Leanne on Demand Daily with Leanne Hughes

 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into his sessions.Dave has taught Microsoft Office and QuickBooks, navigated layoffs, gone back to university, been replaced by a phone (yep), and landed his dream job at Libsyn where he gets paid to podcast and speak. He also shares how playing in a band influenced his stage presence, why he practices presentations 30+ times, and the wild story behind his impromptu preacher moment at a podcasting conference.We talk:Edutainment: Why it's essential for adult learningStagecraft and how to hold attention with energy, volume, and contrastThe importance of breathing, preparation, and making mistakes in publicHow Dave handles nerves before a big presentationThe value of feedback and why your audience wants you to succeedThis episode is a masterclass in making training fun and unforgettable.*New* You're invited to join Leanne's free community, Work Fame.Show notes for every episode at https://podcast.leannehughes.comP.S. Ready to take things up a level? Here are some ways I can help:Watch My 2025 Speaker Reel: Let's energise your next event.Get My Book: Design your workshops fast using The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint. Let's connect on all the channels:Leanne Hughes on LinkedInLeanne Hughes on InstagramVisit my website: leannehughes.comEmail me: hello@leannehughes.comWould you like to deliver your own private podcast feed to your audience? Sign up for a free trial today at Hello Audio.

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 BroomeHer exact content repurposing process (seriously, she lays it all out!)The “celebrity chef” strategy she uses to give away her best stuff—and why that’s made her more successful, not lessThe hidden opportunities of living and working regionallyWhy giving > guarding when it comes to your IPWhether you're a consultant, coach, facilitator, or creator—you’ll walk away from this episode rethinking how you package, share, and scale your expertise.Sarah’s got a way of breaking things down that’ll have you thinking: Wait, I can totally do this.✨ She’s also generously giving you free access to her flagship $500 program. Grab it here: sarahcordiner.com/freedomBig thanks to Sarah for her generosity and gold, and I’ll catch you back here tomorrow.– Leanne*New* You're invited to join Leanne's free community, Work Fame.Show notes for every episode at https://podcast.leannehughes.comP.S. Ready to take things up a level? Here are some ways I can help:Watch My 2025 Speaker Reel: Let's energise your next event.Get My Book: Design your workshops fast using The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint. Let's connect on all the channels:Leanne Hughes on LinkedInLeanne Hughes on InstagramVisit my website: leannehughes.comEmail me: hello@leannehughes.comWould you like to deliver your own private podcast feed to your audience? Sign up for a free trial today at Hello Audio.

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 possible. But after reading some emotional responses, I found myself starting to lean towards defending it. Here's why:Right now, recruitment is already highly impersonal and frustrating. People get ghosted, left uncertain about their future, creating anxiety and disappointment. Could AI actually humanise the first round of interviews by ensuring everyone gets a fair shot and timely feedback?I'm still figuring out where I stand, but I think this conversation is worth having openly. Thanks to Steph Clarke for her voice-note insights helping me process this debate.I'd love your thoughts: Do you think an AI interviewer could be better than our current broken recruitment processes?Mentioned in this episode:Tavus (AI interview tool)Steph Clarke (Thanks for the voice notes!)*New* You're invited to join Leanne's free community, Work Fame.Show notes for every episode at https://podcast.leannehughes.comP.S. Ready to take things up a level? Here are some ways I can help:Watch My 2025 Speaker Reel: Let's energise your next event.Get My Book: Design your workshops fast using The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint. Let's connect on all the channels:Leanne Hughes on LinkedInLeanne Hughes on InstagramVisit my website: leannehughes.comEmail me: hello@leannehughes.comWould you like to deliver your own private podcast feed to your audience? Sign up for a free trial today at Hello Audio.

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 jobsMy commentary on what’s already playing out in workplaces I consult withHow this will affect facilitators, consultants, educators — and the entire idea of “relevance”Why trades and creativity are about to see a big upswingWhat education should be focusing on instead of rote recallWhy I believe we’re heading into the “beehive era”: lean giants surrounded by thousands of powerful 1-person businesses👀 Referenced:Greg Isenberg’s post on LinkedIn: “AI won’t take your job. Someone who knows AI will.”My earlier walkthrough on building a tool using Google’s Gemini AIThe shift I’m already seeing in hiring policies and team structuresA warning + invitation for anyone who thinks “my work is safe”🔗 Connect with me or share your take:What’s the skill you believe will matter most in this AI-powered shift?Where are you seeing this play out already?*New* You're invited to join Leanne's free community, Work Fame.Show notes for every episode at https://podcast.leannehughes.comP.S. Ready to take things up a level? Here are some ways I can help:Watch My 2025 Speaker Reel: Let's energise your next event.Get My Book: Design your workshops fast using The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint. Let's connect on all the channels:Leanne Hughes on LinkedInLeanne Hughes on InstagramVisit my website: leannehughes.comEmail me: hello@leannehughes.comWould you like to deliver your own private podcast feed to your audience? Sign up for a free trial today at Hello Audio.

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 influence, in marketing.🎤 In this ep, I share:How I ran a listening tour during COVID (and made friends + money from it)Why using their words is more powerful than trying to be cleverThe sneaky power of mirroring (and why NLP practitioners love it)How I sold out a program simply by quoting someone’s exact phrase back to themWhy I think learning the lyrics is an underrated superpowerYou don’t have to be a wordsmith to be influential—you just need to be a great notetaker and listener.✨ Want to get better at influencing people inside a big org, or even in your own business? Start here.*New* You're invited to join Leanne's free community, Work Fame.Show notes for every episode at https://podcast.leannehughes.comP.S. Ready to take things up a level? Here are some ways I can help:Watch My 2025 Speaker Reel: Let's energise your next event.Get My Book: Design your workshops fast using The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint. Let's connect on all the channels:Leanne Hughes on LinkedInLeanne Hughes on InstagramVisit my website: leannehughes.comEmail me: hello@leannehughes.comWould you like to deliver your own private podcast feed to your audience? Sign up for a free trial today at Hello Audio.

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 signal. It was noise.You’ll hear:What “signal vs noise” actually means (and where the metaphor comes from)Why creative work like workshop design isn’t just about being at a deskMy take on why responding fast ≠ being productiveHow to protect your “decision fuel” and avoid mental fatigueA challenge to help you figure out your signal for tomorrowThis is a quick, reflective episode—but I hope it gives you a powerful filter to use when everything feels urgent.🎯 Mentioned:My daily non-negotiables (podcast + movement!)The joy of finishing one high-impact task early in the dayLet me know if this concept resonates—or if you’ve used it yourself lately! Catch you tomorrow.*New* You're invited to join Leanne's free community, Work Fame.Show notes for every episode at https://podcast.leannehughes.comP.S. Ready to take things up a level? Here are some ways I can help:Watch My 2025 Speaker Reel: Let's energise your next event.Get My Book: Design your workshops fast using The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint. Let's connect on all the channels:Leanne Hughes on LinkedInLeanne Hughes on InstagramVisit my website: leannehughes.comEmail me: hello@leannehughes.comWould you like to deliver your own private podcast feed to your audience? Sign up for a free trial today at Hello Audio.

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 your voice + some friction points from your life = custom tools that work the way you do.What I built is called Leanne’s Media House Stack — a personal system that helps me capture, organize, and reuse my content across podcasts, LinkedIn, keynote stories, and more. It’s like a digital content library and idea bank, built to make visibility easier (and batching optional).Inside this episode:Why vibe coding is a game-changer for creators and consultantsThe two best places to start when thinking of what tool to buildHow I used ChatGPT to identify my biggest business bottleneckA sneak peek at Google AI Studio and how it builds the app in real timeWhat’s next for my Media House Stack (and how I want it to integrate with my RSS + LinkedIn)🎥 If you do want the visuals, the video walkthrough is linked in the show notes.And hey — if you find yourself copying and pasting things every day, this episode is your sign to try building something smarter.Want more of this kind of behind-the-scenes content? Hit the heart ❤️ or share this with a fellow content creator who’s drowning in tabs.Let me know which tool you’d build first!— Leanne 💻🎙️📦*New* You're invited to join Leanne's free community, Work Fame.Show notes for every episode at https://podcast.leannehughes.comP.S. Ready to take things up a level? Here are some ways I can help:Watch My 2025 Speaker Reel: Let's energise your next event.Get My Book: Design your workshops fast using The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint. Let's connect on all the channels:Leanne Hughes on LinkedInLeanne Hughes on InstagramVisit my website: leannehughes.comEmail me: hello@leannehughes.comWould you like to deliver your own private podcast feed to your audience? Sign up for a free trial today at Hello Audio.

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 credibility game-changerThe surprising difference between a daily podcast and a book — and why one of my clients only booked me after reading the latterWhere fear really comes from (and how to trick your brain into writing anyway)The difference between writing to impress vs. writing to expressWhy Alan never writes for his audience — and still keeps them hookedHow train crashes, robins, and even breaking up with your barista can spark powerful IPIf you've ever stared at a draft and wondered, "Is this any good?" — this one’s for you.📚 BONUS: Alan also shares how he landed paid gigs from books that didn’t even sell well — because the right people read them.🎧 Hit play, and remember: done is better than perfect.*New* You're invited to join Leanne's free community, Work Fame.Show notes for every episode at https://podcast.leannehughes.comP.S. Ready to take things up a level? Here are some ways I can help:Watch My 2025 Speaker Reel: Let's energise your next event.Get My Book: Design your workshops fast using The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint. Let's connect on all the channels:Leanne Hughes on LinkedInLeanne Hughes on InstagramVisit my website: leannehughes.comEmail me: hello@leannehughes.comWould you like to deliver your own private podcast feed to your audience? Sign up for a free trial today at Hello Audio.

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 her pivotal career moments, including an impactful sabbatical in Australia and discovering the transformative power of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming).Kirsty emphasises the importance of self-care for facilitators—physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually—to sustain energy and deliver impactful sessions. She also provides practical tips on how to prep effectively for workshops, including creating a positive environment, ditching PowerPoint, and encouraging interactive, experiential learning.Key Takeaways:How to recognise and pivot toward your ideal career path.Strategies for preparing mentally and physically for high-impact facilitation.Techniques to create engaging, interactive learning experiences.Insights into systemic constellation work and its benefits in facilitation.Advice on valuing your facilitation skills and confidently pricing your services.I'm excited because Kirsty will be visiting Brisbane soon, and we'll be reconnecting for a hike, coworking session, and some great conversation.Enjoy this rewind, and catch you in tomorrow's episode!*New* You're invited to join Leanne's free community, Work Fame.Show notes for every episode at https://podcast.leannehughes.comP.S. Ready to take things up a level? Here are some ways I can help:Watch My 2025 Speaker Reel: Let's energise your next event.Get My Book: Design your workshops fast using The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint. Let's connect on all the channels:Leanne Hughes on LinkedInLeanne Hughes on InstagramVisit my website: leannehughes.comEmail me: hello@leannehughes.comWould you like to deliver your own private podcast feed to your audience? Sign up for a free trial today at Hello Audio.

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, systemic issue in how we define work, value, and performance. It's not about effort. It's not about hours. It's about output.Plus, I riff on:Why “burnout culture” gave us the illusion of productivityThe real causes behind our productivity slump (spoiler: it's not lazy workers)Why I love async tools like Loom and voice notesMy beef with time-based work measuresWhy flexibility isn't just nice—it’s necessaryWould love to hear from you on this one: 📌 How’s your workplace navigating the right to disconnect? 📌 What does “reasonable” look like for you when it comes to after-hours work?Let's keep the convo going—send me a DM or voice note on Instagram or LinkedIn.Thanks for listening, and I’ll chat to you tomorrow 👋*New* You're invited to join Leanne's free community, Work Fame.Show notes for every episode at https://podcast.leannehughes.comP.S. Ready to take things up a level? Here are some ways I can help:Watch My 2025 Speaker Reel: Let's energise your next event.Get My Book: Design your workshops fast using The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint. Let's connect on all the channels:Leanne Hughes on LinkedInLeanne Hughes on InstagramVisit my website: leannehughes.comEmail me: hello@leannehughes.comWould you like to deliver your own private podcast feed to your audience? Sign up for a free trial today at Hello Audio.