First Time Facilitator

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Fresh 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 up your impact, this conversation offers a fresh perspective on professional risk-taking.

What You'll Learn:

🎯 The crucial difference between smart risks and dangerous career gambles
💼 Why overhead kills consulting businesses (and what to do instead)
🔄 How to balance high competence with personal energy and passion
🚀 The mindset shift from "what you want to do" to "who you want to be"
📚 Strategic approaches to writing books while maintaining a consulting practice
🎯 Why staying "one step ahead" of clients isn't enough (and what to aim for instead)
🧠 The danger of "news diets" and why staying informed matters
💡 How to present yourself as truly unique rather than a commodity
🎭 The art of switching between consulting and coaching modes
📈 Why "working harder on yourself than your job" might be the wrong approach

Key Quote: "You need to pursue what you love doing that can make you money... The ideal thing is you should be making money to support the lifestyle to which you aspire and loving what you do every day." - Alan Weiss

Whether you're an independent consultant, corporate professional, or aspiring entrepreneur, this episode offers practical wisdom for making strategic career moves without gambling away your future.

Want to connect?

Join our next live stream: November 27th at 4pm Eastern (US) / November 28th at 7am Eastern (Australia)
Share your thoughts with Leanne: Connect on LinkedIn or email hello@leannehughes.com

Imagine the Best Professional Development Experience of 2025…
Coming to you in March, it's The Red Carpet Campout!
If you love building connections, creating communities, and generously sharing their ideas, you'll LOVE this experience.
I’d love to see you there!

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In 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 Huppatz
ML is CEO for the Association for Tertiary Education Management (ATEM) - a job that she describes as being the #1 cheerleader for people working in the sector. She is passionate about people with a capital P - and focuses on creating learning experiences which support self mastery and confidence, development of an individual's leadership, and helping people to thrive in their own career journeys.

On a Thursday night you will find her moonlighting as Rakali - a Joey leader at 5th Brunswick Scouts, and loving nurturing the next generation of leaders."

Episode Highlights:
The Delegate Experience: Redefining Conferences:
ML discusses the importance of creating meaningful networking opportunities and how ATEM designs conference spaces to encourage organic connections.

Key Strategies for Crafting Unforgettable Conferences

ML highlights the importance of first-time delegate experiences, explaining how they organize dedicated welcome drinks and smaller group sessions to ease people into the larger event.
Post-lunch energy dips are tackled with "keystone sessions," where all conference participants engage in the same experience across multiple rooms, creating a shared reflective and bonding opportunity.
ML shares her aversion to the term "networking" and how she prefers to create informal spaces for delegates to connect naturally, without the pressure often associated with formal networking.

Innovating the Role of the MC: The Conference Catalyst

ML explains how ATEM has redefined the traditional role of the MC by introducing the concept of the “conference catalyst.”Rather than just announcing speakers and keeping time, the catalyst becomes part of the event’s personality, helping to build connections and engage attendees on a deeper level (and I, Leanne, was thrilled to play this role!)

ML’s Personal Leadership Journey

ML reflects on her career journey, which includes a diverse range of roles in journalism, HR, strategy, and facilitation, all leading to her current position at ATEM.

Key Takeaways:

Conferences can and should be more than just events; they are opportunities to create lasting change, connection, and learning.
Networking doesn’t need to be formal or intimidating—providing organic, informal spaces can make it easier for people to connect.
The role of the MC can be transformed into a more engaging, interactive experience with the concept of a “conference catalyst.”
Embracing your strengths and allowing yourself to be “you” in professional settings leads to more authentic leadership and engagement.

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In 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 Campout
Psst.. 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 facilitation journey: How he transitioned from sales leadership to facilitation, inspired by books like Sharon Bowman’s Training from the Back of the Room.
Adapting to curveballs in facilitation: Steve’s tips for handling unexpected moments, such as tech glitches, by staying in the moment and focusing on participants.
Participant obsession: Why being fully focused on participants, rather than content, is key to creating interactive and impactful learning experiences.
Outdoor learning and creativity: Steve’s passion for moving beyond traditional meeting rooms to outdoor settings that boost creativity and connection. Learn how a simple shift in environment can lead to a 50% increase in creative thinking!
Challenging the status quo: How Steve challenges clients to rethink their agenda, venues, and reliance on tech to achieve deeper, more meaningful outcomes.
The Red Carpet Campout: A sneak peek into our upcoming luxurious camping retreat, where facilitators can unplug, rejuvenate, and engage in creative thinking in nature.

About Steven Demedio

Steve Demedio is an entrepreneur, facilitator, travel consultant, and home-made pizza and camping enthusiast, but above all, a devoted father and husband. His career is built upon a foundation of roles in sales, management, learning, and facilitation across the travel, IT, and corporate services sectors.

Steve’s career has been full of unexpected twists, yet his clear purpose has always been rooted in people, connection, and communication.

Recently, Steve joined forces with his long-time friend Mark Hodgson, who founded Mind & Body Travel in 2019. Together, they’ve created a unique synergy between travel, training, and events.

As Director of Mind & Body Group, Steve curates and facilitates inspiring retreats and training programs that bring teams together, unlocking deeper levels of authentic connection and collaboration.

Connect with Steven Demedio:

www.mindandbodygroup.com.au
www.mindandbodytravel.com
Steven Demedio on LinkedIn

Join Leanne Hughes (and a small group of amazing people) in Las Vegas
One day only.
It’s on October 30, 2024
Because it's a small group, I'm going to design in content that YOU most want, including:
- Group dynamics
- X-factor workshop ideas
- Deep dive beyond the 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint SPARK framework, and more).

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Host 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 event.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

How to Create Demand for Your Event: The strategic move that got 150 people onto the event waitlist within 24 hours (without selling a single ticket!).
The Power of Venue: Why the rooftop bar venue was a major player in getting people excited to attend—and how venue choice can impact your marketing strategy.
Collaborating with the Best: Leanne shares insights from working with Michael Bungay Stanier and how their creative synergy shaped the event’s success.
Marketing Magic: A peek into the marketing tactics, including leveraging scarcity, early bird offers, and social proof to sell out the event in record time.
Content vs. Experience: Why Leanne spent more time focusing on creating an experience for her attendees than on the content itself—and why that was the key to success.
Behind-the-Scenes Decisions: The tools and tech that helped Leanne and MBS manage a seamless collaboration across time zones, from Google Docs to a private podcast.
Post-Event Reflections: What worked, what Leanne would tweak, and the overwhelming LinkedIn love that followed the event.

Episode Highlights:

The quote that inspired Leanne to aim big with her venue choice: "If I made small decisions, I would hate myself forever."
How to "manufacture demand" and why giving your audience a waitlist (before selling tickets) can validate your event idea.
The importance of creating a memorable experience (hint: it’s not all about the content!) and how a rooftop venue turned their event into a “brag-worthy” moment.

Links Mentioned in the Episode:

Watch the 3-minute event highlight video on YouTube
Michael Bungay Stanier's work
Our Luma event site
Diary of a CEO interview with Daniel Priestly

Upcoming Events with Leanne:

Red Carpet Group Experience: Las Vegas with Leanne Hughes
📅 October 30, 2024
Get to the Point Workshop with Sally Prosser
📅 November 19, 2024 | Brisbane
Luxury Glamping Retreat: Red Carpet Campout
📅 Dates: 10-12 March 2025 | Location: Private property, 90 mins from Brisbane

Join the Conversation: What resonated with you from today’s episode? Let us know! Share your thoughts on social media and tag Leanne and Michael.

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In 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 success.
The tech tools she leverages, like ClickUp, Miro, Loom, and GoodNotes, to streamline workflows, eliminate unnecessary meetings, and enhance collaboration.
Tips for running effective hybrid workshops that keep everyone engaged, whether in-person or remote.
How a customer-centric focus in both her roles has led to zero evictions and high tenant satisfaction in her real estate ventures.
Strategies for building trust quickly in workshops, from pre-session videos to effective icebreakers.
The importance of balancing big-picture vision with disciplined execution in both professional and personal life.

About Hitomi Whitlock
Hitomi is an Organizational Change Manager at the University of Washington's Housing and Food Services and a real estate investor, co-owning a property management business in the Seattle area since 2005. She attributes her success to her customer-centric focus and effective communication, always thinking about how to best serve her customers. Hitomi loves making new connections and friends while nurturing existing relationships. In her spare time, she enjoys travelling, attending concerts, and exploring new restaurants/bars with family and friends.

📌 Links Mentioned in the Episode:

Connect with Hitomi Whitlock on LinkedIn
Tools discussed: ClickUp, Miro, Loom, GoodNotes

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Come along to our event! https://lu.ma/rooftopbne

In 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 successful facilitation, offering valuable insights for anyone interested in leadership and change management.

Welcome and Introduction
Reflecting on Past Collaborations
Upcoming Event: How to Face Change
The Art of Co-Facilitation
Why You Should Attend
Closing Remarks and Excitement

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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 the first episode of Talk the Walk with Alan Weiss, a bi-monthly broadcast coming to you on LinkedIn and YouTube!

Cool events:

How to Face Change with Michael Bungay Stanier in Brisbane 3 September
Return on Las Vegas: Small group experience in Las Vegas with Leanne 30 October (email hello@leannehughes.com if you want details!)
Cast your vote: Once in a lifetime learning experiences
Join our Talk the Walk live broadcast with Alan Weiss

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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, the challenges they faced, and tips for turning workshop content into a book.

Connect with Jade Miller

Jade Miller's book: Making Lemonade
Jade's website
Connect with Jade on LinkedIn

Connect with Mel Loy

Mel's book: Change Isn't Hard
LinkedIn: Mel Loy on LinkedIn
Website: Hey Mel! Comms and Training and MelanieLoy.com
Podcast: Less Chatter, More Matter

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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 design
How Alan turns an idea into an offer almost immediately
How consultants need to focus on helping their clients innovate, and fail fast
How 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 it

Connect with thousands of facilitators from all over the world in our free Facebook group called The Flipchart: / firsttimefacilitator

Love Alan’s shares? Contact him and let him know!

Alan Weiss on LinkedIn

Learn more about the host, Leanne Hughes' work at https://www.leannehughes.com
Grab Leanne’s book, The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint: https://2hourwork.shop

Alan Resources

Alan Weiss's Website: This is the primary source for accessing all of Alan Weiss's content, books, and workshops.
Monday Morning Memo: This is a regular communication from Alan that provides insights and advice, likely a valuable resource for listeners interested in regular updates from him.
A Minute with Alan: A series of one-minute videos where Alan Weiss shares quick insights. These videos are beneficial for viewers looking for short, impactful advice.
Upcoming Workshops and Zoom Sessions: Specifically, any current or upcoming workshops or sessions that Alan mentioned during the interview, like his $100 workshop aimed at adding value for existing and prospective clients.

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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 present.

We also talk about energy, meeting the room where it's at, and the best ways to prepare to be spontaneous—an awesome oxymoron, right?

And Lisa shares how she does this, even down to the detail, like her unique research approach, which includes a bit of LinkedIn stalking.

Lisa draws on her unique experiences, combined with design thinking and mindfulness practices, to bring a fresh approach to conversations and connection.

She presents on ABC Radio Melbourne on Sundays and also hosts 'This Working Life' on ABC Radio National, which is an awesome show.

Connect with Lisa Leong

Lisa Leong on LinkedIn
Lisa Leong on Instagram
Lisa's profile on ABC Radio

Why you can't miss this episodeIt's not every day you get to hear from someone who's mastered the art of engaging people through radio, law, and facilitation. Lisa's stories are not just inspiring—they're packed with actionable tips you can use to level up your facilitation game. Plus, her take on mindfulness and presence is a game-changer for anyone looking to connect more deeply with their audience.

Memorable Quotes:

"Jumping into facilitation was like jumping into a whole new world with both feet. Scary, but thrilling!"
"You don't have to be a Zen master to make mindfulness work for you in workshops."
"Inclusivity isn't just nice to have; it's a must-have for unforgettable workshops."
"Preparation meets improvisation—that's where the magic happens."

Resources Mentioned:

Lisa's Favorite Mindfulness Apps
"The Skilled Facilitator" by Roger Schwarz

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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 time-stamps

00:31 The Importance of Brevity in Communication
02:17 The Power of Storytelling and Brevity
02:59 The Art of Asking Questions
03:43 The Value of Silence and Pausing
04:14 The Power of Personal Stories
04:40 The Role of Confidence in Communication
05:07 The Importance of Setting Rules in Communication
05:27 The Excitement of Co-Facilitating
06:05 What to Expect in the 'Get to the Point' Workshop
07:35 Closing Remarks and Workshop Details

About today's guest: Sally Prosser

Sally helps you fire-up your voice so you can share your light with the world.
Her background as a TV reporter, company spokesperson and speech & drama teacher gives her the ideal skill set to work with professionals, biz owners and corporate teams on -
⭐ Building confidence
🥊 Combating a fear of public speaking
❤ Producing a warm, trustworthy voice
🎤 Speaking with clarity and impact
🎥 Media Awareness and Spokesperson Training

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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 insights into his facilitation style and how he prioritises the participant experience.

Phil delivers impactful strategy and positive, strengths-orientated team transformation for a diverse mix of clients in Australia and abroad. He has a practical, no-nonsense style leveraging decades of real-world experience, and brings contagious energy and authentic passion to his client collaborations.

Conversation prompts:

Introduction and Welcome
Phil Woods: A Journey Through Career Phases
The Power of Engaging Teams and Co-Creating Strategy
The Art of Making Workshops Engaging
Balancing Facilitation and Self-Discovery
The Role of Powerful Questions in Facilitation
Bringing the X Factor into Workshops
Leveraging Strengths in Facilitation
Maintaining Energy and Engagement in Workshops
Final Thoughts and Advice for First-Time Facilitators

Connect with Phil Woods

Connect with Phil Woods on LinkedIn
Visit his website: Catalyst Strategy

Other things mentioned:

2024 State of Facilitation report from Session Lab

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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 work.

How are you using it to supercharge your workshop design?

Let us know in The Flipchart
Want Leanne's support for 30 days? Join Leanne on Demand
Grab her book, The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint: Design Fast. Deliver Strong. Without Stress.

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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 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint
Sentient Strategy
Leanne Hughes’ Red Carpet Experience
Leanne on Demand

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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 the moment.Today, we’re joined by Dr. Christian Busch, the author of the book “The Serendipity Mindset: The Art and Science of Creating Good Luck”. He’s the Director of Global Economy Program at New York University’s Center for Global Affairs where he teaches on purpose-driven leadership, impact, entrepreneurship, innovation, and emerging markets.

He’s been featured on many TEDx Talks. I recently watched one of the TEDx Talks he was in, and it was so fantastic; I’ve decided to invite him here. Join me as we learn from what Christian has to share today.

In this conversation, you’ll hear Dr. Christian discuss:

What it actually means to cultivate a serendipity mindset
The difference between blind luck and smart luck
The fear of missing out
The contrast between planning and being open to opportunities
The dynamics between being an introvert and an extrovert
How introverts can cultivate more serendipity in their life
Rapid Round

Conversation moments:

The difference between blind luck and smart luck
How to balance FOMO while cultivating serendipity in your life -- the hook strategy
It’s great to have a milestone but why would you limit yourself to that?
How to bring serendipity as a mindset in your day-to-day
Cultivating serendipity when you’re an introvert

Connect with Dr. Christian Busch here:

Dr. Christian’s website
Dr. Christian on LinkedIn
Dr. Christian on Twitter

Rapid Round Recommendations:

Book: “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor E. Frankl
Tool: Headspace
Song: “Beautiful Day” by U2
Quote: “We cannot always control the situation we’re in, but we can always control our response to it.” – Viktor E. Frankl

Connect with Leanne Hughes on all the platforms:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Twitter

For suggestions, collaborations and queries, email me hello@leannehughes.com. Support this podcast by subscribing and leaving a review, it would mean a lot!
Thanks for being here. See you next week.

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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 playlists for different workshop vibes.
Quick strategies for resetting and refocusing, such as gratitude practices, journaling, and the benefits of movement.

Join Leanne's free community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/firsttimefacilitator
Grab her book, The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint: https://2hourwork.shop

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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 could be improved?)
- After that, I'll share and add additional tips on how to best open a presentation.

Option B:
- We start with a group brainstorming about the best ways to open a presentation.
- Only then do participants get the chance to step on stage and deliver their opening.
- We debrief each opening

What are your thoughts?
What factors would you consider in your response?

Resources Mentioned:

The Two Hour Workshop Blueprint (Leanne Hughes)
Slido (Polling App)
Remote People (Juraj's New Business)
Connect with Juraj

Connect with Leanne:

Instagram: @LeanneHughes
LinkedIn: [Leanne Hughes's LinkedIn]
Email: hello@leannehughes.com

Closing Thoughts:

Leanne encourages listeners to stay subscribed for upcoming episodes, and welcomes feedback and questions through her social media and email.

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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” and “Lead The Room – Communicate a Message That Counts in Moments That Matter”, Shane is also a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, a member of the Forbes Global Coaches Council, and is the Founder of the People Leaders Network.

I met Shane on the Clubhouse app, where we had various conversations around various topics, but it was when I attended his book launch earlier this year in Sydney that we finally got to meet in real life.

In this conversation, you’ll hear Shane discuss:

His book, “Let’s Talk Culture – The Conversations You Need to Create the Team You Want”
The insights of culture
Practical things leaders can do to build and reinforce their culture
His personal insights on how he handles his energy
How he manages the contrast of being the person in front of the room and while also thriving behind the scenes
Rapid Round

Connect with Shane Hatton here:

Shane’s website
Shane on Instagram
Shane on Facebook
Shane on Twitter
Shane on LinkedIn
Shane on YouTube

Rapid Round Recommendations:

Book: The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates
Tool/App: ClickUp
Song: Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen
Quote: “The moment we begin to think we have all the answers, we forget all the questions.” – Madeleine L’Engle
Quote: “You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions.” – Naguib Mahfouz

Connect with Leanne Hughes on all the platforms:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Twitter

For suggestions, collaborations and queries, email me hello@leannehughes.com. Support this podcast by subscribing and leaving a review, it would mean a lot!
Thanks for being here. See you next week.

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The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World

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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: Leanne shares her personal system of organising facilitator materials
Leveraging the Keep Method: Understand the intricacies of the Keep method in workshop desig
Smart Resource Management: Learn about innovative ways to manage your resources, including using cloud services, books, and Post-it notes, to bookmark and quickly access your favorite workshop activities.
Efficient Post-Workshop Practices: Find out why sending workshop show notes within 24 hours is crucial, and learn a practical approach to preparing and disseminating these resources promptly.
Building a Resource Bank: Learn how to proactively compile and categorize a variety of resources, from books and podcasts to videos and articles, for easy access and reference.

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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 famous model, the House of Communication in our workshops.

During this conversation, I picked up so many incredibly nuanced things you can do to boost the clarity of my communication in both virtual and face-to-face workshop environments.

The beauty of this conversation is how Michael talks about the large and the small, the micro and the macro, the philosophy around what you do, and then the micro: what type of chair you need, in order to do that.

We also delve into using space, and how to segment space within our environments.

About today’s guest: Michael Grinder

Michael Grinder 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.

Two well-known experts personally trained Michael in the field of communication: Carl Rogers, the father of humanistic psychology, and Michael’s brother, Dr. John Grinder, co-founder of Neuro-Linguistic Programming.

Over his career, Michael has written 14 books, which have been translated into seven languages. He’s a sought-after speaker for national and international events and has presented on seven continents. Some of Michael’s additional achievements include:

National Director of NLP for Education
Teacher of the year at three different schools in California, Washington, and Oregon.
Recipient of the 2019 DACH “Mediator of the Year.”

Today, Michael continues to train individuals and companies, and volunteers with community organizations. He lives in Washington State with Gail, the love of his life.

In this episode you will learn:

Importance of non-verbal elements in virtual workshop
Tips to better utilise our voice in a workshop
How you can “block/anchor” elements of the room during face-to-face and virtual workshops
How to be confident during in-person and online workshops
How to use your hands effectively, anytime you communicate
The difference between Intellectual safety vs. Emotional safety
ABC's of conveying a message for in-person or virtual facilitation

Resources mentioned in the show:

Learn more about Michael Grinder on his website
5 Circles of Humanness
Learn more about non-verbal communications tips by Michael Grinder on House of Communications
Connect with Michael Grinder on LinkedIn
Watch more non-verbal communications tips on Michael’s YouTube channel

Watch the video!

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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 & Responsibilities: Discovering personal strengths, navigating through responsibilities, and how to tweak and adjust pre-existing templates.
Co-MCing Insights: Splitting the MC role, understanding the environment, ensuring audience engagement, and the importance of staying organized.
Challenges Faced: Unexpected hurdles like potential noise disruptions, technical difficulties, and overlooked details. How adaptability and quick thinking made the difference.
Event Dynamics: Balancing philanthropy with entertainment. Creating a unique event atmosphere likened to "philanthropy meets Shark Tank meets a cocktail party."
The Power of Introductions: How adding humor and connection can set the tone for the event and engage attendees.
Audience Engagement: Encouraging interaction, making connections, and using humor to lighten the mood.

Mentions:

Organisations: Altru, Indigenous Futures Foundation, and What Ability.
10x10 Philanthropy

Key Takeaways:

Preparation is Key: Ensuring you're fully prepped not just for your role but also for potential challenges that could arise.
Environment Matters: Recognizing the significance of being aware of the surroundings and adjusting accordingly.
Open Communication: Ensuring there's clear communication between all key players, like co-hosts or other committee members.
Engage & Interact: How engaging your audience and encouraging interaction can change the dynamic of an event.

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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 multifaceted roles in a workshop: From mindfulness to handling logistical aspects like air conditioning and room design.
Key facilitation models:
- Leanne's "SPARK Framework" from The Two-Hour Workshop Blueprint
- Tricia's "Nine Dimensions of Engagement" emphasising the power of contrast in facilitation activities and debriefs.
The art of balancing: How to juggle structure and flexibility in facilitation.
John's experience emphasizing the importance of adapting to group needs rather than rigidly sticking to a process.

About Our Guests:
John Norcross

John is a change leadership professional who works at the intersection of human centered design, organizational effectiveness, strategy, and implementation. His 25+ years in consulting have taken him from Canada, to the UK, South America, the Caribbean, and to the US working across a range of industries, from energy and chemicals to life sciences and the public sector.

John spent over a decade with Evolve Partners, an implementation consultancy, as a geography leader and as SVP for Accounts. He also co-founded a boutique change agency, BridgeOne LLC. Over the last couple of years, he has volunteered as a community change agent in Wisconsin, focused on advocating for public schools as well as diversity and inclusion efforts. He is also the co-host of the Every Little Model podcast, which focuses on exploring the models and frameworks we use to make sense of our organization and our world.

Connect with John Norcross on LinkedIn

Tricia Conyers

Tricia Conyers is a leadership coach, facilitator, trainer, and podcaster. She helps individuals and teams to unlock their full potential and achieve breakthrough results.

Through a combination of individual coaching, hybrid professional development programs, facilitated in-person experiential events, and her Every Little Model podcast, she helps leaders to think differently, recognize and leverage leadership moments, and develop the confidence and capabilities they need to succeed in today’s fast-paced business world.

Learn more about Tricia’s work here https://islandinspirations.co/
Connect with Tricia on LinkedIn
Check out her online program: Engagement Matters

To continue the conversation, join over 2,200 global facilitators in the free Facebook group, "The Flip Chart".

Reach out to Leanne on LinkedIn or via email at hello@leannehughes.com.
Enjoy the episode!

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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 decision-making featuring Plant, Scan, Pilot, and Launch.
Creating Your Framework: The story behind The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint book and the SPARK framework (Setup, Power-up, Activities, Review, Keep) for workshop design.
The Utility of Frameworks: Beyond business and personal development, frameworks can serve as a general tool for clarity in any context.
How to Create Your Own Framework: Practical tips, including using brainstorming buddies like ChatGPT.

Mentioned Resources

"The Two-Hour Workshop Blueprint" (Book)
"Pivot" by Jenny Blake
ChatGPT
"The Power of the 2 x 2 Matrix (Book)
Alan Weiss’s Framework for Sentient Strategy

Listener Challenge

Are you currently using frameworks in your work or life? Do you find them helpful? If you haven't tried, take a moment to think about how a framework could help in your current projects. Share your thoughts or your own frameworks with Leanne @leannehughes

Join us for more insightful discussions and practical advice on future episodes. Subscribe now, so you don't miss out!

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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 Workshops
- Strategies and tools to foster an environment where everyone feels like they are a valued part of the conversation.
Going Beyond 'Tick and Flick'
- Delving deeper than superficial diversity initiatives and truly embedding inclusive practices in the organization.
Standing in Your Value
- Recognizing and appreciating your unique contribution to the workspace and the importance of every individual's perspective.
Workshop Structure and Participant Awareness
- Insights into how Nancy designs her sessions to be most effective and how she ensures she remains attuned to participants' needs and responses.
Embracing Self-Worth and Belonging
- The transformative realization that "I belong here" and understanding the significance of self-worth in professional settings.

About today's guest:
Nancy Marmolejo is passionate about helping organizations “walk their DEI talk” by moving them from abstract theory to people-to-people interactions. Using tools such as the DiSC Assessment, communication skills training, and leadership development models, she creates a safe space for people to transform on personal and professional levels.

With over 10,000 hours of experience as a coach and facilitator, her mission is to amplify the voices of underrepresented groups in the workplace, and to transform workplace culture so belonging and inclusion are the norm for all.

Find out more by going to TalentAndGenius.com
Connect with Nancy on LinkedIn

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As you know, I'm here to help you design fast, deliver strong without stress.
That's hat is in the form of workshops, right?
But today I'm going to be talking about designing life in general.

I'm celebrating and reflecting because I turn 40 this Thursday. What an honour: Every day above ground is a great day.

Disclaimer: I'm not an Olympic gold medalist. I haven't climbed Everest. I'm just a type of person who likes having a crack at life, looking for cool opportunities and treating life as an experiment.

And so I wanted to share some ideas today that reflect how I think about life design.

I've summarised these in Leanne's 12 Rules for Life... And what I'm excited about is in two decades, or even in two weeks, I might prove my own rules wrong. The beauty of life is in its ever-evolving nature.

Are you approaching a watershed moment in your life, whether it's a milestone, you've had a significant life change? It might be nice for you create your own 12 rules!
How do you like to see the world?

Here are a sneak peak of my 12 Rules for Life:

We’re all gonna die: A reminder of our impermanence.
If you're feeling like a fish out of water, find a new pond: Adaptability is key.
Shake hands with your heroes, they probably have sweaty palms, too: We’re all human at the end of the day.
There is no glass ceiling: Limitations are often self-imposed.
Your clicking reveals your calling: Listen to what resonates with you.
Live regionally, work globally: Embrace the vast opportunities the world offers.
Be like Tom Cruise in the moments that matter: Show up and give it your best.
Find the pattern interrupter in your life: Break monotonies and spark creativity.
If you don’t have permission, get permission: Advocate for your own desires and goals.
Share your work in public: Be open and transparent in your endeavors.
Double click everyday moments: Find depth in daily occurrences.
Real wealth is discretionary time (Alan Weiss): Time is our most valuable resource.

What do you think? Do any of these rules resonate with you? Let me know! Tag me on socials, send me a message, or email hello@leannehughes.com

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As you know, I'm here to help you design fast, deliver strong without stress.
That's hat is in the form of workshops, right?
But today I'm going to be talking about designing life in general.

I'm celebrating and reflecting because I turn 40 this Thursday. What an honour: Every day above ground is a great day.

Disclaimer: I'm not an Olympic gold medalist. I haven't climbed Everest. I'm just a type of person who likes having a crack at life, looking for cool opportunities and treating life as an experiment.

And so I wanted to share some ideas today that reflect how I think about life design.

Here are a sneak peak of my 12 Rules for Life:

We’re all gonna die: A reminder of our impermanence.
If you're feeling like a fish out of water, find a new pond: Adaptability is key.
Shake hands with your heroes, they probably have sweaty palms, too: We’re all human at the end of the day.
There is no glass ceiling: Limitations are often self-imposed.
Your clicking reveals your calling: Listen to what resonates with you.
Live regionally, work globally: Embrace the vast opportunities the world offers.
Be like Tom Cruise in the moments that matter: Show up and give it your best.
Find the pattern interrupter in your life: Break monotonies and spark creativity.
If you don’t have permission, get permission: Advocate for your own desires and goals.
Share your work in public: Be open and transparent in your endeavors.
Double click everyday moments: Find depth in daily occurrences.
Real wealth is discretionary time (Alan Weiss): Time is our most valuable resource.

What do you think? Do any of these rules resonate with you? Let me know! Tag me on socials, send me a message, or email hello@leannehughes.com

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In today's episode, I'm delighted to introduce our guest, Jeff Skipper. Jeff and I have been colleagues for the past couple of years, sharing insights in our growth cycle mastermind group. We've connected virtually every two weeks and had the pleasure of meeting in person during a memorable gathering in Hawaii, part of Alan Weiss's community.

About Jeff Skipper
Jeff Skipper is a recognised expert in accelerating change with over 25 years of experience. He has worked with renowned clients such as IBM, Suncor, Goldman Sachs, and the Salvation Army, helping them achieve remarkable results in their strategic transformation efforts by infusing complex change with a motivating mission.

Jeff possesses a unique talent for creating impactful activities and workshops. He excels at breaking down complex challenges and reengineering them into practical solutions. Exciting news for our listeners, Jeff is currently working on a workshop booklet that will feature his top 30 change activities.

During our conversation, we delve into the essential aspects of driving and leading change. Jeff underscores the significance of visible leadership, especially in today's virtual landscape where meaningful connections can be a challenge. We also explore opportunities for meaningful in-person connections and how they contribute to the success of change initiatives.

Jeff is the author of the insightful book, "Dancing with Disruption."

In this podcast episode, you'll learn:

The role of emotions in leading change
Practical strategies for engaging people during times of disruption.
How leaders can inspire trust and commitment in their teams
The significance of consistency in messaging,
The contagious nature of both resistance and enthusiasm in organisational change.

Quotes from the Episode:

"It's hard to generate that level of excitement until you're out there, shaking hands with people, patting them on the back, and telling them they're doing a good job."
"Even if your organization's life depends on it, not everyone's gonna get on board. So what do you need to do?"
"It's important to give people space to connect. When we have an hour to just talk and unpack things, that's where we really start to connect and build levels of trust."
"You're trying to engage people on an emotional level. Yes, I need to help them build new competencies to navigate a change, but I'm trying to keep a positive viewpoint around what's going to happen."
"If I dip my toe in the water, it's going to be safe. Again, the role of leaders is to create that safety for people."

Links and Resources:

Jeff Skipper's Website
Jeff Skipper's Book: "Dancing with Disruption"
Connect with Jeff Skipper on LinkedIn

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In today's episode, we explore the intricate emotions that facilitators experience right before a workshop – a whirlwind of excitement, nerves, and anticipation.

My guest today is the award-winning TV journalist from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Sophie Scott OAM. Sophie's multi-faceted career has transitioned her from a household face on TV to a well-renowned speaker and educator, with a prime focus on mental health.

Dive into our conversation as we unravel Sophie's personal journey, discover her pre-workshop routines, and delve deep into her experience with burnout. It's a candid, open conversation about the realities of mental well-being, the importance of self-care, and the pivotal role that authentic communication plays in our lives.

What You Will Learn:

Sophie's transition from a journalist to an advocate for mental well-being and a sought-after speaker.
The personal story of Sophie's encounter with burnout, which she faced while in the public eye.
The "Spotlight Effect" – A mechanism to center oneself and focus on the audience while facilitating.
Physical Reactions to Anxiety: Even when well-prepared, your body might still show signs of anxiety, but recognizing these signs and continuing to move forward can be beneficial.
Facilitation vs. Journalism: Both roles involve extracting information and insight, and the techniques used in journalism can apply to facilitation.
Tips and ideas on how to host engaging panels or events.

About Sophie Scott OAM

In addition to an extensive career as an award-winning medical TV journalist for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Sophie is a professional speaker and educator with expertise in mental health.

She has an extensive presence on social media, has been an invited speaker at the World Congress on Positive Psychology, has written two books (Live a Longer Life (ABC Books) and RoadTesting Happiness (Harper Collins), and has won major awards for her journalism and medical reporting including a prestigious Eureka Award

Sophie’s mission is to help people help themselves, using evidence-based science and her own personal journey.

She is an ambassador for Bowel Cancer Australia, Pain Australia and is a patient reviewer for the British Medical Journal.

Sophie is a highly sought-after keynote speaker on topics such as preventing burnout, managing your mental well-being during times of change, the science of high-performance habits, and how to use neuroscience to stick to new habits and overcome unwanted ones.

Her talks and workshops help people take better care of their mental health through science-backed techniques so they can build emotional resilience, maximise their potential and thrive at work and at home.

Links and Resources:

Sophie Scott's Website - A central hub where you can find all of Sophie's content, including links to her social media platforms.
Insight Timer and Balance App: These apps are mentioned in the conversation, suggesting they might be tools for personalization or well-being.
Continue the conversation when the show is over, join The Flipchart free group on Facebook
My new book is out: The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint: Design Fast. Deliver Strong. Without Stress.
Grab it, then Write an Amazon review!

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In today's episode, I chat with Brendon Baker, a change leader I've had the pleasure of knowing for over a year and a half. Our professional relationship has grown from friendtorshop to active collaboration.
We discuss the core of his workshops, how to deliver real value, and his personal experiences with business growth.

About Brendon Baker:

Brendon is dedicated to helping Change Leaders achieve tangible results. He's been at the helm of over $10 Billion in projects and programs, and from these ventures, he's gathered key insights:

Change is tough, so it needs to be worth the effort.
Simple solutions often yield the best results.
Traditional methods and 'best practices' don't always translate well into practical situations.

Brendon is the author of "Valuable Change" and "Creating High Value PMOs". He lives outside of Canberra, Australia.

What you'll learn:

The story behind Brendan Baker's business growth and his journey towards helping leaders.
The significance of understanding the "reality" in corporate scenarios.
The essence and application of workshops in creating change.
Perception of Last-minute Work: Reframing that last-minute preparation might be seen as scrappy or inadequate.
The value of being in communities to find your next career role model.

Quotes from the episode:

"I've come to call that a point of arrogance... they think that what they're delivering is right and ultimately they don't know."
"If you focus on what truly needs to matter, then you don't have to do as much work and you can focus on shifting the dial."
"Workshops are for teaching people new things and for collaboratively solving problems."

Join us as we navigate the fascinating world of leadership, transformation, and the intricacies of creating meaningful change with Brendon Baker.

Connect with Brendon

Visit Brendon’s website
Connect with Brendon Baker on LinkedIn

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Welcome to a podcast swap! I was a guest on the delightful Prina Shah's podcast, Ways to Change the Workplace recently, and the episode had such wonderful reviews/feedback, I thought I'd bring it onto this feed!

What are some common mistakes that workshop facilitators make that lead to boring workshops?
How can workshop facilitators create a safe and inclusive environment where all participants feel comfortable sharing their ideas and opinions?
What are some creative approaches to workshop design that can help break up the monotony of traditional lecture-style presentations?

About today’s episode:
Today I chat with my friend Leanne Hughes all the way in Brisbane, Queensland. Leanne is a thought-provoking entrepreneur with an upcoming book called the 2 Hour Workshop Blueprint and it is great – I have been an early reader and have user-tested it myself in the workshops that I deliver!

I speak with Leanne about: How to Stamp out Boring Workshops!
Watch the youtube version here: https://youtu.be/HTkZi8Uw7dQ

Leanne talks about her years of experience as a facilitator and what she has learnt from that, we cover:

Common mistakes that workshop facilitators make that lead to boring workshops.
How important it is to engage workshop participants from the outset, and some effective ways to do so.
The role technology plays in creating more dynamic and engaging workshops.
I ask how important is it to have a clear purpose and desired outcome for a workshop, and how can facilitators ensure that participants are aligned with these goals?
We discuss ways to keep energy levels high throughout the workshop, particularly during long sessions.
How workshop facilitators can create a safe and inclusive environment where all participants feel comfortable sharing their ideas and opinions.
Some creative approaches to workshop design that can help break up the monotony of traditional lecture-style presentations.
Some common myths about what makes a workshop successful, and how we can dispel them to create more effective learning experiences.
And listen in to Leanne’s answer to my question: if you had a magic wand, what is one way you would change the workplace?

About today’s guest: Leanne Hughes is a consultant, speaker, and facilitator, maximising team potential by creating influential, contagious work experiences that scale across teams, functions, and regions.

As a workshop designer and facilitator, she combines her experience in Marketing with her education (and obsession) with Group Dynamics and Psychology, to help leaders create engaging experiences.

Leanne has distilled her knowledge and experience into The First Time Facilitator podcast, and now, a book ‘The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint’.

Resources and links

Grab the book The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint: Design Fast. Deliver Strong. Without Stress: https://2hourwork.shop
Website: https://www.leannehughes.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leannehughes/

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In today's episode, your host Leanne Hughes delves deep into her journey as a participant and her experiences leading up to a world-class speaking conference in Hobart. She also touches upon the significance of mindset in the world of speaking, facilitation, and beyond.

She also touches upon the significance of mindset in the world of speaking, facilitation, and beyond.

What you will learn:

The importance of setting the right pre-conference expectations and the art of crafting a powerful pre-event experience.
How the location of an event can significantly shape a participant's experience and perspective.
Dressing the Part: The Psychology of Becoming a World-Class Speaker
The value of provoking thought, over disseminating information
What does being "world-class" mean to you?
What I get ready before I attend an event, and how I decide to choose my accommodation.

Resources mentioned in the episode:

Check out the workshop hosts: Andrew Griffiths and Keith Abraham
Jenny Blake's TED conference episode: 10+ Conference Networking Strategies with Alisa Cohn
"The Referrable Speaker" by Michael Port
Review my new book, The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint on Amazon
Send me an email: hello@leannehughes.com or connect on LinkedIn

The 4-Week Workshop Sprint: Let’s spend four weeks together, to make your workshop the best thing ever, and something you’re incredibly proud to showcase, host, and share with the world. Find out more about the programLeanne's new book: The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint is out now!

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In today's episode, I’m delighted to welcome Sally Porteous, the esteemed Managing Director of a renowned event production company. Sally has a wealth of knowledge to share on how to lead transformative workshops and captivating events. Her experience offers a fascinating glimpse into the surprising parallels that exist within these arenas.

Sally will walk us through her unique journey into the vibrant world of event management, a journey that was as much about self-discovery as it was about realizing her inherent strengths and discovering her 'zone of genius'. She shares compelling anecdotes that illustrate how natural talents can often be things that others find challenging.

We'll be diving deep into the art of setting up the perfect environment for your events and workshops right from the get-go. Sally will share some unusual sources of inspiration, including the simple act of observing interactions at shopping centers or malls. Her perspectives will certainly open up new ways of thinking about event planning.

This episode is packed with valuable insights from Sally. She will share a set of powerful closing questions for your workshops that not only ease your workload but also ensure that participants fully engage with and remember the content. It's all about fostering a sense of co-creation.

About today’s guestSally Porteous is Managing Director of event production company Red Lanyard, where she produces festivals, conferences, events and meetings. She is the creator of the Event Planners Workshop, a series of training, coaching and mentoring products to bridge the gap between accredited education and learn-by-doing. She also coordinates and facilitates The Event Managers Network, a membership that connects, supports and networks suppliers and event managers.

Links and Resources:

Connect with Sally Porteous on LinkedIn
Attached is the questionnaire that Sally shares on the show.
Credit to Michael Doneman, Founding Director of Edgeware Creative Entrepreneurship
Link to Sally’s simple Pre-Event Checklist

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Today, I'm chatting to Andrew Hollo, Director and Principal Consultant at Workwell Consulting, who shares his unique insights on facilitation and strategic alignment. I've got to say, after we finished recording, I wanted to share this episode with absolutely anybody who runs a facilitation business!

What You'll Learn:

The importance of organising and summarising information (and how you can get better at it)
How feeling under-prepared can sometimes foster agility in facilitation
The power of directing conversations with two or three key questions
How to maintain visibility and engagement with potential clients
Navigating challenging situations in a leadership development session

About the Guest:Andrew Hollo is Australia’s leading expert in getting diverse interests to reach a strategically aligned position. As the Director and Principal Consultant at Workwell Consulting, he works with organisations that deliver societal benefits and are community-invested.

Andrew has led over 1000 projects for clients who deliver substantial public value, including government and non-government bodies, privately held companies, and non-profits since 1999. His expertise lies in challenging existing paradigms and driving diverse views to clear, high-value conceptual agreements in the shortest possible time.

Links and Resources:

Connect with Andrew on his website workwell.com.au and LinkedIn
Grab Andrew's book "From Impossible to Possible"
Sign up for Andrew's weekly newsletter
Visit our website firsttimefacilitator.com for more resources
Participate in our LinkedIn challenge and stand a chance to win a copy of our book!

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Woo hoo! Fun, pop-up, unedited episode that I felt compelled to jump in and record on a beautiful Brisbane winter day.

Today, I share an exciting example from a conference she recently worked on and how we incorporated something unpredictable, based on a fairly predictable conversation :)

What You Will Learn:

How to find inspiration in everyday moments and translate them into your workshop design. Leanne shares her personal experiences and interesting anecdotes that sparked unique ideas.
How to incorporate X-Factor ideas into your workshops to make them stand out. Leanne shares the example of a 'morning show' theme she implemented during a conference, which became a hit with the attendees.

Your invitation: The 4-Week Workshop Sprint
Let’s spend four weeks together, going beyond the pages of The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint to make your workshop the best, damn, thing ever, and something you’re incredibly proud to showcase, host, and share with the world.

This is a live program starting on the 7th of August, 2023, limited to 16 people, where Leanne offers personalised support and feedback for your program, to get you producing great workshops, with a bit of x-factor thrown in!

Find out more about The 4-Week Workshop Sprint
Grab a copy of Leanne's new book, The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint

My new book is out: The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint: Design Fast. Deliver Strong. Without Stress.
Grab it, then Write an Amazon review, and I'll invite you to two webinars (value $299 each).

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Welcome to an enchanting episode of our podcast! In this captivating conversation, we bring you a first-time wizard on the show—Dr. Jason Fox—a wizard-philosopher disguised as a motivational speaker and leadership advisor. His expertise lies in guiding clever teams through the complexities of their quests.

With an impressive list of clients that includes Fortune 500 companies such as Microsoft, HP, Novartis, Red Bull, Cisco, Johnson & Johnson, Toyota, and Honda, Dr. Fox has established himself as a trusted advisor to senior leadership teams worldwide.

During our discussion, we embark on a magical journey through various topics. We explore the delicate balance between nurturing ideas and valuing individuals, the importance of holding space for emergent insights, and the personal rituals and preparations that enhance facilitation sessions.

We also delve into the struggle with titles and labels, seeking more meaningful and playful ways to communicate one's role and expertise. Moreover, we uncover the concept of channeling the muse, allowing intuitive insights to guide conversations and workshops, resulting in transformative experiences.

Dr. Fox has shared his wisdom as a lecturer at three universities and is the bestselling author of "The Game Changer" and "How to Lead a Quest." His remarkable ability to engage skeptical audiences and senior leaders who have "seen it all before" has made him a sought-after keynote speaker.

When not liberating the world from the delusion of progress, you'll find Dr. Fox residing in an old chocolate factory in Melbourne, Australia, alongside an illustrator-veterinarian and a feline companion. His passions outside of his work include extreme sports like reading, sun-avoidance, and indulging in the art of coffee snobbery.

Prepare to be captivated by this thought-provoking conversation filled with enchanting insights and practical wisdom. Join us as we uncover the secrets of working with groups, gaining clarity, embracing the power of intuition, and unleashing your own magical potential.

Resources mentioned:

Choose One Word: Jason Fox's program focused on finding one word to serve as a fuzzy contextual beacon. Choose One Word
"Awakening from the Meaning Crisis" by John Vervaeke: A 50-part YouTube series exploring the concept of meaning and its implications in society. Awakening from the Meaning Crisis
Marshall Rosenberg's Nonviolent Communication: A philosophy and communication method emphasizing empathic listening and effective dialogue. Nonviolent Communication
Jason's websites: Dr Jason Fox or FoxWizard

My new book is out: The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint: Design Fast. Deliver Strong. Without Stress.
Grab it, then Write an Amazon review, and I'll invite you to two webinars (value $299 each).

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In this episode, host Leanne Hughes welcomes Mel Loy, the founder and host of Hey, Mel Comms and Training, a small agency fueled by boundless energy. Mel has over 20 years of experience in communications across various sectors and specializes in building communication capability through coaching workshops and creative thinking. She is also a co-owner of a gym and the president of the Queensland chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators.

What You Will Learn:

In this far-ranging conversation, Mel shares her journey from working in corporate communications to becoming a freelance consultant and workshop facilitator.

You’ll also hear us discuss:

The importance of staying calm in crisis communication and workshop facilitation, and how to manage unpredictable situations effectively.
Insights into building communication capability through coaching workshops and creative thinking, based on over 20 years of experience in the field.
The parallels between crisis communication and facilitating sessions, including the need for composure, problem-solving, and quick adaptation.
How being a group fitness instructor can enhance facilitation skills, including the ability to energise participants, create connections, and handle unexpected challenges.
Tips for preparing for workshops and managing the tension between designing content and ensuring a smooth, confident delivery, including time-blocking, creating run sheets, and prioritising self-care.

About the Guest: Mel LoyMel Loy is an expert in change, crisis, and internal communications, demonstrating a strong passion for fostering capability within teams and organisations. With a focus on creating better stakeholder experiences through effective communication, trust-building, and reputation management, Mel, along with the team at Hey Mel! Communications & Training, has collaborated with numerous prominent corporate and non-profit brands in Australia.

Mel brings over 20 years of experience in the communications and public relations sector, having worked in the UK and Australia across diverse corporate, non-profit, and government organisations.

Episode Links:

LinkedIn: Mel Loy on LinkedIn
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/heymel.comms/?hl=en
Website: Hey Mel! Comms and Training
Podcast: Less Chatter, More Matter
Flip Chart Facebook Group: Join the community of facilitators at https://www.facebook.com/groups/flipchart/
My new book is out: The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint: Design Fast. Deliver Strong. Without Stress.
Write an Amazon review, and I'll invite you to two webinars (value $299 each).

My new book is out: The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint: Design Fast. Deliver Strong. Without Stress.
Grab it, then Write an Amazon review, and I'll invite you to two webinars (value $299 each).

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In this episode of the First Time Facilitator podcast, host Leanne Hughes interviews Dr. Mechelle Roberton, a self-confessed talent development nerd and certified professional in talent development.

Leanne met Mechelle at a conference and was drawn to her energy and expertise in organisational culture. Mechelle shares her journey of creating opportunities in the talent development field, emphasizing the importance of passion and preparation in workshop delivery.

She also discusses the need for organisations to engage frontline employees by seeking their input and addressing their most innate needs.

Mechelle's career history includes leading an L&D team for a financial institution, working in talent development roles in healthcare, and teaching over 500 corporate courses. She is an experienced speaker and workshop facilitator, passionate about helping organisations and people achieve effective learning and teaching for adults.

Key Takeaways:

Mechelle emphasizes the importance of creating opportunities rather than just finding them, sharing examples of how she got her start in delivering workshops by volunteering her services.
Mechelle prepares for workshops by immersing herself in the topic and finding ways to fall in love with it, regardless of the content.
The need for organisations to engage frontline employees by seeking their input and addressing their most innate needs, rather than focusing solely on superficial engagement activities.
Mechelle's journey in talent development includes leading an L&D team for a financial institution, working in talent development roles in healthcare, and teaching over 500 corporate courses.

About the Guest:

Dr. Mechelle Roberthon is a certified professional in talent development and an experienced career and professional development instructor. She holds a doctorate in education and a master's degree in education with a specialization in training and performance improvement. Mechelle is passionate about effective learning and teaching for adults and has a wealth of experience in the talent development field.

To connect with Michelle and learn more about her work, visit her website at drmechellerob.com.

Episode Links:

Flip Chart Facebook Group: Join the community of facilitators at https://www.facebook.com/groups/flipchart/
Dr. Mechelle Roberton's website
Connect with Mechelle on LinkedIn

My new book is out: The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint: Design Fast. Deliver Strong. Without Stress.

Purchase the Kindle version or paperback by 6 July to get the audiobook for free (when it's out on 31 July).
Write an Amazon review, and I'll invite you to two webinars (value $299 each).

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In this episode, host Leanne Hughes welcomes Jo Fitzgerald, from Jo Fitz Consulting to discuss intentionality in your workshop design.

Jo shares her insights and experiences from her career, highlighting the importance of creating a supportive environment and sharing responsibility for a successful workshop, as well as techniques for being present and managing moments (rather than automatically trying to fix issues).

They discuss the challenges of facilitating and the ongoing learning process involved. Jo also shares a personal story about a negative workshop experience and how it shaped her approach as a facilitator.

What You Will Learn:

The similarities between teaching children and working with adults in a workshop setting
How to use an intention sheet to be intentional and disciplined in your facilitation, reflecting on your desired presence and impact on the team.
Ways to cultivate a sense of energy and avoid exhaustion after workshops, including the practice of staying in the room
How to create a dynamic workshop environment that is engaging and fun, even for serious topics, by incorporating tools like check-ins and movement activities to promote physical engagement and foster creativity.
Creating a holistic learning experience by considering participants' backgrounds and community context
The importance of establishing connection and allowing participants to take ownership of their learning
Managing the mindset of wanting to continuously improve and reflecting on workshop outcomes

About Jo Fitzgerald:
Jo is a facilitator and leadership coach based in New Zealand. With a background in teaching and senior leadership roles in the public sector, Jo has extensive experience in bringing diverse teams together to achieve positive outcomes.

She has been a senior leader in the public sector working on big, hard, important programmes that aimed to make things better for people. Throughout her career, she's always tried to work with other people by finding areas of agreement even when there may have seemed to be insurmountable disagreement.

Jo prioritises collaboration and continuous learning, aiming to help leaders and teams better understand themselves and each other.

Jo is a Gallup certified strengths coach and is passionate about facilitating workshops that empower participants to reach their full potential.

Connect with Jo Fitzgerald:

Website: jofitzconsulting.co.nz
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jo-fitzgerald

Join the Conversation:
Join the global community of facilitators in The Flipchart, a free Facebook group with over 2,000 members. Connect with like-minded professionals, share insights, and continue the conversation about facilitation.

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Today I'm chatting to you from my living room (watch the YouTube version)!

In this episode, Leanne Hughes explores the parallels between writing a book and designing a workshop. She shares her journey in the creation of her upcoming book, 'The Two Hour Workshop Blueprint,' highlighting her learnings, challenges, and the rewarding process of capturing her years of facilitating experience.

Listen to Leanne unpack these conversational riffs:

Decision-making demystified: What are the crucial forks in the road when designing a workshop and writing a book?
Break free from technology's grip: How can you get in a state where you enjoy the process?
Mission or meandering? How can you give your content purpose and direction?
Facilitation or training? What sets these two workshop roles apart?
Dodge the info-dump: How can you cherry-pick content for impact and results?
Content design – a solo act? How can early feedback reshape and refine your work?

Also, Leanne's book The 'Two-Hour Workshop Blueprint' is out next week! Get insights about Leanne's book "The Two-Hour Workshop Blueprint" and its process, purpose, and how it can guide you in running a workshop of any duration.

Let me know your thoughts, let's connect on LinkedIn or email me hello@leannehughes.com

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In this episode, we delve into the world of design and facilitation with our guest, Ben Crothers, who brings over 20 years of experience in the field. Ben shares his journey from being a designer to becoming a facilitator, driven by his desire to improve the often lackluster experience of design critique sessions.

We explore the importance of intentional facilitation, the need for questioning the status quo, and the role of visuals in creating better moments and driving productive meetings. Join us as we uncover the power of design in shaping not just how we work, but also how we collaborate and build a better world.

What You Will Learn:

The spirit of design: How design seeks to create a better world and improve collaboration.
The evolution of Ben's role: How he stumbled into facilitation through redesigning design critique sessions.
The impact of intentional facilitation: How being intentional in meeting design can transform the way teams collaborate and achieve outcomes.
Overcoming resistance to change: Encouraging individuals to question established meeting norms and create new approaches that drive productivity.
The importance of visuals: How incorporating visuals, such as graphic recording and facilitation, can enhance understanding, spark creativity, and facilitate group decision-making.
Empowering individuals with simple drawing skills: Exploring the benefits of drawing to communicate ideas effectively and solve problems collaboratively.

About Ben Crothers:Ben has been a facilitator for over 15 years, and a designer for longer than that. He's helped teams from a broad range of organisations and domains - from Leukaemia Foundation to Parliament of Australia, from Atlassian to Westpac - to solve problems, formulate strategy, and work better together.

A big part of how Ben works has to do with incorporating visuals and visualisation. He regularly does graphic recording (or scribing) at events and meetings, and likes to map conversations on the whiteboard or in online collaboration spaces. This helps to bring ideas to life, and to help everyone listen better, and make better connections throughout complex discussions.

He is currently Principal Facilitator at Bright Pilots (his own facilitation consultancy), and the author of three books, including Presto Sketching: Simple Drawing for Brilliant Product Thinking and Design.

Ben's books:Presto Sketching - Amazon / Booktopia / Angus & Robertson
Draw in 4 - Amazon / Booktopia / Angus & Robertson / Kobo
50 Remote-Friendly Icebreakers - Website / Deluxe colour PDF version / Apple Books / Amazon / Kobo

Where to find Ben online:bencrothers.com
brightpilots.com
On Instagram: bencrothers / wearebrightpilots
On Twitter: bencrothers / brightpilots
On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bencrothers/

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In this episode, Leanne has a conversation with Zaretta Hammond, an educator, author, and national speaker, who is renowned for her expertise in culturally responsive teaching and learning. Zaretta shares her insights on how to unleash the brilliance in every student, particularly those who come from marginalized backgrounds. She explores the importance of understanding cultural and linguistic diversity in the classroom, and provides practical strategies to create an inclusive and empowering learning environment.

What You Will Learn:

The significance of culturally responsive teaching and learning
Strategies to tap into the brilliance of students from marginalized backgrounds
How to create an inclusive and empowering learning environment
Understanding the impact of culture on student learning
Cultivating student agency and ownership of learning
Practical approaches to differentiate instruction for diverse learners
Leveraging neuroscience research to enhance teaching practices

Guest Bio - Zaretta Hammond:

Zaretta Hammond is an educational consultant and author who focuses on culturally responsive teaching and learning. She has been a teacher, coach, and school leader, and her work centers around empowering educators to meet the needs of students from diverse backgrounds.

Zaretta is the author of the critically acclaimed book "Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students." She is also a sought-after speaker and facilitator, sharing her expertise in workshops and conferences worldwide.

Links to Zaretta Hammond's work:

Website: Zaretta Hammond's Website
Book: "Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain"
Twitter: @Ready4rigor
YouTube Channel: Zaretta Hammond on YouTube

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In this episode, Leanne chats with Anamaria Dorgo, a multifaceted professional in the Learning & Development (L&D) sector. She is the founder of "L&D Shakers", a mentor, community builder, facilitator, and currently the Head of Community at Butter.us. We discuss the importance of community building, engagement, and the power of simplicity in facilitation.

Listen in to hear is riff on these topics...

Engagement, and how its meaning can differ among individuals. There's a consensus that engagement can naturally ebb and flow, and it's okay if there isn't always a dramatic peak.
Anamaria highlights the importance of understanding the purpose of your community. Starting small, incorporating feedback, and gradually shaping the community based on this feedback are key to building a successful community.
She underscores the power of brevity and the use of timeboxing and simple slides to keep discussions on track.
We explore how Anamaria is building her brand, both professionally and as part of the L&D Shakers community.
We also discuss Anamaria's freelance work, where she partners with companies and NGOs to create impactful and memorable learning experiences. Her approach includes challenging and rethinking traditional methods, exploring new avenues, and highlighting successful outcomes.

About Our Guest

Anamaria Dorgo is a Learning Experience Designer, Facilitator, and the Head of Community at Butter. With degrees in psychology and human resources, she has a lifelong commitment to learning, resulting in her creating engaging learning experiences for a global community.

In her free time, Anamaria nurtures a Learning & Development community of practice called L&D Shakers. Through her role at Butter.us, she is striving to build a platform that facilitates collaboration and professional growth amongst facilitators, workshoppers, trainers, design thinkers, and consultants.
Links and Resources

Learn more about Butter
See the Butter Community in action
Connect with Anamaria on LinkedIn

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In this episode, Leanne Hughes engages in a captivating conversation with Douglas Ferguson, the founder of Voltage Control facilitation academy.

Watch the interview on YouTube.

They dive into various topics, including the art of facilitation, the concept of Integrated Autonomy, and the potential impact of AI on the field. Douglas shares insights from his experience in software development, his passion for music, and his deep understanding of facilitation.

About our guest: Douglas Ferguson:
Douglas Ferguson is the founder of Voltage Control, a facilitation academy that supports facilitators in honing their craft and building their business. With a background in software development and a passion for music, Douglas brings a unique perspective to facilitation. He is known for his expertise in liberating structures and is constantly exploring new ways to elevate the facilitation experience.

Episode highlights:

Understanding the concept of Integrated Autonomy: Douglas explains how Integrated Autonomy, derived from liberating structures, allows organizations to embrace both integration and autonomy. He highlights the paradoxical nature of this approach and explores how individuals can apply it to navigate challenges effectively.
The importance of intentionality in facilitation: Douglas emphasizes the need for facilitators to be mindful of their choices and the impact they have on participants. He shares how he crafts his workshops and sessions based on specific goals and desired outcomes, ensuring that each activity serves a purpose.
The future of AI in facilitation: Douglas sheds light on the potential of AI in facilitation, including the synthesis and perception capabilities it can offer. He discusses the emergence of chat UI and the possibility of AI-driven tools enhancing collaboration and connection in workshops and meetings.

Quotes:

"Integrated Autonomy allows organizations to be both integrated and autonomous by showing up differently at different times and in different ways."
"Facilitators are there to guide, to coach, to make things easier, not to do everything themselves. We are the guide on the side, not the sage on the stage."
"The more we embrace AI and automation, the more we can focus on what it truly means to be human and lean into the psychology of connection and relating."

Links and Resources:

Voltage Control: Website
Free resources and templates for facilitators: Voltage Control Resources
Douglas Ferguson on LinkedIn: Profile
"Control the Room" Podcast: Listen Here

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In this episode, host Petra Zink, Leanne Hughes, and Dr Maike Neuhaus cover a range of topics related to staying current with emerging technologies, overcoming fear and uncertainty, and building a unique personal brand.

This is a warm-up episode because First Time Facilitator, a limited series edition is returning in late May, in the lead-up to Leanne's book release: The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint.

Here are 10 key takeaways from the conversation:

It's important to stay up-to-date with emerging technologies and explore new tools and resources to stay ahead of the curve.
Cognitive biases can make us feel like we are immune to the effects of economic and technological changes.
Optimism and hope can be adaptive, even if they are not always realistic.
We need to be open-minded and look for opportunities to adapt and learn in the face of disruption and change.
It's important to develop a clear framework or method for delivering results in your work.
Working in public and sharing half-baked ideas can lead to better collaboration and innovation.
It's important to give yourself dedicated thinking time to tackle complex problems and generate new ideas.
Having fun and enjoying the learning process can help us stay engaged and creative.
The proximity principle can help us learn from the source and build relationships with experts in our field.
Creating a unique personal brand and specializing in a specific area can help us stand out and build a successful career or business.

Connect with Leanne, Petra and Maike on LinkedIn.

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Hey there! I wanted to take this solo episode to share some insights from my recent experiences.

Last week, I had the opportunity to chair a two-day conference in Malaysia where I was brought in to run a session on corporate strategy. But then I got invited to be the chairperson for the entire two days. So I wanted to share some of the insights I learned from that experience.

I also attended Andy's Talent Management Development think tank conference in California, where I met so many incredible people. If you're one of the new people I met there, hello and welcome to the podcast!

Shout out to Adina and Christine for inspiring me to think more deeply about how to bring my workshop philosophies into the context of hosting a two-day event.

In this episode I share:

The four key roles of a chairperson
How I prepared for panel conversations
Other tips for working with audio, visuals and the room setup

Overall, these were my key reflections from my recent experiences as a chairperson and attendee at various events. I hope you found them insightful and helpful, and I'd love to hear any thoughts or feedback you might have!

Resources mentioned in the show

The Flipchart Facebook group
Join the 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint book launch team
Slido: https://www.sli.do/
"How to Moderate Meaningful Conversations on Clubhouse" by Leanne Hughes: https://www.leannehughes.com/blog/2021/1/14/how-to-moderate-meaningful-conversations-on-clubhouse

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Here's a quick life and work update and announcement! I'd love to hear from you and feature you/get your feedback on a book I'm working on about workshop design.

Be a workshop wing-mate!
Workshops are all about co-creation. So, it makes sense when writing a book about workshops, that there should be an element of co-creation, too.

I’d love you to be part of this journey.

What's the book about?

It's pretty much a co-pilot for anyone wanting to turn the gold inside their head (your content, experience and expertise), into an awesome, interactive workshop experience, with zero stress.

I'll cover some of the core philosophies I've shared with you on the podcast, and my masterclasses in this book.

I really want this book to be a playbook that book-ends all of the incredible conversations from 200 episodes of the First Time Facilitator podcast.

What's involved?

To start

Jump in and vote on the title of the book.

After that, consider:

Would you like to be featured in the book? There's also a little section in the survey asking if anything I've shared on my podcast, or in any of my programs that's helped you. If that applies to you, complete that part.
In a few weeks, I'll kick off a Workshop Wing-Mate Whatsapp (WWW) group, sharing behind the scenes on the book-writing process, and hearing your thoughts, answering your questions, too.
If you know anyone who might find the book helpful, share the love with them.

I'd love to see you in California in Feb 2023!

Find out all the details about the Talent Development Think Tank conference.

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In this episode, I'm joyfully bringing you a conversation with the author of the book “Belonging: The Ancient Code of Togetherness”, Owen Eastwood.

Watch our conversation on YouTube!

Have you been in work situations where you might have started in a company and you just didn’t feel like you belonged, which then led to a lot of stress and tension? Join us as we learn how to create a sense of belonging with the Belonging author, Owen Eastwood.

Owen draws on his own Maori ancestry and weaves together insights from our evolutionary story and our collective wisdom as he helps people create a sense of belonging, especially in workplaces.

In this conversation, you’ll hear Owen and I discuss:

His book, “Belonging: The Ancient Code of Togetherness”
What the concept of Whakapapa is all about
How he felt when he was called in to create an intervention for the South African cricket team
How to create a collective feeling of belonging
Why he dispels the myth that we all, as individuals, need a purpose
The impact of environment and how that affects your ability to be resilient and to feel like you belong
Our central nervous system (the cues that our body gives us)
Rapid round

Conversation moments:

Introduction + Talking about today’s guest and his bookSome stories about his intervention at the camp of the South African cricket team, the Proteas
Make them listen to themselves: Having the brutal honesty come out of the conversation
From being a lawyer to then working with different teams
Owen’s advice on how to create a sense of belonging and connection: “Build relationships”
What the Maori concept whakapapa is all about + the definition of a strong culture
Why Owen doesn’t believe that we need a purpose at an individual level
The central nervous system: Our body’s cues and why we should pay attention to each

Notes/Mentions:

Belonging: The Ancient Code of Togetherness
Leap of Perception: The Transforming Power of Your Attention

Connect with Owen Eastwood:

Owen on LinkedIn

Rapid Round Recommendations:

Book: Sacred Hoops by Phil Jackson
Song: My Hometown by Bruce Springsteen
Quote: “Never judge a day at lunchtime.” – Owen’s mother

Click here for show notes and to subscribe to Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large podcast.

Connect with Leanne Hughes on all the platforms:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Twitter

For suggestions, collaborations and queries, email me hello@leannehughes.com. Support this podcast by subscribing and leaving a review, it would mean a lot!
Thanks for being here. See you next week.

I'd love to see you in California in Feb 2023!

Find out all the details about the Talent Development Think Tank conference.

Support the show

Sacred Hoops: SPIRITUAL LESSONS OF A HARDWOOD WARRIOR

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I'm jumping in with a bonus episode I recorded for my friend, Andy Storch's podcast The Talent Development Hot Seat. In this episode we talk about the tactics of facilitation, and marketing your program, so that people show up!

I'm speaking at Andy's event in Sonoma, USA in February 2023 and I'd love to see you there!

Here's a link to find out more about the conference.
I'll be delivering a breakout session during the conference, as well as sharing my 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint on the third day.

Here’s why you need to be at Talent Development Think Tank 2023.

You’ll get:

The latest industry trends/insights to help attract, develop and retain the best
people in your organization
Examples of best practice and proven strategies - so you get can results
faster (and avoid common pitfalls)
Networking with industry peers, experts & thought leaders - so you can build
valuable connections that will help you excel in your current role (and your future career

The Talent Development Think Tank Conference was even featured in Forbes as one of the top 10 conferences to have on your radar!

Will I see you there?

I'd love to see you in California in Feb 2023!

Find out all the details about the Talent Development Think Tank conference.

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Who doesn’t love a good cocktail party?

Watch our conversation on Youtube!

I love going to events and meeting new people but gosh, sometimes I feel like I’m not even keeping up the great relationships with the amazing people I already know! Cue this book: The 2-Hour Cocktail Party by Nick Gray.

After reading the first chapter, I set a date for my cocktail party and luckily, the day after, I debrief it in this conversation with the author of the book Nick Gray.

Nick Gray moved to New York City with few friends and less-than-stellar social skills. But Nick craved new relationships and exciting opportunities. He started hosting non-traditional parties—a move that opened doors he could never have imagined.

Today, after hosting hundreds of 2-hour parties, he counts business owners, artists, and inspiring teachers among a circle of friends that helped him launch a multi-million dollar company called Museum Hack. Featured in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, Nick has been called a host of "culturally significant parties" by New York Magazine.

See his best-rated photos online at www.NickGray.net or @NickGrayNews on Instagram and Twitter, email him directly to hello@nickgray.net, or see his party tips on How to Host a Party: www.party.pro

In this conversation, you'll hear Nick discuss:

How Nick started his career and founded the Museum Hack
His book, "The 2-Hour Cocktail Party: How to build big relationships with small gatherings."
The value of hosting 2-hour cocktail parties

Listen to this, grab his book and start hosting your own cocktail parties!

Connect with Leanne Hughes on all the platforms:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Twitter

For suggestions, collaborations and queries, email me hello@leannehughes.com.

Support this podcast by subscribing and leaving a review, it would mean a lot!
Thanks for being here.

It shouldn't take you 2 days to design a 2 hour workshop.

Dramatically reduce the time it takes to design your workshops using Leanne Hughes’ 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint.Register today and gain back your hours!

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Who doesn’t love a good cocktail party?

Watch our conversation on Youtube!

After reading the first chapter, I set a date for my cocktail party and luckily, the day after, I debrief it in this conversation with the author of the book Nick Gray.

See his best-rated photos online at www.NickGray.net or @NickGrayNews on Instagram and Twitter, email him directly to hello@nickgray.net, or see his party tips on How to Host a Party: www.party.pro

In this conversation, you'll hear Nick discuss:

How Nick started his career and founded the Museum Hack
His book, "The 2-Hour Cocktail Party: How to build big relationships with small gatherings."
The value of hosting 2-hour cocktail parties

Listen to this, grab his book and start hosting your own cocktail parties!

Connect with Leanne Hughes on all the platforms:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Twitter

For suggestions, collaborations and queries, email me hello@leannehughes.com.

Support this podcast by subscribing and leaving a review, it would mean a lot!
Thanks for being here.

It shouldn't take you 2 days to design a 2 hour workshop.

Dramatically reduce the time it takes to design your workshops using Leanne Hughes’ 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint.Register today and gain back your hours!

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"What if you were already there?"

I started journalling on this prompt recently and it reminded me of the great questions we ask our clients, like "What does success look like?", "What would be different if this workshop/gig/project was a 10/10?"

In this solo episode, I riff on my thoughts related to this question, and also just CHECK IN with all of you! I also give a shoutout to Tim Guinea, Mel Kettle, Dr Maike Neuhaus and Petra Zink.

Some cool things I share on the show:
- Two by Tuesday mailout
- Unghostable workshop in London
- Leanne on Demand
- Booked Out Facilitator

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"What if you were already there?"

In this solo episode, I riff on my thoughts related to this question, and also just CHECK IN with all of you! I also give a shoutout to Tim Guinea, Mel Kettle, Dr Maike Neuhaus and Petra Zink.

Some cool things I share on the show:
- Two by Tuesday mailout
- Unghostable workshop in London
- Leanne on Demand
- Booked Out Facilitator

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Hey First Time Facilitators! I'm dropping a quick episode on this feed as I think some of you may relate to this: You’ve launched a mentoring program in your business. Congrats! Through the first few months of check-ins, you discover that your pairings are meeting together.

Then, after three months, you notice the enthusiasm has waned a little. Meetings become less frequent. Business priorities take over.

If you’re in this situation, don’t be alarmed. It’s what I prescribe as Mentor Fade. It’s completely normal.

So, what can you do instead? In this sharp, 10 min episode, I share a cool approach to creating more friendtor relationships in your business (thanks to Jenny Blake for sharing that awesome word on her Pivot podcast).

Subscribe to Leanne's bi-weekly mailout.

For suggestions, collaborations and queries, email me hello@leannehughes.com.
Support this channel by subscribing, it would mean a lot!

Connect with Leanne Hughes on all the platforms:

LinkedIn
Instagram
Twitter

If you’re only selling a workshop to a client, you’re missing out on revenue opportunities.In the Facilitator Upsell Series, I’ll share how you can book and host expansion work, beyond a workshop work with clients.Click here to find out more.

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Then, after three months, you notice the enthusiasm has waned a little. Meetings become less frequent. Business priorities take over.

If you’re in this situation, don’t be alarmed. It’s what I prescribe as Mentor Fade. It’s completely normal.

Subscribe to Leanne's bi-weekly mailout.

For suggestions, collaborations and queries, email me hello@leannehughes.com.
Support this channel by subscribing, it would mean a lot!

Connect with Leanne Hughes on all the platforms:

LinkedIn
Instagram
Twitter

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Aloha! I've just returned from a week in Kauai with my fellow Alan Weiss Growth Cycle group. What better way to reflect on what we discussed and learnt over there, than by a quick, solo episode. Oh, of course I also reflect on Kauai as a travel destination (spoiler alert: it's awesome).

Here are some things I shared in the episode:

My bi-weekly Two by Tuesday newsletter
The Calf-Path by Sam Foss
Instagram post with my Top 10 Kauai tips
Jump on the waitlist for the only live Booked Out Facilitator program this year

Connect with Leanne Hughes on all the platforms:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Twitter

For suggestions, collaborations and queries, email me hello@leannehughes.com. Support this podcast by subscribing and leaving a review, it would mean a lot!
Thanks for being here. See you next week.

Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large: Continue learning from Leanne and her guests in her brand new podcast
Subscribe so you don't miss a thing!
Leanne is also posting weekly content on her YouTube channel.

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I created this episode for my new podcast but thought I'd share it on this feed today because it's definitely a facilitator-focused question!

Watch my video walk-through of this episode.

In today's Two by Tuesday I answer a question I get a lot: What virtual tool could I use to ramp up the engagement in my virtual event?

Firstly - purpose we know is the most critical element. That aside, what else is important to consider?

In this episode I think two key considerations are your group size and accessibility requirements.

What I find is often: The simpler, the better/ Don't go too crazy. Don't think you need to ham up your workshops with all these tech tools, just because you want to impress people, it really has to connect to that purpose.

What your favorite tech tool is for your virtual events?

Two by Tuesday is a weekly segment on Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large Podcast.

Subscribe to Leanne's weekly mailout.

Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large: Continue learning from Leanne and her guests in her brand new podcast
Subscribe so you don't miss a thing!
Leanne is also posting weekly content on her YouTube channel.

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You know how you have those friends from a while ago, and you mainly stay in contact with them by occasionally seeing what they're up to on social media?

I've been friends with today's guest since 2008, and when I glance at his socials, I'm pretty amazed to see him taking groups mountain biking around Nepal, on the Kokoda track in Papua New Guinea, and running marathons in NYC.

At an early age, Matt had some profound experiences that taught him how powerful they are at bringing perspective and clarity to life. Wanting to help businesses and individuals dream big and have their own experiences, Matt become uniquely qualified as a Physiotherapist and Chiropractor.

He is the CEO of The Custodian Way which owns a group of companies that all share one common mission which is: " To create a global movement and deliver 30 Million Impact Moments every year by the year 2030".The Custodian Way owns these brands:

PEAK Sport And Spine Centre
Employ Health Aust and NZ
Experience Not Felt Possible

Matt also sits on the Board of the 4ASDKids Charity.

In this conversation, you'll hear how Matt:

Casts away constraint to dream big
Creates non-traditional ways of working (including pragmatic, overhauled approaches for recruitment and remuneration)
Lives his values through daily decisions
Acknowledges the power of language to dismiss social constructs

Conversation moments

04:20: What does Work and Live Large mean to Matt
06:00 What’s an Experience Not Felt Possible?
10:51: Story examples of busting out of limiting beliefs
16:38 Decision-making frameworks in Matt’s businesses
23:24 A new way of thinking about your recruitment process
33:10 Values, recognition and performance management
42:44: The use of language in business (and the stigma attached to it)
49:18 Rapid Round

Connect with Matt Stewart

Matt’s adventures online
Matt on Instagram
Matt on LinkedIn

Rapid Round Recommendations:

📘 Books: Shoe Dog by Phil Knight, History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell, Neurodharma by Rick Hanson and Your Brain on Music by Daniel Levitin
🔨 Tool: Brave Browser
🎵 Song: Happiest Man Alive by Machel Montano
🗨️ Quote: “If it is to be, it's up to me “

Click here for show notes and to subscribe to Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large podcast.

Connect with Leanne Hughes on

Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large: Continue learning from Leanne and her guests in her brand new podcast
Subscribe so you don't miss a thing!
Leanne is also posting weekly content on her YouTube channel.

Support the show (https://buymeacoffee.com/leannehughes)

A History of Western Philosophy (English)(Hardcover)

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It's finally here!

You can find out all about my new show (and my recent trip to Las Vegas) on my new podcast which is called: Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large.

Please help out! Hit subscribe, share it on socials, send me feedback on what you think.

I'd love to hear from you!

Leanne

ps. You can search for the show in your favourite podcast apps, or simply visit Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large

Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large: Continue learning from Leanne and her guests in her brand new podcast
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I'm flying to Las Vegas tomorrow! I booked my flights a few days ago. Why? Life is too short and YOLO. The reason I'm sharing that with you, is because it's a theme that strongly underpins this #friendsoffirsttimefacilitator conversation with Charles Hsuan from Flying Kite.

Charles chats to Leanne about her childhood. She relays how her natural penchant for planning awesome birthday parties as a kid blossomed into a fully-fledged business. Leanne also shares how her mixed upbringing taught her the value of time. She translates this to what she offers her clients in respect to having an intentional plan and design to make workshops 'pop'.

As an avid reader, Leanne appreciates good content. More so, she believes that good content should be packaged in a way that is meaningful.

Leanne also shares her journey from a corporate employee to an entrepreneur. She is a firm believer in dreaming big, embracing serendipitous moments, and taking chances.

This episode is full of book references, sprinkled with mention of Leanne’s sporting background. So, tune in to learn more about the Three C’s and the importance of focussing on results rather than methodology. And along with all the informative tidbits, you'll be treated to Leanne’s zest for life.

About your host: Charles Hsuan

Charles Hsuan from Flying Kite is a StorySelling Coach for business owners & sales professionals, he works with growing businesses with a strong culture of learning.

Charles believes customers buy with emotion and justify with fact. He also believes that every business owner and sales professional can benefit from a simple and practical framework (Micro-Scripts) that can teach them the skills of using storytelling as a sales tool.

Before starting Flying Kite in October 2018, Charles won multiple Sales Performer of The Year Awards as the digital advertising manager of Entrepreneur Magazine SA. It was during this period that he discovered and mastered storytelling as a powerful technique to exceed sales targets.

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The legend that is Andy Storch, invited me as a guest speaker as part of his Talent Development Virtual Summit in 2020. I'm sharing this with you as a #friendsoffirsttimefacilitator replay episode because it really captures the essence of that time.

I listened back to this episode and it made me smile and reflect on what we were all going through in 2020 as workshop facilitators and trainers: Making that transition from face-to-face, to virtual sessions. Now, it's second nature. Back then - not so much!

About today’s host: Andy StorchAndy Storch is an author, consultant, coach, speaker and facilitator specializing in helping clients turn strategy into action and people doing the best work of their lives. Andy’s purpose is to love and support his family and to impact the world by inspiring people to stop drifting, take control and live life with intention.

Andy is also the host of two podcasts, including The Talent Development Hot Seat and Andy Storch Show, and the co-founder and host of The Talent Development Think Tank Conference and Community.
Andy is also the author of book, Own Your Career Own Your Life, published in 2020.

Andy has taught strategy, sales, leadership, finance, and innovation to business leaders all over the world including companies like Salesforce.com, Oracle, Google, Box, Toyota,, State Farm, Red Bull, Deloitte, EY, KPMG, HP, Sony, Bechtel, Cisco, Tiffany & Co and others.

He holds an MBA from the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business where he served as President of the MBA program in 2008 and a BS from the University of Florida (Go Gators!)

Most importantly, Andy is a husband, father and friend who is on a mission to get the absolute most out of life and inspire others to do the same.
Podcasts and conferences:

Talent Development Hot Seat
Andy Storch Show
Talent Development Think Tank conference

Social Media handles:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andystorch/
Instagram: @andy_storch
Twitter: @andystorch

Connect With Leanne Hughes
leannehughes.com
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About Leanne Hughes

Chief Engagement Officer, trusted advisor, and virtual facilitator, Leanne Hughes is on a mission to stamp out boring workshops around the world. She helps clients maximise their potential by creating influential and contagious experiences.

She has facilitated and led workshops across the globe.

Jump on the Booked Out Facilitator waitlist to book out five workshops for every workshop you de

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The word facilitation comes from the Latin root “facilitis” which means: something that is done easily.

In today’s day and age where there are more online meetings, workshops, trainings, and webinars, it’s vital to have someone in the room to create engagement and ensure a smooth flow of the program to ensure a great outcome is achieved.

In this episode, Leanne Hughes – expert facilitator, podcast host, and speaker, shares with us her expertise on what it takes to be an effective facilitator, how to manage expectations when facilitating, and her biggest mistakes and lessons learned.

Improving your own facilitation skills and knowing when to bring in an expert facilitator is an essential investment for participant experience and engagement, and ultimately your company’s growth.

In this episode, we cover:

What is facilitation?
Creating psychological safety
Managing expectations when facilitating
Feedback forms
Leanne’s biggest mistakes and learnings as a facilitato
Self-care for facilitators

Resources Mentioned

The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker
Loom
The Coaching Habit
Million Dollar Maverick

Quotes:

“The event has begun before it has actually begun.” – Priya Parker
“That which you can plan is too small for you to live.” – David Whyte

Connect With Lisa EvansYour Host Lisa Evans is one of Australia’s leading Executive Public Speaking Coaches and Corporate Storytelling Trainers. If you would like help with training your team in soft skills, public speaking and business storytelling, get in touch with Lisa. Lisa offers a complimentary 30-minute strategy session to find out if you are a good fit to work together.
Connect with me on Facebook and Instagram
Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn

Connect With Leanne Hughes
leannehughes.com
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About Leanne Hughes

She has facilitated and led workshops

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Million Dollar Maverick: Forge Your Own Path to Think Differently, Act Decisively, and Succeed Quickly

The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever

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Hello friends! Over the next few weeks, I'm sharing podcast episode where I've been the guest! Today, you're listening to an epic conversation I had on my friend Petra Zink's podcast, Your Brand, Your Future.

Quick announcements:

Join the Booked Out Facilitator on demand program (email hello@leannehughes.com)
Check out Beyond Bureaucracy - I'm partnering with Brendon Baker on a program to help you ignite lasting change in your organisation
Subscribe to my newsletter
Grab Petra's new book: Trusted Authority
Join The Flipchart community on Facebook
Show notes for today

In this conversation, Petra and I discuss:

how to identify opportunities that have potential and can be monetised
what to do in the lead up to monetising an idea
her roadmap and how she prepared for the transition
the power (and necessity) of a strong and supportive network
ways to turn a conversation into a commercial opportunity
... and a whole lot more!

About today's host:Petra Zink is a certified Personal Branding & Digital Strategist, Speaker, Coach & Consultant - specialised in helping corporate professionals go from expert in their company to trusted authority in their industry by building strong Personal Brands.

She is the Founder of impaCCCt and The360Talent.Co - both companies are designed to future-proof individuals and organisations through coaching, online courses, training and practical keynotes.

Petra combines 10 years in Brand and Product Marketing with 5 years in recruitment and has developed a blueprint that 400+ professionals have used to clarify, communicate and commercialise their Personal Brand so they can establish themselves as the authority in their space.

Her programs are designed for busy Professionals who want to learn how to stand out in their marketplace by turning their expertise into real impact.

Clients include industry leading leaders in digital, technology, legal and financial industries, entrepreneurs, and corporates who understand the importance of building strong Personal Brands to heighten their Company Brand.

Petra is also the host of the Your Brand. Your Future podcast show, a mix of mini masterclasses and interviews with global thought leaders on the strategies and tactics to becoming the authority and using it to drive an industry, a conversation, or a new way of thinking.

Petra specialises in future-proofing individuals and organisations by helping them transform their expertise and authority into compelling Personal Brands.

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What’s The Junket retreat? It’s a small, awesome event I’m hosting down the Gold Coast in February 2022.

After months of thinking and talking about it, I’ve decided to jump right in and host my first, ever off-site retreat!

Planning an event is, as I share in this episode, a decision-making factory on steroids.
There are so many decisions, where do you even start?

I share my process for designing this retreat across these topics:

Mindset
Intention/purpose
Naming your event
Validating your event: interest vs Interest
Structure
Food and drink
Crafting an invitation letter
X-factor
The C Word

Your invite to come along!
Take a look at The Junket retreat invitation letter.
There’s only 7 spots remaining, and I’d love to hang out with you at The Gold Coast.

Click here for show notes

Send me an email: hello@leannehughes.com
Let’s connect on LinkedIn
Jump into The Flipchart group on Facebook
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It's that time of year when you're probably reflecting and planning what 2022 looks like for you.

If so, this is the perfect episode for you. It's a #fromthevault release of Episode 109 with Scott Armstrong.

Scott is Canadian and he started his career as a corporate banker who was deeply frustrated and knew there had to be more for than pushing paper. He went on to work at Canada’s largest rehabilitation centre for abandoned exotic animals. Swimming with jaguars, running with wolves, playing in the snow with tigers, helping an owl take flight again.

After that he started helping people create their own Limitless adventure. Over the last 20 years he worked with over 2000 businesses and individuals to help them create and grow. His company Limitless is now a group of passionate people with enough life perspective and skill sets to help you dream, create and live a life that satisfies like nothing else.

In this episode, we talk about what left him to pivot and his fascination with getting others to lead limitless lives - and when he says limitless he means it, one of the images on the front page of his website, scottarmstronglimitless.com is an image jumping out of an aircraft.

If you are soul searching, driving to work, feeling like you’re stuck in the rat race, wondering what on earth how to find your purpose, you’ll find this interview and Scott’s work very appealing.

As a business owner, he also leads by example and shares a pretty vulnerable point about saying no to a job that he would have leapt to deliver recently. It’s part of staying strong and connected to his decision on his area of focus. He also talks through some very helpful Sales tactics if you are leading your own facilitation business at the back end of this conversation.

In this episode you will learn:

How to be brave enough to follow your passion and live your full potential
How to be open to learning and vulnerability during career transition
Finding your niche and stamping your expert as an authority
How to to get more sales as facilitator
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Welcome to an encore episode!

There is no one else I’d “open up” the podcast for, than the one and only, Jenny Blake.

I shared this interview with the Booked Out Facilitator group, and I think it’s the perfect conversation to share with you today, as we close off the year and look to scheme + dream what we work on in 2022.

This is the first interview Jenny has done to promote her fabulous (and much-needed) new book, Free Time: Lose the Busywork, Love your Business. It’s a playbook to free your mind, time, and team for your best work. It is an invitation to reimagine how you run your business.

I want to share an excerpt about her book, so you get a sense of what you’re in for in today’s chat:

“Your time is far more precious than money. It is your presence, your memories, your quality of life. For many, growth fuelled by added stress is not worth the tradeoff. You have an urge to simplify and streamline. Ask yourself: are you consistently doing the work that you and only you can do? If you are burdened by busywork, the bottleneck in the way of your company’s profit and potential, this book is for you."

In this conversation, we also talk about choosing your niche, and how to build a business without social media. Jenny also takes us behind the scenes and shares how she uses Notion to capture and curate her ideas.

After you listen, ask yourself this question: “What do you need a permission to do?”

Jenny Blake is an author, podcaster, and keynote speaker who loves helping business owners move from friction to flow through smarter systems, powered by Delightfully Tiny Teams. Her third book, Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business, launches March 22, 2022. Jenny’s previous book, Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One, won the Axiom award for best business book in the careers category in 2016. Licensing clients for her Pivot Programs include Google and CHANEL.

Grab JB's preorder offer: Free Time on a Buy One, Get One, Gift One
Click here for show notes.

Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large: Continue learning from Leanne and her guests in her brand new podcast
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This week's #fromthevault episode is with the delightful Mel Kettle. I'm replaying it because I spoke to her recently, and it was a great reminder of how great she is at navigating the two roles of 1) Being an expert and 2) Being a facilitator.

I got off the phone to her feeling invigorated - she asks superb questions, and has a wealth of experience. You'll get to hear all of that today!

Mel Kettle is a communication and engagement expert, speaker, author, facilitator, trainer and mentor. We recorded this chat in Brisbane in 2019, and she threw down a video challenge on that show, which is even more relevant today.

Click here for show notes.

In this podcast we discuss her work with social media and how she prepares and plans for upcoming facilitation events. Mel was also lucky enough to attend Social Media Marketing world in 2019, and she shares what she learnt from that. We again discuss video - you can’t escape the conversation around video these days!
About today's guest: Mel Kettle

Mel Kettle is an expert at communication that builds trust. She understands how to create strategies that have immediate, meaningful impact. Like baking a cake, it’s essential to have the right ingredients to communicate with clarity, compassion and consistency.

She has over two decades of experience in strategic communication and leadership and a unique educational combination of a Master of Business (Marketing) and a Master of Public Health.

She has a podcast called This Connected Life, author of The Social Connection

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Mel Kettle's website
Mel's book, 'The Social Association'
Mel Kettle on Instagram
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I'm interviewing one of the world's legends today!

Michael Bungay Stanier's (MBS) newest book, "How to Begin: Start Doing Something that Matters" is now available for pre-order.
Find out more about Michael over at mbs.works
Watch our video interview in Brisbane on YouTube

Click here for show notes

Michael Bungay Stanier helps people be a force for change. He’s best known for his book The Coaching Habit which has sold close to a million copies and has thousands of 5-star reviews online. His book The Advice Trap focuses on what it takes to tame your Advice Monster.

He founded Box of Crayons, a learning and development company that helps organizations move from advice-driven to curiosity-led. They’ve trained hundreds of thousands of managers to be more coach-like and their clients range from Microsoft to Gucci.

He left Australia about 30 years ago to be a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University … where his only significant achievement was falling in love with aCanadian … which is why he now lives in Toronto, having spent time in London and Boston.

Balancing out these moments of success, he was banned from his high school graduation for “the balloon incident” … was sued by one of his Law School professors for defamation … and his first published piece of writing was a Harlequin Romance-esque story involving a misdelivered letter … and called The Male Delivery.

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In this week's #fromthevault episode, I talk to Neen James.

Neen is a sought-out, high-energy keynote speaker in the States who challenges her audiences to leverage their focus and pay attention to what matters most at work and in life.

In this episode you’ll learn:

How a happy little Aussie wound up killing it on stages in the US
The differences between Australian and US audiences
Why it’s important to change your focus and stand in service (and how this helps with overcoming nerves)
Understanding the importance of the three types of attention and how you can apply that to your facilitation
Her speaker role models (and the mad genius they focus on)
How the three types of attention drive profitability, productivity and accountability
Tips and tricks on how to contextualise your training content and marketing collateral
Strategies on how to engage with your audience.

About our guestNeen James is the author of Folding Time™ and Attention Pays™. In 2017, she was named one of the top 30 Leadership Speakers by Global Guru because of her work with companies like Viacom, Comcast, and Abbot Pharmaceutical, among others. She earned her MBA from Southern Cross University and the Certified Speaking Professional designation from National Speakers Association.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Neen James' website
Neen's latest book, 'Attention Pays'
Attention Pays Sample Chapters (a gift from Neen)
Neen's speaking kit
Scott McKain
Matt Church
https://marksanborn.com/
Jay Baer
Tami Evans
Judson Laipply
Tamsen Webster - Red Thread
Connie Podesta
Sally Hogshead

Like this show?

Please leave me a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so I can thank you personally!
Click here to let Leanne know about your number one takeaway from this episode! (or, leave a comment below)
Tweet your thanks to Neen.

Quotes of the show:

“I want to make sure that every interaction they have, they feel like they are getting the attention that they want and need and deserve.”
“It's not about you and it's not about them, it's simply about a conversation you're going to create in the room.”
“One of the best engagement techniques is to keep it reall
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Attention Pays: How to Drive Profitability, Productivity, and Accountability

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What can I say that hasn’t already been said?

There’s a temptation because it’s the last show to try to share something that’s the most valuable thing, that summarises the last 200 weeks of my life.

Then perspective hits and I realise, that’s nothing I can really say in “one final episode” to summarise two-hundred weeks of conversations, content creation, Monday deadlines, audio editing, posting on social media, laughs, workshops, travel, Covid, etc.

Some key things:

Yes! I will be starting something new, I’m still working my way and deciding what that is. In the meantime, you’ll hear some “From the vault” episodes every Monday (with new intros)
The best way to keep in touch with what’s next is to;
- Sign onto my email list
- Hit Subscribe to this podcast in your favourite podcast app of choice

Click here for show notes
Email Leanne if you're curious about the Gold Coast retreat in Feb 2022 (leanne@leannehughes.com)

Ending a podcast is very different to ending a job. You know when you leave a job, you get all these lovely messages/people who you least expected signing your farewell card?

The magic of hosting this show, is that as the show continued, every week I’d hear from someone who found an episode helpful, or they discovered the show at EXACTLY THE RIGHT TIME for them in their career.

The show couldn’t have got here without you. It’s been a co-creation process this whole time. I’d like to thank the following people who submitted voice notes and emails for the final episode, in no particular order:

Juan Daniel Sobrado, Beth Wonson, Tom Scantlebury, Prina Shah, Garbiel Furman, Jan Szmanda, Tim Ferguson, Tony Brazelton, Julia van Graas, Kevin Meenaghan, Sally Prosser, Paul McGregor, Sean Lavin, May Lee, Lauren Scholz, Ken Burgin, Joeri Schilders, Deanne Gagnon, Gordon Rhodes, Cathryn Lloyd and Thomas Fry.

A reflection question that’s fitting to ask you now is this: Is there anything you need to stop, in order to progress where you’d like to be?

About your host: Leanne Hughes

Leanne Hughes is an international facilitator, speaker and coach who loves creating unpredictable workshop experiences, that predictably work.

She combines her experience in Marketing, with her education in Human Resources and Psychology, to help leaders create engaging everyday experiences - that are so contagious they scale across teams, functions and regions.

Leanne has facilitated leadership, onboarding and team-development workshops across Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, and Singapore and believes in a strengths-centred approach to learning and development. She has over 14 years’ of experience across a range of industries including mining, government and tourism sectors.

She’s the host of the First Time Facilitator podcast and is the Winner (External) in the 2021 Australian Learning Impact awards for Learning Professional of the Year.

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If I were to think of two words that describe this podcast's main themes, they would be "courage" and "preparation".

Preparation - so that we can feel ready to adapt to what happens in the room, a feeling of, "I/the group have got this -- Whatever happens!" Courage is about taking the opportunity, saying yes to when we feel like we're not just ready yet.

With the emergence of Clubhouse and launch of audio-only rooms across platforms like Twitter and Facebook, how do you create an environment where people have the courage to come off mute? How can you create an inclusive conversation, when you can't see people and pick up on their body language?

There's no one better to riff on this topic than the CEO of Australia's first audio agency. Yes, he loves audio more than I do!

My guest today is Ronsley Vaz. Ronsley is the reason I started this podcast. I went to his We Are Podcast event in Brisbane in Nov 2017, without any intention of starting a podcast. Three months later, First Time Facilitator was launched into the world.

This interview was a ton of fun to record, at Ronsley's home studio in Brisbane and I'm so glad I could share a full-circle moment with all of you.

Ronsley has recently started identifying himself as a facilitator but I placed him in that bucket a long time ago. He has an insane ability to connect, bring people together, and make magic happen.

Ronsley is a keynote speaker, author and business leader. He is the author of the book AMPLIFY – How to raise your voice, boost your brand and grow your
business.

He is on the board for freetoshine.org, an organisation that prevents children from being sex trafficked. His TEDx Talk which was made a TED talk in 2020, “The Perfect Recipe for a Deep Conversation”, touches on his passion of exploring the world through his voice, and the voices of others.

Ronsley has an MBA in Psychology and Leadership and a Master’s in Software Engineering as well as a Diploma in Financial Services.

His show The Psychology of Entrepreneurship, ‘Bond Appetit’ podcast and ‘Should I Start a Podcast? have reached over 4 million listeners in 133 countries.

Click here for show notes.

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Something I'm pondering right now is how often our ideas are cemented in reality ("How would this actually work?") which can limit our capacity to dream big.

My guest today inspires her guests to go against that inclination, and to start exploring possibilities. We often go through a live role-play on this call to see how we can bring this approach to exploration in our workshops.

My guest today is Shannon Dean Hughes. Yes, you can never have enough Hughes’ in your life!

Shannon is an experiential trainer with a calling to enliven the innate genius, creative resourcefulness and easeful collaboration in businesses of all shapes and sizes. In her practice, Enlivened Studios, she brings strategic business mentorship and experiential teaching practices to break down cross-team silos and embolden transformational leadership.

With 20+ years of corporate marketing and HR strategy experience, plus a lifetime of proven leadership, performance and creative devotion, her work combines skill + heart into every Enlivened Studios session. Through this work, she’s on a mission to help people live fully, lead consciously and impact the world with joy and collective aliveness.

In this conversation, Shannon shares how she incorporates improv techniques into her work to enliven creativity and collaboration - I like her ideas around making your partner look good. She shares some activities she’s delivered on virtual calls as well - listen in for the activity she delivers using SILENCE.

Click here for show notes.
Click here to leave a goodbye voice note on Episode 200!

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Oooh… this episode is a watershed moment. I make a big announcement.

Back in episode 50, I gave the podcast microphone to my colleague and friend Sean Lavin to interview on the show, to reflect on what i’d learnt both personally and professionally from the show.

It’s now 147 episodes (and weeks!) later. I think I’ve grown up a little. My perspective has changed, so I thought it was a fitting moment to sit back into the guest seat and reflect on that journey, while also sharing a pretty massive update (from my perspective!) about the First Time Facilitator podcast.

This time, I invited a listener to jump into the host seat.

When I was planning this episode and releasing “the news”, I wanted to pull it back to my intention of starting the podcast in February 2018. Back then, I really was a first time facilitator, working in Organisational Development but pulled in to lead workshops with little experience - desperately wanting to get better at creating engaging experiences and group dialogue.

So, I handed the microphone to a listener who demonstrates the values of this show: An energy and willingness to reach out, a growth mindset, someone willing to say yes, accept opportunities..

I’m delighted to announce your host for today’s episode is Jan Szmanda. Jan is a facilitator, L&D geek, board gamer, new puppy parent, and long time FTF listener. Based out of Madison WI in the US, he currently has the privilege of running workshops on leadership development and team effectiveness and is excited to continue growing in the field of organizational development.

You can find him most active on Twitter and LinkedIn and he'd love to connect with you!

Jan’s enthusiasm about this podcast shines through, he’s listened to the show since 2019 and taken great notes over the years. Most importantly, he’s taken ideas from this show, tried things out.

As I mentioned, there’s a big announcement in this podcast and if you’d like to help me in celebrating 200 episodes of First Time Facilitator, I’d really love to get your voice on the show.

To share what First Time Facilitator has taught you, has inspired from you, or anything really - head on over to leannehguhes.com/200 to share what the show has done for you!

About today's host: Jan Szmanda

Jan Szmanda is a facilitator, L&D geek, board gamer, new puppy parent, and long time FTF listener. Based out of Madison WI in the US, he currently has the privilege of running workshops on leadership development and team effectiveness and is excited to continue growing in the field of organizational development.

You can find him most active on Twitter and LinkedIn and he'd love to connect with our listeners.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

ATD MAC Fall 2021 Conference: Facilitating the Unnown. It’s on 9 November.
Please, please please - jump into action and share how this podcast has helped you out - 200th Episode of First Time Facilitator
Jump into The Flipchart
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The magic of this podcast is that I get to connect with amazing facilitators around the world. I met today's guest through the podcast. She also lives in Brisbane and over the last couple of years we’ve hung out at various events, she's hosted some Flipchart meetups at her property and over coffees (and wine!) we've riffed off all of the topics related to group dynamics, learning and facilitation. Her passion simply shines through. So of course, I had to get her on the show!
My guest is Suzanne Rose and she is a Sergeant of the Queensland Police Service, having joined in 1998. She was poached by a spotter in recent years, and landed the perfect role for her personality, running professional development workshops for police training facilitators. This includes her favourite signature three-day facilitation skills workshop - 'Facilitate with Flair'.

Her role has led her to study the craft of facilitation beyond her organisation, and to learn what is best practice based on research from around the world, including studies from the fields of neuroscience and educational psychology.

We talk more about her Facilitate with Flair experience and how she navigates the mindset of "doing things differently" when working in an organisation which is hierarchical, and where things are done a certain way.
Suzanne is committed to transforming aspects of police organisational culture around training. She hopes to reduce the mortality rate with the cause of death being PowerPoint, and actively inspires facilitators to be brave enough to try more engaging and fun ways to deliver their sessions - even the heavy, dry and serious policing topics.

Suzanne is a full-time working mum who lives in Brisbane on acreage in koala habitat, with her husband and their two young daughters, a Labrador, pet chicken, and an abundance of wallabies, possums, rainbow lorikeets and kookaburras around their property. She spends any spare time making fun memories with her girls, and can't wait to take them on adventures through far-away lands abroad where nothing is taken for granted.

Click here for show notes

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We all know relationships require ongoing maintenance, you can’t just “set and forget”. And that’s the hard part, right? Continuing conversations, staying present in each other’s lives, getting the space to reach out and reconnect with people you’ve met, and clients you’ve previously worked with.

There’s no one better at connecting and staying front of mind (from a place of service) than today’s guest, Sarah McVanel.

That’s right folks, Sarah is back for the third time on the First Time Facilitator podcast! And guess what? A week after we spoke on the show, I received a birthday card in the mail from Sarah so rest assured, she role models every strategy that she shares in today’s episode.

Sarah focuses on recognition and using it in a variety of ways - for re-engaging your workforce, to re-engaging with clients, and ultimately as a retention strategy.

Over the last 18 months, Sarah’s business has rapidly evolved to meet her client demands and in this conversation, I ask how she helped recognise her healthcare clients (in particular, nurses) by hosting a virtual Nurse’s Week celebration.

Enjoy the listen!

About our guest; Sarah McVanel

Sarah McVanel helps individuals leverage the exponential power of recognition to retain top talent, fuel healthy teams and sustain healthy bottom lines. She speaks nationally on the topic, leads workshops, coaches leaders, and conducts organizational recognition program reviews.

Sarah is a Certified Senior Organizational Development Professional (CSODP), Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL). She is one of 1500 Certified Professional Speakers (CSP) worldwide and Past-President of the Toronto Chapter of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers (CAPS). She has a BA in Psychology, MSc in Family Relations, and Diplomas in Human Resources and Healthcare Administration.

Helping leaders leverage the exponential power of recognition to retain top talent and sustain healthy bottom-lines. Curating healthy workplace cultures through FROG - Forever Recognize Others' Greatness - through the modalities of speaking, training, coaching and a range of books and products.

Sarah's insights into how to harness the greatness within yourself and your organization will inspire, challenge and focus you...and leave you with a powerful new understanding of your work, your colleagues and your life!

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I've loved bringing out a private podcast to listeners this week! If you've missed it, listen to this episode and if you want to dive deeper, you need to jump over to bookedoutfacilitator.com to register for the show. It self destructs on 4 October.

In this minisode, I share the three key ingredients to booking out your facilitation business.

This episode sets the stage for the week, highlighting the three key areas you need to focus on.

Doors close for the final, live round of Booked Out Facilitator on Monday 4 October. Find out more and enrol here.

Booked Out Facilitator: Testimonial of the day:

“I am just starting out in my workshop and facilitation journey and although I was nervous to join experienced people in this space, the group itself was incredibly supportive.

Leanne is incredibly encouraging and it really gave me such confidence to move forward in my business.

I've put myself out there and before the course finished, I had two workshop bookings, and two quite important meetings and I've really focused my service offering.

I will definitely keep returning to the content. The Booked out crew, really attracts good people. I can not recommend it enough."

Jade, Comms Nerd
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When I dropped out of corporate life three years ago, I remember trying to write social media posts, emails, even website copy and I couldn’t break out of that “be professional” way of doing things.

As a result, my messages came across very vanilla and didn’t really attract anyone (let alone my dream clients!).

I’m honestly still trying to break that mindset, that balance between being myself, showing up authentically, and being confident that by doing that, I’ll attract the right people.

That’s the conversation I have with today’s guest, Jeffrey Shaw, author of The Self Employed Life.

Jeffrey shares wonderful perspectives on our facilitation business messaging (like “Don’t worry about repeating yourself!"), how he gets into state to deliver his sessions, and he also shares his perspective on why the work that we do as facilitators does take its toll on our energy levels.

Speaking of energy, Jeffrey shares a cool tip on how you can boost your productivity by setting different environments, for different tasks.

He’s a legend in the self-employment game and I’m so delighted to share our conversation with all of you today.

About our guest: Jeffrey Shaw
As a speaker and small business coach, Jeffrey Shaw helps self-employed and small business owners gain control of their business in what seems like otherwise uncontrollable circumstances.

Drawing on his experience as a renowned portrait photographer, Jeffrey shows business owners how to see business through a different lens and strategies to compose the often-chaotic pieces of life and business into sustainable success.

In this episode your will learn:

How Jeffrey designs his workshop experiences around 7 fundamental shifts he’d like to create for his participants
How to consider your facilitation business messaging, using the analogy of stakes (big stake, little stake)
How to think about writing your email broadcasts in a way, that doesn’t feel inauthentic
Jeffrey’s productivity hack using different work environments around your house
How Jeffrey gets into the right energy before he jumps onto stage / in the virtual workshop room
The responsibility you have on your shoulders as the workshop facilitator
A very cool activity called the “Up it” activity you can use to dream big!

Click here for show notes.

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This week, we’re spinning our focus back onto the craft of facilitation with a guest who I so resonate with in terms of her enthusiasm for the work we do, her passion for trying different things and of course, because she throws away those powerpoint slides!

Tricia Conyers from Island Inspirations is a change coach, learning experience designer, trainer, facilitator, meeting designer, remote work strategist and graphic recorder.

She’s passionate about navigating change, making learning experiences powerful, making conversations visual and helping others solve problems by unlocking their best thinking.

And she’s based on the island of Trinidad.

In this conversation, Tricia shares ideas around how meetings drive culture - I could not agree with this any more, how she got her start in facilitation, she share’s a facilitation fail - though in fairness, I think she was set up(!).

All her ideas and ways of working really centre around the idea that we are not in the business of designing a workshop, we are in the business of designing experiences, and our goal is to create active experiences, not passive, and you’ll get a ton of different ideas on how you can do that by tuning in.

About today’s guest: Tricia Conyers

Tricia is the founder of Island Inspirations Ltd., a visual thinking, creativity sparking, graphic facilitation company. She believes that leaders should personify showing Heart, being Human and inspiring Hope in their interactions with others.

Island Inspirations Ltd specializes in facilitation (visual, virtual and in person), graphic recording, meeting design, learning experience design and experiential workshop design. Combing the power of visuals and facilitation to create powerful learning experiences and to accelerate change.

Tricia has 25+ yrs experience in change. She designs and facilitates learning experiences (LE) based on the fundamental belief that the LE is the intervention to unleash the latent capacity and higher potential in others. For over a decade, Tricia has led and supported teams remotely.

Tricia holds a Masters of Engineering, Masters of Arts and Bachelor of Arts with Distinction from Cambridge University, England and she enjoys traveling, pilates and photography.

In this episode, you will learn

Why it’s important to get your meetings right, given their impact on team and company culture
What Tricia learnt when things didn’t work out in one of her sessions
Some of the powerful questions Tricia asks to create new, impactful experiences with her groups (such as, “What can we gain from having virtual sessions?”)
How Tricia weaves in various types of visuals into her facilitation work
How to get your participants shifting from passive -> active participation

Resources mentioned:

Connect with Tricia Conyers on LinkedIn
Bikablo visuals
Tricia’s Instagram site - islandinspirationsltd

Click here for show notes.

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"Your facilitation business (and busy-ness) is fully integrated with your life.”

My conversation this week is with Uyen Vo from Fierce Consulting.

I LOVE THE WAY Uyen sees the world, considers things, and ultimately - operates.

She thinks about things in an analytical way - though, not in a black and white way, I find her reflections are shared in a very playful analytical way!

Uyen shows people how to get more done, save resources, and reduce employee burnout. She does this through delivering engaging workshops on project management, personal effectiveness and leadership.

You’ll hear Uyen's analytical prowess and some great phrases she uses in this conversation to reflect on work and life.

After graduating from the University of Cambridge with a BA Hons in Economics, Uyen Vo joined Lloyds Banking Group in the City of London.

Needing a change from all those spreadsheets, she made a sideways move into people development. Since then, she’s been blessed with a really varied career, including corporate social responsibility and technical consulting, and she’s a facilitator, consultant and entrepreneur as the founder of Fierce Consulting.

In this episode, you will learn

How Uyen deliberately planned her career transition, including weighing up the financial risks associated with going out on her own
How Uyen landed on her powerful value proposition
How she re-oriented her time marketing her business from a scattergun approach, to a relationship-centred approach
Some of the economic concepts she uses to weigh up her decisions (including opportunity cost and utility)

For show notes, visit https://www.firsttimefacilitator.com/episode191

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This week I’m chatting to someone who has an extremely cool role in the university sector, in fact he works at my old university, The University of Queensland.

I so wish he was in this role when I was there!

Marvin Fox is the Senior Program Officer for UQ Ventures, leading the Validate pre-accelerator program and running Design Sprints for research and industry clients.

As facilitators, we are in the business of experience design, and Marvin brings in an analogy I’ve never even thought about before, drawing parallels between gaming and workshops.

In this conversation, he also shares how he creates welcoming workshop experiences for his participants to drive word-of-mouth referrals (and boost participation levels). He also talks about the role of human centred design in teaching and learning.

Marvin has loads of cool catch phrases and ways of thinking about workshop delivery, design, engagement, which I’m sure will plant a seed in your brains to how you rethink your approach to sessions.

Throughout his career, Marvin has championed the importance of enterprise skills growth and development. With his background in International Business, he’s built a career in business and education in China and Japan.

He’s also developed a strong focus on social entrepreneurship, recently designing and delivering programs at QUT Creative Enterprise Australia and QUT Entrepreneurship, focusing on the quality of the learning experience for students, creatives and emerging leaders.

Not only that, he’s a cool bloke - funny, curious, self-deprecating, - you’ll hear that in this conversation.

Click here for show notes.

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I'm handing you an idea today that's worth at least $10k, and this idea applies to you whether you’re a consultant working externally, you work internally as a leader, as a director, as a Comms or L&D expert.

I don’t know about you but I often sign up to online webinars, events, courses, programs, [fill in the blank here] with incredible motivation.

As I take out my credit card to pay I say, “This is the program I’m going to engage in. I don’t care if it’s on at 2am my time. I’ll be there live!”.

If you’re anything like me you’ll know that, in a couple of weeks, that 2am live webinar happens and I go to bed the night before, thinking, "I don't need to stay up for this. I'll watch the replay!"

Watching that replay keeps getting taken over by other priorities, so I never get that time.

So, if you run a course, or work internally and you WANT people to hear your message, relying on them to watch a replay is not a good strategy.

If only 5-10% people who sign up for an online course, then we need to rethink our approach.
Why do we run video shows, or send through webinar replay links, when podcasts are the most joyful way to learn?

As a podcast listener, I’m preaching to the converted. However, you might work internally and want some ideas on how to persuade your company to start a podcast. Or, you might want a nudge to create your own show.

In this episode I share the Top 7 reasons why I think you, and your company needs to start a podcast.

If you'd like to get assistance with setting one up, send me a message on LinkedIn, oh and check out the tool I use to create my private podcasts, Hello Audio!

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About a year ago, I had a conversation on this podcast that completely changed the way that I viewed my facilitation business. That conversation was with today’s guest, Alan Weiss, the Rockstar of Consulting.

Not only did that interview resonate with me, it resonated with many of you, so I had to invite Alan back on the show for an encore performance.

Last year’s interview was a real watershed moment for me. Since then, I’ve been really adjusting, reshaping, rethinking the way I work... Spending less time on social media, and also focusing on my mindset… in an attempt to be more fearless!

In this conversation (which is like a group coaching call!), we pick Alan’s brain on:

How to 10 x your fee
What to do with feedback - the answer may surprise you
What we can do everyday to build our self worth
Free or fee? Should we charge for our webinars and information sessions (or not)?
How to reach true, economic buyers in organisations
How much research you should do before contacting a buyer
…and much, much more.

Members of the Booked Out Facilitator program were my co-hosts, and jumped in to ask Alan questions about every aspect of building our facilitation businesses.

I enjoyed being a lazy facilitator on this call and letting the brilliance of the Booked Out Facilitators take over the microphone.

Underpinning all of Alan’s responses is a philosophy of being fearless - of tooting your own horn, and of leaping into action.

If you’re curious about joining the next round of Booked Out Facilitator, check out bookedoutfaciliator.com

About our guest: Alan Weiss

Alan Weiss is the rockstar of consulting. Marshall Goldsmith once called him “The finest entrepreneurial coach in the world.”

His consulting firm, Summit Consulting Group, Inc., has attracted clients such as Merck, Hewlett-Packard, GE, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, and over 500 other leading organizations.

His Ph.D. is in psychology.

He is an inductee into the Professional Speaking Hall of Fame® and the concurrent recipient of the National Speakers Association Council of Peers Award of Excellence, representing the top 1% of professional speakers in the world.

His prolific publishing includes over 500 articles and 60 books, including his best-seller, Million Dollar Consulting (from McGraw-Hill) which is one of my faves.

I also love Million Dollar Maverick and his ebook, The Martial Arts of language.

Contact with Alan on all of the platforms

Reach out to Alan - he LOVES hearing from you. Join him on social media - Twitter, LinkedIn - thats the reason he came back, he got some tremendous feedback from his last show.

Connect with Alan Weiss on LinkedIn
Follow Alan on Twitter
Alan Weiss’ website
Million Dollar Consulting Growth Access
Grab the second edition of The Consulting Bible
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I love the metaphor that my guest today shares, when she explores how she manages group dynamics - it’s like an antenna, that you need to tune into!

This week, I’m talking to the delightful Lisa Evans from Speaking Savvy, and host of the Business Chat podcast.

I was using some of Lisa’s story activities before I even met her (through reading about them in The Story Cookbook).

I’m particularly inspired by her story of a major career shift in her 40s. A great reminder that we control the narrative of our lives and careers, and it’s never too early, or too late, to start in a new direction!

In this conversation, we explore many areas related to our facilitation craft. Lisa shares her views of what can sometimes hold us back from stepping up and sharing our ideas with others (including the key role of leaders and facilitators in enabling that psychological safety), how she likes to view extroversion and introversion, and her perspective on why we feel so tired after leading an all-day workshop!

Oh, we also have a fun rant on conference locations.

About today's guest: Lisa Evans

Lisa Evans is a certified executive speaker coach and a business storytelling consultant. She started off her career as a midwife and did that for over 20 years,

These days, Lisa helps leaders to mine, refine and deliver captivating ‘sticky’ stories for their business and brand.

She has empowered over 1,000 leaders to deliver stand out messages with engaging business stories. She is also a keynote speaker, trainer and the host of the Business Chat Podcast.

She lives in Perth with her family and a retired greyhound named Giraffe.

Contact with Lisa on all of the platforms

Lisa Evans’ website Speaking Savvy
Lisa’s LinkedIn profile
Connect with Lisa on Facebook
Follow Lisa on Instagram
Listen to the Business Chat Podcast
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I remember in those early days when you're called to run a workshop, or moderate a panel conversation, you feel like you need to do things "by the book". I remember my panel interviews being very pedestrian! Now I think (I hope) I've developed more confidence, and I'm willing to create some banter between panellists, and let some personality shine through.

In today's episode, my guest Peter Hopwood and I also banter on presentation, panel and moderation tips.

Peter is a British Global Speaker Coach, Virtual Speaking Specialist & TEDx Coach, Media Skills Trainer, Worldwide Events MC & Speaker.

He has lived in 7 countries (jealous), worked in 32 (even more jealous) and is currently based in Croatia, working worldwide on Zoom.

He is a communicator, confidence-booster & connector, travelling the world (virtually) to help professionals define, craft and deliver stronger stories and take control of their messages, storyline & speaking impact.

In this chat, Peter also shares how you can keep any repeat sessions you deliver, feeling fresh (even if you’ve delivered it a million times!), how you can communicate more strongly on virtual calls, and tips for moderating panel conversations.

Resources mentioned in the show:

Peter's website
Connect with Peter on Twitter
Follow Peter on Instagram
Send Peter an email: hello(at)peter-hopwood.com
Support the show (https://buymeacoffee.com/leannehughes)
Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large: Continue learning from Leanne and her guests in her brand new podcast
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Deb Zahn from the Craft of Consulting is back on your First Time Facilitator airwaves this week. And even better? I’m joined by my fellow Booked Out Facilitators. We share the microphone in this episode to create an incredibly informative, helpful and awesome group masterclass if you have your own facilitation business.

Collectively, we pick Deb’s brain on all manners of consulting - how you can pick work up as a facilitator, what we can do to stand out, how we can market ourselves, identify our target audience, build our pipeline, write proposals, and how on earth do we decide what we charge.

Yup, it is jam packed with gold dust.

Deb was ON FIRE in this interview, I’ve listened to it back ac couple of times. You’ll be enthralled from her first story of winning a Request for Proposal , and her confidence in sharing her stories and experiences so openly with all of you.

If you’re listening in real time, Deb is running a free, live masterclass on the Top 5 Things You Must Do to Get Consulting Clients. Here’s the link to register: https://www.craftofconsulting.com/masterclass . It’s on August 20, 2021, 11 am PDT (2 pm EDT and 7 pm BST).

About today’s guest: Deborah Zahn

Deb Zahn is a sought-after consultant with 10 years of successful consulting under her belt. As a go-to source in her market, she routinely brings in 6- and 7-figures a year and has built a steady, reliable pipeline of work. Her consulting methods turn her clients into her biggest fans and best marketers. They come back to her again and again and continually send her new clients.

As a consultant, Deb is especially known for her ability to cure “decision-making disorders” with individuals and groups. She also has earned a reputation as “The Closer,” the consultant who can get high-value contracts with hard-to-get clients. Over the last decade, she has coached countless new consultants and helped them fast track their success. Recently, Deb helped a new consultant get their first contract—worth over $100,000—only three weeks after Deb started coaching them.

She is the host of the Craft of Consulting podcast, which features other successful consultants who share their strategies and insights about building their consulting businesses and delighting their clients as well as consulting clients who share what makes some consultants rise to the top of their hire list.

Resources mentioned in the show:

Deb is running a free, live masterclass on the Top 5 Things You Must Do to Get Consulting Clients. Here’s the link to register: https://www.craftofconsulting.com/masterclass . It’s on August 20, 2021, 11 am PDT (2 pm EDT and 7 pm BST).
Find out more about Deb’s program: Get more consulting programs (and used the code BOOKED to get a discount!)
Connect with Deb on LinkedIn
Check out Deb’s podcast, Craft of Consulting
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The beauty of having a repeat client over many years is that you build a strong, trusting relationship. The not-so-beautiful part is the pressure we put on ourselves to create new content, experiences, and activities to keep our workshops fresh!

Truett Black has worked as a trainer, speaker, and executive coach since 2005 and in this episode, he shares how he reinvigorates his approach, and where he gets new inspiration for new activities.

As you can tell from this conversation, Truett LOVES this work. He grew up in the United States and has lived in greater China since 2001. He is based in Taipei and frequently consults, coaches, and facilitates workshops in Shanghai,Hong Kong, Singapore, and other cities in Asia.

Having this background, I had to ask him how he gets wonderful conversations when he delivers sessions across Asia. True shares some excellent, practical strategies if you find work over there - stuff that I wish I heard a few years ago for sure.

He also shares his self-talk before starting a workshop, and how he got started in running his own facilitation business (even when some people advised him otherwise!)

True’s primary expertise is in leadership and team development, influence and communication, organizational development, and executive coaching. He is bilingual in Mandarin and English, and also has five kids.

Reach out to Truett and let him know your thoughts!

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See what services I provide over at leannehughes.com
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Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large: Continue learning from Leanne and her guests in her brand new podcast
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This week, I’m excited to introduce you to a fellow facilitator in south-east Queensland, Australia: Kate Peardon from Zenith Journey.

In this conversation, I throw many questions at Kate because I’m fascinated in her experience using visuals in her work as a way to form connections, increase memory retention and even decrease anxiety (particularly when talking about a heated topic!).

The theme of unconscious incompetence as that bottom rung on the ladder of learning also is a common theme in this chat, as we realise that we’re always works in progress and we simply don’t know, what we don’t know!

We also discuss that failing art at high school is not an excuse for using visuals in your work (that’s a note for Leanne!), how Kate uses visuals to boost the engagement in her sessions (and on herself to boost memory retention), and how to balance that line between having too much structure in your session v being more looser and in the moment.

A business professional and coach, Kate specialises in unleashing brilliance in people, teams and companies. In her career, Kate worked to the executive role of People and Development Director at Wiley & Co, and is now in a unique position as both an internal and external catalyst.

Personally, in February 2018, Kate's life took an unexpected twist, and she shares that story in this episode - Kate has been rehabilitating and rewiring her neural-pathways, and life, using all her knowledge and experience in neuroscience, positive psychology, habit theory and performance coaching.

About today's guest: Kate Peardon

Kate helps executives to understand and grow their wisdom in leadership, so that they have a positive impact on themselves, their team, team, family, community, and leave a legacy on the greater world around them.

With more interests that a term deposit; and more degrees than a thermometer, Kate is an eternal student. University education consists of a Bachelor of Business Management (Australia), an MBA (France/Australia), and an Executive Masters in Positive Leadership and Strategy (Spain). She is an Associate Certified Coach with the International Coach Federation. A musician at heart she’s studied Musical Theater and Performance at National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA).

For fun, you'll find Kate relaxing at any piano she finds (probably belting out a tune) and cycling at sunrise.

Resources mentioned in this episode

Visit Kate’s website: Zenith Journey
Want to get better at your visuals? Me too! I’ve signed up for Kate’s online program, Rockstar Visuals
Connect with Kate Peardon on LinkedIn
Follow Kate’s work on Instagram

About your host: Leanne Hughes
Leanne Hughes is an international facilitator, speaker and coach who loves creating unpredictable workshop experiences, that predictably work.

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This week, I’m delighted to bring you an interview with my guest, who took up an amazing opportunity, that opened up insane learning and facilitation opportunities.

The example that he shares in the episode of SAYING YES is so encouraging, and I hope that after you listen, anything you’ve been unsure about, not sure that you’re really ready - well, I’d say, jump in! Give it a go!

My guest today is Khoury N Ahoosh ,the founder of Andina Advisory.

Khoury is a bilingual executive - and he’ll share that language is what provided some of the amazing opportunities he shares on today’s show.

During his university studies, he moved to Mexico to learn Spanish and to live the USA-Mexico relationship from a different perspective. This experience awakened an attraction to difference and change, a belief in the power of relationships and humane instincts, and a passion for Latin America and the world—all of which has shaped who Khoury is today and his contributions to clients.

In this episode you will learn:

How to adapt from being an external consultant, to working in a leadership team inside an organization
How to accept, then work with with unpredictable opportunities that open up the doors to new experiences
How learning a new language can differentiate you, and help you get those opportunities
The importance of being attentive, and being a great observer in your workshops

Khoury moved to Santiago, Chile, in 2018. In addition to his work with clients across the region, he has been a mentor for Promociona Chile and is a member of Job4Women, both organizations seeking to increase the participation of women in senior roles and in the workforce in general. He is currently a member of the World Economic Forum’s Mining & Metals Future of Work Taskforce.

His career in facilitation began through the colleagues he started to work with in the global consulting firm he joined just three years after undergrad, doing executive assessment and executive development work.

He went into a double career transition, first into a Chilean copper mining company as a senior HR leadership team looking after organizational effectiveness. After two years in the company, he founded his own consulting firm in Chile.

Khoury travelled in 15 countries on six continents working across cultures, partnering with leaders and teams to bring change in organizations.

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12 months ago, there is no way I would have committed to delivering 3.5 hour virtual workshops. I thought it was virtually impossible to keep up my own energy and engagement for that length of time.

This year however, I worked with a client on revamping our 3 day leadership program. We sliced it to 4 x 3.5 hour modules. I’ve been delivering these sessions over the last few months, and I’ve learnt a ton from the experience.

That’s what I’m sharing this week on the podcast!

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About your host: Leanne Hughes

Leanne Hughes is an international facilitator, speaker and coach who loves creating unpredictable workshop experiences, that predictably work.

She’s the host of the First Time Facilitator podcast and was a finalist in the 2018 Australian Learning Impact awards for Learning Professional of the Year.

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When I ran my masterclass on booking out your workshops recently, I used a variety of tech tools to gain interaction from the live audience.

I asked you to share your responses in chat, and also to jump into a tool called Slido, to ask your questions, upvote the ones you liked, share where you were joining us from, which facilitator business challenges you had, and more.

It’s such a fun tool to use, and I’ve been leaning on it over the last 12 months as I deliver corporate workshops online.

So, I’m very excited to share a delightful conversation with a delightful person who is Employee #8 at Slido. I’m not sure if you’ve heard the news but this company has just blown up in an amazing way and were acquired by Cisco last December.

Today’s guest is Juraj Holub, and he is a Chief Meeting Designer.

Juraj is an executive team member at Slido which has made over 800,000 events interactive. He works with conferences like Web Summit or SXSW and Fortune 500 companies helping them transform their meetings and events. He also crossed Iceland by bicycle.

He was also first marketing person to accelerate the company's product-led growth and position Slido as a thought leader in the industry.

When you talk to someone who is like the face of the company, you kinda expect them to go on about how great their work is, how great the tech tool is (and it really is awesome technology) but what I love most about what Juraj shares today, is how their company became better because they listened to their clients.

They sought out amazing facilitators around the world, and asked how THEY would use their tool in a meeting, or a workshop.

Juraj is also super humble, fun, and energetic, you’ll love this conversation.

About today’s guest: Juraj Holub

During his 7+ years at Slido, Juraj has been part of an amazing journey, helping to grow the company form $100.000 to eight-figures in revenue. He'd had an incredible career trajectory, joining as a content specialist, then he moved to New York City as a marketing manager, later becoming a marketing director and was finally promoted to the VP of brand and communications while being on Slido's executive team.

Over the years, he’s spoken at dozens of conferences in the US, UK and EU sharing thought leadership on meeting design, conversational presenting and audience interaction.

In this episode you will learn:

How you can use tech tools to give your audience a voice
Some fun question you can ask to build a strong culture in your company and recognise the silent heroes in your business
The importance of focusing on the success of your customers
How Juraj learns the most about leading a remote team - note, it’s not really from any book
That beautiful blend of marketing and facilitation - my favourite combination
…And of course, a couple fun questions you can use w/ Slido during your next event!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Slido app
Connect with Juraj Holub on LinkedIn
What do our meetings look like in 2021? Grab the Slido 2021 Trends Report
Video: The Essentials of Running Hybrid Meetings with
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I’m excited to release today’s chat with a friend who I met through my private Show.Up community last year. We haven’t spoken in 2021 until today’s conversation and I was just amazed and proud of the progress he (and his company) has made, it’s astonishing!

Today’s guest is Paul McGregor from Business Lab. He’s based in NZ and is a Collaboration Broker (cool phrase!), helping to transform how organisations work with their community.

If you think about it, this is a stunning business value proposition because every organisation has a community - whether that's a council and its residents; A government agency and its citizens; or a business association and its members. By harnessing the power of your community, your organisation can achieve more than if you simply go it alone.

Paul is also the Host of the Beyond Consultation Podcast and in this chat, he shares how he started up a podcast 12 months ago, releasing episodes every 2 weeks, and he shares that having a podcast has created hundreds of thousands of dollars in consulting work for his company - HOW GOOD!

When I think of Paul, I think of progress, in today’s episode you’ll hear his candid story about his facilitation journey, both as someone exploring it as a career, and also how he navigates the business side of the work as well.

We have similar backgrounds in how we discovered the work of a facilitator, by being in environments where strangers came together, and walked away as best of mates!

He also shares his lessons learnt from being a first time facilitator, some of his facilitation failures, and shifting the expectations (being okay with giving his group the space to share, to listen, RATHER than having that urge to get in and solve, drive a solution right then and there).

This conversation is brilliantly honest, and Im sure you’ll learn a lot from Paul’s progress as a facilitator and business partner!

About today’s guest: Paul McGregor
People describe Paul as an insightful guide through complex issues.

Paul hosts the Beyond Consultation Podcast, is the creator of the Engagement Canvas and the author of Virtually Productive - your guide to facilitating virtual meetings that create change outside the meeting room.

His career began in public policy with the Ministry of Justice before a life-changing role with Lifehack, a systems-level initiative for supporting the wellbeing of young New Zealanders. He then co-managed the Nelson branch of Literacy Aoteroa before being drawn to the variety of Business Lab’s work.

Resources mentioned in this episode:
* Visit Business Lab * Connect with Paul McGregor on LinkedIn * Listen to the Beyond Consultation Podcast * Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large: Continue learning from Leanne and her guests in her brand new podcast * Subscribe so you don't miss a thing! * Leanne is also posting weekly content on her YouTube channel.

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What if landing a DREAM gig was a joyful experience?

If you have your own training and facilitation business, or dreams of starting one up while you just try to survive your corporate job, today's bonus episode will provide a ton of inspiration for you.

Prina Shah was brave to sign up for my little experiment, seeing if I could help others land more workshop engagements, using my Booked Out Facilitator framework.

She used the tips in Module 3 to land a variety of AMAZING gigs, and you'll get to hear how she did that in this episode!

If you'd like to be part of the first Booked Out Facilitator LIVE program, doors close on Monday 21 June. Find out more and watch my free masterclass replay over at https://www.bookedoutfacilitator.com .

Reach out to Prina Shah, she's awesome! You can find her on LinkedIn, Instagram, or her website.

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Is it possible to test the emotional temperature of your virtual/workshop group? Today’s guest share her ideas, and fun ways of reinvigorating her virtual sessions. She’s an absolute rockstar and I cant wait to share her facilitation story and experiences on today’s episode.

I met Nikki Bush when I was lucky enough to present a workshop for the Professional Speakers Association of South Africa (Jo’burg Chapter) a couple of months ago. We got along so well (thanks for the intro, Yoke!). I love Nikki's enthusiasm, resilience, presence, wisdom and her energy which you’ll pick up in today’s episode for sure.

About today’s guest: Nikki Bush

Human Potential and Parenting Expert, Nikki Bush from https://nikkibush.com/ empowers individuals, families and teams in business and education to win at work, home and life. She has the knack of putting difficult, complex and sensitive topics on the table (ones we often prefer to avoid), and making them accessible, such as disruption, future-proofing, dealing with loss and adversity, team dynamics, self-leadership, parenting and more.

Nikki’s book on disruption, Future-proof Yourself (Penguin Random House) hits the shelves in July 2021.

(Comment from Leanne - I have a version of this book and the actionable tips across all aspects of work and life are spot on!)

Nikki has also has co-authored four best-selling parenting books with major publishers, including, Future-proof Your Child for the 2020s and Beyond, Tech-Savvy Parenting and Easy Answers to Awkward Questions . She has fielded almost 3 000 media interviews in the past 15 years. You may have seen or heard her on her weekly slots on Radio 702 and SABC3’s Expresso among many others.

Nikki always speaks with energy, passion, self-deprecating humour and a disarming honesty and vulnerability. She packs a powerful sound bite whether from the stage or the 18 different virtual conferencing platforms she has experience with. Your audience will be left with valuable insights and practical solutions to help them to win at work and life.

Nikki is a founding member of the Professional Speakers Association of Southern Africa (PSASA), holds the international Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation, and was inducted into the Speakers Hall of Fame in 2019 – the first woman in South Africa to ever receive it. She was the 2020/21 President of the Johannesburg Chapter of the PSASA.

For more information and a full length bio, visit Nikki’s website.

In this episode you will learn how to:

Use the drivers of human nature to enhance your workshop experiences
Detect the emotional temperature of your audience, even when you’re in a virtual workshop
Boost the interactivity with your audience
Increase your profile, to appear in media outlets (without using a PR agency)

Here are some questions I asked Nikki during the conversation:

Can you tell us the story of how you got here and where you started from?
You talk about getting set up for remote work, you mention that one time you’re in a call, a parrot escaped and landed on your head. Talk us through that, how did you recover? Did you embrace it? What did you do next?
What’s your advice to our listeners to create that engagement?

Resources mentioned in th

Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large: Continue learning from Leanne and her guests in her brand new podcast
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Free masterclass 16 June > Steal my Booked Out Facilitator framework to land repeatable workshop bookings

This week, I'm continuing the momentum from last week's solo episode, and responding to a listener question about how to create momentum and drive word of mouth, so that you can book out more workshops.

Here’s the question I received this week:

"Hello! I have no idea how to turn our initial client workshop into multiple ones.
Our clients and participants loved the day, and we have a few months of follow up because the technical implementation is important to them...
But how do I now get others in?
I know they have a lot more people in their organisation, who need our work.
I don't want to just wait and have it fizzle out..."

Click here for show notes
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See what services I provide over at leannehughes.com

Register now for my free webinar on 16 June 2021: Steal my Booked Out Facilitator framework to land repeatable workshop bookings

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Today is a solo, just in time episode, on something that I’ve probably been a bit shy in sharing.

However, when I’ve been on listening tours, and spoken to you, and even now in my foundation round of my new online program, Booked Out Facilitator, it seems a common challenge I hear is that it’s really hard to decide (and then define) what you actually do.

This actually comes to life more so when you start messaging and promoting and website building.

It’s not a messaging problem, it’s a decision problem.

I empathise so much with this, as I continually question it for myself: "What are you doing Leanne? Where are you progressing? Stop being so vague!"

No one has agonised over this harder than me.

Sometimes I even wish someone would tell me what to focus on, and make that decision for me. Crazy, right?

In today's episode, I pull on my explorer hat, and take you behind the scenes of conversations I've had, tools I've used, questions I've answered to help navigate my uncertainty. I share it in the hope that it helps provide you with some clarity and direction!

Don't forget to join The Flipchart community on Facebook
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See what services I provide over at leannehughes.com

Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large: Continue learning from Leanne and her guests in her brand new podcast
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What I love about my conversation with today’s guest is his knack and ability for jumping in, trying things, being open for the possibilities.

I think that’s an incredibly important facilitator skill and he demonstrates it, not only with the way he runs his business and facilitates workshops, but his life as well!

My guest today is Jimbo Clark from Innogreat.

In this conversation, Jim also shares how he got started in facilitation and pretty much self-funded his experience, how he facilitates mindset change and really values connection over content in his workshops. Probably

As you’ll hear, Jimbo’s goal is to be a catalyst of creative change, to support those he comes in contact with, to become who they need to be, to answer the burning questions of their lives.

Psst…Jimbo is sharing TWO amazing offers for First Time Facilitator listeners - yeaaah!

20% off Upgrade your B❒X: The Hybrid Experience

This session combines:

a) what we've learned from running hundreds of face to face B❒X sessions, and

b) what we learned in the last 18 months running more than 100 virtual sessions

into a bundled hybrid product that kicks box.

Jimbo is offering 20% off the already discounted pre-release price

How to claim? Navigate to: https://box.innogreat.com/upgrade-your-box/

Use coupon code: upgradel2

If you can't attend a session, Jimbo is also happy to provide 50% off his book, which is also available here.

Coupon Code: boxbook50

In this episode you will learn how to:

Create shifts in our own mindset
Create connections between content and participants
Jump in and be okay with learning as you go!
Start building your brand and business, paying attention to what clients actually want

Click here for show notes.

Love the podcast?

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Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large: Continue learning from Leanne and her guests in her brand new podcast
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Building a training business! We think we need to do all those things like cold call people, have the best one-liners, be on social media all of the time.

Mark Garrett Hayes is my guest today and he shares that there are other ways you can build your training business, which doesn’t rely on what we traditionally think we should do.

Mark is the founder of TrainingBusiness.com, a Media and Education platform serving facilitators, trainers, coaches, consultants, learning & development consultants and human development experts around the world, to start, scale and grow their business!

I was a guest on Mark’s show last month and loved our conversation around building a business, and wanted to continue it and hear his strategies for outreach and connecting with clients, to create a profitable training business, his podcast, Training Business is a fantastic source of inspiration to help you out with this, too.

What I love about this conversation is how we can use our masterful skill of facilitation to grow our business. It really is the best skill around.

Mark drops some fantastic, memorable one-liners too, some of my favourites include:

Acronym BANT (Budget, Authority, Need, Timing)
Sales - reframing it, calling it a service, making it fun, more accessible, and creative, too
References, referrals and recommendations - the difference and which ones you should pursue.

About our Guest: Mark Garrett Hayes Mark specialises in working with inside sales teams (telesales / digital sales) in technology businesses and has collective experience in working with professional services (legal / finance) and online retail business.

His team works with business internationally and the beauty of working with telephone sales people is that we can deliver sales training / sales coaching online remotely whether your business is in the US, UK, EU and APAC.

In this episode you will learn: * Easeful systems and frameworks for generating and qualifying leads * A realistic timeframe for building your business * How to promote yourself without talking about yourself! * Knowing your ICP - Ideal Customer Profile * Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large: Continue learning from Leanne and her guests in her brand new podcast * Subscribe so you don't miss a thing! * Leanne is also posting weekly content on her YouTube channel.

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This week, we’re talking about a topic that isn’t really talked about, and today’s guest is on a mission to change that.

(A quick heads up if you’re listening, in this episode we’re talking about suicide, and how to starting a conversation if you’re worried about someone).

My guest is Rose Allett, and she is the face behind Start the Conversation. She’s a qualified counsellor, mum of one, keen yogi and singer (amongst other things!) and also a passionate, experienced and international tutor of suicide prevention skills.

In this conversation, I’m curious to discover how Rose creates trust quickly with her groups, particularly in the virtual world, and how she starts a conversation around a sensitive topic. We also dive into being a business owner and the importance of having an abundance mindset- valuing collaboration, over competition.

Rose is also the co-creator of Talking about Suicide: Ten Tools (TAS10), a 90-minute Zoom session , Accredited tutor of Suicide First Aid through Understanding Suicide Intervention, the UK's only National Qualification in suicide prevention, a consultant tutor for the National Centre for Suicide Prevention Training UK CIC, as well as A LivingWorks master trainer, having delivered over 35 ASIST programme across both hemispheres.

She actively promotes and deliver suicide prevention skills training within our communities because we are all human beings and because suicide doesn't discriminate.

As you’ll hear in this conversation, Rose is passionate about empowering people to overcome their fears and find the words to talk about suicide, because she believes... she knows... that talking saves lives. It saved hers.

And not just talking, listening too. A conversation; a brave, bold and necessary conversation.

Click here for show notes
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This week we’re focusing on two of my favourite things, that I mention on this podcast over and over again (aren’t you lucky!): Unpredictability and Contrast.

My guest today, Johnny Quinn from Audience Alive, epitomises both.

This is a masterclass episode in how to do things differently in your workshops.

I’m not saying that lightly either, literally, there are at least 10 ideas in this podcast, you can use, or share with your company, or anyone running events, workshops, presentations to immediately create audience engagement.

Raised and Educated in Ireland, Johnny arrived in Dubai in 1996 determined to make the difference between presentations that fell flat, and that sealed the deal.

After several years with Philips Middle East he started AudienceAlive Dubai, and then in 2015, expanded the operation to beautiful Queenstown, New Zealand.

He’s been a DJ, Postman, Van Driver, Theatre, Technician, Cameraman, Engineering Manager, Business, Development Manager, Company Owner and his burning desire is to travel to the worlds top 10 beaches (I’m sure Cable Beach in WA would be up there, that’s my favourite beach!)

In this episode, Johnny also shares some very memorably analogies, one liners and expressions, you can also use to help influence others to be brave, and try things differently.

Click here for show notes
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Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large: Continue learning from Leanne and her guests in her brand new podcast
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My guest today threw a crazy stat at me in this conversation: 99% of employees want feedback, however 75% of managers don’t like giving feedback.

I feel like if you could talk about some of the challenges that are faced in organisations today, you could relate it back to this one statistic.

Toady we’re talking about feedback and I’m joined by Beth Wonson from NCDsolution.com. This is a quasi episode mixing up two topics:

1) Feedback conversations - how to get better at having them

2) Facilitation: In particular, how to centre yourself before a workshop, and what you do when you receive negative feedback about your workshop - you know that negative bias we all have?

What I love about Beth’s work is the simplicity of what she shares, and how applicable it can be to you - If you know you’e been avoiding feedback for some time, this is a great opportunity and reminder on how to normalise giving and receiving feedback, and taking away that stigma attached to it.

About our Guest: Beth Wonson Since 2015, Beth Wonson, CEO and Founder of Navigating Challenging Dialogue®, has coached hundreds of C-suite professionals in Fortune 500s and the non-profit sector to have meaningful, drama-free conversations. Beth has worked in the various industries holding roles including CEO and COO.

Beth founded Navigating Challenging Dialogue in 2015 out of frustration for the ways in which traditional leadership skills fail the mission and goals of organizations. Beth realized one of the most critical needs was an awareness of the importance of emotional self-management.

By exploring how our brains work, Beth recognized how emotions and thinking errors impact our ability to create positive work environments. By applying what she learned into her practice with clients, she developed the process of Navigating Challenging Dialogue.

The four-stage NCD Process is for managing yourself and your ability to communicate effectively with curiosity and clarity. The NCD Process is unique in that it is successful in any place where human interaction is critical.

In this episode you will learn: * How to master getting feedback during workshop * Identifying feedback and ensuring it is fact-based * How to normalise the process of giving feedback, and using it as an opportunity to provide support * How to regulate your emotions when you receive feedback * Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large: Continue learning from Leanne and her guests in her brand new podcast * Subscribe so you don't miss a thing! * Leanne is also posting weekly content on her YouTube channel.

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Today, you’ll hear from a guest with tremendous presence (and a matching tremendous voice!).

We all know stories are important, but what’s the best way of eliciting those stories from our workshop participants?

My guest today is David Pullan, co-founder of The Story Spotters. In this conversation, David shares pragmatic details on questions and x-factor activities we can use in our next workshop, using the Story Spotter framework.

He also shares a reassuring phrase we can use as facilitators, to help us relax a little bit (I’m looking at myself here!!).

David is a fine example of someone who is excellent at building relationships, and he also shares his ideas on how facilitators make THE best facilitators. I never thought of it that way!

David Pullan is the founder of The Story Spotters where he helps leaders and teams use the power of story to build powerful connections one conversation at a time. We dive into the 4 elements of story spotting in this show.

He has extensive experience in helping clients sharpen their spoken communications. He specialises in business development communication and key internal presentations, helping clients to unlock the complexity of messages that need to stick with their target audiences.

David has been coaching senior leaders since 2005. Working in some of the world’s top organisations and SMEs, he helps clients adapt their communications for different settings from Board and Executive committee sessions, to town hall meetings and video conferences.

David was a professional actor for 20 years with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal National Theatre, BBC and Paramount Pictures. He continues to work both as a broadcast voice-over artist and conference host, both of which keep his own communications skills at the sharp end.

In this episode you will learn: * The stories that you need to spot, shape and share stories: Listen to David share his valuable story-spotting framework * How to make your workshops the best experience for all involved * Some refreshing advice for first time facilitators * How to connect people’s ideas to concepts and key messages * How to extend the life of your voice, using the UFO technique * What keeps David motivated as a business owner

Resources mentioned in this episode: * Join The Flipchart Facebook Group * Click here for show notes * Connect with David Pullan on LinkedIn * Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large: Continue learning from Leanne and her guests in her brand new podcast * Subscribe so you don't miss a thing! * Leanne is also posting weekly content on her YouTube channel.

Support the show (https://buymeacoffee.com/leannehughes)

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Ooh - how’s this for a first time? It’s the first time we’ve had an L&D detective on the show and he’s here to answer the #1 question that plays on all of our (and our clients’ minds): “How can we measure the results, and the ROI of our workshops?” Known in the global learning and development (L&D) community as “the L&D detective,” Kevin M. Yates answers the question, “What is the impact of learning?” He solves measurement mysteries and investigates how learning activates performance and business goals using facts, clues, evidence, and data. Kevin’s career in the learning and development profession includes over 20 years of experience in local and global roles for facilitation, instructional design, learning technology, program management, leadership development, impact analysis and more. If you’re curious on how to measure your workshop results, setting measurable targets, identifying performance gaps and helpful questions you can use after your workshop, you’ll enjoy this episode. * Click here for show notes * Join The Flipchart community on Facebook * Support the show - shout the host a coffee! * Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large: Continue learning from Leanne and her guests in her brand new podcast * Subscribe so you don't miss a thing! * Leanne is also posting weekly content on her YouTube channel.

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Your workshops are amazing: So amazing that you’ve been asked to share your expertise in a keynote presentation! How do you convert your interactive group content, to something that can be delivered from the stage in front of hundreds of people?

That’s the topic I explore today, where I share actionable tips on how I prepare for a keynote speech. Spoiler alert: The first thing I do when designing a speech is to step away from my computer, and go out for a walk!

Thanks to Adele Spurgin, who asked the following question in The Flipchart this week:

“Traditionally I am right at home facilitating so today when a keynote speaking gig in front of 750pax was offered to me, I just said YES & am now starting to workout the how!

Any advice, insights etc would be greatly appreciated!!! As I haven’t done this size crowd in a while.

Leanne Hughes I saw your LinkedIn post and although this is not an MC role maybe you could help shed some insights pls!

I mean how hard can it be, right?”

Listen in to hear how I design, prepare, rehearse and deliver my keynotes in this week’s episode.

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Energy is the most important thing when it comes to your workshops, and I discovered this nice and early when I geeked out on an energetic conversation with today’s guest, Dana James-Edwards.

This is a #bestof episode - I spoke to Dana back in 2018, when she called herself “Dana the Trainer”. Through a series of pivots and discovering her passion, she is now known as “Diversity Dana".

Today’s conversation is as relevant as ever - you’ll learn

Ways to make facilitation more fun, colourful and engaging
How to balance or lift your energy levels when required
What to do when things don't go to plan (hint: prevention is better than cure)
How to create content for new workshops

I want to share her website copy on her About page as a way of introducing her:

"My favourite word is the F-Word – FUN

(Wait a minute … what F word were you thinking about?). Seriously!

As you can tell I take an unconventional approach to learning focusing on fun, colour, enjoyment and making things as practical and relevant as possible to make sure that key learnings make it back to the workplace.

What is it that I facilitate? Great question!

I have my fingers in many pies, but my 3 core areas are drumroll please

Diversity & Inclusion, Train-The-Trainer (or Coach) and Agile

And if that sounds like an eclectic mix of things that shouldn’t go together and make no sense you’re going to have to read the rest of my bio to find out why and how it all came about. To confuse you even further I sometimes even dabble in some Management & Leadership bits … but that’s a story for another day.

Read the rest of Dana’s story here.

What’s new with Leanne and First Time Facilitator?

So excited to share that I’m partnering with Slido on their Online Meetings Revolution trend report. Come along to the launch and hear the interesting data + predictions to make your online meetings as engaging and relevant as possible. It’s on 14 April 2021, here’s the link to sign up.

Join the conversation when the show is over with 1300 facilitators from all over the world in our free group called The Flipchart

Support the show (and my ideas) by buying me

Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large: Continue learning from Leanne and her guests in her brand new podcast
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Wouldn't it be cool if you could say to your client: "We'll practise those skills at Sir Elton John's Oscars party!".

Today's guest has done that :)

Here's one of my #bestof episodes! I'm in deep work mode, working up a new program and busy attempting to pick my own brain.

My guest today is Steve Sims and he runs the coolest workshops I’ve ever heard of, no joke. And how does he embed learning at the end of these workshops? By making people practice the skills they’ve learn, when they rock up to Sir Elton John’s Oscars after-party.

Steve is the man who created Bluefish, a company that makes once-in-a-lifetime events happen for the rich and famous reveals to the rest of us his trade secrets for making things happen. With his help and expertise, his clients’ fantasies and wildest dreams come true.

Steve is the author of the Bluefishing: The Art of Making Things Happen, and he has a podcast of the same name. Steve has spoken at Harvard and the Pentagon, twice. Getting married by the Pope in the Vatican, being serenaded by Elton John, and connecting with powerful business moguls like Elon Musk are just a few of the many projects he has worked on.

I really wanted Steve on the show to talk about a few key things - the assumptions we have about asking for things, how confidence; and your approach can take you far and (literally) open doors. We also talk about the perfectionism beast.

If you’d like to join the conversation when the show is over, join The Flipchart, a free community on Facebook for First Time Facilitator listeners.

About our guest: Steve Sims Steve Sims Steve is the visionary founder of Bluefish: the world’s first luxury concierge that delivers the highest level of personalized travel, transportation, and cutting-edge entertainment services to corporate executives, celebrities, professional athletes, and other discerning individuals interested in living life to its fullest.

Resources mentioned in this episode: * Steve Sims Website * The Art of Making Things Happen Podcast * Steve Sims on Instagram * The Distillery * Grant Cardone & Tai Lopez rant video

Like this show? * Please leave me a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so I can thank you personally. * Click here to let Leanne know your number one takeaway from this episode! * Click here to tweet your thanks to Steve * Sup * Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large: Continue learning from Leanne and her guests in her brand new podcast * Subscribe so you don't miss a thing! * Leanne is also posting weekly content on her YouTube channel.

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You’ll often hear how facilitation is used in the context of workshops and meetings on this podcast. However, today’s guest, demonstrates how it’s an incredibly handy skill for life in general, to. In fact, she used the tool of facilitation alone to build an entire Learning and Development department at the company she worked at.

She’s a tremendous example of how you can define what you love, and have the courage to go after it. If you want to build a facilitation career but have no idea how to take the next step, I hope that this conversation will help you find your courage to seek opportunities where you are.

My guest today is Maria McDonald. As a Learning & Development consultant (as well as the L&D Manager for Geocaching), Maria is dedicated to helping leaders, businesses, and entrepreneurs intentionally shape effective, impactful, and empowered company cultures.

In this show, we also discuss how her yoga teaching practice combined beautifully with her facilitation growth, how to demonstrate value-add for teams, how she used facilitation to create a role in her organization (that never existed before!), and how she deals with unpredictable moments in her workshops.

Maria uses facilitation skills to demonstrate the value of continuous learning, improve collaboration across the company, clarify mission & goals, improve individual & collective communication skills, enhance brainstorming sessions, guide retrospectives, and mediate conflict.

About today’s guest: Maria McDonald As a Learning & Development Consultant, Maria is dedicated to helping leaders, businesses, and entrepreneurs intentionally shape effective, impactful, and empowered company cultures.

Through customized consulting practices, Maria’s innovative and energizing techniques support you in achieving your business goals while proactively developing your people. Her vision is to shift each business into effective paradigms that inspire people at every level of your organization.

Maria is also the Learning and Development Manager for Geocaching, where she formulates learning and development strategy based on organizational needs, and creates a culture in which continuous learning and improvement are encouraged, and where employees are equipped with the tools for self-help and empowered to teach and learn from each other.

Resources * Visit Maria McDonald’s website * Connect with Maria on LinkedIn and send her a message, letting her know your favourite takeaway! * Geocaching: Join the world’s largest treasure hunt * Join The Flipchart community on Facebook * Support the show and shout Leanne a coffee! * Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large: Continue learning from Leanne and her guests in her brand new podcast * Subscribe so you don't miss a thing! * Leanne is also posting weekly content on her YouTube channel.

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Here’s the scenario: You’re working with some new clients, and they haven’t used Zoom before. You pull together some slides, videos and helpful pointers and send them these beforehand. During the session, you dedicate the first few minutes to sharing features, and getting them to feel comfortable using Zoom.

You’re happy with what you’ve created but then, BAM, Zoom delivers another upgrade, which means screenshots have changed.

As we know, it takes time and effort to update your Zoom onboarding calls.. UNTIL this week!

Previous guest of the show, Jan Keck has pulled together an incredible resource for anyone who uses Zoom. As a facilitator, you can share this with your clients prior to your workshops - it will save you so much time!

This week, I hopped on a quick fireside chat and brought Jan back on the show to talk through this cheat-sheet, how it will help us as facilitators, how his team put it together, and more.

Don’t forget to reach out to Jan to say thanks for this piece of gold dust he’s brought us!!

About today’s guest: Jan Keck Jan Keck is a community addict. He is the creator of ASK DEEP QUESTIONS, which started out as a deck of cards to help his friends connect on a camping trip and is now being used to facilitate meaningful conversations through sharing personal stories on every continent around the globe.

Jan’s mission is to help people feel less alone, so by creating experiences, workshops and programs he is fuelling the movement for deeper human connection.

Growing up as an only child he found his soul family at summer camp, in sports clubs and even politics. But when he moved from Germany to Canada in his twenties he had to re-create his community from scratch and learned that the fastest way to make deep connections is through meaningful conversations and experiences.

Jan now lives in Toronto with his wife Natalia (aka Cookie), his son Mika and you can often find him hanging out with his mastermind group, attending community events, or camping up north.

Resources * Grab it! THE ULTIMATE ZOOM GUIDE FOR PARTICIPANTS IN 2021 * Visit Jan Keck’s website * Connect with Jan on LinkedIn * Follow Jan Keck on Instagram * Like his page on Facebook * Listen to our previous conversation on Episode 156: Let’s have a conversation that matters * Join The Flipchart community on Facebook * Support the show and shout Leanne a coffee!

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“It’s mandatory” - I hear those words, and I involuntarily shudder. Is that what we want our participants feeling before they arrive to our workshops?

No!

We really can’t control whether someone decides to come along to our workshop, or not, however we can absolutely do our best to influence whether someone wants to come along, and how they feel about joining our session.

In this week’s episode, I share 15 tips and strategies you can use as preventative strategies to bolster your workshop attendance rate.

It’s problematic when people don’t show up. We know it affects group dynamics, the way you’ve structured your session. If you’ve booked an in-person event, you’re paying for facilities/catering that no longer applies. If you’re external, you might even have to reschedule your dates, which can delay other business for you.

I’ve also been the participant who hasn’t shown up. And while life happens, there are numerous other reasons I haven’t showed up to events in the past: I don’t have skin in the game, the session isn’t relevant for me right now, I’ll watch the recording later, I just don’t feel like it… The list goes on!

What can we do about it? Listen in. But my #1 tip is to have a Marketing mindset in the lead up to your workshops. It’s an event, treat it like one!

These strategies are applicable whether you work internally, you’re part of the Learning and Development team, or you’re an external consultant.

Resources * Episode 159: How to win friends and influence your online colleagues * Episode 114 with Dr JJ Peterson from Storybrand * Join The Flipchart community on Facebook! * Love the show? Buy the host a coffee! * Subscribe to Leanne’s curated newsletter * Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large: Continue learning from Leanne and her guests in her brand new podcast * Subscribe so you don't miss a thing! * Leanne is also posting weekly content on her YouTube channel.

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When did I realise I loved talking about group dynamics? When I was 16, at a netball camp, we did a team-building high ropes course together.

Btw - I hate high ropes, but I loved the debriefing part afterwards!

The reason I share this, is because this week’s guest Phil Brown works for an adventure company called High 5 Adventure, and he joined the High 5 team as a lead trainer in 2015.

Phil will get you thinking about a lot of things:

What happens when we graduate from being a first time facilitator, where’s the career progression?

How do we define what we do to people who are outside our industry?

And he also shares a really great way of explaining work related to teams, and breaking these into three categories: Team bonding, team building and team development. Clever!

Originally from England, Phil first came to the US in 2008 working as an Outdoor Educator and Challenge Course Coordinator at the New York YMCA Camp. It was here that his love for the Adventure Education field was ignited, discovering the joy and rewards playing and teaching inside and out alongside such a varied range of people, all who benefit from the experience.

His work in the realms of summer camp, outdoor education, and physical education give him an invaluable perspective for working with of High 5’s varied clientele.

Phil believes that each experience with every group member is a learning opportunity for him, no matter who he’s working with. He also has a podcast called Vertical Playpen, sharing tips on adventure and experiential learning.

Connect with Phil Brown!

Email Phil at pbrown@high5adventure.org
Visit High 5’s website
Listen to Phil’s podcast - Vertical Play Pen

Other helpful links:

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Things that are easier said than done: “Just be yourself!” Why is this so hard?

Here are a couple of reasons:

It’s sometimes hard to see the label when we’re inside the bottle and this creates so
We’re scared to share who we really are with the world, in case we get rejected...

My guest this week, Leslie Ehm helps people discover their uniqueness and release it into the world.

As a Former TV host and advertising Creative Director turned training guru, Leslie Ehm has spent decades travelling the globe with her award-winning company Combustion, working with executives and teams from top organizations like Google, Disney, Pepsico, TD Bank, Uber, HBO, Lenovo, and more.

Fuelled by her unrelenting passion for developing human potential, Leslie is now a Swagger Coach, author of Swagger – Unleash Everything You Are and Become Everything You Want, and a keynote speaker.

She’s turned technologists into creative forces, bankers into storytellers, and has brought a serious dose of badass-ness to boardrooms everywhere.

Tune in to Episode 160 of the First Time Facilitator podcast to hear how you can up your confidence and swagger!

P.s. Oh and that other easier-said-than-done-phrase, “Fake it ‘til you make it?” Leslie thinks that’s baloney!

In this episode, you will learn how to: * See people’s truth to help them to manifest who they really are * The difference between self-belief and confidence * Fundamental drivers of swagger * How to discover your own swagger

Resources * Swagger: Unleash everything you are and become everything you want * Visit Leslie Ehm’s website * Connect with Leslie on LinkedIn * Tweet Leslie to let her know you watched this episode * Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large: Continue learning from Leanne and her guests in her brand new podcast * Subscribe so you don't miss a thing! * Leanne is also posting weekly content on her YouTube channel.

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Do you rely on your colleagues to provides input and decisions to move a project forward? Do you find that you're constantly chasing people to get things done, and finding it hard to build relationships because you can't catch up with people in person?

Then, this episode is for you.

When we used to do things face to face, and I had to chase a colleague for information, I'd head out for a coffee.

It was semi-strategic. I’d sit at the coffee shop outside of my company’s office. It was a fantastic way of saying hi to people when they were in a good mood (with caffeine, outside, day hadn’t really started), you could easily sneak in a quick question about your project, get an answer, and feel like you’d already won the day.

In a virtual world though, it’s hard to orchestrate these conversations… Or, is it?

In this episode, I share the tactics I’ve used to build relationships and influence people I’ve never met before.

You’ll find this helpful if you’re:

Having to get people’s time/attention and you’re struggling because they don’t respond to your emails / you don’t have direct authority (you’re influencing / in a dotted line relationship)
Partnering with an organisation to achieve goals, and you need to work with leaders/subject matter experts, but they’re too busy to give you the input you need to move forward.
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Digital transformation is so hot right now! And isn’t it amazing that my guest today suggests that our superpower of facilitation can help create this transformation in organisations?!

Mike Knapp believes there is a better way for business owners and leaders to build their businesses and achieve their big goals.

In this conversation, he shares how he transitioned from the IT guy, to someone who led digital transformational projects, leveraging facilitation to make the change effective.

“Mural Mike” also creates incredible templates using Mural, and he structures these in a way to create stories and contrast in his sessions. He also shares the importance of energy and how his practice in meditation allows him to create a welcoming space for his groups.

This is a great conversation to listen into if you work in complex organisations implementing change, or you want to step into the world of change management.

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Move over virtual workshops, let’s talk about virtual marathons - more specifically, online events that can span over a couple of days.

It’s a different game, with longer interaction, so how do you maintain your energy, and keep your participants wanting more, too?

This week’s guest is the perfect person to answer this question because she’s been running online events since 2007! I'm joined by Suzi Dafnis, the CEO of HerBusiness, a collaborative online community of women who are growing and scaling a business.

For over 25 years HerBusiness has provided mentoring and training to help women grow a sustainable business.

Her big passion is helping women business owners to create the impact, the income and the results that they want through their business and to do what they love, every day.

She has grown multiple multimillion-dollar businesses, and that hasn’t been by accident.

What struck me from chatting to Suzi is how strategic and intentional she is with all of the things: Having a background in Events, she cleverly uses her workshops to drive incredibly powerful word of mouth marketing opportunities for her business.

Facilitators, solopreneurs...okay, ANYONE organising workshops and virtual experiences, you’ll love this one!

About today’s guest: Suzi Dafnis Suzi Dafnis is the CEO of HerBusiness, a collaborative online community of women who are growing and scaling a business.

Her BIG passion is helping women business owners to create the impact, the income and the results that they want through their business and to do what they love, every day.

For over 25 years HerBusiness has provided mentoring and training to help women grow a sustainable business.

Suzi started her first business in the spare room of her home, in her late 20s, with no savings and no business degree, and built that into an $18million business with 45 staff and offices in Australia, New Zealand and the USA.

Learn more at HerBusiness.com
Request an invitation to join the HerBusiness Network at herousinessnetwork.com

Resources: * Join our community of facilitators from all over the world on our free Facebook group, The Flipchart * Love the show? Buy Leanne a coffee! * Click here for show notes / to watch the video interview * Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large: Continue learning from Leanne and her guests in her brand new podcast * Subscribe so you don't miss a thing! * Leanne is also posting weekly content on her YouTube channel.

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In case you can’t tell, I love conversations. If my life could involve having morning coffees with interesting people, then chatting with other cool people over an afternoon champagne by the water, rinse and repeat every day x 5 days, my life would be complete.

What’s interesting is that I’m really not the best (or interested?) in small talk. I don’t love going to the dog park, because the chitter chatter generally seems to go around in circles, talking about our dogs. That’s cool for a few minutes but we talk about things like what they eat and how they sleep…

I think I’d enjoy a conversation with today’s guest in a dog park though, because his tagline is all about having conversations that matter.

His name is Jan Keck and he is a self-proclaimed community addict. He is the creator of ASK DEEP QUESTIONS, which started out as a deck of cards to help his friends connect on a camping trip and is now being used to facilitate meaningful conversations through sharing personal stories on every continent around the globe.

You can check out what he does over at http://www.askdeepquestions.com and http://www.jankeck.com

In this conversation, we chat about relationships and which ones we invest in, if it’s possible to create a sense of belonging in an organisation. We dive into chats about redesigning virtual calls, scaling connections online, and btw Jan also has a kick-butt youtube channel, so he shares his tips for camera confidence, as well as advice for first time facilitators.

Jan’s mission is to help people feel less alone, so by creating experiences, workshops and programs he is fueling the movement for deeper human connection.

Jan now lives in Toronto with his wife Natalia (aka Cookie), his son Mika and you can often find him hanging out with his mastermind group, attending community events, or camping up north

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This episode comes with a warning: If you’re not interested in being inspired, then don’t tune in!

This week, we have a special guest on the show, who I met during my 20 week consulting gig last year. I was lucky enough to be placed in a team with him, and I say that because when you talk to him it feels like you’re sitting in the front row of a TED talk - meaning, you instantly feel inspired during conversations with him.

Daniel Kerr from Exceptional Self Coaching is a a physiotherapist turned high performance coach and he’ll share that transition story with you on this show.

Early in this interview, you’ll hear a watershed moment for Dan that steered him towards the work that he does know. And I’d love you to reflect on that word, too.

If you do want to reflect on where you’re at, your mindset, your habits, and committing to growth this year, you’ll love this show.

About our Guest: Daniel Kerr Daniel Kerr is High Performance Certified Coach trained by Brendon Burchard , Certified Mental Performance Mastery Coach, Certified Wellness Coach and a Physiotherapist.

In this episode you will learn: * What it takes to show up as your best self * Having an action plan as a way to make the shift in 2021 * Reflecting and planning your next goal * Finding your authenticity and niche to make yourself better and grow * Fear of not being good enough makes you start making excuses * Make your audience visualize the message you’re sending across * What Dan values when he prepares to run a workshop

Resources mentioned in this episode: * Reach out and connect with Dan Kerr on LinkedIn * Follow Dan Kerr on Instagram * Tweet & say hi to Leanne to let her know you’ve listened to this episode * Continue the conversation when the show is over: Join a community of over 1200 facilitators around t * Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large: Continue learning from Leanne and her guests in her brand new podcast * Subscribe so you don't miss a thing! * Leanne is also posting weekly content on her YouTube channel.

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What’s the role of a facilitator? I think we’re there to stimulate CHANGE.

So what better time to talk about making changes than at the start of a new year?

As world leading body language Mark Bowden (also previous guest of 2 x First Time Facilitator episodes) says, “As facilitators, we are the leading signal in the room. People look to us to decide how they should act, think, and feel.”

I think then, that if we want our participants to change, we need to be great at making positive changes in our own lives, too.

In this episode, I’m looking in the mirror and sharing tools and ideas on how we can create change for ourselves. I’ve latched onto a phrase called: Constructive Delusion. I think we can use this as a force for good, to propel our ambitions, think big, and inspire our participants to do the same.

I reflect on my 2020kms running challenge (which I completed on 30 Dec, yass) as fuel for this episode, and also share plans on my 2021 writing challenge. I love harnessing the power of groups for my own habit change!

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Guess what? You can become that amazing storytelling you secretly want to be!

In this First Time Facilitator re-run of Episode 8, internationally bestselling author Matthew Dicks shares why storytelling so important, and how telling stories is not simply sharing a series of events; it’s the manipulation of emotions.

It’s a skill that can be taught and he shares some of the techniques he uses to engage his audience, whether they're 10 year old kids, or politicians.

So many cool things happened after this podcast was released on 8 April, 2020:

I met Kate Norris and Thomas Krafft from Presentation Boss (we basically caught up and just spoke about how great Matthew was!)

They started their own podcast, Presentation Boss, and then a live storytelling event in Brisbane called Life Out Loud (based on Matthew’s event in the US called Speak Up Storytelling).

Earlier this year, I shared a story during the virtual Life Out Loud event and guess who was the surprise guest story-sharer… you guessed it, Matthew Dicks!

Stop binging shows on Netflix and start binging Matthew Dicks’ stories on YouTube. They’re brilliant, and always stir an emotional response - ranging between laughter, or goose-bumps.

In this episode you’ll learn: * What a story is (and what it isn’t) * The details you should leave in your story and more importantly; the details you can leave out * How you can become more memorable by sharing things that are vulnerable, amusing or embarrassing * The power of assuming that no one wants to listen to anything you have to say * How you can start collecting your own stories by reflecting on everyday moments (Homework for Life!)

About today’s guest: Matthew Dicks Matthew Dicks is the internationally bestselling author of the novels Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend, Something Missing, Unexpectedly, Milo, The Perfect Comeback of Caroline Jacobs, and the upcoming Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life through the Power of Storytelling. His novels have been translated into more than 25 languages worldwide. His new novel, “The Other Mother” is set for release in January 2021. You can join the live book launch by signing up here.

When not hunched over a computer screen, Matthew fills his days as an elementary school teacher, a storyteller, a speaking coach, a blogger, a wedding DJ, a minister, a life coach, and a Lord of Sealand.

Matthew is a 35-time Moth StorySLAM champion and 5-time GrandSLAM champion. He has also told stories for This American Life, TED, The Colin McEnroe Show, The Story Collider, The Liar Show, Literary Death Match, The Mouth, and many others.Heis also the co-founder and creative director of Speak Up, a Hartford-based storytelling organization that produces shows throughout New England.Matthew is the creator and co-host of Boy vs. Girl, a podcast about gender and gender stereotypes.

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I thought I’d bring you a festive episode this week!

Host of the Workshops Work podcast, Dr Myriam Hadnes put a call out to previous guests on her show and invited us to facilitate a #neverdonebefore virtual workshop experience for the #neverdonebefore 24 hour, global festival.

The idea I landed on for my workshop was this: What would it be like, to run a serendipitous group podcast interview, where I had no idea who would show up?

I’ve never done a group interview before, and never not prepped before an interview!

This episode is only edited lightly, I wanted you to hear what it was like on the call: My participants (who were now podcast guests) had different audio levels, different internet speeds, different voices and ideas.

What I loved when I re-listened to this, was hearing how much more comfortable we are in the conversation, as it continues along.

My guests today are: Anna from Sweden, Stefan from Luxembourg, Shayne from Sydney (living in Amsterdam), Anna Maria from Germany (who dialled in from Romania), Grace from Hong Kong, Kaushiek from India and Lily from France!

We riff on all things related to delivering a successful workshop, how to manage your energy (which leads to a deep conversation on what you put into your body), challenging workshop experiences and dream mentors.

It was awesome having such a diverse guest list on today’s episode.

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I’m taking inspiration from Oprah’s Favourite Things to bring you the Ultimate Facilitator Holiday Wish list!

You may want to share this episode with a loved one, if they want some last minute stocking-filler ideas, or x-factor gift ideas to ramp up your facilitation game.

Many of the suggestions here focus on the virtual facilitation world and span across tech tools, tech upgrades, workshop design tools, and more!

I’d like to thank members of our free Facebook group, The Flipchart, for sharing their facilitation wish list items, too!

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Wow, Episode 150. How did we get here?

In this solo episode, I wanted to reflect on the last 50 weeks (and 50 episodes) and what I’ve learnt both from podcast episodes, from business and also from, well, LIFE in 2020. Hasn’t this year been a great teacher for us all?!

I weave between random topics, all linked through some lessons learnt on the show, and how that’s played out in my life and the way that I show up to workshop experiences and clients.

What’s been your biggest facilitation lesson in 2020?

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This week, we're talking about the value of tactile objects in your workshop and how they can help unlock great ideas, real conversations and so much more (oh and yes, this can work virtually, too).

I’m talking about Lego® Serious Play®. Today's guest, Michael Fearne is all about sharing the Lego® Serious Play® love with the world, and he’s even written a book about it - a book that makes it more accessible for all of us to start digging into the world of LSP.

Michael helps clients to break out of the “business as usual” dynamic and be more innovative using the awesome power of Lego® Serious Play®. That’s right Lego + Work = A More Innovative Business.

As the founder of Pivotal Play, Michael uses his experience as a professional facilitator and expertise with LEGO Serious Play to help teams to think more creatively, communicate more effectively and deliver more innovative results.

He also empowers people to use this technique themselves by coaching and guiding them, giving them the tools and the benefit of his experience so they can get the most out of their meetings.

In this conversation, Michael shares how all of us can use lego effectively during our workshops and awesome ideas on how to do so. He describes how using something tactical can really help boost the use of metaphor, and story-sharing, and the value of having a solid routine to start each workshop.

His book, The LSP Method is also out right now! I love the practicality of the book, and how Michael even shares how you should setup the room, how to open up using the six bricks activity, so good.

Curious? Listen in!

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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, Michael Grinder.

During this conversation, I picked up so many incredibly nuanced things you can do to boost the clarity of my communication in both virtual and face-to-face workshop environments.

We also delve into using space, and how to segment space within our environments: Yes! You can actually use space and non-verbals effectively, even over a Zoom call!

There are so many incredible techniques shared in this one.

I’d love to thank my co-hosts: Maree Burgess, Leanne Elliot and Mark Howarth for joining in and asking questions, contributing, keeping the conversation flowing beautifully.

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Watch the video interview
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My experience with 80% of the university lectures I attended? BORING. This week, I’m talking to someone who has a similar mission as me, but her audience is the higher ed sector! Dr Barbi Honeycutt is my guest and she works with professors, instructors, faculty development professionals, instructional designers, graduate students, postdocs, and entrepreneurs who want to design engaging learning experiences. It's challenging to come up with new, creative ways to engage your students. Every day, when you arrive (or log in) to your classroom, you are responsible for creating a space for students to learn from you and from each other. Barbi provides the structure, strategies, and support you need to engage students and improve learning. When you are successful, your students will be successful. And, that's why she focus’ her energy on supporting you! In this conversation, Barbi shares her experience with teaching others how to create engaging lectures and learning experiences, how she created a virtual summit which drew hundreds of people - we dive into great detail on this one, as well as how she built her facilitation business and gained exposure through one blog article! Click here for show notes. Join our free Facebook group: The Flipchart! * Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large: Continue learning from Leanne and her guests in her brand new podcast * Subscribe so you don't miss a thing! * Leanne is also posting weekly content on her YouTube channel.

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I spend TOO many time designing workshops, making sure every activity, every piece of content is fit for purpose!

Wouldn't it be great if planning a workshop was as easy as shuffling some cards around?

Today's guest thought so, too!

Meg Bolger is a facilitator working to create a more beautiful and just world. She's the co-developer of Facilitator Cards, a deck of 60 processing tools for facilitators.

Meg is also the co-author of Unlocking the Magic of Facilitation and the co-creator of The Safe Zone Project, a free online resource for creating powerful, effective LGBTQ+ awareness and training workshops.

In this conversation, we talk about how Meg found her feet in facilitation, how she became clever at structuring her facilitation activities and process, and how she can pretty much, create a workshop from thin air, using a cool tactical tool - her deck of Facilitator Cards.

We also explore the role of facilitator and how we can often wear many hats.

View the show notes for Episode 146
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In today’s episode, I draw an activity extract out from a recent Virtually Possible 2.0 call, where i was joined by Marisa Agrasut and Joeri Schilders.

In this conversation, Marisa shares a virtual session she developed called: Activate your attention; how to prime your natural listening and observation skills for meaningful and rich conversations.

I’m sharing this as an episode on the show for two reasons:

Listen to the activity she delivers and consider how you could weave it into an upcoming session and
As part of the activity, Marisa and I reflect on 5 amazing facilitator prompts, which may inspire ideas on how you define the value you bring in your work as a facilitator.
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Having a home base as a facilitator. A metaphorical place in your workshop room, where you can reset. What's not to love about that idea?

This week on the show I’m chatting to Jordan Mendoza. The best advice Jordan was given when he was a First Time Facilitator, was about discovering that home base: A place where you can reset/centre yourself during a workshop.

Jordan is a sales & training professional with over 25 years experience in sales & marketing and 14 years experience in the Multi-Family Housing industry. He’s also the Host of the Blaze Your Own Trail podcast, he’s never lost a freestyle rap battle in his life, and he’s a breakdancer.

Over the last year, he’s amassed a following fo over 60,000 people on LinkedIn.

In this episode, he shares a tough experience that helped him develop his facilitation skills very quickly, how he’s helped his team make sales virtually and of course, how he built up his following on social media.

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In this Flipchart live-stream event, Leanne Hughes answers the following three questions:

How do you embed leadership workshop material through coaching sessions held after your workshop?
How do you facilitate a hybrid workshop, where you have guests in-person, and guests who dial in?
How do you say goodbye and end your virtual workshop, without it being too awkward?

Build your facilitation skills: * Join The Flipchart, a Facebook community of over 1000 facilitators from all over the world * Sign up to Virtually Possible 2.0 - registrations close 22 Oct 2020! * Watch our free mini-series: From Zoomtigue to Zoomtastic * Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large: Continue learning from Leanne and her guests in her brand new podcast * Subscribe so you don't miss a thing! * Leanne is also posting weekly content on her YouTube channel.

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Are you exploring or tossing up the opportunity of going out on your own - of being your own boss? As I’m 18 months into my own journey, I always love the opportunity to discuss what it takes to do that, to build and maintain your sanity! Today’s guest is an absolute rock-star when it comes to this, too - so if you’re into building your own facilitation business, or becoming a consultant, you will love this episode. ABOUT TODAY’S GUEST: DEB ZAHN Deb Zahn is a sought-after consultant with 10 years of successful consulting under her belt. As a go-to source in her market, she routinely brings in 6- and 7-figures a year and has built a steady, reliable pipeline of work. Her consulting methods turn her clients into her biggest fans and best marketers. They come back to her again and again and continually send her new clients. As a consultant, Deb is especially known for her ability to cure “decision-making disorders” with individuals and groups. She is the host of the Craft of Consulting podcast,* Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large: Continue learning from Leanne and her guests in her brand new podcast * Subscribe so you don't miss a thing! * Leanne is also posting weekly content on her YouTube channel.

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Okay, we all know it's important to get a good night's sleep, switch off, clarify your vision, and deal with stress.

But like most things in life - these things are much easier said than done.

The best part of my conversation today with my good friend, Warren James is the pragmatic approach is takes to all of this important life and work stuff (including development our careers and preparing for the dreaded annual performance review!).

Warren is a Brisbane-based coach and mentor providing online mentoring, coaching and training to some of Australia’s most talented graduates and employees early in their careers.

He also released his first book this week called: Further Faster: The ultimate guide to accelerating your career.

Warren has developed his career from the ground-up and has worked with some of the most respected businesses in the industry including BG Group, Shell, QGC, Alinta and Arrow Energy.

As an engineer and later, a project manager, he has faced and overcame challenges that many projects managers face. He has managed projects in excess of $50M, overcome competing deadlines and overcome adversity time and time again.

Having lived and breathed this industry for more than 10 years, he understands what today’s graduates need to not only survive but thrive.

Today, as the founder of Rapid Mentoring, he partners with businesses across Australia who are genuinely interested in the development of their staff.

In this episode you will learn: * How to handle stress, that feeling of overwhelm and exhaustion from work * How to get started writing a book * How personal life, career goals, bucket list and finances are important in accelerating your career * Creating balance by planning ahead and creating a vision of what you actually want * Switching off, sleeping better * Accelerating your career during Covid

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It’s always fun to deliver a project but as we all know as facilitators, many of the lessons learned are discovered in the reflection!

Joeri Schilders and I met a few months ago and in space of a few weeks, created a concept for a project, launched it, welcomed members in, created the program and delivered it.

In this episode, Joeri and I debrief the first, online collaboration project we delivered together called Virtually Possible. We debrief:

Benefits and advantages of co-facilitation
Process of building, creating the Virtually Possible facilitation program
Virtually Possible platform - the channels, activities, and fun challenges
SIFT - Stuff up, Insights, First times and Transformation
Virtually Possible 2.0

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Today, I’m chatting to someone who also shares my love for the Clifton Strengths tool.

It’s all well and good to find a tool you love, that echoes back what you think + feel about yourself but more importantly? It’s what you do with it that matters!

Today’s guest, Charlotte Blair from The Strengths Partners shares how we can apply and activate our strengths across various contexts: In the way we facilitate, the way we show up to strengthen our network, how we build our business, and how we apply what we learn.

Charlotte has a passion for helping others maximise their potential. She’s a a highly experienced Gallup-Strengths Certified Coach, consultant and facilitator with over 20 years proven success managing relationships and developing business in highly complex sales environments.

At the end of our conversation, she also shares her favourite workshop activities that you could pretty much design a workshop from, they cover all the key elements!

What I admire about Charlotte is the way she demonstrates her love for connecting, serving and helping others.

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We’ve been delivering in-person workshops for years. We’re comfortable. Give us a marker pen, some butcher’s paper and some decent catering: We’re good to go!

When Covid hit earlier this year, many of us had to shift gears and deliver workshops online. We had to adjust to new technology, new ways of experiencing workshops, a range of energy levels. We all started feeling like First Time Facilitators!

That’s the conversation I have with today’s guest, Marcus Crow.

Marcus has an insane amount of in-person workshop experience. He’s also the co-founder of 10,000 HOURS. They design and deliver content for Training, Conferences and Offsites, and they have been honing their craft for more than 20 years. Prior to starting 10,000 Hours, he co-founded, built and sold Phuel / Oxygen Learning to John Singleton's STW (now WPP).

In this episode, you’ll learn: * What it takes to adapt a face to face workshop, and move it online * How you can build your flexibility muscles as a facilitator * What to do when you encounter resistance from someone in your workshop * Good tips for timing for your virtual sessions * Key considerations if you’re thinking of dropping your job and starting your facilitation business

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Ever since I spoke to Jacinta Cubis on the show, I've started noticing more facilitation lessons around me, every day.

In this week's episode, I share the story of my return to a group fitness class at the gym, and what I learnt about virtual facilitation as a result.

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Mark Bowden is back!

It sounds weird to say this: But this guy makes you feel at home when you chat to him. Yes, I know we’re all at home already — he’s curious, he uses your name when he talks to you, he asks questions, he nods, he does all the things to make you feel safe and ready to contribute.

I spoke to Mark in Episode 102 of the First Time Facilitator podcast, and it’s the #1 most downloaded episode of all time!

So, I brought Mark back on the show, to share how we can use our body language to create engagement and connections quickly, in the virtual world.

The answer is more reassuring than you think.

From my perspective - he’s been there, done that but my favourite thing about Mark is how funny, down to earth and comfortable he is to be around.

With our Virtually Possible community opening last week, I also decided to hand over the microphone to the group, and let them ask Mark some questions.

A big thanks to those from VP who joined live and felt comfortable coming off mute to ask Mark a question, you kept the fabulous group interview going, I salute you!

About our Guest: Mark Bowden Voted the #1 Body Language Professional in the world for two years running, Mark Bowden is passionate about giving your audience the most influential and persuasive communication techniques to stand out, win trust, and gain credibility every time they speak. Inspiring, energetic, engaging, and entirely entertaining, Mark’s memorable talks and training programs not only educate but have proven life-changing in helping people and organizations grow across all industries and sectors.

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Have you been running webinars but finding it difficult to get people through the door? This week’s guest is great at tuning in to topics that people actually want, and he’s figured out a pretty neat system to do this!

Ken Burgin works with foodservice operators to assist them to be more popular & successful. He is a former cafe and restaurant owner in Sydney, and started the online management platform Profitable Hospitality. He now works for hospitality finance company SilverChef, focused on educational content and events for business owners.

In this conversation, we flip between talking about the virtual facilitation side of things, and providing value to our people; then we hear how Ken really grew his business and sold out his workshops on weekends; how he connects with people, how he adds value.

Ken has many years of experience providing training and content to help transform the hospitality industry. He likes finding out the 'why' of business success, and the 'why not' of business problems, keeping track of the latest technology & presentation techniques, and updating his photography skills.

Click here for show notes

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Are you zipping around from one virtual meeting to the next? Clicking Exit on a call, then clicking a new link to jump on the next without getting space in between? I am!

How can we facilitate an experience, where our participants arrive into our virtual workshops with renewed energy and focus?

That's the conversation I have with today's guest, Wade Brill.

Wade is a Mindfulness Coach, Podcaster and Speaker who helps busy professionals experiencing stress and overwhelm be more present, productive and energized. Wade devotes her life’s work to helping others connect to their own inspiration.

In this conversation, we discuss virtual centering and wellbeing techniques, and how to build our facilitation skills, as we move virtually to help support team wellbeing.

Wade also shared her ideas on how we can use team video calls to work on team connection, listening and attention skills.

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Anytime you’re live - whether that’s presenting a webinar, or a face-to-face workshop, you’re essentially exchanging your time for money.

Today’s guest, Sarah Cordiner has helped over 132,000 students from all over the world. You don’t do that by running workshops, you do it by scaling what you offer through digital programs and courses.

Where do you start if you want to scale? That’s the conversation I have with Sarah today.

Sarah Cordiner is a Qualified Course Creation Specialist, trusted by over 20,000 Course Creators & Educators in 146 countries. She helps you turn your expertise into profitable digital products and programs.

In this episode, you’ll learn how to start, how to build an audience and how one idea from a video, can be used to market in so many different ways.

More than that, it’s an inspiring episode looking at failure and how all that matters with failure, is deciding what to do next. If you’ve ever held yourself back, or have reasons to not do things, I think you’ll also be inspired by what Sarah shares in this conversation.

Show notes for Episode 133

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Panel discussions! You see some great ones, you see some ordinary ones.

A few years ago I was really into the ABC TV show, Q&A with Tony Jones. Some people didn’t enjoy his style. I loved it. He was direct, funny, great at segueing the conversation and getting panellists to add, argue, contradict each other, which created fantastic drama.

It’s really funny, over 131 episodes down and today we explore a topic we’ve never discussed before: The skill of moderating.

That’s what we talk about with today’s guest, Kjell Lutz

In this one, you’ll hear how Kjell got his start with moderating panels and MCing, how he creates a dynamic conversation between panelists and audiences; how he gets large audiences interacting with content as well.

About our Guest: Kjell Lutz Kjell is fascinated by how people learn. During his studies in organizational psychology, he immersed himself in the theory of knowledge transfer, how can you help people learn. He first applied this with small groups during training, then online with e-learnings and then with large groups during meetings.He further immersed himself in the psychology of making choices, how do we make choices and especially how can we make better choices.

Kjell as a chairman is full of energy and enthusiasm. With an appropriate dose of humour and the right interaction, he connects the participants to the theme of the day and the current topics. He loves to lead different work forms that contribute to the learning process of the participants. Let people experience something meaningful in a playful way.

As a speaker, he ensures that the dialogue session is properly initiated with an appropriate keynote. As a moderator, he facilitates the rounds of conversations to create the space that is needed.

Doors for Virtually Possible close this week. Use the code PODCAST to grab 15% off!
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In this episode, Leanne and Joeri share 5 super simple (some might say, lazy?) ways to keep up the energy in your virtual sessions.

This is the audio replay of a really fun webinar we ran on 23 July 2020.

Enjoy the webinar? Then, you’re going to love our new program called Virtually Possible

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How did I find today’s guest? Through this article: How to Host a Cocktail Party on Zoom (and have better classes, conferences and meetings, too) written by Misha Glouberman, that Michael Bungay Stanier shared on LinkedIn.

As I read the article, my jaw dropped. The level of consideration around facilitating this birthday party was next level! From this one article, you could tell how much he values the finer details of hosting an event.

Misha Glouberman teaches communication skills, runs meetings and conferences for organizations, hosts live events, and speaks at conferences. His work has been described as “humanizing relationships—one event at a time."

In this episode, you’ll learn how we can get better at our conversations by zooming out, how to be collaborative when solving problems AND he also shares an incident he had as a panellist, when someone in the audience, called him out! Listen in for that story and more imporantly, what Misha learnt from it.

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I’m taking you backstage to share how Joeri Schilders and I are collaborating to bring you the Virtually Possible program.

With everyone in lockdown, this may be a good time to reach out to someone and put your heads together, to solve a problem.

We haven’t really done things the traditional way: We don’t use emails to communicate at all!

In this episode, I share details on how you can find someone to collaborate with, what systems/tools you can use to communicate, and how we co-facilitated work/sprint sessions last week to create the program’s outline and structure.

Collaboration is also a great teacher. I’ve learnt a lot about myself through this process!

I’d love this episode to inspire you to consider: Is there someone in this world who you could collaborate with on a problem?

Join our free livestream: 5 ways to ramp up the energy in a virtual meeting (by being a bit lazy)
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So many times as facilitators we’re asked to come in to solve a specific problem: It could be communication, leadership challenges, absenteeism, decision fatigue or indecision, even. We’re given a lot of challenges and you know what? A lot of the time, it comes back to the culture of a team, the culture of an organisation and what standards and values have been set.

When you start talking about culture, it can get pretty complex, right?

So, where do you start?

That’s the focus of my conversation today with my guest, Prina Shah.

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If you’re going to learn something, you might as well learn from the best, right?

I’m still reeling from my interview with today’s guest, Alan Weiss.This is another episode for you if you run your own business or looking to be a solopreneur.

I reached out to Alan after Michael Bungay Stanier’s contribution to Episode 120, where he said, “If you read Alan Weiss’ book Million Dollar Consulting, you’ll never go hungry again”.

Alan Weiss is the rockstar of consulting. Marshall Goldsmith once called him “The finest entrepreneurial coach in the world.”

He is one of those rare people who can say he is a consultant, speaker, and author and mean it.

His consulting firm, Summit Consulting Group, Inc., has attracted clients such as Merck, Hewlett-Packard, GE, Mercedes-Benz, oyota, and over 500 other leading organizations.

He once held the record for selling out the highest priced workshop (on entrepreneurialism) in the then-21-year history of New York City’s Learning Annex. His Ph.D. is in psychology.

His prolific publishing includes over 500 articles and 60 books, including his best-seller, Million Dollar Consulting (from McGraw-Hill) now in its 25th year and fifth edition.

The New York Post called him “one of the most highly regarded independent consultants in America.“

Yep folks, he’s impressive and as he mentions in this interview, he’s not humble about that fact, either!

In today’s conversation we cover many topics, including:

Debunking the myth that the riches are in the niches
Who we should target in our marketing efforts (spoiler alert: Not HR or Training people)
How to create our value proposition to share the value we bring
Why it’s important to create content to build marketing gravity

Honestly? This is a masterclass in how to market your facilitation and consulting business.

This was an experiential joint interview with the Show.Up community. Get on the waitlist when doors open again later this year!

Make your online experiences amazing! Doors open soon for Virtually Possible, a collaboration with myself and Joeri - The Magic Sauce.
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This episode was inspired by a question that came through on The Flipchart community last week from Yishan Chan, host of the Talent Stack podcast.

She asked, “Hi Leanne, is there a short podcast episode I can share with my workplace on why we need to think differently about how Zoom "show and tell" sessions are run?”

Today I share my approach, mindset, key considerations and structure, on how to deliver a 60 min virtual training session, or workshops - that boosts interaction and engagement.

The methods I share on today’s show are simple - no use of difficult technology, just simple ways to mix things up and keep you audience front and centre.

I also hope this episode inspires you to share with me your approach to 30-60minute workshop delivery. What great things do you bring in, to create interaction?

Also, you’ve heard it here first! Joeri from The Magic Sauce and I are collaborating on a program called Virtually Possible.

Sign up to the Virtually Possible wait list and join the movement
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If I was playing a game of corporate buzzword meeting bingo, the one word I’d like on my bingo card would be: Innovation!

(“Unprecedented” would be my second choice).

Many leaders, teams and companies talk about innovation. It’s often a company value. Yet, we still see traditional work practices, and not a lot of real innovation happening.

So, what is innovation? What does it even mean?

My guest this week, Joeri Schilders believes innovation isn’t a simple 7-step framework. He says it’s more like a street fight (and he’s been in a few)

After having lived in the US, UK and China for almost half his life, Joeri set up The Magic Sauce in Singapore in 2013 - a boutique agency that works with global clients around their innovation challenges, culture and capability.

Over the past decade and a bit, he has worked on numerous challenges spanning from new product development across Asian emerging markets, digitising traditional manufacturing in Europe, to building systemic innovation cultures around the globe.

Joeri bring tons of energy, a pragmatic approach and fresh inspiration, which you’ll also find on his YouTube channel, Joeri the Magic Sauce.

In this conversation, discuss many topics, including:

How to facilitate innovation in organisations and help employees take action when the workshop is over
How to manage your relationships with clients as an external facilitator
Joeri’s predictions on the future of workshops + virtual facilitation
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I invited this week’s guest on the show because I love, love, love sport; I love playing it, I love watching it. I’m in complete awe of high performing athletes and teams, who show up, work hard, have a strong mental game, pull off impossible feats and my guest, helps them do that!

Dr. Fergus Connolly is one of the world’s foremost human potential thought leaders and influencers. Author of the bestselling book "Game Changer - The Art of Sports Science"

Fergus has applied performance science with leading sports, military, and business teams.

He is the only coach to have full time roles in every major sport, including soccer (Liverpool, Bolton Wanderers), professional and college football (San Francisco 49s and University of Michigan), rugby (Welsh national team) and elite military units.

We talk about how he works with high performing teams, how he builds trust and rapport quickly, what he’s thinking/feeling when he starts working with amazing athletes, the common challenges amongst sporting and business teams. We also talk about purpose and he shares 3 questions that can help you be content and passionate in what you do everyday and also how he prepares for upcoming speaking engagements.

I loved listening to Fergus share all of his experiences and how we can hold the mirror up and answer questions, to help us gain clarity and move forward.

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We’ve never really taken a deep dive on the concept of “noticing”. Noticing your perspectives, other people’s perspectives, seeing things in a new light, or a different way.

I think this is always relevant, particular as facilitators - noticing, sensing what’s happening in a workshop room (or a Zoom room!).

My guest this week, Jacinta Cubis, is one of Melbourne’s most energetic and creative facilitators. She went to uni to become a journalist, exited a filmmaker and developed photographs in a Parisian basement.

She’s absolutely thrilled to be hosting Virtual #Facilitography Walkshops.

You heard it right, WALK SHOPS. What a cool concept.

Curious? Listen to find out more!

Jacinta is passionate about bringing out the best in people as a facilitator, coach and mentor. As an author and speaker, she inspires and energises people with insights and ideas. She loves helping thought leaders and experts translate technical information into engaging content, and nail want they want to say, for diverse audiences.

For almost 20 years, she has facilitated collaborations, partnerships, workshops and forums on diverse topics for government, education and community sectors.

I think you’ll really love how she’s connected street photography and facilitation together, to create something amazingly unique.

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What do you learn when you sit on 128 webinars in a week? My guest this week, David Nour shares his experiences and more in this episode!

I invited senior leadership/board advisor, researcher, executive educator and best-selling author, David Nour on the show to talk about a phrase/book he’s releasing called Curve Benders. These are the strategic relationships we have in our lives - that can help our growth (personal, or business) dramatically. But how do you find these people in your life? How can you nurture these relationships? David answer these questions and also shares a very cool story on how he created a speakers video reel, without ever speaking on stage!

David Nour is internationally recognized as the leading expert on applications of strategic relationships in profitable growth, sustained innovation, and lasting change. The author of ten books, including best-sellers Relationship Economics® (Wiley), and Co-Create (St. Martin’s Press), as well as the forthcoming Curve Benders, Nour serves as a trusted advisor to global clients and coaches corporate leaders. He is an adjunct professor at the Goizueta Business School at Emory University and Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management, was named to the Global Gurus Top 30 Leadership Professionals list and is honored to be one of Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Global Coaches.

A Forbes Leadership contributor on the Future of Work, and an Inc. contributor on Relationship Economics, Nour’s unique insights have been featured in a variety of prominent publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Fast Company, Huffington Post Business, Entrepreneur, and Knowledge@Wharton. He’s also the host of the popular Curve Benders podcast.

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Tony Brazelton is a biochemist, a manager of projects, a manager of people, a process improvement consultant, a change management consultant, and now a corporate trainer and management and leadership consultant.

He loves to design and deliver learning experiences to help people be excellent—to each other.

In our conversation this week, he shares an introvert’s perspective on facilitation (as well as some smart workarounds for small talk!). We also discuss his pre-workshop preparation and how important it is to get centred. During this time, Tony has also been helping his colleagues feel comfortable with online meetings, and in this conversation he shares how he’s assisting them with jumping over those online engagement barriers.

Show notes - Tony Brazelton
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Specialising in neuro linguistic programming, Yoke van Dam trains and coaches business leaders, executives, sales teams and individual staff members the tangible skills that can deliver the outcomes they want. She also presents keynotes in corporate and other settings to bring about positive change.

In this episode, you'll learn:

Why language and how we phrase things is so important (in terms of what the brain taps into and what words we hear, what words we tend to discard as well)
How we can get PR opportunities to build our brand and business
Yoke's story on how she used her NLP superpower to save a team building event

Thanks for listening!

Click here for show notes
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For this special episode, I sent out a request to a number of my facilitation, training and Learning and Development business owner friends and a bunch of them graciously agreed to help out.

I asked them, “What’s the one thing you wish you knew when you started your facilitation business?”

Reminder: It’s your last chance to become a founding member of Show.Up: A community for consultants, facilitators and trainers who want to score amazing opportunities (but don’t know how to market themselves with ease...yet!). Visit https://www.leannehughes.com/invitation for more details!

Click here to access show notes and contact details for every guest contributor.

A big THANK YOU to everyone who contributed this show (in order of appearance)

Dr Annette Coy, Cameron Fee, Jane Anderson, Tom Scantlebury, Nadja Petranovskaja, Chris Huet, Murray Guest, Kirsty Lewis, Mel Kettle, Michael Bungay Stanier, Jason Knight, Ingrid Thompson, Sarah McVanel, Bill Jarrard, Petra Zink, Jenny Blake, Nikki McMurray, Angela Henderson, Michael J Conseulos, Christine Burych and Myriam Hadnes.

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For the next 7 days, in the lead-up to an epic podcast collaboration episode, I’m releasing a tip every day on the podcast, sharing with you things I wish I knew before I started my facilitation business.

This is also your invitation to join as a founding member of my private community, Show.Up (doors open for a week). Show.Up is a community for consultants, facilitators and trainers who want to score amazing opportunities (but don’t know how to market themselves with ease...yet!)

Find out more about Show.Up

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Find out more about Show.Up

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Find out more about Show.Up

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Find out more about Show.Up

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Find out more about Show.Up

Listen to Jenny Blake’s Pivot podcast about Rapid Course Prototyping

Make sure you subscribe to get the episodes delivered to your podcast app, as soon as they’re released!

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Find out more about Show.Up

Make sure you subscribe to get the episodes delivered to your podcast app, as soon as they’re released!

Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large: Continue learning from Leanne and her guests in her brand new podcast
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Find out more about Show.Up

Make sure you subscribe to get the episodes delivered to your podcast app, as soon as they’re released!

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Talk about a rapid conversation! My guest this week, Andy Storch and I cover it all: How to organise a conference, build your brand on LinkedIn, effective morning rituals, chunking down the book-writing process, experiential learning and more!

Andy Storch is a Talent Development Consultant, Coach, Author, Speaker and Connector. He is the host of two podcasts including The Talent Development Hot Seat and The Andy Storch Show as well as the author of the upcoming book, OWN YOUR CAREER, OWN YOUR LIFE, and the founder and host of the Talent Development Think Tank conference.

Busy guy right? Stay tuned to hear how he does it all.

Visit the show notes to find a link to everything mentioned on today’s show
Check out Andy’s cheat sheet on career mistakes that we should avoid

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Another espresso shot episode coming to you this week! I hopped on a quick call with Foundd Legal owner, Riz McDonald to chat about a question that was raised in The Flipchart community on Facebook this week.

The question was, “When writing up contracts to deliver remote sessions, is anyone including information to address potential / perceived risks around using platforms such as Zoom? Just to give an example, if someone recorded a session without your knowledge, or someone felt there was a privacy issue. I'm about to have a client sign on the dotted line and want to make sure I'm covered”

Riz shares her thoughts on how to navigate this with your clients.

About today’s guest: Riz McDonald Riz is a lawyer with over 16 years of experience, She is an entrepreneur and passionate about all things creative! Which is part of what led her to start Foundd Legal.

Riz first appeared on Episode 96 of the First Time Facilitator podcast, chatting all things contract creation.

Over the years working as both a lawyer and as the founder of an ecommerce business, she discovered that there were a huge number of amazing designers, creatives and fellow entrepreneurs out there who had fantastic ideas and business models, but had no access to the legal ins and outs that are imperative to running a fully legitimate, successful and protected company.

She started Foundd Legal as a way to make all of that boring, scary, overwhelming legal stuff both accessible and affordable to entrepreneurs, creatives and designers, so they can have the best shot possible of creating a legal, lucrative, kick-arse brand and business they can share with the world.

Resources mentioned in this episode: * Found Legal * Connect with Riz on Linkedin * Facebook * Instagram

Like this show? Please leave me a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so I can thank you personally.

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In this episode I chat with 5 x TED stage speaker, Julian Treasure about how the design of workspaces affects our productivity and how listening can be beneficial to us as speakers and facilitators.

In this episode you will learn how offices are organic spaces that should be designed based on the activity, factors that affect people’s happiness and productivity in work, why is silence is important in improving conscious listening and how to listen to someone you don’t agree with!

Julian is a sound and communication expert. He travels the world training people to listen better and create healthier sound. He is the author of the books How to be Heard and Sound Business.

His TED talks have been watched more than 80 million times. His latest, How to speak so that people want to listen, is in the top 10 TED talks of all time.

Click here for show notes
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Juan Daniel Sobrado hopped on the First Time Facilitator podcast recently, to chat with Leanne Hughes about ticket sales platforms for webinars and online training sessions.

Resources mentioned on this show:

Learning Legendario
Eventbrite
Zapier
ConvertKit
Mailchimp

Check out Juanda’s Zoom magic tricks!

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Sally Prosser is a voice coach who is crushing it on TokTok. She does really cool things - organises events called Voice and Vinho, hosts 6 week voice makeover programs and brings creativity and flair into all the mediums she works in, including workshops.

In this episode, we talk about voice coaching, tips for delivering workshops and managing energy (she has a terrific metaphor for energy). I also ask her if it’s possible to change our voice.

Sally is a former TV journalist, PR consultant and spokesperson. Prior to her broadcast career she ran a successful Speech & Drama studio. She also hosts the That Voice podcast too

View the show notes for Episode 116
Visit Sally’s website
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Bonus episode coming to you this week. I was invited onto The Morning Kick, a morning huddle hosted by Andrew Pitchford and the team from Excite Media.

Last week, I posted on LinkedIn about the double-mindedness we can all go through trying to be authentic at this time and how to be present, real, but have empathy while still being about the business.

How many plates are we spinning when we turn up online?

Join Andrew and I as we discuss how to show up as a business owner on social during this time.

If you like the format of this conversation, you can join their morning huddles by joining their FB group called Business Thrival Mastermind.

While you’re on Facebook, join The Flipchart community, too!

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Today’s guest in Matthew Mason, the Chief Learning Architect at Superb Learning, an innovative content development and training business focused on better training, better outcomes by working with organisations to develop modern and creative learning solutions.

We recorded this interview pre-covid however it could not come at a more relevant time, particularly as we talk about how to move our face to face workshop events online, the importance of creating community, and Matthew also shares helpful tools you can use to create online learning and more importantly, keep people engaged.

Matthew is recognised both as a Certified Online Learning Facilitator and Certified Learning Professional for the Asia Pacific Institute for Learning & Performance (ILP). This year I’ve volunteered as a Queensland Regional Advocate for the ILP so I’ve seen Matthew a few times around the digs there this year.

He’s also the co-director of the Certified Learning Institute providing learning professionals with practical, actionable and relevant training to keep them ahead of the curve AND a director of Reality Creators, an innovative learning and development company, specialising in the development of immersive learning experiences. Through the use of Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, 360 degree videos and interactive videos Reality Creators creates engaging and cutting edge learning resources.

Full show notes at: https://www.firsttimefacilitator.com/episode115

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Let me say upfront: This is a notepad and pen episode. Take them out, now! Dr JJ Peterson is the Chief of Teaching and Facilitation at StoryBrand and he’s my guest on the show. It was recorded recently so we do touch on covid-19 and how StoryBrand are pivoting their workshops to online but JJ […]

The post How to position yourself as the guide (not the hero) with Dr JJ Peterson (Episode 114) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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@Oscartrimboli and I caught up yesterday to share ideas on how to make #Zoom breakout rooms more effective during virtual workshops. Listen in! #virtualworkshops #zoom

The post Bonus: How to use Zoom breakout rooms effectively with Oscar Trimboli appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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I hope you’re keeping safe, eating a variety of food, getting some movement into your day while we navigate this uncertainty and complexity. This week, I’m keeping the content fresh again and talking to a person who wrote the book about adapting to change, it’s called “Think on your feet: Tips and Tricks to Improve […]

The post Moving Improv workshops online by thinking on your feet with Jen Oleniczak Brown (Episode 113) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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Today’s guest, Jonas Rajanto’s life has changed over the last two weeks – he has been in demand, helping individuals and businesses pivot their offline offerings, online. Jonas is based in Finland and is affectionately known as “The Remote Meeting Guy”. In this show we talk about energy required to facilitate online workshops and how […]

The post Virtual meeting and workshop tips from the Remote Meeting Guy, Jonas Rajanto (Episode 112) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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BONUS EPISODE During these unprecedented Covid-19 times, I thought it would be helpful for listeners to lean into a conversation between their facilitation peers. With less than 24 hours notice, I invited Murray Guest and Steph Clarke onto a Zoom call, to have an open conversation on how we’re feeling, how we’re responding, and how […]

The post Never let a good crisis go to waste with Murray Guest and Steph Clarke (Episode 111) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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In this episode I chat with Nicholas about how to strive to become the best version of yourself as a facilitator and how to make a difference in others lives. I think that’s one of our goals as facilitators: Create some type of transformation from when a participant enters our workshop. We want to spark […]

The post We all have a choice to get to the next level with Nicholas King (Episode 110) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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It’s been just over a year now since I stepped out as a solopreneur and I feel like I’m still trying to find that ultra niche topic for me to really double down on. I run workshops on so many things: leadership, team dynamics, negotiation, communication, Strengths – I’m still a generalist and everyday, I […]

The post Facilitating your passion pivot (and being brave to step into it) with Scott Armstrong (Episode 109) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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This is a surprise, pop-up show! I had so many of you asking questions about how to facilitate virtual meetings and webinars, so I’ve created a practical episode, on this very topic this week. It seems like there is more of a demand to do this well, particularly given world events like coronavirus, we’re seeing […]

The post Effective virtual facilitation using Zoom Webinars with Leanne Hughes (Episode 108) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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Charisma: An important topic that we haven’t explored enough on this show. How do you know when someone is charismatic? What clues do you pick up? That’s a question I ask today’s guest, to get her thoughts on what it takes to be charismatic. And spoiler alert? The good news is, we can all get a little […]

The post Get going (and then get good) with Kate Norris (Episode 107) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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Leanne Hughes interviews #1 coaching thought leader and author, Michael Bungay-Stanier on the First Time Facilitator podcast.

The post Why being “barely adequate” is a smart strategy for First Time Facilitators with Michael Bungay-Stanier (Episode 106) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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Here’s a question for you. Think about the last workshop you delivered. If you had to use a ratio, how much time did you spend speaking, explaining, emphasising vs the group speaking, sharing, contributing? That’s a great reflection question, isn’t it? I can’t claim it. It’s question that led today’s guest into becoming more curious […]

The post Legendary learning + the facilitation percentage game with Juan Daniel Sobrado (Episode 105) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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When do you stop calling yourself a First Time Facilitator? How do you know when you’ve graduated to just being a “Facilitator”? I’ve given a bit of consideration to this and put together my thoughts in this episode. I talk about some key things to stop, start (and continue) doing, for example: Stop apologising when […]

The post When do you stop calling yourself a First Time Facilitator? with Leanne Hughes (Episode 104) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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With the inevitable changes happening all around us, teams need to build their capabilities so that they can successfully adopt new change projects and confidently adapt to their ever-changing environments. Academic, change facilitator & tech startup founder, Lydia Moussa, combines knowledge and evidence from her PhD in change implementation research, with years of change facilitation […]

The post Learning to adapt, adopt and love change with Lydia Moussa (Episode 103) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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You know when you run a workshop, every now and then you peer around the room to see who’s paying attention, who looks interested (and, who doesn’t!) and you make judgments based on what you’re seeing from up the front of the room? I thought that was a key part of being a facilitator – […]

The post Using body language to create a powerful workshop experience with Mark Bowden (Episode 102) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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This week on the show sharing my Top 10 facilitation lessons learnt over the last 100 episodes. I’m going to compare the facilitator I was 100 weeks ago, with the facilitator I am now (or who I aspire to be), based on the information I’ve been able to extract from previous guests and experiences. I […]

The post 10 facilitation lessons from the last 100 weeks with Leanne Hughes (Episode 101) + a bonus interview with Murray Guest appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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Leanne Hughes interviews Jordan Harbinger on the First Time Facilitator podcast

The post Facilitating conversations with the world’s best performers with Jordan Harbinger (Episode 100) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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How do your fellow facilitators plan their new year? Be inspired and get some new ideas on how to plan your 2020 by hearing 16 previous guests of the First Time Facilitator podcast share how they they form their plan of attack Special thanks to the following facilitators for contributing to this week’s episode: Sue […]

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We’re closing in to the end of not only a year, but a decade as well. I wanted to take some time out on today’s episode to reflect on the year, and ask some questions to help you reflect, as well as focus in on creating a delightful 2020. In this episode, I share some […]

The post “That which you can plan is too small for you to live”: 2019 reflections + 2020 planning with Leanne Hughes (Episode 98) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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Communication is an integral part of any work or life situation. Regardless of how compelling the speaker is, all audiences have limited attention spans. To become a more effective communicator, it is important to learn how to connect with your audience and make more meaningful conversations with them. My guest this week, Chris Huet from […]

The post Facilitating like a fighter pilot (with the pace of a poet) with Chris Huet (Episode 97) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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Solopreneurs face challenges such as business plans, goals, invoices, paying taxes, paying contractors and managing contracts. In this episode I chat with Riz McDonald on how you can simplify entering into contracts with your clients and protecting your intellectual property at the same time. She knows from experience how difficult and time consuming it can […]

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Have you ever delivered a workshop where your participants are told they HAVE to attend? It’s not too fun as a facilitator. Today’s guest, Tim Ferguson from Audience Communication & Events Inc started reframing the situation when he asked, “What could we do to get our participants leaping out of their chairs to attend our […]

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I’ve often been asked how I started my facilitation journey, how I escaped my 9-5 job and how I’ve landed international training opportunities. I share all of that, and more in this week’s episode! Resources mentioned on the show: Dorie Clark’s Entrepreneurial You self-assessment Michael Bungay-Stanier’s book, “Do More Great Work” Jenny Blake’s book, Pivot: […]

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We are stepping outside of the general facilitation industry today, and finding inspiration from the real estate industry. More specifically, the role of an auctioneer! Auctioneers have to prepare for bid day; they have to facilitate an outcome for a client, and they also have to do this in group of large groups. As you’ll […]

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This week on the show, I’m reconnecting with Joanna Wieseinger Ph.D from Thrive With Strengths, who I nearly ‘met’ at the CliftonStrengths conference in Omaha earlier this year (you’ll hear the story on this episode). As a Certified Gallup CliftonStrengths trainer, Joanna helps leaders and their teams find the right conditions to THRIVE WITH STRENGTHS […]

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Can you imagine a day where we actually got what we needed to get done, done? I cannot wait to share this interview with you, because my guest today, Nir Eyal is talking about gaining the superpower of INDISTRACTABILITY! It’s funny, I get so many comments from listeners and even friends saying, Leanne you’re so […]

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This episode is a bit of fun, may be polarising but the thing is, it’s a question I’ve had to ask myself more than a few times – so when I ask myself a question, I figure that there is at least one other person in the world asking themselves the same things. Let’s set […]

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I’d love you to meet my (nearly) facilitation twin, Dr Myriam Hadnes. Although we have completely different career backgrounds, we are driven by the same thing. Myriam is based in Amsterdam and she also hosts a show about workshops! On this episode, we talk through her career pivots and how she discovered that she didn’t fit […]

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Our guest today has an amazing perspective on how to help businesses succeed, by creating authentic and exceptional customer experiences. His name is Tom Scantlebury and he’s the founder of Sky Blue Customer Experiences Services. Tom is based down the Gold Coast, Australia. In this conversation, you’ll learn the parallels between Customer Experience (CX) and […]

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Have you heard about LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®? I, as I’m sure many of you did too, grew up playing with LEGO and used it to craft all sorts of things, from space-ships, to holiday resort. I was seeing quite a few people on LinkedIn share their photos of LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® sessions and I was […]

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This episode was inspired by the traction I got from a LinkedIn post a few weeks ago, that also got some great response on The Flipchart. The post was about music. Before I share the essence of the post, I don’t think I need to give an explanation on why music is important. I have […]

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Today, you will be hearing a conversation I had with my dad, Aneurin Hughes. This isn’t too self-indulgent thing though, we haven’t done this to record family memories, we are keeping this on topic for you! Dad is a civil engineer and some of my earliest memories were watching him prepare for conference speeches. He […]

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You’re in for a delightful listen this week as I’m interviewing a superstar facilitator, Ingrid Thompson from healthynumbers.com.au. Ingrid is an educator, problem solver and the Founder of Healthy Numbers.Ingrid describes herself as a sponge, particularly a learning sponge. She loves listening and reading and building, and absorbing all the knowledge, so she can share […]

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Please don’t read the title of this and think I’m telling you to MAKE people meet each other and force their connections using icebreakers! There’s a bit more to it in this minisode. Yes, this episode is all about icebreakers and energisers. I feel like I could create literally dozens of episodes on these two […]

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Angela Henderson runs the most amazing workshops, conferences and retreats and takes that time to put the care into these events.

The post Facilitating a human connection with Angela Henderson (Episode 82) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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Someone asked me recently, ‘Hey Leanne if there was one word that described your approach and what you find most important in designing and delivering a workshop, what would that word be? ’That word for me is: Contrast. You can call it other words like variety, or even a phrase like ‘mixing it up’ – […]

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I thought I’d invite a special guest back. Sarah McVanel featured on Episode 39 of the First Time Facilitator podcast, where we spoke about discovering your facilitator zone of genius. I got so much value from her about the business side of facilitation, that when I left my corporate job in February it took me […]

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I’m fresh back in Australia after delivering an intense week-and-a-bit facilitation gig over in Hong Kong. I had a wonderful time and learnt some lessons on the road, that I’d like to share with you. Why? Prevention is better than cure! This trip had it all: Typhoons, civil unrest and a missing credit card! Watch […]

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Today I’m calling on the northern hemisphere, and the UK in particular and chatting to Janine Waldman and Paul Z Jackson from The Solutions Focus. These two are master facilitators, you will pick that up in this conversation. You may also pick up in the conversation that I was in awe of them, considering their […]

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In this solo mini-sode, I share an amazing flipchart hack that will help you feel more present, more focused and less-distracted the morning of a workshop. Resources mentioned in this episode Join our community on Facebook called ‘The Flipchart’ Tim Pence’s business, Small Truths Drawing tube from Eckersly’s Connect with Leanne Hughes on LinkedIn

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I met today’s guest, Brett McGuire on my work travels to Indonesia last year. When I wanted to seek out a person to help me on the workshops I’m facilitating in Hong Kong later this month, I thought Brett would be able to give me some incredible insight, given his cultural and cross-border work with […]

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Yes I told you I’d be doing solo minisodes every fortnight, however I wanted to bring this chat to you sooner and while it’s fresh and relevant. This is a reflection conversation I shared with my co-facilitator, following our presentation at the Clifton Strengths conference. Adam and I met on this podcast and through some […]

The post How did we do? Reflections from our #CliftonStrengths presentation with Adam Mustoe (Episode 75) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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I'm so excited to share my interview with the incredible @jenny_blake on this week's First Time Facilitator podcast! #facilitation

The post Pivoting into public speaking with Jenny Blake (Episode 74) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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I don’t think I’m the only facilitator who has ever had this problem. You want to start your meeting or workshop but there are a few people who are late. What do you do, do you start the meeting, or do you delay? Early on in my career, lacking experience and confidence I said ‘we’d […]

The post How to start a workshop when you’re waiting for people to show up with Leanne Hughes (Episode 73) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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I love the opportunity to reach out to amazing facilitators all around the world and ask them how they do it, and today I’m so excited to share my chat with Dr Rebecca Sutherns from rebeccasutherns.com. If you’re a senior leader looking to make wiser decisions faster… If you’re a facilitator looking to up your […]

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This minisode will be about my experience at the Clifton Strengths conference I recently attended and spoke at in Omaha, Nebraska and I want to share what they did really well. I know that you may either be a manager in an organisation, a L&D person, a facilitation working internally, a facilitator working externally or […]

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Today’s guest is Dr Ian Plowman and he’s also from Brisbane, Australia. I met him during Dr Cathryn Lloyd and Andrew Rixon’s workshop on ‘The Story Cookbook’. After a very brief conversation with him, I knew I had to have him on the show – he is tremendously smart and a wonderful listener, but he […]

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Wouldn’t it be great if, when Monday hit, more people would say, “yeaaah, TGIF!’ Today’s guest is on the line from Germany and she wants more people getting excited about every single day. Her name is Nadja Petranovskaja, she has a company called ‘More Shiny Eyes’ and she has really fresh approach to the way […]

The post Creating more shiny eye moments for your group with Nadja Petranovskaja (Episode 69) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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Loved chatting to @melkettle on the First Time Facilitator pod this week. Listen in and let me know your thoughts!

The post Flight mode and for-purpose facilitation with Mel Kettle (Episode 68) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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Today’s guest believes who you know is more important that what you know. His name is Travis Chappell and he’s the founder and host of the ‘Build your network’ brand, and podcast of the same name. One of the main reasons I invited Travis on the show is because he hosts some of the […]

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In the last couple of months I’ve been getting different types of guests on who can strong-hold our facilitation game. I had Julian Mather on recently sharing his advice about creating video content, Jason Knight who is an outstanding graphic designer sharing his tools for creating more impactful workshop resources, and today I have invited […]

The post You don’t need a power blazer to look powerful with Majella McMahon (Episode 66) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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I don’t know if this is happening for you, but what I’m observing from people working in organisations is that time feels like it’s speeding up for them, they’re getting more work too do, they’re more overloaded and it feels like it’s only getting harder for them to keep up, leaving them feeling stressed, burnt […]

The post How to facilitate for the ‘Future of Work’ with Pete Holliday (Episode 65) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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Do you want to hear a really cool way of getting people to laugh the first few minutes they enter your workshop? Well listen in! This week’s guest is Lily Gros and she’s the first French facilitator we’ve had on the show. Like me, she’s also recently left her job to pursue a full-time role […]

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Everywhere I look, every article I read, people are talking about video. Have you noticed that? And it’s true – if you post a native video onto LinkedIn, it actually gets 3 x as more views as regular content. How did I find out about today’s guest? I was on the LinkedIn news feed and […]

The post Lifelong learning + creating magic on camera with Julian Mather (Episode 63) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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It is here! The final part of my 3 part series for the ’12 Rules for Facilitation’. I was inspired by Dr Jordan Peterson’s book, 12 Rules for Life, and thought I could share my thoughts, on rules or a framework that has helped me, and can hopefully help you as a First Time Facilitator. […]

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As facilitators and trainers, we’re usually to not only deliver engaging and compelling workshops and conferences, but also develop the training materials and resources that go with it – the booklets, the Powerpoint deck, the handouts, the checklists. It can get pretty labour intensive. I know it certainly does for me. And it calls on […]

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What’s your process for designing meeting, workshop or conference content? in today’s episode I’m interviewing two expert facilitators who have compiled over 80 activities to elicit story-sharing in workshops, in a book called The Story Cookbook. The authors are Dr Cathryn Lloyd and Andrew Rixon. Cathryn has appeared on the podcast before, in episode 52

The post Practical recipes for change with Dr Cathryn Lloyd and Andrew Rixon (Episode 60) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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This week’s episode is a solo one and it’s Part 2 of my series, ‘12 Rules for Facilitation’. Two episodes ago, in Episode 57 I shared the first four rules. I was inspired by Dr Jordan Peterson’s book, 12 Rules for Life, and thought I could share my thoughts, on rules or a framework that […]

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Our guest today is really passionate about how learning is designed and delivered. She believes that good things happen when you bring likeminded individuals together from the world of training, facilitation and coaching to learn, to grow, to share and connect. She’s also here to support businesses who have a passion and desire to develop […]

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When you reflect on the workshops and conferences you deliver, each of us has a different style and a different way of bringing yourself to the party. These are my 12 Rules for Facilitation. My non-negotiables. I started writing this episode when I was debriefing my ‘lessons learnt’ after facilitating a two day conference this week. […]

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As I’ve explored in earlier episodes, when you’re up delivering and facilitating workshops, you’re not only using a lot of mental load, but it’s very much a physical job, too. Today’s guest recognises that and he’s a pretty cool system of checking in and making sure he handles that physicality, I’ll let him explain in […]

The post The small truths of facilitation (and taking care of yourself, systematically) with Tim Pence (Episode 56) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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Today’s guest runs the coolest workshops I’ve ever heard of, no joke. And how does he embed learning at the end of these workshops? By making people practice the skills they’ve learn, when they rock up to Sir Elton John’s Oscars after-party.Not too many people can say that to their clients…But today’s guest, is a […]

The post Facilitating once in a lifetime workshop experiences with Steve Sims (Episode 55) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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Team building. Love it? Hate it? Don’t really bother? It’s an interesting concept. I actually LOVE teambuilding and taking any opportunity I can, especially during work hours, to have fun with my peers. It seems though, over the years, team-building has got a bit of a bad wrap. The other week, I posted an article […]

The post Team-Building: How to create appealing (and less eye-rolling) experiences with Andy Balzat (Episode 54) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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In a perfect world, we would be working alongside newly formed teams, newly promoted managers and helping to set the scene, create a team vision, purpose and values and define ways of working. The reality is, we’re usually called in when things are either starting to crack in a team environment. And it can be […]

The post Team Coaching: How to help teams have the conversations they need to have with Steph Clarke (Episode 53) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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Dr Cathryn Lloyd is a facilitator, educator, researcher, arts practitioner, and creative development coach. She describes herself as a ‘bricoleur’ in the way she brings together different methodologies and processes to help people work well with one another. Dr. Cathryn brings in ‘Artful Inquiry’ processes and facilitation to move creativity into action and to create […]

The post Creative facilitation (and why doing gives you the greatest learning) with Dr Cathryn Lloyd (Episode 52) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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Our guest today knows that in every poor presentation, there is a brilliant presentation waiting to be unleashed. A wizard of PowerPoint design and presentation physicality, Thomas comes with a deep understanding built from dedicating years to the art of presenting. Fun is his primary weapon and he uses it to break down all walls […]

The post PowerPoint tips every facilitator needs to know with Thomas Krafft (Episode 51) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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In this episode, I sit down in the guests's seat, and reflect on 50 episodes of the First Time Facilitator podcast. Sean Lavin guides a great conversation on what I've learnt from my guests, what I've learnt about myself in the process, and what's happened as a result of launching the podcast.

The post What I’ve learnt during 50 episodes of the First Time Facilitator podcast (Episode 50) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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There’s really common theme when I ask facilitators what skills they think are necessary for facilitation. The answer? It’s about the ability to listen. Not only to the words, but listening in to what’s happening in the room, listening to what’s not being said, listening into the nonverbal cues. Knowing this, I brought on a […]

The post Great facilitators notice patterns in the room with Oscar Trimboli (Episode 49) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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Her alarm is set for 3.45am every week day. Meet Petra Zink, a Coach, Speaker and Consultant on all things Career & the Future of Work. In this episode, we talk about building your credibility as a facilitator when you’re first starting out, and how to market yourself without feeling like you’re bragging about you. […]

The post Don’t sell the plane, sell the holiday: How to demonstrate your credibility to others with Petra Zink (Episode 48) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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This episode is coming to you on 31 December 2018, the last day of yet another year. I know it’s cliche setting new year’s resolutions and I don’t really do those, but I do find that this time of the year is really great for taking the time out to reflect, reset and refocus for […]

The post Reflect, refocus, reset: Simple tools to make 2019 your best year ever (Episode 47) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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Happy Christmas eve to all of you, and I hope you are taking the time to relax with family and friend’s and also recharging for a big 2019. Today’s guest is Kerry Brocks, and she is the CEO and Founder of the Institute for Learning Professionals. We met up over a coffee in Brisbane around […]

The post Learning is not a stand-alone event with Kerry Brocks (Episode 46) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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In today’s episode, I talk to Julian Treasure. Julian is a sought-after and top-rated international sound and communication expert. He is a gripping speaker with 5 TED talks online which have been viewed around 40 million times. Julian travels the world training people to listen better and create healthier sound. His vision is to transform […]

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I recently co-facilitated a leadership course for mid-level leaders and as part of that, explained the SCARF mode. This is a brain based model created by David Rock in 2008; a summary of important discoveries from neuroscience about the way people interact socially. Rock combines all the research and makes it easy for people that […]

The post Creating rewarding workshop experiences: How to apply the SCARF model into your facilitation work (Episode 44) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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If you’ve ever wondered how to make communication in meetings easier, and what x-factor tools can help you bring a conference together and really support your skills in facilitation, then you’ll love hearing from today’s guest. His name is Matteo Becchi and he’s based in Washington DC. He was recommended by Aminata N’Doye, one of […]

The post No artistry required: Rediscovering paper, pencils and markers with Matteo Becchi (Episode 43) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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In this episode, I chat to 2018 Podcast Hall of Fame inductee, Dave Jackson. He’s been podcasting since April 2005, and has been the host of nearly a dozen different podcasts over the last decade. Most people chat to Dave about creating or improving their podcast but I wanted to focus on the fact that […]

The post Edutainment: How to combine knowledge, wit and interaction in your presentations with Dave Jackson (Episode 42) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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Today’s guest is on a mission to liberate innovation, creativity and leadership within organisations. On this episode, you’ll hear how Dr Irena Yashin-Shaw transitioned from a high school teacher to become Australia’s leading expert on creativity and innovation. Listen in when she discusses the strategies she uses to facilitate knowledge retention and behaviour change in […]

The post Unleash your inner intrapreneur: How facilitators can liberate innovation and creativity in organisations with Dr Irena Yashin-Shaw (Episode 41) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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The challenge with facilitating or running any type of training program, is ensuring that the lessons stick with participants. This week, I chat to Martin Probst from PROfound leadership on how you can help your learners retain their knowledge, and change their behaviour long after they have left the workshop. Martin is an author, a Career […]

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Sarah McVanel is a recognition expert, author, an experienced and dynamic speaker and coach. She helps leaders leverage the exponential power of recognition to retain top talent and sustain healthy bottom-lines. She helps organisations by curating healthy workplace cultures through her FROG methodology (Forever Recognize Others’ Greatness), as well as through speaking, training, coaching and […]

The post Discover your facilitator zone of genius (and monetise your facilitation skills) with Sarah McVanel (Episode 39) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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How do you go about packing when you’re off to deliver a workshop? I’ve been travelling quite a bit and spending a lot of time and energy packing. I thought it was high time I developed some kind of system or checklist around this because spending time and energy on things that can be automated, […]

The post The ultimate facilitator packing checklist (and how the MOST method saves you energy) with Leanne Hughes (Episode 38) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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This week’s episode is a bit unusual, it’s a lot shorter than others and it’s really an announcement episode. For a while, like more than six weeks, I’ve promised to launch a Facebook group for the First Time Facilitator audience, or really, anyone that wants to become a better facilitator, trainer or workshop content developer. […]

The post Announcement: Facebook Group is finally here (p.s. It’s called ‘The Flipchart’) (Episode 37) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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What does it take to get to get to superhero status in the facilitation game? In this solo episode, Leanne Hughes explores and explains the 7 key attributes she thinks are critical to becoming a superhero facilitator. So, how does a facilitator carry out the responsibilities of a facilitator like a superhero (Lycra optional)? Listen […]

The post 7 attributes of a superhero facilitator (and how to rescue a workshop from a fate worse than death) with Leanne Hughes (Episode 36) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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In today’s episode, I talk to Hadiya Nuriddin. Hadiya is a speaker, a learning strategist, instructional designer and an e-Learning Developer based in Chicago. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in all levels of learning and development and has extensive experience in designing, developing, and delivering both technical and professional development courses. Hadiya is extremely […]

The post Shift your focus: Be with your audience (not just in front of them) with Hadiya Nuriddin (Episode 35) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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In today’s episode, I talk to Toon Verlinden. Toon is an international presentation coach and expert in scientific communication. He is a freelance science and travel journalist and a Biochemical Engineer by profession. Together with Hans Van de Water, they started a blog and wrote a book called ‘The Floor is Yours: Because Life is too […]

The post How a chemical engineer is changing the way academics present (because life is too short for bad presentations) with Toon Verlinden (Episode 34) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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On today’s show, I chat to Steph Clarke. Steph is originally from the UK and is now based in Melbourne, Australia. She runs her own business, using her experience in learning, leadership development and executive coaching to develop courses to help organisations develop and professionals become more confident, productive and effective leaders. We cover topics […]

The post The pre-workshop questions you can use to drive a great outcome with Steph Clarke (Episode 33) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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Today’s episode is all about co-facilitating. I’ve been wondering how to do it more effectively – particularly if you need to develop the actual content together as well. If you’re handed something off the shelf to deliver, it’s a lot easier to co-facilitate- but doing both the development and delivery together sometimes can be a […]

The post Does co-facilitating mean half (or double) the work? with Leanne Hughes (Episode 32) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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When you’re asked to deliver another workshop, do you find you’re having to recreate content, or dig around different folders, trying to find that one slide or activity that worked really well all those years ago? This happens to me. It drives me crazy. I wish I had a better way, or system to store […]

The post It’s time to stop recreating content: How to be a more productive facilitator with Sally Foley-Lewis (Episode 31) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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Murray Guest is a coach, consultant, facilitator and speaker based out of Newcastle, Australia. His consultancy is called ‘Inspire my business’ which is apt, because as you will be able to tell from the conversation, he’s an inspirational bloke. After over 20 years in corporate roles which included roles as a QA Manager, L&D Manager, […]

The post A hostage, a hard-worker and a holiday maker walk into a workshop… with Murray Guest (Episode 30) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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Ever had to facilitate a strategic or planning session, or important meeting, and wanted some fresh ideas on how to do it, and how to make that agenda come to life? I recently had a fantastic opportunity to facilitate a three day annual planning meeting. As part of my preparation, I discovered some interesting tools […]

The post Adventurous agendas and other tools you can use in your next meeting (Episode 29) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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In today’s episode, you’re going to hear from a good mate of mine, Joshua John. Josh has been living in the Kimberley region of Western Australia and has been working as a Language, Literacy and Numeracy trainer at North Regional TAFE. It’s a pretty challenging gig for trainers in the region. It’s normal for trainer to […]

The post Facilitation is all about the tempo with Joshua John (Episode 28) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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Usually on the show I interview amazing facilitators, speakers and leaders but I’m going solo for today’s episode. This is the third solo episode I’ve recorded and these ones are usually spurred on by questions I receive from listeners. The question this week was from a colleague and it was this, “Leanne, how did you […]

The post Being comfortable (with feeling uncomfortable) with Leanne Hughes (Episode 27) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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In today’s episode, I talk to Neen James. Neen is a sought-out, high-energy keynote speaker in the States who challenges her audiences to leverage their focus and pay attention to what matters most at work and in life. Audiences love her practical strategies they can apply personally and professionally, and meeting planners love working with her […]

The post When you stand in service, you can’t be nervous with Neen James (Episode 26) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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In today’s episode, I talk to Mark McKeon about the parallels between creating high performance on the footy pitch; and high stake situations in a group workshop facilitation environment. Need some inspiration and motivation? Mark provides that in this episode, along with some extremely practical tips which you can start implementing in your facilitation game. […]

The post Split brain workshop facilitation: How to balance the now with the ‘What’s next?’ with Mark McKeon (Episode 25) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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In today’s episode, I talk to Sean Lavin about his experience with facilitation and the team profile tool called the ‘Team Management Profile’. Sean is a passionate, optimistic and friendly personality with a strong background in both hotel/services and open-cut coal mining operations. He is firmly focused on growth and learning, whilst simultaneously gaining as […]

The post How to develop a workshop using a team profiling tool (while keeping it light and fun) with Sean Lavin (Episode 24) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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In today’s episode, I talk to Lynne Cazaly. Lynne is a communication and engagement expert. She is obsessed with helping leaders lead their teams through transformation and change. She helps people distil their thinking, apply ideas and innovation and boost the engagement and collaboration effectiveness of teams. She believes that having the ability to build rapport and […]

The post Facilitation is the act of making something easier with Lynne Cazaly (Episode 23) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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In today’s episode, I talk to Sean D’Souza. Sean is a cartoonist, author, online marketing strategist, a pretty good cook (judging from his social media photos) and an energetic facilitator who applies his skills in creating a different kind of workshop. He reads on average 100 books a year. Teaching runs in his blood, as his father, […]

The post What clients really want from a workshop (and no, it’s not information) with Sean D’Souza (Episode 22) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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I chat with Jane Anderson on her experience delivering workshops and content to over 50,000 people. She shares why personal branding is so important, how you can craft your own (remarkable) facilitator brand and how she developed the courage to share her brand with the world. Jane is passionate about helping industry experts to be […]

The post Crafting your (remarkable) facilitator brand with Jane Anderson (Episode 21) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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Tyson is the CEO and Co-Founder of Carisma, a digital application that allows your mechanic to provide you with your cars visual service history. In this episode, we talk about using humour in your deliver, adapting to your audience and using different tools and strategies to be a better facilitator. Tyson provides practical tips on […]

The post Turn up early and read the room with Tyson Young (Episode 20) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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In today’s episode I talk to Dana the Trainer. Dana promises bright ideas and electric training, and likes to do things a little differently in her training environment. Her philosophy is really about ensuring that people learn the skills they need to learn, while having a really great time. In the show you’ll hear about how […]

The post Creating a learning atmosphere of “serious fun” with Dana the Trainer (Episode 19) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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In today’s episode I respond to a listener’s question – I do these listener Q&A’s from time to time, to give you some practical insight into how I facilitate and approach situations. Today’s question is from Joanne Alilovic from 3D HR Legal. Like me, Jo likes to do things a little bit differently. In her […]

The post Help! Suggestions needed for facilitating a two hour workshop. Listener Q&A (Episode 18) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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Bob Dick is a change agent and facilitator who has been in the business 45 years. He believes that teachers don’t teach, learners learn. In this episode we talk about the difference in process and content, the power of action learning, and how he helps his groups transfer learnings from a workshop, back into the real […]

The post The 45 year group facilitation experiment (and how I’m still learning) with Bob Dick (Episode 17) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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In this episode, we hear from Adam Mustoe – a Gallup certified Strengths Coach and second-generation pastor. He uses an assessment tool called CliftonStrengths to help people find the intersection of their unique talents and rewarding work. The CliftonStrengths assessment is based on 40 years of research by the Gallup corporation where it reveals 34 […]

The post How to strengthen your facilitation by connecting, teaching and landing with Adam Mustoe (Episode 16) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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In this First Time Facilitator episode, you’ll hear from Therese Lardner, a psychologist, leadership coach, speaker and workshop facilitator. She shares how being thrown into the deep end helped build her confidence in public speaking, and why your choice of words matter as a facilitator. This is why Therese dedicates her career to teaching people […]

The post Facilitating and leading with your head and heart with Therese Lardner (Episode 15) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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Hello fellow first time facilitators and welcome to the show this week. This is the first solo episode I’m recording and it’s come in response to some feedback I received from a listener, Aminata N’Doye from Toronto, Canada. She asked me if I could incorporate listener questions periodically. I think it’s great suggestion, it allows […]

The post Q&A: Share some of the amazing facilitation tricks you’ve seen, Leanne! (Episode 14) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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Greg Mitchell is a bit of a superstar in the education world. He does many things – cartooning, MCing, consulting and of course, facilitating. In this episode, we talk about some band-aid fixes you can use when participants threaten to de-rail your workshop, why you need to treat facilitation like entertainment, why unpredictability can also […]

The post A facilitator is an entertainer (even if you think it’s all about the content) with Greg Mitchell (Episode 13) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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On Episode 12 of the First Time Facilitator podcast, I interview Paul Hellman from Express Potential about his secrets for communication in a distracted world. Paul believes presenters only have 8 seconds to grab their audience’s attention. In this show you’ll learn How you can break through to ensure your message is heard (even in […]

The post The two hats: Switching your mode between facilitating and presenting with Paul Hellman (Episode 12) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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In this First Time Facilitator episode, Emmanuella Grace from Find Your Voice Australia explains what your voice is telling people. After running full-day workshops, she shares her ideas on preventing voice loss, and the fundamental things you can do to look after your voice. We explore longer-term approaches to creating stronger voice presence, which involves […]

The post Losing your voice when delivering a workshop? You’re doing it wrong with Emmanuella Grace (Episode 11) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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In Episode 10 of the First Time Facilitator podcast, Scott Amy from the Pacific Institute shares his secrets on Socratic facilitation and how he was inspired by a faciltator who incorporated flamenco dancing in his workshop. In this episode you’ll learn Why seeing a strong facilitator (who used a style of flamenco dancing in his […]

The post Keeping workshop content fresh after 25 years (and how I was inspired by a flamenco dancing facilitator) with Scott Amy (Episode 10) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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In this First Time Facilitator podcast episode, facilitator, entrepreneur and inventor Cherelle Witney shares how a diverse career spanning legal, health and tourism has helped her confidently deliver workshops to thousands of participants. In this episode you’ll learn: How to create a safe environment (hint: It’s all about being yourself) Why you only have three […]

The post The three minute rule of group facilitation with Cherelle Witney (Episode 9) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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In this First Time Facilitator episode, internationally bestselling author Matthew Dicks shares why storytelling so important, and how telling stories is not simply sharing a series of events; it’s the manipulation of emotions. It’s a skill that can be taught and he shares some of the techniques he uses to engage his audience, whether they’re […]

The post Storytelling works! (Because no one’s ever asked to see a Powerpoint presentation twice) (Episode 8) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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In this First Time Facilitator episode, Sue Johnston from the Artemis Group shares practical facilitation advice from an introvert’s perspective. She talks about how she ‘accidentally’ wound up as a facilitator after working on strategies to make weekly teleconferences more effective. Sue also emphasises the importance of preparation, and why it’s critical to revisit and […]

The post Preparation: It’s the security blanket for facilitators with Sue Johnston (Episode 7) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

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In this First Time Facilitator episode, we hear from consultant, Rachel Grace, on how she facilitates and leads mindfulness workshops; and coaches people to adapt to the rapid change of modern day work-life and society. Rachel believe the world needs more mindful leaders and they need them right now. The skill of mindfulness isn’t only […]

The post We need more mindful leaders (and we need them right now) with Rachel Grace (Episode 6) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large: Continue learning from Leanne and her guests in her brand new podcast
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In this First Time Facilitator episode, we hear from Humor Engineer, Andrew Tarvin on how he crafts and embeds comedy into his presentations and work life. Andrew provides simple, actionable tips on how to do this; and why it’s important to brings laughter into the workplace. In this episode you’ll learn: Simple hacks you can […]

The post How to use humour to deliver x-factor presentations (and laughs) with Andrew Tarvin (Episode 5) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large: Continue learning from Leanne and her guests in her brand new podcast
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Leanne is also posting weekly content on her YouTube channel.

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In this episode you’ll learn: How drawing for others shows participants that you value their time Why drawing on a flip-chart is more authentic and human and invites feedback, over a pre-prepared powerpoint presentation The four-step system they teach, so that anyone can walk out of their two day workshop with the skills for visual facilitation […]

The post Why drawing together can help solve complex problems (and change the world) with Marcel Van Hove (Episode 4) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large: Continue learning from Leanne and her guests in her brand new podcast
Subscribe so you don't miss a thing!
Leanne is also posting weekly content on her YouTube channel.

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IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL FIND OUT ABOUT: How she used to throw up before speaking in public and how she overcame that fear How she manages the participants (and her own) energy levels over a five-day workshop. Why it’s important to shut the world off (and your phone) when you’re in a learning environment Why […]

The post Conquering your fear of public speaking with expert trainer and facilitator, Nikki McMurray (Episode 3) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large: Continue learning from Leanne and her guests in her brand new podcast
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Leanne is also posting weekly content on her YouTube channel.

Support the show (https://buymeacoffee.com/leannehughes)

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Welcome to the second episode of the First Time Facilitator podcast. Teagan Dowler is the Founder of The BCW, Treasurer of the Diversity Practitioners Association, Author of Rules of the Game and Organisational Development and Leadership Coach. Teagan has worked across a range of industries including Civil Construction, Iron Ore, Coal, Financial, and Health in […]

The post It’s not about you: Diversity and Inclusion expert, Teagan Dowler shares why listening is the #1 skill of a facilitator (Episode 2) appeared first on First Time Facilitator.

Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large: Continue learning from Leanne and her guests in her brand new podcast
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Leanne is also posting weekly content on her YouTube channel.

Support the show (https://buymeacoffee.com/leannehughes)

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Welcome to the first ever episode of the First Time Facilitator podcast.

This podcast is for those of you that are experts and want to share your knowledge and skills with others. In my experience, it can be difficult taking that first step to become a facilitator.

Today’s guest, and our very first, Sonia McDonald, will share some amazing advice and some tips and tricks on facilitation and training.

Sonia was recently named in the top 250 influential women across the globe by Richtopia. She’s an entrepreneur, though leader, a keynote speaker, executive coach, board advisor, and author. She’s the CEO and founder of Leadership HQ and is launching her latest book ‘Just Rock It’ in February.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL FIND OUT ABOUT: * Sonia’s response when someone asked if she knew anything about leadership. * How she was unprepared for what was to come when founding Leadership HQ. * Her success expectation after she created the leadership blog. * An insightful piece of advice to people that need that extra push or courage to stand at the front of the room. * How she’s able to fill the room with immense energy while presenting. * Key skills you need to learn so as to engage people in a workshop. * Skills she’s improved over the years and how she did it. * How she’s able to communicate in different styles to different types of audiences. * Best way to embed learning after a workshop. * The biggest challenge in the leadership space. * Why you should read Sonia’s new book, 'Just Rock It', and the motivation behind writing it. * Best advice to a first time facilitator. * Her go-to icebreaker.

RESOURCES * Video: Your body language may shape who you are by Amy Cuddy * Websites: Leadership HQ and Sonia McDonald * Book: Just Rock It by Sonia McDonald

Leanne Hughes' Work and Live Large: Continue learning from Leanne and her guests in her brand new podcast
Subscribe so you don't miss a thing!
Leanne is also posting weekly content on her YouTube channel.

Support the show (https://buymeacoffee.com/leannehughes)

First Time Facilitator: Recent Episodes

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