Work Fame with Leanne Hughes 🌴 How to become an object of interest feat. Alan Weiss (live from Con Con 2026)
Recorded live at ConCon on the Gold Coast, Alan and I covered everything from consulting, confidence and pricing through to AI, universities, ghosting, self-belief and even why he thinks consultants should stop calling themselves consultants.
As always, Alan challenged conventional thinking with ideas that make you stop, question your assumptions and rethink how you're showing up in business.
Some of the biggest ideas we explored include:
- Why calling yourself a consultant immediately puts you in a crowded market.
- How to become an "object of interest" so clients actually want to keep talking to you.
- The real reason prospects ghost you and what you can do differently.
- Why you should stop trying to solve problems and instead reframe them.
- How creating demand starts with fresh thinking, not better marketing.
- The importance of talking to economic buyers instead of getting stuck in the wrong conversations.
- Why "best practice" is becoming outdated and what to focus on instead.
- Alan's thoughts on universities, trades and the changing workforce.
- What confidence really means and why self-trust matters more than experience.
- Why maintaining client relationships is about consistently providing value, not checking in for the sake of it.
- The role of improv, curiosity and fearless thinking in consulting.
- Alan's views on HR, innovation, disruption and why there is no such thing as "normal" anymore.
- His advice for new consultants looking to stand out in an increasingly noisy market.
One of my favourite quotes from the conversation was:
"Confidence is the belief you can meet other people's expectations even though you haven't before."
This conversation is packed with practical ideas, controversial opinions and plenty of laughs.
I'd love to hear what landed most for you. Connect with me on LinkedIn or send me a message and let me know your biggest takeaway.
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Show notes for every episode at https://podcast.leannehughes.com
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