Praise

I was skeptical that a virtual “offsite” was even worth doing, certainly one that involved “play” for my team, but Melissa proved that it can work. The Communicating for Influence workshop she created for my research team was great at teaching key skills while at the same time being fun! I have already seen my team using these tools in their day to day work. Melissa was easy to work with, and knows how to design and facilitate an impactful program. I have already recommended her to my colleagues at Facebook, and will continue to do so.

This was an incredibly creatively done series of workshops.

Zoom meetings are hard and trying to communicate this kind of information is really challenging, but Melissa you did a really good job of making it dynamic, interesting, and memorable—both activities as well as takeaways for the team.

It’s been amazing to watch them learn new tricks and generate a new, shared vocabulary around the different challenges that we face as researchers, and a toolkit of different tactics that they can take forward into their research as well as into their stakeholder relationships.

Also, from a team dynamic standpoint it’s been incredibly empowering as a manager to watch the team bond, and see them become more willing to share with each other and work together and support each other as they’re trying to practice these communicating for influence skills.

It’s been an absolute gift and an amazing experience, one I would highly recommend to anyone—any manager, any group, anywhere.

Thanks for uplevelling our team, Melissa! It was wonderful getting to work with you.

I wanted to personally thank you for the interactive, fun and impactful workshop you moderated for our team.

Melissa’s “Communicating for Influence” program was an impactful, refreshing change from “typical” team education sessions. We saw deep engagement and real learning through the highly interactive and very fun activities. It’s a unique offering totally designed for this challenging video meeting age we’re in, and maximizes the possibilities of the medium. Customizing the course with Melissa was a wonderful process – she was so collaborative and focused on the results we needed.

Melissa did an excellent job facilitating the retreat for the Board of Directors for our non-profit organization. I honestly had no idea what to expect or what was on the agenda when I walked in. It turned out to be fun, interactive and insightful. Through her methods, I got to know the other board members much better. It definitely led to a better understanding of each other’s unique strengths and experience, and the perspective each of us brings to the organization.

Britta was an excellent choice…thorough in her research, raised interesting points early and was able to draw key insights out of a complex field.

Melissa facilitated an AWESOME staff retreat for Hebrew Free Loan. All of us had a terrific experience and we all came away the better for having participated. The team was definitely strengthened over the course of the day. I would absolutely recommend Melissa and Creative Sandbox Solutions for any team that could benefit from better communication, increased respect for one another, and renewed determination to work together towards a common goal.

Britta’s talent as a communicator is only surpassed by her gifts as a listener. I found her consultation to be precise, creative and invaluable… If you have an opportunity to work with her, grab it!

Melissa is a talented facilitator and a fun teacher! When I took one of her workshops, I was blown away by the abundance of practical resources, the modelling and demonstration of good leadership, and the energetic collaboration she brought to the group meeting.

My biggest takeaway from the workshop was the brilliant way you effectively brought process elements normally used IN-PERSON to the virtual platform. I loved the fast pace, your expectation that everyone would participate in the active components, and the fact that you provided so many tools that can be adapted to various situations.

If I could change anything, I’d be tempted to say “make it longer – I want more!” The two hours FLEW by!

I’ve never felt so engaged and aware of my fellow participants as I did in this [virtual] workshop. The games and activities activated empathic connections in a whole new way for me.

This was the first Zoom meeting that didn’t leave me feeling drained (despite being an awfully extroverted activity for an introvert).

My biggest takeaway from Non-Boring Virtual Meetings was the creative ways to engage team members. I’ll be recommending this workshop to friends and colleagues, because it’s really easy to disengage from virtual meetings and do other things. Your ideas give a reason to stay tuned.

Having designed and facilitated meetings for many years I’ve learned the critical importance of managing the energy of any gathering. And it is this aspect I struggle with most as events move on line.

That’s why the aspect I liked best about Non-Boring Virtual Meetings was the energy and sense of play/exploration.

To succeed in this new world we all need to adopt a “beginners mind” and Melissa makes that a reality by providing a space of experimentation and discovery that is essential if we want to create genuinely engaging and energizing on line experiences.

I loved the energy of this workshop! Thanks for helping me see that there are ways to reach all kinds of learners.

Melissa provided an engaging workshop with tangible exercises that we experienced—and some tips to use functions within Zoom more dynamically—which I’ll be bringing into my own sessions! I especially loved learning how to make physical interaction more possible. Highly recommended!

It was a game-changer and I really enjoyed it! Thank you!