Episodes

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 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...

Today I poured a long black (Alan poured a martini) and we got spicy about feedback: smile sheets, unsolicited opinions, and why being liked is overrated compared to being respected. Alan shares why he was often hired to discomfort audiences, how to stay buyer-centred (not audience-centred), and when to refund, repeat, or remix. We also riff on The Mom Test, critical mass marketing, and the difference between repeating your “Living on a Prayer” hits and still innovating. What we cover Respect >...

This week my book The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint has been popping like Jenny Blake’s “serendipity popcorn” — in places and moments I didn’t plan In this episode The word that flattens a room (and what to do instead) Why assets beat hustle: books, podcasts, recorded talks = omnipresence without burnout My live 45-minute design sprint with PMI QLD Five fast ways to regather a buzzing group without killing momentum My boldest test yet: a go/no-go experiment for Con Con 2026 My 2026 event gamb...

As many of you know, Bangkok is my favourite city in the world. I love it so much my car number plate even says Bangkok. So when I saw Bangkok Airways—Thailand’s boutique airline—making headlines this week, I knew I had to share it. This is the kind of small-but-mighty change that makes me want to high-five an entire organisation: Bangkok Airways is swapping out cabin crew’s traditional footwear for brand-new white sneakers. And not just any sneakers—these are a collaboration with PUMA, built f...

In 2025, can simply delivering on what you promised make you exceptional? Today’s episode is part rant, part reminder. I share the saga of Chris’s 1979 Pontiac Trans Am restoration — from the iconic “screaming chicken” sticker disaster to the stereo shop that ghosted us — plus a Mount Coot-tha coffee queue that had me questioning how businesses set (or don’t set) expectations. Here’s what we cover: Why the bar for “exceptional” seems lower than ever How meeting deadlines and specs still puts...

Today I’m handing the mic to my friend John Anthony from Transcend — or as I call him, JA. We met at the MBS Rooftop event last year and I’ve been a fan of his perspective (and his knack for weaving music into his message) ever since. In this episode, JA breaks down a concept we all experience but rarely stop to name: cognitive dissonance — that out-of-tune feeling when our thoughts, values, and actions aren’t quite aligned. You’ll hear: Why your mind’s number-one goal is to keep you safe (an...

On Friday night, I may have committed a dinner party faux pas… by turning into that person—the one who can’t believe you don’t use Apple products. Over bubbles and red wine with Kirsty Lewis, I launched into an enthusiastic defence of my entire Apple tech stack—why it makes me faster, more efficient, and friction-free in my work as a “media company,” not just a consulting business. In this episode, I share exactly what Apple gear I use (from iPhone to AirTags), why I swapped my MacBook Pro for ...

There are some conversations where you can just feel the depth of thought—and this episode with Jo Fitzgerald is one of them. I met Jo when she came over to Brisbane earlier this year, and straight away I knew I wanted to hit record on our chats. We finally made it happen! In this episode, Jo shares her journey from primary school teaching to becoming a facilitator and coach, and how that foundation has shaped the way she shows up in the room today. We talk about: What teaching children taugh...

Today’s Weekend Rewind is part practical masterclass, part business therapy—and I absolutely loved it. My guest is Brendon Baker, someone I’ve known for a couple of years through the Alan Weiss community. We’ve collaborated, co-created, voice-noted each other through dilemmas, and today I brought him on the show for a wide-ranging conversation about business growth, facilitation, and how to shift stuck systems without burning people out in the process. We cover so much ground in this one: Bre...

In this episode, I’m sharing the audio version of my latest Substack article: The Case for Being Uncoachable: Why Trusting Yourself Beats Following the Map (Sometimes). Inspired by a real-life moment where I told Google Maps “no thanks” and trusted my own route home, this episode explores: Why trusting your inner GPS is a leadership skill worth cultivating The danger of drowning in well-meaning advice (especially when you're training for a trek in Nepal!) A killer reframe from Alan Weiss that...

Every time I tell someone I’m heading to Nepal for a high-altitude trek, I get a flood of advice: what to pack, how to train, gear recommendations, you name it. It's well-intentioned—but also overwhelming. In today’s solo episode, I unpack a voice note conversation I had with Matt Stewart (from Experience Not Felt Possible), who’s running the expedition. We explore the tension between listening to advice and trusting yourself. Matt made a powerful point: there are many ways to get up a mountai...

In today’s episode, I share a powerful acronym that captures the chaotic, unpredictable, and fog-filled world we’re navigating in 2025 and beyond. You’ve probably heard of VUCA — Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous — a term that's been tossed around in leadership circles for decades. But a new framework, BANI, hit my radar recently (thanks, Yoke Van Dam!), and I think it paints a more accurate picture of the world we're actually leading, working, and living in. BANI stands for: Brittle (s...

While I was spinning on my Peloton (shoutout Cody Rigsby), I listened to a super juicy webinar titled: How to Attract and Land Filthy Rich Clients on Social Media. Now, don’t be turned off by the title—it was actually packed with thought-provoking distinctions between cheap clients vs rich clients (not poor—important difference!). I share some red flags to watch for, why asking “what’s your rate?” is a massive warning sign, and how I've evolved beyond that price-led game. Plus, I reflect on my ...

Today’s episode was recorded fresh off a spectacular morning hike with Kirsty Lewis — someone I’ve technically known since 2018 but only met IRL for the first time today! Kirsty runs the School of Facilitation in the UK, and she’s visiting Australia after a facilitation gig in Manila. So we hit the Macchu Picchu trail (not really, but it felt epic), talked facilitation, pricing, and how we both have stacks of unused IP sitting quietly in Google Drive purgatory. Here’s what came up: What it’s ...

Excited to share this Weekend Rewind with you! I found myself telling so many people (colleagues, friends, fellow workshop nerds) about the insights from this episode. Andrew’s approach to marketing, how he frames strategic advisory, and especially the way he gives us permission to stop over-preparing… it was all incredibly refreshing. If you're someone who designs workshops or feels like you need to be perfectly prepared before facilitating, you'll love Andrew’s perspective on the power of qu...

Alan Weiss is back — this time dialing in from Nantucket with a whiskey in hand, while I’m sipping coffee from Brisbane. This episode is less “webinar,” more “walk and swirl the air” style of conversation — a craft chat about the big and little decisions we make every day. We explore: Why most decisions go wrong (hint: it’s not what you think) The 3-part decision-making framework Alan swears by (Objectives, Alternatives, Risks) Why binary decisions are dangerous — and how to reframe your thi...

In this episode, I share a triple shot of mindset fuel: ☕ The Coffee Identity Crisis It’s 7:24 AM and I’m standing at my usual cafe, battling the social pressure of saying “Long Black” instead of my usual mocha. Why is this so hard? Because even our smallest rituals get reinforced by the people around us. Even our baristas expect us to stay the same. 👷‍♀️ The Rate Buster Problem Ever been told to "slow down" because you're making others look bad? I discovered the term rate buster and wow—it ex...

Today, I’m talking about a phenomenon I see everywhere — in workshops, in virtual calls, in team meetings, and even at home in my kitchen: diffusion of responsibility. Here’s what I cover: Why the more people you have in a room, the less likely it is someone will speak up The difference between “we should…” and “I will…” How this shows up in virtual breakouts (and what I do to get around it) A classic household example (starring Chris and the eternally soaking frypan) What it means for acc...

I’ve been thinking a lot about accountability—that word we see plastered on corporate value statements like it’s the golden ticket to high performance. But here’s my hot take: accountability isn’t binary. You’re not either “an accountable person” or you’re not—it’s contextual. Today I’m challenging the ever-popular quote: “How you do one thing is how you do everything.” Honestly? I call BS. I can consistently show up and record this daily podcast (go me!), and at the same time, be completely ho...

Hi from Melbourne, where the weather went full four-seasons-in-one-run today 🌦️ In this episode, I share a little travel tale from this morning—one that had me sweating over an Uber notification and questioning whether I should cancel, rebook, or just… wait. I walk you through: My ritual for getting to the airport without stress (spoiler: it involves scheduling an Uber + morning cardio) The moment things went off-script with the driver and I had zero control The 20-minute window where I had...

You’re already playing Calendar Tetris, whether you know it or not. The real question is—are you placing your blocks with intention, or are you letting everyone else drop them on you? This one’s for anyone who feels like their calendar is stacked to the ceiling and teetering on collapse. I walk through eight shifts that help me play a better, more forgiving game of time management—from deleting the dead blocks (bye, recurring meetings!) to stacking similar energy tasks (hello, center-stage days...

Today’s episode is one that’s incredibly special to me—it’s a conversation with my dad, Anari Hughes. You’ll hear me give him a proper intro in the recording, but here’s some extra context: Dad is a retired civil engineer, but the impact he’s had on people—both professionally and personally—is far from retired. When he finished up work, we threw him a surprise retirement party. I got to run a panel at the event, and I also secretly reached out to his former colleagues and mates from Wales to re...

Hey, thanks for tuning into the Weekend Rewind. I completely forgot I had this incredible conversation with Jordan Harbinger—one of the biggest influences on my podcasting journey—and it’s too good not to bring back. This was originally recorded as Episode 100 of the First Time Facilitator podcast, and it’s such a full-circle moment. I first saw Jordan speak at We Are Podcast in Brisbane back in 2017, and I had zero plans to start my own show—I just wanted to watch him live. But a lucky draw, s...

I’m halfway through a big week working with a team—lots of rich convos and aha moments. One theme that popped up today? Naming things. Not just for the sake of it, but naming as a way to clarify, energise, and bring ideas to life. In this episode, I chat through: ✨ Why I love naming things and how I approach it 🧠 My favourite naming tools: portmanteaus, alliteration, rhyming, clarity 💬 The questions I ask before naming anything 🎯 Why AI can’t (yet) compete with human nuance in naming 🌾 The...