Team Building Podcast - Catalyst Global

David Goldstein, Alex Pett and Sharon Fisher

it@catalystglobal.com — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 00:52:57 +0000

With the Holiday’s coming up quickly, our friends from the Catalyst Global Network talk about what they can offer your team. Looking for an in-person event? No problem! Looking for a virtual event? They can do that! Looking for a combination of the two? They have you covered. Listen to our partners from North America, Alexandra Pett, Sharon Fisher, & David Goldstein, speak about the importance of connecting your team through the upcoming holidays.

David Goldstein – David launched TeamBonding in 1988 as a natural extension of the work he had done in the corporate entertainment industry. His early creations included scavenger hunts, customized murder mysteries, game shows, and many other unique group activities that clients started to request as team building.

Now his company boasts a catalog of innovative events using the power of play as a learning tool and tapping into the correlation of work and play. He says he is guided by Plato’s credo: “You learn more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.”

David is quick to move with the times, consistently bringing new and innovative ideas into the team building industry. In 2020 alone, TeamBonding released this Team Building Around the World Podcast, a Webinar Series, and was among the first to originally have virtual events even before the global need for it arose. No matter where your location is, TeamBonding has a proven solution to build your team.

Alex Pett – Alexandra has been motivating and educating teams with focused, fun, and engaging team building activities for almost 20 years. Having worked across a vast array of industries and companies she has a unique and comprehensive understanding of the challenges involved in developing and implementing effective team building, leadership

training and development programs.

Sharon Fisher – Enthusiastic. Relevant. Creative. Sharon Fisher is the CEO & Chief IdeaSparker of Play with a Purpose, an experiential strategy firm devoted to sparking more innovative, participatory, connected, and fun events. She believes in fusing content with the conversation, education with participation, hands-on with know-how … and making all that fun! They custom design play-based experiences to help organizations solve challenges in an innovative and compelling way. Sharon’s crazy obsession with play started in college. When all her friends were getting “real degrees”, she chose to major in “whistleblowing” as her father called her BSED degree in Recreation. Since then, she’s created with clients including Disney Imagineering & Disney Publishing, Chevrolet, Camp Jeep, BBDO, Novartis, American Express, Frito Lay, CarMax, IBM, McDonald’s, and the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission. The winner of numerous awards, her most prized includes being named one of Orlando’s Best Places to Work and setting two Guinness World Records.

"Our job is to bring people together, to get them talking, to get them having fun, to get them participating in playing together. That's where we've had the headstart because we already do that. It's just a matter of translating that to virtual.” – David

Sit back relax and enjoy ....

Team Building Around the World

The Team Building Podcast brings you inspiration, ideas and best practice from a variety of people involved in the team building industry. You'll meet game creators, activity facilitators, business owners and a whole bunch more from a variety of places around the globe.

Thanks to David Goldstein from Team Bonding, Catalyst USA for his investment and drive to make this podcast possible.

Grab a coffee, sit back relax and enjoy. Listen on:

Apple Podcast | Spotify

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Stu Robertson

it@catalystglobal.com — Tue, 20 Apr 2021 04:58:46 +0000

Reaching from Auckland, New Zealand, your Host Rich, talks to Stu Robertson, the Managing Director and Founder of Team Up Events.

In this episode, Stu talks about what it’s like to return to in-person events and post-covid and how understanding communication styles and personality is a huge benefit, not only in the workplace but also in your personal life.

Stu Robertson has always been fascinated by peak performers, top achievers who exceed expectations, and most notably, teams who are greater than the sum of their parts! As such, he has spent over 15 years working with aspiring athletes, high-performance sports teams, in educational settings, and for the most part, with corporate organizations looking to develop their people and culture.

"And as I mentioned before, the best part isn't that it's all perfect because it never is perfect, but no team is perfect. It's actually showing up the bits that, ‘Hey, this was really great and look how good we can be. And here's a reminder of why these other things are important and we need to keep working on them and focusing on them day to day"

Sit back relax and enjoy ....

https://www.catalystglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/2559445076.mp4

Team Building Around the World

Thanks to David Goldstein from Team Bonding, Catalyst USA for his investment and drive to make this podcast possible.

Grab a coffee, sit back relax and enjoy. Listen on:

Apple Podcast | Spotify

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Masami Sato, B1G1 : Businesses for Good

Esther Daniel — Mon, 23 Nov 2020 17:57:13 +0000

Meet Masami Sato, founder of B1G1 - Business For Good. She is the guiding light behind almost every project at B1G1, from product design to member events to our team culture. Having lived in and traveled to over 30 countries across 5 continents, Masami’s experiences have given her a unique perspective on life and giving. It’s no wonder that she’s so loved and admired in the B1G1 community.

In this episode as Rich interviews Masami you'll find out that B1G1 is a Global giving initiative that helps businesses embed giving in what they do and as a result have a positive impact on others. And you can learn more about the 2500+ businesses around the world on the mission to create a world full of giving. Through B1G1 businesses choose from 500+ high-impact causes around the world to assist. Every listed project undergoes strict vetting by B1G1, so they can make sure every cent of contribution makes a real difference.

“B1G1 is a commitment to becoming a Business for Good. ”

Sit back relax and enjoy...

Team Building Around the World

Thanks to David Goldstein from Team Bonding for his investment and drive to make this podcast possible. Catalyst Global is proud to be represented in the USA by Team Bonding.

Grab a coffee, sit back relax and enjoy. Listen on:

Apple Podcast | Spotify

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Mark Davenport

it@catalystglobal.com — Tue, 17 Nov 2020 04:43:14 +0000

In this podcast, we introduce Mark Davenport, Head of Business Development for Catalyst Global. Mark is responsible for identifying new partner prospects and facilitating their acquisition into the Catalyst Global network of team building.

With 30 years of experience working across all team building industry roles, Mark approaches his pioneering position with a broad depth of knowledge and passion. In particular, he is responsible for identifying new partner prospects and nurturing strategic opportunities. Successes include working alongside Catalyst Global CEO, Guy Baker, to grow Catalyst Global network to over 50 regional members in the space of 12 years and curating many groundbreaking team building concepts. Mark has a keen eye for product development, driving and coordinating all product R&D functions to ensure that Catalyst Global’s product line continues to lead the industry in sophistication; being well designed and aligned with current trends and industry needs.

"It’s a competitive world, there is a lot out there, but as I mentioned before we have to continually innovate it. And the fact that it is a competitive market is good because it drives us all forward every day."

Sit back relax and enjoy ....

Team Building Around the World

Thanks to David Goldstein from Team Bonding, Catalyst USA for his investment and drive to make this podcast possible.

Grab a coffee, sit back relax and enjoy. Listen on:

Apple Podcast | Spotify

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Alex ten Klei

it@catalystglobal.com — Tue, 10 Nov 2020 04:41:29 +0000

Alex ten Klei, Chief Play Officer, joins our podcast from the Netherlands to chat with Rich about his start in the team building industry. At first, he started with a kite surfing school and a shop for kite equipment. Alex realized this was not going to support himself for life due to the short summer season in the Netherlands, so he developed company away days at the beach to extend the season.

Alex started on his own, and gradually there were more instructors, more different programs, and they became a team. Windshift was the second company in the Netherlands to offer Blokarting, which was a huge step at the time, now there are over 20 companies offering this fantastic activity. It was a great challenge to invent new and exciting programs each year to keep a competitive advantage.

Early 2015 Alex joined Catalyst Global to be able to offer programs year-round and to focus more on developing skills by having fun. Many years ago they were training kids by what is now known as gamification. The tools and the audience may have changed but the basics have always stayed the same. Always fascinated by learning, Alex is still finding ways to include playing but now in day to day business world.

" If you do a highly competitive game, it’s great for team spirit, but not necessarily to become a better team."

Sit back relax and enjoy ....

Team Building Around the World

Thanks to David Goldstein from Team Bonding, Catalyst USA for his investment and drive to make this podcast possible.

Grab a coffee, sit back relax and enjoy. Listen on:

Apple Podcast | Spotify

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Jakub Skorik

it@catalystglobal.com — Tue, 03 Nov 2020 04:39:42 +0000

Jakub Skorik, Head of Sales at Maxin PRAGUE joins our podcast to share his experiences and the challenges they face bringing team building the Czech Republic.

Jakub’s not just a typical boss, he’s always on the move, wants to know everything, talk to everyone, and he’s always in the moment. That’s what he expects from Maxin PRAGUE! As an important part of the team, utilizing his background and experiences in events and team building to consistently adapt and develop Maxin Prague. The Czech Republic also faced restrictions and increased hygienic measures for gatherings and venues for 2020.

Over the years, Jakub has gone through all the work positions within the family-owned agency. Today, he knows exactly what needs to be arranged in each stage of each event’s preparation. He does not only apply his experience as a successful salesman, but always contributes significantly to the further development of the company by introducing modern technologies, searching for team building exclusive services, and engagement ideas that keep Maxin PRAGUE to be as complex event supplier in the Czech Republic as possible.

"Many times, we have to explain what the added value is of team building, that it is not just some kind of fun afternoon where they just drink a beer and play football."

Sit back relax and enjoy ....

Team Building Around the World

Thanks to David Goldstein from Team Bonding, Catalyst USA for his investment and drive to make this podcast possible.

Grab a coffee, sit back relax and enjoy. Listen on:

Apple Podcast | Spotify

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Loredana Stancu and Marius Blajut

it@catalystglobal.com — Tue, 27 Oct 2020 04:35:31 +0000

Your host Rich welcomes Loredana Stancu Business Development Manager, and Marius Blajut Division Manager of Universum Events in Bucharest, Romania.

As a part of the Global Catalyst Network, they discuss what it is like to bring new technology and concepts to Romanian team building.

Loredana Stancu

Loredana has over 8 years of experience in B2B Sales & Account Management and almost 5 as a facilitator of team development & team building activities. She likes to challenge perceived limits and she is constantly looking forward to taking things to the next level and bring added value to her clients’ businesses. By identifying the real needs and proposing the right things to the clients, even if sometimes it means challenging their status quo, she avoided “standard” solutions with the occasion of over 150 events (offline and remote). How? by constantly exploring creative solutions to the clients’ needs, to whom she remains loyal until she ensures that everything goes according to their objectives. Some of the clients she thinks she collaborated with for epic events: Cameron Schlumberger, Vodafone (also their Technology Division – VOIS), NEPI RockCastle, Hochland, Samsung, KPMG, Danone, London Stock Exchange Group, EY (Ernst & Young), RBC. She also thinks her team is the best and that their energy can totally move mountains!

Marius Blajut

Marius is involved in the training and team building industry for more than 12 years, in a wide range of development projects with various organizations, small and big. He always likes to go beyond the surface and discover more about the people he interacts with – what they like, what bothers them, what projects they are proud of. He has interacted with more than 1000 people in an experiential training set-up and with more than 4000 people in a team building context, with Romanian SMEs and also multinational companies such as Petrom, Kaufland, Provident, Rompetrol, Danone. His main area of expertise consists of facilitating experiential learning through simulations, role plays, games, board-games

Sit back relax and enjoy ....

Team Building Around the World

Thanks to David Goldstein from Team Bonding, Catalyst USA for his investment and drive to make this podcast possible.

Grab a coffee, sit back relax and enjoy. Listen on:

Apple Podcast | Spotify

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Faraz Waheed

it@catalystglobal.com — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 02:47:27 +0000

Faraz Waheed joins our podcast from Karachi, Pakistan. With a background in psychology, and over 5 years of experience in the travel and team building space in Pakistan, Faraz is one of the most recent additions to the Catalyst Network.

Faraz began his journey in the team building space by designing and executing corporate experiential learning programs at a local consultancy firm. His passion for adventure and meeting new people soon led him to start his own venture by the name of Art of Travel. With his co-founder and better half at his side, Art of Travel was selected for incubation at the technology incubator of Google for Entrepreneurs in Pakistan and quickly started to gain momentum.

Realizing the dire need for effective and innovative team building solutions in their local space, Faraz reached out to David Goldstein, who in turn made the introduction to Guy Baker, CEO Catalyst Global – and just before the world got swept up in COVID-19, there was a small celebration at the Art of Travel HQ in Karachi, for this young company had joined the leading network of team building giants from around the world.

"Our struggle is more about educating them, making them aware that fun and learning are not two different things - they are the same thing. When you combine fun with learning, it actually becomes more effective!"

Sit back relax and enjoy ....

Team Building Around the World

Thanks to David Goldstein from Team Bonding, Catalyst USA for his investment and drive to make this podcast possible.

Grab a coffee, sit back relax and enjoy. Listen on:

Apple Podcast | Spotify

The post Faraz Waheed appeared first on .

Stuart Harris

it@catalystglobal.com — Tue, 06 Oct 2020 04:30:03 +0000

Having co-founded Team Building Asia in 2002, Stuart Harris is passionate about guiding companies to achieve business success by cultivating their workforce.

Listen to this podcast as Rich chats with Stuart, an innovative thinker who has taken Team Building Asia from pioneering status – to the most prestigious team building and training business in the region. His flair for management coupled with his personable characteristics has proven a perfect balance for the event management business.

Stuart’s wide range of connections and contacts in the hospitality and entertainment businesses has enabled Team Building Asia to integrate innovative activities into the more traditional elements of team exercises.

"With the support of your team, you can achieve anything!"

Sit back relax and enjoy ....

Team Building Around the World

Thanks to David Goldstein from Team Bonding, Catalyst USA for his investment and drive to make this podcast possible.

Grab a coffee, sit back relax and enjoy. Listen on:

Apple Podcast | Spotify

The post Stuart Harris appeared first on .

Daniel Trujillo

it@catalystglobal.com — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 02:51:48 +0000

Daniel Trujillo joins the podcast and speaks to Rich about his journey building the company Kadoma in Colombia.

Daniel is the Co-founder and Director of Kadoma Team Building, an organization that designs and develops outdoor and indoor team building activities, which inspires and empowers people and teams in organizations to prosper in their work, and in their personal lives.

Passionate about the interaction and performance of teams, Daniel has been facilitating learning processes through coaching, experiential education, adventure, and gamification for more than 15 years, Outdoor Educator of the YMCA and the University of Minnesota, master in education and experiential learning from the University of Antioquia.

He has developed and led different growth projects, among them, Bakongo Paz stands out. Bakongo Paz is a camp in which they unite young Colombian leaders with demobilized members of armed forces from outside the law.

Victims of Colombia’s decades-long war unite for a one-week immersive experience, based on empathy, nonviolence, and creativity.

As a part of the World Economic Forum, in 2017 Bakongo Paz was selected as the grand-prize winner of the Shaping a Better Future Grant Challenge a Coca-Cola provided acceleration funding to increase the impact of Global Shapers Hub projects. Daniel has loved taking his personal growth conferences to various venues, including TEDx and Lead the Change, and continues to develop other ideas to inspire people.

"Adventure is not only putting up a harness and hooking up to a rope …. Adventure is when you face the unknown. When you face the unknown and have to manage the risk and you have to work as a team in order for the team to conquer a challenge."

Sit back relax and enjoy ....

Team Building Around the World

Thanks to David Goldstein from Team Bonding, Catalyst USA for his investment and drive to make this podcast possible.

Grab a coffee, sit back relax and enjoy. Listen on:

Apple Podcast | Spotify

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Hazel Jackson

it@catalystglobal.com — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 02:52:57 +0000

From rags to riches – Hazel Jackson founded the Biz Group company in 1993 with just $700. As an entrepreneur at heart, Hazel has built this regionally recognized and successful multi-million-dollar business.

The group now employs 62 professionals and provides services in the fields of design and delivery of corporate training, deploying learning technology solutions, team building, meeting facilitation, and even launched the region’s first Virtual Reality Leadership Lab. When Hazel isn’t engaged in client interventions, her role as CEO is to establish new partners and alliances. She is an avid reader, attends 4-6 global thought leader conferences a year, and is regularly engaged for her learning industry perspective by local media.

"It's about being patient, digging in, rolling your sleeves up, and doing some really hard work if you really want to be successful in any industry. It's not glamorous, it is actually hard work to be an entrepreneur."

Sit back relax and enjoy ....

Team Building Around the World

Thanks to David Goldstein from Team Bonding, Catalyst USA for his investment and drive to make this podcast possible.

Grab a coffee, sit back relax and enjoy. Listen on:

Apple Podcast | Spotify

The post Hazel Jackson appeared first on .

Kingsley Seale

it@catalystglobal.com — Tue, 08 Sep 2020 02:54:02 +0000

Kingsley Seale, Director of Operations at Be Challenged speaks about how his time with the Rugby Union has influenced him in creating effective teams.

A real passion for being a team player has always driven Kingsley’s work. In addition to his time as a team development consultant, Kingsley has been heavily involved in Rugby Union; including a professional stint as a rugby player in NSW and Italy, as well as coaching local suburban teams.

Knowing the importance of teamwork in sport, and the results achieved when a team is united with each player doing their role to the best of their ability, has helped Kingsley develop and execute business simulations that transforms teams. Kingsley takes the time to understand the needs of each individual client and works closely with them to develop programs that will generate the desired results. Whether the event is outdoors or indoors, active or creative, much of Be Challenged’s success and repeat business can be attributed to Kingsley’s tireless creativity, attention to detail, and ability to understand what is required.

"When we saw that that world was fun, was when you had a good team operating. When it was a chore, it was when the team wasn’t functioning. I think the most important thing is when someone is trying to lead is cause I do believe that everyone can lead… is to lead THEIR way and not try in a different way."

Sit back relax and enjoy ....

Team Building Around the World

Thanks to David Goldstein from Team Bonding, Catalyst USA for his investment and drive to make this podcast possible.

Grab a coffee, sit back relax and enjoy. Listen on:

Apple Podcast | Spotify

The post Kingsley Seale appeared first on .