From Idea to Live: How to Plan an Event Your Practice Actually Enjoys, a special SNACK Episode, EP 275
Launching an event or retreat for your practice can feel daunting—from the first spark of an idea all the way through registration going live. In this SNACK episode, Tracy Cherpeski and Miranda Dorta turn the mic around and walk through the entire event-planning process, revealing what systems they built, what they reuse versus rebuild, and the critical mistakes that taught them how to do it better.
If you are mapping out your first event or retreat—or refining your approach to hosting—this conversation cuts through the noise. Tracy and Miranda share their operational flow, how they use data to decide whether an event idea is worth pursuing, and the specific systems that prevent small details from falling through the cracks. Most importantly, they will show you where practice owners typically get stuck and how to avoid the chaos that can derail even the best intentions.
Whether you are planning your first roundtable, masterclass, or retreat, the principles they share here will save you time, reduce stress, and help you show up fully present for your attendees.
Key Takeaways
• Planning comes before execution. Spend time anticipating contingencies and mapping out every task before you launch. This "slow down to speed up" philosophy applies to events, new services, systems implementation, and everything else in your practice.
• Use data to decide which events are worth your time. Track which LinkedIn posts get engagement, monitor email open rates and click-through rates, take field notes on the topics people bring up repeatedly, and look for patterns. This is how you decide whether to host a masterclass or a roundtable.
• Templatize your operational flow and creative assets. If something works well the first time, you can duplicate it. Develop templates for your artwork, social media posts, and—most importantly—your task management so the same operational flow scales across multiple events.
• Keep everything in one project management system. Avoid exporting to spreadsheets and importing into separate tools—information gets lost in translation. Find a system that works for your team (Tracy and Miranda use Notion) and keep all tasks, reminders, and communication centralized.
• The most common mistake is rushing forward without pausing first. Most operational misses happen when entrepreneurs dive in excited and skip the setup phase. Taking a moment to verify everything is in working order before launch prevents costly scrambles later.
Q&A
How much time should you spend planning an event versus promoting it?
Tracy and Miranda typically allocate 8–10 weeks for planning and another 3 weeks for promotion. The planning phase is where the real work happens—anticipating what could go wrong, mapping out every task, and setting up systems that prevent details from slipping through the cracks. This ratio protects your ability to actually enjoy the event when it is live.
What should you do immediately when you notice something feels off during event planning?
Stop and check your checklist. If emails are not where they should be, if social media posts have disappeared, or if a task got buried, it is a sign your system has a gap. Rather than powering through the chaos, pause and identify what got missed so you can recover quickly and correct it for next time.
How do you choose between a masterclass format and a roundtable discussion?
Let your data guide you. Look at which topics your audience engages with most—both in organic content and in private conversations. If you are seeing consistent interest in a topic where you are the expert, a masterclass with interactive elements works well. If the value is in bringing together multiple perspectives and peer learning, a roundtable is the right call.
Episode Highlights
• From the first spark to registration live: what happens at each stage of event planning
• How to templatize operational flows, creative assets, and social media posts
• Using data to decide whether an event is a "yes" or a "maybe"
• The CSV export-import mistake that taught them a hard lesson (and how they are fixing it)
• Why project management tools like Notion beat spreadsheets for team coordination
• The postmortem process: how they forensically review each event to improve the next one
• The "pause before running" principle that prevents 90 percent of their operational mishaps
• Building systems that allow you to be fully present at your own event
Memorable Quotes
"The planning is where you anticipate as much as you can possibly anticipate and plan for as many contingencies as you can." — Tracy Cherpeski
"It is the slow down to speed up philosophy applied across the board." — Tracy Cherpeski
"I personally will not remember unless there is a reminder in front of my face. Notion, we can tag ourselves and put reminders in it." — Miranda Dorta
"Don't just put on your shoes and start running. You put on your shoes, you do some calisthenics, you warm up, and then you walk a bit before you run." — Tracy Cherpeski
"When push comes to shove or you are coming to crunch time, the likelihood that important but maybe seemingly small details go begging is real." — Tracy Cherpeski
Hosting an event does not have to be chaotic. What Tracy and Miranda demonstrate in this episode is that the difference between a stressed, scrambling experience and a present, enjoyable one comes down to systems. When you plan before you launch, use data to guide your decisions, templatize what works, and keep everything in one place, you reclaim the space to actually connect with your attendees and enjoy the fruit of your labor. If you are planning your first event for your practice or refining your approach to the ones you are already hosting, apply one system from this conversation and watch how it changes your experience. For more resources on running a thriving practice, visit thrivingpracticecommunity.com.
Miranda’s Bio:
Miranda Dorta, B.F.A. (she/her/hers) is the Manager of Operations and PR at Tracy Cherpeski International. A graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design with expertise in writing and creative storytelling, Miranda brings her skills in operations, public relations, and communication strategies to the Thriving Practice community. Based in the City of Oaks, she joined the team in 2021 and has been instrumental in streamlining operations while managing the company's public presence since 2022.
Tracy’s Bio:
Tracy Cherpeski, MBA, MA, CPSC (she/her/hers) is the Founder of Tracy Cherpeski International and Thriving Practice Community. As a Business Consultant and Executive Coach, Tracy helps healthcare practice owners scale their businesses without sacrificing wellbeing. Through strategic planning, leadership development, and mindset mastery, she empowers clients to reclaim their time and reach their potential. Tracy designs and delivers CME-accredited wellness retreats and workshops in partnership with medical associations, bringing burnout prevention and sustainable practice management to physicians nationwide. Based in Chapel Hill, NC, Tracy serves clients worldwide and is the Executive Producer and Host of the Thriving Practice podcast. Her guiding philosophy: Survival is not enough; life is meant to be celebrated.
Connect With Us: