"Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement and success have no meaning. "
                                                        ~Benjamin Franklin

 

Wheel of a Deal Wednesday

The Spokesperson E-Newsletter
Celebrating 21 Years at Training Wheels!
Hello facilitator friends!

I'm not quite sure how it's possible, but Training Wheels turns 21 this week!  To celebrate I came up with a list of 21 Lessons Learned over the years.  What's written below is the brief explanation of each lesson, but there is a story behind each one of these!  If you want to hear the story behind each of these lessons learned, I'm inviting you to join a Zoom celebration session this Friday at 3:00pm MT / 5:00pm ET.  Please stop by and say hello, hear a story or two and hang out with me for an hour or so.  I'd love to have you join me!  

21 Lessons Learned
  1. Rubber Chickens melt together if you leave them in your rental car trunk in the summer.
  2. Everything happens for a reason.
  3. Not everyone will like you and your facilitation style, and that's OK.
  4. Circumstances change, and so do you.
  5. Play well with others!  Cultivate relationships with friends and colleagues who will give you critical feedback.  Be a cheerleader and champion for them as well.
  6. Ask for help when you need it.
  7. Acknowledge your burnout.  Mental health is so important.
  8. Don't listen to the doubters.  I had many, many people tell me the team building field didn't need another organization selling props and kits.  
  9. Be open to new perspectives and ideas.
  10. Learn from your mistakes and share them with others.  Allow yourself to be vulnerable and use them as teachable moments.
  11. Confidence and a clipboard go a long way.
  12. Even if others think you are the expert, be a continuous learner and seek out educational opportunities for yourself.
  13. Be a MacGuyver Facilitator.  If MacGuyver can make a bomb with some duct tape, a roll of toilet paper and a bar of chocolate, you can figure out how to create a program with phenomenal outcomes that meets the client's needs.
  14. Get a business line of credit before you need it.
  15. Travel often.  Be an eternal explorer of both the world and yourself.
  16. It's OK to say no.  (This one is hard for me!)
  17. A sense of humor is essential.
  18. Creativity is a gift, share it with others.
  19. Find time for solo-experiences.  Do good internal work as well as external work.
  20. Assume positive intent.
  21. Show appreciation.
I hope you will join me this Friday, July 24 at 3:00p MT / 5:00 ET!  
 Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87585728077?pwd=Ti9UZHVjbmxENUh3MFBMSXBGN3Bwdz09 
Meeting ID: 875 8572 8077
Passcode: 980500

Thank you so much for your business and support along the way.  It means more than you will ever know.

Best wishes to you and your loved ones to be healthy, safe and to be virtually connected.  

Have fun out there, 
Michelle        
Michelle Cummings
Owner/Trainer/Big Wheel
Training Wheels  

Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer
Personify Leadership
www.PersonifyLeadership.com
New Podcast Episode!

Last week Chris Cavert and I met up to record another new episode of our podcast, ' Ask Michelle & Chris About Team Building This week we had our first guest speaker, John Losey, and we tackled the question: "What's been working for Team Builders Online?  Big THANKS to John for his generosity, expertise and support on this topic.  Don't miss it!  This will be a three-part series, so tune in next week for more!  You can listen to, download and access the show notes to this episode and all available episodes  at this link .  


Also, I was a guest on the High Five Adventure podcast, The Vertical Playpen, this week as well.  Back in February I was interviewed by Phil Brown, one of the trainers at High 5. We recorded it while attending the ACCT conference, and it was right before the US shutdown due to covid. The episode came out today, and I loved hearing my own thoughts on embracing Online Team Building, not knowing how upside down our field would turn just a month later. In this episode you'll hear stories of how I got my start, some of my absolute facilitation failures, some advice on how to improve your facilitation skills, who some of my mentors are and other ornery tales. Enjoy!  Listen to or download the episode here.
Personify Leadership Self-Paced Online Course

Many of you know I have a second company called Personify Leadership.  My business partner, Angela Sebaly, and I have developed a Self-Paced, Experiential, Online Course for leaders based on her best-selling book, The Courageous Leader.  

Are you looking for a unique virtual course that will help build your skills as a Courageous Leader?  Look no further!  Our self-paced, virtual version of this course is a perfect fit for remote teams and those seeking professional development online.

We are offering a discounted price until July 31.  Click here to register or to learn more!
Important Training Wheels Info

Wheel of a Deal:  On Sale this Week...

Most Epic Discount Ever...

To celebrate our 21 years, and to say thank you for supporting me along the way, I'm offering an epic discount...  For the next 48 hours you can use this coupon:  'TWis21' and get a 21% discount on anything you want in the store.  It's the deepest discount I've ever given, so take advantage while you can!  Valid until 12:00pm MT on Friday, July 24.  No exceptions or extensions!     Limit one use per customer.

Regular:  $Full Price   On Sale:  21%off!

Experiential Facilitation 101 Class

Our Experiential Facilitation 101 training is an introductory class for the team building facilitator.  This three-day training provides an important first step in building the foundational skills necessary to lead experiential programs.  
 
 
Date:  October 6-8, 2020
Date:  December 15-17, 2020
Location:  Hampton Inn, Littleton, CO
Time:  9:00am-4:30pm,  Breakfast & Lunch included!
Price:  $975
Includes instruction manual and $50 credit towards Training Wheels gear.

Certification in this class:  $3500, July 7-10, October 6-9 and December 15-18.
Social Media Sites
Social Media icons
Make sure to 'Like' us on Facebook!  We post coupons, activity ideas and other fun things each week.  You can also interact with other Facilitators!
 
Connect with me on Linked In!  
Training Wheels Linked In Company Profile:  Training Wheels Group LLC
Personify Leadership Linked In Company Profile:   Personify Leadership
 
Follow me on Twitter!  @TrainingWheels1     @PersonifyLeader   @MichelleCSocial
Where In the World is Michelle?
Upcoming Conferences and Workshops where Michelle is presenting:  
biking backpackers
Want to participate in one of Michelle's workshops?  Is she near you?  Piggy back a training for your organization when she is traveling near you.  Here's a link to our event calendar as well.

All In-Person Programs Cancelled or Postponed through the middle of August.

July 22, Virtual Keynote for a Youth Event

July 29, Virtual Keynote for a Youth Event

July 31, Virtual Client Program

August 4, Client Program, Denver, CO

August 26, Client Program, Missouri

August 25-26, Virtual Client Program
I can't believe you made it all the way to the bottom of this email! Kudos!