Thanks for jumping into the weekend with me — and for this one, we're rewinding way back to the early days of First Time Facilitator (think 2018!).

In just 40 minutes, Sue dishes out some of the most practical, grounded advice I've heard on facilitation — especially around why preparation is everything. She shares how she moved from nursing and policy work into the world of facilitation, how she navigates introversion, and why her planning process is the thing that gives her confidence to own the room.

We also explore:

• How to handle vague client briefs (aka “We just want a fun team day”)
• What to do when the energy in the room shifts
• Why strengths-based strategy sessions change the game
• The role of vulnerability, authenticity, and neuroscience in her approach
• Her go-to tools like SCARF, Appreciative Inquiry, and the legendary Michael Wilkinson book that changed everything for her

Sue also talks about her work with Collective Intelligence in NZ — a unique space for leaders to show up, open up, and grow through diverse perspectives. Honestly, I wish we had more of this over here in Australia.

If you're early in your facilitation journey (or just need a reminder to get clear on the purpose before you dive into a session), you'll love this one. Sue brings such calm strength to her work — and I think you'll feel it too.

🎧 Enjoy this rewind, and I’ll speak to you tomorrow!

—

🔗 Links:

Connect with Sue Johnston on LinkedIn

Sue’s website: artemisgroup.co.nz

Book mentioned: Facilitation Secrets by Michael Wilkinson

Models referenced: SCARF by David Rock, The Daring Way by Brené Brown, Appreciative Inquiry

—

💡 Like the episode?

Share it with a fellow facilitator or subscribe for more behind-the-scenes convos like this. And if you want even more facilitator goodness, check out my weekly Substack, Work Fame, for stories, strategy, and spicy hot takes.

*New* You're invited to join Leanne's free community, Work Fame.

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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Email me: [email protected]

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Hey, it’s Leanne! This one’s a rewind worth re-listening to — my live convo with Alan Weiss on Talk the Walk. We jammed on a topic close to my heart: why ambiguity isn’t the enemy — it’s actually your unfair advantage.

If you’ve ever stalled on a decision, waited for clarity before making a move, or felt paralyzed by the unknown — this one’s for you.

Alan was in classic form: hilarious, sharp, and wildly quotable. We talk about:

✅ Why waiting for clarity is socially acceptable procrastination

✅ What Eisenhower, Gettysburg, and cardboard box sleep-outs have in common

✅ How to lead others through “the ambiguous zone”

✅ Making smart, fast decisions even when you don’t have the full picture

✅ The link between confidence, fearlessness, and creating momentum

✅ And yes — why you should probably unsubscribe-proof your ego

Oh, and you’ll hear where “OG of Rainmaking” came from (hint: shoutout to Marianne).

I loved this chat — partly because I believe movement makes meaning — and ambiguity is the playground of the bold.

Speak to you tomorrow!

*New* You're invited to join Leanne's free community, Work Fame.

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. 

Let's connect on all the channels:

Leanne Hughes on LinkedIn

Leanne Hughes on Instagram

Visit my website: leannehughes.com

Email me: [email protected]

Would you like to deliver your own private podcast feed to your audience? Sign up for a free trial today at Hello Audio.

This one is straight from the Work Fame Substack — and it’s a story I didn’t expect to write when I started typing. I thought I was going to talk about how podcasting has helped my career… but then this angle took over, and I ran with it.

So today, I’m sharing:

🧠 How a $107 microphone completely shifted how people perceived me

💥 Why first impressions are less about what you say and more about how you signal your value

🎤 The surprising science behind audio quality and credibility (yes, there's data!)

💡 What subtle behaviors on Zoom are saying about you — without you realising it

💌 And a simple trick that can help you (or your team) stand out immediately

I also talk about “The Fluency Effect” — and why sounding clear and confident matters even more than you think.

If you love geeking out on psychology, signaling, and simple changes that make a big impact on your visibility and influence, this one’s for you.

🔗 Join the Work Fame newsletter for free: https://work.fa.me

🛠️ Want my help making your team impossible to ignore? DM me the word “Signal” and I’ll send you the details.

Thanks for listening — and remember, we’re always broadcasting something. Let’s make sure it’s the signal we want to send.

*New* You're invited to join Leanne's free community, Work Fame.

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. 

Let's connect on all the channels:

Leanne Hughes on LinkedIn

Leanne Hughes on Instagram

Visit my website: leannehughes.com

Email me: [email protected]

Would you like to deliver your own private podcast feed to your audience? Sign up for a free trial today at Hello Audio.

This one’s been simmering in my head all week—after so many convos about accountability, ownership, and what it really means to step up, whether you're running a business or just starting your career.

We talk a lot about "acting like an owner"—but what does that actually look like?

Today, I'm sharing a story I love (yes, it involves a pygmy hippo 🦛), and why the most game-changing moves in your career or business usually aren’t on your position description.

Here’s what we cover:

• The difference between ownership and accountability
• Why strategy is crucial in a world of “uneven terrain”
• How a zookeeper’s viral idea turned into millions in revenue
• The 5-step formula for spotting and acting on unassigned opportunities
• What leaders can do to encourage this mindset (hint: don’t kill the weird ideas too soon)

🎧 Enjoy the episode—and if it resonates, forward it to someone who needs to hear this.

*New* You're invited to join Leanne's free community, Work Fame.

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. 

Let's connect on all the channels:

Leanne Hughes on LinkedIn

Leanne Hughes on Instagram

Visit my website: leannehughes.com

Email me: [email protected]

Would you like to deliver your own private podcast feed to your audience? Sign up for a free trial today at Hello Audio.

In this episode, I take you back to 2009—before podcasting, before The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint, before I had even thought about creating a business.

This was the year I made my first ever passive income sale. It was $18.95. And honestly? It changed my life.

Here’s what I share:

• The exact moment I discovered the idea of passive income (shoutout to The 4-Hour Work Week 🙌)
• The niche product I created (hint: netball coaching + teenage shooters)
• How I used Clippy (!!) and a proofreader from the UK to bring it to life
• The thrill of outsourcing for the first time
• My very scrappy early marketing strategy—hello, email lists and Facebook
• Why that one sale opened my eyes to what was possible

This episode is part time capsule, part pep talk. If you’ve never made a dollar online while you were sleeping, I hope this gives you the nudge to try something. You don’t need to be an expert—just someone with a bit of know-how and the willingness to package it up.

🎯 My challenge to you:

What’s your “Level 1” expertise? What could you teach that younger you would’ve paid for?

✨ Bonus: I reflect on how the joy of that first sale still hits every time I see royalties roll in or someone signs up for a masterclass. The buzz doesn’t fade.

Thanks for listening, and I’ll catch you tomorrow!

*New* You're invited to join Leanne's free community, Work Fame.

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. 

Let's connect on all the channels:

Leanne Hughes on LinkedIn

Leanne Hughes on Instagram

Visit my website: leannehughes.com

Email me: [email protected]

Would you like to deliver your own private podcast feed to your audience? Sign up for a free trial today at Hello Audio.

Okay, I need to share something wild with you.

I uploaded my book The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint into Google LM Notebook (think: a tool like ChatGPT), and asked it to summarise the key concepts. What it gave me? Not just a summary—but a full-on, human-sounding podcast-style conversation between two people.

And honestly? If I didn’t know it was AI, I wouldn’t believe it either.

In this episode, you’ll hear that conversation—think of it as a friendly, curious duo discovering the SPARK framework, why we need to stop cramming info into our sessions, and how to finally design workshops people actually want to attend.

Here’s what it covers:

• Why more content ≠ more value
• A breakdown of the SPARK framework (Set up, Power up, Activities, Review, Keep)
• Why it’s okay to end a workshop early
• The power of designing for experience over information
• How to energise your participants before you’ve even started

✨ Whether you’re a facilitator, trainer, expert, or just someone who wants to make meetings better—this one’s for you.

Let me know what you think. Are you as mind-blown as I was? Hit reply, drop a comment, or voice note me on Insta.

Enjoy!

– Leanne

*New* You're invited to join Leanne's free community, Work Fame.

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. 

Let's connect on all the channels:

Leanne Hughes on LinkedIn

Leanne Hughes on Instagram

Visit my website: leannehughes.com

Email me: [email protected]

Would you like to deliver your own private podcast feed to your audience? Sign up for a free trial today at Hello Audio.

Tonight, I’m not under the lights for footy or cricket. I’m at the Gabba — sleeping out under the stars with some phenomenal humans — all to help stamp out homelessness as part of the Vinnies CEO Sleepout.

In this episode, I chat with three legends doing incredible work:

💬 Steve Hodgson shares why mental health and homelessness are closely linked, and why this event is just the beginning of his commitment.

💬 Matt Kratiuk (who I call “the GOAT”) breaks down how fundraising becomes fun-draising — their team of 135 “Goats” ran 36+ events and raised close to $1 million (!!!). He shares his own story of homelessness and how St Vincent de Paul Society helps people reclaim a life of purpose.

💬 Cherie Canning, now a CEO Sleepout ambassador, offers heartfelt and practical advice (bring noise-cancelling headphones!), talks about her mindset shift around homelessness, and shares how storytelling — not stats — is what really moves people to donate.

This night is more than symbolic. It’s a powerful reminder that we’re all just one life event away from needing help — and that systemic change is possible.

❤️ Huge thanks to my community who supported this by joining my fundraising masterclass — we did this together.

👇 Want to donate or learn more?

Visit: https://www.ceosleepout.org.au/fundraisers/leannehughes

🎧 Tune in, and let this episode move you from awareness to action.

*New* You're invited to join Leanne's free community, Work Fame.

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. 

Let's connect on all the channels:

Leanne Hughes on LinkedIn

Leanne Hughes on Instagram

Visit my website: leannehughes.com

Email me: [email protected]

Would you like to deliver your own private podcast feed to your audience? Sign up for a free trial today at Hello Audio.

Absolute blast from the past! I'm diving back into 2020 with this gem: A replay of a webinar I co-hosted with my friend (and innovation guru) Joeri Schilders, who you might remember from his previous appearances on the show.

Back when Zoom fatigue was real and the pivot to virtual had us all scrambling, Yuri and I created something called Virtually Possible. We believed (and still do!) that it is possible to recreate the magic of in-person workshops—without needing a studio setup, mega budget, or over-engineered tech.

🎧 In this episode, you'll hear the full replay of our live webinar:

“Five Ways to Ramp Up the Energy in Your Sessions—by Being a Bit Lazy” 😴✨

This isn’t about napping through your sessions or sipping mojitos on mute. Instead, we explore clever ways to design less and let your participants do more—aka be the elves to your shoemaker (yes, there’s a fairy tale involved…).

💡 Inside this convo, we share:

• The power of BYO content (and how to get your group to co-create magic)
• Movement prompts that actually work (hello, triangle/square hand game!)
• Why we wore matching “Virtually” and “Possible” tees—and why they stole the show
• The Talking Teddy trick (yes, Elmo made an appearance)
• Our ultimate low-effort, high-impact “pacifier” strategy to hold attention during tech hiccups

🎯 This episode is perfect if:

• You’re still running virtual workshops (and want to make them better, faster)
• You’re training others and want to look like a facilitation rockstar with less stress
• You want to see how two very different styles (Dutch directness + Aussie adaptability) combine for powerful co-facilitation

Enjoy!

*New* You're invited to join Leanne's free community, Work Fame.

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. 

Let's connect on all the channels:

Leanne Hughes on LinkedIn

Leanne Hughes on Instagram

Visit my website: leannehughes.com

Email me: [email protected]

Would you like to deliver your own private podcast feed to your audience? Sign up for a free trial today at Hello Audio.

When I first started facilitating, I saw flip charts as a tool to scribble brainstorms or sketch a quick model. That all changed when I met today's guest, Marcel van Hove, who showed me how whiteboards and markers can be used to solve complex problems, de-escalate conflict, and create incredible team collaboration.

In this episode, Marcel shares:

• How he went from software geek to visual facilitation geek
• The German roots of the Bikablo method (and what it actually means)
• Why drawing with others creates psychological safety and better ideas
• Practical tips for making your handwriting workshop-worthy
• The power of visual thinking in change communication and team buy-in

You'll also hear why PowerPoint might be killing your vibe, how visuals can disarm tension in high-stakes meetings, and why you don’t need to be “creative” to draw like a pro. (Spoiler: Marcel swears he had zero artistic ability!)

🎨 Want to turn your marker skills into a facilitation superpower? Marcel’s story — and the Bikablo community — might just inspire your next move.

🖊️ Mentions:

• Bikablo (https://bikablo.com)
• Visual Friends (https://visualfriends.com)

*New* You're invited to join Leanne's free community, Work Fame.

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. 

Let's connect on all the channels:

Leanne Hughes on LinkedIn

Leanne Hughes on Instagram

Visit my website: leannehughes.com

Email me: [email protected]

Would you like to deliver your own private podcast feed to your audience? Sign up for a free trial today at Hello Audio.

Hey friends, welcome back to Leanne on Demand! If you’re listening in real time, it’s Friday and I’ve (hopefully!) just arrived home after sleeping out in the cold for the Vinnies CEO Sleepout — I’ll debrief all of that with you next week.

Today’s convo? Well, it’s fresh. Like, still-haven’t-recovered-my-voice fresh.

I’ve got the delightful Jade Miller back on the pod — she joined me and Steve Demedio this week as one of the founding participants at the Red Carpet Campout. We’re debriefing from the car, slightly croaky but full of joy, red wine, and reflection.

We chat about:

• Why every founder needs time off-grid
• The magic of combining structure with space
• That John Farnham moment around the fire (yep — we all belted out That’s Freedom like it was a mission statement)
• How metaphor and collage led to surprising insights during our visioning session
• The importance of using your intuition (and bees 🐝)
• How transformation doesn’t always come from spreadsheets — sometimes it comes from late-night chats, laughter, and stepping away from the screen

Jade also shares her perspective as a participant, what surprised her, and why the group dynamic created something truly special.

If you’ve ever wondered whether investing time in these types of experiences is worth it, let this episode be your nudge.

🛌 I’ll catch you next week with some thoughts from the CEO Sleepout. In the meantime, go blast some Farnham.

*New* You're invited to join Leanne's free community, Work Fame.

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. 

Let's connect on all the channels:

Leanne Hughes on LinkedIn

Leanne Hughes on Instagram

Visit my website: leannehughes.com

Email me: [email protected]

Would you like to deliver your own private podcast feed to your audience? Sign up for a free trial today at Hello Audio.