Webinars vs. Workshops: Why I Choose Workshops
- Hailey Magsig
- Nov 11, 2025
- 4 min read
Why I Choose Workshops Over Webinars
During the pandemic, I attended a lot of webinars — and I mean a lot. Marketing, business strategy, social media, automation… if someone promised insight, I was there. But after months of watching, I realized something surprising: I wasn’t actually learning much — or even being introduced to new concepts.
Sure, I had notes—pages of them. But I wasn’t doing anything differently. Each session told me why I needed to improve, but rarely showed me how. And more often than not, that “how” came with a catch — a button leading to a Vegas-style sales page and a $799 “next step.”
That didn’t stop me from watching more webinars, though. Eventually, I started watching them through a different lens — as an observer, not just a participant. And here’s what I noticed:
Thoughtful, insightful questions are being asked in the chat — but rarely answered.
The same presenters are hosting “new” webinars under different names with nearly identical content. (I wish I were kidding.)
Manipulative sales tactics designed to make business owners doubt themselves just enough to buy the next offer, which often turned out to be another webinar and a few hastily made downloads.
Endless comments like “thanks!” or “so inspiring!” from attendees, but seldom a confident “I know exactly what to do next.”
Watching all this unfold changed how I think about learning for busy business owners — and ultimately, it shaped the foundation of PERSONUS Consulting.
The Webinar Trap
Webinars absolutely have their place in sharing information. But somewhere along the way, I started to question whether most of them qualify as education anymore. When you really compare webinars vs workshops, it becomes clear why one inspires ideas and the other inspires action. Education should lead to progress — and for me, webinars rarely did.
Education should lead to progress — and for me, webinars rarely did.
Over time, I began to see a pattern. Most webinars fall into one of three categories:
1️⃣ Authentically informative: The rare gems where someone genuinely shares knowledge you can use.
2️⃣ Sales informative: Valuable enough to hook you in — but mostly a setup for selling something bigger.
3️⃣ Empty informative: Heavy on what you’re doing wrong, light on how to fix it.
I’ve sat through sessions that promised transformation but left me with little more than motivation that faded by morning. You could say webinars are great at inspiration — but not so great at implementation.
The Missing Piece: Interaction
The real problem, I realized, wasn’t just the content — it was the format. Webinars are designed for watching, not doing. They talk at you, not with you.* There’s little time to process, experiment, or ask questions. It’s easy to get inspired in the moment, but just as easy to forget everything a few hours later.
Looking back through my own notes, I noticed how empty they were — lots of bullet points, not much substance. And even if I wanted to move forward with something, I had no clear starting point or framework to guide me.
Most webinars also have to be incredibly broad to attract a wide audience. That means they can’t get personal or dive deep into anyone’s specific challenges. You might throw a question into the chat, but it rarely gets answered. And when it does, the response often sounds like a teaser — the real answer supposedly lives inside the paid version.
So, the session ends, your notes sit untouched, and you’re left right where you started.
For small and creative business owners — people like me and the clients I work with — time is too precious to waste on passive learning. We don’t need more “big ideas.” We need focused time, honest conversation, and a safe space to share ideas and test things out.
Webinars vs Workshops: Why I’ll Always Choose Workshops
When I started PERSONUS Consulting, I knew I wanted to create something that worked differently— a more interactive learning experience for small business owners that delivered. I didn’t want to talk at people about business strategy — I wanted to work with them on it. That’s why every hands-on workshop I design is built around doing.
Workshops give people space to slow down, think, and take immediate action. They create accountability — you’re not just listening, you’re building something that applies directly to your business. You get to ask questions, test ideas, and walk away with a clear game plan before the session ends.
And maybe my favorite part? The community that forms in every workshop. When you spend 75 minutes with a small group of business owners facing similar challenges, the conversation becomes richer and more practical. You realize you’re not the only one figuring things out — and that’s powerful.
Learning That Sticks
For microbusiness owners, progress occurs when learning and action happen together. That’s what hands-on learningxf workshops make possible. They bridge the gap between information and implementation.
Workshops bridge the gap between information and implementation.
Instead of walking away with pages of notes you’ll never revisit, you leave a PERSONUS workshop with something tangible — a refined message, a new process, a marketing plan outline, or even just a clearer understanding of your next step. It’s not about perfection; it’s about traction.
Choosing Progress Over Perfection
At the end of the day, I’m not against webinars. I’m just for something better. PERSONUS workshops exist because I believe small business owners deserve more than inspiration — they deserve support, clarity, and practical tools they can actually use.
If that sounds like what you’ve been looking for, I’d love for you to experience the difference for yourself.
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