Are you looking to hire a moderator or facilitator for your focus group, workshop, conference, ideation session or forum? With over 15 years of experience as a professional moderator and facilitator in California, here’s how I can add value to and optimize the outcome of your event.
As a Moderator I will:
Helping resolve:
Hire a professional Group Facilitator, Workshop Moderator, Focus Group Moderator or Online Moderator in Los Angeles, California for expert event moderation and management. Let’s Talk!
As a Facilitator I will:
Helping mitigate:
As a Group Facilitator I will create momentum within your organization by helping your teams:
As a Workshop Facilitator I will create a space for team led innovation within your organization by:
Hire a professional Group Facilitator or Workshop Facilitator in Los Angeles, California to keep your teams innovating. Let’s Talk!
A bit of background:
I’m a professional Facilitator, Moderator and Market Researcher based in Los Angeles, California with over 15 years of experience in Market Research.
Driven by a curiosity in human behavior, I pursued a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) at UCLA in 2004, a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Anthropology at the New School for Social Research, and a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Women’s Studies and Cultural Anthropology at Emory University. I also served as a professor of Anthropology and Sociology at Nunez Community College, New Orleans (2011 – 2019).
In 2014, I founded Ready to Launch Research, a boutique Market Research agency based in Los Angeles, California. Ready to Launch Research conducts Market Research studies for industry leading companies, governmental organizations, and non-profits including the ‘Cancer Support Community’ and ‘Trust for Public Land’.
Having moderated over 3,000 sessions – in person and online – I’ve helped numerous brands discover insights into their target audiences and implement strategies to help them achieve a multitude of business and organizational goals.
Are you looking to hire a Group Facilitator/Moderator, Workshop Facilitator/Moderator or Focus Group Facilitator/Moderator? Let’s talk!
Understanding the Client's Needs:
I collaborate closely with key stakeholders to gain insights into their current challenges, past experiences, and future aspirations.
Crafting Tailored Experiences:
I design engaging meetings, workshops, or retreats aligned with specific goals. This involves creating detailed agendas and outlining expected outcomes.
Fine-Tuning the Plan:
I work with clients to review and revise the agenda, ensuring it meets the clients’ evolving needs.
Optimizing the Environment:
I provide recommendations on venue selection, seating arrangements, and if the session is to be conducted online, I recommend specific software to use for the online session.
Setting Clear Expectations:
I communicate effectively with participants, sharing essential details about the event, activities, and any specific requirements.
Deep-Diving into the Topic:
I conduct thorough research to familiarize myself with the subject matter, ensuring I can facilitate informed and meaningful discussions.
Setting the Stage:
As a Facilitator, I welcome participants and outline the day’s agenda, creating a positive and inclusive atmosphere.
Building Rapport:
I use engaging activities like icebreakers and group exercises to foster trust, collaboration, and a shared understanding among participants.
Sparking Creativity:
I guide participants through creative exercises to generate innovative ideas and solutions.
Focusing on Outcomes:
I facilitate structured discussions and decision-making processes to help the group reach consensus and develop actionable plans.
Guiding the Discussion:
As a Moderator/Facilitator, I aim to steer conversations effectively, ensuring everyone has a chance to contribute. This might involve using techniques like round-robin discussions, time limits, and written feedback.
Navigating Conflict:
I help resolve disagreements constructively, fostering a positive and productive environment.
Keeping the Conversation Moving:
I summarize key points, ask clarifying questions, and introduce new ideas to keep the discussion engaging and focused.
Managing Time and Logistics:
I efficiently manage time and record key points, either independently or collaboratively with the group.
Documenting the Process:
I create comprehensive reports that highlight key outcomes, challenges, and lessons learned. Clear communication with clients beforehand is crucial to ensure alignment on reporting requirements.
Sharing Valuable Resources:
I share relevant materials, such as presentations, handouts, and recordings, to reinforce learning and enable future reference.
Reflecting on the Experience:
I lead debrief sessions to evaluate the effectiveness of the event and identify areas for improvement. Through this collaborative process I’ve been able to build strong client relationships which have helped inform my future engagements in the Facilitation and Moderation space.
Focus groups, controlled interviews of 10-30 respondents with open-ended questions, are designed to unearth in-depth consumer insights on an organization’s products, services, industry practices and marketing campaigns.
Case Study: In 2020, social distancing was a novel phenomenon. The questions that plagued many companies, was how to recreate the same in-store consumer experiences amidst dizzying social distancing regulations?
USA’s second largest mall operating company commissioned me and my team to find out whether parents were willing to take their children to visit Santa Claus and sit on his lap in the post-pandemic Christmas season of 2020?
To glean these post-Covid parent perspectives, my team employed a mixed methodology, conducting a series of focus groups and parent-child dyadic interviews with mothers of children up to 10 years in age, in the run up to the holiday season.
The in-depth insights we were able to gather from the focus group and interview market research methodologies informed the mall operating company’s social distancing strategy: Santa Claus mall meet and greets while Santa sits inside an acrylic glass snowglobe, and virtual Santa Claus meet and greets in states where lockdown measures were still in place.
Ethnographic studies translate observational data into actionable insights. Among other qualitative market research methodologies, I specialize in ethnography which involves observing respondents using a product or service in the intended setting, generating powerful organic insights.
Case Study: According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), 2-3 out of every 1,000 children in the United States are born with detectable hearing loss in one or both ears.
In the United States, the Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) or the Auditory Brain Stem Response (ABR) test is used to conduct infant hearing screening in newborn babies. If the baby doesn’t pass the initial test, the parent is advised to immediately schedule a follow up test, 2-3 months after birth. Many infants who fail the initial hearing test are diagnosed with other medical conditions. Parents of such infants face barriers in scheduling and taking their babies for the follow up hearing test as the other medical conditions tend to take priority.
My team conducted ethnographic studies across 4 states – New York, Texas, Idaho and Alabama – which involved visiting the homes of parents whose infants were diagnosed with hearing loss and were advised to go for the follow up test but failed to do so.
Through these ethnographic studies, we were able to derive observational data. The market research study shed light on the familial backgrounds, lifestyles and the concomitant issues of the baby’s other medical conditions faced by the parents.
We were able to gather in-depth insights that informed the development of patient-centric strategies to remove the barriers faced by such parents and consequently increase their access to the follow up baby hearing screenings.
Market Research Online Communities (MROC) require intuitive design and management to generate fresh and engaging consumer perspectives throughout a relatively long research period.
With 12 years of experience in market research, the expertise I’ve accumulated in online community management and design ensures user engagement, effective respondent recruitment, fresh perspectives, organic relationship building and user support.
Case Study: My team designed and facilitated an online community of 50 participants in a bid to derive insights that would ultimately be used to boost tourism from the US to Belize. The research sample included 10 travel writers, 20 past Belize travelers and 20 travelers contemplating a trip to Belize.
Specializing in digital qualitative market research, we designed the online community to ensure high rates of participant engagement, feeding user prompts in the form of video diaries, written activities and surveys. The online community respondents were also asked to upload relevant photos, videos and screenshots from their independent online searches.
Employing a mixed methodology, we also conducted ethnographic in-home studies to glean deeper insights into traveler motivations.
Partnering with an ad agency, the compilation of actionable insights derived by the team informed the advertising strategy resulting in a boost in tourism from the US to Belize, the following year.
Amassing a wealth of knowledge in online moderation, I’ve curated a number of research objective based discussion guides to ensure effective digital market research facilitation.
Experienced in procuring impactful consumer insights through online moderation, I rely on industry best-practices to deliver consumer-centric strategies.
Case Study: We were commissioned by one of USA’s leading deli section food manufacturers to gain deeper insights into consumer motivations and inform future product developments.
Leveraging my expertise in online moderation, we moderated a yearlong online community which involved 10 families from across the United States.
We were able to unearth nuanced insights into the families’ food habits, meal planning practices, cooking practices, shopping habits, nutritional needs and favorite retail grocery outlets, over the course of the 1 year research duration.
Online bulletin boards, a market research methodology involving private online discussion forums that can last days or weeks, are strategically curated to boost respondent interactions and engagement on any given subject.
I’ve designed, moderated and facilitated a number of award-winning bulletin boards to generate quick in-depth insights. I’ve also facilitated the natural evolution of online conversations, feeding respondents with intuitive prompts that meet market research objectives.
Case Study: In conjunction with the Cancer Support Community (CSC), I’ve moderated and facilitated focus groups and online discussion board testing on the use of anti-cancer biosimilar drugs.
The objective of the study, which included a cross-section of 31 cancer survivors and 4 caregivers, was to unearth data driven insights into the respondents’ awareness on the use of biosimilars.
Following the study, my market research analysis informed the development of educational material and resources aimed at raising awareness among cancer patients and caregivers on the use, efficacy and potential policy impacts of biosimilar drugs.
In-depth Interviews (IDI) and Telephone Depth Interviews (TDI) involve one-on-one moderator and respondent conversations relating to a company or organization’s products, services or marketing campaigns. I’ve facilitated several IDIs and TDIs involving open-ended questions and a comprehensive research guide that steers the conversation to unearth powerful consumer-driven insights.
Case Study: We were commissioned by the Cancer Support Community to compile a comprehensive resource guide on CAR T cancer treatment for the benefit of cancer patients and caregivers, over the course of a 3 year research duration.
We initially conducted ‘needs assessments’ in the form of in-depth interviews with a sample of some of America’s most renowned oncologists and other medical professionals involved in the provision of CAR T treatment.
Considering the low levels of access to CAR T treatments in the US, with only a hand full of clinics and cancer treatment centers in states like New York and Seattle offering the treatment, our research methodologies focused on understanding the nuances of the complex treatment process and worked closely with specialists in the field to translate all the need-to-know CAR T information into easy-to-understand terms for the benefit of patients of all education levels.
Our compilation of expert driven data was then handed over to a medical writer to write the resource guide. Upon completion of the draft, the clarity and comprehensibility of the book was further tested via bulletin board market research tests involving patients and caregivers who had previously undergone CAR T treatment.
Once the meticulous market research process was completed, the book titled ‘CAR T Patient & Caregiver Guide’ was published containing patient-centric language, curated to support cancer patients and caregivers during the complex CAR T treatment process.
Shop alongs are a qualitative market research methodology which involves the extrapolation of observational data gathered from monitoring and tracking consumers during in-store or online shopping.
I’ve conducted several shop alongs that inform clients about consumer first impressions of the brand, how to improve in-store customer service and UI / UX design of client websites.
Case Study: One of America’s leading snack manufacturers looking to tap into a wider demographic of consumers, wanted to glean insights into the popularity of Mexican food and its accompanying snacks consumed in US households.
My team conducted shop alongs, ethnographic studies, in-home friendship focus groups and pantry audits to extrapolate these key consumer insights.
Leveraging shop alongs, supplemented by other market research methodologies, we were able to provide nuanced perspectives and consumer preferences on Mexican food, flavors and textures. The shop alongs delivered observational data driven insights into consumer desires for eclectic combinations of Mexican food with different American and non-American snacks.
With over 95% of the global population now owning a mobile phone, mobile market research has risen to the realms of market research relevance. Mobile market research heightens respondent engagement allowing quick, on the go personal and accurate insights from consumers while ensuring consumer convenience.
I’ve moderated mobile market research studies that generate a higher volume of participant responses and quick and actionable consumer perspectives.
Creative testing allows companies to conduct pre-launch testing of ad copy, product packaging and product concepts and designs, with a sample of their target audience. With shifting consumer trends and tastes across industries, companies and organizations are leveraging market research to navigate through the flood of consumer opinions.
I also conduct strategic planning for public institutions. After completing focus groups, organizations often want to plan ahead for the next 3-5 years. I use the insights gathered in focus groups.
Case Study:
I conducted focus groups and interviews for a public library in northern California. Following the research, I wrote a strategic plan to help my client plan out the next 3 years. After this process was complete, I led their staff through a half day workshop to discuss strategic implementation and encourage buy in across the institution.
I’ve conducted a variety of studies in the luxury brand space, including upmarket auto, travel, hobbies, cosmetics and household.
Portfolio:
The automotive space has given me the opportunity to offer a variety of studies across a range of brands in the highly diverse industry.
Portfolio:
I’ve worked with top beauty, skincare and haircare brands conducting in-home use tests with online diaries, shop alongs with eye tracking, friendship pairs and mini groups with users, and moderated and facilitated focus groups in a bid to discover powerful consumer driven insights within the beauty industry.
Portfolio:
I’ve accumulated extensive experience in the competitive, rapidly evolving US video gaming industry, and worked with leading gaming brands and platforms to help gain the competitive edge.
Portfolio:
I’ve facilitated a number of pharmaceutical and healthcare market research studies including market research for the Cancer Support Community aimed at developing a lexicon relating to precision medicine, biomarker testing and genetic testing to optimize patient, provider and caregiver communications. I’ve also conducted market research for depression medicine messaging and research studies relating to prescription allergy care of patients.
Portfolio:
I’ve conducted multiple cross-industry and cross-platform influencer studies and provided expert analysis of consumer behavior to deliver human-centered strategies.
Portfolio:
I’ve worked with nonprofits, conducting a variety of studies in the areas of marketing and messaging, needs assessment and strategic planning, and moderating focus groups.
Portfolio:
Spanning across a plethora of industries, my market research work also includes studies conducted to unearth consumer data and in-depth insights into the alcohol and tobacco industries.
In my 15 years of qualitative market research experience, I’ve conducted thousands of IDIs, focus groups, online communities and ethnography studies for top players in the consumer goods space to provide powerful insights to optimize consumer goods companies’ human-centered marketing strategies.
