As facilitators, our clients don’t pay for the 50% version of us—they pay for the fully-charged, present, 100% edition. In this chat with Brisbane-based facilitator, trainer, and speaker Nicholas King, we talk about how to show up at our best, design “winning” workshop moments, and make deliberate choices about what we feed our minds so we can serve the room.

Why listen:

You’ll steal practical facilitation moves (hello, post-lunch energy!), pick up a few killer equipment hacks, and hear the one sentence that flipped Nick’s life—and career—on its head: “Your mind doesn’t know what to think; it believes whatever you tell it.”

In this episode, we cover:

• The “100% battery” standard: how I frame energy and presence for client work
• Nick’s pivot from sales to professional facilitation—and the psychologist’s line that changed everything
• Designing transformation vs. chasing “ta-da!” moments (awareness counts!)
• A delightfully unorthodox post-lunch energiser: getting a room of sales pros to sing “Take My Breath Away” (yes, really)
• Using movement, music, and micro-risks to anchor learning and create shared memories
• Travel/workshop kit must-haves: the wheely backpack, spare cables (HDMI/VGA), portable battery, a pointer that spotlights content (not just a laser), and a tripod to film yourself
• Why I (begrudgingly) watch my own workshop videos—and what to look for (questions that land, habits/tics to drop, moments to iterate)
• Health as a facilitation strategy: sleep, water, boundaries when traveling, and being unapologetically “boring” the night before day one
• Thoughtful LinkedIn use (no hacks): personalised connection notes, meaningful comments, and responding to open questions in groups
• Icebreakers that aren’t lame: the soft-throw ball intro game to get movement + choice into the room
• Playing with humour safely: letting a spontaneous line out (and when to hold it)

Nick’s standout quotes:

• “Your mind doesn’t know what to think; it believes whatever you tell it.”
• “I want people to walk out better than when they walked in.”

Try this in your next workshop:

• After lunch, play a 60–90 second track and get the room singing or moving. Set the tone with playfulness and clear guardrails (“We’re lobbing, not pitching fastballs!”).
• Film 10–15 minutes of your delivery. Rewatch to:

1. identify one question to improve,
2. spot a physical tic to drop,
3. capture a moment that worked—then bake it into your notes.

Gear Nick & I mention:

• Wheely backpack
• Spare HDMI/VGA + adapters
• High-capacity phone battery
• Presenter remote with screen highlight/blackout
• Phone tripod for filming

The Top Gun Challenge (I’m serious):

Run “Take My Breath Away” as a 2-minute energy reset, film the chorus, and tag me + Nick on LinkedIn. Bonus points for full-body commitment.

Connect with Nicholas King:

• LinkedIn: search “Nicholas King” (he has the clean URL)
• Website: Thinking Mechanics (Nick’s “slice of the internet” on mindset & choices)

Shout-outs:

• Carl Barron (Aussie comedian) – perfect 5-minute reset clip pre-restart
• Michael McIntyre – clean laughs that won’t get you in trouble with HR

My takeaways:

1. Awareness precedes change—on stage and off.
2. Anchor memories with movement + music.
3. Consistency beats intensity: track one improvement per session.

If you enjoyed this:

Share the episode with a facilitator friend who’s due for a battery recharge, and drop a quick review—it helps this show reach more brilliant humans.

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Show notes for every episode at https://podcast.leannehughes.com

P.S. Ready to take things up a level? Here are some ways I can help:

1. Watch My 2025 Speaker Reel: Let's energise your next event.
2. Get My Book: Design your workshops fast using The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint. 

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Leanne Hughes on LinkedIn

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Visit my website: leannehughes.com

Email me: [email protected]

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