I'm doing a course on Futures Thinking (through Institute for the Future) and in the final module they have mini interviews with folks, asking: "What would you like to be true in the future that's not true today?" And honestly, I just wanna hear EVERYONE'S answer to that. 🤔 (including yours!)

I wonder if generally being okay with hierarchy legitimizes hate crimes, state violence, surveillance culture, etc. Some people are viewed as "better" than others and make decisions for them (and sometimes against them). True for parents & bosses... And also Klan leaders & genocidal dictators. 👀

If your workshop/event is a *dress rehearsal for the future*, what role do you want? Lead actor? Director? Craft services?

There are lots of people who just want to know how to improve engagement in their workshops. If you want to hold people’s attention better, get more responses when you ask questions, & keep the energy higher in your sessions *and that’s all you want* here are my top three tips: 1/10

My big projects this week are: 👩🏽‍💻 restructuring my homepage ✍🏽 editing/publishing an essay (almost ready!) ✨ updating other assets featured on that page I changed the Pep Talk page after sharing it yesterday and something about this cartoon sparkly pink megaphone graphic just makes me so HAPPY 🥰

There are days when I wonder if the work I do matters. I sometimes ruminate over whether or not my workshops, my ideas, or my way of doing things will ever make the impact I dream about. On those days, I give myself a pep talk. 1/3

I'm still thinking about the outrage over "dynamic pricing" that's surfaced recently. Fluctuating prices based on how much a person needs/wants it... can we just call it price gouging? And I'm really curious if it's now time for EQUITY-BASED pricing to thrive? 👇🏽

"When identity is derived from projecting an image in the public realm, something is lost, some core of identity diluted, some sense of authority or interiority sacrificed. It is time to question the false equivalency between not being seen and hiding. (1/3)

I CANNOT be the only one who gets excited when someone tells them 'no'... And not because it's an opportunity for me to do some "objection-handling". 🤢 But b/c I'm legit happy they're comfortable telling the truth & setting a boundary. And because I can trust their yeses more! 🥰 Can't be just me.

This summer's ice cream insufficiency is beginning to be rectified! Was in Collingwood earlier running errands and grabbed Ube & Chocolate Ganache from Nicky's (Sampled their Soursop & Butter Tart flavours too👌🏽) Always love uncommon flavours, especially small batch. Gimme some to dream about?

Remember when I was talking about my library, the beautiful rooftop garden, and the ducks? Here's more info! 👇🏽

I am beyond excited to share this with you, an absolutely WORLD CHANGING tool for ethical business owners, nonprofits, & anyone who hosts workshops, gatherings, group programs, etc. It feels like playing a game but you get insanely valuable insights into why your last group sesh fell flat.

When people come to me for help with workshops, they tend to ask questions like: 💬 How do I get more engagement from people? 💬 What's a fun icebreaker that gets people talking? 💬 How do I make it more interactive? These are toootally fair questions... and they also miss the bigger picture. 👇🏽

The NUMBER ONE complaint people share with me about events they attend? (which might help *you* improve your sessions) 👉🏽Too much 'broadcasting', not enough PROCESSING time. 😵"20 mins in, my brain was fried" 🥺"I wish they'd given us more time to practice" 😬"love their vibe, but was totally lost"

It's finally available! Meet the CODE Compass: a one-page tool to troubleshoot your workshop activity stack. Quickly spot where you're over-relying on one quadrant (like lecture or Q&A) and experiment with more balanced, energizing design choices. workshopsasworldbuilding.com/product-deta...

In my experience, entrepreneurship defaults towards loneliness if you don't actively build community. Great connecting with @ferncxandcrm.com and @rae.design during today's session. Anyone wanna join us for next week? Always blown away by the quality and care that goes into this FREE community. 🥰🫶🏽

I just *finished* something. 🎉😂 Not like, finished forever-ever. But finished enough that I wouldn't be embarrassed if someone saw it. I'm excited, even. It's ready. I wrote up an info page for it. I'll start connecting tech to it later today w/ @ferncxandcrm.com And I’m proud of myself. (1/2)

Here's a working theory I've been contemplating today: (An addition to the Governance Gradient, for those of you who are familiar) "How decision-making happens in a workshop falls along an Equity Spectrum as follows..."

So many reasons to be wary of the proliferation of AI.

If a girl runs in the forest, and no proof* is captured... Did that run even happen? * proof = GPS log, photo taken, souvenir pebble in shoe, etc.

Game-based design instinct CLUE #2: You always center consent. It’s important to you to make sure people are only engaging in exercises because they *want* to. How does this connect to games? 👇🏽

I just started experimenting with a one-page diagnostic, and it’s been helping my clients who host workshops and retreats quickly troubleshoot their "activity stacks", and design more engaging workshops.  Would you be interested if I made a quick post/guide to the tool?

Spent a bunch of time in Canva building out graphics for a new mini product this week... and also think I FINALLY made a brand moodboard I like. Because playing at graphic design stuff is my current favourite avoidance technique. 😅 Anyway, do you like either of these?! Feel the vibe?

Get-to-know-you question: What is your favourite public space in your city/town, and why is it the library?

Rant: Game-based learning is subversive and awesome. Love. Gamification, on the other hand... is just adding game ELEMENTS to an existing structure. Giving out points/badges, using dice rolls, calling things 'quests'. The original (lame?) activity is unchanged. Gamification = 'game-washing'!

Took a work break to make scones and have tea with my parents. (Mulberries and currants were picked from a friend's garden!) Reminders I needed: ✨ Use the good china. ✨ Love on your people. ✨ Slow down. What are some of the (small) ways you've done those things recently?

Every compass has cardinal directions—the four main points that define the map. (i.e. North, East, South, West) For facilitation, our Cardinal Directions are: Logic (factual, structured) Emotion (feeling-based, intuitive) Exploration (discovery, inquiry) Expression (sharing, outputs)

The world is literally (and also figuratively) on fire. A question I'm sitting with is, "How can I be an OASIS for people?" How can I provide some relief (or contrast) from all the shittiness we're constantly in? And it helps.

If you can make a workshop inclusive, engaging, and memorable it's inherently better for everyone attending (including you). Any metric a client has come to me w/ 🤸🏽‍♀️ have fun 💰 make more $ ✊🏽 be equitable ✨ transformational results 🥰 client retention has been met by these kinda workshops.

The gag is, *this* vision for a 'worms and dirt' cake was a last-minute plan C. Like, I'm at the store buying gummy worms as guests are arriving. 😅 I don't know how to make smooth buttercream and had to improvise! There's a lesson in there somewhere, but really I just wanted to show off the cake😬

Last day to tell the Ontario Ministry of Education what you think about their proposal to make police(ing)-in-schools REQUIRED FOR ALL SCHOOLS. www.regulatoryregistry.gov.on.ca/proposal/50616 (FYI you're *not supposed to* put in any identifying info, if that's held you back.)

"Any situation in which some individuals prevent others from engaging in the process of inquiry is one of violence. The means used are not important; to alienate human beings from their own decision-making is to change them into objects." -Paulo Friere Widely applicable.💔 I think about it often.

Our challenge is a fractious one. The *collective* must be served. Not just humanity itself; The plants, Creatures, Stone, The Earth. Distinct hues in a spectral whole... a prism will preserve. Facets refract, and they reveal: Connection. Beauty. Nuance. Mirth.

Workshops should feel alive. Slightly messy. (A little) subversive. And full of magic. A dress rehearsal for the future, if you will. ✨ That's the kind of workshops we build over here. Is it your vibe, too?

Peonies: Day 2 A solid rain last night seems to have helped things along. #bloomscrolling

🎯 Politicians (like Carney) talk about how their tax cuts will "help" the middle class, but gloss over the extreme benefit to those with more resources. And the damage it does to those with less. Mention what we're losing. Maybe be honest? UPPING taxes (for higher brackets) would be beneficial.

In a sea of shittiness, there are still good things. Peonies beginning to bloom! A small joy. Have any tiny things made you smile in the last 24 hrs? Would love to refocus on things to be grateful for, rather than *gestures vaguely*

If you’ve taught (or learned about) anti-racism or DEI, you get the difference between diversity, equity, inclusion, & justice. But have you ever considered how those play out in your facilitation style? Because #PSA: A workshop isn’t collaborative just because people can raise their hands. 👀

[What] [should] [I] [teach]? Swapping out (or removing) just ONE word, makes workshop planning more interesting! Should I teach? HOW should I teach? What SHOULDN'T I teach? What should THEY teach (each other)? What should I ASK? What should I SHARE? Try it! Then change two parts. Or three!

Asking themselves: “What should I teach?” is how *most* people start their workshop development process. But I think better workshops start with asking: “What do I want people to ✨experience✨?” If YOU could put one question on every facilitator’s checklist… what would it be?

I've got too much fire in me. Water *always* balances me out. (Waterfalls are my favourite, but this is only a ten minute bike ride away, and gorgeous.) Is there a certain aspect of nature that reliably helps you find your center? How do you create calm when there's chaos?

Happening later today! Spread the word: more people = more wisdom shared.