I came to DWL seeking a boost in my Zoom tech savvy and virtual engagement skills as a longtime facilitator of in-person retreats, action planning sessions, and mission/vision/values work with teams who needed to pivot quickly to the virtual realm during the pandemic. Though my migration to Zoom early in the pandemic felt natural (as a person who'd previously managed webinars and the occasional virtual meeting with ease), as time wore on, the prospect of having Zoom as the only option for the deep client engagements I'd previously done in-person became overwhelming. I found myself coming away from virtual client engagement sessions feeling a mixture of frustration, bewilderment, stress, and exhaustion. I know some of those feelings were attributable to being a working parent in a global pandemic, but much of those feelings centered on the fact that I lacked "creative juice" when it came to planning virtual engagements and anticipating participant needs. I knew I needed to deepen my intentionality around planning and implementing the virtual realm. I feel fortunate to have found DWL's offering at just the right time.

Immediately, from the first session, I knew I was in the right place. I saw my trainer modeling practices that made virtual sessions instantly more comfortable as a participant. Through the training sessions, I could critically examine my own practices and meetings through the eyes of my participants. I saw that Jennifer and her team were seasoned at anticipating the needs of virtual meeting participants, which were distinctly different from the in-person participant needs I knew well. I came away from each session with hands-on tools and skills I put to use immediately in my own work. In short order, I was designing and running meetings I felt good about. My confidence for running virtual sessions with clients grew significantly. And, the feedback from my clients indicated that they saw and felt the shift in my own practices.

I cannot recommend DWL's virtual training for facilitators enough! I am a better practitioner because of the professional development boost I got as a training participant. Thank you, Jennifer and DWL!!

~Kate O'Brien, Principal, Catalyst Collaboratives LLC