Join me and innovators Mark Whittaker from Velresco and Chris Wilson from Adamo to hear the story of how Mark created a new virtual whiteboard for online meetings and workshops called VWall back in 2010, well ahead of the curve, and how VWall has developed to being an invaluable tool for many facilitators here and now.

Mark and Chris share how VWall is a great facilitation tool, and how easy it is to use with platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams and others to optimise delegate engagement and participation.

VWall allows we facilitators to intuitively capture and instantly analyse ideas from our workshop participants. Personally, I really enjoy using it in sessions for sticky note activities, mind mapping, polling and much more.

I found it inspiring to listen to Mark and Chris sharing the innovation journey of VWall, from an idea borne out of frustration and opportunity to becoming a super-useful, easy-to-use and successful commercial facilitation product.

If you'd like to know more about VWall and have a demo with Chris, and / or sign up for a free trial, just reach out to him on Linked in here.

Thank you Chris and Mark for a really interesting conversation!

In this solo podcast I share practical tips and advice for facilitators on how to get ideas flowing in your virtual workshops and online meetings.

I also share information about my free online programme for facilitators, Supercharge Your Virtual Engagement on Zoom, which you can join for free HERE.

In the podcast you'll learn:

• How ideas are formed and why that's important for your online sessions

I hope you enjoy the show - let me know what you think, and share the things that you do to get and keep ideas flowing in your online workshops.

Join me and Mahmood Reza, the Numbers Rockstar, for this special edition episode to celebrate the first year of the official #lovemyaccountantday on 25th August.

Mahmood has worked to officially get this day into the annual event calendar.

Listen in to find out:

 - How Mahmood created an official day in the event calendar and why

 - Why Mahmood is so passionate about helping business owners to really understand and feel comfortable with using their numbers to tell the story of their business

  - How we, as business owners, can work more effectively with our accountants so that we can help them to help us more

 - Why and how our attitudes and beliefs about money influence our business decisions

 - Why money is important for all organisations, including purpose led businesses, not-for-profits and organisations in the arts and creative sector

You can find out more about Mahmood here, and join in #loveyouraccountantday on his social feeds:

Twitter: @mahmood_reza

Instagram: @mahmoodnumbersrockstar

Mahmood's podcast is I Hate Numbers, and you can find his live show on his Facebook page.

In this solo episode I share my top Productivity Hacks for Virtual Facilitators.

My FREE Supercharge Your Virtual Engagement on Zoom Challenge starts on 7th September - you can find out more and sign up here.

Here are the links to the tools I mention:

SessionLab for planning and designing sessions.

Ecamm Live for video recording and live videos.

Canva for designing great presentations and graphics.

Slidemodel for PowerPoint templates for virtual flipcharts and worksheets.

Mentimeter for interactive polling and quizzes.

I love SessionLab and Ecamm Live so much I actually became an affiliate  - just to let you know and to be transparent about that.

Join me and my special guest Richard Hall, founder of Pd-m International Limited, an innovation, product design and manufacturing consultancy.

We discuss the success factors of getting a product from concept to commercialisation or use in practice.

Richard shares his definition of innovation and the different levels and types of innovation, from incremental to disruptive.

Richard and I both use design thinking in our workshops, and we explore what it is and how we use it. Richard gives the example of how he has used design thinking to create medical innovations for surgeons.

Richard gives us his six trigger points for establishing a successful innovation, innovation process and the 'fog of uncertainty' and how innovation in the beginning can be like the flight of a bumblebee! Also why the process of co-design with customers is so important and how he has continued to do that through Covid-19 using online platforms.

I share why designing the "fog of uncertainty"- sometimes also known as the "groan zone" in innovation sprints and workshops is important.

Finally we discuss approaches and techniques that can be used in workshops and innovation more generally to achieve success, and different mindsets to challenge thinking - including asking "so wot?", "wot now?" and then "wot next?".

Richard also shares how he has pivoted his business to manufacture face shields that carry the CE mark. He plans to continue innovating and growing the business.

Thank you Richard for a great conversation, I'm sure you and the team will go from strength to strength.

Here is the Design Council reference we talked about for the Innovation Process : https://www.designcouncil.org.uk/news-opinion/what-framework-innovation-design-councils-evolved-double-diamond.

To join me free private facebook group for facilitators, Idea Time for Workshop Facilitators, use this link here.

For Force Field Analysis, Risk Register and Reverse Brain Storming workshop templates for delegates, please email me at [email protected] and I will send them across to you.

Richard's bio:

Richard started his career aged 16 in 1986 as an Engineering Apprentice at Rolls-Royce Plc. After four years of training Richard was posted to the Engineering Drawing Office at the Derby fan blade facility. After studying part-time night class whilst working Richard then studied BA (Hons) Industrial Design full time. On graduating in 1994 Richard worked for 11 years in industry in the UK, Eastern Europe, the US and China. In 2005 Richard founded Pd-m International Limited, an innovation, product design and manufacturing consultancy. In addition to running the business Richard has been the lead mentor for the Design Council spark innovation fund, a visiting tutor at the Royal College of Art and Leeds Becket University. Richard currently consults for Innovate UK and is studying a Masters Degree part time in Senior Leadership at The University of Leeds Business School. In 2018 Richard was awarded Fellowship at the Royal Society for the encouragement of Art, Manufactures and Commerce.

To find out more about Richard or get in touch with him you can find him here:

Join me in this episode with my special guest Leila Ainge on Virtual Facilitation using Microsoft teams. We also discuss ambitious goals and goal-setting as well as Leila's 'Pavilion Ponders' and more!

Leila shares tips on how to use Microsoft Teams for facilitated sessions, including setting up breakout groups by setting up channels in advance, using other tools that integrate with Teams and how to chat and messages before your session starts to begin engagement.

Leila also updates us on some new features in Microsoft Teams that are coming out in the autumn.

We discuss the differences, benefits and challenges of using Zoom or Teams and the collaborative tools we use.

For more facilitation tips and techniques and be part of a great community of facilitators, come and join my free Facebook Group, Idea Time for Workshop Facilitators. I'd love to see you in there.

If you'd like to learn more about Leila or connect with her, you can find her at:

www.aingeconsulting.co.uk

www.aingeconsulting.co.uk/blog (home of the ponder)

https://www.aingeconsulting.co.uk/goal-magic-preview Free online course, taking action.

@leila_ainge Instagram

I love that we can unexpectedly find light in unexpected places.

Through lockdown I sat here in North Yorkshire and made a new friend in Christine Francis in Beirut.  Christine is a highly qualified and accomplished change leadership expert and coach, and it was an absolute pleasure to spend time with her on the latest episode of my Idea Time podcast.

Christine and I found each other on Instagram, began a dialogue, worked on virtual facilitation together and found that we have so much in common, especially our values, love of learning and joy of facilitation.

We discuss how Christine has been working a lot with the Change Curve and the Transition Model to support people transition in the uncertain world we're living in. She helps them to tap into their growth mindset, especially when they are at the bottom of the curve because this is either where magic happens or nothing happens at all.  Christine explains how she uses her deep knowledge and training, along with her own personal experience of change, to enable people to connect to their magic at a personal level and at the business level, because we always have a choice, no matter what the situation is, and choose actions based on their values.

Christine also shares her experience and tips on virtual facilitation, and how she has been running change and transformation workshops online for businesses, and the experience of getting back into a physical meeting room with social distancing measures in place.

Sarah Price is Strategic Manager and Director of a Community Interest Company that delivers physical activities for schools. She is an Idea Time programme member, and has also joined the new Business Growth Club run by Mahmood Reza and me.

Sarah shares her leadership story through recent months and how she has navigated the challenges of lockdown with her school customers and remote team engagement.

She is an absolute inspiration, and I'm delighted that Sarah has joined me on the podcast. The insights and experiences that Sarah shares will resonate with you too, I'm sure.

You can connect with Sarah here on Linkedin, and as always I'd love to hear your thoughts on the episode.

And if you'd like to find out more about the Business Growth Club, please click here.

In this podcast, which celebrates the upcoming launch of our new Business Growth Club with Mahmood and Jo  I share the key success factors for scaling up your business. 

I cover:

• The importance of testing that the demand exists for your product or service

I also refer to Mahmood Reza's excellent free resources to help you work through the cashflow implications of your scale up which you can get here.

Join me and my special guest Mahmood Reza, The Numbers Rockstar, in this special edition podcast to launch our Business Growth Club for entrepreneurs and business owners who want to scale up successfully and sustainably.

“Ideas are cheap. It is building them into profitable companies that is hard. Ideas are like insects. Many are born but few live to maturity.” William Hertling

Imagine that business idea you have. Your business idea could be floating in and out, or it may rest heavy in your thoughts.

Either way, you want that idea to turn into something meaningful. Who wouldn’t want their business to make a mark, a difference and an impact?

Meaningful needs to be more. Whatever your business, you need to make money if you are going to survive and thrive.

How you make that money, what you do with that money is part of the deal.

If making money is not one of your business goals , then all you have is a time consuming and expensive hobby.

Let’s get real. Ideas are the easy part of your business journey 

If you expect success to fall into your lap, you have inspiration but no application, and want it all for free, then this program is not for you.

If you'd like to find out more, listen in - and get on the waiting list here - we have only 12 places available, and some of those have gone already! If we've convinced you already, then sign up now for £99+ VAT. 

Really hope you can join us :) 

More about Mahmood:

Mahmood is the Owner Manager of Knowledge Grab and Pro Active Resolutions.  The businesses help business owners make money & save time by using their numbers, through accounting and tax support, training and mentoring 

Mahmood’s business career of over 25 years has been about supporting business and entrepreneurs of today and tomorrow, as well as social enterprises and charities.  He has been described by some clients as “Not your normal boring Accountant!”

Before Mahmood started his own business from his back room, he started his paid for career in teaching.  He has taught at all educational levels, from primary to post graduate, vocational to academic. 

Mahmood then made a transition into Industry, working for a brewing and drinks company as a divisional accountant reporting to board level.  

He then made his next pivot and started his own business in Feb 1995.

Mahmood  is highly qualified in accounting, tax & business, and has picked up qualifications, passed exams beyond accounting: FCCA, ATT, FRSA, DMS, PGCE, BSc (Hons). 

He also publishes regular content, guides, and resources to support business. His weekly podcast ‘I Hate Numbers’ is one way of helping your business get friendlier with your best business friend. The friend that doesn’t lie to you, your Numbers.