Episode Details

Have you ever wondered how playfulness and humor can unlock confidence and connection in your life and work? 

In this episode of Her Unshakeable Confidence, Simone and Olivia Knego sit down with Kelsey Kates — a facilitator, play expert, and advocate for creativity in adulthood. Kelsey shares how embracing low-stakes environments, playful curiosity, and even hands-on tools like LEGO Serious Play can enhance learning, leadership, and personal growth.

They explore why humor and self-deprecation, when done authentically, build genuine connection, and how returning to playful experiences from childhood can help fill your cup and ignite confidence in adult life. Whether it’s volunteering, dancing badly, or rescuing seals in Ireland, Kelsey demonstrates how play and purpose intersect to make life more meaningful and fun.


✅ Actionable Takeaways

• Use Humor to Connect: Authentic, lighthearted humor fosters trust, engagement, and deeper relationships.
• Create Low-Stakes Environments: Encouraging curiosity and play reduces fear of failure and promotes creative thinking.
• Hands-On Learning Works: Tools like LEGO Serious Play help adults think differently, retain information, and spark innovation.
• Return to Play: Revisiting playful childhood activities can refresh creativity and boost confidence in adulthood.
• Fill Your Cup: Engaging in meaningful, joyful activities — whether volunteering or exploring personal hobbies — recharges you for life and work.

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 — Introduction
14:03 — Authenticity and Connection Through Humor
18:05 — Infusing Play and Laughter in Learning and Work
23:02 — Neuroscience of Play: Why Curiosity Matters
29:00 — Low-Stakes Environments Encourage Risk-Taking
35:23 — LEGO Serious Play: Hands-On Creativity
40:04 — Childhood Play Shapes Adult Creativity
42:54 — Confidence and Choice: Saying Yes or No Authentically
44:24 — Filling Your Cup: Play, Volunteering, and Joy
49:27 — Internal Validation: Finding Fulfillment Within


✨ About Kelsey Kates

Kelsey Kates is a facilitator, play strategist, and certified LEGO Serious Play facilitator. She specializes in bringing play, humor, and creativity into adult learning and leadership environments to improve engagement, innovation, and confidence. Kelsey has trained teams at Google and works with organizations globally to create safe, playful spaces that inspire collaboration and personal growth.

Connect with Kelsey Kates:

Website: KelseyKates.com

LinkedIn: Kelsey Kates

Instagram: @kelseyadelekates



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