On this Halloween live stream, Alan Weiss and I had a spirited chat about the “tricks” consultants fall for and the “treats” clients actually value. We riffed on wild promises vs. real outcomes, commodity work vs. initiating new value, carving people up vs. helping them grow, being a ghost vs. showing up with presence, and—my favorite—wearing masks vs. bringing the real you (including your voice, not AI slop 🙃).

Alan shared early-career scars (including a disastrous pre-digital survey project) and the simple posture that got him through: learn the lesson, then move. We also touched on the true origin of Halloween, why low self-esteem—not AI—is the scariest trend haunting consultants, and how improv rules (“yes, and…”) make you unbeatable on your feet with clients. I briefly “ghosted” the stream (perfect timing) and Alan just kept rolling—proof that intellectual firepower + humor is the ultimate treat.

• Don’t sell hope; sell outcomes. If you can’t deliver it, don’t promise it.
• Stop accepting commodity requests; initiate higher-value conversations.
• Grow people; don’t carve them. Change beliefs, not just behaviors.
• Show up with presence—no ghosting, no masks. Let clients meet the real you.
• Use AI as a tutor and pattern-maker, not a voice replacer. Keep your language yours.
• Confidence > credentials: you can learn fast, but be honest about limits.
• Self-esteem is the real monster under the bed. Build it; ship work; laugh often.
• “Yes, and…” beats “No, but…”—in workshops, sales calls, and life.

• “Do you want to be tricked, or do you want a treat?” —Alan Weiss
• “AI should teach you how to fish, not hand you someone else’s fish.” —Alan Weiss

• Alan Weiss – Monday Morning Memo newsletter (QR mentioned on stream)
• “The Whale Sale” Substack (Alan Weiss & Lisa Miller)
• Improv principles (“yes, and…”) for facilitation & sales
• My “Damaged Goods” idea on treating groups as ready to grow

Pre-order my new book WORK FAME and get featured on the Wall of Work Fame

Sign up for free for my best articles every week: Work Fame.

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

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.

Happy Halloween! 🎃 In today’s episode, I share a few things I’m up to — including a fun LinkedIn Live with Alan Weiss on Consulting Trick or Treats (we’re swapping horror stories and ways to earn more “treats” like referrals and repeat gigs), plus a virtual session for a membership group on The Two Hour Workshop Blueprint.

But the real story today came from the dog park. It was my first visit back with Quincy since losing Milo 💔, and I had a great chat with Val — an incredible 89-year-old who’s still sharp, funny, and full of energy. Val told me about having lunch with her friends and feeling frustrated that no one asked her a single question.

That conversation hit home. I’ve felt the same thing at networking events — walking away realizing I’ve asked all the questions, and no one’s asked about me. It made me wonder: why does this happen?

In this episode, I reflect on:

• Why some people don’t ask questions in conversations
• How curiosity builds better connections
• The difference between “hosting” and “being” in a chat
• Why great conversations are like rallies — not one-way serves 🎾

Whether you’re at a networking event, coffee catch-up, or just chatting with friends — try to keep the ball in play. The best connections happen when both people stay curious.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Alan Weiss — Consulting Trick or Treats LinkedIn Live
• Michael Bungay Stanier

Pre-order my new book WORK FAME and get featured on the Wall of Work Fame

Sign up for free for my best articles every week: Work Fame.

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

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 episode came from one of those half-asleep thoughts that wouldn’t leave me alone — “damaged goods.”

I unpack this idea that sometimes, as facilitators or change agents, we hold ourselves back because we assume the people we’re working with aren’t ready. We design for the lowest common denominator, in the name of being “inclusive.” But as Alan Weiss once told me, “Stop assuming people are damaged goods.”

I explore what happens when we design for the top third of the room — the ones ready to stretch — and how that energy naturally pulls others forward. What if being truly inclusive means giving everyone the opportunity to be stretched, not cushioning them with mediocrity?

It takes courage to try something new, to go against the grain, to risk being different. But when we always “meet people where they’re at,” we might actually be limiting their potential — and ours.

Key takeaways:

• Stop assuming people aren’t ready for change — let them surprise you.
• True inclusivity is about opportunity, not homogeny.
• Design for growth, not safety.
• Stretching people is a form of respect.

Quote:

Pre-order my new book WORK FAME and get featured on the Wall of Work Fame

Sign up for free for my best articles every week: Work Fame.

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

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 today’s episode, I’m reading and riffing on one of my all-time favourite internet articles — The #1 Sign You’re Winning in Life: No One Understands What the Hell You Do for a Living by Tim Denning. It hit me right between the eyes.

Tim talks about how the most successful people are unexplainable. They don’t fit into neat elevator pitches, and that’s a good thing. I totally relate — half my neighbours (and even a few friends) still don’t quite know what I do, and that used to bug me. Now, I see it as a badge of honour.

In this episode, I chat through:

• Why being “unexplainable” is often a sign you’re doing something exceptional
• How to reframe variety and ambiguity in your work as irreplaceable value
• The fine line between being unexplainable and unreferable
• Why jobs that are easy to label might also be the easiest to automate

💬 Quote of the Day:

🎧 Listen if you’ve ever thought:

“How do I explain what I actually do?” or “Why doesn’t anyone get it?”

📎 Resources Mentioned:

• Tim Denning’s article: The #1 Sign You’re Winning in Life: No One Understands What the Hell You Do for a Living (find it on /Substack)
• My Instagram post on being “unexplainable but referable”

Pre-order my new book WORK FAME and get featured on the Wall of Work Fame

Sign up for free for my best articles every week: Work Fame.

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

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, thanks for tuning in today. Wow — what a wild couple of days here in Brisbane. After a massive hailstorm knocked out power for more than 24 hours, I escaped the 40-degree heat and hit the Gold Coast with my friend (and events legend) Sally Porteous to scope out venues for Con Con 2026.

This episode is part post-storm diary, part behind-the-scenes look at how I choose spaces that feel right. We visited five venues, sweating it out in 37-degree heat, and learned that photos and quotes don’t tell you everything — you have to stand in the space. I share what worked, what didn’t (yes, even the flashy casino bar), and why the venue is a main character in creating an unforgettable experience.

What kind of environments help you think bigger — bright and open, or calm and contained?

Pre-order my new book WORK FAME and get featured on the Wall of Work Fame

Sign up for free for my best articles every week: Work Fame.

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

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 released my Work Fame Substack on Friday, my phone rang—literally a minute after it went out. It was my friend Nicole, calling from a walk on the Gold Coast. She said, “Leanne, how do you create so much content and still seem to have a life?”

It’s a good question.

In this episode, I share my answer: how having a daily podcast has trained me to be an observer of life. When you publish something every day, you start paying closer attention—to the small things most people overlook. Like the way a Bon Jovi key change hits differently when you’re 15km into a run. Or how watching Kevin Rudd get roasted by Donald Trump in the Oval Office can somehow reset your stress levels.

I talk about:

• Why noticing is my number-one creative skill.
• The difference between creating on the spot (podcasts) vs creating with space (writing).
• Why spacing out your writing during the week makes it better.
• How ideas “simmer” when you let them breathe.
• The little systems (and non-systems) I use to find great references, quotes, and stories.

The big takeaway? Creativity isn’t about working harder—it’s about noticing better.

👋 Thanks, Nicole, for sparking this chat.

—

💌 P.S. If you enjoyed this episode, tap the ❤️ in Substack so I know it resonated!

Pre-order my new book WORK FAME and get featured on the Wall of Work Fame

Sign up for free for my best articles every week: Work Fame.

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

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.

I’m absolutely delighted to welcome back my friend, leadership strategist and radiant human, Neen James—author of Folding Time, Attention Pays, and her new book Exceptional Experiences. If you’ve ever seen Neen in action, you know she’s pure energy and light. She advises C-suite leaders across luxury and legacy brands (think Viacom, Four Seasons, even the FBI) and was recently appointed to the Board of the World Luxury Chamber of Commerce.

In this conversation, we redefine luxury—not as “expensive things,” but as human connection. We explore how to create daily champagne moments (those tiny, thoughtful touches that make people feel seen, heard, and valued), how our energy sets the room, why facilitators should design with all five senses, and how luxury language subtly elevates brand perception and client loyalty.

• Why “your energy is a luxury item” (hat-tip, Taylor Swift) and how to protect it.
• Luxury = experiences, not things—what that means for facilitators, leaders, and hosts.
• Champagne moments: simple ways to turn the ordinary into extraordinary (no budget required).
• Packaging yourself on purpose: presence, colour, and first impressions that “set the room.”
• Designing with the five senses: sound, sight, scent, taste, touch—practical facilitation ideas.
• Luxury language: swapping “got” for “received,” using words like bespoke, curated, timeless.
• Personalisation vs customisation at scale: simple systems to remember people and details.
• The mindset shift from “toxic positivity” to grounded optimism that solves real problems.

• Create one champagne moment for a client, colleague, or room you’re hosting.
• Edit an email using luxury language: replace one “cheap” word with an “expensive” one.
• Add one sense to your next meeting (e.g., curated entry music, a signature scent, textured handouts, glassware instead of paper cups).

• “The energy of the room rises to meet you.” – Neen
• “Luxury is everyone feeling seen, heard, and valued.” – Neen
• “Personalisation needs information. Customisation needs connection. Fascination needs anticipation.” – Neen

• Neen’s world: ninjames.com
• Luxury research + downloads (Luxury Language Dictionary, comms methods, self-assessment): luxuryisamindset.com
• Books: Folding Time, Attention Pays, Exceptional Experiences (out now)

Discover Your Luxury Mindset Self-Assessment

Luxury Is A Mindset

Neen James Luxury Mindset Research Executive Summary

Source and copyright  Neen James Inc. 

Neen Book website

Pre-order my new book WORK FAME and get featured on the Wall of Work Fame

Sign up for free for my best articles every week: Work Fame.

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

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.

Today I’m diving into one of my favourite topics—building a facilitation and training business— with the brilliant Mark Garrett Hayes, founder of TrainingBusiness.com and host of the Training Business podcast. Mark’s career spans Disney, banking in Germany, and FinTech, and through it all he kept gravitating back to training. We unpack how he’s turned that calling into a business—without cheesy sales tactics.

• Why you don’t need to be the SME—you need to stand up (to stand out)
• The 3 R’s for growth: References vs Referrals vs Recommendations (and why only one really moves the needle)
• How to turn your natural network into paying clients (with just 3 champions)
• BANT for trainers (Budget, Authority, Need, Timing) — qualifying without feeling “salesy”
• Using your facilitation superpower in sales: talk about them, not you
• Building your ICP/Avatar so conversations click faster
• Creative outreach that actually works: direct mail + short Loom videos (pattern interrupt!)
• Reframing the game: it’s not sales; it’s a service conversation

I loved how Mark removes the sting from “selling.” If I treat sales like facilitation—designing an experience, leading with curiosity, and creating clarity—everything gets easier. Also: the “recommendations over referrals” nuance is a keeper. Tiny numbers, big business. 🙌

• 00:00 Intro & why we make false assumptions about marketing a training biz
• 04:05 Mark’s Disney → banking → FinTech pivots (and why training kept calling)
• 11:18 “Stand up to stand out” (confidence without being the SME)
• 16:10 References vs Referrals vs Recommendations (how to coach your champions)
• 23:55 BANT for facilitators—qualify like a pro
• 31:40 ICP/Avatar: sounding like you “get them” from the first line
• 38:00 Use facilitation skills in sales (ethos / logos / pathos)
• 45:15 Millennials vs phone calls: direct mail + Loom to cut through
• 52:10 “Serve before you deserve” — Mark’s parting line

• Recommendation ask (DM/email):
• “Thanks again for being in my corner. I noticed three people in your network who match the outcomes I deliver. Would you be open to a warm recommendation intro? I’ve drafted a 3-line blurb you can paste—easy.”
• Loom opener (3 mins max):

1. Who I am (ethos). 2) Why I’m reaching out now (logos). 3) Why it matters to you (pathos) + one clear next step.

• Qualify with BANT (lightweight):
• “If this were useful, where would the budget sit? Who else should see this? What result would make this a win in Q4? If it helps, I can run a 30-min taster next week.”

• TrainingBusiness.com (Mark’s platform + podcast)
• Robert Cialdini — Influence and Pre-Suasion
• Loom / Bonjoro for quick personalized videos

• LinkedIn: Mark Garrett Hayes
• Podcast: Training Business
• Email: [email protected]

• Tap the little ❤️—it helps more facilitators find the show.
• Reply and tell me one recommendation you’ll ask for this week—I’ll cheer you on.

Pre-order my new book WORK FAME and get featured on the Wall of Work Fame

Sign up for free for my best articles every week: Work Fame.

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

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, it’s Leanne — and this week, three ideas have been looping in my brain. They’ve all got a theme of growth, but not in the hustle-bro, “reinvent yourself completely” kind of way. More like—snap yourself out of autopilot, change your key, and stop overcomplicating life.

Here’s what I riff on in this episode:

🎵 1. The Soundtrack of Doing Life Differently

Sometimes, joy hides in the small key changes — like swapping a planned hike for an accidental half marathon under Brisbane’s blooming jacarandas. I talk about why Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ On a Prayer” made me emotional mid-run, how a key change snaps us out of sameness, and how we can apply that concept to our own lives this week.

Try this:

• Work from a totally different spot.
• Call instead of text.
• Change your walking route.
• Dance at 3PM like no one’s watching.

Because you can’t stay in the same key forever.

🇺🇸 2. When Two Aussies Walk Into the White House

It sounds like the start of a joke, but it’s actually about perspective. Watching our Prime Minister and Kevin Rudd get roasted by POTUS this week reminded me—no matter how bad my workday gets, it’s probably not that bad.

I unpack why we take ourselves too seriously, how to zoom out, and how laughter might just be the secret to better performance.

🏃‍♀️ 3. The Million and One Reasons Trap

Confession: I’m already planning the 2026 New York Marathon… before I’ve even left for Nepal.

But here’s the trap—we can always find 1,000,001 reasons not to do the thing. Budget. Timing. Weather. “American coffee.”

There will always be obstacles. The question is whether the thing you want is worth navigating them for.

💭 Reflection questions:

1. What small key change could snap you out of your current pattern?
2. What would you tackle differently today if you remembered—it’s probably not as serious as it feels?
3. What are you waiting to do until the million and one reasons magically disappear?

Pre-order my new book WORK FAME and get featured on the Wall of Work Fame

Sign up for free for my best articles every week: Work Fame.

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

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 week, I’m on the road—somewhere between Brisbane and the Sunny Coast—so I’m bringing you a short, reflective episode inspired by my friend (and fellow podcaster) Andy Storch.

Andy sent me a couple of brilliant voice notes responding to last week’s episode on Exposure—and they were too good not to share. In true “Work Fame” fashion, we riff on how exposure and proximity shape our growth, creativity, and courage to try new things.

Andy talks about:

• How seeing other entrepreneurs move abroad helped him realise he could too.
• Why being around people doing bold things normalises those leaps.
• The ripple effect of having friends who are constantly experimenting and asking, “How can this be better?”

Then I jump in to reflect on:

• Why growing up in both the analog and digital eras gives millennials a unique edge.
• How digital proximity (voice notes, DMs, podcasts) makes learning and courage contagious.
• The compound effect of seeing what’s possible—and how it turns “that’s for other people” into “maybe I can do that too.”

🎧 Tune in and reflect:

What’s something you’ve seen someone else do that feels equal parts scary and exciting?

And what would it look like if you tried it too?

✨ Mentioned:

• Andy Storch — Author of Own Your Career Own Your Life and host of Talent Development Hot Seat

Pre-order my new book WORK FAME and get featured on the Wall of Work Fame

Sign up for free for my best articles every week: Work Fame.

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

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.