In this episode, I sit down with Romi Alexandra—learning experience designer, facilitator, and advocate for participant-centered education—to explore what it takes to create truly transformational learning experiences. Romi shares her approach to intentional design, emphasizing the importance of emotional engagement, experiential learning, and music as a tool to deepen connection and retention.We unpack how debriefing, cultural sensitivity, and reflection anchor learning, and how facilitators can craft environments that center the participant’s lived experience. Romi also shares best practices for designing workshops that don’t just inform, but transform, with practical advice on balancing client needs, fostering accountability, and igniting curiosity through thoughtful questioning.📌 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀:00:00 – Creating Transformational Learning Experiences02:50 – The Role of Facilitation in Learning06:08 – Experiential Learning and Emotional Engagement09:00 – The Power of Music in Learning12:04 – Debriefing and Reflection in Learning14:55 – Asking Questions to Enhance Learning18:00 – Emotional States and Learning Design21:05 – Participant-Centered Learning23:53 – Transformative Learning through Experience27:07 – Connecting Emotions to Learning Outcomes31:09 – Participant-Centered Design Approach32:31 – Balancing Client Needs and Design Constraints33:48 – The Importance of Experiential Learning35:30 – Navigating Client Expectations and Participant Needs37:17 – The Role of Novelty in Learning Experiences40:08 – Designing Peak Moments in Workshops43:10 – Ensuring Post-Workshop Accountability49:05 – Cultural Sensitivity in Facilitation53:38 – Best Practices for Facilitators✨ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗹𝗹 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻: • How to design workshops that prioritize transformation over information • Why emotional engagement and reflection are essential to retention • The power of music and novelty in learning environments • Why asking questions first unlocks deeper learning • How to balance client demands with human-centered design • The importance of post-workshop accountability and action • Strategies to honor lived experiences and foster meaningful connection🛠️ 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀:👉 Romy's Website: https://bento.me/romyalexandra 👉 Learning Experience Design training : https://experientiallearninginstitute.org/experiential-learning-trainer/🗣️ 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝘁:I’m a workshop facilitator and designer working with NGOs, startups, and global brands to make collaboration more creative and productive. From strategy sprints to big-team events, I bring energy, clarity, and a touch of unexpected magic to every session.📬 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱:Subscribe to my newsletter: https://facilitatorscorner.substack.comFollow Romy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/romy-alexandra/Follow me on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/49clGjh👍𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲, 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 & 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲!Enjoyed the conversation? Hit like, leave a comment with your thoughts or takeaways, and don’t forget to subscribe for more on workshops, creativity, and the future of facilitation.

In this episode, I share what it was really like to run a workshop with 150 people. I talk about how I prepared, what worked (and what didn’t), and what I learned from the experience. I walk you through some of the creative activities I used to get people talking and working together, along with the behind-the-scenes challenges—like handling logistics and keeping the energy up in a big group.

It’s an honest look at what it takes to lead a large-scale workshop and make it meaningful for everyone involved.

I broke down the full workshop design process in my newsletter, have a look if you’re curious :

👉 https://bit.ly/3RNkts5

Takeaways 🍗

• The workshop was designed as a total event, not just a session.
• Logistics were the biggest challenge due to the size of the group.
• Setting clear goals is essential for successful transformation.
• Engaging activities are crucial to maintain participant energy.
• The creative video challenge fostered collaboration and innovation.
• Facilitators need to be prepared for resistance to creative activities.
• Everyone has the potential to be creative; it's a skill that can be developed.
• Providing tools and guidance can enhance creativity in participants.
• Feedback from participants highlighted the fun and engaging nature of the workshop.
• Preparation and understanding client expectations are key to success.

🎬 Chapters

00:00 – Introduction to the Workshop Experience

06:10 – Designing the Event Structure

12:12 – The Creative Video Challenge

18:01 – Facilitating Creativity and Engagement

23:48 – Feedback and Reflections on the Workshop

Get in touch ✌️

https://bit.ly/49clGjh

In this episode, I sit down with Alexandre Eisenchteter, former 3M process engineer turned expert facilitator and founder of Stormz, a collaborative brainstorming platform. We dive into the journey of building Stormz, the art and science of facilitation, and how AI is transforming the way we design and run workshops.

From the principles of diverging and converging to the role of facilitators as creative catalysts, Alexandre shares a wealth of insights drawn from years of hands-on experience. We also explore the evolution of Stormz from software to a full-fledged service, and how COVID-19 pushed innovation in remote collaboration tools.

Plus, we get into the real talk—what works in brainstorming, what doesn’t (looking at you, dot voting), and how to balance AI with human connection to keep workshops impactful, not robotic.

📌 Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction to Alexandre Eisenchteter

01:49 – The Journey from Process Engineer to Facilitator

05:02 – Understanding Diverge and Converge in Problem Solving

08:10 – The Role of the Facilitator in Brainstorming

11:48 – Techniques for Effective Brainstorming

14:47 – Adapting Techniques for Different Audiences

17:46 – The Evolution of Stormz: From Idea to Reality

24:11 – Challenges and Successes in Launching Stormz

29:49 – The Future of Facilitation and Collaboration Tools

35:48 – The Evolution of a Facilitation Agency

39:36 – Transitioning from Workshops to AI Integration

41:50 – The Impact of COVID-19 on Remote Collaboration

44:02 – Redesigning Storms: A New Era for SaaS

47:48 – Innovative Strategies for Idea Generation

50:13 – Leveraging AI in Workshops: Best Practices

54:28 – Balancing Technology and Human Interaction

01:00:24 – The Future of Facilitation: AI Tinkerers Club

01:05:17 – Managing Expectations with AI in Workshops

01:09:19 – The Challenge of Time Constraints in Workshops

01:10:23 – Understanding Methodology and Its Misapplication

01:11:48 – The Importance of Time in Workshops

01:13:43 – Strategies for Effective Workshop Management

01:16:31 – Managing Client Expectations

01:19:08 – The Soufflé Effect: Workshop Enthusiasm vs. Reality

01:21:46 – Rethinking Dot Voting in Workshops

01:30:23 – Integrating AI into Facilitation

01:39:34 – AI as a Tool in the Facilitator’s Toolbox

✨ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗹𝗹 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻:

• The facilitator’s role in creative problem-solving

• Why “diverge and converge” matters in group work

• How to adapt techniques to your audience

• Practical workshop tips, including when not to use dot voting

• How to integrate AI thoughtfully in facilitation

• The challenge of time constraints—and how to push back

• Why managing expectations is key to workshop success

🛠️ 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀:

👉 Stormz – Collaborative Workshop Tool : https://about.stormz.me/

👉 AI Tinkerers Club : https://join.ai-tinkerers.club/ ai-tinkerers.cards

👉 AI Tinkerers Cards : https://ai-tinkerers.cards

🗣️ 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝘁:I’m a workshop facilitator and designer working with NGOs, startups, and global brands to make collaboration more creative and productive. From strategy sprints to big-team events, I bring energy, clarity, and a touch of unexpected magic to every session.

📬 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱:Subscribe to my newsletter: https://facilitatorscorner.substack.comFollow Alex on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eisenchteter/Follow me on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/49clGjh

In this episode, I share my thoughts on Foundation Sprints, a new workshop format created by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky. I was lucky enough to take part in the first public training, and I’m excited to share what I learned.

This sprint is all about building a solid foundation before jumping into execution. I walk through the key steps: identifying your target audience, defining the core problem, exploring your advantages, analyzing competitors, and finding what makes you stand out.

I also do a deep dive into one decision-making activity from the sprint that I think every facilitator should have in their toolkit.

If you’re looking for a simple, effective way to design better workshops, this episode is full of tips and ideas you can start using right away.

https://facilitatorscorner.substack.com/p/my-hot-take-on-the-foundation-sprint

📌 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀:
00:00 – Introduction to Foundation Sprints

01:00 – Understanding the Foundation Sprint

02:31 – Key Takeaways from the Training

04:59 – The Importance of Alignment and Prioritization

07:22 – Analyzing Competition and Differentiation

09:13 – The Magic Lens Decision-Making Tool

14:45 – Conclusion and Final Thoughts

✨ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗹𝗹 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻:• What makes Foundation Sprints different (and powerful)

• A step-by-step breakdown of the sprint format

• How to align teams before execution

• One must-know tool for group decision-making

• Real-life takeaways from the first public training

🛠️ 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀:Check out my full breakdown of the Foundation Sprint in this newsletter post:👉 https://facilitatorscorner.substack.com/p/my-hot-take-on-the-foundation-sprint

🗣️ 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝘁:For the past five years, I’ve been crafting and leading workshops with big brands, NGOs, and startups—focusing on strategy, creative problem-solving, concept design, and team alignment. Whether in-person, online, or hybrid, I design experiences that are engaging, impactful, and just the right amount of unexpected.

📬 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱:Subscribe to my newsletter: https://facilitatorscorner.substack.comFollow me on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/49clGjh