Confessions of a Facilitation Artist

This week’s episode is a wrap-up, so I’ll keep this short and sweet. If you’re looking for the deep insights and big frameworks from The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan, head back to the earlier episodes in this series — that’s where the real meat is. This one is more of a send-off.

Go ahead and give it a quick listen, but here’s a snapshot of what I covered this week:

* The final two chapters of The One Thing — The Journey and Putting the One Thing to Work

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Note: Thanks to Claude (with me in the loop), the AI blog version is back. All of it is derived from the podcast — which goes deeper if you’re so inclined. Also, any pulled quoted are excerpts from the book.

We’re still in Part 3 of “The One Thing” by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan. Last week covered the why, what, and how — purpose, priority, and productivity. This week is about what happens after you’ve identified your ONE Thing: the commitments you need to make to stay on the path, and the forces that will pull you off it.

Note: Hey all. Thanks to Claude (with me in the loop), the AI blog version is back again. All of it is derived from the podcast — which goes deeper if you’re so inclined.

We’re into Part 3 of “The One Thing” by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan — and this section is called Extraordinary Results: Unlocking the Possibilities Within You. Today we’re covering the first three chapters: Live With Purpose (the why), Live by Priority (the what), and Live for Productivity (the how).

This post stands alone — no book required, no previous episodes needed.

The book op...

Note: Hey all. The blog version is back this week. All of it is derived from the podcast — which goes deeper if you're so inclined.

This week we’re diving back into part two (chapters 10-12) of “The One Thing” by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan. This post stands alone — no book required, no previous episodes needed.

“There is an art of clearing away the clutter and focusing on what matters. It is simple and transferable. It just requires the courage to take a different approach.” — George Anders

Whether I’m facilitating a design sprint, try...

Right now, my priority is the podcast over polished Substack posts due to time constraints as a busy working mom—listen for the full, unedited conversation!

In this episode of Confessions of a Facilitation Artist, I dive into chapters 8 and 9 of The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan, busting the myths of “a balanced life” and “big is bad.”

What I Talked About

I share raw reflections on shifting from full-time work to part-time (25 hours/week) to build The Meeting Kitchen while prioritizing family time with my boys (ages 6 and 10). I navigate t...

Quick Note: This Week is Podcast-OnlyHey everyone. I’ve decided NOT to create a blog version in Substack because writing that is just not my one thing right now. If you really want to follow along, definitely I encourage you to listen to the podcast. Maybe I’ll bring back the full Substack, but I’m just giving you the cliff’s notes today.

In this episode, I share how I’m applying The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan—turning to-do lists into success lists and focusing on my “one thing” to promote my upcoming trainin...

Hello, everyone! If you are reading this in real time, Happy Valentine’s Day. Last week I kicked off a series on The ONE Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan. We discussed the first three chapters. This week we are talking about chapters 4 and 5, which is part of Part One: The Lies: They Lead Us and Derail Us.

Don’t worry, you don’t need to read the book unless you choose, and you don’t need to listen to all episodes. Each podcast/blog is meant to stand alone with its own insight and small experime...

Happy February! I started Confessions of a Facilitation Artist and this Substack as a simple practice: show up for what I’m curious about. Over time, it’s become a place where my worlds of facilitation, art, and product leadership intersect with my love of self‑development and purposeful productivity.

Lately, I’ve been in a bit of an identity wobble with this podcast and newsletter. I love showing up here every week, but I’m still figuring out where it fits in my larger business, The Meeting Kitchen. Is this my one thing—or a beautiful side project...

Hey everyone! What a week! I’ve been facilitating my second design sprint of the year, putting the finishing touches on my Deep Work Days micro‑course, and riding the energy of an incredible From Intention to Action workshop on Friday. Thank you so much to everyone who showed up, engaged, and trusted me with your time. Even with all of those bright spots, there was ONE quiet moment this week that completely rocked my world—and that’s what today’s post is about.

Today you’ll learn:

* How fear can suddenly show up like a “veil...

Before you read…This post is the short, tidy version of this week’s Confessions of a Facilitation Artist episode. If you want the full emotional arc—including why I was genuinely afraid to hit publish this week—go listen to the episode for the raw, unedited story behind the words.

Today’s Topic: Workshopping Yourself

Today I’m talking about workshopping yourself: using the same tools we bring to groups to gently reset your own story, state, and next steps.

In this post, you’ll:

* Learn why “strategy” isn’t enough when you feel...

Hey everyone, I’m releasing this podcast episode and companion post early because I didn’t want you to miss a special announcement coming Sunday the 18th. Just fill out this quick founding member form, and you’ll get an email straight to your inbox with the first look at Deep Work Days, including a massive discount and exclusive bonuses.

Also, while this blog version distills the key insights into a tight why/what/how format, but for the full experience—with all the quirky, vulnerable stories with memorable insights—listen to the pod. I intentionally keep episodes a...

This post is the practical snapshot of a much richer conversation from this week’s Confessions of a Facilitation Artist podcast. If you want the stories, nuance, and “oh my gosh, that’s me” moments, listen to the episode first, then come back here to put the ideas into action.

And if this hits home, my upcoming micro‑course, Deep Work Days, walks you step‑by‑step through this work with templates, scripts, and more detailed guidance.

Why Your Calendar Needs a Cleanse

Before I started doing what I now call a calendar cleanse, my da...

At the close of each year, I engage in an energy audit. It is one of the simplest practices I have for reclaiming my time, my joy, and my focus as a a leader, entrepreneur and and working mom.

This post is a written version of an the podcast episode, where I walk through how I do my own energy audit, why it matters, and how I am turning this into a micro-course for leaders who want more intention and focus in their days. I always recommend the podcast over the blog version. You also can subscribe...

As always, I recommend you listen to the podcast version here or wherever you listen to podcasts! It’s more fun, human and filled with inspirational context…sometimes! It’s also less than 20 minutes which is really short on 1.5x.

It’s the end of the year, and if you’re anything like me, you might be feeling that strange combination of gratitude, exhaustion, and “wait… what just happened?”

This year brought its share of ups and downs — in business, life, and everything in between. As an entrepreneur, it often feels like I’m working all the time. Even w...

Hey everyone! This week is a little different. I actually made a video post. Watch my raw, on-camera Lightning Research Review of 2025’s top Substack insights—it’s a fun, visual recap using a Miro board you can explore yourself. I time-boxed it to highlight eight game-changing artifacts with quick takeaways, proving consistency drives real growth. You can view the actual miro board where I documented this with links too!

Top Insights

I walked through my solo Miro board, linking back to key posts and podcasts for you to dive deeper.

1. Embracing the Magic<...

Note: If you want the full story and step-by-step walkthrough, listen to the latest podcast version of Confessions of a Facilitation Artist where I break this down in detail.

Snowstorms in Michigan have me thinking about “crap storms”—my go-to technique for surfacing fears and risks through playful pre-mortems, inspired by Gary Klein’s method of imagining project failure upfront. It counters optimism bias, sparks honest talks, and primes killer solutions for personal hurdles or team brainstorms.

I use it solo when fears flood in on tough problems: jot worst cases, laugh at the absurdity, then fli...

Note: If you want the full story and step‑by‑step walkthrough, listen to the latest podcast version of Confessions of a Facilitation Artist where I break this down in detail. Also, scroll to the bottom to get a quick start guide!

As the year winds down and strategy season ramps up, I’ve been reflecting on the different ways I’ve facilitated strategy at my company. One exercise keeps rising to the top as my go‑to for cutting through noise, gathering context quickly, and getting a cross‑functional group aligned: a simple 25‑minute activity I call the Light...

Note: Listen to the podcast for more detail and examples!

Greetings from upstate NY! I’ve been visiting my family and, as I do at the end of most years, reflecting on what’s working for me and what isn’t. About a year ago, during one of those reflections, I audited my calendar and created a simple hack that’s changed how I work. I call it: Brown Meetings.

I’m a mom of two boys (10 and 5) and, until recently, I was in a full-time corporate role; now I’m part-time, but the meeting load is stil...

Happy November! If you tuned in last week, you know I’m pivoting a bit with this podcast. Life has its ebbs and flows (I don’t think I need to remind anyone of that these days), and the best I can offer is to show up as I am, pressing record—or, in this case, hitting publish—without over-editing or chasing perfection. Progress, not perfection, ALWAYS!

NOTE: IF YOU READ OR LISTEN TO THIS, YOU’LL LEARN HOW TO GET A HANDMADE PAPERCUT CARD FROM ME IN 2026!

Shifting into Gratitude Season

Since it’s Thank...

The Power—and Reality—of Networks

Hey, everyone. I am dropping this one today because it compliments some hard news I shared on Facebook today. This week’s blog is going to be short and honest (which may be a better version to listen to!) I’ve been up to some pretty cool things (more on that later), and this episode is inspired by Questlove’s “Creative Quest,” especially the chapter 4, The Network.

Why Community Matters to Me

When I moved to Grand Rapids in 2019 and started working remote, I knew I needed real...

Welcome back to Confessions of a Facilitation Artist. This week I’m sharing some deep insights from Chapter 3 of Questlove’s Creative Quest—all about Getting Started with creativity, igniting ideas, capturing inspiration, and embracing even the wildest thoughts.

Whether you’re new here or following the series, you don’t need to have read the book or listened to previous episodes to get value from this post. My aim with these reflections is to spark your own creative journey and share practical ways to show up for your creative self.

The Creative Process Is Always in...

I’m back with the blog version if you prefer to read! This blog post distills insights (yes, this week with the help of AI because I am really short on time) from my latest podcast inspired by Chapter 2 of Questlove’s Creative Quest, exploring the subtle and surprising power of mentors and apprentices. The podcast has many more insights and stories (and was not created by AI), so it’s worth a listen at 1.5 speed.

Mentorship: Not Always What You Expect

Questlove’s second chapter dives into mentors and apprenticeships. The most striking lesson? We often...

Hey friends! First, thank you all who reached out to me the last week after I shared I needed to take a break for a family emergency.

This week, Confessions of a Facilitation Artist is shifting to podcast-only mode, at least for now and perhaps a while longer. There won’t be a full blog version. Instead, you’ll find these episodes kept intentionally short (

Everything Is Figureoutable: The World Needs Your Gift

Progress, not perfection. That’s been my guiding mantra for years, and Marie Forleo’s “Everything is Figureoutable” has been both a compass and a flashlight through my own messy creative journey and career pivots for the last few months. This week, we close the circle with Chapter 10: “The World Needs Your Special Gift.” My hope is to bring the chapter’s transformational wisdom to you—heartfelt, unfiltered, and ready for action.

Your Unique Expression Is Irreplaceable

Martha Graham’s words resonate through this chapter and my life:

Hey, everyone! This week we’re exploring Chapter 9 of Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo. The chapter, Refuse to Be Refused is really hitting me and here’s why… (vulnerability alert)

Yesterday, I wrapped up my free training—”Creating Impactful Solutions in Less Than Three Hours Without Months of Meetings, Research, and Debate”—with roughly 90 people registered and about 45 who actually attended. The turnout was fantastic, the feedback was warm, and there’s already a handful lining up to learn more. By every measure, it was a success.

And yet, as I sit here today, what lingers are...

Happy Fall, y’all! I must confess that I am truly enjoying documenting my journey and sharing insights with you week after week. It’s hard to believe we’ve already reached the final quarter of the year. I have shown up for myself—and for you—EVERY single week since the beginning of 2025. I press record, share my raw stories, and publish—cracks, coughs, and all—and then transform them into the blog post you’re reading right now!

Why do I do this? Because I am all about progress, not perfection. And that’s the big wisdom I want...

Hello, wonderful people! I owe you all a little bit more insight. Last week’s podcast and blog included some big news, so I figured I’d throw in a bonus episode to explain why and what is happening.

Spoiler: I didn’t fully quit my job, I transformed it with the collaboration with the company leaders. So I am sorry to disappoint you if you were hoping for a rage-quite story. It’s really about shifting gears, owning my impact, and blending joy with meaningful change. My story is really about how I transformed my full-time job into...

Yes, I am releasing this post early with a quick note: Yes, there is some big news at the bottom of this post but I encourage you read and listen to this week’s substack anyway! I am am here to support you on your journey through big and small moves. I believe the insight from this chapter are important for your growth!

Start Before You’re Ready — From Fear to Action

Hey, friends! We’re right in the heart of our “Everything is Figureoutable” book club, and today we’re diving deep into Chapter 7: “Start Before You...

It’s time to define our dreams! Maybe this sounds cheesy but this is what Chapter 6 of Marie Forleo’s Everything is Figureoutable is all about. If you’re new here, welcome to my ongoing experiment. This podcast and blog is about showing up. I show up to myself and my dreams. I speak out loud about what I’m learning, and hope that it helps you do the same.

On the Trap of Overthinking

If there’s one thing that Marie Forleo makes abundantly clear in this chapter, it’s how paralyzing it is to end...

Hello, all! Welcome back to Confessions of a Facilitation Artist. In this series, I’ve been sharing my reflections from Marie Forleo’s book Everything is Figureoutable. Last time, we unpacked the four-letter word “can’t.” Today, we’re onto another four-letter word. It’s still not profane but very paralyzing: FEAR.

Fear is such a quiet constant in our lives. It slips into our late-night loop of doubts. It shows up in meetings, in blank pages, in hard conversations, in art, in parenting (oh my goodness, especially in parenting). At its worst, fear shrinks us into something smal...

Happy almost Fall y’all! Well, if feels that way in Michigan. This week we’re going to crack open Chapter 4 of Marie Forleo’s “Everything is Figureoutable,” zeroing in on one of the biggest barriers to dreams: Excuses.

Setting the Stage: The Lie We Tell Ourselves

Marie opens this chapter with a quote by Richard Bach, which my sister Annie loves his book, Illusions (hi, Annie, if you are reading this):

“The worst lies are the lies we tell ourselves.”

The ways in which we tell lies is with not just out thoug...

Brutal title right? Just testing to see if the title got you to open the substack email or post! But really, I recently read an Instagram post from Jay Papasan that said “Growth happens in your comfort zone…said no one ever.”

That is EXACTLY why I gave this an edgy title. This series is intended to smash through the “B*llsh*t” as Marie Forleo would say, and guide us on a transformative journey through her book, Everything is Figureoutable. Last week, we laid the foundation with chapters one and two, reflecting on the mantra and the roadma...

Welcome, friends, to the brand new book club series! If you’re reading (or listening) to this for the first time, I’m Monica Joy Krol. I’m a full-time working mom who chooses progress over perfection. This substack, now a book club again for the next several episodes, is about learning and growing together. It’s raw, real, and unedited with some help from AI. Over the next few weeks, we’re diving into one of my favorite new books: Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo. This book is already making me think bigger, deeper, and with so much more...

Over the last six months, I’ve kept my substack content pretty focused. Usually there’s an outline, a theme, often tied to a book I’m reading. But this week? I’m going off-script.

I wanted to share some reflections from my recent week at Full Stack Facilitator with AJ&Smart in Palo Alto. Many of you have asked about it, and I promised I’d give you the behind-the-scenes — not just what I learned, but why I went in the first place.

Why I Went (Even Though I’m Not a Beginner)

If you’ve be...

Hello, all! I admit this post is brought to you by a less than organized self, but I am determined to get this episode/entry across the finish line. If you’ve been following along with my book club journey through Ethan Mollick’s Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI, welcome to our final chapter: Chapter 9: AI as Our Future.

I have to admit, tenacity is not my working genius. If you’ve been around for my “Six Types of Working Genius” series, you know this about me! So it’s a minor miracle (and a testament to progress...

Hey everyone! We’re almost done with our journey through Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI by Ethan Mollick! This week, I’m excited to explore Chapter 8, “AI As A Coach!” Let’s go!

First, the idea of AI as my personal coach or mentor is equal parts thrilling and terrifying. Thrilling because the thought of immediate support and feedback is deliciously tempting for anyone (like me!) obsessively chasing growth. But it’s terrifying because, well, can AI ever really replace the magic of lived human wisdom?

The Expertise Equation: Human Edge in an AI World

...

Hello! Can you believe that summer is half over? My kids start school in about a month, and the other day, my 9-year-old told me how he’s been using ChatGPT to help him with some JSON. (He’s really into coding!) If my 9-year-old is already dabbling in AI, it really makes you stop and wonder: What does this mean for education?

This week, I’m continuing my journey through Ethan Mollick’s Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI, zeroing in on Chapter 7: AI as a Tutor. As I read and reflected, I found new clarity (and hone...

Hello again wherever you are today, mentally, physically or emotionally! I am really excited about this post. If you’re curious about how AI is truly transforming the workplace, not just in theory, but in the day-to-day reality of our jobs, you’ll be excited about this post too!

Today, I’m diving into Ethan Mollick’s Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI, focusing on the insights from Chapter 5: “AI as a Coworker.” This chapter is absolutely packed, and after several read-throughs (and a lot of reflection), I’m excited to distill the key points and anecdotes for you. Let’s...

I’m back from vacation and have renewed enthusiasm to share new stories and reflections from my journey with AI, creativity, and facilitation. This week, I’m exploring the evolving relationship between humans and AI as creative partners, inspired by Chapter 5 of Ethan Mollick’s “Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI.”

Why Talk About AI and Creativity?

As both a facilitator and a product manager, I’m fascinated by how AI is reshaping the creative process, not just for artists and writers, but for anyone who solves problems or builds products. AI is no longer just a tool...

This is a different type of post this week. I’m not writing a traditional blog that compliments the podcast. Instead, I’m just including the raw transcript I fed ElevenLabs to create a podcast episode using my voice clone. This is partly because I want to get back to my vacation, but also because I want to share with you what I did to create this. If you have time, you can listen to the podcast version to hear my voice clone! I can’t promise it’s good. Really, parts of it are really bad but that was like...