Facilitating on Purpose

In this episode, host Beth Cougler Blom talks with Nathy Ravez about making connections with participants—both early in our interactions with them and ongoing through the workshop—and why what happens before the workshop often matters just as much as what happens during it. Beth and Nathy explore simple, practical ways to build trust and collaboration from the very first moments, so people arrive feeling seen, included, and ready to work together.

Beth and Nathy also talk about:

• Using short pre-workshop interviews to learn who's in the room
• Helping participants understand why they're there and what they bring
• Building trust even when there's tension, resistance, or hierarchy in the mix
• Choosing activities strategically to support collaboration, not just fun

Engage with Nathy Ravez:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathyravez/
• Website: https://laworkshoppeuse.com/
• Podcast: There's a Workshop For That!

Links From the Episode:

• EP 10 Facilitating Connection with Jan Keck
• EP 14 Connection Before Content with Chad Littlefield
• Said Saddouk on Linkedin
• EP 36 The State of Facilitation 2024 Report with Deborah Rim Moiso
• Learn about Jan Keck's upcoming book

Connect with the Facilitating on Purpose podcast:

• Follow Facilitating on Purpose on Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube
• Show notes available at facilitatingonpurpose.ca

Connect with Host Beth Cougler Blom:

• Give feedback or suggest upcoming show topics or guests at [email protected]
• Visit bcblearning.com to explore Beth's company's services in facilitation and learning design
• Check out Beth's books, Design to Engage and Everyday Acts of Facilitation
• Follow Beth on Instagram or LinkedIn

Podcast production services by Mary Chan of Organized Sound Productions

In this episode, host Beth Cougler Blom talks with Letícia (Schuli) Schuelter, a Brazilian experience designer and community builder, about her framework for meaningful togetherness and how self-directed learning shaped her career path.

Beth and Letícia also talk about:

• Saying yes to unexpected opportunities as a path into facilitation work
• Lessons from self-directed learning communities
• The evolving role of community building, weaving, and design
• Four pillars for creating magical and memorable group experiences
• Putting nature at the centre of our design processes

Engage with Letícia (Schuli) Schuelter

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leticiaschuli/
• A Case for Meaningful Togetherness article by Letícia Schuelter

Links From the Episode

• UDESC - Universidade de Design do Estado de Santa Catarina
• Alex Bretas
  • Arquiteturas de comunidades de aprendizagem autodirigida, article by Alex Bretas in which Alex describes architectures for a self-directed learning journey and community
  • Alex Bretas on self-directed learning (YouTube video)
• Ecoversities Network
• Book about Black Mountain College
• Community weaving
• Terry Irwin TEDx talk: Design a Worldview for Social Impact
• bell hooks' All About Love book
• The Bloom

Connect with the Facilitating on Purpose podcast:

• Follow Facilitating on Purpose on Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube
• Show notes and transcripts available at facilitatingonpurpose.ca

Connect with Host Beth Cougler Blom:

• Give feedback or suggest upcoming show topics or guests at [email protected]
• Visit bcblearning.com to explore Beth's company's services in facilitation and learning design
• Purchase a copy of Beth's book, Design to Engage
• Follow Beth on Instagram or LinkedIn

Podcast production services by Mary Chan of Organized Sound Productions

In this episode, host Beth Cougler Blom talks with Chanchal Garg about what it means to facilitate as a conscious leader and how truth-telling, vulnerability, and intention shape the way we work with groups.

Beth and Chanchal also talk about:

• How inner safety and self-soothing help facilitators take interpersonal risks
• Why truth-telling is a leadership act and a personal practice
• The balance between vulnerability and influence in group settings
• How narratives from childhood shape how we lead
• The power of naming what's happening in the room

Engage with Chanchal Garg

• Website: https://chanchalgarg.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chanchalgarg22/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chanchal_unearthed

Links From the Episode

• Paul Gilbert's Three System Model
• Stanford Facilitator Training Program
• T-groups with Chanchal Garg
• Self-Compassion by Kristen Neff
• Conscious Style Guide (Conscious editing/language)
• EP 46: Creating the Habit of Inclusive Language with Dr. Suzanne Wertheim

Connect with the Facilitating on Purpose podcast:

• Follow Facilitating on Purpose on Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube
• Show notes and transcripts available at facilitatingonpurpose.ca

Connect with Host Beth Cougler Blom:

• Give feedback or suggest upcoming show topics or guests at [email protected]
• Visit bcblearning.com to explore Beth's company's services in facilitation and learning design
• Purchase a copy of Beth's book, Design to Engage
• Follow Beth on Instagram or LinkedIn

Podcast production services by Mary Chan of Organized Sound Productions

In this episode, host Beth Cougler Blom answers a listener's question about how to help people shift from lecture-style delivery to a more engaging, participatory approach to facilitating learning. Drawing from years of experience supporting faculty and facilitators, Beth shares practical strategies for supporting others in embracing active learning methods.

Beth also talks about:

• Establishing a culture of continuous improvement
• Using goal setting and debriefing to grow facilitation skills
• Taking a coach approach to support others
• Explaining why active learning works using plain language
• Encouraging facilitators to let go of control and learn alongside their participants

Links From the Episode

• EP 4 Facilitation is the New Coaching with Moe Poirier
• Design to Engage: How to Create and Facilitate a Great Learning Experience For Any Group with Beth Cougler Blom
• EP 47 The Pivotal Role of Learning Outcomes with Beth Cougler Blom
• EP 19 Choosing Activities with Beth Cougler Blom
• Instructional Skills Workshop
• Universal Design for Learning

Connect with the Facilitating on Purpose podcast:

• Follow Facilitating on Purpose on Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube
• Show notes and transcripts available at facilitatingonpurpose.ca

Connect with Host Beth Cougler Blom:

• Give feedback or suggest upcoming show topics or guests at [email protected]
• Visit bcblearning.com to explore Beth's company's services in facilitation and learning design
• Purchase a copy of Beth's book, Design to Engage
• Follow Beth on Instagram or LinkedIn

Podcast production services by Mary Chan of Organized Sound Productions

In this episode, host Beth Cougler Blom talks with Gwyn Wansbrough about how to design and facilitate online sessions that are energizing rather than exhausting. Gwyn shares strategies for crafting engaging virtual learning environments and explains the importance of preparation, intentionality, and creating space for connection.

Beth and Gwyn also talk about:

• Why online sessions often feel draining and how to shift that experience
• The power of designing for every moment, from the waiting room to the closing
• Using music, prompts, and personal greetings to build early connection
• Gwyn's Breakthrough Arc framework for session design
• How embracing uncertainty creates the conditions for magic

Engage with Gwyn Wansbrough

• Website: https://www.gwynwansbrough.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gwynwansbrough/
• Gwyn's Breakthrough Arc
• Gwyn's Online Engagement Scorecard

Links From the Episode

• Priya Parker
• Partners for Youth Empowerment
• Cam Houser
• Brett Macdonald
• Dream a Dream
• EP 13 Experimenting with Experiential Learning with Romy Alexandra
• Wayi Wah! Indigenous Pedagogies by Jo Chrona
• Kelly Terbasket, IndigenEYEZ
• Royal Roads University, Centre for Teaching and Educational Technologies
• Instructional Skills Workshop
• BOPPPS Model (as described by the University of Saskatchewan)
• Beth's upcoming book, Everyday Acts of Facilitation
• Michael Bungay Stanier
• StreamAlive
• OBS
• Said Saddouk
• Jan Keck

Connect with the Facilitating on Purpose podcast:

• Follow Facilitating on Purpose on Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube
• Show notes available at facilitatingonpurpose.ca

Connect with Host Beth Cougler Blom:

• Give feedback or suggest upcoming show topics or guests at [email protected]
• Visit bcblearning.com to explore Beth's company's services in facilitation and learning design
• Purchase a copy of Beth's book, Design to Engage
• Follow Beth on Instagram or LinkedIn

Podcast production services by Mary Chan of Organized Sound Productions

In this episode, host Beth Cougler Blom talks with Andy Sontag about what experience design really means and how it connects to facilitation and learning. Beth and Andy explore how designing with emotion, meaning, and intention can create transformative learning experiences that go far beyond content delivery.

Beth and Andy also talk about:

• Why experience design is about designing for feelings, not just thinking or doing
• The difference between experience design and human-centered design
• How to design for meaning, even in short or small-scale learning sessions
• Using the 5E experience design model to shape memorable learning journeys
• The power of co-creation, trust, and emergence in creating lasting impact

Engage with Andy Sontag

• Experience Design at Kaospilot
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andysontag

Links From the Episode

• Nathan Schedroff
• SCARF Model for Psychological Safety in Groups
• Positive Psychology PERMA Model
• The 5E Experience Design Model
• EP 60 Learning That Lasts with Beth Cougler Blom
• Hollyhock Leadership Center
• Fabulous Learning Nerds Podcast (Episode 43 Learning From a Magician with Danny Whitson)
• Art of Hosting
• Kaospilot's Gathering Design Strategies

Connect with the Facilitating on Purpose podcast:

• Follow Facilitating on Purpose on Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube
• Show notes and transcripts available at facilitatingonpurpose.ca

Connect with Host Beth Cougler Blom:

• Give feedback or suggest upcoming show topics or guests at [email protected]
• Visit bcblearning.com to explore Beth's company's services in facilitation and learning design
• Purchase a copy of Beth's book, Design to Engage
• Follow Beth on Instagram or LinkedIn

Podcast production services by Mary Chan of Organized Sound Productions

In this episode, host Beth Cougler Blom talks with Tolulope (Tolu) Noah about designing and facilitating workshops with intentionality. Tolu, an educational developer and author, shares insights from her new book of the same name, which offers a comprehensive and accessible framework for workshop planning across many learning contexts.

Beth and Tolu also talk about:

• Applying the Workshop Wheel framework and its ten guiding principles
• Designing for diverse participants with intentional inclusivity
• Understanding "facilitator zone" versus "participant zone"
• Using protocols, videos, and tools to foster meaningful connection
• Designing multidirectional learning

Engage with Tolu Noah

• Website: https://www.tolunoah.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tolu-noah/
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/drtolunoah.bsky.social

Links From the Episode

• Tolu Noah, Designing and Facilitating Workshops with Intentionality
• Beth Cougler Blom, Design to Engage: How to Create and Facilitate a Great Learning Experience for Any Group
• Leanne Hughes, The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint
• Rob Fitzpartrick, The Workshop Survival Guide: How to design and teach educational workshops that work every time
• Sharon Bowman, Training From the Back of the Room!: 65 Ways to Step Aside and Let Them Learn
• Session Lab
• Beth's Lesson Plan Template
• University Design for Learning (CAST)
• Thomas Tobin and Kirsten Behling, Reach Everyone, Teach Everyone: Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education
• Tolu Noah, Mistakes I Used to Make in Digital Accessibility—and How to Fix Them
• WCAG Standards
• EP 61 Accessibility in Learning and Beyond with Nora Loyst
• EP 63 Neurodivergent-Affirming Practices in Facilitation with Marie Dubost
• Center for Leadership and Educational Equity Protocols
• Liberating Structures 1-2-4-All and TRIZ
• Padlet
• Bonni Stachowiak, Teaching in Higher Ed Podcast

Connect with the Facilitating on Purpose podcast:

• Follow Facilitating on Purpose on Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube
• Show notes available at facilitatingonpurpose.ca

Connect with Host Beth Cougler Blom:

• Give feedback or suggest upcoming show topics or guests at [email protected]
• Visit bcblearning.com to explore Beth's company's services in facilitation and learning design
• Purchase a copy of Beth's book, Design to Engage
• Follow Beth on Instagram or LinkedIn

Podcast production services by Mary Chan of Organized Sound Productions

In this episode, host Beth Cougler Blom explores the role of silence in facilitation and how it can be a powerful and intentional tool. Beth shares personal reflections, practical tips, and cultural considerations around silence, encouraging facilitators to embrace it as part of creating thoughtful and inclusive learning spaces.

Beth also talks about:

• How to normalize silence as part of participatory experiences
• Why facilitators should plan silence into their agendas
• Strategies to help facilitators become more comfortable with quiet moments
• What to do when silence is interrupted
• How everyday life can teach us about using silence

Links From the Episode

• EP 63 Neurodivergent-Affirming Practices in Facilitation with Marie Dubost
• Tricia Hersey (Rest is Resistance Book, Rest Deck cards)
• Learn about Beth's upcoming book, Everyday Acts of Facilitation

Connect with the Facilitating on Purpose podcast:

• Follow Facilitating on Purpose on Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube
• Show notes and transcripts available at facilitatingonpurpose.ca

Connect with Host Beth Cougler Blom:

• Give feedback or suggest upcoming show topics or guests at [email protected]
• Visit bcblearning.com to explore Beth's company's services in facilitation and learning design
• Purchase a copy of Beth's book, Design to Engage
• Follow Beth on Instagram or LinkedIn

In this episode, host Beth Cougler Blom talks with Marie Dubost about neurodivergent-affirming practices in facilitation and learning design. Marie shares insights from her work as an accessibility consultant, facilitator, and trainer, drawing on both professional and personal experience to highlight why inclusive practices matter more than ever.

Beth and Marie also talk about:

• Creating learning menus to support choice and reduce overwhelm
• Offering silent or low-stimulation options in participatory sessions
• Understanding identity-first vs. person-first language
• How inclusive design supports all learners, not just some
• Why co-designing with participants can strengthen learning outcomes

Engage with Marie Dubost:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariedubost/

Links From the Episode:

• Marie Dubost's accessibility checklists
• EP 61 Accessibility in Learning and Beyond with Nora Loyst
• University Design for Learning (CAST)
• Equity by Design book by Mirko Chardin and Katie Novak
• Myriam Hadnes' workshops.work podcast

Connect with the Facilitating on Purpose podcast:

• Follow Facilitating on Purpose on Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube
• Show notes and transcripts available at facilitatingonpurpose.ca

Connect with Host Beth Cougler Blom:

• Give feedback or suggest upcoming show topics or guests at [email protected]
• Visit bcblearning.com to explore Beth's company's services in facilitation and learning design
• Purchase a copy of Beth's book, Design to Engage
• Follow Beth on Instagram or LinkedIn

Podcast production services by Mary Chan of Organized Sound Productions

In this episode, host Beth Cougler Blom talks with Julie Dirksen about designing learning experiences that support real behaviour change. Julie shares insights from her latest book, Talk to the Elephant, and offers practical ways to go beyond knowledge transfer to create meaningful impact.

Beth and Julie also talk about:

• The difference between knowledge gaps and behaviour gaps
• The rider and elephant metaphor and why it matters for learning design
• How to identify what really needs fixing—people or systems
• The importance of pre- and post-learning supports
• Why designing for managers is just as important as designing for learners

Engage with Julie Dirksen

• Website: Usable Learning
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliedirksen/
• Facebook: Design for How People Learn group

Links From the Episode

• Allen Interactions
• Leaving ADDIE for SAM by Michael Allen
• Telling Ain't Training by Harold D. Stolovitch and Erika J. Keep
• The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt
• Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
• Will Training Help? flowchart by Cathy Moore
• Prochaska and Di Clemente's transtheoretical model

Connect with the Facilitating on Purpose podcast:

• Follow Facilitating on Purpose on Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube
• Show notes and transcripts available at facilitatingonpurpose.ca

Connect with Host Beth Cougler Blom:

• Give feedback or suggest upcoming show topics or guests at [email protected]
• Visit bcblearning.com to explore Beth's company's services in facilitation and learning design
• Purchase a copy of Beth's book, Design to Engage
• Follow Beth on Instagram or LinkedIn

Podcast production services by Mary Chan of Organized Sound Productions