Facilitating with Flair: Meet Katie Morell

As a freelancer for 16 years, Katie Morell has been a writer, journalist, executive ghostwriter, and marketing project manager. As a journalist, she has written for dozens of outlets, including Fast Company, Bloomberg Businessweek, USA Today, and San Francisco Chronicle. In her ghostwriting and marketing work, she’s helped companies such as Meta, Prezi, and Nextiva. She is now focusing on work as a facilitator of experiences that help teams connect, strategize, and collaborate.

Do you have a favorite piece you’ve written as a journalist?

I have so many! I loved writing about the brain science behind rituals because it connected to how I personally felt after having a ritual around my beloved grandmother’s death. I also loved writing about animal conservation, and interviewing fun people for stories like tennis star Venus Williams, ice skating legend Kristi Yamaguchi, and authors like Neal Bascomb.

In the case of EM, it wasn’t just about socialization or team building; it was to help the team create a 2025 strategy. And we did that! There was participation from all sides, and it was dynamic with a lot of conversational pivoting. I found it to be extremely rewarding, because at the end of the day they did come away with a strategy.

What do you like to do for fun?

I am dancing as much as humanly possible! I have an incredible dance studio down the street here in Bend, Oregon, and I go there four or five times a week – during two of those times it’s just me renting the studio on my own, because that’s how much I love it.  People in my dance classes have been dancing since they were three years old, but I started when I was 41 so it’s a lot different. It’s freeing. As a writer, I express myself with words, but dancing is a full body experience. Other than that, I enjoy traveling with family and friends. I love yoga, running, and trying new things. I’m very into getting out of my comfort zone.

What’s next for you?

I’ll soon be redesigning my website to reflect facilitation as a core offering, with different packages for SMBs and enterprise customers. I’m getting a lot of feedback that teams are struggling with return-to-work policies. With some staying remote or hybrid and others fully going back into the office, many teams are feeling disconnected. I’m excited to help with trust-building, fostering senses of belonging, and increased team cohesion. All of those things add to productivity and staff retention, which are measurable and incredibly important for the bottom line.