This weekend rewind is with my friend Sally Porteous. Sally is the Managing Director of Red Lanyard (https://redlanyard.com.au/) , 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…
In this NEW episode of First Time Facilitator, I chat with Dr Liz O'Riordan (https://liz.oriordan.co.uk/) 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…
Send Leanne a message (https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1785616/open_sms) In this episode of First Time Facilitator, I chat with Dr Liz O'Riordan (https://liz.oriordan.co.uk/) 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…
In this 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…
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…
🎤 The Dark Arts of Engagement is my keynote for leaders under pressure to influence, engage and get traction fast. If your 2026 offsite, PD day or conference needs something high-energy, practical and yes, with some magic, send me a msg. I had the honour of speaking at QASEL (Queensland…
Growth isn’t just about chasing more. Sometimes the smartest way forward is cutting loose. In this episode, Alan and Leanne explore the underrated (and often avoided) art of walking away: firing clients who drain you, abandoning projects that aren’t paying off, and knowing when “enough” really is enough. We’ll cover:…
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.…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
I’m saying the quiet part out loud: the most valuable asset in your business isn’t your Instagram, it’s your email list. I share how Con Con happened because of my list, why social posts rarely convert on their own, how I use Substack weekly (and why unsubscribes are healthy), plus…
Two super quick reflections today. First up: the settling in period. Whether I’m running, or just switching tasks at my desk, those first 10 minutes always feel clunky. You’re questioning yourself, wondering how you’ll keep going. But if you can just hold out, your body (and mind) adapts faster than…
Big weekend for me — and my Oura Ring confirms it with my lowest recovery score ever (48 out of 100 🙈). Between a four-hour training hike (with that brutal post-lunch slog) and Riverfire fireworks with friends, sleep wasn’t really on the cards. But what I really wanted to share…
Today I’m joined by Germany-based facilitator and psychologist Nadia Petronov, founder of More Shiny Eyes—and yes, her mission is exactly what it sounds like: helping people light up at work (even on Mondays). We riff on visual facilitation, why listening beats lecturing, and how to guide groups through messy moments…
Today I riff with Brisbane dynamo Melanie “Mel” Loy—founder of Hey Mel Comms & Training, co-owner of a gym, President of IABC Queensland, and host of Less Chatter, More Matter. We bounce across crisis comms, workshop design, and group fitness—aka how to stay calm when everything goes sideways, and how…
Today’s walk-and-talk episode is all about a brilliant story that came out of a Work Fame webinar I ran this week. One of the participants shared how, in her very first week at a big multinational, she got asked to get a CEO’s signature. Instead of following “the process,” she…
🕔 Thursday 11 September, 5pm ET (Martini Time) ☕ Friday 12 September, 7am AEST (Coffee Time) Hosted by Alan Weiss & Leanne Hughes Most communities are feel-good echo chambers. Lots of cheerleading, very little buying. In this edition of Talk the Walk, Alan Weiss and Leanne Hughes get straight to…
