Mugs and coaster for HVWIB event in Hudson Valley, NY

Recalibrate and Connect at HVWiB Free Women’s Wellness Retreat

By Inside+Out | February 28, 2026

Kati Haynes has traversed a “colorful” professional landscape. This, and her journey back to her Lakota roots, led her to arrive at a singular mission: sustainable, honest marketing for small business owners. For Kati, the Hudson Valley isn’t just a place to live—it’s the foundation for a career built on the power of intentional kinship, a value she continues to foster in her role as Board President of Hudson Valley Women in Business (HVWiB).

In this interview, we chat with Kati, founder of Haynes Marketing + Media, and learn more about her upcoming free Wellness Retreat hosted by Hudson Valley Women in Business (HVWiB). The event is designed as a profound “recalibration” for female-identifying leaders who often serve as the backbone of their families and communities. Moving beyond the standard networking format, this full-day retreat focuses on the “whole person,” not just the career professional. Read more about this upcoming March 7th event, how to register, and get to know a little more about Kati Haynes.

Event graphic for HVWIB + Haynes Marketing + Media Wellness Retreat March 7, 2026 in Rhinebeck, NY.

INSIDE+OUT: Where are you originally from, and how did you wind up in the Hudson Valley?

Kati Haynes: I grew up in New Paltz! Moved away a couple of times: to Florida and Portland, OR. As Dorothy says, “There’s no place like home.” Family is here, friends are here, and community is here. And that means a lot to me.

You have a Wellness Retreat coming up in March in partnership with HVWiB (Hudson Valley Women in Business). Tell us more.

Kati Haynes: It’s a full-day Wellness Retreat intentionally designed to support women as whole people, not just as professionals. We will talk about leadership and business growth, but we are also talking about health, balance, boundaries, and the realities female-identifying individuals are navigating right now. It’s a space for recalibration and connection. Many of us are leading teams, all while supporting families and communities. We are often the ones holding it all together and not giving ourselves the space we need. Creating a space where women can gather, strengthen themselves and support one another is so needed right now.

As I’ve been reconnecting with my Lakota roots, one teaching that has stayed with me is this: when women gather, it’s intentional. It’s protective. It’s how strength moves forward. We use the word tióšpaye for extended family, a kinship network grounded in belonging and responsibility.

That’s the spirit behind this retreat. It’s not just networking. It’s women joining with intention. Sharing knowledge, telling the truth, and lifting each other up. And, from my perspective, that’s really what HVWiB stands for. Our motto, “Doing Business Differently,” means community first. Collaboration over competition. Because when women are supported, entire communities benefit.

My hope is that everyone leaves feeling less alone and reminded that they don’t need to build their lives or businesses in isolation. When women gather with intention, strength moves forward. As Board President for HVWiB, I am so proud to be part of this event, grateful for those who have joined as speakers, sponsors, and especially the volunteers on our committee and board who are making this happen.

How does someone sign up for the retreat?

Kati Haynes: Visit our website! The retreat is free to attend, but you have to RSVP.

What inspired you to pursue a career in Marketing and start your own Media business? What was your journey?

Kati Haynes: I have a colorful career history – from the Army to healthcare as a Surgical Tech, then to Logistics and Marketing for a Specialty Wholesale Food Distributor, all of which led me to Marketing Director for the New Paltz Chamber of Commerce. A job I absolutely loved, and while I was there, I saw a gap in the marketing industry locally. Small business owners were offered expensive, rigid contracts they couldn’t sustain, so they had to become a graphic designer, social media manager, website designer… on top of everything else as a business owner.

So, in 2019, I quit my job and began my business, Haynes Marketing + Media, with the small-business owner in mind. Offering valuable services – sustainably. Transparent, honest, and thoughtfully curated for each business.

Say more about Hudson Valley Women in Business. How are you involved and what do local business leaders need to know about HVWiB?

Kati Haynes: HVWiB is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting women who are building and leading across the Hudson Valley. We provide education, connection, and real collaboration.

I serve as Board President. My role is stewardship: protecting the mission, strengthening the structure, and making sure we grow with integrity.

We don’t just say collaboration over competition. We practice it. We live it. And that mindset has a real economic impact. When women succeed, businesses grow. Families stabilize. Communities strengthen.

Local leaders should see HVWiB as a force multiplier for the region.

Business leaders gathering at a past HVWiB retreat in theHudson Valley, NY.

Our motto, “Doing Business Differently,” means community first. Collaboration over competition. Because when women are supported, entire communities benefit.

What makes living in the Hudson Valley special for you?

Kati Haynes: Living in the Hudson Valley is personal for me. I grew up here, right in New Paltz. It’s always been home. There’s something about being here that feels comfortable, familiar, rooted. It shaped who I am before I understood it. At the same time, I’ve always felt a pull West to reconnect with my Lakota roots in South Dakota, to an area that I didn’t grow up in but have been intentionally reconnecting with. It’s beautiful, complex, and meaningful.

The HV is where I live, but home isn’t just a singular place. The Hudson Valley gives me stability and opportunity. My Lakota lineage gives me responsibility and perspective. In many ways, the work I do with HVWiB, building community and holding space, is where those two meet.

What impact does your business have on your community?

Kati Haynes: Impact for me is tied to service. Through my business, Haynes Marketing + Media, I help small businesses and nonprofits so they can keep serving their community.

Through HVWiB, we strengthen female-identifying leaders and that ripple effect extends into the regional economy.

And personally, a portion of my company’s profits goes back to nonprofit organizations supporting the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in South Dakota. Because I believe that success should circulate, not accumulate.

What local businesses do you rely on to be successful?

Kati Haynes: Where to begin… I work with local venues, small businesses that I collaborate with on projects, print shops, website developers, graphic designers, bookkeepers, … etc. etc. Small businesses thrive in collaboration. You cannot build alone and my business depends on the strength of others and I’m intentional about keeping that ecosystem alive.

Who or what inspires you personally?

Kati Haynes: Mountains. Hiking. Nature. There’s something special about hiking – the steadiness, the peace and quiet, the teamwork and group effort, and earning that view… then turning around and humbly returning back to where you started.

And I think about that a lot in business and leadership. Strength isn’t loud, it’s steady and built one step at a time.

I’m inspired by women who keep striving for more – climbing, building businesses, raising families, holding communities together. The path isn’t easy, and that endurance is so powerful.
And honestly, when I feel overwhelmed, drained, and at my limit – I hit the trail.