Pinquelton Group was founded by Andy Eninger and John Loos, two learning designers & facilitators who are partners in business, comedy and life (yep, we’re married, which is why we often accidentally dress alike.) What started 14 years ago as a critically acclaimed sketch and improv comedy duo called Pinque Pony has evolved into a dynamic employee development business that marries our unique comedic perspective and sense of play with our 30+ years of combined corporate facilitation experience. We also proudly resource a deep well of experienced talent with similarly unique corporate learning perspectives to deliver memorable, fun and discovery-filled sessions focused on presentation, innovation, narrative, and collaboration.
Pinquelton Group的外部链接
US，CA，Los Angeles
Wise words from our largest and baldest co-founder, John Loos!
Look! I wrote about the splendors (and necessity) of live learning for Fairplay Learning Partners. Check it out and see if you can spot my 90s girl group joke! Because if John Loos is writing something, you know he's going to include a 90s girl group joke. https://lnkd.in/gq-dZeYS
Our co-founder John Loos writes about find his authentic work style through a massive, ungainly Lego castle:
This is my Lego castle! I have it next to me on my desk at home and it's big and messy and perpetually under construction and takes up 80% of my desk space and it's my absolute favorite thing. Here's why. A few years ago I was diagnosed with ADHD and shortly after realized I was also autistic. I got a crash course in neurodivergence and how my brain desperately seeks dopamine and constantly yearns for my special interests (bc of the dopamine). I had always been a HUGE Lego fiend as a kid, but it became one of those "childish" things you put away in favor of suits and ties and taxes and [insert grown-up words here]. Shortly after my diagnosis, on a whim, I bought a small Lego ice cream truck set from CostCo. And the joy I felt was immediate. So then I bought a little spaceship. And then a bigger 3-in-1 noodle shop set. And then, on a fortuitous visit home to see my mom and sisters, I learned my now-teenage niece had gotten rid of her huge Lego collection and all those glorious pieces were sitting in a box in my mom's garage. I happily took them and from there, the castle was born. I've been building it, modifying it, adding to it, breaking it down, scouring the Internet for specific pieces, reimagining it, for almost a year and a half now. I can spend hours tweaking a section or demolishing and rebuilding a tower. It's my deep special interest, my happy place, and yes sometimes my Sisyphean task. But it ignites all the parts of my brain that struggle to get ignited in so many other settings. And, I find, having just ten minutes here or there to finagle and work on my castle clears my head and makes me so much more able to focus and work at my desk. It's like an emotional support castle? I know it sounds strange, but to me it's a testament to letting our brains be as they are and working in ways that best fit your own circuitry instead of perpetually trying to work/present yourself in a way that feels standardized, stifling, and depressingly unattainable. Plus, on a base level, it just brings joy to my work space and makes it a place I love to be, a place that energizes me and excites me, even when I'm ass-deep in admin work or brain-melting research or on my 6th straight hour of Zoom. Yes, I could clear it off and have a "grown-up" space with papers and files and "don't talk until I've had my coffee" mugs, but you know? If I'm going to have clutter on my desk, I'd much rather it be the clutter of joy. (also enjoy all the female celebrities on the walls around my desk, that's a post for a different time ?? ) #joy #audhd #neurodivergenceatwork #workstyles #lego #workfromhome #freelancer #autism #autismatwork #innerchild
Friday marked the end of long, 16-month journey of a special project created by The Nova Collective to teach anti-bias training to CalFresh and CalWorks workers across the entire state of California. In that time, traveled to the tippy tip top of the state at the Oregon border (Crescent City) all the way down to the Mexican border (El Centro) and countless places in between (Modesto, Merced, San Luis Obispo, Modesto, Sacramento, Concord, Gilroy, San Jose, Yreka, Corona, Modesto, Pismo Beach, San Mateo, Visalia, Modesto, Visalia, Modesto, Modesto, Modesto and did I mention Modesto?), meeting the incredible people who work tirelessly to improve their communities through social services. It wasn't always easy, but it was always illuminating and I learned so much from the participants and the communities and my co-facilitators (the legendary and fearless @Stacey Johnson, the brilliant and hilarious Dr. Justin D. Key ???, the kind and uber-talented Chriselle Almeida, my ingenious forever queen Sayjal Joshi, the insightful and wonderful Tyrabia Womble, and the extraordinary and inspiring Dr. Nooshin Valizadeh are all icons and legends!) The world is bleak these days but one thing that always struck me doing these sessions is the amount of good happening that we *don't* see. These workers are underpaid, overworked, but still show up every day with an unfailing belief that things can get better. For their communities, their neighbors, the single mom or laid-off worker or struggling family sitting across from them. They don't get celebrated for what they do, but what they do literally saves and changes lives, every single day. Good is out there. It still exists. And I got to see it from top to bottom (literally) across California. (also thank you to mega-icon Christina Sterzel and Benjamin Henning for coordinating this grand adventure, and to the legends Noor Ali and Jemia Williams, MBA for creating such an impactful and resonate program).
Taking time to learn new things is always hard, but worth it. We're so glad so many people at OMG made time for building their presentation and storytelling skills in this busy holiday season! https://lnkd.in/g2Y55AYE
Last week, despite being one of the busiest weeks of the year, we had 90 OMGers invest a half day in their professional development to elevate their presenting and storytelling skills in our last in-person training of 2025! Shout out to the learners from OMD USA and Beauty Co-Lab and their managers, who supported them in taking the time, and to Andy Eninger and Tamara Nolte for bringing the energy! #beomg
An essay on authenticity in the workplace, by our co-founder John Loos, that we promise is worth the read:
Wrote something inspired by my unmasking journey as a late-diagnosed autistic adult. #audhd #autism #adhd
How do you sum up an experience like the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) 2024 conference? We laughed, we cried (tears of opportunity), we lived, we loved, we drank lots of cosmos and met so many amazing queer business owners and corporate partners. It really was a top-notch conference experience bursting with possibility and camaraderie and community. Since everybody loves a list, here are three things really stood out to us: 1) AUTHENTICITY. When people are allowed to be their full authentic selves, the bring the power of their full selves to the table. They're more engaged in conversation, willing to help and support each other, and those all-important connections build so much faster and so much stronger. 2) COMMUNITY. Wearing a caftan at a corporate event is something I never thought I'd do, considering how much pushback I've had in the past to wearing pink and vibrant patterns and florals and such in corporate spaces. Here, we were strengthened and emboldened by the safety of the community around us. We knew Palm Springs had our back, we knew the conference center had our back, and we knew the NGLCC had our back. It's amazing what happens when the stress of existing as a queer person in hetero or sometimes hostile corporate spaces melts away and your brain can actually fully focus on the work. 3) THE HEAT. Yes, it was hot af in Palm Springs but there was also so much warmth--and dare I say HEAT--in the conversations we had. The excitement was palpable, the curiosity and delight people had hearing about each other's roles and businesses and reasons for being there was absolutely genuine. At no point when we gave our business pitch did anyone seem less than excited and curious to hear it, even if it was far afield from what they were searching for. It was almost as if everyone was genuinely delighted to hear how many spaces queer entrepreneurs and corporate sponsors exist in, how creative we are, and how much we're thriving despite the (gestures broadly at the world). We are so excited to move forward with what we've learned, the connections we've made, and are proud to have been a part of such an incredible assemblage of brilliant folks. See you all in Vegas next year! #nglcc #nglcc2024 #authenticity #lgbtqe #laglcc #beexceptional #lgbtqia
That's a wrap on the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) 2024 conference! Such a wonderful experience, so many great conversations (and cocktails), so many lovely events (and cocktails) and so many inspiring people (and cocktails!) More reflections soon!
First time wearing one of my caftans at a corporate event! Could only happen at the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) conference where everyone is free to be themselves and serve corporate glamour and threauxput and cashfleaux realness #nglcc #nglcc24 Pinquelton Group #pinqueltongroup
Palm Springs, here we come! We'll be spending the week at the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) conference meeting fellow queer entrepreneurs and corporate partners, upskilling in a bevy of fun breakout sessions, networking, and testing the boundaries of how deep a v-neck can go before it's not considered corporate-appropriate! If you see us, say hi! The magic phrase to win our hearts is "do you want to get a cosmo on the rail at Blackbook?"
Big news! We are officially and National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) Certified Business! We are excited and honored to join both the NGLCC and the Los Angeles LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce, and can't wait to make our big, pinque debut at the NGLCC 2024 Conference in Palm Springs later this month. We look forward to connecting to other LGBTQIA+ owned businesses and corporate partners to network, share insights, and settle once and for all if Chappell Roan is the next Lady Gaga or the next Cyndi Lauper (neither, she's the next Judy Tenuda). See you there! #nglcc #nglcc2024 #palmsprings #laglcc #learninganddevelopment #consulting #lgbtq
One element of our organization that is challenging to talk about is the fact we are a married couple (we actually just celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary, and we'll count 17 years together in August, which is bonkers because we are both still so breathtakingly young and vibrant!) It's not that we are in any way ashamed of our marriage, we're both deeply proud of it. It's just that we understand there's a certain (almost vaudeville-ian?) connotation to married acts in the corporate space. We always worry people will hear we're married and assume we're a silly novelty act or the Captain and Tennille of PowerPoint decks (I mean, we kind of are. "Slides! Slides will keep us together! Call me baby whenever!") Yet, being married couple informs so much of how we work together and the curriculums and workshops we design. We're both exceedingly different in our work approach, and so we've had to learn through trial and error how to best harness each other's strengths and acknowledge each other's speed bumps. We've had to learn to share responsibility, trust each other, and create clarity. Over our 17 years together, we've grown together as performers, presenters, facilitators, and designers, leveraging each other's superpowers to create the best possible experiences for our clients in the room (also, isn't the word leverage just so romantic? Did we mentioned John used slicky notes and a whiteboard marker to deliver his vows during our wedding?) As your organization grows, as your teams become more seasoned and work relationships start hitting the anniversary point, it becomes essential to continue to create space for adjustments, conversations, support, and grace. All this to say, we feel strongly that our marriage and shared passion for live learning give us extra powerful insight into how humans collaboration, innovate, and connect. And we do our best to harness that with each session we deliver. Also, aren't we so adorable in this picture? (In case you're wondering, John is 100% the Tennille)