Episodes

This week on Talk the Walk, Alan and I riff on quitting—firing clients, pausing projects, and stopping things that technically “work” but don’t work for you anymore. We dig into ego, sunk-cost traps, scope creep, and how to communicate a graceful stop without burning bridges. Alan shares a simple pre-flight test to help you avoid quitting later by deciding smarter upfront. In this episode Why “don’t be a quitter” is terrible advice for grown-ups with goals Alan’s 5 When-Not-to-Start filters (...

It was a massive weekend of sport in Brisbane – and I couldn’t let it slip by without sharing a few reflections (even if you’re not a footy fan, there are still lessons in here about timing, trust, and big-moment leadership). In this episode, I recap: 🎟️ Why I almost flew to Melbourne for the AFL Grand Final (and why I didn’t) 🦁 The Brisbane Lions’ gutsy win over Geelong – and the game-changing moment when coach Chris Fagan finally unleashed two-time Brownlow medalist Lachie Neale 🎤 Snoop Do...

How do you build deep, trusting relationships in business (and in life)? In today’s episode, I dive deeper into Give to Grow by Mo Bunnell—a book I recommended recently that’s already sparking action from listeners like Julia Van Gra. This isn’t your typical business development book; it’s human, practical, and all about shifting from “doing the work” to “winning the work.” I share some of Mo’s biggest insights, including: Why execution and business development are opposite skill sets—and why...

I had my week mapped out perfectly. Color-coded Gantt chart, every project, every sub-task—even down to outfits for upcoming events. I was feeling smug, confident, and in control. Then life happened. At midnight, my sausage dog Quincy needed an emergency trip to the vet. Suddenly my “perfect plan” didn’t matter one bit. In this episode, I share the story of how my Gantt chart collided with real life (and John Lennon’s line: “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans”). I talk ...

📚 Thanks for coming back for part three of my book prescription series! Over the last couple of episodes, I’ve been sharing the books I recommend constantly—not just because they’re great reads, but because they solve specific problems my clients, friends, and colleagues bring to me. In today’s episode, I cover books that will help you if you: Are doing great work, but feel like no one notices Hate selling, but need to build business and relationships Want inspiration without the eye-rolls ...

Last week I shared my first seven Book Prescriptions—titles I recommend constantly because they solve very specific problems. Today I’m back with the next seven. These are the books I turn to (and re-read) whenever someone asks me things like: “How do I come up with a catchy name for my idea or business?” “I want to become a paid speaker—where do I even start?” “Why do I keep making expensive mistakes?” “How do I stop procrastinating and actually create?” “How can I host a gathering where ...

As facilitators, our clients don’t pay for the 50% version of us—they pay for the fully-charged, present, 100% edition. In this chat with Brisbane-based facilitator, trainer, and speaker Nicholas King, we talk about how to show up at our best, design “winning” workshop moments, and make deliberate choices about what we feed our minds so we can serve the room. Why listen: You’ll steal practical facilitation moves (hello, post-lunch energy!), pick up a few killer equipment hacks, and hear the one...

Today’s convo is an extract from Virtually Possible 2.0 with the brilliant Marissa Agrasut (Singapore) and Joeri Schilders. Marissa walks us through an online spin on the classic Fishbowl format to sharpen listening, observation, and the craft of facilitation—then we demo it live. What’s inside Why I left the livestream mostly unedited (and why you might, too) Fishbowl, but online: how we split “speakers” and “observers” The note-taking sheet that forces real listening (points + evidence) F...

Every week, someone asks me: “Leanne, what book should I read next?” And my response is always: “Well…what problem are you trying to solve?” Because you don’t need another list of “top 10 business books” that just recycle the same titles. You need the right book, at the right time, for the right problem. Jenny Blake calls this a Book RX — a book prescription. Like a doctor scribbling on their pad, except instead of antibiotics, I hand out stories, strategies, and mindset shifts. So today, I’m ...

If you’ve ever thought, “This meeting could have been an email”… today’s episode is for you. I’m sharing why agendas aren’t just nice-to-haves, they’re the thing that keeps meetings short, sharp, and actually useful. I’ll take you behind the scenes of some 25-minute listening tour calls I’ve been running, and how a 10-minute pre-email with sample questions changed the whole dynamic. We’ll also talk about David Grady’s hilarious TED Talk on Meeting Acceptance Syndrome (yes, it’s a real thing) a...

I’m back with a short and sweet episode today—and it’s all about a new Apple feature I’ve fallen in love with. If you’ve ever been mid-flow and suddenly interrupted by a random call from a solar panel company (even though you already have solar 🙄), then you’ll get why this is such a game-changer. With iOS 26, you can now: Turn on Call Identification so your iPhone checks Apple Business Connect, carriers, and call ID apps to figure out who’s ringing you. Screen or silence unknown numbers—your ...

Today, I’m handing the mic back to Jason Knight. You might remember him from last month’s episode where we jammed on branding and how to think of your positioning like a newspaper headline. This time, Jason’s diving into one of my absolute favourite topics: frameworks. Whether it’s a Venn diagram, a 2x2, or a hand-drawn sketch, frameworks have this magical way of taking complex ideas and making them unforgettable. In this conversation, Jason shares his Pain-to-Results model—a signature system ...

Today I’m taking you behind the mic into what’s actually on my mind right now: the AFL Grand Final. My Brisbane Lions are chasing back-to-back wins, Snoop Dogg is headlining the pre-game entertainment, and I’m scheming about whether I can somehow score a last-minute ticket. This episode is less “self-development” and more about the fun of throwing out a wild idea and seeing what’s possible. From reminiscing about Meatloaf’s infamous performance to predicting Snoop’s opener (I’m calling What’s ...

This weekend rewind is with my friend Sally Porteous. Sally is the Managing Director of Red Lanyard, an event production company where she produces festivals, conferences and meetings. She also runs the Event Planners Workshop and the Event Managers Network, bridging the gap between theory and the real world. In this conversation, you’ll hear parallels between workshops and events—how both are about creating environments that feel safe, memorable and impactful. Sally shares practical strategie...

In this NEW episode of First Time Facilitator, I chat with Dr Liz O'Riordan about her leap from the operating theatre to the workshop room. After being diagnosed with cancer and leaving surgery, Liz turned to speaking, writing, and now — facilitation. With only days to prepare, she discovered my book The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint, raided her kitchen cupboards for props, and built a session that participants called “brilliant — don’t change a thing.” We unpack how she: Transformed complex canc...

So here’s the question I’m now wrestling with: Am I about to break up with Kindle? On today’s walk (weighted vest and all), I stumbled into an audio summit via Hello Audio and ended up learning something completely unexpected from Vanessa Poin. She shared how she uses Substack for discoverability (hello, generative engine optimization) and then dropped a perspective that stopped me in my tracks: PDFs are way more valuable than Kindle books when it comes to embedding knowledge into your business....

This one is less about “what I learned” and more about the process of an experience I just had in Melbourne — a Wizardly Walk designed by Dr. Jason Fox and Michael Bungay Stanier. Across pubs, cafés, buses, bushland, trains, and communal dinners, the whole thing unfolded like a story. What stood out to me wasn’t just the 20km walk (that got cut short thanks to wild winds and falling branches!) but the way the experience was curated to spark reflection. Jason and Michael opened with five powerf...

Picture this: I’m in Melbourne, it’s been a day of hiking, gathering, and birthday celebrating, and I somehow manage to rope Michael Bungay Stanier (MBS) into a conversation about… netball. Now, Michael’s got the height but zero experience, so naturally I recruit him into my imaginary corporate games team as goal shooter. What follows is a hilarious and surprisingly profound chat about netball, positioning, resilience, and how it all maps beautifully onto life, branding, and leadership. We cov...

Today’s episode comes to you from my hotel room in Melbourne — in my hiking gear, ready to head out on a 20km walk with friends. But before the walk, I had dinner last night with a small group (13 or 14 of us) and Michael Bungay Stanier kicked things off with a killer icebreaker: Share two essential things about yourself. What I shared surprised even me. The first thing? I’m left-handed. After 250+ podcast episodes I’ve never mentioned it, but honestly, it shapes how I see and navigate the world...

I turned 42 today—and yes, I was that person who posted about it from an airport lounge. Usually, birthdays spark me into dreaming up wild projects, but this year, my big reflection is simple: nothing dramatic has changed in my world, and I’m incredibly grateful for that. In this episode, I share a birthday riff on aging, incremental growth, why stability feels like such a win, and how reunions often show us that people don’t radically change—they just become more themselves. I talk about Prose...

It’s my birthday! 🥳 To celebrate, I’m replaying the episode I recorded on my 40th—my 12 rules for life. These aren’t the glossy “melody” lines; they’re the bassline I keep returning to when life gets loud: from memento mori (yep, we’re all going to die—and that can be fuel), to finding a new pond when you feel like a fish out of water, meeting your heroes (sweaty palms and all), and remembering that true wealth is discretionary time. I share how I think, work, and decide—plus the one rule I won’...

Today on Talk the Walk, I grabbed my coffee (Alan Weiss had his martini 🍸) and we dived into two big C-words: clients and community. It was a global hangout—Brisbane spring for me, early fall for Alan—plus friends dialing in from Portugal, Seattle, Sydney, Italy, Montreal and Silicon Valley. We unpacked how to create a community of buyers (not just followers), the difference between tribes vs communities, and why evergreen clients are built on breadth (multiple buyers inside one org), generosit...

Today I’m diving into an underrated communication skill that barely ever gets taught in programs—but once you notice it, you’ll see it everywhere: the art of segueing. And no, I’m not talking about the two-wheeled scooter (though I’ve definitely fallen off one of those before). I mean segues: smooth transitions that connect one topic to the next without that clunky, awkward energy shift. I share: Why segueing is such a superpower for facilitators, leaders, and podcasters The difference betwe...

On today’s walk (eight kilos in the vest, hello shoulders 👋), I riff on quick, practical communication moves that create instant cut-through at work. I share a client story where we kickstarted a 90-day sprint with a one-take video (record → Descript → captions → Loom link) and the responses rolled in. Then I unpack BLUF—Bottom Line Up Front—so your reader gets the “why” and “what now?” in the first sentence. Finally, I share my favourite P.S. trick that consistently wins the most clicks in my e...