Kate Jones was a consultant with PA Consulting until she realised she needed to make a change and get out. For the last 11 years she has run Neon a boutique consultancy which aims to help leaders create more deeply human organisations.In this episode, Kate and I discuss why she chose to leave the corporate world and how she thought she had associate work lined up, but it was retracted. What to do? Resign or Stay?The conversation continues and we dive into these topics:Leaving the corporate worldThe serendipity of finding the first piece of workExperiencing loneliness as a freelancerWhy community is important to elevate lonelinessThe need for professional developmentThe benefits of having a supervisorHow do you find work now?What happens when client work is quiet?Come on in and have a listen.If you enjoy this conversation let us know, hit subscribe, leave a rating or review____ About the School of Facilitation Podcast, A Facilitator's Journey: Real Life StoriesA Facilitator's Journey is the podcast that looks at how you run your businesses as a facilitator or trainer.You started this work because you have a passion that you want to share with organisations. However, there is the small detail that you are now running a business and this requires a whole other set of skills and knowledge.Join me, Kirsty Lewis, Founder of School of Facilitation, as I interview trainers and facilitators about how they manage their businesses. I will explore how people run their finances, price their work, scale up, scale down, decide to retire, market themselves, manage clients, and much much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode explores what negotiation is and how we can have better negotiation conversations. I noticed that sometimes selling and negotiation do not come easily to facilitators and trainers hence my desire to talk to Mark. I want to start to share what you can do when you find yourself in these situations.Mark Davis is known as the Cultural Navigator. He weaves negotiation and cultural intelligence together supporting businesses with their negotiation skills, cross-cultural communication, and Leadership development.Mark and I wend our way through this conversation thinking about a fictitious negotiation with a client. We pull out a variety of skills, behaviors, and mindsets that can be adopted to enable there to be a positive outcome for both you and your client.What is the difference between Selling and NegotiatingThe language of sellingWhat to do when you meet someone from purchasing?The different skills and behaviours we can use in a negotiationWhat are the three things to prepare for your negotiationNegotiation as a ritualThree questions to ask in a negotiationThe benefit of using summariesAssumptive statements and how to use them to gain clarityPull up a chair, grab a cuppa, and enjoy the listen.Connect with Mark on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/culturenavigator/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Richard Bellars and Darren Hilton join us in a captivating exploration of partnership dynamics as they unveil the intricacies of their collaboration through The Sourcery Project. Let’s embark on a journey exploring the essence of fruitful partnerships, learning from the experiences and insights of these seasoned professionals. Through candid conversations, Richard and Darren illuminate key aspects of effective partnership formation, including: Establishing shared values and leveraging individual strengthsCultivating synergy to achieve collective goalsEmbracing vulnerability and anticipating challengesHarnessing transformative frameworks like Theory U for innovationUtilising profiling systems for enhanced communicationNavigating the practicalities of financial managementOffering sage advice for aspiring partners on their journey With Richard's emphasis on regenerative leadership and values-based influence, complemented by Darren's passion for nature and human potential, the episode offers a rich tapestry of perspectives and practical wisdom. So, grab your favourite beverage, settle into the pink chair, and immerse yourself in this insightful conversation on the art of successful partnerships. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode talks about the different relationships we have within our businesses - working with a sibling, our relationship with ourselves, leaving a business partnership that no longer works, and our relationship with goal setting and systems.Meg Bolger is a facilitator, author, and creator of The Facilitator Cards.Meg and I have a candid conversation aboutWhat it's like to work with your sister and know you are responsible for someone else's monthly salaryThe processes she uses in her business, weekly and monthlyGoal-setting and how goals pop up for Meg and how she grabs themHer neurodivergent diagnosis and being creativeThe different relationships we experience in our businesses. We don't always talk about these easily and yet they are a core part of our everyday worldHow you process a business divorce in your early 30s when you weren't expecting it and more importantly what you learnGrab a cup of tea,Take a seat and enjoy.___About Meg:Meg Bolger is a facilitation geek passionate about social justice, teaching facilitation, and creating resources for a more beautiful world. Meg is the captain of Facilitator Cards, co-author of Unlocking the Magic of Facilitation, co-creator of The Safe Zone Project, and many other resources for facilitators and social justice educators. Meg lives in Vermont where she tries to get into the woods everyday and keep up with her three nephews.​Learn more about all of Meg's work at MegBolger.com__About the School of Facilitation Podcast:A Facilitator's Journey is the podcast that looks at how you run your businesses as a facilitator or trainer.You started this work because you have a passion that you want to share with organisations. However, there is the small detail that you are now running a business and this requires a whole other set of skills and knowledge.Join me, Kirsty Lewis, Founder of School of Facilitation, as I interview trainers and facilitators about how they manage their businesses. I will explore how people run their finances, price their work, scale up, scale down, decide to retire, market themselves, manage clients, and much much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode explores how the inner world of the business leader creates the shape and flow of the business they lead. Our values, beliefs, experiences, thoughts and emotions all lend themselves to the structure, behaviours and outputs of our business.Dr. Simon Kettleborough is the founding partner of Aephoria, an organisation that helps humans flourish. We speak about the four different brains we can access to help us make meaning in this age of complexity, the difference between therapy and coaching, why taking a look at our inner world is beneficial.Grab a cup of tea,Sit back and enjoy the episode.About SimonSimon is one of the founders of Aephoria, a team of talented and committed leadership and organisational development practitioners. Over the past 26 years, Simon's career spanned consulting, leadership roles in private, public, and non-profit sectors, encompassing Leadership Development, Coaching, Existential Psychotherapy, Diversity and Inclusion, Strategy, and Sustainable Development. He transitioned to self-employment in 2002, establishing businesses in the UK, South Africa, and Brazil. Early in his career, he gained insight into organisational dynamics from within, working in Sales & Marketing, Business Development, and Consulting at Arthur D. Little, Diageo, and British Steel.Simon has called Cape Town home since 2009 and has previously resided and worked extensively in the UK, France, Belgium, Brazil, and South Africa.In his free time, Simon enjoys cycling through the Western Cape's forests and mountains or playing keyboards in his 80s rock band.Simon's social linksLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-simon-kettleborough-05b080a/Website: https://aephoriapartners.com/about/aephoria-core-team/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@aephoriapartners7848/featured Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Where does the decision to leave the corporate world come from?How do you know when the time is right?And what are the first few steps you can take as you set up your business?Leanne Hughes is a consultant, facilitator, speaker, and enigmatic human-being. She hosts a brilliant podcast called First Time Facilitator which I highly recommend.In this episode, we talk about:How Leanne decided to quit the mining corporation in 10 days,How she found her first solo gig,Leaned into her connections to develop working relationshipsEmbracing associate work and how to find itConnections, Content, and Craft - the three C's to think about as a trainerManaged to keep traveling the world even though she thought this wasn't possible as an associateWe discuss where our referrals come from,How pricing is not just a number but more about our mindset,Why calling myself a consultant NOT a facilitator moves me to value-based pricingLeanne generously shares several books and communities to connect with.Grab a cup of tea and join me on the pink chair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark and Mark started Total Negotiation as a lifestyle business that was meant to give them time to enjoy their golf, horses, and family. What happened in the last 15 years surpassed even their imaginations and today they have a global business, 30 employees and a 100 associates.In this episode, Mark Cranstoun, the CEO and co-founder, and I discuss how they grew the business from a lifestyle business to a global success.We talk aboutThe three core factors that make a business thrive: Selling, Pipeline and DeliveryThe mindset and beliefs intrinsic to Total Negotiation's growth. Dive into how to manage your customer and client pipelineShare what we do in a sales conversation. Mark challenges Kirsty's mindset and questions her on what would happen if she did no delivery for 6 months but focused on business development?! Come on in and have a listen.If you enjoy this conversation let us know, hit subscribe, leave a rating or review. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Skilled facilitator Myriam Hadnes discusses the importance of collaboration in business, building a community, clear communication, and financial transparency. They share insights on organizing a virtual festival, creating community through vulnerability, and the evolution of the Never Done Before community. Tips for beginners in facilitation and training are also provided.

How exactly did I, Kirsty Lewis, end up running a boutique training business?This solo episode shares how I accidentally came upon the idea to leave the corporate world.Setting up a business was never in my plans, but here we are 16 years on and School of Facilitation is thriving.So what happened on 7th April 2007 that changed the course of my life?Have a listen and let me know your story of origin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Scaling your business can be exciting and daunting, for you or not for you.Catherine and John Nicholson, founders of The Virtual Training Team, have gone from 2 - 15 people, and a 7 figure turnover in 8 years. They openly admit it started as a lifestyle business and then questions like "what could we create?" started to pop up as their curiosity grew.The episode title references a duck factory as this is the analogy John and Catherine use when talking about The Virtual Training Team. We explore who their first and second hires were, what it is like to have a partner to work with, how they hire, and whether they have a strategy.The decision to scale our businesses is personal, I think for some it is an obvious step, some of us hesitate and the inner chat takes over causing paralysis, and some of you know it is not for you. Wherever you are this episode is full of insightful information.Enjoy this episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.