The tears came without warning on the second day of Jackie B. Grice’s Soul Sabbatical ReFresHer Retreat.
One moment, the group of more than 30 Black women of all ages was preparing for meditation in a sun-drenched corner room at Salamander Resort and Spa in Middleburg, Virginia, one of the few Black-owned luxury resorts in the country. The next moment, Tiffanie Roberts, the spiritual leader guiding women through prayer, cracked something inside each woman in the room.
Eyes glistened, and shoulders softened as women finally let go of the weight of their expectations. These tears weren’t a reflection of a somber gathering, because moments later the room was filled with joy and laughter, and dancing to Alicia Keys’s “This Girl Is On Fire.”
These moments are everything Grice wanted for her rest retreat.
From age and careers to relationships, these 30+ women represented different seasons of life. But for one weekend, they all desired the same thing: permission. Permission to rest, pray, and sit in stillness. The permission to talk openly and honestly about money, purpose, the lives they built, and the lives they still envisioned.
“Women carry so much, and we never release it,” Grice, founder of Launching Deeper Enterprises, told Travel Noire. “This space is where women can release their titles and who people call them.”
Inside The Soul Sabbatical: The Restful Retreat For Black Women
2026 marked Grice’s third annual Soul Sabbatical ReFresHer Retreat. This year marked a special retreat, held at the Salamander Resort and Spa.
Owned by Sheila Johnson, the first African American woman to become a billionaire. The resort served as a reminder that there is no ceiling on what they want in life. Situated in the rolling hills of Virginia’s horse country, the resort features equestrian stables that embody freedom and refined elegance, offering a sense of meaning. Black women were resting, healing, and dreaming in a space built and owned by someone who looks just like them.
Most people know Grice as a successful CEO. She’s the founder of J Diamond Inc., dba Agape Travel and Tours, and has built a multimillion-dollar transportation company. However, the origin of her Soul Sabbatical Retreat is rooted in an unexpected moment of stillness.
When COVID-19 hit and revenue vanished overnight, Grice was struggling personally and professionally. The bills piled up, leaving her with just enough money to cover customer refunds from trip cancellations. Praying for a breakthrough, she asked her pastor for guidance. He told her to spend two days in complete silence and listen for God’s direction.
Grice embraced the challenge and received clarity that changed her purpose. That experience of intentional silence became the spiritual DNA of everything she would build through Launching Deeper Enterprises. As a leadership coach, Grice is empowering people to unlock their potential and realize their purpose through bold steps and faith.
“I often found retreats full of meditation or go away on a girls’ trip, but nothing where I could be 100% vulnerable,” said Grice. “The Soul Sabbatical is for those seeking clarity and confidence in what they’re called to do in life.”
What A Weekend At The Soul Sabbatical Looks Like
The retreat’s programming is as much about feeling as it is about doing. The days at the retreat are filled with guided prayer, journaling, and meditation, allowing women to reflect without an agenda. Free time allowed attendees to wander to the horse stables on the property, nap without guilt, and simply be. But some of the retreat’s most powerful moments happened in conversation.
The elders who had already navigated the detours, doubts, and reinventions sat with younger women to discuss marriage, purpose, and the things nobody tells you until it’s almost too late. Those conversations during a pajama welcome party made the trip worth it on their own, attendees told Travel Noire.
Workshops on financial wellness gave women a rare and honest look at building wealth with intention. And woven throughout it all was the reminder that rest itself is productive because clarity doesn’t always come from doing more, but from finally doing less.
Why This Moment, Why Black Women
Research consistently shows that Black women in the United States experience disproportionately high levels of chronic stress and poor sleep quality. Simply put: Black women are among the most stressed and least rested. This disparity is driven by societal, economic, and race-related stressors often exacerbated by the cultural expectation to embody strength at all costs.
Victoria Francois, MPH and Doctor of Public Health Candidate at Penn State College of Medicine, describes this phenomenon as the Superwoman Schema, a framework that details how Black women are socialized to suppress emotions, avoid vulnerability, and prioritize others at their own expense.
For Black women, choosing rest is more than a luxury. It’s a radical act of resistance that disrupts the historical pressure to produce, endure, and serve.
Grice created the Soul Sabbatical to be that disruption.
Leaving The Soul Sabbatical Different
On the last day, it was clear that the atmosphere had visibly shifted. Women looked brighter and lighter, and many conversations were about leaving with a calmer mind and a clearer sense of direction. That’s probably why Grice already has a waiting list for 2027.
Grice hopes that, in the next decade, Launching Deeper will expand to include a men’s retreat. But for now, her focus remains on creating the space she once desperately needed herself.
“If you’re really looking for transformation, that’s what this retreat brings,” she said. “I’m just the conduit for putting this together. This is all God.”
