Leanne on Demand Daily with Leanne Hughes

Absolute blast from the past! I'm diving back into 2020 with this gem: A replay of a webinar I co-hosted with my friend (and innovation guru) Joeri Schilders, who you might remember from his previous appearances on the show. Back when Zoom fatigue was real and the pivot to virtual had us all scrambling, Yuri and I created something called Virtually Possible . We believed (and still do!) that it is...

When I first started facilitating, I saw flip charts as a tool to scribble brainstorms or sketch a quick model. That all changed when I met today's guest, Marcel van Hove , who showed me how whiteboards and markers can be used to solve complex problems, de-escalate conflict, and create incredible team collaboration. In this episode, Marcel shares: How he went from software geek to visual facilitat...

Hey friends, welcome back to Leanne on Demand ! If you’re listening in real time, it’s Friday and I’ve (hopefully!) just arrived home after sleeping out in the cold for the Vinnies CEO Sleepout — I’ll debrief all of that with you next week. Today’s convo? Well, it’s fresh. Like, still-haven’t-recovered-my-voice fresh. I’ve got the delightful Jade Miller back on the pod — she joined me and Steve De...

Hey hey! This one’s a little different—recorded from the passenger seat, not the studio, because we’re fresh off the Red Carpet Campout and I wanted to capture the vibe in real-time. I'm joined by my co-host, the always-thoughtful Steven Demedio (driving!) and Jade Miller (in the backseat, with great vibes), as we exit the magical Spicers Canopy retreat. In this debrief, we share: 🔥 Why having no...

Sign up for free for my best articles every week: Work Fame. 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: Watch My 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...

Hey there! I'm currently off-grid at the Red Carpet Campout (yep, the forecast says -4°C 🥶), so today I’m sharing something from my WorkFame newsletter that’s been getting a great response. This episode is based on my article: How to Get a Meeting With Anyone — where I break down the three tactics that have helped me book time with incredibly busy humans (even when they’re “too busy” for coffee)....

Welcome back to part two of my mini-series on Nine Powerful Ways to Get Buy-In — tactics I really wish I knew when I first started working on cross-functional projects in big, global companies. Last week, we covered the first five strategies (like pre-sell your idea and ditch the pitch ), and today we’re wrapping things up with the final four — and these ones bring the juice. Here’s what I cover i...

This Weekend Rewind takes you back to a rich, practical, laugh-filled conversation with the incredible David Pullin — founder of The Story Spotters , former NIDA grad, professional actor, voice artist, and an absolute legend when it comes to using stories to engage, influence and connect. Since this episode aired, I’ve actually had the chance to hang out with David in real life — we shared a brill...

Welcome to this Weekend Rewind edition of Talk the Walk — where coffee meets conversation and martinis mix with mindset shifts. In this episode, we explore a bold (and slightly cheeky) question: Can you really get paid to be yourself? Alan Weiss — aka the Rockstar of Consulting — says yes, and he should know. From flat tires on Bentleys to 17-day certifications crammed into a weekend, Alan shares...

Ever struggled with getting buy-in on your ideas at work? You're definitely not alone! I've worked with plenty of clients who need help influencing, leading without formal authority, and just generally getting their projects off the ground. I get it—I used to struggle with this too, playing strictly by the rules and not seeing much traction. But then, I discovered some powerful, unconventional str...

Uh oh—got one of those emails. You know the kind: subject line screams “Copyright Violation.” 😬 In this episode, I share the full story of how I got caught out using an image of Aussie cricketer David Warner on my website—without the proper license. It wasn’t intentional, and it wasn’t even me who posted it… but that doesn’t matter when it comes to copyright. Here’s what I cover: The honest mista...

This episode begins like my Monday morning: calm, crisp, uneventful... until it wasn't. After a peaceful dog walk and coffee run, I returned home to a full-blown emergency scene—ambulance, police, tow trucks, a flipped car— right outside my house. I share what that moment sparked for me: a reflection on the illusion of predictability. How we think our routines, our streets, even our inboxes are "l...

Hey, thanks for pressing play today! If you’ve ever hesitated before making a bold move — whether it’s sending a message, asking a question, or sharing an idea — then today’s episode is for you. I’m riffing on a rule from my netball days: the three-second rule . It turns out, this isn’t just about passing balls on court — it’s a rule that can apply to all areas of life and work. I explore: How I l...

Hey, I'm Leanne—recovering gearsplainer. In today’s episode, I riff on a hilarious and all-too-real article I found tucked inside a gear package I ordered for my Nepal trek. It's called Gear Splaining by Dan Slater, and wow—did I feel personally attacked... in the best way. You know that moment when someone asks you a simple question and you launch into a TED Talk about the “why” behind every litt...

This one is a facilitator’s dream: We’re riffing behind the scenes on what it actually feels like to lead a room—mentally, emotionally, even physically—with two brilliant guests, Tricia Conyers and John Norcross from the Every Little Model podcast. Now, real talk: This episode didn’t exactly go to plan. 😅 Tech dropped out. My camera froze. Internet disappeared. But Tricia and John were absolute p...

We all know that relationships—business, personal, professional—require maintenance. It’s not set-and-forget. That’s why I’m bringing back this amazing conversation with recognition rockstar Sarah McVanel. She’s someone who deeply understands how small, thoughtful gestures can lead to massive business results. Sarah helps individuals and organizations leverage the power of recognition to retain to...

I just wrapped up a webinar for a long-time client — an organisation that delivers live , critical , and completely anonymous support via webinars. That’s right. No faces. No names. Just silence... and a flurry of comments in the chat. So how do you respond when the comments start rolling in — especially when the stakes are high and the people on the other side might be feeling overwhelmed, unseen...

Today's episode is all about clarity —what it gives you, and where it can trip you up. I reflect on something powerful I heard on The Diary of a CEO with Jimmy Fallon. He shared his obsession with getting on Saturday Night Live —how he wrote it in his journal, non-negotiable , and pursued it with singular focus. That kind of energy? That’s clarity. Right now, I’m getting that same type of clarity...

You’ve probably seen this post floating around. It goes something like: “If you get the job done in 60 minutes, it’s because you spent 10 years learning how. They owe you for the years, not the minutes. Charge accordingly.” Now, I used to agree with that... But these days? It kind of drives me up the wall. In this episode, I break down why I think this mindset is outdated, self-serving, and—frankl...

Today’s episode is a fun personal reflection—and a bit of a public declaration. I was talking to mates about the kind of work that really lights us up. For me, it’s this—talking into a microphone. Podcasting. Sharing ideas. Creating connection through voice. What’s funny is that I just made the connection to my teenage obsession with radio—specifically, B105’s Hot 30 Countdown with Stuy and Zoe. M...

In today’s episode, I unpack a moment I’m not super proud of—a time I said four little words that accidentally derailed a conversation and made someone defensive. I didn’t mean to. But I can see now how it landed, and I’m using this episode to reflect, recalibrate, and hopefully help you avoid doing the same. Here’s what we explore: The unintentional damage of saying those four words (even when it...

This week’s rewind is extra special because I just spent Wednesday night hanging out with Andy Balzat and the incredible Banana Life team at one of their signature games nights in Brisbane. So, I thought: What better time to bring back this brilliant conversation? Picture this: Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You playing… and the challenge is to hit a drum exactly on the beat after her big pa...

In today’s episode of Talk the Walk , I bring you a spicy, spirited convo with the one and only Alan Weiss — and we go deep (and a little rogue) on a hot topic: Do you really need a virtual assistant to grow your business? Alan says no. Emphatically. And look — this wasn't even our planned topic. A throwaway comment Alan made in a previous episode (about VAs being an ego play before you're earning...

Hey hey — today’s episode is timed literally to the Thermomix timer. I had 14 minutes while my eggs boiled, so that’s what I gave myself to record, edit, and publish this. (Spoiler: The beep didn’t make it in.) What I wanted to share with you is a little behind-the-scenes look at how I prep, host, and run my live stream show Talk the Walk with Alan Weiss. We’ve now done over 20 episodes together (...

This one’s personal—and iconic. In today’s episode, I share the wild, weird, wonderful story of how my husband’s dream car—a 1979 Pontiac Trans Am—finally made its way into our lives. But it’s not just a story about the car. It’s about the look . More specifically, the Screaming Chicken decal that lives on the hood. It arrived today. And as we prepped to slap it on, I stumbled across the backstory...