Coaches・Facilitators・Educators
Break up with the burnout, the backlash and the 'blah'...
...and create group sessions that will bring rave reviews.
Coaches・Facilitators・Educators
Break up with the burnout, the backlash and the 'blah'...
...and create group sessions that will bring rave reviews.
Group sessions that fail
can feel like someone peed in the pool...
...and now no one wants to swim.
Even experienced coaches, educators, and facilitators can fall into one (or more) of these traps:
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🚫 |
Blank stares and scrolling phones. You're met with apathy instead of energy and curiosity. While a handful of people dominate the room, you struggle to engage other members. (Even with storytelling and icebreakers.) |
|
🚫 |
Tension or conflict poisons the room. It might be between group members or directed at you. (Every practitioner's worst nightmare). |
|
🚫 |
Not enough tangible progress. Clients aren’t able to apply the changes they want to make. (Is it them? Is it the environment they go back to? Is it the content?) |
Group sessions that fail
can feel like someone peed in the pool...
...and now no one wants to swim.
Even experienced coaches, educators, and facilitators can fall into one (or more) of these traps:
|
🚫 |
Blank stares and scrolling phones. You're met with apathy instead of energy and curiosity. While a handful of people dominate the room, you struggle to engage other members. (Even with storytelling and icebreakers.) |
|
🚫 |
Tension or conflict poisons the room. It might be between group members or directed at you. (Every practitioner's worst nightmare). |
|
🚫 |
Not enough tangible progress. Clients aren’t able to apply the changes they want to make. (Is it them? Is it the environment they go back to? Is it the content?) |
And every attempt to fix it only seems to make things worse…
And every attempt to fix it only seems to make things worse…
...For clients this leads to:
|
🚫 |
Broken trust. They feel unsafe, silenced, or even wounded because things took a bad turn. (They dread stepping back into the water.) |
|
🚫 |
Lost confidence. They doubt their ability to reach their goal. They feel inadequate and hopeless. (They believe there is no point in even trying.) |
|
🚫 |
Cynicism. They become cynical about the process and about you. They stop showing up. (They start speaking badly about your work.) |
...For clients this leads to:
|
🚫 |
Broken trust. They feel unsafe, silenced, or even wounded because things took a bad turn. (They dread stepping back into the water.) |
|
🚫 |
Lost confidence. They doubt their ability to reach their goal. They feel inadequate and hopeless. (They believe there is no point in even trying.) |
|
🚫 |
Cynicism. They become cynical about the process and about you. They stop showing up. (They start speaking badly about your work.) |
AND YOU?
You feel like a fish out of water. You wonder if you're even meant to do this.
You're so burnt out, you have nothing to give any more.
AND YOU?
You feel like a fish out of water. You wonder if you're even meant to do this.
You're so burnt out, you have nothing to give any more.
Group sessions don’t have to be a tsunami.
Just as water shapes land over time, the group has the power to transform its members and you. With enough skill and sensitivity, you can shape the group - without trying to control it.
You can turn the tide with these three things (which anyone can learn):
- Interactive learning
- Navigating difficult group dynamics
- Owning your inner world, so the group can come first.
1. Interactive learning:
You can’t teach someone to swim through demonstrations, PowerPoint slides, or by coaching one person while everyone else watches.
Whether it’s new skills, behavioural changes or group transformation:
People learn best through doing, co-creation and community — not through consuming, competition and isolation.
When you understand the principles of interactive learning, you’ll know when and how to use them. You’ll also know how to adapt them so that clients can leave the pool to swim in the ocean.’
2. Navigating difficult group dynamics:
Groups are like the ocean, wild, deep, and unpredictable. Just as the weather shifts the surface of the sea, group dynamics can stir up waves of conflict or dominance or silence.
Groups are full of hidden currents and the riskiest moments are when those currents meet.
These moments are opportunities for growth.
This is where the magic happens. It’s not just about a better plan, it’s about understanding the power of the group and the principles and strategies to make it work. Groups can carry you somewhere extraordinary
3. Owning your inner world, so the group can come first.
No matter how well the session is designed, groups respond to who you are in the room.
When you're not aware of your blindspots, emotional triggers and biases, it's like offering people a leaky lifeboat when they're in trouble.
You want the ability to withstand harsh conditions and support people in any situation without freaking out.
The right personal work will enable you to:
- Challenge group members with care not control.
- Balance spontaneity and wonder with rigour and ritual.
- Share your wisdom while making space for theirs.
Group sessions don’t have to be a tsunami.
Just as water shapes land over time, the group has the power to transform its members and you. With enough skill and sensitivity, you can shape the group - without trying to control it.
You can turn the tide with these three things (which anyone can learn):
- Interactive learning
- Navigating difficult group dynamics
- Owning your inner world, so the group can come first.
1. Interactive learning:
You can’t teach someone to swim through demonstrations, PowerPoint slides, or by coaching one person while everyone else watches.
Whether it’s new skills, behavioural changes or group transformation:
People learn best through doing, co-creation and community — not through consuming, competition and isolation.
When you understand the principles of interactive learning, you’ll know when and how to use them. You’ll also know how to adapt them so that clients can leave the pool to swim in the ocean.’
2. Navigating difficult group dynamics:
Groups are like the ocean, wild, deep, and unpredictable. Just as the weather shifts the surface of the sea, group dynamics can stir up waves of conflict or dominance or silence.
Groups are full of hidden currents and the riskiest moments are when those currents meet.
These moments are opportunities for growth.
This is where the magic happens. It’s not just about a better plan, it’s about understanding the power of the group and the principles and strategies to make it work. Groups can carry you somewhere extraordinary
3. Owning your inner world, so the group can come first.
No matter how well the session is designed, groups respond to who you are in the room.
When you're not aware of your blindspots, emotional triggers and biases, it's like offering people a leaky lifeboat when they're in trouble.
You want the ability to withstand harsh conditions and support people in any situation without freaking out.
The right personal work will enable you to:
- Challenge group members with care not control.
- Balance spontaneity and wonder with rigour and ritual.
- Share your wisdom while making space for theirs.
Skeptical?
You might be thinking:
Skeptical?
You might be thinking:
“Will this actually work for me?"
“There’s not enough time to do this and hit outcomes.”
When people get lasting results, it saves time. It creates time. And the same is true for money, relationships, and emotional wellbeing. What works in one area ripples through the rest.
“This won’t work with my people.”
You may believe it can’t work for the culture, politics, or personalities you’re dealing with. Executives. Project Managers. Prisoners. Teens. We’ve done it with all of them.
"It sounds too fluffy."
But study after study confirms it: interactive learning leads to deeper retention, faster integration, and more sustainable change. From behavioural shifts to measurable team performance, this isn’t soft.
“Will this actually work for me?"
“There’s not enough time to do this and hit outcomes.”
When people get lasting results, it saves time. It creates time. And the same is true for money, relationships, and emotional wellbeing. What works in one area ripples through the rest.
“This won’t work with my people.”
You may believe it can’t work for the culture, politics, or personalities you’re dealing with. Executives. Project Managers. Prisoners. Teens. We’ve done it with all of them.
"It sounds too fluffy."
But study after study confirms it: interactive learning leads to deeper retention, faster integration, and more sustainable change. From behavioural shifts to measurable team performance, this isn’t soft.
Let's look at the data.
👇 👇 👇
Let's look at the data.
👇 👇 👇
"I'm now able to solve problems quickly and effectively. In particular, I'm able to deal with problems in my management team. The team has followed suit and changed their thinking and doing things. I've taken on new challenges like public speaking. I'm physically fitter. Before the sessions, I wasn’t exercising. I now run 8km a day. I am preparing for a 21km marathon. I look forward to the challenges of the ‘Two Ocean Marathon.’ Jo really helped me to see and learn new things about myself and taught me to take on a new way of thinking. Despite it being a tough year, I've gained new confidence. I definitely feel better about myself and my future.
- Mike Halle, Managing Director, Easy8 (Pty) Ltd.
When group work works, it really works.
"I'm now able to solve problems quickly and effectively. In particular, I'm able to deal with problems in my management team. The team has followed suit and changed their thinking and doing things. I've taken on new challenges like public speaking. I'm physically fitter. Before the sessions, I wasn’t exercising. I now run 8km a day. I'm preparing for a 21km marathon. I look forward to the challenges of the ‘Two Ocean Marathon.’ Jo really helped me to see and learn new things about myself and taught me to take on a new way of thinking. Despite it being a tough year, I've gained new confidence. I definitely feel better about myself and my future.
- Mike Halle, Managing Director, Easy8 (Pty) Ltd.
When group work works, it really works.
What makes Voice to Visibility different?
Our rehearsal room: You'll try out real solutions, real conversations and real behaviours, in a safe way, before the pressure is on. Like pilots running simulations, our clients practise life. We’ve done this with artists and accountants, in boardrooms and prison cells, from children’s classrooms to corporate boardrooms. The context changes. The method works.
In our sessions, each group becomes a tidal pool...
...shallow enough to feel safe, deep enough to surprise you. Participants can give voice to their dreams and feel seen and heard. At any moment:
- One person might be working on their confidence to speak up in a meeting
- Another, learning a new skill.
- Another, solving a complex problem.
Participants float at the sides, they paddle the shallow end. They surf the waves and scuba dive to the mysteries of the coral reef. They swim with dolphins (and sharks). And rest on the beach.
What makes Voice to Visibility different?
Our rehearsal room: You'll try out real solutions, real conversations and real behaviours, in a safe way, before the pressure is on. Like actors, pilots running simulations, our clients practise life. We’ve done this with artists and accountants, in boardrooms and prison cells, from children’s classrooms to corporate boardrooms.
The context changes. The method works. In our sessions, each group becomes a tidal pool...
...shallow enough to feel safe, deep enough to surprise you. Participants can give voice to their dreams and feel seen and heard. At any moment:
- One person might be working on their confidence to speak up in a meeting
- Another, learning a new skill.
- Another, solving a complex problem.
Participants float at the sides, they paddle the shallow end. They surf the waves and scuba dive to the mysteries of the coral reef. They swim with dolphins (and sharks). And rest on the beach.
"There are a dime a dozen if you want a normal corporate coach. If you want someone who can push and shift you sideways, Jo is your coach."
"Talk about getting more than you bargained for. In the time Jo worked at Raizcorp, she completely revolutionised the business. The relationships she built and the impact she had were beyond words. Most of those in Raizcorp who Jo coached have discovered parts of themselves that they never knew or wanted to know. Jo has an incredible way of making a person shift toward personal enlightenment and fulfilment with integrity and compassion. There are a dime a dozen if you want a normal corporate coach. If you want someone who can push and shift you sideways, Jo is your coach."
- Allon Raiz, CEO, Raizcorp Business Prosperator. (Young Global Leader 2008 and Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the Oliver Transformation and Empowerment Awards 2013)
"There are a dime a dozen if you want a normal corporate coach. If you want someone who can push and shift you sideways, Jo is your coach."
"Talk about getting more than you bargained for. In the time Jo worked at Raizcorp, she completely revolutionised the business. The relationships she built and the impact she had were beyond words. Most of those in Raizcorp who Jo coached have discovered parts of themselves that they never knew or wanted to know. Jo has an incredible way of making a person shift toward personal enlightenment and fulfilment with integrity and compassion. There are a dime a dozen if you want a normal corporate coach. If you want someone who can push and shift you sideways, Jo is your coach."
- Allon Raiz, CEO, Raizcorp Business Prosperator. (Young Global Leader 2008 and Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the Oliver Transformation and Empowerment Awards 2013)
And that's why they'll want to come back.
"I’ve been recommended to run so many workshops because of what I learned from you"
“Working with you has solidified my skills in terms of rendering them to my participants. I’ve become more assertive and articulate with what I share in workshops. I deal with life with more understanding and openness. I’ve shifted stereotypes and I’ve been recommended to run so many workshops because of what I learned from you. I’m also a stronger and more comprehensive musician whose international tours include workshops that are inspired by your skills.“
– Teba Shumba, Musician, facilitator and community activist.
And that's why they'll want to come back.
"I’ve been recommended to run so many workshops because of what I learned from you"
“Working with you has solidified my skills in terms of rendering them to my participants. I’ve become more assertive and articulate with what I share in workshops. I deal with life with more understanding and openness. I’ve shifted stereotypes and I’ve been recommended to run so many workshops because of what I learned from you. I’m also a stronger and more comprehensive musician whose international tours include workshops that are inspired by your skills.“
– Teba Shumba, Musician, facilitator and community activist.
What some of our clients, from different contexts, have said:
"Jo is one of the most creative service providers in SA today. She is a phenomenal coach and facilitator, this is reflected in her life as well as her work."
– Adelaide Fyffe, The Colour Engine, Organisational Development Work.
"Jo is tough…but in a safe way. She helped us to stand up to our own BS’. Now we all move through things so much more quickly. She challenged the entire team to think about why we were at Glam Slam and how we were doing what needed to be done, including us as executives. The team is now cohesive, willing to go the extra mile and dedicated. Confidence and courage have increased and we bring the right people on board."
– Laurel Pretorius, Creative Director, Glam Slam, Reinforcement Marketing Events Company
"A wise person once told me, when I said I felt lost, that ‘you can never lose something unless you had it in the first place’. Jo’s workshops were like a coming home ceremony. For the first time, I remembered what judgment-free zones felt like. I learned how to live my life again with flair, grace and to fear nothing. I learned to embrace my gifts, to acknowledge them and honour them. I am still on this journey but the first few miles have been WONDERFUL! Her workshops empowered me to accept and love all the pieces of myself, even the stuff that lives in the dark corners of my soul.."
– Lesedi Moche, Producer,’ Late Night with Kgomotso’
What some of our clients, from different contexts, have said:
"Jo is one of the most creative service providers in SA today. She is a phenomenal coach and facilitator, this is reflected in her life as well as her work."
– Adelaide Fyffe, The Colour Engine, Organisational Development Work.
"Jo is tough…but in a safe way. She helped us to stand up to our own BS’. Now we all move through things so much more quickly. She challenged the entire team to think about why we were at Glam Slam and how we were doing what needed to be done, including us as executives. The team is now cohesive, willing to go the extra mile and dedicated. Confidence and courage have increased and we bring the right people on board."
– Laurel Pretorius, Creative Director, Glam Slam, Reinforcement Marketing Events Company
"A wise person once told me, when I said I felt lost, that ‘you can never lose something unless you had it in the first place’. Jo’s workshops were like a coming home ceremony. For the first time, I remembered what judgment-free zones felt like. I learned how to live my life again with flair, grace and to fear nothing. I learned to embrace my gifts, to acknowledge them and honour them. I am still on this journey but the first few miles have been WONDERFUL! Her workshops empowered me to accept and love all the pieces of myself, even the stuff that lives in the dark corners of my soul.."
– Lesedi Moche, Producer,’ Late Night with Kgomotso’
"Jo is a thorough and efficient facilitator, who has the prowess of bringing together unconnected people, into forming successful business ventures."
- Hemant Vanmali, National Manager, Absa Bank, Johannesburg
'When my company hosted ‘Colours of a Diaspora’, Jo’s workshop facilitation allowed each and every one of us to be open and honest but also to heal around issues of race, gender and cultural differences. Jo is definitely my first point of call on a personal and professional level when I want to go to the next level.”
- Napo Masheane, Village Gossip Productions, multi-award winning playwright, director, poet, artistic Director of PACOFS
"The relationships amongst the team have improved, and almost everyone seems to have a more positive outlook. There is improved communication and connection. The process was fun and inspiring.
.– Andrew and Barbara McGregor, Directors, Cohesion Project Management Firm (Pty) Ltd
"Jo is a thorough and efficient facilitator, who has the prowess of bringing together unconnected people, into forming successful business ventures."
- Hemant Vanmali, National Manager, Absa Bank, Johannesburg
'When my company hosted ‘Colours of a Diaspora’, Jo’s workshop facilitation allowed each and every one of us to be open and honest but also to heal around issues of race, gender and cultural differences. Jo is definitely my first point of call on a personal and professional level when I want to go to the next level.”
- Napo Masheane, Village Gossip Productions, multi-award winning playwright, director, poet, artistic Director of PACOFS
"The relationships amongst the team have improved, and almost everyone seems to have a more positive outlook. There is improved communication and connection. The process was fun and inspiring.
.– Andrew and Barbara McGregor, Directors, Cohesion Project Management Firm (Pty) Ltd
‘Jo’s workshops have taught me that my life is a creative process that I direct from within. Jo herself is on the path to living her highest self. To learn from her is to learn from someone who courageously engages her own inner terrain. I am constantly inspired by Jo’s skill, compassion, integrity, honesty and passion for helping people change their lives."
– Lebo Mashile, International poet, performer, facilitator, business owner
For the first time in my life I know I'm gonna be okay (after years of therapy, money and time) and it's not even two months. After just 25% of the programme, I've never felt more empowered, more alive, more confident. I am a better mom - kinder, more open and honest. I don't need to perfect anymore. This sessions have given me happiness even in a really bad situation.
- Dr Sikosana (Medical doctor)
Jo has just run a leadership workshop concentrating on listening skills for the Ubom! Eastern Cape Drama Company, and the positive results have been phenomenal. Jo’s probing work on truth, honesty and heightened interpersonal sensitivity has translated itself to the stage and manifested itself in the most impactive performance language the company has ever developed.
Jo I wish you could see “Living Here”! The show is the talk of the town – and I believe you would be most gratified if you could see how your work has been implemented not only on a personal acting level but also on a magical theatrical level. Thank you!
– Janet Buckland Rhodes University, Ubom Director.
‘Jo’s workshops have taught me that my life is a creative process that I direct from within. Jo herself is on the path to living her highest self. To learn from her is to learn from someone who courageously engages her own inner terrain. I am constantly inspired by Jo’s skill, compassion, integrity, honesty and passion for helping people change their lives."
– Lebo Mashile, International poet, performer, facilitator, business owner
For the first time in my life I know I'm gonna be okay (after years of therapy, money and time) and it's not even two months. After just 25% of the programme, I've never felt more empowered, more alive, more confident. I am a better mom - kinder, more open and honest. I don't need to perfect anymore. This sessions have given me happiness even in a really bad situation.
- Dr Sikosana (Medical doctor)
Jo has just run a leadership workshop concentrating on listening skills for the Ubom! Eastern Cape Drama Company, and the positive results have been phenomenal. Jo’s probing work on truth, honesty and heightened interpersonal sensitivity has translated itself to the stage and manifested itself in the most impactive performance language the company has ever developed.
Jo I wish you could see “Living Here”! The show is the talk of the town – and I believe you would be most gratified if you could see how your work has been implemented not only on a personal acting level but also on a magical theatrical level. Thank you!
– Janet Buckland Rhodes University, Ubom Director.