Hey #FaciliFam,

Palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy … mom's spaghetti. 😱

This is how every online session starts for me. The first few minutes are the toughest. They set the stage for everything after.

That being Said, how do we start properly, let everyone arrive and still start with a bang?

Start on time, or wait? 👀

Facilitators have strong opinions about starting their sessions on time. Of course I like to start on time too … kind of.

Some are finishing a task. Others just left another meeting and need a minute.

The unofficial start 🛫

An unofficial start engages your group before the official one. People interact early, and it links to your session's purpose.

My version has a visible end point: a 3-minute countdown. Everybody knows we start when the timer hits zero.

Being on time gets rewarded. You skip the "should we wait?" debate. And you get a calm minute to arrive too.

It works for any remote meeting. Shorten it to 90 seconds for a 1:1 call or 2 minutes for a team meeting.

Activities for your check-in

I use Stormz or StreamAlive for these. No extra link: participants answer in the Zoom or MS Teams chat, and every input shows up on screen.

Pick your setup 🛠️

Start simple

Share a browser tab with an online countdown timer. Playing music? Tick the share sound box.

Go virtual camera

A virtual camera is software that sends your video, plus overlays, into your video conferencing tool as your camera. OBS Studio and Ecamm are two options.

Add the timer to it. Countdown, activity and your face sit together on one screen, with a clean switch at zero.

Both ways work with my free timer, more below. You're welcome. 👇🏽

The flow 👩🏽‍💻

Your waiting room is the first touchpoint. Add a visual, music and info while people wait.

Before you admit anyone

• Waiting room on, timer ready, music on low (optional), done
• Participants set to mute on entry (they can still unmute)

One minute past the hour (your tiny buffer)

• Start the 3-minute timer
• "Admit all" and start the recording. Everyone enters at once
• Switch off the waiting room
• Run your check-in, music on
• At zero, switch away from the timer. Official start

My free timer ⏱️

I built a free timer for exactly this moment. It plays a sound at zero, and you customize animations, colors and styles. No download or install needed.

Use it as a simple screenshare or as a widget for OBS, Ecamm, Camo & Co. Built with my favorite CNVS visuals 😀

👉🏽 Try my free timer​

Upcoming events 🗓️

Join me for a free Collaboard Show & Tell, a whiteboard alternative to Miro and co.

🗓️ October 8, 5 PM CEST / 11 AM EDT.

It opens with my usual unofficial start, so be on time. The countdown starts with or without you 😁

Go deeper 💫

Want to build a strong opening and a full session flow that feels professional and branded? My next Virtual Facilitation Masterclass is open for signup.

4 live sessions over 4 days, small group. We build it live, on your machine: OBS and virtual camera set up properly, for sessions that feel less Zoom-ish.

🗓️ Starts Dec 1. 2 cohorts for different time zones, 5 spots each.