This weekās rewind is extra special because I just spent Wednesday night hanging out with Andy Balzat and the incredible Banana Life (https://bananalife.com.au/) team at one of their signature games nights in Brisbane. So, I thought: What better time to bring back this brilliant conversation?
Picture this: Whitney Houstonās I Will Always Love You playingā¦ and the challenge is to hit a drum exactly on the beat after her big pause. Thatās just one of the hilarious and creative games they brought to life. We were up at Smoked Garage in Fortitude Valleyābeautiful venue, great people, and tons of fun. If you ever doubted that team building could be awesome, thisāll flip your perspective.
In this episode, Andy shares how Banana Life went from a tourism business for international students to one of Australiaās go-to team building companies. And trust meāitās not trust falls and awkward icebreakers. Think cabbage catapults. Think Survivor-inspired games. Think strategic fun.
We talk about:
ā¢ Why team building has a branding problemāand how Andyās changing it
ā¢ The similarities between tourists and corporate teams (spoiler: both need connection)
ā¢ How to handle tricky team dynamics and design for connection, not just fun
ā¢ His MCing journey and the shift from beach facilitator to stage presence
ā¢ Sales tips for facilitators, including how to screen leads and elevate proposals
ā¢ Icebreakers that actually workāincluding one involving bananas, rainbows, and improv
Thereās also a cheeky engineering twist in thereāAndyās dad helped him build a literal trebuchet. I told you this was next-level.
š” Hit play and enjoy this oneāitās full of laughs, insights, and ideas you can take straight into your next event.
ā
Thanks for tuning ināand shoutout to Andy and the Banana Life crew for making team building appealing (in more ways than one š).
*New* You're invited to join Leanne's free community, Work Fame. (https://www.workfa.me/)
Show notes for every episode at https://podcast.leannehughes.com
P.S. Ready to take things up a level? Here are three ways I can help:
1. Watch My 2025 Speaker Reel:Ā Let's energise your next event. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9RyOeXZfW4)
2. Get My Book: Design your workshops fast usingĀ The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint (https://2hourwork.shop/) .Ā
3. Red Carpet Campout: Inspire, Indulge, Invent.Ā Letās take your ideas outside in (https://www.leannehughes.com/events/red-carpet-campout) June 2025.
Let's connect on all the channels:
Leanne Hughes on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/leannehughes/)
Leanne Hughes on Instagram (https://instagram.com/leannehughes)
Visit my website: leannehughes.com (https://www.leannehughes.com)
Email me: hello@leannehughes.com
Would you like to deliver your own private podcast feed to your audience? Sign up for a free trial today at Hello Audio (https://helloaudio.fm?fpr=leanne17) .
