Bright Morning Blog

Best-selling author and coaching expert, Elena Aguilar, shares her wisdom about coaching, leading teams, and designing and facilitating transformational professional development.

Facilitator leading an engaging virtual professional development session with participants learning and collaborating online.

How Do You Create Engaging Virtual Professional Development?

October 23, 2026

Engaging virtual professional development isn’t about adding more technology. Learn how to design online learning with meaningful participation, intentional breakout rooms, strong pacing, simple technology, and facilitation that keeps the focus on adult learning.

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What I’m doing differently in meetings this year

July 31, 2023

Do you facilitate team meetings? If so, is there anything you want to do differently this school year in regards to how you design and facilitate meetings?

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10 Post-Facilitation Reflection Questions

July 25, 2023

I am still processing all that I learned at our team retreat in Boulder. One thing I feel really good about is that we accomplished our primary objective—for people to build relationships and connections. I recall dozens of moments during the retreat when that happened, and I can trace that back to intentional and specific design. I designed for connection—I was clear on that being the purpose of the retreat. I attended to a hundred little details that served this purpose—from considering who was paired with whom for activities to the activities that we engaged in. I consistently attended to emotions—I scanned faces and bodies and tones of voice for how people were feeling; when I noticed trepidation or confusion, I named it and paused the conversation and clarified; I cultivated playfulness and joy, because those are powerful avenues for connection. I was very aware of power dynamics and strove to mitigate those as much as possible. And so much more. I could probably write an entire book about leadership and PD just through unpacking one retreat. […]

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How I’m preparing my leadership team to lead

July 10, 2023

I’m in Boulder today with my leadership team preparing for our team retreat which starts tomorrow. We’ve been planning for months, and today, there are final details to attend to: organizing supplies, buying snacks and beverages, scoping out accessible trails, and most importantly, orienting ourselves to how we want to show up. […]

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The Ladder of Inference

July 10, 2023

The Ladder of Inference is widely used in multiple fields. Skillful use of the ladder expands a story. Expanding a story is always helpful when dealing with resistance, because resistance can be frustrating. And an expanded story helps us shift into curiosity and compassion – critical dispositions for a Transformational Coach. […]

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Say, “Goodbye,” to Imposter Syndrome

July 10, 2023

I have delivered hundreds of presentations and keynotes. Last Friday was the first time I didn’t experience imposter syndrome. As I prepared for my first in-person keynote since November 2019, I wondered if I’d feel rusty or nervous in front of the 500 leaders in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Schools. I didn’t. I felt energized. And it went well. Really, really well. I didn’t need the applause or appreciative feedback after the speech because I knew in my body and spirit that what I shared hit home and was relevant, useful, and resonant. […]

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Read this if you design and facilitate team retreats

July 3, 2023

In July 2023, the Bright Morning team will convene in Boulder, CO. We’re spread around the U.S., so it’s a big deal to have in-person retreats. We have lots of virtual meetings, and we get a whole lot done in those and our asynchronous connections. So when I plan our retreats, my guiding question is: What is it that we can only do or experience when we’re in person together? […]

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It’s time to celebrate. And to grieve.

May 29, 2023

True celebration includes an acknowledgment of what doesn’t exist, what hasn’t happened, and what is missing. I want to implore you to celebrate all you’ve learned and done this year, but first, I encourage you to acknowledge what didn’t happen. What you didn’t accomplish. What you failed at. […]

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Six Invaluable Resources for My Self Care

May 15, 2023

In this week’s episode of the podcast, I’m talking about self-care and what it means to be resilient. In the last couple of years, I’ve discovered practices that allow me to feel like me, to respond to adversity, to be the person I want to be, and to thrive. Here are a handful of resources that have been invaluable to me that you might want to explore. […]

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Podcast Cover Art With Elena Aguilar Portrait

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Bright Morning Blog

How Do You Create Engaging Virtual Professional Development?

What I’m doing differently in meetings this year

10 Post-Facilitation Reflection Questions