Meet Krystina Dowdell | Founder of Getaway

We had the good fortune of connecting with Krystina Dowdell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Krystina, looking back, what do you think was the most difficult decision you’ve had to make?
Leaving my salary position to pursue my own business. I realized that I could only dedicate so much time to my business if I was still prioritizing the work from my previous employer. It’s way too easy to be comfortable with subpar performance when you have a safety net of a salary beneath you. When I have a team working under me, and their earnings are tied to my personal performance, I need to make sure I can deliver.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I’m excited that we have built a model that gives back in a meaningful and measurable way. It took us 3 years to build that model in a sustainable way. Most businesses and non-profits engaged in philanthropic ventures are often stifled by board members and stakeholders who create obstacles that deter progress. Denver Retreat is a free event series produced by our for-profit parent company and production concierge service, Getaway. Our performance is tied to the market, not grants, which means we have reliable ways of keeping the business thriving so long as we listen to the market. Our partners such as WeWork, Asset Living, and Griffis Residential recognize this, and it’s why we are able to create lasting partnerships.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
As a founder of a destination-based, wellness minded, Getaway production concierge company — I hope I do this question service. We hosted a week long retreat in May of this year with two other non-local organizers, but I’m going to share one for ski season since that is right around the bend.

Monday, Day 1

Assuming they have their Epic Pass, I’d have them book flights that arrive around noon at DIA, and upon arrival have them take the train over to Union Station.

From there, I’d suggest eating at Pot Belly’s for sandwich’s, CAVA for Mediterranean, Kkoki for KKBBQ, or grab an Uber out to Chubby Cattle. From there, we’d head out to Vail to Gravity Haus for a week of uncrowded winter mountain activities. On the way, we stop at City Market to grab snacks for on mountain activities.

Tuesday, Day 2

Gravity Haus serves breakfast at their location, so we’d stop there for an easy breakfast before heading up the mountain. My friend is an intermediate snowboarder, so we head right up to the top of the mountain and spend the day on Blue Sky Basin + the Back Bowls.

For lunch we snack on food we brought, and finish the day around 3:30pm. We explore the village, and for Dinner we head over to Alpenrose for German cuisine, and finish the day with Apres at Chasing Rabbits.

Wednesday, Day 3

We leave Gravity Haus to drive over to Beaver Creek, and spend the day exploring the mountain. We finish the day on the mountain around 3:00pm for fresh baked cookies and Chai Lattes at Rimini.

We check in to our Airbnb nearby, and get ready for Dinner at Splendido at the Chateau.

Thursday, Day 4

We leave our Airbnb in the early morning to drive back over to Vail, always parking at Lionshead Village. To get trail recommendations for both Vail + Beaver Creek, connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/krystina-from-getaway

We drive back to Denver around 3:00pm and grab food at Tom’s Watch Bar for Dinner around 6:30pm.

Friday, Day 5

For breakfast, we head over to Snooze by Union Station, so they can grab a train over to the airport to have plenty of time for departure.

If you’d like to join us at a upcoming getaway, send an email with the subject “Shoutout Denver” for $$ off your next getaway. You can find all events here: www.getaway.events/north-america

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I was fortunate that one of my previous clients turned into an angel investor. He gave me the confidence to believe in what I wanted to do at the intersection of healthcare and events, so much so that in under a year we grew our team and bottom line exponentially. I was already confident in my ability as a coach, event coordinator, and program manager — but he really enabled me to believe in myself more than I think I could have on my own.

Website: https://www.getaway.events

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getawaysnearme

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krystina-from-getaway

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/krystina.dowdell/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@getawaysnearme

Other: Denver Retreat, our free community retreat series:

https://www.instagram.com/denverretreat
https://www.facebook.com/thedenverretreat/

@denverretreat

https://www.youtube.com/@denverretreat

Image Credits
Leo
Trey
Mikali