First Time Facilitator Leanne Hughes

Let me say upfront: This is a notepad and pen episode. Take them out, now!







Dr JJ Peterson is the Chief of Teaching and Facilitation at StoryBrand and he’s my guest on the show. 







It was recorded recently so we do touch on covid-19 and how StoryBrand are pivoting their workshops to online but JJ also shares other useful tips, including managing energy (by paying attention to what you wear), how to start your workshop, the four roles you can play in a story, and what you should vs shouldn’t joke about during a workshop.







I love his clear, explanation on how we can start our workshops by positioning ourselves as the guide. He also shares a framework you can use to market your services, either internally or externally.







I am geeking out over his book he co-authored with Don Miller, it’s called “Marketing Made Simple” and I’m bunkering down over this time, in between other things, to pivot my marketing message using their very simple, practical framework. For me, this book has come around at the right time – if marketing isn’t your strong suit, and hey even if it is, this book is the ultimate guide to update all of your message – highly recommend it.







About today’s guest: Dr JJ Peterson







Dr JJ Peterson is is a filmmaker, a story teller, and passionate about all things art. J.J. has studied CS Lewis in Oxford, debated theology with film makers at the Sundance Film Festival, directed a documentary, had small parts in various television shows and films, but his favorite thing is being called Uncle J.J.







He has traveled the world, working in Africa, Europe, Asia, South America, and the US, sharing the gospel story through pastoral training, preaching and even touring as an improv comic. He is a filmmaker, a story teller, and passionate about all things art. J.J. has studied CS Lewis in Oxford, debated theology with film makers at the Sundance Film Festival, directed a documentary, had small parts in various television shows and films, but his favourite thing is being called Uncle J.J.







He’s had a pretty interesting life as you’ll hear him explain, but what he doesn’t share in his intro is that he danced in a Missy Elliot music video, his first acting job was on the West Wing, and was baptized in a cattle trough while surrounded by Massai warriors and their cows.







JJ helps companies understand what customers are looking for so they can tell their story in such a way people listen.







Resources mentioned on this show







* Marketing Made Simple (I 11/10 recommend this book!)* Business Made Simple* Story Brand* Your Going to Be Ok* Connect with JJ on Linkedin* Tweet your thanks to JJ!







Our conversation is on YouTube







Watch the interview instead! Dr JJ Peterson talks facilitation on Leanne Hughes’ podcast







Quotes:







* “It’s always about taking the next steps forward.”* “The hero is the person who chooses to transform, overcome situations and chooses to write a better story. Your customer is the hero of your brand.”* “If you’ve been given the stage, you already have the authority.”* “They don’t care about your credentia...

Bonus episode! Previous guest and Deep Listening expert, Oscar Trimboli and I catch up to talk about best practice techniques using Zoom breakout rooms. We scheduled a 15min call, an ‘espresso shot’ of Zoom chitter chatter on a Wednesday afternoon.







Oscar appeared on Episode 49 of the show: Great facilitators notice patterns in the room







Oscar’s details







* www.oscartrimboli.com* Quick way to schedule time together* Get the book Deep Listening – Impact beyond words * Listen to the Apple Award Winning Podcast Deep Listening – Impact beyond words* Book Oscar to speak on Deep Listening for your organisation







Like this show?







* Join the conversation when the show is over: Connect with over 730 facilitators from around the world, on our free Facebook group: The Flipchart* Please leave me a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so I can thank you personally.* Tweet your number one takeaway from this episode to Leanne* Tweet your thanks to Oscar







About the host: Leanne Hughes







Leanne Hughes is an international facilitator, speaker and coach who loves creating unpredictable workshop experiences, that predictably work.







She combines her experience in Marketing, with her education in Human Resources and Psychology, to help leaders create engaging everyday experiences – that are so contagious they scale across teams, functions and regions.







Leanne has facilitated leadership, onboarding and team-development workshops across Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Mongolia and Singapore and believes in a strengths-centred approach to learning and development.  She has over 13 years’ of experience across a range of industries including mining, government and tourism sectors.







She’s the host of the First Time Facilitator podcast and was a finalist in the 2018 Australian Learning Impact awards for Learning Professional of the Year.

I hope you’re keeping safe, eating a variety of food, getting some movement into your day while we navigate this uncertainty and complexity.







This week, I’m keeping the content fresh again and talking to a person who wrote the book about adapting to change, it’s called “Think on your feet: Tips and Tricks to Improve Your Communication Skills on the Job”, this book was recently  featured at Inc. Magazine as the first of 20 Books That Will Kick Off 2020 On the Right Foot.







So appropriate for a time like this, when all of us are having to adapt to new news + ways of working, every moment.







In this interview we talk through Jen’s pivot into online offerings and how she’s running improv workshops using Zoom, she shares how improv comedy and a background in acting has helped shape her career, using an improv phrase, “yes and” instead of ‘yes but’ to keep conversation going in workshops, how to engage in small talk at networking events + that moment before a workshop, when a few participants have arrived early.







About today’s guest: Jen Brown







Jen Oleniczak Brown is the founder of The Engaging Educator (EE), a women- owned and operated company dedicated to helping people find their unapologetic, authentic and best voice, communication style and self through improv-based education. Since 2012, EE has served over 50,000 students, working with such companies as Viacom, Food Network, The New York Times, Saks Fifth Avenue and CBS. EE is based out of NYC, LA, SF and Winston Salem, NC.







Jen’s work can be found in publications including Bustle, Fast Company, Forbes, Moneyish and others. Aside from her entrepreneurial endeavors, Jen has done three TEDx talks on the power of improv, including one TEDxWomen on uplifting and elevating women. A firm believer in the idea that Yes, And can change the world – so firm it’s tattooed on her arm, Jen’s personal mission is to empower as many women as possible to stop playing small and know their incredible supernova powers. She currently lives in Winston Salem, NC with her husband Alex, dog Drumstick, and about two-dozen houseplants.







Resouces mentioned in this episode:







* Jen Brown’s home online* www.theengaging educator.com* www.fearlesswsnc.com* Twitter: @JenOleniczak* Instagram: @yesandjenbrown







Episode sponsor: Go Live (Before You Go Live)







With the push for our face-to-face workshops and training events to be moved to a virtual setting, some of us may be a little out of practice with facilitating online experiences.







If you’d like to “go live, before you go live”, Leanne Hughes from the First Time Facilitator podcast is organising an opportunity for peers to practice sharing screens, putting out polls, using interactive instructions (“raise your ...

Today’s guest, Jonas Rajanto’s life has changed over the last two weeks – he has been in demand, helping individuals and businesses pivot their offline offerings, online.







Jonas is based in Finland and is affectionately known as “The Remote Meeting Guy”.  In this show we talk about energy required to facilitate online workshops and how we can build trust early on in our virtual experiences and interactions.  Jonas also shares some of his favourite tech tools for getting interaction and early involvement in online group settings. I also love his career back-story and how he evolved to being the engineer who can speak human.







Jonas believes you don’t need to travel, to get the best out fo group meetings and training session. He helps others bring the best practices of facilitation online. Such as:– know the purpose, participants, and process– success starts at the invitation– clear technical barriers to participation– establish focus and psychological safety at the start– always keep engaging– always keep visualizing– don’t go alone. team up!







I also want to take this opportunity to really thank Jonas for the contribution he has brought to the Flipchart community on Facebook His responses to questions on anything virtual are incredibly helpful, simple to follow and comprehensive as well.  In this episode, he also shares how sharing his tips online, helps him constantly learn, too! 







About today’s guest: Jonas Rajanto







Jonas helps people with remote work, especially when they gather around the virtual campfire. His mission is to train groups in organizations large and small. He aims to make people feel that their time was well spent and with a purpose during team meetings. 







Jonas came to Grape People from the IT services industry where he developed tools and processes for more efficient collaboration.







At Grape People, Jonas shifted his focus to interacting remotely and developing ways to help teams take their collaboration to the next level.







As a facilitator, Jonas specializes in telecommuting and virtual collaboration. He coaches team leaders, project managers, trainers, salespeople, and others for whom web opportunities are an integral part of their work. Jonas’s mission is to make telecommuting as natural as working in the same room.







Resources mentioned in this episode







* Connect with Jonas on Linkedin* Grape People* Send Jonas a thank you tweet @VirtualJonas * Want Grape People to help you with virtual facilitation training and virtual workshop facilitation? Email service@grapepeople.fi f* If you’d like to contact Jonas directly for interviews, speeches or other personal gigs, you can contact him directly: jonas@grapepeople.fi. * Watch Leanne Hughes’ interview Jonas Rajanto on YouTube







Tools Jonas recommends:







* Confluence* Zoom* MS Whiteboard* Mural* Miro* Howspace







Quotes from the episode:







* “Social engineering is creating a structure for people to feel safe, be themselves so they can lean into the work.”* “It’s harder to communicate your energy without body languag...

*BONUS EPISODE* During these unprecedented Covid-19 times, I thought it would be helpful for listeners to lean into a conversation between their facilitation peers.







With less than 24 hours notice, I invited Murray Guest and Steph Clarke onto a Zoom call, to have an open conversation on how we’re feeling, how we’re responding, and how our clients are also adapting to the ever-evolving situation.







Hope you enjoy this impromptu, imperfect episode!







About Steph Clarke







Steph is a Team Coach and was a guest on Episodes 33 and 53. She hosts the Steph’s Business Bookshelf podcast, and







Steph is an accountant turned facilitator and team coach and pommy (that’s a Brit living in Australia for the uninitiated) based in Melbourne.







She loves finding tools, techniques and concepts that are proven and work so she can apply them and share with you and your teams.  You’ll find that most of her workshops and facilitation combines the best of leadership theory, team coaching, the actionable science of behaviour change and habit building; along with the real life stories of her and her clients, to set your team up for success in effectively applying the lessons.







When she’s not transforming teams you’ll find her in the pilates studio, in the kitchen, on a plane or hiding somewhere with a podcast, book or a great Spotify playlist.







Listen to her podcast, Steph’s Business Bookshelf – where she does the reading, so you don’t have to!







About Murray Guest







Murray Guest is one of Australia’s leading Strengths coaches, helping over 1,000 people unlock and apply their strengths to achieve their professional and personal goals. As a Gallup certified Strengths coach he partners with organisations to build strengths-based cultures and realise the benefits a strengths-based approach brings. 







The founding director of Inspire My Business, he combines his diverse experience in HR, QA and Business Development to inspire leaders and their teams along the pathway of change and continuous improvement. 







His recognition includes one of only two coaches to speak at all three of the Gallup Strengths Summits in Omaha and receiving the HMA Excellence in Training Award for leading significant improvements as the Learning and Development Manager of Tomago Aluminum.







He’s also the host of the Inspired Energy podcast and appeared on Episode 30 of the First Time Facilitator podcast.







About the host: Leanne Hughes







Leanne Hughes is an international facilitator, speaker and coach who loves creating unpredictable workshop experiences, that predictably work.







She combines her experience in Marketing, with her education in Human Resources and Psychology, to help leaders create engaging everyday experiences – that are so contagious they scale across teams, functions and regions.







Leanne has facilitated leadership,

In this episode I chat with Nicholas about how to strive to become the best version of yourself as a facilitator and how to make a difference in others lives.







I think that’s one of our goals as facilitators: Create some type of transformation from when a participant enters our workshop. We want to spark some idea, or unique way of thinking that was different before our workshop experience.







Sometimes that change is raising your awareness levels on a topic, or spurring you to reflect on choices you make in work/life. While this topic does have a facilitation focus, there are also some terrific life lessons in the mix!







Nicholas is a wonderful, entertaining, humorous person + speaker and he’s based in Brisbane as well. We connected first through LInkedIn and then I met him and his wonderful wife Holly at the 100th episode party, and geez – he’s funny + a really compelling storytelling, so you can only imagine when he ramps things up for a presentation!







I like a bit of unpredictability and Nicholas blew me away with an example he shares in this one, relating to one of my favourite actors, Tom Cruise.







Nicholas also throws down a listener challenge in this one. Please connect with us both on Linkedin. If you can pull off what he did in a workshop, please record and share it! 







About today’s guest: Nicholas King







Nicholas King is a highly engaging speaker, MC, trainer, facilitator and coach that helps others become better versions of themselves. 







He is the Principal Facilitator & Trainer | Sales Enablement & Performance at Oracle Sales & Partner Academy, where he provides training, facilitation and sales performance coaching within the Oracle Digital portfolio. He’s also the president of the Oracle Toastmasters Club.







He marries his 18 years of selling and sales leadership experience to deliver world class sales training and enablement on sales skills and methodology to enhance the performance of sales organisations.







Nicholas is an international speaker and with his company, Thinking Mechanics, delivers insight into the most important leadership role anyone of us will have, the leadership of ourselves.







Thinking Mechanics exists to help others who may “suffer” the same thought-life and need to help to set themselves free. The importance of this is tied to the fact that what you think about – and add belief to – will, eventually, manifest into your life. 







In this episode you will learn:







* Awesome gadgets to use during and after your facilitation* How to make your facilitation better and more effective* Tracking your performance to be consistent* The ‘why’ of connecting with people on social media







Resources mentioned:







* Connect with Nicholas on Linkedin* Thinking Mechanics website* a href="https://www.amazon.com.