Work with Daring Studios
Facilitation Services
Graphic Facilitation | Workshops | Meeting Design
Let us help you achieve your best possible outcomes, by designing and delivering human-centered, dynamic, and engaging meetings, workshops, and leadership retreats.
Get the support and guidance you need to produce effective and engaging virtual and in-person meetings from a Certified Professional Facilitator (CPF).
Work with us to make your next meeting meaningful and impactful.
We support virtual, in-person, and hybrid events.
You’re in the right place if…
You want to up-level your next strategic leadership retreat or team project planning meeting into an engaging, dynamic, and outcome-oriented event.
You and your team are experts IN the work and are looking for external support to help move your team through a challenging conversation, group decision-making process, or strategy and planning process.
You realize you need to change up the current status quo meetings to help your team make progress towards your desired outcomes.
Support Options
Graphic Facilitation
Interactive Engagement Strategies
Visual Template Design
Workshop & Meeting Design
Event Planning and Production Support
Virtual Event Tech Hosting
Meeting Types
Workshops & Training Sessions
Strategy & Planning Meetings
Leadership & Team Retreats
Team Building & Development Activities
Project Planning Meetings
Human-Centered Design/Design Thinking Projects
Summits, Conferences, and more…
What is Facilitation?
Facilitation is the process of guiding a group of people through a process to achieve a common goal or complete a specific task effectively and collaboratively.
A facilitator helps ensure that group interactions are productive, inclusive, and focused. The role involves using various techniques and skills to foster participation, maintain a positive environment, and drive the group toward its desired outcomes.
Visual facilitation is meeting and group facilitation using optional large-format visuals to guide participant conversations and capture conversations, feedback, and decisions. Also known as Graphic Facilitation.
Benefits of Working with a Facilitator:
A facilitator provides guidance and direction without taking control of the outcome.
Encourage participation by ensuring all participants have the opportunity to contribute and that diverse perspectives are heard and valued.
Help navigate and resolve conflicts.
Improve team collaboration and development.
Provide structured processes, frameworks, activities, and tools to support your desired outcomes.
Practice active listening to understand the needs and energy of the group.
Maintain an objective and neutral stance with the group.
Lead and manage discussions to stimulate thinking and dialogue.
Manage group dynamics to keep the participants focused on the process and desired outcomes.
Make consensus-building and decision-making processes transparent and explicit to participants.
Use visual tools and templates to capture key points, decisions, and action items.
Leverage visual templates and frameworks to structure conversations toward desired outcomes and support effective decision-making.
How Does It Work?
Here is what you can expect when you hire us for your next meeting or event.
Discovery:
We will:
Meet to discuss the event vision, desired outcomes, participant needs, and event considerations to create a custom client proposal.
Receive a proposal and client agreement for your review and authorization so we can begin work on the project.
Design & Preparation:
We will:
Participate in planning meetings and design calls with clients.
Collaborate with organizers to create a detailed agenda, and design activities and materials.
Design meeting agenda, facilitation prompts and modalities, and physical or digital materials to support meeting outcomes.
Provide expertise and best practices for creating an engaging participant experience.
Consult on logistics, set-up, and participants’ communications to dial in the details for a great meeting.
Delivery:
We will:
Show up in person or virtually to deliver the session.
Facilitation may include orienting participants to the outcomes and agenda, building rapport, managing group dynamics, harvesting ideas and feedback, delivering facilitation modalities, and guiding participants through the activities and modalities.
Project Closeout:
We will:
Deliver agreed-upon follow-up materials, deliverables, and reports.
Deliver final invoice payment.
About
Hi, I’m Rachel Thompson.
Rachel Thompson is the Founder and Strategic Director of Daring Studios. She has over fifteen years of professional experience with human-centered design and design thinking, strategic facilitation, virtual facilitation, meeting design and production, experiential learning and teaching, communication, and coaching. She is well-versed in designing, facilitating, and supporting events, meetings, and workshops.
Rachel is a Certified Professional Facilitator (CPF) through the International Association of Facilitators (IAF). She has a Certified Virtual Facilitator ™ (CVF ™) credential through the International Institute for Facilitation (INIFAC).
Rachel Thompson has a B.A. in Anthropology and French from Kansas State University. She was a Design Thinking Facilitator at the Academy of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of Maryland and an Adjunct Instructor for the Design Leadership MA/MBA program at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Rachel is an alum of Seth Godin’s Akimbo workshops including the Creative’s Workshop, The Podcasting Fellowship, and Writing in Community. Her training includes The Grove’s Designing and Leading Change Intensive and Facilitation Virtual Collaboration Workshop, Co-Active Coaching 2.5-day Fundamentals Course, and over sixty hours of independent study and completion of Brené Brown’s Courage Works Courses including The Gifts of Imperfection, The Anatomy of Trust, Self-Compassion, The Wisdom of Story, Living Brave Semester, Heartfelt: The Power of Apologizing.
She has been a part of the leadership team of the NOVAScribes Meetup, the DC Graphic Facilitation Meetup, the Design Thinking: DC Meetup, the Service Design DC Meetup, and the DC Service Jam. She is a member of the International Forum of Visual Practitioners (IFVP) and the International Association of Facilitators (IAF).
FAQ
Q: How is a facilitator different from an event planner?
An event planner will help you with the logistics of a meeting or event like room set-up, A/V, and food & beverage.
A facilitator will help you with the people, conversations, content, and activities happening during the meeting or event. As a facilitator, we can provide expertise and guidance including the best options for room set-up, agenda design, and materials needed.
Q: How much will it cost?
It depends on the length, size, and complexity of your event. For each hour of meeting time, you might assume 2-3 hours of preparation time as a starting point.
Q: Will you travel?
Yes, the client will be responsible for travel costs. Rachel is based in the Raleigh/Cary, NC area.
Q: Do you know anyone local to me?
Possibly! Reach out and ask. I work with facilitators across the country and the world.
Q: What if I have more questions?
Send me an email - hello@daringstudios.com - I’d be delighted to answer any question you might have.
Let’s work together.
Interested in working together? Fill out some info and we will be in touch shortly! We can't wait to hear from you!