Hey Reader,

Welcome to week 3 of our 5-week Go-To Resource series 🎉

Whether you’re leading team meetings, online courses, group coaching sessions, or training, you'll find loads of gems that will spark fresh ideas and inspire your work with groups.

So far I've shared:

​Week 1: 📚10 Brilliant Books for Bolder Live Sessions​

​Week 2: 🧰 10 Free Toolkits I Can't Live Without​

This week: 🎙️ My 10 favourite facilitation podcasts, the first episodes I'd recommend from each one, plus a Spotify playlist with all 22 episodes.

Let's dive right in!

Some of my biggest facilitation breakthroughs didn't come from courses or conferences.

They came from podcasts.

Over the past few years, I've collected a shortlist of shows I keep coming back to.

Here's why they are my favourites:

💡 They are hosted by pros who ask next-level questions
💡 They feature guests who share the real behind-the-scenes stories
💡 They give you real takeaways you can use in your very next session

🥁Here’s the list - with standout episodes and a Spotify playlist👇

1️⃣ Workshops Work — with Myriam Hadnes

On a mission to find the magic ingredients that make workshops work. (Myriam rebranded the podcast to Unprofessionalism last year but there is a lot of facilitation gold in the 350+ episodes she recorded).
​Great for: Meeting design, corporate facilitation, tools & tech, games, and activities.
​Standout episodes:

• 🎙️Episode 320: Facilitating with the Brain in Mind with Amanda Cookson​
• 🎙️Episode 310: Listening Deeper: Finding the Questions That Need to Be Asked with Akshay Kapur​
• 🎙️Episode 197: How to Set Up Breakout Rooms for Success with… yours truly 😊

2️⃣ First-time Facilitator — with Leanne Hughes.

Helping you connect with your workshop audience every single time.
​Great for: Training and workshop tips from diverse facilitation pros.
​Standout episodes:

• 🎙️Episode 257: The Dark Arts of Interrupting Someone​
• 🎙️Episode 245: Preparing to be Spontaneous in Your Workshops with Lisa Leung​

3️⃣ There's a Workshop for That! — with Nathy Ravez

For facilitators ready to elevate their skills.
​Great for: Group leadership, sparking collaboration and innovation.
​Standout episodes:

• 🎙️Creating Conversations that Matter with Chat Littlefield​
• 🎙️Designing Engaging Remote Workshops (yep, me again!) 😄

4️⃣ Think Fast Talk Smart — with Matt Abrahams

From a best-selling author and Stanford lecturer.
​Great for: Practical strategies for communication challenges.
​Standout episodes:

• 🎙️174 Fix Meetings: Transform Gatherings into Meaningful Moments with Priya Parker​
• 🎙️272. Say What Sticks: The Neuroscience of Memorable Communication​

5️⃣ Engaging Virtual Meetings — with John Chen

The sure-fire, latest podcast on how to thrive on virtual.

Great for: Future trends and thriving in an online AI world.

Standout episodes:

• 🎙️​​The Future of Teaching with Tatiana Rodriguez ​
• 🎙️Here's How to Make Your Live Sessions Come Alive with Lux Narayan​

6️⃣ Vertical Playpen — with Host Phil Brown

Dedicated to adventure and experiential education.
​Great for: Deep dives into experiential learning.
​Standout episodes:

• 🎙️The Power of Play with Ken Weisner​
• 🎙️The Experiential Learning Cycle with Romy Alexandra​

7️⃣ Another Day Another Workshop! — with Mehdi En-Naizi

For facilitators, leaders, and collaboration enthusiasts.
​Great for: Practical tips and creative workshop ideas.
​Standout episodes:

• 🎙️From Icebreakers to Ice Melters: Build Real Connection in Workshops Ft. Jan Keck
• 🎙️How to Make Online Workshops More Engaging ft Said Saddouk

8️⃣ Facilitating on Purpose — with Beth Cougler

Exploring ideas for designing and facilitating learning.
​Standout episodes:

• 🎙️Designing Meaningful Experiences with Andy Sontag
• 🎙️What Great Facilitation Feels Like with Khari McClelland​

9️⃣ Learning that Sticks — with Mark Williams

Exploring the “secret sauce” of top L&D experts.
​Great for: Insights from across learning and development disciplines.
​Standout episodes:

• 🎙️Season 2, Episode 16: Psychological Safety with Romy Alexandra​
• ​🎙️Season 2, Episode 15: Graphic Facilitation with Keisuke Taketani ​

🔟 ​​Facilitation Stories — with the International Association of Facilitators, England and Wales

Exploring the “secret sauce” of top L&D experts. Great for: Insights from across learning and development disciplines.Standout episodes:

• 🎙️​​FS79_Julia Slay & Ending Sessions Well​
• ​🎙️FS77_Facilitation in the Agile Space with Farah Egby and Çiğdem Saka Jackson​

Here's a bonus 🎙️Quest Podcast Playlist (on Spotify) with all 22 standout episodes so you can binge on your next walk, commute, or laundry day. 🧺🎧

What about you? What are your go-to podcasts? Hit reply to this email and let me know!

Coming up in our 5-week Go-To Resource series:

Week 4 –> 🎥 Click-Worthy YouTube Videos with Zoom hacks, studio tips, and facilitation gems.

Week 5 –> 🤖 AI Tools for Trainers — the ones that save time, spark ideas, and don’t make things weirdly robotic

Stay tuned!

💌 Thanks for reading The Quest

I always love hearing your feedback and suggestions. Just hit reply to share your thoughts and ideas.

Creatively yours,

P.S. If you’ve got a friend, colleague, or fellow facilitator gearing up for a live session—why not help them out and hit forward or send them this link to sign up for The Quest: 👉 here.

P.P.S. Whenever you are ready, there's another way I can help you:

👉 Live Session Design On-demand Video Course. Live Session Magic gives you a proven system for designing consistently high-quality online sessions. Get instant access to the digital course here.