From Confusing to Useful: A Hands-On GA4 Workshop at the University of Toronto

I went to the University of Toronto to inspire. I left inspired.

Grateful to the Rotman Commerce Marketing Association (RCMA) team and everyone behind the scenes for creating such a thoughtful, well-run space.

After a great session on Meta Ads Manager and how paid social works in the real world, I led a hands-on GA4 workshop focused on one thing: turning data into decisions using Google’s Merchandise Store Demo Account.

To keep it interactive, we used two word clouds to capture how students felt about GA4 before and after, plus live feedback and a Kahoot.

The shift said everything: unfamiliar and confusing → useful, resourceful, and insightful.

And the Kahoot got competitive 😄
Fun fact: ~80% of the room answered most questions correctly, which tells me the concepts genuinely landed.

What stayed with me most was the energy in the room: curiosity, sharp questions, and how seriously you’re thinking about your future. Some already building businesses. Some asking the right questions early.

I didn’t have this kind of support or access when I was figuring things out.
Now that I do — and now that I’ve built this experience, I want to give some of it back. More details to come in April.

Thank you again to RCMA and everyone who made this session what it was. Also grateful to the friends and mentors who showed up to support, it meant a lot.

If this is the next generation of marketers, we’re in very good hands.