When Victoria Spicer began her career, “wellness” wasn’t even a word — and retreats were the domain of a lucky few. Over four decades, she helped shape the retreat and wellbeing industry from the inside out, bringing iconic destinations like Ananda in the Himalayas and the original Mayr Clinic to global attention. But behind the glossy surface of luxury travel, something deeper was calling. In this episode, Victoria shares how moments of personal loss, professional pressure, and intuitive clarity led her to realign her life’s work — and return to meditation after a decade away. She reflects on her early fascination with stillness, the power of retreat, and why she now chooses resonance over hype. It’s a conversation about integrity, transformation, and finding quiet strength in a noisy world.
About Victoria Spicer
Victoria is a pioneer in wellbeing and travel, and the co-founder of the Global Retreat Company. With a 40-year career spanning high-end PR and conscious business development, she’s helped shape the global retreat landscape by supporting authentic, purpose-driven destinations like Ananda in the Himalayas and the original Mayr Clinic. Known for her intuitive insight, anti-jargon style, and commitment to integrity, Victoria remains a trusted voice in the world of holistic wellbeing. She’s also a longtime Vedic Meditator, and chairs Indigo Eight, a communications agency amplifying values-led businesses in travel and health.
Key Topics Covered
How Victoria helped shape the global wellness and retreat industry
The evolution from luxury PR to purpose-led communications
Meditation as a tool for grief, clarity, and creative direction
Her early experience with TM and reconnection through Vedic Meditation
What it means to lead with intuition in business
The power of retreats as modern medicine
Thoughts on wellness language, hype vs. resonance, and doing less better
Her vision for the Global Retreat Company and the future of retreating
Notable Quotes
💬 “Meditation has been the constant thread that’s stopped me from spiraling.”
💬 “Resonance — that’s how we decide which clients to take on now. Not how big their brand is.”
💬 “The wellness industry didn’t exist when I started. We built it — quietly, intuitively, and without hype.”
💬 “India is medicine. Just being there is enough.”
💬 “When I was diagnosed with cancer, I knew — this isn’t what’s going to take me out. It’s a message.”
Timestamps
00:00 – Introduction
02:00 – Victoria’s path from luxury PR to wellness pioneer
09:00 – Working with Régine, nightclub queen of the ’80s
10:00 – Launching a travel PR firm with no formal training
13:00 – Early wellness clients: the Mayr Clinic and Ananda
16:00 – Meditation, loss, and reconnecting with practice
21:00 – Grief, resilience, and how meditation helped
24:00 – India as a place of deep transformation
28:00 – Leaving the big agency world and founding Indigo Eight
34:00 – Building Global Retreat Company during Covid
37:00 – Why retreats are essential in the modern world
40:00 – On integrity, purpose, and doing business differently
44:00 – Final reflections: why she continues to share meditation
Links & Resources