Episodes

July 23, 2025

🌴 205. What My Top 5 Strengths Say About How I Work

Today’s episode is part two of a CliftonStrengths mini-series (but don’t worry, you don’t need to listen to part one to jump into this one). I’m diving into my Top 5 strengths and how they actually show up in my life and business. This tool has been such a game-changer for me—not just in understanding myself better, but also helping teams I work with tap into their own brilliance. Here are my five: Ideation – My brain is a popcorn machine. Ideas, everywhere. All the time. Maximizer – Good is...
July 22, 2025

🌴 204. Why I’m Obsessed With CliftonStrengths

Today I’m diving into something I absolutely love—strengths. Specifically, I’m chatting about a tool I’m using with a team this week to help uncover individual strengths and map them across the team landscape. The tool? CliftonStrengths (by Gallup), which completely changed my life back in 2017 after I read Jenny Blake’s book Pivot. At the time, I felt like the odd one out in my job, questioning my fit and contribution. Then I took the CliftonStrengths assessment—and BOOM! Everything shifted. ...
July 21, 2025

🌴 203. My Top 10 Running Routes Around the World

Hey, thanks for tuning in today. This episode is for my fellow runners—and travel lovers. I’m sharing my absolute favourite running routes around the world. These are the runs that bring me pure joy. You know the ones—those flat-ish, scenic, energising 5–10K loops where you just feel alive the entire way. Now, I’ll be honest—I'll probably remember a dozen more the minute I hit publish (so expect a part two!). But here’s what made the cut today: 🏃‍♀️ London: Running past the London Eye, Bucking...
July 20, 2025

🌴 202. Set a goal that scares you

This episode was sparked by a great comment I got on LinkedIn from Sally Portus (hi Sally!), asking: How do you consistently prioritize things like training for a hike—outside of just ‘putting it in your calendar’? So today, I’m sharing how I approach consistency—not with rigid discipline, but with a very healthy dose of fear. 🧗‍♀️ I’ve got a goal that genuinely scares me: Trekking to Everest Base Camp and Lobuche Peak in November. I’m terrified of not making it… and that fear is a brilliant mo...
July 19, 2025

🌴 201. Edutainment 101 feat. Dave Jackson (Weekend Rewind)

I'my, joined by the hilarious and legendary Dave Jackson. You might know him from the School of Podcasting, or maybe you've seen him speak at one of the many podcasting events around the world (including the one where I first met him—We Are Podcast!). But here's the twist: instead of diving deep into podcasting tips, I wanted to tap into Dave's decades of experience as a technical trainer and uncover how he brings humor, energy, and storytelling into his sessions. Dave has taught Microsoft Off...
July 18, 2025

🌴200. From 0 to 7 figures (again) feat. Sarah Cordiner (Weekend Rewind)

In this episode, I’m bringing back a firecracker of a guest: Sarah Cordiner — course creation expert, published author, former youngest university director in Australia and all-around powerhouse. We talk about: How she went from losing a $2.7M business overnight to building a global, seven-figure online course empire from a spare bedroom in Broome Her exact content repurposing process (seriously, she lays it all out!) The “celebrity chef” strategy she uses to give away her best stuff—and why...
July 17, 2025

🌴199. My AI Job Interview #rant

Yesterday I posted about my experiment interviewing with an AI recruiter called Jane, created by the tool Tavus. Jane represents a global consulting firm, and honestly, the experience felt surprisingly real, yet clearly robotic. I shared this encounter on LinkedIn thinking the response would be intrigue or curiosity, but instead it triggered strong pushback about AI being "dehumanising" and "disrespectful." At first I felt neutral about this tech—just curious, experimenting, and seeing what's p...
July 16, 2025

🌴198. Shopify doesn’t want humans. Is your company next?

This episode starts with a contradiction: a gorgeous blue-sky walk... paired with a doomsday AI podcast. In this reflection, I explore: What I actually think about AI (spoiler: no one really knows) A sharp, pragmatic post by Greg Isenberg on the real impact of AI on jobs My commentary on what’s already playing out in workplaces I consult with How this will affect facilitators, consultants, educators — and the entire idea of “relevance” Why trades and creativity are about to see a big upswi...
July 15, 2025

🌴197. Learn the lyrics

In today’s episode, I’m digging up a concept I wrote about last year that’s suddenly getting a second life: The Influence Manifesto. While I didn’t get to cover every part of it, one line in particular really stood out to a client today—and I wanted to explore it with you here. That line? “Learn the lyrics. Sing them back to your stakeholders.” Credit to Pat Flynn for sparking the idea in his book Superfans, but the principle is something I use all the time—in facilitation, in writing, in infl...
July 14, 2025

🌴196. Signal vs Noise

Hey friends! In today’s episode of Leanne on Demand, I’m diving into a concept that helped me have one of my most productive (and weirdly peaceful) mornings in a while: Signal vs Noise. Yesterday, I mapped out my top 3 priorities. Today, I smashed out one of the big ones—a client proposal—and stayed laser-focused on designing two workshops. But here’s the twist: I didn’t check email obsessively, didn’t scroll LinkedIn, didn’t even look at my WhatsApp messages. Why? Because none of that was sign...
July 13, 2025

🌴195. How I built a custom app with zero code (and you can, too)

This episode is a little different — it’s a behind-the-scenes walkthrough of a live experiment I ran last week. If you’re subscribed to my Friday Substack, you may have already seen the video, but even without the visuals, I think there’s so much value in hearing the thinking behind what I built. So, what’s this episode about? I’m showing you my first foray into vibe coding — a fancy name for talking out your ideas and having AI turn them into working software. No code. No developer. Just you...
July 12, 2025

🌴194. How to fearlessly hit Publish feat. Alan Weiss (Weekend Rewind)

Hey, friends! Welcome to Talk The Walk — and this one’s for all the writers, podcasters, LinkedIn post-drafters, and idea hoarders who know they have something to say… but just can’t seem to hit publish. In this live episode, I’m joined (as always) by my favorite co-host Alan Weiss — the guy with 54 books (and counting), multiple bestsellers, and absolutely zero fear when it comes to shipping his ideas out into the world. We explore: Why publishing anything (from blog to book) is a credibilit...
July 11, 2025

🌴193 Finding your facilitation flow feat. Kirsty Lewis (Weekend Rewind)

In today's Weekend Rewind, I'm revisiting a conversation from 2019 with my virtual friend Kirsty Lewis, founder of the School of Facilitation based in the UK. Kirsty is deeply passionate about the art of learning, training, and facilitation, and she's dedicated to helping individuals and businesses enhance their facilitation capabilities. In our chat, Kirsty shares her inspiring journey from working in global sales roles at Diageo to becoming an influential facilitator and coach. We delve into ...
July 10, 2025

🌴192 The right to disconnect?

In this episode, I dig into a hot topic here in Australia: The Right to Disconnect—that new law that lets you legally ignore after-hours work emails. On the surface, it feels like a win for boundaries... but when you pair it with headlines screaming about Australia’s worst productivity levels in 60 years? We've got a real contradiction to unpack. Or do we? I share why I initially thought this was a collision of ideas—and why, after a deeper dive, I think this clash points to a much deeper, sys...
July 9, 2025

🌴191 Why I might break up with my barista

This one’s a bit of a brain spill from my pre-Everest Base Camp trek prep — but there’s a sneaky behavioural insight tucked in there too. I share: Why I’m buying a neoprene cover for my hydration straw (spoiler: negative 20°C is not your friend). How my long-standing relationship with mochas is going through a breakup… and how hard it is to change even tiny habits when people know you as someone else. The surprising social pressure of baristas. Jim Rohn’s five people quote, and why environm...
July 8, 2025

🌴190. The note I left myself in 2016

Today I took a scroll down memory lane… via my Notes app. Looking for inspiration for today’s episode, I wasn’t vibing with anything recent, so I went way back—to my first note ever, from 2013 (hint: it was bad stock advice 🫣). Then I landed on a list I wrote in 2016 called “Where I Work Best.” And you know what? Despite almost a decade passing, not much has shifted. This episode is part nostalgic trip, part career reflection, and part invitation for you to do the same. I share: The surprisi...
July 7, 2025

🌴189. ROI = Return on I

I just got back from a dream of a Monday down the Gold Coast with my brilliant friendtor, Petra Zink. Ocean views, whale sightings, big chats — you know the ones that meander between business and life and make you rethink everything? This episode was born from one of those. We started talking about ROI — not return on investment, but return on I. Because here’s the truth: You’re not just buying a course, event, or speaker. You’re placing a bet on yourself to turn that into value. In today’s ep...
July 6, 2025

🌴188. Consistency > Intensity

With 122 days to go until I head off to Nepal for the Everest Base Camp trek and the 6,200m Lobuche climb (still can’t believe I just said that 😳), training is getting real. And I had a massive realisation this week — climbing a mountain feels easier than prepping for one! This episode is a behind-the-scenes update on how my marathon mindset is being completely reworked. I used to run four days a week. Now I’m training six out of seven — and while the effort feels lower in intensity, the consis...
July 5, 2025

🌴187. Dancing with disruption feat. Jeff Skipper (Weekend Rewind)

Welcome to the Weekend Rewind! Today, I’m sharing a conversation with someone I’ve had the privilege of knowing (and Zooming with!) for years—Jeff Skipper. Jeff and I first met virtually through Alan Weiss’s consulting community, and finally caught up in person in Hawaii last year. He's not only a generous peer, but also a powerhouse when it comes to leading change in organisations. With over 25 years of experience, Jeff’s worked with giants like IBM, Goldman Sachs, and the Salvation Army, help...
July 4, 2025

🌴186. The last expat left feat. John McKendry (Weekend Rewind)

Today, I’m bringing you a past conversation that’s packed with insight, energy, and career wisdom—my chat with the brilliant John McKendry. John McKendry is a senior healthcare executive with over 20 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical, medtech, and healthtech industries. He is passionate about business transformation and lifescience leadership. John’s career arc is the stuff of Netflix series. From growing up in Canada to jumping headfirst into expat life in Hong Kong, Malaysia, and S...
July 3, 2025

🌴185.  How to use envy as career fuel instead of letting it destroy you

I’m reading out my latest Work Fame article, and it’s all about envy. Yep, that tight feeling you get when someone you know just posted another win on LinkedIn and your stomach does a backflip. We all feel it. But instead of letting it eat us alive or make us scroll angrily through our feed, what if we used envy as a breadcrumb trail toward what we really want? In this episode, I cover: 💥 The difference between jealousy and envy (they're not the same!) 💥 Why envy is actually a shortcut to fi...
July 2, 2025

🌴184. Daily podcasting reflections (6 months in)

We’re officially at the halfway point of this daily podcast experiment — episode 184. Wild, right? I feel pretty proud that it’s still going… even prouder that you’re still listening. Today’s episode is a bit of a zoom-out reflection: How the show started as an off-the-cuff commitment in a speaker mastermind What it’s actually become And where I see it heading for the rest of the year If you’re new here (welcome!), or you’ve been dipping in whenever a title hooks you — thank you. This show ...
July 1, 2025

🌴183. Ratebuster

Hey! Have you ever been told to slow down at work—even when you thought you were helping? On a recent hike, I was listening to 10x is Easier Than 2x and heard a phrase I’d never come across before: Rate Buster. It stopped me in my tracks—because suddenly, so many weird experiences I’d had in past roles made total sense. In this episode, I unpack: What a Rate Buster actually is (hint: it’s not a compliment in traditional workplaces) Why high performers can accidentally threaten the status quo...
June 30, 2025

🌴182. Vibe coding

Over the weekend, I casually dropped the term Vibe Coding on my Instagram story and was hit with a wave of DMs asking, “What is that?” Fair question. In today’s episode, I break down what vibe coding is (in simple, non-tech speak), why it’s wild, and how it’s going to totally change the way we build things — even if you’re not a developer. Here’s the gist: Vibe coding = describing what you want in plain English, and AI builds the tool for you. I give examples of how I’ve used it already (he...