2020 was a difficult year for many. Pitch Lab included.

After being at a standstill since March, our plucky team pivoted to virtual workshops utilizing chat, polls and breakout rooms.

Every year we make it a practice donate our time to charity. This year was no exception. We chose our friends at OneChild. Sometimes the only path forward is to give back.

OneChild believes every child in poverty needs a champion. If you want to make a difference, they’ll connect you with a child whose potential is threatened by poverty.

Below is a recap of OneChild’s experience attending our signature workshop How to Build Stronger Teams Using Improvisation.

Writeup courtesy of Bonnie Wellensiek, Creative Content Manager at OneChild. (thanks Bonnie 🙌)

Pitch Lab helped our team of communicators communicate better.

Our small Brand and Communications team is doing big work at OneChild, helping raise awareness about the needs of children living in some of the hardest places on earth and inviting people to join our community working to bring them hope.

Though we are all longtime communicators in one form or another – cinematographers, writers, graphic designers – Pitch Lab gave us some great new tools to enhance our communication with one another and others outside our team. 

Jay Mays and Daniel Reskin made our time together so upbeat and engaging that it created a respite from the pressure of our daily work all while helping us improve our communication skills. Even in our Zoom-fatigued culture our team really enjoyed the workshop, and the many introverts among us felt comfortable and ready to participate. 

Pitch Lab’s creative use of Zoom, including screen on/off quizzes and breakout rooms, kept the pace lively. And the randomly-paired one-on-one exercises helped us see new aspects of fellow team members that we don’t normally experience on a day-to-day basis. 

One of the big takeaways that emerged for many on our team was the “Yes, And” concept. We found it a simple, helpful principle for managing conflict or simply moving toward consensus in a meeting. Several team members have mentioned that they’ve incorporated it into their regular communications with colleagues. 

Another insight the team appreciated was an increased awareness of non-verbal communications. One team member said, “The concept of breaking the ‘fourth wall’ was really helpful for me. It made me more self-aware, and reminded me that having the courage to break that fourth wall can make my conversations more real and effective.”  

And during a recent Zoom meeting one of our team said, “I’m intentionally looking into the camera.” (That also gave us a good laugh, because she had forgotten to turn her camera on 🤣)

Several people on our team appreciated the “flying horse” activity and the reminder that creativity – even among creatives – can be tamped down through production/output needs and must be re-ignited. 

We’re grateful to Jay and Daniel for creating such a fun, useful workshop that was just what our team needed in this demanding season!  

"During the fatigue of these challenging times, Pitch Lab brought a much-needed dose of levity to my team. After the workshop we left with actionable takeaways on how to be more confident, engaging and authentic during our Zoom presentations. Our team immediately put their new techniques to use building stronger connections with our major clients."

— Kristin Kubitschek | Vice President, Brand & Communications @ OneChild