Hello friends,
Greetings from Barcelona ☀️
🙌Many thanks for reading The Quest, your weekly round-up of tips and insights to help you design and lead exceptional online sessions that your group members will love.❤️
Let’s jump right in!
Lately, many of you have been asking about the tools I use behind the scenes.
Glad you asked! When I started my online facilitation business four years ago my tech stack was pretty basic: just Zoom and a simple laptop. It turns out that there’s a whole lot you can do with a tech stack of two:)
Since then my tech stack has grown from 2 to 12.
As I’ve evolved so has my tech stack. I’ve discovered easy-to-use software that improves my teaching, streamlines course management, and helps me manage my business.
It’s worth knowing your options.
A robust tech stack saves you a ton of time. It can boost the quality of your live sessions. And it can open new professional doors.
And the best part?
You don’t have to be a tech whiz (trust me!) or have a big budget to make this work.
How do you build a killer virtual facilitation tech stack (without breaking the bank)? That’s our Quest for this week.🔎
⚒️How to build your tech stack (without being tech-savvy or breaking the bank)
Thanks to the generosity of amazing course creators, I’ve been able to curate a tech stack that simplifies running high-quality live sessions and managing my business.
My tech stack costs me approx. 315 €/mo. But you don’t have to spend that much. There’s a lot you can do with 100% free versions of these tools.
This is the combo that works for me as an online facilitator, course creator, and solopreneur. Your tech stack will depend 100% on your specific needs. It’s definitely not a one-size-fits-all situation. And there are way more sophisticated setups out there.
Here’s my tech stack and exactly how I use it in case it sparks some ideas and saves you some time👇
💻RUNNING LIVE SESSIONS
1/ Zoom – Pro Plan 62.90€/mo
Still my favorite platform for running live online sessions. Zoom has the features and flexibility to create engaging experiences from scratch.
2/ StreamAlive – Free version
StreamAlive is my go-to engagement software for polls, word clouds, interactive maps, and more. It integrates directly with the chat to run polls, word clouds, interactive maps, and more.
3/ Luma – free version
Takes the hassle out of setting up and managing live online events by automatically generating Zoom links, invites, event pages, and email follow-ups.
🙋🏽TEACHING TOOLS
4/ Loom – Business version 9.54€/mo
Loom allows you to instantly record and share videos. I use it to create quick pre-recorded videos for my courses. I also use it to work asynchronously with freelancers and collaborators.
5/ Miro – Business version 17.35€/mo
Miro is an online whiteboard for visual collaboration. I use it in live sessions and as a tool for live session design.
6/ Tally – free version
My preferred survey software for creating and embedding registration and feedback forms.
✍️CONTENT CREATION
7/ Chat GPT – Plus plan 23.00€/mo
I use Chat GPT to help me edit content. The results are still hit-and-miss. But it helps me generate fresh ideas and refine drafts.
8/ Hemingway Editor – Free version
Hemingway Editor is another online editor. It complements Chat GPT by simplifying complex sentences which is crucial for online writing.
9/ Evernote – Personal 12.99 €/mo
Evernote is my trusted note-taking app where I store and tag articles, resources, and toolkits that I come across – 1625 and counting:)
📈ONLINE BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
10/ Circle – Professional plan 95.90 €/mo
Circle is the platform I use for my online courses and the Breakthrough Facilitation community. It’s the biggest ticket platform in my tech stack. But it’s what makes running my online business possible. I get a lot of value from Circle, including the active community of course creators to learn with.
11/ ConvertKit – Pro plan 75.00€/mo
ConvertKit is my email marketing software. Unlike Substack, ConvertKit allows you to segment your audience, schedule, and automate emails. With the free version, you can grow your newsletter to 1000 subscribers.
12/ Thrive Cart – One time payment 495€
I use Thrive Cart as my course checkout cart software. I also use it to organize my affiliate campaigns.
13/ Notion – Plus 8.00€/mo
Notion is a single space for organizing “everything that matters”. I use it to manage my course Breakthrough Facilitation, organize my content calendar, create databases of training resources, and more.
14/ Calendly – Essentials monthly 9.63€/mo
Calendly is my meeting scheduling software. I use it for 1:1 calls to onboard students in Breakthrough Facilitation, as the booking system for 15-minute exploration calls, and more.
🪄Live Session Magic – Update!
We are just a few weeks away from the launch of Live Session Magic.🚀 🚀🚀
This week I started building the course landing page.
The good thing about writing the landing page is that it forces you to get really clear on the benefits.
And it comes down to this👇
Good design and thorough prep will take a lot of the hard work off your shoulders during your live session. And it will make it much more likely that people will engage.
If you are looking for a repeatable system for designing top-notch live online sessions, I invite you to join the interest list. You’ll be the first to get the special launch price and bonuses. 🎉🎉🎉
💌 Thanks for reading The Quest
I always love hearing your feedback and suggestions. Just hit reply to share your thoughts and ideas.
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Creatively yours,
Whenever you are ready there are 2 more ways I can help you:
👉Custom coaching & team training. Book a free 15-minute zero-commitment call with me to see how I can support you and your team.
👉5-week Live Online Course. The Breakthrough Facilitation course gives you tools, personalized feedback, and a proven framework for designing and leading high-engagement live sessions. Join the interest list and be the first to get the next cohort dates and discounts.
