A Historic First: Bringing The Empowerment Dynamic to Asia Pacific
Reflections on delivering the inaugural 3VQ® Facilitator Certification in our region
In September 2025, I had the profound honour of delivering the first-ever 3 Vital Questions (3VQ) Facilitator Certification in the Asia Pacific region. Standing in for founder David Emerald, who had entrusted me to deliver the training ‘without breaking it’ as I called it, we worked for two years to make this become a reality. The trainer certifications were one of David’s sweet spots. He loved delivering the trainings, meeting the incoming facilitators, and listening to their wildest dreams for where they would take his TED*® and 3 Vital Questions®.
Sadly one week we were recording marketing clips, and the next I received news that David had passed away suddenly. That was in April 2025. The company pressed pause, as the people who knew and loved David grieved. The certified facilitators all sat in silence, conscious that we were gifted the honour of being a certified facilitator in the work that arose from David’s best-selling little book The Power of TED*. Where to from here?
Months after David’s passing, the new owners of the company gave the green light for us to proceed with bringing together a first-ever APAC cohort.
I carried forward his legacy to a vibrant cohort of educators, coaches, and leaders from across Australia, Hong Kong, South Korea, and even a few after-hours friendly participants from Seattle, Washington.
This wasn’t just a training — it was a sacred space where transformation unfolded.
Because in those two years of planning this transfer of responsibility, David had been setting up the way he wanted the training delivered. He pre-recorded lessons from an earlier trainer cohort delivered in 2024. I was so grateful to have those to work with.
In the lead up to the September training I listened to each of David’s lessons, and studied the planned runsheets.
What I could see was the value of witnessing how he thought, the small moments, the pauses, recommendations to go into deep conversation with the cohort. No one was ever going to be present to this, with the originator of the work again. I wasn’t facilitating a training with a client, this was me having the privilege of delivering his messages that would create a solid foundation for the small group of facilitators across the world!
In David’s recordings he expressed the intent behind why the trainings were delivered in the order they were, the vital messages that had to be included, and to be repeated, discussed, and repeated again. It was pure gold to me, and to the cohort, and we included witnessing and discussing that, not just what was in the runsheet.
What They Said
The testimonials from this pioneering group humbled me deeply:
“She did such a masterful job of weaving all of David’s videos… then bringing new levels and new nuance to it through her work and her understanding.” — Debbie Hulbert, founder of outcomes4u.com, Washington
“Thank you, Susan, for leading this certification with such wisdom and heart. You fostered this vibrant international community of creators.” — Hoh Kim, Executive Coach, THE LAB, Seoul
“Susan’s role has been extremely influential. You are a true creator, Susan.” — Belinda McLaughlin, Vice Principal, Jockey Club Sarah Rowe School, Hong Kong
“I was very thankful to Susan Dunlop for delivering the training to our team.” — Anna Smakowska, Principal, Jockey Club Sarah Rowe School. Hong Kong
“I started doing Ted Together with Susan Dunlop on a weekly basis, and even with David Emerald.” — Neil Sunderland, Quality Engineering Manager, Tideworks Technology, Seattle
“If it wasn’t for your commitment, I know we would not be certified.” — Anna Smakowska
Why This Work Matters Now
We live in a world desperately needing alternatives to victim consciousness. The Empowerment Dynamic (TED*) offers that alternative — a framework for shifting from drama to empowerment, from reacting to creating.
This certification represents more than professional development. It’s about equipping leaders, educators, and change-makers with tools to:
- Transform organisational culture from the inside out
- Empower teams to hold dynamic tension and navigate complexity
- Lead with empathy in systems that often reward the opposite
- Create ripples of conscious leadership that become waves of change
Integrating What I Love
I’m at a stage in my work where everything I’ve learned — from nursing leadership to organisational change, from David’s teachings to my own facilitation practice — comes together. This certification embodied that integration:
- Advocacy: Championing a new human operating system
- Team Empowerment: Building a global community of practice
- Conscious Leadership: Modeling creator orientation in every interaction
The participants showed extraordinary courage. They travelled the journey from victim to creator consciousness, doing so with vulnerability, and supported each other through challenging moments, and emerged as certified facilitators ready to spread this work across healthcare, education, technology, and counselling sectors.
The Legacy Continues
David Emerald’s vision was always about creating a movement, not just a methodology. Watching this diverse, international cohort embrace the work — seeing them recognise TED* showing up everywhere in their lives — affirmed that the legacy is alive and growing.
As we move forward, the title shifted from “trainer” to “facilitator” in 2026, reflecting the collaborative, co-creative nature of this work. It’s fitting. We don’t train people into empowerment — we facilitate and guide their journey there.
What’s Next
If you’re drawn to this work, whether for your organisation, your team, or your own leadership journey, I’d love to explore how The Empowerment Dynamic can serve your mission.
The world needs TED* more than ever. And it needs leaders like you to bring it to life.
Thank you for being here,
Susan
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3VQ Certified Facilitator | Noosa, Queensland, Australia