Ep.24 – The accidental profession: How DO we become facilitators?
This episode is about how we find our way into the world of facilitation and training, what it means to have a co-founder walk by your side, and how you build a brand people recognise.
Marcus is a facilitator and co-founder of a facilitation and training business, based in Australia. He has been in the industry for over 23 years, has grown and sold one learning business, and is building another thriving entity.
Kirsty and Marcus discuss how they became facilitators and the different paths that lead people to the industry. We chat about the concept of deliberate practice and the significance of feedback in achieving expertise. Marcus highlights the value of having a co-founder and the benefits of working with a business partner.
How Marcus became a facilitator by accident!
Why deliberate practice, working at the edge of one’s competence and receiving feedback, is crucial for developing expertise
Humility, hard work, and gratitude are important values for facilitators to uphold
Having a co-founder or partner in a facilitation business provides support, different skills, and a shared vision
Professional loneliness is a common challenge, and having a professional pack to run with can help alleviate this feeling
Building a brand goes beyond personal reputation and involves curating a team of trusted professionals
Investing in an equity structure and creating a strong foundation for the business can provide long-term value and stability.
Having a co-founder can provide support and balance during challenging times.
Recommended book: ‘Partnership Charter’ by David Gage
My invitation to you is to grab a cuppa, join me on the pink seat, and tune in your ears.
A Facilitator’s Journey is the podcast that looks at how you run your businesses as a facilitator or trainer.
You started this work because you have a passion that you want to share with organisations. However, there is the small detail that you are now running a business and this requires a whole other set of skills and knowledge.
Join me, Kirsty Lewis, Founder of School of Facilitation, as I interview trainers and facilitators about how they manage their businesses. I will explore how people run their finances, price their work, scale up, scale down, decide to retire, market themselves, manage clients, and much much more.