Experience Team Prep Guide
Journey to Next is a space for women to rest, to be authentic, and to be free of judgment.
We are honored by what you bring to the room, and we ask that you hold the sacredness of this space alongside us as you share.
Thank you for lending your voice and expertise to this Journey. This guide holds everything you need to prepare, from the shape of our time together to the room you will be stepping into.
Meet the Journey to Next Experience Team
Three voices, each bringing a distinct lens to the room. Sample sofa chat questions for each panelist are further down this guide.
Dr. Alise Jones Bailey
Dr. Alise Jones Bailey is a board-certified physician dedicated to helping women better understand and advocate for their health throughout every stage of life.
View Professional Profile →Oneka Jefferson Cornelius
Oneka Jefferson Cornelius is a respected executive leader known for helping professionals navigate career growth, leadership development, and professional transitions.
View LinkedIn Profile →Chawn Payton
Chawn Payton is a respected financial professional dedicated to helping individuals build confidence, create wealth, and make informed financial decisions.
View LinkedIn Profile →Brianna Whitfield
Brianna Whitfield is an Atlanta based yoga teacher, reiki practitioner, and artist whose work lives at the intersection of healing, creativity, and self discovery. She leads the sunrise pilates and sound bath session, inviting attendees into movement, stillness, and play as the day begins.
Tiffini Rose and the Journey 5
Tiffini Rose and the Journey 5 bring soulful, live R&B to every stage they touch. Fronted by vocalist Tiffini Rose, the band blends rich vocals with tight musicianship to create an experience that moves the room, from intimate ballads to feel good grooves.
Experience Flow
Intimate Sofa Chats
This is not a stage moment. You will be seated among attendees, in conversation rather than presentation.
Your 30 Minutes
Each panelist receives 30 minutes with Earllette guiding the conversation, using topics curated from the retreat attendees.
Open With Your Wisdom
You will be asked to start with a brief introduction and the wisdom you most want to share with attendees.
Earllette Guides the Rest
From there, Earllette will pick up with questions pulled from the question pool further down this guide.
Sample Sofa Chat Questions
These questions come directly from attendee submissions, organized to move naturally from foundational to more personal to forward looking. Earllette will pull from these after each panelist opens with their introduction and wisdom, moving through them as the conversation naturally allows.
Dr. Alise Jones Bailey
Women's HealthWhole Woman Wellness
- When we talk about women's wellness, how should we be thinking about physical and mental wellness together rather than separately?
- What can women do to protect their mental health in today's corporate climate?
- How should women approach weight management as part of their overall health and wellness?
Perimenopause & Menopause
- What should women understand about perimenopause and menopause symptoms that we may not have been taught or prepared for?
- What treatment options should women know are available to them?
- What should women know about navigating perimenopause and menopause in the workplace?
Is This Really Just Perimenopause?
- What symptoms in women in their 40s are sometimes dismissed as just perimenopause but may actually warrant further investigation?
- How can women become better at advocating for themselves in healthcare settings, particularly when they feel something isn't right?
- What should we know about navigating medical decisions and knowing when to ask more questions?
Prevention at 45 & Beyond
- Around age 45, what should women be doing now to help reduce cardiovascular and metabolic risks over the next 10 to 20 years?
- What should we be doing to protect our bone and cognitive health over that same period?
- What should a personalized preventive health workup at 45 actually include?
- How do we distinguish between preventive tests that are worthwhile and tests that may be unnecessary?
Our Relationship With Food
- How can the eating patterns we learned early in life continue to influence the way we eat today, and what should we understand about that connection?
Oneka Jefferson Cornelius
Career NavigationWhen Your Career No Longer Fits
- What do you do when you're staying in a job or career you hate?
- How do you know when it's genuinely time to pivot or make a career change?
- What's the best way to approach a career pivot when you've already invested years building experience in your current field?
- How should we evaluate an unexpected career opportunity that wasn't part of the plan?
Making the Move
- If someone decides they are ready for something different, how should they navigate today's job market?
- What role does a strong personal brand play when you're trying to grow or make a change?
- How should experienced professionals think about building and using their professional network?
What's Holding Me Back?
- How do we recognize when self doubt or imposter syndrome is influencing our career decisions?
- How can someone distinguish between an internal barrier and a very real barrier to advancement within their organization?
Do I Actually Want the Next Level?
- How do you know when you've reached the right career level for you, even when you know you're capable of going higher?
- How can we distinguish between a healthy career plateau and a professional ceiling that's actually limiting our growth?
- At what point should we start asking whether the additional compensation and prestige of a higher level role are worth the additional stress, hours, politics and responsibility?
Designing the Next 10 Years
- For women who are already successful and experienced, but increasingly value time, autonomy, health and quality of life, how should we think about designing the next 10 years of our careers?
Chawn Payton
Financial WellnessFinancial Health & Retirement Readiness
- When you think about healthy finances, what does that actually look like?
- For someone who feels like they are getting a late start on retirement planning, where should they begin?
- How should we think about how much we need to save for retirement at different stages of our careers?
- What does financial wellness in retirement look like beyond simply having a retirement account?
- How should someone think about what financial freedom looks like at 50, 55, 60 and 65?
Investing & Building Wealth
- For someone who is new to investing, what are the investing basics they should understand before getting started?
- What are some of the most common investing mistakes beginners should try to avoid?
- How should we think about home equity as part of an overall financial plan?
Planning for Our Children
- For parents with a high school sophomore, what should they be thinking about financially right now?
- How does that advice change for someone with an elementary aged child who has more time to prepare?
Money in a Changing World
- How should we be thinking about the potential impact of AI, technology and broader economic changes on our personal finances?
- How might those same changes affect career earnings and the way we plan financially for the future?
Day of Schedule
Panelist Arrival
Panelists arrive and are briefed by the event team in the hospitality suite, followed by lunch ahead of the panel.
Sofa Chats Begin
Panels run in order: Women's Health, then Career, then Financial Wellness. Panelists are welcome to stay for the full block, but are free to leave once their own sofa chat is complete.
Panels Conclude
All three sofa chats will be complete by this time.
Band Arrival & Set Up
Tiffini Rose and the Journey 5 arrive for set up, with a space to relax until the set begins.
Candlelight Dinner
An evening of connection, featuring live music from Tiffini Rose and the Journey 5.
Sunrise Instructor Arrival
Brianna Whitfield arrives and is met by the event team for set up.
Pilates & Sound Bath
Session begins to open the day with movement and stillness.
All times above are approximate. A definite confirmation of the schedule will be sent four weeks ahead of the retreat.
What You Need From Us
This experience is as much yours to shape as it is ours. If there is anything that would help you feel prepared, or anything that would help you curate the experience you would like to bring to attendees, we want to know.
- Anything you would like clarified about the format, flow, or expectations
- Materials, resources, or support you would like from our team
- Topics or areas you would like added to your question pool
- Any accessibility, comfort, or logistical needs for the day
- Anything else that would help you feel fully prepared and supported
Questions before the retreat?