Michelle Weston

Lifting the Lid on Engagement

Business EN ↓ 4 episodes

Lifting the Lid is a community engagement podcast co-hosted by Michelle Weston of Dome Engagement and Max Hardy of Max Hardy Consulting. With over 50 years of combined experience in stakeholder engagement, deliberative democracy, and facilitation across Australia, Michelle and Max lift the lid on all things community engagement, exploring the real-world challenges, emerging trends, and practical wisdom that practitioners need to navigate this evolving field. Each episode features candid conversations with leading thinkers and practitioners, digging into the topics that matter most.

Author

Michelle Weston

Episodes

Episode 4 - Lifting the lid on the masks we wear - satire, burnout and what lies beneath with Isabella GiaVulva 10.06.2026 50:27

Episode 4 | Show Notes In this episode Michelle and Max are joined by Isabella GiaVulva, self-described community engagement drag queen, participation consultant extraordinaire, and the performer behind the hit conference show Off Leash. Through comedy, music and satire, Isabella holds a mirror up to the engagement sector: its jargon, its rituals, its contradictions and its very real human cost. H...

Episode 3 - Lifting the Lid on Magical Moments, Global Impact and Legacy with Becky Hirst 07.04.2026 47:45

Lifting the Lid on Magical Moments, Global Impact and Legacy - with Becky Hirst In this rich and wide-ranging conversation, Max Hardy and Michelle Weston sit down with Becky Hirst - founder of HeyEngage, author, podcaster, keynote speaker and one of the most recognised voices in community engagement globally - to explore the magical moments that keep practitioners going, what it takes to build a g...

Episode 2 - Lifting the lid on a leap of faith with Max Hardy and Michelle Weston 04.03.2026 25:44

In this engaging conversation, Max Hardy and Michelle Weston explore the complexities of community engagement, emphasising the importance of a leap of faith, agility, and shared responsibility in navigating unpredictable processes. They share real-world stories, practical tips, and insights to help practitioners build trust, resilience, and meaningful connections in their work. Key Topics The conc...

Episode 1 - Lifting the Lid on Transitions with Liz Weaver 12.02.2026 53:52

In this first ‘Lifting the Lid’ podcast episode hosted by Michelle Weston and Max Hardy – Liz Weaver discusses her extensive experience with transitions in both personal and professional contexts, particularly through her work with the Tamarack Institute. The discussion explores Liz's fantastic new resource The Human Side of Workplace Transitions including the emotional complexities of transit...