FTF252 Obsess over the participant (not the meeting room) with Steven Demedio
In this episode of the First Time Facilitator podcast, I am thrilled to welcome Steve Demedio to the show. Steve shares his inspiring journey from a career in sales leadership to becoming a passionate facilitator obsessed with creating engaging and memorable learning experiences.
What You'll Learn:
Steve’s facilitation journey: How he transitioned from sales leadership to facilitation, inspired by books like Sharon Bowman’s Training from the Back of the Room.
Adapting to curveballs in facilitation: Steve’s tips for handling unexpected moments, such as tech glitches, by staying in the moment and focusing on participants.
Participant obsession: Why being fully focused on participants, rather than content, is key to creating interactive and impactful learning experiences.
Outdoor learning and creativity: Steve’s passion for moving beyond traditional meeting rooms to outdoor settings that boost creativity and connection. Learn how a simple shift in environment can lead to a 50% increase in creative thinking!
Challenging the status quo: How Steve challenges clients to rethink their agenda, venues, and reliance on tech to achieve deeper, more meaningful outcomes.
The Red Carpet Campout: A sneak peek into our upcoming luxurious camping retreat, where facilitators can unplug, rejuvenate, and engage in creative thinking in nature.
About Steven Demedio
Steve Demedio is an entrepreneur, facilitator, travel consultant, and home-made pizza and camping enthusiast, but above all, a devoted father and husband. His career is built upon a foundation of roles in sales, management, learning, and facilitation across the travel, IT, and corporate services sectors.
Steve’s career has been full of unexpected twists, yet his clear purpose has always been rooted in people, connection, and communication.
Recently, Steve joined forces with his long-time friend Mark Hodgson, who founded Mind & Body Travel in 2019. Together, they’ve created a unique synergy between travel, training, and events.
As Director of Mind & Body Group, Steve curates and facilitates inspiring retreats and training programs that bring teams together, unlocking deeper levels of authentic connection and collaboration.
Connect with Steven Demedio:
About your host: Leanne Hughes
Leanne Hughes is a consultant, speaker and facilitator, maximising team potential by creating influential, contagious work experiences that scale across teams, functions and regions.
Whether launching a change initiative, enabling shifts in performance, or building a culture to achieve next-level success, Leanne's workshops impact both business and lives.
Especially skilled with virtual events (both delivery and behind the scenes advice and coaching) Leanne has distilled her knowledge and experience into The First Time Facilitator and now, a book 'The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint'.
In 2022, Leanne was inducted into The Million Dollar Consulting® Hall of Fame, recognised by her peers as being among the world leaders in consulting. In 2021, Leanne was the winner of Learning Professional of the Year at the Asia Pacific Learning Impact Awards.
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Grab my cheat sheet:
The 5 unpredictable ways to start a Zoom meeting (that predictably work)
