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FTF217: Call the Game: Ben Crothers Shares His Tips on Being Bold in Your Next Workshop or Meeting

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.

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.

Watch Leanne and Ben’s conversation below

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.

Guest Bio - 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:

Where to find Ben online:

Support the show

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FTF216: How to create productive struggle in your workshops: Zaretta Hammond shares her insights on first pancake facilitation

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.

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.

Watch Leanne and Zaretta’s conversation below

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:

  1. Website: Zaretta Hammond's Website

  2. Book: "Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain"

  3. Twitter: @Ready4rigor

  4. YouTube Channel: Zaretta Hammond on YouTube

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FTF215: The Ebb and Flow of Engagement: Anamaria Dorgo's Insights on Building Community

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.

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.


Watch the interview on YouTube.

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

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FTF214: Facilitating the Future: Douglas Ferguson shares insights on AI, Connection, and Change

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:

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FTF212: How to Chair A 2-Day Conference with Leanne Hughes

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

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Content curation is key, be intentional! Charles Hsuan interviews Leanne Hughes #friendsoffirsttimefacilitator (Episode 206)

Charles Hsuan from Flying Kite interviews Leanne Hughes on creating engaging virtual workshops and sessions on his podcast, Candid Conversations.

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.

Connect With Leanne Hughes

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 deliver.

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2020 Leanne Talks Virtual Workshop Facilitation with Andy Storch #friendsoffirsttimefacilitator (Episode 205)

Andy Storch interviews Leanne Hughes on creating engaging virtual workshops and sessions.

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 Storch
Andy 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: 

Social Media handles:

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 deliver.

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The Ideal Facilitation Space: Leanne Hughes and Lisa Evans #friendsoffirsttimefacilitator #204

Lias Evans interviews Leanne Hughes on creating the facilitation space.

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

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 Evans
Your 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
Listen to Leanne’s Podcast
Follow Leanne on LinkedIn
Join Leanne’s Facebook Group: The Flipchart
Connect with Leanne on Instagram

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 glob

Are you spending an untold amount of time and money spinning your wheels - yet creating no meaningful change momentum?

Introducing: Beyond Bureaucracy.

Join me for an amazing experience: Virtual, and live (Gold Coast, Canberra, Melbourne.
Join the waitlist for Beyond Bureaucracy

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

Quick announcements:

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How To Monetise Your Personal Brand: Leanne Hughes and Petra Zink (#friendsoffirsttimefacilitator) #203

Petra Zink interviews Leanne Hughes on how to monetise your personal brand.

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:

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. 

Petra Zink interviews Leanne Hughes about monetizing your personal brand

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How to plan an off-site retreat: Behind the scenes planning for The Junket (Episode 202)

In this behind the scenes episode, Leanne Hughes shares how she’s planning her first off-site retreat called The Junket.

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 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.

Resources mentioned in this show

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.

Social Media

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The Free Time Facilitator: How you can lose the busywork, and love your business with Jenny Blake (Episode 201 #encore)

Jenny Blake shares how facilitator business owners’ can free up their time!

I quit Instagram for the rest of the year after having this conversation!

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 Blake 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.

About today’s guest: Jenny Blake 

Jenny Blake is an author, podcaster keynote speaker heading up Delightfully Tiny Teams, Jenny Blake is passionate about helping business owners move from the everyday hustle to strategic smarter systems. Jenny has released two books: Life After College, Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One, which won the Axiom award for best business book in the careers category in 2016 and she is now set to release her third book on March 22, 2022, called Free Time: Lose The Busywork, Love Your Business. 

Free Time for Heart-Based business owners and Pivot with Jenny Blake are two podcasts that Jenny hosts with a combined one million worldwide downloads. 

Since working at Silicon Valley startup, Jenny then did five years in coaching and career development at Google. In 2011 Jenny then moved to the Big Apple (New York City) to launch her own business and to this day as we know it, Jenny lives in Manhattan with her husband and her angel-in-fur-coat German shepherd. She loves yoga and buys too many books. Learn more and take the Free Time quiz at ItsFreeTime.com.

In this episode you will learn:

  • Solopreneurs can build their business without hustling 

  • What nonlinear breakthroughs are and how they can help grow you as a person and your business

  • How to escape distractions

  • How to store and retain your ideas

  • Where you can start when it comes to licensing your IP

Here are some sample questions we asked Jenny on the show:

  • What is a nonlinear breakthrough? How can it serve us in our business?

  • How do we create “Hockey Stick” moments? We are told to focus on one thing. We are curious. Is it about asking and being open to it?

  • How do you build your business without being on social media when we live in a digital-first world?  

  • How can we escape distractions? 

  • Is there an opportunity for corporates to take on a non-linear breakthrough?  

  • How do you push your book without social media?

  • How do you store/retain ideas?

  • Are there certain requirements to licence a program?

  • How do you know when pressure is motivating or debilitating?  


Resources mentioned in this episode:


Quotes from the Episode:

  • “To be forgiving of ourselves and don’t allow the pressures to creep into the deep work time” 

  • “When you are in corporate I think you have to put in private meetings on the calendar that are for yourself otherwise people take them. That is what is so tricky about corporate calendars people feel entitled to grab the time.”

Watch the video below

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The finale with Leanne Hughes + listeners (Episode 200)

The final First Time Facilitator podcast with Leanne Hughes - reflections from Leanne and listeners on 200, amazing episodes.

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;

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.

Social Media

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Facilitating audio only sessions to give your thoughts an audience with Ronsley Vaz (Episode 199)

Leanne Hughes interviews Ronsley Vaz about moderating audio-only workshops and sessions.

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.

About my guest: Ronsley Vaz

Ronsley is the executive producer of The Psychology of Entrepreneurship, & host of Should I Start a Podcast. He is also the founder of the award-winning audio marketing agency Must Amplify. Must Amplify is best known for helping leading brands, personalities & businesses raise their voice through podcasting, while positioning their message to stand out in a crowded market place. These include some of the world's most impactful actors, entrepreneurs, athletes, artists & politicians. 

Ronsley is passionate about sharing his knowledge and experience to those interested in adding a podcast to their business profile. It’s that very passion that helped build his vast network of podcasting professionals all over the planet. Along with his team at Must Amplify, Ronsley produces the unique audio docuseries The Psychology of Entrepreneurship,This innovative podcast dives deep into the minds of creatives using research and data to explore complicated concepts.

As the executive producer and host of the show Should I Start a Podcast, Ronsley offers tactical advice and information to podcasting newbies and those curious about the medium. Along with his first podcast, the mega-successful Bond Appetit, Ronsley has been downloaded more than 5 million times across 133 countries. 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.

Cool tools available from Ronsley check them out!

In this episode you will learn:

  • Why it’s important to assess, and choose the people you spend the most time with

  • How Ronsley has successfully confidently navigated career changes

  • How to moderate audio-only conversations

  • Why it’s important to verbalise what’s on your mind

Questions Leanne asked Ronsley Vaz:

  • What do you think it is about your ability to connect with people?

  • How do you see the energy and the way you show up helps in the way you do your business?

  • What gives you the confidence to change careers?

  • How do you make a conscious decision of choosing the right reps?

  • What did you find from the experience when you can’t see people but are able to moderate that? 

Resources mentioned on this show

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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198: Igniting the genius in the room with Shannon Dean Hughes

Leanne Hughes interviews Shannon Dean Hughes about her experience using improv in her workshops to help her clients dream big.

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 Hughes. Yes, you can never have enough Hughes’ in your life!

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.

Shannon’s also offering her free download to you: Tips and Tricks to Enlivened your Virtual Gatherings

About our guest: Shannon Dean Hughes

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 episode you will learn:

  • The value of using AND instead of BUT

  • How you can design your workshop to build psychological safety (and avoid resistance)

  • How to create exercises for workshops that energise and connect your participants quickly

Questions Leanne asked Shannon during the interview

  • How did you discover and bring in your performance side in the facilitation space?

  • How do you get that thinking going, your improvisation?

  • How do you deal with some type of resistance?

  • Have you had those moments where you feel you’re being tested?

Resources mentioned:

Watch the episode here!

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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197: A reflection extravaganza: What happens when you’re no longer a First Time Facilitator? Jan Szmanda interviews Leanne Hughes

Big announcement for the show! In this episode, Jan Szmanda takes over the host seat, to interview Leanne Hughes on her own show where she reflects on 3 years of podcasting and facilitation.

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 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:

Watch the episode here!

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.

Social Media

Thoughts on the episode? Share your comments below!

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