On the latest episode of Keep Going, I spoke with Neil Markey, CEO of Beckley Retreats, about how he went from combat deployments and corporate burnout to guiding people through psilocybin retreats in Jamaica and the Netherlands.

Carrying Forward Amanda Feilding’s Legacy

Beckley Retreats is the living continuation of Amanda Feilding’s work. For decades, Feilding ran the Beckley Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to psychedelic research and drug policy reform. She’s been called the hidden hand of the psychedelic renaissance — lobbying governments, funding research, and pushing for policy change long before the mainstream was ready.

When she passed away in May at the age of 82, her family and collaborators, including Markey, stepped forward to carry her vision into practice. Beckley Retreats is that next step: creating safe, structured programs to bring psychedelic experiences to more people.

From War to Burnout to a Different Path

Neil’s path to Beckley is not what you’d expect. He joined the military after September 11, serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. After leaving the service, he pursued graduate degrees in business and international affairs, then went into the corporate world. On paper, it looked like success. In reality, it felt like collapse.

Sleepless nights, short temper, alcohol creeping into the routine, relationships fraying — the same symptoms that haunted him after combat were back in boardrooms. Twice in his life, Neil found himself on the edge, burned out and discontent.

What changed? He stepped away. He pared down expenses, saved enough to create breathing room, and allowed himself to sit in stillness. That space made it possible to find new direction.

Building Retreats with Structure and Care

At Beckley, the retreats are designed as full programs rather than isolated experiences. Guests go through digital preparation first: meditation, breathwork, yoga, nutrition, and group connection. Then comes the five-night retreat in Jamaica or the Netherlands, where participants take part in two guided psilocybin sessions, held in nature with live music and careful facilitation.

Afterward, integration lasts six weeks. This is where real change can take root. With the brain and body in a neuroplastic state, new habits — daily meditation, mindful eating, deeper self-care — have a chance to stick.

The results Neil has witnessed are striking. Guests report more gratitude in daily life, more patience in relationships, clarity about decisions, and sometimes even a quiet end to habits like drinking. One story stuck with him: a fellow veteran whose young son had always chosen his mother for comfort suddenly began coming to him at night after the retreat. Something shifted, not just in him, but in the way his family felt him.

Choosing Work That Matters

Neil laughs when he admits he’s back in an intense role — running retreats is far from easy. But this time, the effort feeds him. The work aligns with his values. As he told me, it isn’t about escaping hard work, it’s about finding work worth doing.

That’s the heart of Beckley Retreats: creating space, breaking cycles of burnout, and offering people the tools to reset their lives. And it’s fascinating to meet the guy who is helming it all.