Leanne on Demand Daily with Leanne Hughes

High in the Himalayas at 5,500 meters, the air is thin, the tents are freezing, and every step feels like a test. Tomorrow, we attempt a 6,119-meter summit, and right now it feels like standing on the edge of something enormous, equal parts thrill, fear, and sheer determination. Today’s episode dives into the mental and physical preparation for the climb, and the emotional highs and lows that come...

Hey, thanks for tuning in! Today’s episode is all about my first-ever experience using crampons, those spiky tools you strap onto your boots to tackle icy, slippery terrain. I take you through the ups and downs of figuring them out on the fly, and the little victories that came with learning how to use them properly. Spoiler: I looked like a baby giraffe stumbling around! Along the way, I realized...

Just wrapped a long 10-kilometre hike, and I’m sitting in a warm tea house in Ache feeling a mix of exhaustion and satisfaction. Today’s episode is about making the most of what you’ve already got, staying organized at altitude, and finding small ways to refresh your day even when resources are limited. From icy tracks that demanded every ounce of focus to passing a memorial for trekkers who never...

I sat down in Brisbane with my friend and fellow facilitator, Steph Clarke , to dig into team coaching —what it is, how it differs from facilitation, and why letting a little chaos reign can be the catalyst a dysfunctional team actually needs. Steph shared what she learned during her accreditation, including how a coach intervenes with questions (not directives), works with the team in situ , and...

When you meet someone who’s genuinely passionate about PowerPoint, you know it’s going to be a great conversation. My guest today is Thomas Krafft , co-founder of Blue Box Data Storytelling , and honestly, I think of him as “Mr. Toastmaster.” He’s a speaker, MC, PowerPoint strategist, and all-round presentation geek who loves helping people communicate more clearly and confidently. In this episode...

I’m coming to you from high in the Himalayas at around 4,400 meters, absolutely exhausted but strangely proud after one of the toughest days of this trek. Today’s episode is all about the reality of hitting altitude, running on zero sleep, and somehow joining the 5,000 Meter Club after a three-hour climb straight uphill. From steep trails to thin air to the kind of exhaustion that makes you questi...

Today, I hit a wall. Not the usual “this is hard but I’ll push through” kind, but a full, unexpected breakdown in the middle of a mountain trail. I’ve done marathons, brutal training sessions, and long endurance days, but this felt different. It wasn’t the altitude or the terrain that got me. It was this strange, overwhelming wave of exhaustion that left me sitting on a rock, crying for the first...

I’m checking in from the stunning mountain town of Namche Bazaar , and wow, what a place. It’s full of cafés, shops, and even nightclubs, which feels kind of wild this high up. We had an acclimatization day yesterday, which sounds chill… but it was definitely not. Every step uphill was a challenge, but when I reached the top and saw Mount Everest for the first time, it honestly took my breath away...

Hey friends! I’m recording from MHA Bizarre , 3,400 meters above sea level, so if I sound a little breathless… well, that’s why. 😅 Day one and two were epic. We flew into Lukla Airport in Nepal, often called one of the world’s most dangerous airports due to its short runway, steep drop‑off, and mountain terrain. The views of the Himalayas were absolutely breathtaking. From the airport, we hiked n...

I’m recording this from Kathmandu — my last night before the trek begins! 🏔️ It’s Friday afternoon, the bags are (mostly) packed, and I’ve just wrapped up our group briefing with Matt Stewart from Experience Not Felt Possible . Tomorrow, we fly into one of the most challenging airports in the world before starting our Everest Base Camp adventure. The excitement (and a few nerves) are definitely re...

I loved this conversation with Andrew Tarvin—the world’s first “humor engineer.” Andrew trained as a computer science engineer, worked at Procter & Gamble as an IT project manager, and then discovered a powerful truth: you can’t be efficient with humans; you have to be effective. He started sneaking tiny moments of humor into meetings and emails and watched engagement, memory, and relationship...

I loved this conversation with my former WA colleague, Sherell Whitney—facilitator, inventor, and founder of Lift Performance Solutions. Sherell has hopped across industries (law, tourism, health, consulting) and brings that breadth to the room. We dig into how to create a genuinely safe training environment fast, why those first three minutes matter so much, what to pack in your “Mary Poppins” fa...

Hey friends, checking in from Camp Manji after a few hours of sleep. Before Nepal, a quick rewind to Brisbane Airport where I met Tim, Benjamin, and Renee — total legends. Benjamin joked about the old two-prong airplane headphones and said, “Everyone’s talking about AI taking over the world, but we still have these!” That line made me think of something my friend Julian Ma once said: “The more cha...

I’m coming to you from the Coffee Club at Brisbane Airport. Today’s episode is all about the chaos, excitement, and mild panic of travel. I share my packing struggles, juggling 17kg of luggage, medications, and gear for an epic trek ahead. From airport lounges to long flights to Kathmandu, I talk about the little moments that make travel exhausting—and exhilarating. Plus, I give a sneak peek into...

Hey friends! Today’s episode is a quick one — I’m literally recording this while packing for my trip to Nepal! ✈️ If you’ve been following along, you’ll know I’ve done a lot of research for this trip — everything from gear lists to pharmacy must-haves. Packing is my thing (maybe it’s the Virgo in me 😅), but this one’s next level. In this episode, I share: How I’m approaching packing for my Everes...

Hey, thanks for tuning in today. I’ve just wrapped up a road show all about The Two-Hour Workshop Blueprint , and one theme that kept popping up was the Review stage — the “R” in my SPARK framework: Set up, Power up, Activities, Review, Keep . If you’re anything like me, you might find yourself so excited by your content that you leave only five minutes at the end to wrap things up. But the review...

This week, I share a story that made me quite literally stop in my tracks — and pay attention. It started as a beautiful morning: coffee by the river with my friend Bhan, wearing her book as my workout accessory, feeling on top of the world. Then I checked my PO box and found two things: a new book ( The Art of the Ignorable Email by David Pullan) and… a $2,500 speeding fine from the Queensland Re...

I loved this conversation with my guest, Marcus Crow , a professional speaker, MC, and facilitator who co-founded 10,000 Hours —a company with the perfect tagline: Daring ideas in a safe pair of hands. We explored what true confidence looks like in facilitation—not the kind that comes from credentials or bravado, but the quiet, grounded kind that shows up through stories, humor, and authenticity....

On this Halloween live stream, Alan Weiss and I had a spirited chat about the “tricks” consultants fall for and the “treats” clients actually value. We riffed on wild promises vs. real outcomes, commodity work vs. initiating new value, carving people up vs. helping them grow, being a ghost vs. showing up with presence, and—my favorite—wearing masks vs. bringing the real you (including your voice,...

Happy Halloween! 🎃 In today’s episode, I share a few things I’m up to — including a fun LinkedIn Live with Alan Weiss on Consulting Trick or Treats (we’re swapping horror stories and ways to earn more “treats” like referrals and repeat gigs), plus a virtual session for a membership group on The Two Hour Workshop Blueprint . But the real story today came from the dog park. It was my first visit ba...

This episode came from one of those half-asleep thoughts that wouldn’t leave me alone — “damaged goods.” I unpack this idea that sometimes, as facilitators or change agents, we hold ourselves back because we assume the people we’re working with aren’t ready. We design for the lowest common denominator, in the name of being “inclusive.” But as Alan Weiss once told me, “Stop assuming people are dama...

In today’s episode, I’m reading and riffing on one of my all-time favourite internet articles — The #1 Sign You’re Winning in Life: No One Understands What the Hell You Do for a Living by Tim Denning. It hit me right between the eyes. Tim talks about how the most successful people are unexplainable . They don’t fit into neat elevator pitches, and that’s a good thing. I totally relate — half my nei...

Hey, thanks for tuning in today. Wow — what a wild couple of days here in Brisbane. After a massive hailstorm knocked out power for more than 24 hours, I escaped the 40-degree heat and hit the Gold Coast with my friend (and events legend) Sally Porteous to scope out venues for Con Con 2026 . This episode is part post-storm diary, part behind-the-scenes look at how I choose spaces that feel right....

When I released my Work Fame Substack on Friday, my phone rang—literally a minute after it went out. It was my friend Nicole, calling from a walk on the Gold Coast. She said, “Leanne, how do you create so much content and still seem to have a life?” It’s a good question. In this episode, I share my answer: how having a daily podcast has trained me to be an observer of life . When you publish somet...

I’m absolutely delighted to welcome back my friend, leadership strategist and radiant human, Neen James —author of Folding Time , Attention Pays , and her new book Exceptional Experiences . If you’ve ever seen Neen in action, you know she’s pure energy and light. She advises C-suite leaders across luxury and legacy brands (think Viacom, Four Seasons, even the FBI) and was recently appointed to the...