First Time Facilitator – Details, episodes & analysis

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Leanne Hughes and Alan Weiss explore what it really takes to design premium client experiences — from large-scale thought leadership conferences to intimate high-touch group gatherings in penthouse suites around the world. Alan shares the frameworks, courage, and lifestyle philosophy behind his most successful events, and Leanne reflects on her own recent red carpet camp-out experience.

Topics Covered

• Defining high-end experiences — Alan's two models: large group conferences (125–150 people) vs. intimate groups (7–10 people in premium locations)
• The large format event — Outside speakers (Dan Pink, Jonah Berger), a $30–35K AV crew, volunteer wranglers, concurrent sessions, and how to turn a cost-neutral event into $150K in spinoff business
• The intimate group format — Penthouses in London, Paris, and LA; Michelin-starred dinners; provoking IP over socialising
• The role of location — Why venue matters more for small groups, and how Alan used his Kauai suite to transform a stuffy session
• Program design — Overwhelming with value, reframing problems rather than solving them, and the story of Mike Robert's legendary Pebble Beach strategy program
• Courage and filling seats — Becoming an "object of interest," the chain reaction of attraction, and why you should never lead with price
• Accessibility as a brand strategy — Being the most accessible expert in a niche, and where to draw the line
• Curating the right room — Why sophistication and maturity matter more than income, and the one time someone didn't belong
• Lifestyle as the real brand — Why people follow Alan for the life he lives, not just his consulting expertise
• What people get wrong — The experience should showcase you, not the venue; using Broadway plays, tours, and dinners as vehicles for IP
• Virtual high-end experiences — Why Alan believes in-person is essential for high-touch, community-building work
• Planning and promotion — Shameless promotion, letting your wife veto the destination, and the 24-hour sign-up experiment

Key Quotes

Resources & People Mentioned

• Dan Pink — Author and speaker
• Jonah Berger — Wharton School professor, author of Contagious
• Michael Bungay Stanier — Author of The Coaching Habit
• Randy Gage — Author, prosperity mindset expert
• The Innovation Formula — Alan Weiss & Mike Robert (1985)

Connect

• Alan Weiss: alanweiss.com
• Leanne Hughes: First Time Facilitator
• Talk the Walk — next episode: first week of June

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Jan Keck is back on First Time Facilitator for a pop-up episode, and this one is for anyone who wants to create connection without making people cringe. 

Jan first appeared on the podcast in Episode 156, and in this conversation he shares the thinking behind his new book, The Campfire Method, plus what he’s learned from three years of writing, testing, and refining his ideas in public. 

We talk about why Jan moved away from the old “icebreakers” framing, and how his work evolved into a bigger idea: creating the conditions that help people feel safe enough to connect, contribute, and take risks. He shares how small moments before a session even starts can shape the whole experience, from pre-event communication to what people see when they first enter the room. 

In this episode, Jan shares:

•  why the best facilitators build a risk ramp, not a risk jump 
•  how to make space for quiet participants without putting them on the spot 
•  the five conditions that help “melt the ice”, including the importance of choice 
•  what happened when he asked 350 TEDx attendees to create secret handshakes with strangers 
•  how writing his book in public, with weekly community feedback, helped him stay consistent for three years 
•  why he now prefers facilitator promises over group agreements or rules 

If you work with groups, workshops, retreats, learning experiences, or team sessions, there’s a lot in here for you.

About Jan Keck
Jan Keck is a facilitation trainer, TEDx speaker, and author of The Campfire Method. On his official book page, the book is described as a practical guide for empathetic leaders who want to design group experiences that spark engagement, encourage vulnerability, and build deeper connection. 

Grab or pre-order Jan’s book here

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Host Leanne Hughes takes you behind the scenes of the recent "How to Face Change" event she co-hosted with Michael Bungay Stanier (MBS). 

From brainstorming ideas, locking in the perfect venue, to manufacturing demand for tickets, Leanne spills all the details on how they turned a bold idea into an unforgettable experience.

Expect candid reflections, actionable tips, and a whole lot of fun as Leanne shares the highs, challenges, and big wins from this Brisbane-based event.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. How to Create Demand for Your Event: The strategic move that got 150 people onto the event waitlist within 24 hours (without selling a single ticket!).
2. The Power of Venue: Why the rooftop bar venue was a major player in getting people excited to attend—and how venue choice can impact your marketing strategy.
3. Collaborating with the Best: Leanne shares insights from working with Michael Bungay Stanier and how their creative synergy shaped the event’s success.
4. Marketing Magic: A peek into the marketing tactics, including leveraging scarcity, early bird offers, and social proof to sell out the event in record time.
5. Content vs. Experience: Why Leanne spent more time focusing on creating an experience for her attendees than on the content itself—and why that was the key to success.
6. Behind-the-Scenes Decisions: The tools and tech that helped Leanne and MBS manage a seamless collaboration across time zones, from Google Docs to a private podcast.
7. Post-Event Reflections: What worked, what Leanne would tweak, and the overwhelming LinkedIn love that followed the event.

Episode Highlights:

• The quote that inspired Leanne to aim big with her venue choice: "If I made small decisions, I would hate myself forever."
• How to "manufacture demand" and why giving your audience a waitlist (before selling tickets) can validate your event idea.
• The importance of creating a memorable experience (hint: it’s not all about the content!) and how a rooftop venue turned their event into a “brag-worthy” moment.

Links Mentioned in the Episode:

• Watch the 3-minute event highlight video on YouTube
• Michael Bungay Stanier's work
• Our Luma event site
• Diary of a CEO interview with Daniel Priestly

Upcoming Events with Leanne:

1. Red Carpet Group Experience: Las Vegas with Leanne Hughes
   📅 October 30, 2024
   
   
2. Get to the Point Workshop with Sally Prosser
   📅 November 19, 2024 | Brisbane
    
3. Luxury Glamping Retreat: Red Carpet Campout
   📅 Dates: 10-12 March 2025 | Location: Private property, 90 mins from Brisbane
    

Join the Conversation: What resonated with you from today’s episode? Let us know!  Share your thoughts on social media and tag Leanne and Michael.

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This 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!

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My 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.

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.

• 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 feedback
• Being responsible to the energy you bring to the room

Handy links

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Today, 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.

• 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

• Join The Flipchart Facebook Group
• Click here for show notes
• Connect with David Pullan on LinkedIn

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• Click here for show notes
• Join The Flipchart community on Facebook
• Support the show - shout the host a coffee!

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Your 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

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Energy 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 buying me a coffee

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Wouldn't it be cool if you could say to your client: "We'll practise those skills at Sir Elton John's Oscars party!".

Today's guest has done that :) 

Here's one of my #bestof episodes! I'm in deep work mode, working up a new program and busy attempting to pick my own brain. 

My guest today is Steve Sims and he runs the coolest workshops I’ve ever heard of, no joke. And how does he embed learning at the end of these workshops? By making people practice the skills they’ve learn, when they rock up to Sir Elton John’s Oscars after-party.

Steve is the man who created Bluefish, a company that makes once-in-a-lifetime events happen for the rich and famous reveals to the rest of us his trade secrets for making things happen.  With his help and expertise, his clients’ fantasies and wildest dreams come true.

Steve is the author of the Bluefishing: The Art of Making Things Happen, and he has a podcast of the same name. Steve has spoken at Harvard and the Pentagon, twice.  Getting married by the Pope in the Vatican, being serenaded by Elton John, and connecting with powerful business moguls like Elon Musk are just a few of the many projects he has worked on.  

I really wanted Steve on the show to talk about a few key things - the assumptions we have about asking for things, how confidence; and your approach can take you far and (literally) open doors.  We also talk about the perfectionism beast.

If you’d like to join the conversation when the show is over, join The Flipchart, a free community on Facebook for First Time Facilitator listeners.

Steve Sims Steve is the visionary founder of Bluefish: the world’s first luxury concierge that delivers the highest level of personalized travel, transportation, and cutting-edge entertainment services to corporate executives, celebrities, professional athletes, and other discerning individuals interested in living life to its fullest.

• Steve Sims Website

• The Art of Making Things Happen Podcast

• Steve Sims on Instagram

• The Distillery

• Grant Cardone & Tai Lopez rant video

• Please leave me a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so I can thank you personally.

• Click here to let Leanne know your number one takeaway from this episode!

• Click here to tweet your thanks to Steve

• Support the show and buy Leanne a coffee!

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