Unleash Your Badassery
Give us six months, and we’ll give you the clarity, the courage, and the crew to get whatever you’re after.
What Are You After?
For High-Achieving Women Who Are After Something
Maybe it’s the next big title. Maybe it’s never needing one again.
Maybe it doesn't have a name yet.
Whatever mountain you’re climbing, our six-month Sherpa Program gives you everything it takes to reach the top: a real plan built around you, and real people who know your whole story climbing right alongside you. Six months from now, you’ll be miles up that mountain, with real results on the thing that matters most, the confidence to go even bigger, and a crew of women who won’t let you quit.
(And we have a ridiculous amount of fun doing it.)
Right Now, It Lives in Your Head
The idea, the pivot, the next big move. You turn it over at 3 AM and in the shower, and you’ve told maybe one person. You’re the one everyone calls for advice, and you’re not totally sure who you’d call. And you’ve walked out of a talk completely lit up, and then Monday showed up. None of that means you’re stuck; it means you’ve been climbing alone. Sherpa changes that, and a lot of it happens right out here.
First, a Route That’s Actually Yours
We start with what you’re after (even if it doesn’t have a name yet) and how you’re wired to go after it (hello, Kolbe), then map it into your Navigator: what to do, when, and in what order, sized to the hours you actually have, with one-on-one check-ins along the way. Every step is mapped out, so you always know your next move.
Then, Your Crew and the Adventures That Build It
Every month, you meet with your TRIBE, join a group coaching session (often with an expert guest), and get introduced to the women who can help with exactly where you are. And all along the way, there are live experiences: Days of Badassery and events where you try things like archery, poker, or building a fire. Doing something you weren’t sure you could, side-by-side with other women, builds a confidence that ripples into your career and your whole life, and it bonds you to each other fast.
And it's way more fun than another panel discussion.
"Project 1490 is the cool, bohemian sister of Chief. And the Chief sister is always like, ‘Oh 1490, when will you grow up!?’ But 1490 just smiles and goes back to her chainsaw ice sculpture, because not everyone is meant for Badassery, and that’s okay. To each her own."
Anna G.
Co-Founder
"In the few short months that I’ve been a member, I already feel super engaged and energized by the interactions!"
Anaid C.
"This was an incredible experience of being able to do things I have never done before and with women who were incredibly helpful to one another."
Lisa Z.
"I wish this existed a long time ago, but I'm so glad it does now."
Heather T.
"Feels like I made a whole new group of friends in an afternoon."
Colleen W.
Vice President
The Sherpa Program
Your Whole Climb, Mapped Out
Without a map, (or GPS!) we can get pretty lost. Sherpa gives you an expert step-by-step plan made for exactly what you’re after and a ride-or-die crew of real women around you, online and in person. You never climb alone, you never lose your footing, and you get where you’re going faster than you ever could on your own. Your own personal GPS.
Here's what's included:
Day One: Your Navigator
Your kickoff call and Kolbe Index become your expert step-by-step plan for the next six months, made for exactly what you’re after.
Every Week: The Monday Morning Sherpa
An email lands every Monday that lines up your week: exactly what moves you up the mountain, with the time you’ve got.
Every Month: Your TRIBE, Coaching, and an Introduction
You meet with your TRIBE, join a group coaching session with an expert, and get introduced to a woman who’s already been where you’re headed.
Anytime: The WhatsApp Community
It’s your way into a whole group of badass women who are after something too, where you can get support, ask questions, and celebrate your wins.
Twice in Six Months: Days of Badassery
Both are included. You spend a day outside learning something bold, shoulder to shoulder with other women, and then sit down to a long dinner together.
Month Three and Six: Your Checkpoints
We sit down one-on-one to see how far you’ve climbed, adjust the route, and decide what’s next.
Six Months From Now
The idea that used to turn over at 3 AM is out in the world now. You’ve got real wins behind you: the big job or the board seat you grabbed, the book you finished, your first client signed, the business or side hustle with its doors open.
You never had to guess at any of it. Your route was mapped, brilliant women handed you advice and introductions along the way, and all the energy you used to spend wondering whether, when, or how went straight into doing it, without blowing up the rest of your life.
And you carry yourself differently now, like a woman who knows she can do hard things, because she’s done them.
events
Project 1490 Events: We Fixed Networking
Forget stuffy rooms and name tags. When was the last time you did something for the first time? Get out of your routine, try something you weren’t sure you could pull off, and do it next to women doing the same. The connections stick because you actually did something together, not because you swapped cards.
Many events welcome women who aren’t in the community yet, so it’s an easy way to come see what we’re about. Community members get discounts on ticketed events, including two Days of Badassery free.
1490 Basecamp Office Hours
Tap into the Project 1490 community for whatever's on your plate.
Learn to DJ Night
On the Ones and Twos Member request!
Tequila Tasting & Poker Night
Let's raise a shot glass to the holidays and everything you've accomplished this year!
1490 Guide Talk: "Be Different, Not Better!"
Be Different, Not Better Learn the go-to brand strategy for standing out in a crowded market.
Why It Works
What Clarity, Courage, and a Crew Can Do
Clarity
Stop Spinning, Start Moving
No more guessing what to do next or wondering if you’re doing it right. Your route is built on what you’re after, what you’ve already done, and your Kolbe Index, which shows exactly how you’re wired to get things done. You also get a personal Kolbe analysis that women here call scarily accurate, so the plan fits the way you work and actually gets walked. And when life throws a curveball, we adjust the route together and you keep going.
In Her Words
“The Navigator is incredible! I was literally about to sit down this morning and plan everything out after the retreat, and it’s already done for me.”
— Jennifer C.
Courage
The Badass Skills Nobody Taught Us
Chop wood, play poker, learn self-defense, fly the trapeze, build a shelter, throw a lasso. Our Days of Badassery are ridiculously fun, and they’re built that way on purpose: you remember what you’re capable of and come home with proof you can feel. It travels into the boardroom, the pitch, and the tough conversation. And when you’re doing something hard next to other women, the titles fall away, the real stuff comes out, and the friendships stick.
In Her Words
“It was humbling and, honestly, freeing to be a beginner again.”
— Heather L.
Crew
Your TRIBE
Picture a handful of sharp, accomplished women who know your whole situation, so their advice is never generic. They challenge your thinking, hold you to what you said you’d do, and celebrate the wins nobody else quite gets.
That’s your TRIBE: four to six women, matched by where you actually are, who stay in your corner for the whole climb.
In Her Words
“It also led me to my Tribe: three other women who function like a personal board of directors. We listen, support, and push each other.”
— Evgeniia G.
And the Full-Meal Deal
Epic Retreats
A few days in nature with bold outdoor firsts and roll-up-your-sleeves workshops where you finally put the thing you’ve been circling on the table. You come in with a question and drive home with a plan and a whole crew who has your back. (And if you want to keep climbing after, that’s exactly what Sherpa is for.)
Our fall 2026 retreat: archery, wilderness skills, poker by the fire, and three days of workshops built around what each woman was after.
2027 dates coming soon.
In Her Words
“I did not expect to come out of the retreat with a totally new and exciting business (ad)venture.”
— Lizzie B.
Our Members
Hear it From the Women of 1490
Hear what the Project 1490 experience is all about from the women who've been there, done it.
Real Women, Real Moves
Does It Actually Work?
The women of Project 1490 have started LLCs, negotiated severance, traded jobs they hated for ones they love, published books, and built second acts. And so much more.
They began right where you are, with a feeling they were on the cusp of something, and now it’s out there in the world with their name on it, and they’re living the life they love.
FAQs
Good Questions
If you’re after something, there’s a good chance it is. The room is full of your peers: women with at least ten years in their careers, from directors, VPs, and C-suite leaders to founders, fractional execs, and entrepreneurs, all of them going after what’s next. It’s probably not the right fit if you’re early in your career, looking for a spa weekend, or here to find clients.
We’re not here to convince anyone. The call is where we find out together whether this is a fit for you. And if we don’t think Sherpa can help get you where you want to go, we’ll tell you straight.
It’s built for full calendars. Your plan is sized to the hours you actually have, your TRIBE meets once a month, and you pick the events that fit. And honestly, can you afford another two years of tossing and turning over the thing you want? Sherpa gets you there way faster than you’d get there on your own.
Think of it as putting your own oxygen mask on first. Your family, your kids, your team, and everyone else counting on you are better off when you’re fulfilled and going after what you really want.
Most programs hand you a plan and leave you on your own with it, and most communities give you connections without a plan. Sherpa gives you both: a personal route mapped to exactly what you’re after, a crew that knows your goal and holds you to it, and experiences that build the nerve to go get it. And if you already have a coach or another group you love, keep them. Lots of our members do.
It’s a six-month program, and we’d rather hear what you’re after before we talk numbers, so we walk through it on the call. (If you join by December 31, there’s a launch rate, and I’ll tell you all about it.)
Many women come in with a feeling more than a goal: a sense that there’s more, or that something’s around the corner and they just can’t see it yet. We help you shake things loose and get clear. Clarity is a peak worth climbing all on its own, so don’t let not being able to name it stop you. That’s exactly what we’re here for.
Plenty of our members would say the same thing. Some of our favorite skills happen under the hood of a car or around a poker table, and nobody’s grading your fire. We’re adventurous, not extreme, and the point is never the activity. It’s who you become doing it.
Not the kind you’re thinking of. Connections are one piece of what makes Sherpa work, right alongside your plan, your TRIBE, the coaching, and the adventures. Nobody’s collecting contacts here. Every introduction is made on purpose, to a woman who can actually help with what you’re after, and the real friendships come from doing bold, new things side by side.
More than you’d think. When you do something you weren’t sure you could, like hitting the target for the first time, your brain files it away as proof that you can figure out hard things. Psychologists have found that this kind of firsthand win builds confidence better than any pep talk or podcast, and it shows up everywhere, from the next big ask at work to the decision you’ve been putting off at home. It does something for friendships too. Research shows that people who take on a challenge together bond faster and have each other’s backs more, which is why the women here get close in months instead of years.
In Her Words
“Sarah, this shit works!”
— Barbara M.
A Note From Sarah
Hi, I’m Sarah.
I started my career at Fortune, climbed fast, and then took a hard right turn. I left New York for Montana and spent seven years learning to bow hunt, herd cattle, and build my own house. Then I came back and spent a couple of decades in leadership at places like The Wall Street Journal, and ended up as a Chief Revenue Officer. And honestly, a lot of the confidence I used to climb that ladder? I got it out in Montana.
The idea for Project 1490 knocked around my head for about twenty years before I finally jumped. I wanted other successful women to get what Montana gave me, without the seven years. (Or the cattle.)
It has very little to do with me, though. The women make it work; I mostly build the room and get out of the way. What I kept seeing was women leaving a retreat completely lit up, and then real life showing up. So we built the Sherpa Program, the part that keeps going after the weekend ends, so you can go faster than I did.
And if you’re anything like me, the minute you think about saying yes, the doubts creep in. Will I actually follow through? Is this the right time? Is this my crew?
That’s why we first have a call. It commits you to nothing, and you’ll know a lot more. You’ll know if it’s a fit before we hang up.
And we have a vested interest in making sure we can help everyone who comes into this program. So if there’s not a fit, we’ll say it straight.
If you’re after something, I’d love to hear what it is.
We ride at dawn,
Sarah