When James Glover founded The Excitable Soul, he set out to create something more meaningful than a traditional coaching business.

His work focuses on helping people reconnect with who they truly are, beyond job titles, expectations, and the relentless pace of modern life. To do that, he needed a venue that could enable connection, encourage reflection, and create a sense of possibility.

He found Bleaklow Farm.

We caught up with James to find out how he discovered Bleaklow Farm, why he continues to return, and how the venue, and the people behind it, have become an integral part of the transformational retreats he hosts for professional leaders.

Q: James, what is The Excitable Soul and what drives your work?
The Excitable Soul is a human performance consultancy focused on leaders. The work is built on a simple premise: behind every role is a person. When leaders understand who they are, what matters to them and how they want to show up, organisations perform better.

My background spans elite sport and consultancy across sectors from heavy industry to finance and tech. The consistent pattern is that individuals with a strong sense of purpose are better equipped to navigate uncertainty. They don’t necessarily know more, but they act with clarity and belief. That’s what we develop through our retreats at Bleaklow Farm.

Q: Why do you use immersive retreats rather than traditional leadership training?

The work we do cannot be done in an hour session or a standard off-site meeting in a faceless hotel. Leaders need time and space to think, reflect and reconnect. Immersion creates that. It removes distraction and allows people to properly invest in themselves.

Q: What made Bleaklow Farm the right venue for your retreats?
My requirements for a venue to host the retreats were very specific. The venue had to be accessible but feel completely removed once you arrive. It needed to be high-spec to reflect the level of leaders attending. I work with groups of 8 – 10, plus a delivery team, so we needed a minimum of 14 en-suite rooms. There are very few venues that meet all of that. Bleaklow Farm does.

From the moment you arrive, the experience begins. The drive up to the property, the landscape, the sense of scale, it immediately shifts people out of a corporate mindset. That transition is critical because it creates the state needed for the work.

Q: How do you use the different spaces at Bleaklow Farm?
The barn is central. It’s flexible enough to move from movement-based sessions in the morning to structured group work. We can open it out, bring in embodiment coaching, then quickly reset into a circle for deeper discussion.

Breakout spaces across the property allow for smaller group work – the library, living areas, mezzanine. That variety matters because different environments unlock different conversations.

The kitchen is the anchor. It creates a “kitchen table” dynamic – informal, open, honest. That’s where a lot of meaningful connection happens.

We also use the landscape. Daily walks are built into the retreat. There are multiple routes, which allows us to structure time intentionally.

Q: How does the venue support the overall impact of your retreats?
The environment shapes behaviour. When people feel immersed – in the place, in the group, in the experience – they engage differently.

Bleaklow Farm enables that immersion. It removes the typical friction of hotels or corporate venues. There’s no sense of people watching the clock or looking for an exit. Instead, they are present. That presence is where the work happens.

Q. How does the venue work for different groups?
We run all-female, all male and mixed retreats. It’s important that every individual regardless of the retreat they are on, feels fully comfortable in the space. The layout of the accommodation – with the main house and annex – and the fact every room is ensuite, allows for privacy and psychological safety where needed.

Q. How does the Beyond Venues team support the experiences your deliver?
The venue is exceptional, but the team is equally important. Running a small consultancy delivering high-impact work comes with risk. Programmes change, cohorts shift. On one occasion, a retreat had to be cancelled at short notice. The way the team supported that situation, with flexibility and understanding, was significant. That level of partnership is rare. It creates trust. Because of that, Bleaklow Farm is not just a venue choice. It’s a long-term working relationship.

Q: What would you say to organisations considering Bleaklow Farm for corporate events?
The combination of environment, flexibility and support is difficult to replicate.

If the objective is to create meaningful change – not just deliver content – then the space you choose matters. Bleaklow Farm provides the conditions for that work to happen. There are very few places like it. Bleaklow isn’t a rarity in the East Midlands, it’s nationally!