Meet our newest WOL Coach: Robin Leins
Robin has a wonderful combination of intelligence, creativity, and humor.
His approach with teams and leaders is not theoretical but practical and human. His company name, Handfest (or “hands on”), embodies this.
He has exactly the right temperament and attitude for a WOL Coach.
Meet our newest WOL Coach: Colleen Soppelsa
You will not find a more supportive, encouraging, generous person than Colleen Soppelsa.
Her approach is systematic and rigorous and also profoundly human.
“Because meaningful transformation is not something we ‘roll out.’
It is something we build together — visibly, continuously, and one relationship at a time.”
WOL Pattern #1: Coaches Connecting Their Clients
Usually, once coaching ends, so does the relationship.
But it doesn't have to.
Each WOL pattern describes a situation where WOL can be especially useful, along with examples from coaches, organizations, and communities.
Here’s the first one.
Meet our newest WOL Coach: Katja Keufner
Katja is one of those rare people who can make you feel good and work better in just one phone call. I can see why she is an excellent Coach!
I am thrilled Katja will bring her Clifton Strengths experience to our Coach community. I can’t wait to see what she does with WOL!
“hopepunk is the opposite of grimdark. Pass it on.’”
Hope is a spark.
It’s a vision, even a glimmer, of a better future that motivates us to act. It’s what drives us to get back up when we stumble. Again and again if need be.
A new podcast w/ Mayte Schomburg helped me realize this.
Meet our newest WOL Coach: David Hillmer
David has been in different kinds of WOL Circles over the years and is convinced that WOL “has far more potential” to reach more people and make a much bigger difference in the workplace and in the world.
I’m excited about the possibility of working with him and his professional training and consulting company, HelloAgile, to take WOL to new heights together.
Meet our newest WOL Coach: Christian Böhmer
Chris sharp intellect is matched only by his passion for helping people grow and connect.
In his words, he “wants people to live happy lives within a strong community” and envisions WOL being part of making that happen.
He will be a fantastic WOL Coach!
How to make the world a better place: MVP Number 2
The third in a series of posts about a new social learning method for students, helping them build feelings self-efficacy and connection while making the world a better place.
Meet our newest WOL Coach: Karie Foster
For Karie, making a difference isn’t about big programs and big ambitions. It’s personal and intimate. It’s about helping people one at a time to feel better, about themselves and the world around them.
As a WOL Coach, Karie is working with a team at Iowa State University to offer the WOL Resilience method, helping communities across Iowa experience personal growth and a feeling of connection.
Meet our newest WOL Coach: Barb Dunn-Swanson
Barb is one of those rare human beings who makes you feel seen, heard, and cared for in all of her interactions. It’s extraordinary.
As a WOL Coach, Barb is working with a team at Iowa State University to offer the WOL Resilience method, helping communities across Iowa experience personal growth and a feeling of connection.
Meet our newest WOL Coach: Anja Varrelmann
Every time I talk with Anja I leave with new ideas, new insights, and a smile. She challenges me and inspires me and always does so in a way that feels warm and inviting.
She sees that Working Out Loud isn’t so much about any one method as it is about creating a certain kind of space for people to grow and connect.
Meet our newest WOL Coach: Bec Vila
In every interaction—every call, email, in-person meeting—Bec exudes positivity and optimism. She’s one of those rare people who naturally and effortlessly lifts up other people. When you work with her you can’t help but feel better about the possibilities, and about yourself.
How to make the world a better place: “Building buddies” in a New York apartment building
An example of how a new WOL format could help students make a positive difference.
Amidst all the challenges and negativity they might see in the world, they could begin to develop a mindset of curiosity and empowerment:
“What can I do?”
“What might we do together?”
How to make the world a better place: A course idea for students
The idea of using a social learning format like WOL for students of different ages keeps coming up.
This post is a kind of MVP, a rough outline for an idea for a course (or other program) tentatively called: “How to make the world a better place.”
“Germans are like coconuts”
How meetups in Frankfurt, Berlin, and Hamburg confirmed what I always thought about people in Germany.
Meet our newest WOL Coach: Niko Votsos
Niko brings a wealth of training experience to being a WOL Coach, with a focus on making a positive difference:
“Many learning formats stay too abstract. They create awareness, but rarely lead to lasting behavior change. WOL takes a different approach. It is simple, structured, and close to everyday work.
For me, WOL is not an add-on to learning. It is a way to make learning actually happen.”
Meet our newest WOL Coach: Tim Beckmann
Tim is a natural-born salesman in the best possible way, helping others to see the positive future he envisions and take a step towards realizing that future.
“I believe that WOL can have a magical effect, especially in the public sector.”
WOL Career & Life: A new name for the original WOL Circle method
Now that there are 8 different WOL methods and more on the way, the original method needed a new name.
Meet our newest WOL Coach: Julia Schorlemmer
As a professor of health and occupational psychology, Julia’s passion for ways to make work more “humane” is matched only by her passion for proving those ways are effective.
“I am not only convinced of WOL’s impact; I can also demonstrate and implement it for others based on scientific evidence.“
WOL for Students: Can you help?
The idea of using WOL in education has been around for a decade, with some limited successes. And now it’s come up again for different schools and contexts.
I’m ambivalent. Part of me is excited to work with these educators and invent something useful—for them and for students. Part of me is afraid we’ll just repeat the same pattern from years ago.
Can you help?

