ABAAD Afghan Women Forward is integrating Yoodli, an AI-powered speech coaching platform, into its Empower Afghan Girls Together (EAGT) initiative. This mission-driven partnership aims to enhance English language proficiency, boost confidence, and prepare Afghan women for global opportunities.
Advancing English Proficiency with AI
Through this collaboration, ABAAD will incorporate Yoodli into all levels (A1-C1) of its English language courses. Students will use Yoodli to refine their speaking skills, with 20% of their final exam scores tied to their engagement on the platform. Teachers will track progress, ensuring students receive tailored support despite large class sizes.
Beyond coursework, Yoodli will play a key role in English Test preparation, a requirement for scholarship applications, and visa interview readiness, equipping students with the speaking confidence needed to secure international academic opportunities.
“With this partnership [with Yoodli], Abaad’s students will gain the support they need to become confident speakers, capable leaders, and strong advocates for their communities and beyond. We are proud to work with Yoodli to provide this opportunity and look forward to seeing our students grow and succeed.” – Sayed Abdul Karim Haqiq, Program Officer ABAAD Afghan Women Forward
About ABAAD Afghan Women Forward
ABAAD is dedicated to empowering Afghan women and girls through education, leadership development, and advocacy. Its EAGT initiative provides young Afghan girls with free, high-quality English language training, preparing them for higher education and career success. By integrating Yoodli, ABAAD is strengthening its commitment to creating pathways for Afghan girls to thrive.
About Yoodli
Yoodli is an AI-powered speech coaching platform designed to help users improve their communication skills through real-time feedback. Used by individuals, educators, and organizations worldwide, Yoodli provides a personalized, judgment-free space to practice public speaking, interviews, and everyday conversations.
Together, ABAAD and Yoodli are breaking barriers, empowering Afghan girls with the skills and confidence to shape their futures on the global stage.
72Point, the UK’s leading multi-service creative content agency, offering unrivaled PR services that create impact, and Yoodli, an AI-powered communication coaching platform, are excited to announce their partnership. This collaboration enhances how 72Point’s teams refine their storytelling, presentation, and sales communication skills, ensuring they deliver compelling narratives and impactful client interactions.
Revolutionizing Media and Sales Communication with AI Coaching
For years, 72Point has combined data-driven insights, creative content production, and media distribution to help brands land coverage in top-tier publications. With this partnership, 72Point’s teams can now leverage Yoodli’s cutting-edge AI technology to hone their pitching, presentation, and sales skills in a private, intuitive environment.
Yoodli empowers PR and sales professionals to sharpen their messaging, maximize their impact, and drive better outcomes. Users will be able to:
Refine Pitching and Presentation Skills: Yoodli’s AI coaching provides real-time feedback on tone, clarity, and engagement, helping teams craft persuasive narratives that resonate with clients and media partners.
Enhance Cold Calling & Objection Handling: Sales professionals can simulate real-world scenarios, practicing responses and improving confidence in high-stakes conversations.
Improve Internal and External Communication: Whether engaging with journalists, clients, or internal teams, 72Point’s professionals can use Yoodli to sharpen their communication effectiveness and storytelling finesse.
Measure and Track Performance: Yoodli’s analytics provide data-driven insights on speech patterns, filler words, and delivery, ensuring continuous skill development and tangible improvement.
Scale Training Efforts: Available on demand, Yoodli enables organizations to extend high-quality coaching across teams, ensuring consistent communication excellence.
“We’re excited to team up with 72Point to bring AI-driven roleplay to the forefront of PR and sales training.” said Ishaan Mehrotra, Strategic Partnerships Leadat Yoodli. “Together, we’re making it possible for teams to sharpen their messaging, own the room, and leave a lasting impact in every interaction.”
About 72Point
72Point is a multi-service content agency which harnesses unrivalled media relationships and know-how to develop creative and strategic campaigns that generate mass media coverage.. With a full-service approach that includes data-driven research, creative content production, and strategic media distribution, 72Point ensures brands achieve maximum impact in an ever-evolving media landscape. Learn more here.
About Yoodli
Yoodli is a generative AI communication coaching platform that provides private, real-time, and judgment-free practice opportunities for professionals and GTM teams. Yoodli’s SOC2 Type 2 and GDPR-compliant technology is trusted by Fortune 100 companies to enhance sales certifications, objection handling, leadership development, and more. Learn more here.
72Point and Yoodli share a vision for empowering professionals to communicate with clarity, confidence, and impact. Through this partnership, they bring AI-driven coaching to PR and sales, helping teams elevate their storytelling and client engagement to new heights.
At Yoodli, we’re not just building AI-powered coaching tools—we’re building a community. And there’s no better example of that than our Coach Advisory Board meetings, where our most engaged coaching customers come together to share insights, inspire each other, and help shape the future of Yoodli AI Roleplays.
A Sneak Peek at What We Discuss
Our advisory board meetings are fast-paced, idea-packed, and filled with exciting updates. Here’s a glimpse at what we cover:
Looking Ahead
We share our vision for the future, outlining the ways we’re working to make Yoodli even more powerful, intuitive, and effective for coaches and their clients. Spoiler alert: Big things are coming!
Exploring New Features
We showcase new platform features, walking through exactly how they work. With live demos, we give coaches an inside look at their functionality, answer questions, and discuss how these updates can enhance their coaching sessions. These interactive deep dives help our community get the most out of Yoodli’s evolving toolset.
Best Practices to Elevate Your Coaching
We dive into best practices and real-world applications, highlighting the most effective ways coaches are integrating Yoodli into their sessions. We demo key use cases, breaking down what works and why. These insights help new and experienced users maximize their impact with AI-powered coaching.
Real Coaches, Real Strategies
The best part? The Q&A session. Coaches share how they use Yoodli in the real world, offering actionable strategies and fresh ideas. It’s one thing to build a great product, but seeing it in action—powering real coaching breakthroughs—is what it’s all about.
Why This Matters
Our advisory board isn’t just a place for us to talk—it’s a space where our coaches collaborate, learn from each other, and help make Yoodli better for everyone. Your feedback fuels our innovation, and we couldn’t be more grateful for this incredible community.
Stay tuned for more updates, and if you’re not already part of the Yoodli community, now’s the perfect time to jump in!
In today’s fast-paced world, coaching sessions need to be engaging, effective, and action-driven. Whether you’re running a virtual workshop, group session, or 1-on-1 coaching, Yoodli serves as your AI-powered coaching copilot, providing instant feedback and helping participants grow in their communication skills.
By incorporating Yoodli into your coaching sessions, you can enhance the learning experience, offer data-driven insights, and give participants the tools to track and improve their progress. Let’s dive into three specific ways Yoodli can elevate your coaching game.
3 Ways Yoodli Acts as Your Coaching Copilot
1. Breakout Rooms for Live Roleplay Practice
Make your workshops more engaging by giving participants the chance to break off and apply what they’ve learned through interactive roleplaying. With Yoodli, you can guide them through structured exercises that reinforce key lessons in a hands-on way. In virtual workshops, participants can join breakout rooms and practice with pre-made roleplays on their laptops or smartphones. For in-person sessions, they can use their phones to engage in live roleplays and receive instant AI-powered feedback. To make the process seamless, have them follow a guide, like this one, to sign into Yoodli and practice on a pre-made roleplay.
Set custom goals before participants dive in to ensure that real-time feedback aligns with your session’s objectives. This keeps them focused on the most important takeaways and helps them improve where it matters most.
To wrap up your session, have participants record a second roleplay to track their progress. Seeing their improvement firsthand reinforces learning and highlights the real impact of your coaching.
Best For:
Virtual Workshops
Group Coaching Sessions
2. Instant Replay During Virtual Coaching
When conducting 1-on-1 coaching or sessions through Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams, you can record your participant’s presentation or mock interview in real-time. Yoodli provides instant replays, allowing you to walk through the recording with your participant and provide actionable feedback. You can also highlight key statistics, such as body language, word choice, pacing, and more. Plus, you can provide participants with a follow-up link to the session recording and a summary, offering them a robust resource to review after the session.
Best For:
Virtual Sessions
1-on-1 Coaching
3. In-Person Coaching with AI Insights
In-person coaching can also benefit from Yoodli’s insights. By recording a participant’s presentation using a phone or laptop, you can upload the recording to Yoodli for instant feedback. Yoodli’s AI evaluates critical communication metrics such as filler words, pacing, and delivery. This complements the human-led coaching you provide, giving your participants valuable, data-driven insights that focus on the tactical aspects of their communication. This allows you to spend more time addressing deeper communication challenges while still providing detailed, actionable feedback.
Best For:
In-Person Sessions
1-on-1 Coaching
Key Benefits:
By incorporating Yoodli into your workshops and coaching sessions, you’re offering your participants a comprehensive coaching experience that combines expert guidance with advanced AI-powered feedback. With its real-time insights and versatility, Yoodli empowers participants to reach new levels of success in communication and presentation skills.
Watch Our Webinar:
We recently hosted an insightful webinar where we demonstrated how Yoodli can be effectively used during live coaching sessions. During this event, we had the chance to walk through these techniques with some of our coaching clients, gaining insights into how they incorporate Yoodli into their sessions as well. Watch the full recording here.
Additional Resources:
Looking for more ways to maximize Yoodli in your coaching practice? Check out these resources:
Ready to transform your coaching sessions? Start using Yoodli today to help participants gain confidence, refine their skills, and achieve their communication goals!
Yoodli and The 100th Monkey, a dynamic consultancy and training company based in the UK, announce a strategic collaboration to enhance learning retention through AI-powered coaching. The 100th Monkey specializes in ensuring that training experiences lead to lasting change, and with Yoodli’s AI-driven technology, this process becomes even more effective. Introducing iMO, a cutting-edge practice and coaching tool designed to reinforce learning after training sessions.
Enhancing Learning Retention with AI-Powered Coaching
The 100th Monkey has long been recognized for delivering impactful training programs. Now, with iMO powered by Yoodli, learners can transition from knowledge acquisition to long-term skill mastery through interactive coaching.
iMO strengthens learning and development efforts by reinforcing training content, ensuring key takeaways translate into real-world improvements. Key features include:
Advanced Communication Coaching: iMO provides AI-generated insights on pacing, tone, filler words, word choice, and delivery to help professionals refine their speaking and presentation skills.
Simulated Workplace Conversations: Customizable roleplays allow individuals to engage in realistic scenarios, receiving private and data-driven coaching aligned with The 100th Monkey’s established frameworks. The platform can be customized to reflect each organization’s unique culture and real-world situations, ensuring relevance and practicality.
Sustained Skill Development: iMO delivers mini, personalized programs designed to focus on areas for improvement identified during training sessions, enabling learners to continuously apply and reinforce training insights, improving retention and effectiveness over time.
Data-Driven Progress Tracking: Personalized reports offer measurable insights into communication improvements, helping organizations track development and ROI.
Scalable Learning Solutions: Available on demand, iMO makes high-quality coaching accessible across teams and organizations, extending the impact of learning initiatives.
“At Yoodli, our mission is to make expert communication coaching accessible and results-driven,” said Varun Puri, CEO at Yoodli. “By partnering with The 100th Monkey, we are equipping professionals with AI-driven tools to enhance confidence, master essential skills, and foster workplace success.”
Richard Edwards, Co-Founder of 100th Monkey, said: “We saw an instant impact with delegates ten years ago when we pioneered bringing data into our soft skills courses. They loved the objective feedback and tangible steps to progress their communication skills. Since then we have continued to seek ways to unlock the science of speaking, and it has been a long held desire to develop an AI tool that we trusted could generate accurate data, align to our frameworks, and complement our way of thinking. This is why we are so delighted to have found and partnered with the brilliant people of Yoodli. The platform really is a game changer for both delegate experience in-session, and critically, for continued learning, post training.”
About The 100th Monkey
The 100th Monkey is a consultancy and training firm based in Bristol, UK, serving clients globally. Their expertise spans:
Personal Development: Award-winning programs designed to enhance skillsets, mindsets, and overall professional effectiveness.
Team Effectiveness: Tailored workshops and offsites to strengthen team performance, decision-making, and strategic direction.
Leadership Consultancy: Partnering with organizations to refine strategies, improve communication, and operationalize business plans.
Yoodli is an AI-powered communication coaching platform that offers private, real-time, and judgment-free practice opportunities for professionals and GTM teams. Trusted by Fortune 100 companies, including Google, Yoodli’s SOC2 Type 2 and GDPR-compliant technology enhances sales training, objection handling, leadership development, and more. The platform is used by Toastmasters International, top business schools, and professionals in over 150 countries.
Yoodli and The 100th Monkey share a vision of empowering professionals with the tools needed to succeed in today’s evolving workplace. iMO bridges the gap between learning and real-world application, delivering an innovative, scalable solution that fosters long-term growth and measurable success.
MindGym, a global leader in behavior change solutions, and Yoodli, an AI-powered roleplay and communication coaching platform, are excited to announce the launch of Lio, an innovative AI-driven performance conversation coach. This collaboration combines Yoodli’s cutting-edge GenAI technology with MindGym’s proven expertise in behavior change to transform how leaders and managers develop and refine critical workplace communication skills.
A New Standard for Leadership and Communication Coaching
For over 20 years, MindGym has partnered with the world’s leading organizations to improve performance through behavior change. Now, with Lio, powered by Yoodli, leaders can bridge the gap between learning and action by honing the skills they’ve developed in MindGym programs and practicing essential workplace conversations in a private, intuitive environment.
Lio empowers talent teams to guarantee a better return on investment, ensuring the learning from leadership and manager development programs will stick. Users will be able to:
Master Performance Conversations: Lio’s real-time feedback helps managers improve their ability to navigate challenging conversations, deliver feedback effectively, and foster stronger team relationships.
Practice What They’ve Learned: Lio reinforces the critical skills leaders develop through MindGym programs, including managing difficult conversations, delivering constructive feedback, holding others accountable, and conducting effective performance coaching.
Build Communication Confidence: Leaders can practice conversations in a safe, judgment-free space, receiving actionable insights to improve clarity, tone, and presence.
Deliver Measurable Results: Lio provides detailed feedback on individual progress, enabling organizations to connect leadership development directly to performance outcomes.
Scale Development Efforts: Available on demand, Lio enables organizations to extend high-quality coaching across teams, supporting leadership development at scale.
At Yoodli, we’re committed to making expert communication coaching accessible and actionable for everyone,” said Varun Puri, CEO at Yoodli. “Lio, powered by Yoodli, combines our advanced AI technology with MindGym’s world-class behavior change expertise, giving leaders the tools they need to excel in today’s dynamic workplace.
We’re incredibly excited to introduce Lio and our partnership with Yoodli. The combination of MindGym’s science-based performance management solutions and Yoodli’s AI speech coaching technology has the potential to be transformative to performance and productivity across organizations,” said Christoffer Ellehuus,CEOat MindGym. “We know from our research that 40% of learning and development programs fail due to an inadequate focus on activating what you learn. With Lio we can now significantly reduce that risk by providing a safe space for leaders and managers to practice and refine their performance management and coaching skills.
About MindGym
MindGym is a global leader in behavior change, partnering with over 60% of the FTSE 100 and S&P 100 companies to transform business performance by changing the way people think, feel, and behave. MindGym’s science-based solutions empower organizations to tackle their most pressing challenges, from leadership development to cultural transformation. Learn more at themindgym.com.
About Yoodli
Yoodli is a generative AI roleplay and communication coaching platform that provides private, real-time, and judgment-free practice opportunities for professionals and GTM teams. Yoodli’s SOC2 Type 2 and GDPR-compliant technology is trusted by Fortune 100 companies like Google for enhancing sales certifications, objection handling, leadership development, and more. Learn more at yoodli.ai.
MindGym and Yoodli share a vision for enabling leaders to foster better workplaces through impactful conversations. With Lio, this partnership delivers an innovative solution to a critical business need, empowering leaders to drive meaningful change within their organizations.
SNP Communications, a trusted partner to industry-leading companies like Google, Facebook, Airbnb, SAP, Salesforce, and Spotify, and Yoodli, an AI-powered communication coaching platform, are excited to announce a strategic partnership.
This collaboration brings together SNP’s decades of expertise in leadership communication coaching and Yoodli’s cutting-edge AI technology, offering leaders real-time, personalized feedback to elevate their storytelling, executive presence, and overall communication impact.
SNP Communications has a proven history of supporting leaders at some of the world’s most innovative organizations in achieving their goals. Their unique approach to communication training focuses on helping leaders connect authentically and inspire their teams to action.
Through this partnership, Yoodli’s AI platform will seamlessly integrate into SNP’s coaching programs. Leaders will now have access to a safe, judgment-free environment to practice their communication skills. Yoodli’s instant analysis and tailored recommendations will help SNP clients refine their public speaking, conversational clarity, and ability to command attention in high-stakes moments.
Partnering with world-class organizations requires world-class communication. With Yoodli’s AI, we’re enhancing our ability to help leaders amplify their voices and make meaningful connections. said Danny Schultz, VP of Training and Coaching at SNP Communications.
At Yoodli, we’re passionate about transforming how people communicate. Collaborating with SNP Communications, a company trusted by global leaders, aligns perfectly with our mission to help individuals unlock their full potential, said Varun Puri, Yoodli CEO and Founder.
This partnership blends SNP’s leadership coaching expertise with Yoodli’s AI-driven insights to address the communication challenges faced by leaders in today’s fast-paced, ever-evolving business landscape.
About SNP Communications SNP Communications has worked with some of the world’s most iconic companies. With a focus on authentic storytelling and leadership communication, SNP equips leaders and teams with the tools to connect, inspire, and lead with purpose. For more information on SNP Communications, visit their website here.
About Yoodli Yoodli, a Seattle-based company, helps individuals improve their communication skills using AI. Users can get in-the-moment coaching during online meetings, or they can practice for an upcoming speech, conversation, or interview with AI. Yoodli will then generate feedback on their content, conciseness, and speaking attributes such as executive presence, reliance on filler words, and pacing. Yoodli has been rolled out in over 150 countries by Toastmasters International, leading business schools, and hundreds of thousands of leaders globally. For more information, visit Yoodli’s website.
It doesn’t matter what industry or field you work in: Upskilling is a crucial aspect of attracting and maintaining success in the modern workplace.
Our comprehensive overview will explain why upskilling is so essential these days, as well as its benefits, methods for investing in employee skill sets, and the best skills to hone in on.
What Is Upskilling?
Upskilling is a means of picking up new skills that helps folks grow in their career. By enhancing and expanding your existing skill sets, you’ll be able to make yourself more indispensable to your employer. Not only that, but growing your expertise in a field or industry will also inform any future roles you might have.
For managers, investing in upskilling with your employees comes with a whole host of benefits, from increased employee satisfaction and retention rates to better branding.
Upskilling vs. reskilling
Both upskilling and reskilling are terms used to describe acquiring more knowledge or skills within a particular industry. However, the difference between them is the type of skills acquired. With upskilling, the focus is expanding on existing knowledge or skills you already have within the same industry. Reskilling, on the other hand, emphasizes picking up totally new skills or knowledge during the transition to a new field or career path.
Why is upskilling important?
In a job market that’s constantly changing, upskilling is vital to stay relevant and gain a competitive edge. Investing in your employees this way will also boost employee retention rates, engagement, and satisfaction in your workforce. It can also improve your team’s overall job performance, skill sets, productivity, and innovation.
At the end of the day, investing in a few high-income skills can completely transform your professional life.
Top Upskilling Benefits to Know
Not surprisingly, investing in your skills and committing to expanding your knowledge in your area of expertise comes with tons of advantages. Here are just a few of the benefits of upskilling for employees and employers alike.
Better job satisfaction
Both employers and employees can look forward to increased job satisfaction when they invest in upskilling. Employers will notice better overall job performance from their team, as gaining new skills and abilities directly correlates to better productivity, efficiency, and satisfaction. Upskilling also boosts the confidence of employees, which can lead to better job performance, too.
A stronger brand identity
One of the lesser-known benefits of upskilling is developing a stronger brand identity. When employers invest in their employees in this way, they foster a better company reputation. Investing in the skill sets of employees shows others that the brand is committed to their employees and their well-being.
It also helps companies attract and keep top talent in an industry, even in the most competitive environments.
Boosted earning potential
For individuals, upskilling also leads to increased earning potential through multiple avenues. For example, expanding your existing skill set can lead to higher salaries and more pay. It can also open new doors for folks, both within and outside of an organization. People with more skills in their area of expertise get more promotions and job opportunities than those who remain stagnant in their skills and knowledge.
Plus, upskilling leads to better job security, both for the individual and for the employer in terms of retention rates.
How to Upskill With Yoodli
Regardless of what industry you work in, you’ll be able to invest in yourself and your team by upskilling with Yoodli.
Yoodli is a work enablement tool and communication coach that uses AI to enhance individual and team skills. Employees use Yoodli’s intelligent roleplay capabilities to build on their existing skills and develop a deeper expertise. Top brands like Google, Korn Ferry, and Dale Carnegie have all used Yoodli to invest in their workforce.
As an upskilling tool, Yoodli works like this. Its user-friendly platform offers a multitude of existing roleplay scenarios to choose from. Folks can practice engaging with clients, small talk, public speaking, and any other communication scenario to invest in their existing skills. Employees can even craft their own roleplay from scratch using the Builder tool to work on specific scenarios. No matter the exact scenario, employees will go back and forth with an AI-generated partner to participate in human-like conversation.
But Yoodli isn’t just an upskilling tool. It’s also an intelligent communication coach that highlights specific areas of improvement for people based on their existing skills. For example, your employees will get specific insights on your delivery, listening, and speech patterns to offer actionable feedback and tips for improvement.
Investing in yourself and your team through upskilling is much easier with Yoodli.
For team leads and admin, Yoodli offers personalization capabilities that allow brands to adapt the tool for their own needs based on their own company methodology. Plus, Yoodli provides enterprise-grade privacy, with SOC 2 Type 2, GDPR, and more.
Learn more about how you can get started upskilling with Yoodli for free at https://yoodli.ai/.
7 Essential Upskilling Skills to Secure Your Future
Whether you’re an experienced sales rep or you’re new to the role, you need to have multiple strategies for prospecting in your arsenal. Here are seven of the most essential upskilling skills you should consider to secure your future career.
1. Problem-solving and critical thinking skills
One of the most useful upskilling skills to invest in is your problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Both skills are universally beneficial and can help you pinpoint problems as they come up, brainstorm better solutions, and make better decisions.
Investing in your team’s problem-solving skills can also help them improve their ability to think outside the box, explore more creative solutions, and be more resilient when faced with failure or setbacks.
2. Collaboration and teamwork skills
In a similar vein, teamwork and collaboration skills are other upskilling skills worth investing in, no matter what field you work in. Learning how to work efficiently in a team is essential for professional success. Most employers look for people with strong interpersonal skills. People who have solid teamwork skills are more likely to build and keep up positive relationships with other team members, which is important for brands that want high retention rates.
3. Communication skills
Of course, effective communication skills rank high with regard to the most valuable upskilling skills. Being able to communicate efficiently with people — your coworkers, team mates, clients, and others — is essential in any industry. For most people, this includes both written and verbal communication.
However, communication skills also include skills like active listening, which is key to a fruitful conversation.
4. Digital literacy skills
Although it’s not always top-of-mind for everyone, investing in some digital literacy skills can be a beneficial move. No matter what industry you work in, even the most basic digital literacy skills can set you apart from the competition. For example, data analysis and the ability to interpret data can benefit almost anyone. Learning how to efficiently use Excel is a great place to start.
Other digital literacy skills that can be worth investing in, depending on your exact role, include areas like:
Cybersecurity, including internet safety and best practices
Programming and coding
Cloud computing, including how to work in programs like Azure, Google Cloud, and AWS
5. Creativity skills
Some folks don’t automatically consider creativity and innovation to be upskilling skills worth investing in, but both skills give you a competitive edge over others. The ability to brainstorm and ideate creative solutions to problems that crop up is a true skill.
As an employer, be sure you’re fostering a positive work environment where your team members can feel comfortable developing their creativity and innovative skills to better problem-solve.
6. Emotional intelligence
Many people think emotional intelligence is a skill that comes naturally to people, but it can also be a learned skill for those who need to improve. Having a high level of emotional intelligence helps folks understand their own emotions as well as the emotions of others, and how this can affect behavior. Having this intimate understanding helps improve your emotional regulation, self-awareness, and social skills, too.
7. Adaptability skills
Lastly, investing in an upselling skill like adaptability can revolutionize the way you form and maintain relationships at work (among other benefits). Building your adaptability skills can improve your ability to empathize with others, embrace change instead of running from it, and successfully face challenges and unexpected situations head-on. It can also help employees be more resilient when they face failure and help them learn from it.
Best Methods for Upskilling to Consider
There are tons of reasons you might want to invest in you or your team’s skill sets. From improved employee satisfaction to stronger brand identity and higher earning potential, the benefits are endless. Here are some tried-and-true methods and strategies for upskilling, whether you’re an employer or an employee.
Training programs
Teams can tap into in-house and outside training to home in on upskilling for their employees. Many companies today provide activities like seminars, workshops, and training sessions to invest in their workforce. Depending on the brand, employee resource groups (ERGs) can also provide options for training and collaboration.
On-the-job training can also help employees upskill through opportunities like relevant projections, cross-training programs, and certification programs.
Coaching and mentorship
Both coaching and mentorship opportunities also help employees build their existing skill sets and knowledge. Some companies offer specific mentorship programs that employees can opt in to in order to build their skills. In general, an employee is paired with someone who has more experience who can support and guide them to grow their skills.
Job shadowing is another type of coaching and mentorship in which folks can watch how other people do their job to get new insights and pick up more skills.
Online learning platforms
One of the most accessible ways to start upskilling is by using online learning platforms. Options like Udemy, Coursera, Masterclass, LinkedIn Learning, and Khan Academy all provide massive libraries of classes on different topics. Depending on the actual platform, you can learn from actual professors from top universities to build on your existing knowledge.
These platforms are great for individuals and organizations alike and can help invest in you and your team’s abilities.
The Main Takeaway
Upskilling is a critical means of making yourself more valuable and less dispensable than others in the eyes of employers. It sets you apart from other employees, leads to higher salaries, and increases employee retention rates. Plus, when you use an upskilling tool like Yoodli, you can easily invest in yourself and your team members without the hassle.
Live-action roleplaying — often referred to as “LARPing” — is a popular form of roleplay that involves creativity and immersive experiences. LARP events can be a great source of community and collaboration, whether it’s your first event or your 50th.
In our beginner-friendly guide, we’ll tell you everything there is to know about live-action roleplay, from its common features to LARPing etiquette, and where to start if you’re brand new to this type of roleplay.
What Is Live-Action Roleplaying (LARPing)?
Live-action roleplaying — also called LARPing — is a community-based activity where participants dress up and act out the roles of their characters. LARPing is just one of the many types of roleplay out there. Even so, it holds its own as a versatile style of roleplay.
There are many common settings, scenarios, and genres for live-action roleplay. Historical reenactments are one example. Folks might meet at a historic Civil War site dressed in 1860s-appropriate attire for a Civil War battle reenactment. Other LARPers prefer more fantastical or creative settings, like Renaissance fairs.
While live-action roleplaying is versatile, there are some features many LARP experiences have in common. First and foremost, the immersive roleplaying environment is key in live-action roleplaying settings. Participants can leverage the real world around them, the atmosphere, and props to create an immersive environment in which folks can lose themselves in.
Similarly, in-character interactions are a must for LARPing. People who are participating in a live-action roleplay will dress up as their character and interact with others around them to play their part.
Like many other kinds of roleplay, LARPing also relies on:
Storytelling skills
The ability to ideate and develop characters
World-building
Problem-solving skills
The ability to make informed decisions
Why do people enjoy LARPing?
People enjoy live-action roleplaying and other forms of roleplay because it allows them to immerse themselves in another world. Folks can explore their most creative side in a safe space of like-minded people. LARPers can act out scenes, engage in on-the-spot roleplay, and work on their personal character development.
Where to Start If You’re New to LARPing
If you’re new to live-action roleplay but it’s something you’ve always wanted to explore, you’re not alone. You can start LARPing at any age, even if you’ve never roleplayed before. Still, it can feel overwhelming to start a new activity.
Here’s where you can start if you’re new to live-action roleplaying.
1. Get familiar with the ins and outs of LARPing.
Your first step on your live-action roleplay journey should be getting familiar with LARPing basics. Do a bit of research on LARPing etiquette (more on that below) and what it involves.
With live-action roleplay, you can expect costuming and props to be important components of many sessions. Cosplay — people dress up as their favorite characters — is closely tied to LARPing. The costume differences between the two boil down to their durability. When cosplayers make costumes, it’s OK if they’re fragile or pricey because they might only wear it once. However, a LARPer’s costume needs to be able to withstand lots of movement, since participants actively roleplay in their outfits.
What your character wears will depend on the roleplaying group, the setting, the atmosphere, and the location. Whatever the case, you’ll just want to make sure your character’s outfit of choice will withstand the LARPing session.
2. Find a group for live-action roleplaying.
If you’re brand new to live-action roleplay, it can be helpful to find a group that’s been roleplaying for a while. Participants can help you get the hang of live-action roleplay and steer you in the right direction.
You can find LARPing groups on apps like Facebook, Reddit, and other social media platforms. Local comic book shops or game stores can sometimes help folks find LARPing groups. If you happen to be in college, your campus might even have a live-action roleplay group of its own.
Alternatively, you and your friends could start your own LARP group.
3. Look for LARPing events near you.
Regardless of whether or not you have your own group, you can always look for LARPing events local to you. Many states host a Renaissance fair which involves levels of roleplaying. While some folks will just want to dress up like their character, others will commit and only respond in character instead of having out-of-character conversations.
When looking for LARPing events, check social media platforms like Facebook for posted events. You can also use a tool like LARPFinder to find nearby events based on your location.
4. Design a character for yourself.
Once you know what kind of LARPing event or group you’re delving into, you can start to build your character. Take your time brainstorming. Some groups prefer to use character sheets, especially in roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons, and those can give you a great start.
Think about their backstory and what events led them to be the character they are today. What’s their personality like? You can draw or describe their physical appearance, too. Some artists even specialize in bringing roleplay characters to life this way.
You can also consider what special abilities or skills they have. What are their strengths and weaknesses? Answering some of these more basic questions can help you really flesh out your character and role.
5. Get ready for your first live-action roleplaying experience.
If you’ve found a group or event and created your character, you’re ready to go. Don’t forget to pack some essentials in a go-bag before the event. Depending on the setting and environment, you might want to pack items like:
Your wallet, including cash, credit cards, and your ID
A phone charger
A notepad and pen
Make sure you understand the general guidelines before you go. A historical battle reenactment will have different rules than a more convention-esque setting, like a Renaissance fair.
Most importantly, embrace your first-ever LARPing experience with an open-minded, positive attitude.
Live-Action Roleplay Etiquette: What to Expect
The exact live-action roleplay etiquette that’ll be expected of you will depend on what kind of event you attend. Expectations will vary from event to event, but there are some general guidelines you can follow just to be safe. Here are some of the basics of LARPing etiquette to keep in mind.
Be safe.
Above all else, prioritize safety. This may be a given for most folks, but it’s important nonetheless. The majority of LARPing groups make safety a priority by including common-sense rules and guidelines.
In general, always make sure you stay aware of your surroundings. If you see something suspicious or dangerous behavior, report it. If the event includes alcoholic beverages, always watch your drink and never leave it unattended.
Aim to have an optimistic attitude.
It goes without saying that you shouldn’t plan to show up to a LARPing event with a bad attitude. Try to go into the event with a positive outlook, even if you’re feeling nervous. Being an engaged, enthusiastic participant makes for a more fulfilling roleplay experience.
Be sure to put your collaboration skills to the test by leveraging teamwork. Live-action roleplay is usually a collaborative experience, and it’s more fun when everyone works together. In the same vein, make sure you’re being a good sport.
Enjoy the immersive experience.
Arguably the biggest aspect of LARPing is the immersive roleplaying experience. As such, make sure you stay in character for the majority of the time. Participants who speak in and out of character can confuse others and muddle the roleplay experience. It can be tough to stay in character, especially if it’s your first event, but it’ll help if you surround yourself with other LARPers.
Because of all the improv that happens during LARP events, roleplayers can work on their adaptability skills, especially when it comes to thinking on thier feet. Adapt to surprising or otherwise unexpected situations and try to keep a flexible mindset.
Keep in mind that LARP events are for everyone and you’re not usually the main character of a single event. A successful LARPing session takes everyone’s effort, so make sure everyone is included.
Be respectful to everyone.
It’s also important to be respectful during live-action roleplay events. Follow the event guidelines and respect other LARPers’ boundaries. A good rule of thumb is to always ask for content before roleplay situations that could be uncomfortable for others, including physical contact.
Steer clear of power plays, where you intentionally or unintentionally dominate the LARP event. Remember that LARPing is a collaborative experience.
How to Improve Your LARPing Skills with Yoodli
Whether you’re totally new to live-action roleplaying or you’re just trying to brush up on your roleplaying skills, using a tool like Yoodli can make a difference.
Yoodli — a top roleplay platform and communication coach — uses AI to spark conversational roleplay opportunities. Users can experiment and practice their skills in tons of different types of roleplay, from simple small talk to sales call simulations and even in your romantic life.
You can use Yoodli for anything from interview preparation to live-action roleplay and dating conversation prep.
For example, top companies like Google and Dale Carnegie use Yoodli for their own use purposes, like work enablement, certification, and training. Here’s how it works.
Anyone can pick from a collection of existing roleplay scenarios from Yoodli’s bank or they can create their own with Yoodli’s Builder. That way, if you have a specific scenario in mind, they can tackle it head-on. LARPers, for example, might have group- or event-specific scenarios in mind that they’d like to practice. Whatever the scenario might be, Yoodli will provide an AI-generated partner that you can further customize.
You can use Yoodli to practice for any type of live-action roleplay and build your confidence in LARPing.
From there, you can start practicing your live-action roleplaying. Yoodli will help you hit your objectives and goals while sharpening your skills. Plus, as a roleplay coach, Yoodli gives folks customized, detailed evaluations of their roleplay conversation skills. Users can then use this instant, actionable feedback to improve their skills and reach their goals.
Whether you’re into LARPing or you just want to prepare for an upcoming presentation, find out how you can get started for free with Yoodli at https://yoodli.ai/.
4 Benefits of Live-Action Roleplaying
Although LARPing is appealing to many simply because it’s fun in nature, there are also tons of benefits that come with this kind of roleplay. Here are just four advantages that come with engaging in some live-action roleplay sessions.
1. There’s more room for creativity and creative thinking.
Not everyone gets to flex their creative muscles. Folks sometimes feel tied down to their education or their job and, as a result, don’t have tons of creative free time. For some people, live-action roleplaying provides that space for imaginative, creative thinking.
People who wouldn’t normally get the opportunity to be creative at school or work can dive into world-building. They can ideate detailed, immersive worlds that become the perfect backdrop for engaging, interesting characters. LARPing always involves an element of storytelling, so folks can really let their imagination run wild while creating compelling narratives and plot twists.
2. LARPing can be a fun way to get some physical activity.
There are even health benefits to live-action roleplay. Many LARP events involve outdoor settings and require spending time outside. Spending time in nature is good for a person’s physical and mental health. It can be a strong stress reliever and reduces anxiety for many. For some people, it provides an escape from their typical day-to-day life.
Depending on the actual event, LARPers might need to walk, run, or even engage in planned combat — all endeavors that can get your heart pumping. For some people, it’s a good form of exercise.
3. It can create a sense of community and social connection.
Because live-action roleplaying is such a collaborative activity, LARPing can create a sense of community and connection for participants. There’s always teamwork involved, and working toward shared objectives can make folks feel more connected. You’ll be able to put your empathy skills to the test as you interact with other LARPers.
Not only that, but it provides a safe space for you to practice your communication skills. One of the best roleplay tips is to use clear, concise language to avoid potential misunderstandings during a session or event.
4. It can improve your ability to think critically.
One of the best benefits of LARPing is that it can boost your critical thinking skills. Live-action roleplay events are a great environment for practicing your problem-solving skills. Most LARPing sessions involve plenty of brainstorming, considering solutions to problems that crop up, and thinking on your feet.
Even though these take place in a fictional setting, LARPers still get to practice informed decision-making and strategic thinking, which can benefit them in other areas of their life.
The Bottom Line
Live-action roleplaying is a popular form of roleplay that comes with its own unique benefits. Whether you’re a seasoned LARPer or you’re new to the scene, the live-action roleplay community is vast. There are tons of opportunities to meet new people, flex your creative muscles, and socialize with like-minded folks.
If you’re looking to brush up on your LARPing skills, an app like Yoodli can take your abilities to the next level. Just remember, everyone progresses at their own pace.
There are many unique use cases and benefits of roleplaying, whether you’re trying to improve your professional development, your personal social skills, or something else entirely.
In our comprehensive guide, we’ll give you everything you should know about the benefits of roleplay, including what you can use roleplaying for, the emotional, social, and cognitive advantages, and how you can improve your skills.
What Can Roleplay Be Helpful for?
No matter what stage of life you’re in, roleplay can be a helpful tool for almost anything. Have an upcoming presentation or interview? You can use roleplay to practice. Planning to ask for a raise at work? Roleplay with a friend to practice what you want to say. The possibilities for what roleplaying can be used for — especially with the emergence of AI roleplay — are endless.
In professional spaces, roleplay is used in workshops, courses, and trainings, especially in industries like customer service and healthcare. It’s also used in schools, from grade school to university, to help students better understand concepts. Roleplaying can even be used in therapy.
Regardless of how you use it, roleplaying comes with specific benefits that are well worth the effort.
Emotional and Social Benefits of Roleplay
When considering the overall benefits of roleplay, the emotional and social advantages are often first-of-mind. Roleplaying usually provides a safe, semi-controlled environment for folks to socialize and this comes with a whole host of benefits. Here’s what you should know.
Better relationships with others
First and foremost, roleplaying can help forge stronger bonds between people. On one hand, roleplaying games can provide social opportunities for people to meet and connect, leading to friendship. Many RPGs require collaboration skills and teamwork for success, and this helps people build better relationships, both in and outside of games. They can even provide a sense of community.
However, you can also leverage individual roleplay sessions to build stronger relationships with others. For example, practicing your social skills via roleplay can improve your ability to engage in small talk and listen empathetically (more on that below!)
Improved empathy and ability to empathize
Although some people are born with a natural ability to empathize, for others, empathy is a learned skill. Either way, one of the best benefits of roleplaying is that it can help you develop a stronger sense of empathy.
For example, RPGs often involve people filling the roles of various characters. This can give you a different perspective on how to better understand others. Roleplaying for social skills can also help you better relate to the perspectives and experiences of other people. All of this, coupled with knowing how to listen with empathy, can help roleplayers connect with other folks on a more significant level.
More self-confidence
Though it might come as a surprise to some folks, roleplaying can also improve your self-confidence. For people who aren’t confident, a lot of that stems from a sense of self-doubt. For people who roleplay — especially in social role plays or situations — gaining confidence in these social scenarios can make a world of difference.
For others, the ability to speak in public is a more significant issue. Many folks struggle with public speaking and lean into individual roleplay sessions as a means of practicing. People can practice their public speaking skills in a totally controlled, risk-free environment to build their confidence.
Roleplay and roleplay games also allow folks to express themselves differently than they would in more professional settings, like at school and work.
Better communication skills
Of course, one of the most recognized benefits of roleplaying is improved communication skills. Everyone from students to sales reps and language learners use roleplay to strengthen their ability to communicate. During a roleplay session for example, roleplayers can use their active listening skills to home in on what others have to say. This also helps them react and reply more thoughtfully than they might if they weren’t actually listening.
The more you roleplay (especially with others), the better you’ll be at expressing your thoughts, ideas, and beliefs clearly. You can also get practice in specific scenarios, like compromise, negotiation, or selling tactics, for example.
The Underrated Psychological Benefits of Roleplaying
Some of the lesser-known benefits of roleplaying are psychological. In other words, it benefits your mental health and wellbeing. Here are just a few of the psychological benefits of roleplay.
Less anxiety and stress
One of the most underrated psychological benefits of roleplaying is the decrease in stress and anxiety that often comes with it. Some folks leverage their roleplay sessions for mindfulness. They get so focused on their roleplay experience that they can let go of the daily stressors that might cause worry or anxiety.
For others, roleplay can be a form of escapism, especially when it comes to creative, social roleplaying. Some folks have creative roleplay sessions after work or school that serve as a temporary means of escape from their stress or stressful events of the day.
Increased emotional intelligence
Both solo and social roleplay can boost a person’s level of emotional intelligence, too. Roleplaying alone or in a group of friends can give you a more controlled environment to practice your social skills, for example. As mentioned above, it can also help you develop a better sense of empathy, which allows folks to understand how others may feel.
Boosted mood
Roleplay can even improve your mood. With roleplaying games, for example, people can focus on enjoying the gameplay instead of events earlier in the day that cause stress, anxiety, or worry. Plus, if it’s a tabletop roleplay game or a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG), people can connect with others to share the experience. Social interaction — even virtual interaction — is known to boost moods.
The Cognitive Benefits of Roleplay
Folks also tend to overlook the cognitive benefits of roleplay — AKA, the benefits to the way you think and process information. Here are some of the most essential cognitive advantages of engaging in a bit of roleplay.
Better problem-solving skills
Roleplaying can help folks develop better problem-solving skills, both individually and within groups of roleplayers. Specifically, people can practice making more informed decisions in a safe environment. In roleplaying games, for example, every action has a potential consequence. Playing these games can improve your ability to make sound decisions.
Not only that, but it helps with strategy and planning, too. Folks often have to think ahead or think on their feet to create strategies and tactics for success. Depending on the exact roleplay scenario, it can also help build your conflict resolution skills.
Improved critical thinking
Roleplayers can also improve their ability to think critically through roleplaying. For example, any kind of roleplay involves the ability to take in and evaluate information. In RPGs, before making decisions, players consider the available information, including how relevant and credible it is. Depending on the situation, it can sharpen your ability to identify trends or patterns that crop up, too.
Roleplaying — both educational and creative — helps people safely question their pre-existing assumptions or beliefs. People can consider alternative viewpoints and challenge what they think they know simply by roleplaying with others.
Boosted creativity
Although people often think of imagination and creativity as skills you’re born with, you can also develop and increase your capacity for creativity through roleplaying. With creative roleplay especially, such as with live action roleplaying or games like Dungeons & Dragons, people can stretch their creative muscles through storytelling, world-building, character development, and more.
Generally speaking, creative roleplay is a safe space for experimenting with different plot lines or narratives. In both RPGs and LARPing, you can let your imagination run wild and explore fictional worlds. The more you dive into your creative side, the easier it is to leverage those creative skills.
Better memory
A more surprising benefit of roleplay is the improvement in roleplayers’ memory. Roleplay can actually help beat the forgetting curve by building your active recall abilities. Depending on the exact kind of roleplay, you can even leverage immersive learning to get a better idea of a concept through simulations.
Even with games like D&D, the spaced repetition of reviewing information each session can boost your memory.
How to Reap the Benefits of Roleplay with Yoodli
If you’re looking to reap the benefits of roleplaying, you’re in the right place. There’s no better tool to do so than with Yoodli.
Yoodli is a roleplay platform and speech coach that leverages conversational, AI-powered roleplay to improve the user’s skills. Yoodli offers all different types of roleplay, from sales call simulations to realistic small talk and even dating.
Yoodli can help you reap all the benefits of roleplay, from sales call simulations to small talk and even in your dating life.
In fact, well-known companies like Google and Dale Carnegie have leveraged Yoodli for training, certification, and work enablement.
No matter what your use case is for roleplay, Yoodli’s got you covered. Folks can choose an existing roleplay scenario from Yoodli’s database or they can use Yoodli’s platform to build their own from scratch. Once they’re ready to go, users will engage in some back-and-forth conversation with their AI-generated partner. You can even tweak the personality of your AI partner so you’re able to practice with all sorts of personas, from frustrated to stressed and friendly.
Take advantage of the benefits of roleplaying with Yoodli’s expert platform.
Not only that, but Yoodli provides personalized, in-depth assessments of how your roleplay went. After the roleplay ends, users receive instant feedback on how the roleplay went so they’ll know exactly where they need to improve.
Learn how you can reap the benefits of roleplay and start for free with Yoodli at https://yoodli.ai/.
The Bottom Line
The potential benefits of roleplaying are essentially endless. From the cognitive advantages to the social perks, roleplay can be a versatile, practical tool for improvement. Using a tried-and-true roleplay platform like Yoodli will make all the difference.
