Episodes

In this episode, I'm sharing an unexpected update on my next book, Work Fame: Get the Projects, Promotions, and Perks You Deserve . Check out the book pre-order site! What started as a routine conversation with my publisher quickly turned into a full-blown pre-order campaign. I discovered the book was already available online for pre-order, sooner than expected, which meant it was time to shift gears and start thinking seriously about marketing. Rather than following the same approach I used for...

Using Language to Increase Value, Demand, and Influence (with Alan Weiss) I chat with Alan Weiss about his recent Europe trip (Portugal, London, Paris), including Portugal’s popularity, walking Lisbon’s steep hills, high tea at The Ritz, a Paris boutique hotel with a private garden, and the relaxed café culture compared to timed American restaurants. We then dive into how to use language to increase your value, demand, and influence: creating vivid verbal pictures with metaphor, analogy, and str...

eanne Hughes and Alan Weiss explore what it really takes to design premium client experiences — from large-scale thought leadership conferences to intimate high-touch group gatherings in penthouse suites around the world. Alan shares the frameworks, courage, and lifestyle philosophy behind his most successful events, and Leanne reflects on her own recent red carpet camp-out experience. Topics Covered Defining high-end experiences — Alan's two models: large group conferences (125–150 people) vs. ...

I jumped in for a spontaneous popup episode to share a conversation I had on The Solo Sauce podcast. We recorded it just before I flew to Nepal, I was in that messy in-between state where I was trying to wrap things up, thinking about what’s next, and not overthinking my answers. Which means what you’ll hear is probably closer to how I actually think. Joeri and I got into: the workshop disaster in Canada that accidentally kicked off my career how a podcast turned into a brand, a book, and real o...

What makes someone more interesting, more insightful, and better at what they do? In this episode of Talk the Walk , Leanne and Alan go well beyond business. They explore why a full life outside work, including hobbies, culture, travel, current events, films, ideas, and even the everyday chaos of tradies and repairs, can sharpen your thinking rather than distract from it. Alan shares why the most valuable consultants are often polymaths, not specialists trapped in a narrow lane. From Oscar film ...

In this episode of Talk the Walk , Leanne and Alan Weiss kick off with ducks, snow and martinis… and end up in a sharp conversation about ego, esteem and why most professionals are letting the wrong thing drive their behaviour. If you’ve ever: Second-guessed yourself after one critical comment Obsessively checked feedback scores Felt like an imposter despite evidence you’re good at what you do Avoided posting, pitching or pushing back This one’s for you. From ducks to dignity Alan shares stories...

My latest article is all about extracting your ROI - listen in! Sign up for free for my best articles every week: Work Fame. Show notes for every episode at https://podcast.leannehughes.com P.S. Ready to take things up a level? Here are some ways I can help: Watch My Speaker Reel : Let's energise your next event. Get My Book : Design your workshops fast using The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint . Let's connect on all the channels: Leanne Hughes on LinkedIn Leanne Hughes on Instagram Visit my website: ...

If you’re feeling pressure to make 2026 bigger, faster, cleaner, or more impressive than last year, this episode cuts through that noise quickly. What you’ll hear in this episode Why New Year’s resolutions create unnecessary pressure and disappointment The difference between patience and procrastination, and how fear shows up in both Why changing expectations is a strength, not a character flaw The “mercy rule” we all need for projects, careers, and goals that aren’t working How smart people kno...

This is it. Episode 365. The last time I open the podcast with those words. This episode isn’t a neat bow or a highlight reel. It’s a real reflection on what it actually takes to show up every single day for a year, without fireworks, without drama, and without pretending it was always fun. I talk about why documenting the year mattered more than “performing” it, and how most of the work happened quietly in between the milestones. The Everest Base Camp analogy still holds. You get there… and it’...

This is the second-last episode of this daily podcast project, and honestly, I didn’t come in with some big, profound lesson lined up. I just wanted to share something that happened. On Sunday, Chris and I were out driving his 1979 Trans Am. Black. V8. Screaming chicken on the bonnet. Full Smokey and the Bandit vibes. A bird decided to do its business right on the hood, so we pulled into a servo to wash it off. As we were about to leave, we noticed eight to ten American classic cars parked nearb...

Only three episodes left in this daily podcast experiment. In this episode, I’m sharing a deceptively simple icebreaker I picked up at a Brisbane rooftop event that involved good wine, smart people, and an afternoon of intentional pour choices. During a conversation with Niha, she described a workshop activity called The Animal Game . W Here’s how it works. You choose three animals, one at a time, without overthinking it: For each animal, you note two traits that feel accurate. The twist in the ...

Today’s guest is Tim Ferguson, CEO of Audience , joining me from Switzerland. If you’ve ever walked into a workshop and felt your soul quietly leave your body, Tim is one of the people trying to stop that from happening. This conversation is a masterclass in what great facilitation actually looks like when it’s done properly. Tim doesn’t treat “engagement” like a nice-to-have. He treats it like the job. We talk about Tim’s wild career pivots, starting as a day camp counsellor, then theatre schoo...

Today I sat down with Jan Keck (a self-proclaimed “community addict”) whose tagline is “Let’s have conversations that matter.” Jan created Ask Deep Questions , which started as a deck of cards to help friends connect on a camping trip and has since grown into a global tool for facilitating meaningful conversations. We talked about the real stuff: loneliness in a hyper-connected world, how to build belonging without forcing it, and how to hold space when things get awkward or emotional, especiall...

I’m recording this on Christmas Day, full festive mode, about to eat and drink everything in sight. But first, I squeezed in a proper workout. A 45-minute Peloton bike bootcamp with Tunde that absolutely cooked my legs. After that, I did something very on-brand for me. I impulse-bought a $29 USD online course off Instagram and gave it a crack straight away. It was an intro to shuffle dancing from an account called Shuffle Mums . If you’ve seen shuffling before, you’ll know it’s fast footwork, ca...

In this Christmas Day episode, I’m recording fresh off a humid Brisbane hike and a lot of thinking time. I expand on yesterday’s conversation about media and platforms, and get specific about two things I’m genuinely prioritising in the year ahead. First, private podcasts. I break down what they are, why I’ve been using them for years, and why I think they’re one of the most underrated tools for client delivery, learning on the go, and building trust without spraying content everywhere. I share ...

In this episode, I walk through the social media platforms I actually use, why I still use them, and what’s staying or shifting as I head into the new year. Earlier this year, I published a deep dive on my $11K tech stack. This conversation is the companion piece, focused purely on social and media platforms. The question I’m asking myself is simple: Why am I here? And is it still doing the job? Here’s the rundown. LinkedIn This is my main business platform. It’s where I share ideas, test thinki...

I recorded this episode late. All year I’ve been disciplined. Daily episodes. Even from Nepal with poor internet And yet here I am, back home, beachy, relaxed, watching eight hours of cricket… and suddenly a three-minute podcast feels heavy. That’s the bit I wanted to call out. It’s not that the work is hard. It’s that the perception of effort ramps up when you’re in soft mode. When you’re already moving, working, exercising, creating, the extra thing barely registers. When you’ve gone full couc...

The Story Behind “Eat Clean, Drink Dirty” A while back, my Red Carpet Campout collaborator, Steve Demedio, asked about my dietary requirements. I replied via SMS, “I eat clean and I drink dirty.” That phrase stuck with me, especially recalling a trip to Thailand with Chris. Our mornings were all about a healthy routine—coffee, hydration, gym sessions, and a fruit-filled breakfast—while our afternoons melted into beautiful sunsets with a Chang or a mojito in hand. That contrast perfectly sums up ...

Today I’m pulling you into a conversation I’ve been hanging out to have again, because Julian Treasure is one of those rare humans who makes you rethink how you speak, how you listen, and even how your office is quietly wrecking your brain. I open by asking a simple question: what’s your favourite TED Talk? Because TED is basically the internet’s global library of “oh wow” moments. I share a few of mine, and then we get into the reason Julian’s back, his talk “How to Speak so that People Want to...

Ronsley was the person who told me, years ago, “If you want to start a podcast, start one about something you want to learn.” That advice is the reason this show exists. In this final interview, we don’t talk tactics. We talk identity , energy , reps , and why preparation is not the same thing as control. We unpack why Ronsley doesn’t see himself as a “facilitator” even though he absolutely is one, how he creates rooms people want to be in, and why return on luck is really return on reps . We ta...

I’ve just delivered my final webinar of the year and, honestly, I’m not gliding into the finish line. There’s still work on the table. In today’s episode, I want to share something simple that worked beautifully in a live client session. A practical way to get buy-in without overcomplicating things. The move is this “Here’s what you said.” That’s it. This team had been involved earlier in the year, sharing input on their future direction and identity. The leadership team took that raw input away...

I negotiated a book deal with Wiley . What I cover Who I’m writing this book for : an earlier version of me, sitting on a train in South Bank three months into a “dream job on paper” that I hated. The trap I fell into : job hunting as avoidance. I thought a new role would fix it. It didn’t. A line I can’t unhear : “The grass isn’t greener… it’s just another shade of brown.” Every job has brown patches. The question is what you do about it. The premise of the book : it’s not about finding your dr...

Today’s episode started with a simple client conversation about recognition. . I shared a moment I’ll never forget from a workshop I ran in India with 30 construction leaders. One card said, “I’d be happy if my leader just said thank you.” That card stopped the room. Everyone stood up. That memory took me straight back to a book I keep coming back to, The Courage to Be Disliked . It’s easily the most annotated book on my Kindle, and honestly, it feels like one long highlight. I read out passages...

I woke up to the news out of Bondi. A targeted shooting. Jewish people celebrating Hanukkah. It’s horrifying, heartbreaking, and deeply unsettling. Like many Australians, I’m angry, sad, and shocked that this happened here. I talk about what it’s been like trying to function creatively in the middle of that. And the very real tension between staying informed and protecting your sanity. I share why I made the call to switch the news off, physically leave the room, and create some distance. Not ou...