Send Leanne a messageToday is a solo, just in time episode, on something that I’ve probably been a bit shy in sharing.However, when I’ve been on listening tours, and spoken to you, and even now in my foundation round of my new online program, Booked Out Facilitator, it seems a common challenge I hear is that it’s really hard to decide (and then define) what you actually do.This actually comes to life more so when you start messaging and promoting and website building.It’s not a messaging problem, it’s a decision problem.I empathise so much with this, as I continually question it for myself: "What are you doing Leanne? Where are you progressing? Stop being so vague!"No one has agonised over this harder than me.Sometimes I even wish someone would tell me what to focus on, and make that decision for me. Crazy, right? In today's episode, I pull on my explorer hat, and take you behind the scenes of conversations I've had, tools I've used, questions I've answered to help navigate my uncertainty. I share it in the hope that it helps provide you with some clarity and direction!Don't forget to join The Flipchart community on FacebookLet's connect on LinkedInSee what services I provide over at leannehughes.comEvery day in 2025, Leanne is podcasting on her new show, Leanne on Demand.Tune in over here!(Otherwise, enjoy the back catalogue of First Time Facilitator episodes).Support the show

Send Leanne a messageWhat I love about my conversation with today’s guest is his knack and ability for jumping in, trying things, being open for the possibilities. I think that’s an incredibly important facilitator skill and he demonstrates it, not only with the way he runs his business and facilitates workshops, but his life as well!My guest today is Jimbo Clark from Innogreat.In this conversation, Jim also shares how he got started in facilitation and pretty much self-funded his experience, how he facilitates mindset change and really values connection over content in his workshops. ProbablyAs you’ll hear, Jimbo’s goal is to be a catalyst of creative change, to support those he comes in contact with, to become who they need to be, to answer the burning questions of their lives.Psst…Jimbo is sharing TWO amazing offers for First Time Facilitator listeners - yeaaah!20% off Upgrade your B❒X: The Hybrid ExperienceThis session combines:a) what we've learned from running hundreds of face to face B❒X sessions, andb) what we learned in the last 18 months running more than 100 virtual sessionsinto a bundled hybrid product that kicks box.Jimbo is offering 20% off the already discounted pre-release priceHow to claim? Navigate to: https://box.innogreat.com/upgrade-your-box/Use coupon code: upgradel2If you can't attend a session, Jimbo is also happy to provide 50% off his book, which is also available here.Coupon Code: boxbook50In this episode you will learn how to:Create shifts in our own mindsetCreate connections between content and participantsJump in and be okay with learning as you go!Start building your brand and business, paying attention to what clients actually wantClick here for show notes.Love the podcast?Join our free facilitator community on Facebook called The Flipchart Support the host's ideation addiction, buy Leanne a coffee!Check out Leanne Hughes' corporate work at leannehughes.comConnect with Leanne Hughes on LinkedInFollow Leanne on InstagramEvery day in 2025, Leanne is podcasting on her new show, Leanne on Demand.Tune in over here!(Otherwise, enjoy the back catalogue of First Time Facilitator episodes).Support the show

Send Leanne a messageBuilding a training business! We think we need to do all those things like cold call people, have the best one-liners, be on social media all of the time. Mark Garrett Hayes is my guest today and he shares that there are other ways you can build your training business, which doesn’t rely on what we traditionally think we should do. Mark is the founder of TrainingBusiness.com, a Media and Education platform serving facilitators, trainers, coaches, consultants, learning & development consultants and human development experts around the world, to start, scale and grow their business! I was  a guest on Mark’s show last month and loved our conversation around building a business, and wanted to continue it and hear his strategies for outreach and connecting with clients, to create a profitable training business, his podcast, Training Business is a fantastic source of inspiration to help you out with this, too. What I love about this conversation is how we can use our masterful skill of facilitation to grow our business. It really is the best skill around. Mark drops some fantastic, memorable one-liners too, some of my favourites include: Acronym BANT (Budget, Authority, Need, Timing) Sales - reframing it, calling it a service, making it fun, more accessible, and creative, too References, referrals and recommendations - the difference and which ones you should pursue. About our Guest: Mark Garrett Hayes Mark specialises in working with inside sales teams (telesales / digital sales) in technology businesses and has collective experience in working with professional services (legal / finance) and online retail business. His team works with business internationally and the beauty of working with telephone sales people is that we can deliver sales training / sales coaching online remotely whether your business is in the US, UK, EU and APAC. In this episode you will learn: Easeful systems and frameworks for generating and qualifying leads A realistic timeframe for building your business How to promote yourself without talking about yourself! Knowing your ICP - Ideal Customer Profile Every day in 2025, Leanne is podcasting on her new show, Leanne on Demand.Tune in over here!(Otherwise, enjoy the back catalogue of First Time Facilitator episodes).Support the show

Send Leanne a messageThis week, we’re talking about a topic that isn’t really talked about, and today’s guest is on a mission to change that.  (A quick heads up if you’re listening, in this episode we’re talking about suicide, and how to starting a conversation if you’re worried about someone). My guest is Rose Allett, and she is the face behind Start the Conversation. She’s a qualified counsellor, mum of one, keen yogi and singer (amongst other things!) and also a passionate, experienced and international tutor of suicide prevention skills. In this conversation, I’m curious to discover how Rose creates trust quickly with her groups, particularly in the virtual world, and how she starts a conversation around a sensitive topic. We also dive into being a business owner and the importance of having an abundance mindset- valuing collaboration, over competition. Rose is also the co-creator of Talking about Suicide: Ten Tools (TAS10), a 90-minute Zoom session , Accredited tutor of Suicide First Aid through Understanding Suicide Intervention, the UK's only National Qualification in suicide prevention, a consultant tutor for the National Centre for Suicide Prevention Training UK CIC, as well as A LivingWorks master trainer, having delivered over 35 ASIST programme across both hemispheres. She actively promotes and deliver suicide prevention skills training within our communities because we are all human beings and because suicide doesn't discriminate.  As you’ll hear in this conversation, Rose is passionate about empowering people to overcome their fears and find the words to talk about suicide, because she believes... she knows... that talking saves lives. It saved hers.  And not just talking, listening too. A conversation; a brave, bold and necessary conversation.  Click here for show notes Join The Flipchart community on Facebook (it’s free!) Support the show, shout Leanne a coffee! Every day in 2025, Leanne is podcasting on her new show, Leanne on Demand.Tune in over here!(Otherwise, enjoy the back catalogue of First Time Facilitator episodes).Support the show

Send Leanne a messageThis week we’re focusing on two of my favourite things, that I mention on this podcast over and over again (aren’t you lucky!):  Unpredictability and Contrast.  My guest today, Johnny Quinn from Audience Alive, epitomises both. This is a masterclass episode in how to do things differently in your workshops.  I’m not saying that lightly either, literally, there are at least 10 ideas in this podcast, you can use, or share with your company, or anyone running events, workshops, presentations to immediately create audience engagement. Raised and Educated in Ireland, Johnny arrived in Dubai in 1996 determined to make the difference between presentations that fell flat, and that sealed the deal.  After several years with Philips Middle East he started AudienceAlive Dubai, and then in 2015, expanded the operation to beautiful Queenstown, New Zealand. He’s been a DJ, Postman, Van Driver, Theatre, Technician, Cameraman, Engineering Manager, Business, Development Manager, Company Owner and his burning desire is to travel to the worlds top 10 beaches (I’m sure Cable Beach in WA would be up there, that’s my favourite beach!) In this episode, Johnny also shares some very memorably analogies, one liners and expressions, you can also use to help influence others to be brave, and try things differently. Click here for show notes Join our free facilitator community on Facebook called The Flipchart Find out more about the host, Leanne Hughes Support the show and shout Leanne a coffee! Every day in 2025, Leanne is podcasting on her new show, Leanne on Demand.Tune in over here!(Otherwise, enjoy the back catalogue of First Time Facilitator episodes).Support the show

Send Leanne a messageMy guest today threw a crazy stat at me in this conversation: 99% of employees want feedback, however 75% of managers don’t like giving feedback. I feel like if you could talk about some of the challenges that are faced in organisations today, you could relate it back to this one statistic. Toady we’re talking about feedback and I’m joined by Beth Wonson from NCDsolution.com.  This is a quasi episode mixing up two topics: 1) Feedback conversations - how to get better at having them 2) Facilitation: In particular, how to centre yourself before a workshop, and what you do when you receive negative feedback about your workshop - you know that negative bias we all have? What I love about Beth’s work is the simplicity of what she shares, and how applicable it can be to you - If you know you’e been avoiding feedback for some time, this is a great opportunity and reminder on how to normalise giving and receiving feedback, and taking away that stigma attached to it. About our Guest: Beth Wonson Since 2015, Beth Wonson, CEO and Founder of Navigating Challenging Dialogue®, has coached hundreds of C-suite professionals in Fortune 500s and the non-profit sector to have meaningful, drama-free conversations. Beth has worked in the various industries holding roles including CEO and COO. Beth founded Navigating Challenging Dialogue in 2015 out of frustration for the ways in which traditional leadership skills fail the mission and goals of organizations. Beth realized one of the most critical needs was an awareness of the importance of emotional self-management.   By exploring how our brains work, Beth recognized how emotions and thinking errors impact our ability to create positive work environments. By applying what she learned into her practice with clients, she developed the process of Navigating Challenging Dialogue.  The four-stage NCD Process is for managing yourself and your ability to communicate effectively with curiosity and clarity. The NCD Process is unique in that it is successful in any place where human interaction is critical. In this episode you will learn: How to master getting feedback during workshop Identifying feedback and ensuring it is fact-based How to normalise the process of giving feedback, and using it as an opportunity to provide support How to regulate your emotions when you receive feedbackEvery day in 2025, Leanne is podcasting on her new show, Leanne on Demand.Tune in over here!(Otherwise, enjoy the back catalogue of First Time Facilitator episodes).Support the show

Send Leanne a messageToday, you’ll hear from a guest with tremendous presence (and a matching tremendous voice!). We all know stories are important, but what’s the best way of eliciting those stories from our workshop participants?  My guest today is David Pullan, co-founder of The Story Spotters. In this conversation, David shares pragmatic details on questions and x-factor activities we can use in our next workshop, using the Story Spotter framework. He also shares a reassuring phrase we can use as facilitators, to help us relax a little bit (I’m looking at myself here!!). David is a fine example of someone who is excellent at building relationships, and he also shares his ideas on how facilitators make THE best facilitators. I never thought of it that way! David Pullan  is the founder of The Story Spotters where he helps leaders and teams use the power of story to build powerful connections one conversation at a time. We dive into the 4 elements of story spotting in this show. He has extensive experience in helping clients sharpen their spoken communications. He specialises in business development communication and key internal presentations, helping clients to unlock the complexity of messages that need to stick with their target audiences. David has been coaching senior leaders since 2005. Working in some of the world’s top organisations and SMEs, he helps clients adapt their communications for different settings from Board and Executive committee sessions, to town hall meetings and video conferences.  David was a professional actor for 20 years with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal National Theatre, BBC and Paramount Pictures. He continues to work both as a broadcast voice-over artist and conference host, both of which keep his own communications skills at the sharp end. In this episode you will learn: The stories that you need to spot, shape and share stories: Listen to David share his valuable story-spotting framework How to make your workshops the best experience for all involved Some refreshing advice for first time facilitators How to connect people’s ideas to concepts and key messages How to extend the life of your voice, using the UFO technique What keeps David motivated as a business owner Resources mentioned in this episode: Join The Flipchart Facebook Group Click here for show notes Connect with David Pullan on LinkedIn Every day in 2025, Leanne is podcasting on her new show, Leanne on Demand.Tune in over here!(Otherwise, enjoy the back catalogue of First Time Facilitator episodes).Support the show

Send Leanne a message Ooh - how’s this for a first time? It’s the first time we’ve had an L&D detective on the show and he’s here to answer the #1 question that plays on all of our (and our clients’ minds): “How can we measure the results, and the ROI of our workshops?”   Known in the global learning and development (L&D) community as “the L&D detective,” Kevin M. Yates answers the question, “What is the impact of learning?”   He solves measurement mysteries and investigates how learning activates performance and business goals using facts, clues, evidence, and data.   Kevin’s career in the learning and development profession includes over 20 years of experience in local and global roles for facilitation, instructional design, learning technology, program management, leadership development, impact analysis and more.   If you’re curious on how to measure your workshop results, setting measurable targets, identifying performance gaps and helpful questions you can use after your workshop, you’ll enjoy this episode.   Click here for show notes Join The Flipchart community on Facebook Support the show - shout the host a coffee! Every day in 2025, Leanne is podcasting on her new show, Leanne on Demand.Tune in over here!(Otherwise, enjoy the back catalogue of First Time Facilitator episodes).Support the show

Send Leanne a messageYour workshops are amazing: So amazing that you’ve been asked to share your expertise in a keynote presentation! How do you convert your interactive group content, to something that can be delivered from the stage in front of hundreds of people? That’s the topic I explore today, where I share actionable tips on how I prepare for a keynote speech. Spoiler alert: The first thing I do when designing a speech is to step away from my computer, and go out for a walk! Thanks to Adele Spurgin, who asked the following question in The Flipchart this week: “Traditionally I am right at home facilitating so today when a keynote speaking gig in front of 750pax was offered to me, I just said YES & am now starting to workout the how! Any advice, insights etc would be greatly appreciated!!! As I haven’t done this size crowd in a while. Leanne Hughes I saw your LinkedIn post and although this is not an MC role maybe you could help shed some insights pls! I mean how hard can it be, right?” Listen in to hear how I design, prepare, rehearse and deliver my keynotes in this week’s episode. Click here for show notes Join The Flipchart community on Facebook! Love the show? Buy the host a coffee! Subscribe to Leanne’s curated newsletter Every day in 2025, Leanne is podcasting on her new show, Leanne on Demand.Tune in over here!(Otherwise, enjoy the back catalogue of First Time Facilitator episodes).Support the show

Send Leanne a messageEnergy is the most important thing when it comes to your workshops, and I discovered this nice and early when I geeked out on an energetic conversation with today’s guest, Dana James-Edwards. This is a #bestof episode - I spoke to Dana back in 2018, when she called herself “Dana the Trainer”. Through a series of pivots and discovering her passion, she is now known as “Diversity Dana". Today’s conversation is as relevant as ever - you’ll learn Ways to make facilitation more fun, colourful and engaging How to balance or lift your energy levels when required What to do when things don't go to plan (hint: prevention is better than cure) How to create content for new workshops I want to share her website copy on her About page as a way of introducing her: "My favourite word is the F-Word – FUN (Wait a minute … what F word were you thinking about?).  Seriously! As you can tell I take an unconventional approach to learning focusing on fun, colour, enjoyment and making things as practical and relevant as possible to make sure that key learnings make it back to the workplace. What is it that I facilitate? Great question! I have my fingers in many pies, but my 3 core areas are *drumroll please* Diversity & Inclusion, Train-The-Trainer (or Coach) and Agile And if that sounds like an eclectic mix of things that shouldn’t go together and make no sense  you’re going to have to read the rest of my bio to find out why and how it all came about. To confuse you even further I sometimes even dabble in some Management & Leadership bits … but that’s a story for another day. Read the rest of Dana’s story here. What’s new with Leanne and First Time Facilitator? So excited to share that I’m partnering with Slido on their Online Meetings Revolution trend report. Come along to the launch and hear the interesting data + predictions to make your online meetings as engaging and relevant as possible. It’s on 14 April 2021, here’s the link to sign up.   Join the conversation when the show is over with 1300 facilitators from all over the world in our free group called The Flipchart Support the show (and my ideas) by buyingEvery day in 2025, Leanne is podcasting on her new show, Leanne on Demand.Tune in over here!(Otherwise, enjoy the back catalogue of First Time Facilitator episodes).Support the show