Three Thresholds. One Circle.
We have never had so much access to information, people & possibilities. And perhaps never had so little time to sit together and talk about any of it.
Work occupies our days. Expectations shape our decisions. We move between responsibilities, ambitions & endless business of being busy.
Perma Circle is a deliberate interruption.
Ten gatherings. Six to eight people from different walks of life. Conversations that rarely fit into everyday schedules. Beginning online and ending together on the island of Serifos.
No shared conclusions required.
Cycle I brings together six to eight people from different walks of life to explore the beliefs, choices and experiences that shape the way we live.
We all carry assumptions about who we are, what success looks like and what is possible for us. Some serve us well. Others may quietly limit the directions we consider.
Over ten gatherings, we begin by examining these familiar narratives. Through reflection, different perspectives and collective thinking, we create room to question what we have long taken for granted.
From there, the conversation moves towards clarity. What do we want to pursue? Which ambitions are genuinely our own? What might we choose differently?
And finally, towards action. Because understanding ourselves is valuable, but so is deciding what to do with that understanding.
The experience draws on coaching, positive psychology and the collective intelligence of the group. It is not a lecture or a conventional training programme. Each participant brings their own questions, experiences and perspectives.
The journey begins online and concludes with five days together at Perma Serifos, where conversations continue and participants have space to develop their own next steps.
Each threshold offers a different perspective on how we understand ourselves, make choices and shape what comes next.
NARRATIVES
On the stories that hold us back, and the ones that carry us forward.
We all carry stories about who we are, what we deserve and what is possible for us.
Some emerge from experience. Others are inherited from family, culture, relationships and the expectations of the world around us.
Over time, these beliefs can become so familiar that we stop questioning them.
Where did they come from? Are they still relevant? And how might they be influencing the choices we make?
Through reflection and different perspectives, we examine the narratives that shape our understanding of ourselves, including those that may be limiting what we believe is possible.
CLARITY
On what we actually want, and the values beneath it.
Once we begin questioning familiar assumptions, new perspectives can emerge.
What do we genuinely want? Which ambitions reflect our own values, and which have been shaped by the expectations of others?
Clarity does not necessarily mean having all the answers. Sometimes it begins with asking different questions.
We explore priorities, values, strengths and the role of purpose in giving direction to our choices.
Not to arrive at one definition of success, but to develop a clearer understanding of what each of us wants to move towards.
LEAD
On choices, responsibility and the courage to act.
Understanding ourselves is one thing. Deciding what to do with that understanding is another.
Leadership begins with the responsibility we take for our own decisions, long before it extends to the people and organisations around us.
How do we translate our intentions into action? What holds us back? How do we navigate uncertainty, competing priorities and the demands of everyday life?
We explore decision-making, personal responsibility, resilience and the relationship between intention and action.
Drawing on the conversations and reflections of the previous gatherings, participants develop a personal action plan – a practical starting point for what comes next.
Cycle I welcomes people from different professional and personal backgrounds.
Founders, business owners, professionals, and people in or approaching a transition. Anyone who feels stuck, or keeps circling a decision they have been postponing.
You might be reconsidering your career, sensing that a chapter is ending, or simply ready to decide what comes next.
You do not need to have the answer. You do need curiosity, an openness to different perspectives and a willingness to turn reflection into action.
The diversity of the group is intentional. Different experiences make for more interesting discussions, and sharper next steps.
Ten conversations. One continuing circle.
Perma Circle is designed to unfold over time.
Meeting every two weeks gives conversations room to develop beyond the session itself. An idea may stay with you. A question may become more interesting. Something discussed at one gathering may return unexpectedly at the next.
THE EXPERIENCE BRINGS TOGETHER:
- 10 live online sessions — biweekly gatherings lasting approximately 1.5–2 hours.
- 6–8 participants — a small group with space for different voices and perspectives.
- Guided reflection — selected exercises and material to accompany the conversations.
- Guest facilitators — selected contributors bringing additional perspectives and expertise.
- A closing retreat at Perma Serifos — five days
GUIDED BY MICHALIS MANASSAKIS
Founder of Perma Serifos & EMCC Senior Practitioner
Michalis spent twenty years in international shipping, leading teams and offices across highly competitive environments in London and Greece. His professional life involved high-stakes decisions, international teams, demanding schedules and constant uncertainty.
Alongside his career, he developed an interest in the relationship between performance, leadership and wellbeing. With a background in mechanical engineering, an MBA and an MSC in Positive Psychology of Coaching, he combines practical leadership experience with academic study in coaching and positive psychology.
He is an EMCC-accredited Senior Practitioner. He later founded Perma Serifos, bringing his interest in architecture, wellbeing and human connection into a physical space. Perma Circle brings together these different parts of his experience.
His role is to guide the conversations, introduce different perspectives and create an environment in which people can speak openly, listen carefully and learn from one another.
From the screen to Serifos.
After months of meeting online, the circle comes together in person. The journey concludes with a five-day, four-night retreat at Perma Serifos. Away from daily schedules and familiar surroundings, the group continues its conversations through guided sessions, movement, shared meals and experiences connected to the island.
7–11 May 2027
Perma Serifos, Greece. Five days, four nights.
The detailed retreat programme will be presented separately.
Before Cycle I, a small group came together for an early version of this circle. Their reflections, below.
THE INVESTMENT
CYCLE: I · 2026–27
€2,500 per person
INCLUDED
– Ten live online sessions
– Four-night stay at Perma Serifos
– All organised retreat activities
– Two daily meals during the retreat
– Transport for activities
– Serifos port transfers on arrival and departure
NOT INCLUDED
Flights and ferry tickets, visa and entry fees where applicable, personal expenses, travel insurance, independent travel costs and accommodation outside the retreat dates.
THE DETAILS
– CYCLE: I · 2026–27.
– Online sessions begin: December 7, 2026.
– Frequency: Every two weeks
– Session duration: 1.5–2 hours.
– Time: Afternoon/Evening, confirmed with the group.
– Participants: 6–8.
– Closing retreat: 7–11 May 2027.
– Applications close: November 30, 2026.
The exact online meeting schedule will be confirmed once the group is formed, taking participants’ time zones into consideration.
CYCLE: I / APPLICATIONS OPEN
– Join the conversation.
– Ten gatherings. Six to eight people. Three subjects that rarely receive the time they deserve.
– Online from December 2026. Together in Serifos in May 2027.
Following your application, you’ll be invited to schedule a short introductory conversation with Michalis. Participation is confirmed following this conversation.
