Send Leanne a messageFresh off a Las Vegas red carpet experience, Leanne Hughes sits down with legendary consultant Alan Weiss for a candid conversation about career risks, professional reinvention, and the art of strategic decision-making. Drawing parallels between Vegas gambling and career moves, this episode delivers unexpected insights about when to hold steady and when to make bold moves in your professional life. Whether you're contemplating a career pivot or looking to level ...

Send Leanne a messageIn this episode of the First Time Facilitator podcast, host Leanne Hughes welcomes Mary-Louise (ML) Huppatz, CEO of the Association for Tertiary Education Management (ATEM), to discuss her unique approach to conferences, leading change, and facilitation. ML's passion for people and creating meaningful learning experiences comes through as she shares insights into how she transforms conferences from routine events into transformative experiences.Abut today's guest: ML Hupp...

Send Leanne a messageIn this episode of the First Time Facilitator podcast, I am thrilled to welcome Steve Demedio to the show. Steve shares his inspiring journey from a career in sales leadership to becoming a passionate facilitator obsessed with creating engaging and memorable learning experiences.Join us for our retreat: The Red Carpet CampoutPsst.. Come along to our Red Carpet Campout 10-12 March, 2025, only 90 mins from Brisbane, Australia. Only six tents remain!What You'll Learn:Steve’s...

Send Leanne a messageHost Leanne Hughes takes you behind the scenes of the recent "How to Face Change" event she co-hosted with Michael Bungay Stanier (MBS). From brainstorming ideas, locking in the perfect venue, to manufacturing demand for tickets, Leanne spills all the details on how they turned a bold idea into an unforgettable experience.Expect candid reflections, actionable tips, and a whole lot of fun as Leanne shares the highs, challenges, and big wins from this Brisbane-based ev...

Send Leanne a messageIn this episode, we're joined by Hitomi Whitlock, Organizational Change Manager at the University of Washington's Housing and Food Services, and an experienced real estate investor. Hitomi shares her journey from moving to the U.S. as a child to leading change at one of the nation's top universities—all while managing a successful real estate business.🔍 What You’ll Learn:How Hitomi uses her strengths (Futuristics, Discipline, Positivity, Woo, Learner) to drive succes...

Send Leanne a messageCome along to our event! https://lu.ma/rooftopbneIn this episode, host Leanne Hughes chats with Michael Bungay Stanier on their upcoming event in Brisbane together on 3 Sep 2024, and the art of co-facilitation. Reflecting on their first podcast experience in Brisbane, they dive into topics such as managing facilitation dynamics, preparing for keynotes, and what makes their upcoming event in Brisbane unique. They also share personal anecdotes and practical tips for success...

In this episode, host Leanne Hughes provides an update on her activities as a solopreneur and content creator, sharing insights from her recent experiences and projects. She provides an update on her book, some of the work she's delivered this year, including a recent innovative conference presentation focused on flexibility. She also shares upcoming events like a rooftop workshop in Brisbane with Michael Bungay Stanier and a small group workshop in Las Vegas. You'll also hear ...

Are you currently running workshops, generating ace ideas, have some cool toolsup your sleeve? Maybe you should turn all of that great stuff into a book!If you're curious how to do that, you'll love today's conversation with fellow first-time authors and Brisbane business owners, Mel Loy and Jade Miller.Both Jade and Mel are experienced workshop hosts, and they share their journeys from facilitating workshops to writing books. We discuss how their workshop experiences influenced their writing...

Watch our conversation on YouTube. Alan Weiss returns to the podcast this week, for the third time, to (metaphorically) poke me in the eye again. In this conversation, we riff on: Speedy workshop designHow Alan turns an idea into an offer almost immediatelyHow consultants need to focus on helping their clients innovate, and fail fastHow consultants should market now (vs. 5 years ago)Interactions between AI and Humans, what works?The ageing population in the workforce and how to manage...

Today, I'm joined by Lisa Leong, a broadcaster, author, and facilitator. Watch us chat on YouTube. Her superpowers, which you'll hear very clearly in this episode, are curiosity and  creativity. She's a former IP, technology, and wine lawyer—yes, that's actually a thing. She caught the radio bug in 2001, which is exactly why I brought her on the show.  Wedelve into the parallels between having talk-back radio and getting listeners to call in to hosting workshops and being truly...

In the First Time Facilitator podcast, host Leanne Hughes introduces guest Sally Prosser, a voice and confidence coach. We riff on the concept of 'breveloquence', a portmanteau of brevity and eloquence, and how they aim to develop and use this tool in verbal and written forms. We also take you behind the scenes of our new workshop called Get to the Point, which we're co-hosting in Brisbane on 16 April 2024. Find out more about the Brisbane workshop and grab your ticket here. Conversation...

In today's conversation, Phil Woods from Catalyst Strategy shares his journey from a legal career to becoming an independent strategy and team development consultant. Watch our conversation on YouTube. Phil outlines how he uses frameworks to guide organisations through transformation, draws on his command and activator strengths for maximum impact, and explains the importance of managing energy in workshops.  From strategic ideation to facilitating self-realisations, Phil offers valuable...

Tune in to discover how to design fast and deliver strong without the stress...using Chat GPT! In this episode, host Leanne Hughes discusses five ways she uses chat GPT to improve and enhance her workshop experiences and delivery. She shares examples of how she uses Chat GPT for image creation, generating questions, creating case studies, generating frameworks, and coming up with attractive titles for her workshops. You'll also hear some personal updates and experiences related to her...

Leanne Hughes’ 2023 Annual Report podcast/video episode, where I share my favourite UNOFFICIAL business metrics, and quarter by quarter highlights/lessons learnt. Some of my unofficial metrics include: 📈 # of countries visited📈 Clients I loved partnering with📈 New topics explored📈 Messages about the book and its impact 📈 How often did I wake up, look at my calendar and get excited about the day?What unofficial metrics do you like to report on at the end of the year? Offers launched: Book: The...

 Watch our conversation on YouTube! My experience with luck has been, you can actually optimize for luck. So, what is this got to do with workshops and facilitation and hosting group events? I think it has a lot to do with it. If your goal is next year to create more workshops, to work with really great clients, to be more aligned with the work that you do-- yhere's an element of intentionality around that and making a decision and making a choice. And I'm currently going through that at...

How do you personally POWER YOURSELF UP to host a workshop when you're sleep deprived? That's the topic Leanne riffs off in this solo episode, where she shares ideas on: * * Insights from her personal story on powering up after facing challenges like jet lag and disrupted routines. * How personal energy significantly impacts workshop facilitation and the need to show up as your best self. * Exploring various power-up routines, including environment shifts, the magic of music, and tailored...

Welcome back to another episode with your host, Leanne Hughes. I received a listener question from my friend, Juraj Holub and thought I'd share my thoughts on the show. Here's the question: I'm thinking about the flow of a session. Let me share more details.  Goal: I'd like the workshop participants to practice and learn "how to open a presentation." Option A: - Participants go first and deliver their opening to their current best capabilities.  - We debrief each opening (What went well?...

What does it mean to truly have the character of a leader? Is culture really something we can influence in an organisation?  Watch our conversation on YouTube! Shane Hatton is an author, trainer, coach, and speaker who is passionate about developing remarkable leaders and cultures. He works with organizations to close the leadership gap between mid and senior level leaders.  Aside from being the author of the books “Let’s Talk Culture – The Conversations You Need to Create the Team You Want”...

Welcome to another episode of the First Time Facilitator podcast, where your host, Leanne Hughes, goes solo, diving deep into the Keep section of the SPARK framework, a crucial element of her book, "The Two Hour Workshop Blueprint," now available on Audible. Key Takeaways: Continuous Improvement: Learn about the importance of reflecting on what worked well in your past workshops and what didn't, to continuously improve and design more effectively for future sessions.Personal Organisation:...

Can you use space to create contrast, even in a virtual call? Today’s guest proves that you can! We have an absolute world-leader in the field of nonverbal communication joining us on the show this week, Michael Grinder. Michael has over 40 years of experience training thousands of groups. Known as the pioneer of nonverbal communication, Michael helps executives and educators assess people more accurately, connect with others more deeply, and build their charisma. We explore how to use his...

In this solo episode, host Leanne Hughes reflects on the world of event planning, MCing, and the unforeseen challenges that can arise during a charity event. Watch the YouTube video Highlights: Committee Dynamics: The initial stages of planning, the process of narrowing down nominees, and how this committee stood out from typical group projects.Communication Platforms: The value of asynchronous communication, the prominence of WhatsApp, and the advantages of immediate messaging.Roles &...

Join host Leanne Hughes as she delves deep into the mind of a facilitator with guests John Norcross and Tricia Conyers from the "Every Little Model" podcast, this episode offers a genuine conversation exploring the intricacies of facilitation, sharing personal experiences, challenges, and models that guide their work. Watch the conversation on YouTube. What You Will Learn: The journey of becoming a facilitator: How John and Tricia began leading group conversations and meetings.The...

How do you design fast? You create an underpinning framework! In today's episode, host Leanne Hughes shares why she loves frameworks SO MUCH, and some ideas on how to create your own. Watch the video on YouTube. Key Takeaways Gift Wrapping Information: Organising and packaging information in a way that's digestible and actionable.Overcoming Fears: You don't need a PhD or decades of experience to create a useful framework.Case Study - Pivot by Jenny Blake: A framework for career...

I love jumping on The Flipchart Facebook group to see where members are hosting their workshops. My guest today, Nancy Mamolejo, hosts her workshops overlooking the Golden Gate bridge, and she also brings amazing ideas and energy into her sessions, including her emotional support kit. Tune in today, to hear us discuss: Creating a Sense of Belonging in WorkshopsStrategies and tools to foster an environment where everyone feels like they are a valued part of the conversation.Going Beyond...