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 to bring “Mel 2.0” energy to a room. We also dig into running international workshops (Malaysia! Canada!), tailoring for culture, sketch-noting live instead of relying on slides, and simple ways to manage your state before you facilitate.

Why this episode matters

If you’ve ever walked into a room where the tech’s failing, the room booking’s wrong, or the energy is flat—this one’s for you. Mel shows how crisis-comms discipline + group-fitness presence = facilitation superpowers. You’ll leave with practical tools for staying calm, lifting the room, and designing sessions people actually remember.

In this episode we cover

• Calm under pressure: how crisis communication maps directly to workshop curveballs
• Energy math: why participants do ~80% of your energy—and how to turn up to 120% without feeling fake
• Mel 2.0: switching on your “Sasha Fierce” facilitator persona (and why service > self kills nerves)
• Culture + context: lessons from delivering in Kuala Lumpur and prepping for a Canadian comms audience
• Move the room: getting people standing, stretching, and thinking—yes, even on Zoom
• Low-tech, high-engagement: using live sketch-noting, flipcharts, and light-bulb captures instead of heavy slide decks
• State management: pre-session routines, time-blocking, and the run-sheet “security blanket”
• Reframing nerves: turn adrenaline into excitement (faster than “calm down”)
• Keep learning + show your work: why tooting your own horn is part of the job

My takeaways

• Crisis skills aren’t just for media units—they’re everyday facilitator tools: stay calm, decide fast, keep people safe, keep moving.
• Your presence is a performance in service of the group. When I make it about them, my nerves melt.
• I’m borrowing Mel’s “light-bulb moments board” at breaks—instant retention + artefacts participants share.
• Movement matters. A 60-second stretch can rescue a 60-minute slump.
• Nerves ≠ problem. They’re fuel—point them at excitement.

Practical plays you can steal

• Open with a gratitude check-in (1 sentence each) to prime a positive tone.
• Build a run sheet with: Activity • Key points • Learning method (video/quiz/discussion). Print it.
• Plan a post-lunch pattern interrupt (5-minute quiz, walk-and-talk, stretch).
• Replace a slide with a live sketch that grows as participants contribute. Photograph/airdrop at the end.
• When culture shifts, audit idioms & jokes, keep examples universal, and localise references.
• On show day: eat (no hangry facilitation), glance your playlist/flow, and be ready to pivot.

Light-bulb lines

• “People will only ever do ~80% of your energy—so bring 120%.”
• “You’re not saving babies—solve what’s solvable and keep the room safe.”
• “Don’t squash adrenaline; re-aim it.”
• “Make it about service, not self.”

About Mel

Mel Loy builds communication capability through coaching, workshops, and creative thinking. She’s the President of IABC Queensland, co-owns a gym, and hosts Less Chatter, More Matter. Find her on LinkedIn: Mel Loy and Instagram: @hey.mel.comms (search those handles to connect).

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Show notes for every episode at https://podcast.leannehughes.com

P.S. Ready to take things up a level? Here are some ways I can help:

1. Watch My Speaker Reel: Let's energise your next event.
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