CAL Essentials for Organization Leaders

Live Online Session

David was the best facilitator I have ever encountered in any of my many certifications. He made the class a conversation and has a knack for enhancing learning through repetition as well as eliciting participation through various exercises. Hands down this was a very positive experience, it enhanced my learning retention and I would recommend this class and David in particular to anyone looking to get certified in Scrum!

Live Online Session

Our trainer, Arlen, gave me an incredible experience. I appreciated the way he translated industry-specific terms into broader vocabulary so that people from different professional backgrounds could really connect with the content. He paced the curriculum perfectly to fit our needs and was mindful of creating space for us to interact. The session was a perfectly sized learning environment - intimate enough to have meaningful interactions, but enough variety to make every activity feel fresh.

Live Online Session

I found the interactive Mural board really helpful for class and activities.

Live Online Session

Flexible. There is room to grow and team work. Healthy and be yourself.

Live Online Session

Good coverage of information in such a short 2 day session. Don is confident in his knowledge and answered all questions the class asked.

Live Online Session

This is one of the best PD courses I've ever taken. It moved at a good pace, covered all relevant points, and had relevant group exercises. It was obvious the instructor, Donald Patti, was incredibly well versed in the subject details with plenty of life experience to pull examples from. I would highly recommend this course for anyone either working as a Scrum Master or someone transferring into this role.

Live Online Session

The instructor Arlen did a great job in presenting the material and leading the discussions. For me, I have been in this role for a while, so I found the discussions very valuable.

Live Online Session

This course was very informative & interactive. I’ve put off taking this course for a couple years & glad I finally took it. It was well worth it. Don Patti was an exceptional instructor. I appreciate the patience & helpfulness from Don. I definitely will refer this course & Don to others.

Live Online Session

An amazing introduction to Scrum Product Ownership. David Bulkin brings a fantastic amount of energy and passion to the subject of Scrum Product Ownership, going beyond standard topics such as backlog refinement and user story creation, and instead putting a primary focus on the concepts and tools related to Product Ideation with plenty of real-world examples. I.E.) "Building the right thing." What a fun weekend, and I learned something too.

Live Online Session

The course was interactive and had a solid mix of instructor-led delivery, breakout sessions, and interactive quizzing that really helps with the exam preparation.

Live Online Session

Trainer David Bulkin was very informative and kept everyone engaged.

Live Online Session

The session was very interactive which helped keeping the group focused. The real life examples were of great value

Live Online Session

It was very inspiring how the instructor embodied the agile approach.

Live Online Session

Awesome instructor. Great information provided and can be used in my everyday product owner role.

Live Online Session

The instructor gave very detailed instructions and amazing visual aids. Miro was great too.

Live Online Session

I love how interactive the class was throughout the 2 day period. The instructor did a great job making sure that everyone understood the information before moving on to the next topic.

Live Online Session

The topics were organized in a way that I could follow and understand. I like that there were slides to print and take notes on. Don did a great job at articulating each subject we needed to learn. He tried to mix the class up by adding break-out sessions, exercises, quizzes, etc. I feel very prepared to study and pass the CSM exam.

Live Online Session

The teaching method was very fun and interactive with classmates and lecturer. The lecture was very interesting and make me eager to listen. It was with real-time examples so we were able to understand better.

Live Online Session

The class is packed with information and delivered in a fun and patient manner.

Live Online Session

Team exercises throughout the session, to help us better understand the concepts

Live Online Session

I liked the whole class! I was transparent with some concerns regarding a specific section, & the instructor modified his presentations based on this feedback. Amazing to have a teacher respond & adapt so quickly!!

Live Online Session

Don Patti is very knowledgeable of the subject matter and has a great deal of experience. The activities and teams break outs were very helpful as well as all the resources he provided to continue studying post class. I scored a 98 on the exam -- thank you :)

Live Online Session

I have left with numerous valuable assets that I will apply immediately to my company and peers. How to better facilitate meetings, what powerful questions to ask and when to ask them, why cycle time is a valuable metric to use and so much more. Some online 2 or 3 day sessions could be stale and boring not so with Davids class. He kept a great pace and made it fun and very informative. I am grateful I took this class. I have left this class more confident knowing I’ll be able to take what I learned and apply it to my every day life and company.

Live Online Session

Practical advice. Interactive activities using real world situations. Virtual course allowed me to save commuting time and interact with Scrum Masters from across the country.

Live Online Session

It was very interactive and easy to digest. As a new grad with no Agile and Product Owner experience, I must say David is an awesome teacher! He presented the material and used real-life situations. Hands-down 10/10 would recommend

Live Online Session

The way all the material was presented was a very fresh and interactive take which kept me really engaged. The instructor Arlen is fantastic and extremely knowledgeable on Scrum. He does a great job at providing real world experiences and making it relate to everyone else's. The pace and subjects covered is exactly what I was hoping for this class.

Live Online Session

The instructor was energetic and engaging, I was able to follow and participate in the sessions. I liked the instructor's method and sense of humor, and how he relates the material with real-life examples. This is a great course, and I plan to take the Advanced CSM.

Live Online Session

It is clear David really cares about the questions and even example projects members of the class bring to him. He dives deep, gives suggestions, and asks questions because he is genuinely interested. He keeps training exciting and fun, while ensuring everyone is taking away new perspectives, tools, and knowledge.

Live Online Session

David Bulkin did a great job conveying the information, and was able to relate it in terms of my current role (construction project manager). He was very energetic and kept the class engaged. He never read from the presentation slides, which was fantastic in explaining the material and keeping up my interest. I would definitely recommend David's class to a colleague.

Live Online Session

I like the real-world application/tangents. the interactiveness of the class was pretty good I liked the use of breakout rooms that was a nice way to speak with classmates.

Live Online Session

It went well beyond teaching for passing a test. David cares that you walk away a deeper thinker than a robot who memorizes concepts for a cert. I liked that he pushed for understanding of the content rather than just reading slides. The class had great energy and interaction from all participants which I thought was well done for a zoom atmosphere. We were all engaged and somewhat entertained. David gets it and he knows how to present the information in a way that stimulates deep thought.

Live Online Session

They instructor Donald Patti was clearly knowledgeable and experienced with the subject matter. He didn't hesitate to answer and engage with the class members. He also employed different methods for us to learn and an overall fun atmosphere.

Live Online Session

Really liked the engaging, no nonsense teaching style. David effectively conveyed the scrum mindset and essential concepts. Through his course, guidance, and supporting materials, I was able to develop a much better understanding of scrum and the Scrum Master role and easily pass the CSM test.

Live Online Session

Prior to attending the session I had few limited, nearly zero knowledge amout Agile and Scrum. However, by the end of my session I had a thorough understanding on the subject. Not only did David Bulkin manage to cover all important aspects of Scrum within a short timespan of 13 hours, but the training itself was tailormade to allow me to grasp the entire concept of Scrum and Agile in a very practical sense. Since I was attending the session from outside U.S. I had to sit through until 3.00A.M. in the morning and not once was I finding it difficult or dull because he conducted the training in an extremely fun manner so I was energized throughout. It was a fun and insightful session! Davind Bulkin is an hilariously awesome trainer! & I will definitely attend more sessions conducted by him and Grow-Lean LLC!!!

Live Online Session

Prior to attending the session I had few limited, nearly zero knowledge amout Agile and Scrum. However, by the end of my session I had a thorough understanding on the subject. Not only did David Bulkin manage to cover all important aspects of Scrum within a short timespan of 13 hours, but the training itself was tailormade to allow me to grasp the entire concept of Scrum and Agile in a very practical sense. Since I was attending the session from outside U.S. I had to sit through until 3.00A.M. in the morning and not once was I finding it difficult or dull because he conducted the training in an extremely fun manner so I was energized throughout. It was a fun and insightful session! Davind Bulkin is an hilariously awesome trainer! & I will definitely attend more sessions conducted by him and Grow-Lean LLC!!!

Live Online Session

This teacher is amazing and very very knowledgeable and funny too. Throughout the training he was patient with us newbies and helped us along the way. Thank you to Don of GrowLean. I really appreciate you

Live Online Session

Don was really good at presenting all the topics in SAFe. Liked Kahoot! Quizes and his patience in explaining all the topics in detail.

Live Online Session

The integration of the SAFe framework website with the instructors course material.

Live Online Session

I didn't know what to expect because I had never before taken an online class. At no point did I feel disengaged or feel that I was in a virtual class. David Bulkin is a fantastic instructor, offering guidance and helpful hints, while agilely managing the chats. The course content was clear, concise, and comprehensible. The class was set up so that I was able to learn a lot in a short period of time. It provided information that was useful in the context as to how I will be using it. After taking this class, I now have a better understanding of Agile and Scrum methodologies. This class more than met my expectations and is the reason why, I believe, I scored a 98% on the exam on my first attempt. I look forward to taking additional courses offered by Grow-Lean and hopefully with this instructor.

Live Online Session

The instructor's enthusiasm and mixture of anecdotal and theory based teaching.

Live Online Session

I enjoyed David's examples from his real-world experience and that he referred to class members to talk about specific applications of Agile that they've seen. The group was able to learn about applications of Scrum through each other's experience and see shades of different practices for unique needs at different companies. We also could learn about what others disliked, giving us something to think about as aspiring facilitators or eventual Scrum Masters.

Live Online Session

The session was perfect, not boring, at a good pace, with good content, good discussion, and the application of and chance to share and evaluate real world experiences. This is the second course that I have taken with David Bulkin. He is a terrific instructor and the reason that I have and will continue to choose GL over the competition. Please continue to develop your process and offerings.

Live Online Session

David's real world experience and the ability to discuss and share on attendee experience and help them understand how it applies to their workplace. Unlike other trainers who will focus on the theory, David provides real world examples and examples affecting himself and shares it with the class. Class engagement is top-tier, and people leave with a brightened sense of knowledge for Scrum.

Live Online Session

David Bulkin is an effective Scrum Trainer. He understands that new material is not immediately registered in the brain and so he repeats and asks questions in different ways just to get us thinking. I appreciate his methods. He is also energetic. The course materials were useful and I am of the impression that he gauges his sessions based on the experience of his audience which is good. I plan to do the A-CSM with him. Also, leading up to the session, attendees received loads of pre-class material such as test quizzes and other material to help understand Scrum. These were very valuable to me.

Live Online Session

David knowledge and way of explaining and involving people. All practice exercises were very thoughtful and informative. I was able to fill lots of gaps in my understanding.

Live Online Session

David's training went beyond simply teaching us how to pass the certification exam. Using practical examples, breakout sessions, and a highly engaging teaching style, he helped us understand the "why" behind using Scrum. Many people get lost in the "how" and end up with a gutted implementation of the Agile methodology. Having completing this training, I'm much better positioned to encourage a lasting, effective implementation of Scrum in our organization.

Live Online Session

I found that having a trainer with tons of experience very valuable. He has trained over 425 times and you can tell he has perfected the way he trains in order to impact us as trainees giving us a better opportunity to retain the knowledge. He was very inclusive and had everyone involved. He was intentional in how he spoke and delivered the knowledge in class in order to keep us all engaged.

Live Online Session

Talking about real world examples that match the topic, and the simulated PI.

Live Online Session

I really enjoyed the interactive, fun, hands-on virtual learning session with instructor, Donald Patti. Don has a wealth of knowledge and provided real world examples and activities to help solidify the course content. I would recommend the course to anyone wanting this certification. Don, thank you for being an excellent trainer!

Live Online Session

I learnt so much from this course. Very interesting, fun, educational and hands on. The instructor definitely has a passion for teaching this course and it shows through his teaching style. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Live Online Session

I liked how the instructor gave real world examples to help connect the information. I think he was thoughtful and well versed and felt confident in his ability to teach.

Live Online Session

The open communication and learning. Real world scenarios and exercises. Loved our break out sessions that we were able to work together with our fellow team members.

Live Online Session

I found the sessions to be very interesting and interactive. The instructor gave "real life" examples that I could understand contextually. The class material also provided helpful context which the instructor was able to build upon.

Live Online Session

The content David provided is both valuable and applicable in a multitude of scenarios and settings. Each day, principles are taught that can be immediately applied in many different business cases.

Live Online Session

Real world examples were incredibly helpful, and to actually build something was very useful as well. I appreciate the presenter's ability to adapt to his audience.

Live Online Session

Excellent Company and Excellent Trainer. The class is very enjoyable because of David who has an excellent way of presenting and engaging the participants.

Live Online Session

I have been doing Scrum/XP/etc for 10+ years and although I am proficient at it and my team is doing well, I still found dozen different things that we can do and improve in our mindset and processes.

Live Online Session

This class was perhaps the best delivered course I have taken in my career. Mr. Bulkin was a master at presenting the material, including and engaging all of the class participants to ensure that learning was taking place, not merely knowing how to answer test questions. It was fun and interesting. Another notable observation - David Bulkin was available from the beginning of the class start all the way to the ending and beyond. I don't think he ever left his teaching post. We were able to ask questions and clarifications during all of the breaks and even after the close of the day. I am HAPPY to recommend Grow-Lean and specifically Mr. David Bulkin for any class course they offer!

Live Online Session

David was dynamic, engaging, knowledgeable and funny. He certainly knew the material and provided exercises and real-world examples to drive home the key points. The pre-readings and quizzes were a great way to get an introduction to the course and to get the basics down. I would recommend the course to anyone wanting this certification.

Live Online Session

David is an exceptional teacher: knowledgeable, prepared, thorough; skilled at explaining abstract concepts articulately and challenging his students to think differently. The class was a great balance of engaging lectures and hands-on group work. I don't care who you are, if you take this class you are going to walk away having learned something new that can be applied to your work and life.

Live Online Session

Our instructor did a great job building rapport on both days. The real life applications of being show the tools and driving growth by stumbling on how to best use the tools for our given circumstance.

Live Online Session

Trained resources like me who actually had zero background in Scrum. David knows how to engage resources and his trainings are extremely good and thorough. I completed my certification successfully with 96% due to his awesome training.

Live Online Session

The level of engagement provided in the sessions.

Live Online Session

David’s industry knowledge blended with his Agile acumen and teaching style made it a phenomenal learning experience.

Live Online Session

Real life examples were mentioned during the course relevant to the topic which helped to relate to the Agile topic.

Live Online Session

Went far beyond just the leaning objectives of the Scrum Master role by demonstrating principles and philosophies that every good employee should consider in our business world today. Being able to relate and apply to so many people's own experiences in their roles/teams and giving suggestions.

Live Online Session

The general discussions and some of the real-life examples of the topics.

Live Online Session

I really enjoyed the interactive activities throughout the session - these were helpful for learning and helped us apply concepts immediately. Also, I passed my exam tonight!

Live Online Session

I found the real life scenarios discussed in the class to be extremely helpful and will definitely put them to use in my day to day.

Live Online Session

Real life examples, repetition of important subjects, open discussion rather than lecture all the way through.

Live Online Session

It was the right pace and the training materials provided ahead were for instrumental.

Live Online Session

Very knowledgeable Instructor, was able to make the class comfortable and provided tons of scenario to help better understand. Great class and I look forward to training with him again.

Live Online Session

How interactive and organized it was. I enjoyed a lot the "workshop" feeling even when being an online course.

Live Online Session

I found that the information regarding Scrum and the instructor's use of real life experiences / examples were extremely valuable.

Live Online Session

I really enjoyed David's energy and subject knowledge throughout the two day session. He was always willing to work through lunch or after class in order to go over anything that was unclear. I also found that the practice tests that were provided truly helped me to pass the CSM Exam. Lastly, even though the class was virtual, it still felt that we were all together in once class room. The breakout rooms gave the students an opportunity to meet one another and collaborate on the answers to the questions.

Live Online Session

The instructor has the ability to show contents in different ways and make the class fun. Also, the content represents in the way that are useful in real world and more practical than theories. The interactions between students are great.

Live Online Session

One of the best video share sessions I've been in post-virus. David did a great job of keeping the class engaged, and clearly values teaching methodology as much as he values Scrum and Agile. Information and discussion provided the opportunity to discuss real world examples and experiences. Interaction and learning tools covered a surprisingly wide range of technologies, several of which I hadn't seen before or been aware of, I got some bonus inspiration for how to engage with stakeholders during online sessions!

Live Online Session

Even though we were in a virtual environment the small class size allowed us to be interactive, ask questions and participate in activities we would have done in an in-person class setting.

Live Online Session

The class definitely went well beyond the Scrum Guide which was a good thing. I was very much prepared for the exam. I learned quite a bit that will be useful to take back to my organization.

Live Online Session

The exercises where good ... Loved the MIRO board and the ability to collaborate with others on that.

Live Online Session

With right tools in place ( Zoom, Miro, kahoot) I didn't feel that its virtual session. Team members as well as Donald made it interactive and informative.

Live Online Session

Don was a great instructor and kept things lively and engaging. The course content and presentation were also top notch.

Live Online Session

David made the entire virtual session entertaining. In addition to achieving a solid understanding of the Scrum framework we participated in many thought provoking exercises skirting the fringe of the framework. It makes sense to follow the framework in an attempt to achieve the common goal while continually improving the process and simultaneously providing flexibility to adapt to change and uncertainty. The strong emphasis on collaboration and transparency within a team promote self-examination and a realization that we can all do better.

Live Online Session

I liked relearning skills I've forgotton over the last four years. The information has helped me to apply to my current position.

Live Online Session

David was great! He is friendly, came prepared, and was very comfortable with the material which allowed him to make the class much more conversational than just a subject matter expert at the front while we all watch quietly. David encouraged us to ask questions at any time along the way and this opened up to allow us to bring our experience into the training. I am sure that makes it more interesting for him but it also lets us all bond with each other along the way and hear varying points of view while learning the material. Thank you for a great class experience!

Live Online Session

I highly recommend David's Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) training. It was immediately evident David knew his stuff and was bringing his real-world experience to the class. If you have concerns about dull virtual courses, you won't find that here. It was very engaging with lots of hands-on activities, leaving me sure that I could immediately apply what I had learned. I would, without a doubt, take other courses from David.

Live Online Session

Excellent real world examples of how to apply learning. Great brainstorming sessions and overview of good practices

Live Online Session

The course coalesced years of experience in working with agile projects in one form or another and the best experiences of my career into a role that fits me like second nature, a CSM. The instructor was the most valuable part of the course. Educators with hands on experience are the ones I seek out. David Bulkin is a great asset for Grow Lean. Get more like him.

Live Online Session

David was terrific! He kept everyone engaged and involved the entire time! We covered everything multiple times in such a way that it reinforced the learning early and often.

Live Online Session

Given the fact that the sessions were in a virtual mode, the content was easy to follow as the instructor did a fabulous job in setting the learning framework and provided some fun along the way. The repetition in presenting the learning content was very good.

Live Online Session

What I found most valuable about this session was the ability to freely discuss and ask questions without being held to a strict timeline or Q/A time-box. Learning from the other students and the instructor about real-life Scrum practices, is what helped me be able to connect the dots around how Scrum can be applied in any organization to any problem. David was amazing at fostering an open and collaborative environment which made the class super enjoyable.

Live Online Session

Both sessions were excellent! They were casual, interactive and kept the entire class engaged. I appreciated the literature provided to be read in preparation for the class. The post-training test prep was fun and helpful. David is an excellent instructor, and created an environment that was comfortable and encouraged questions and discussions.

Live Online Session

David has an extreme mastery of all of the covered topics and also an impressive lineage within the world of agile. With that said he remains humble and relatable. David is also able to present the material in a way that is both entertaining and helps with retention.

Live Online Session

The A-CSM session helped me refresh the mechanics of CSM that I took one year ago, and go much more in depth. It added more to it: the agile framework, that was only introduced at the CSM, here was one of the key sections we went through. I also found Active listening and facilitating, Agile coaching, Problems solving and Grow beyond conflict extremely helpful. We had plenty of sessions where the team shared experiences and worked together on areas of personal improvements. Truly recommended to all those who really want to build up on CSM and really go beyond it

Live Online Session

David Bulkin took what could have seemed like a very long 2-day virtual course and made it engaging and interesting and fun. Technology was well deployed to aide in the remote learning. David is an enthusiastic instructor who managed to elicit active participation from everyone in the class, even those like myself who are generally more comfortable observing in the background. I would definitely take another class with David Bulkin and would highly recommend his Advanced CSM course to others.

Live Online Session

It has been eight years since I took the CSM course and this was a great way to not only refresh my Scrum skills but to dive deeper into the mechanics. David is very knowledgeable and even though we were virtual (due to covid19) we had many break out sessions where we could collaborate and share real world Scrum scenarios. I will be implementing the Powerful Questions and using what I learned in the Growing Beyond Conflict sections.

Live Online Session

I really liked the virtual CSM training training because David and Don have tremendous "real world" experience they impart as part of the curriculum, their ability to strike the appropriate balance between teaching and incorporating interactive learning sessions, and their ability to facilitate discussion with the session attendees with some humor.

Live Online Session

Energetic, Interactive, and material is explained really well. David engages with students, listens and answers questions and is available in, and after, class. Very well taught course.

Live Online Session

The CSPO certification online session was precise and concise, and delivered exactly what needed to be delivered in time. David was receptive and responsive to everyone's questions and ideas, and kept the session very interesting. David kept the team motivated and engrossing throughout the whole online session.

Live Online Session

David is full of energy and there is no real dull moments during the class. I appreciate the real world examples and working in teams to better understand the methodology.