation since 2017, Saba Rock reopened at the beginning of the 2022 with a whole new look. Built on a rock in the North Sound sea, the micro-resort has a tiny man-made beach with a cluster of palm trees, a panoramic restaurant deck, a lively bar, nautical gift shop and nine trendy guest rooms built from timber. It’s also a good location for kite-surfing. • sabarock.com