Crafting Workshops That Drive Growth and Engagement: The Beyond Her Vision Approach

The Beyond Her Vision Blog:

Workshops are the heartbeat of community learning—they provide immersive, hands-on experiences that help participants move beyond theory and into action. But crafting a workshop that truly engages female founders requires more than a slideshow and Q&A. It demands intentional design, understanding adult learning principles, and a commitment to tangible outcomes. Drawing from my experience hosting Beyond Her Vision’s “Founders Table” and workshops, I’ll guide you through creating workshops that resonate, educate, and inspire sustained application, an approach we love to embody at Beyond Her Vision.

Step 1: Define Clear Learning Objectives

1. What Should Attendees Walk Away With?
   Every workshop needs a north star. For example, when we run our “Pitch Practice Lab,” the objectives are:

   • Articulate a 60-second elevator pitch that clearly communicates your value proposition.

   • Receive peer feedback on clarity, tone, and storytelling.

   • Iterate and refine in real time.

2. Use Bloom’s Taxonomy as a Guide

   • Remember: Participants recall key concepts (e.g., components of a pitch).

   • Understand: They interpret best practices (e.g., why storytelling matters).

   • Apply: They record and deliver their own pitch.

   • Analyze: They compare strengths/weaknesses across peers.

   • Evaluate: They assess their pitch against a rubric.

   • Create: They revise their pitch based on feedback.

Step 2: Structure Your Workshop for Maximum Engagement

1. Start with an Icebreaker Linked to the Topic
   A low-stakes icebreaker sets the tone. If your workshop is “Goal-Setting for Q3,” ask attendees to share “one small win they had last month.” This fosters early connection and primes participants for success-centered thinking.

2. Mix Mini-Lectures with Interactive Activities

   • Mini-Lecture (10 minutes): Present a concise overview—never exceed 20% of total time. Provide examples (e.g., a sample pitch video).

   • Interactive Exercise (20 minutes): Break attendees into small groups (ideally 3–4 people) to practice or brainstorm. Use breakout rooms for virtual workshops or table clusters for in-person.

   • Group Debrief (10 minutes): Reconvene to discuss insights, challenges, and questions.

3. Incorporate Reflective Journaling
   Even a quick 3-minute journaling prompt (“Write down three unique selling points of your business”) can deepen learning. For our “Brand Clarity” workshop, we allocate 5 minutes for silent reflection between exercises.

Step 3: Curate Relevant, Real-World Content

1. Use Authentic Case Studies
   Whenever possible, showcase real-life examples—preferably from female founders in your network. At Beyond Her Vision, we highlight how a member pivoted her wellness brand during COVID—what worked, what didn’t, and key takeaways.

2. Provide Templates & Resources

   • For a “Sponsorship Outreach” workshop, share an editable email template.

   • For a “Content Calendar Planning” session, give a sample spreadsheet with columns: Date, Topic, Format, Platform, CTA.

3. Invite Guest Experts
   A workshop on “Securing PR Coverage” gains instant credibility when a female founder who landed national media leads a segment. These guest spots also strengthen community bonds.

Step 4: Facilitation Techniques for Deeper Connection

1. Active Listening & Inclusive Questioning
   As a facilitator, repeat or paraphrase participant comments (“So what I’m hearing is…”) to ensure everyone feels heard. Ask open-ended questions (“What unique challenges do you face in pitching investors as a female founder?”) rather than yes/no queries.

2. Use a “Parking Lot” for Off-Topic Questions
   For virtual workshops, designate a Slack or Zoom chat thread for questions that may go beyond the scope. Address them at the end or in a follow-up resource email.

3. Encourage Peer-to-Peer Feedback
   Instead of giving all feedback yourself, model how peers can offer constructive critiques. For instance, in our “Pitch Practice Lab,” each presenter receives feedback from two peers using a simple rubric: Clarity, Engagement, Call-to-Action.

Step 5: Follow-Up & Accountability

1. Post-Workshop Recap Email
   Within 24 hours, send an email summarizing:

   • Key takeaways (bullet points)

   • Shared resources (templates, reading lists)

   • A call-to-action (e.g., “Record a revised pitch and share in #pitch-practice channel by Friday”).

2. Assign a “Peer Accountability Partner”
   Encourage two attendees to partner up. They commit to checking in on progress—whether that’s sending a refined pitch, scheduling a call, or posting a milestone. This small commitment drastically increases implementation rates.

3. Measure Impact

   • Track how many participants submit their revised deliverable (e.g., updated pitch) within a week.

   • Survey participants after four weeks: “Have you used what you learned?” and “What results have you seen?”

Tools & Advice

1. Workshop Planning Checklist

   • Define learning objectives (3 per workshop).

   • Prepare slide deck (<10 slides).

   • Create breakout instructions in advance.

   • Draft a two-page resource handout or template.

   • Schedule a dry run with co-host or volunteer.

2. Sample Facilitation Script Snippet

   “Welcome, everyone! Let’s start with a quick icebreaker. In the chat (or on your note sheet), share one small win your business had this month. I’ll give you 60 seconds, then we’ll come back together.”

3. Rubric Template (e.g., for Pitch Feedback)

   CriteriaExcellent (5)Good (4)Needs Improvement (2–3)Actionable Feedback Needed (1)ClarityEngagementValue PropositionCall-to-Action

4. Recommended Tools

   • Miro or Mural for virtual whiteboarding.

   • Loom for recording asynchronous demos.

   • Google Slides with Q&A feature enabled.

   • Zoom (for virtual workshops) with breakout room pre-assignments.