Each year, the Odyssey team hits pause on the usual day-to-day to step back, zoom out, and come together face-to-face in a new city. This year? We traded spreadsheets for sunshine and headed out west to San Diego, California, and let’s just say: we didn’t hate the view.

With nine of us (plus a few honorary tagalongs) in town, we made The Guide Hotel our home base. An upscale downtown spot with a little old-school charm. It was the perfect backdrop for our annual retreat. Between conference room sessions and carne asada tacos, we made space to connect, reflect, and chart a course for where we’re headed next.

Big Ideas, Breakout Sessions, and a Peek Ahead

At the core of every offsite is a simple goal: carve out space to grow. This year’s sessions were filled with conversation around what’s next for our clients, our services, and our team. Some standout themes:

• A smarter, more helpful website: Think AI tools that guide visitors, calculators to personalize insights, and a smoother experience from click to close.
• Expanding retirement and Cash Balance plan offerings: Especially for our financial advisor/TPA partners looking for a white-label solution.
• OPEB trend insights: Municipal funding practices are shifting, and our Massachusetts clients are showing up strong.
• Bolder marketing: We’re eyeing new regions, refining outreach, and tailoring campaigns to match local needs.

We also geeked out (a little) over the latest AI, our Salesforce/MCAE wishlists, and ways to better support our clients when plans don’t go… well, to plan. (Stay tuned for an Ask an Actuary video on what to do when you can’t make your CB plan contribution. We’ve got your back!)

Our favorite takeaway? A reminder that the best actuaries aren’t just good at math, they’re great at seeing the big picture.

Things We Learned Along the Way

Let’s be honest: not everything we took away from this offsite came from the conference room.

1. We’re not the best at bowling (I think the kids beat most of us).
2. AI might be one of our new favorite coworkers.
3. Gluten-free pasta at Barbusa in Little Italy = worth the hype.
4. Connecting dots > perfecting them.

Work Hard. Play Hard(ish).

Of course, it wouldn’t be an Odyssey offsite without some time to unwind and explore! We wrapped up conference day with dinner in Little Italy at Barbusa. The gluten-free folks among us rejoiced over the perfectly al-dente pasta (some even had to double-check it was actually gluten-free). The following day, we headed to Punch Bowl Social to close out the offsite with bowlign, cornhole, and arcade games. I think it’s safe to say that we had enough friendly competition to last us until next year.

Let’s just say we’ll stick to OPEB plans over pro bowling!

Until Next Year…

Whether you’re a client, partner, a friend, or someone just checking us out, thank you for being part of the Odyssey journey!

Trips like these remind us that great work comes from great connections. From the beach to the boardroom, we left San Diego with fresh ideas, stronger bonds, and a few sore arms.

Here’s to another year of helping our clients make informed financial decisions and maybe learning to bowl a little straighter along the way!

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