Travis Stoliker, an entrepreneur with ventures spanning technology, restaurants, and publishing, participated in the Edward Lowe Foundation's Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) retreat in 2022 at Big Rock Valley — a 2,000-acre learning campus in southwest Michigan. The feature, published December 12, 2024, profiles how the three-day program provided Stoliker with crucial time for reflection during one of the most difficult periods of his life.
Stoliker arrived at the retreat having experienced the unexpected deaths of three close friends in quick succession, combined with professional uncertainty about his future role at Saddleback BBQ. During three days of hiking and solitude, he made extensive use of a rocking chair in Ed Lowe's historic cabin, processing his grief and mapping out his next steps on a nearby whiteboard.
"It was the first time I had deliberately disconnected from all electronic distractions for three full days," Stoliker is quoted as saying. The solitude helped him recognize that he was no longer getting satisfaction from the restaurant industry and needed to make a change.
The two lists Stoliker created on that whiteboard — things to stop doing and things to start doing — became the foundation of his "Year of the Opposite" philosophy, which he later turned into a newsletter, podcast, and personal transformation journey that included losing 62 pounds, running 1,000 miles annually, and reversing multiple medical conditions.
Beyond the initial retreat, Stoliker participated in the foundation's PeerSpectives roundtable programs in both virtual and in-person formats. He describes the peer learning opportunities as ending his sense of professional isolation — a feeling common among entrepreneurs who lack peers who understand the unique pressures of business ownership. He calls the Edward Lowe Foundation "a unique experience that goes beyond typical business programs."