Send Leanne a message

Today, I’m thrilled to welcome back my friend, leadership strategist, and powerhouse of positivity — Neen James — to the show!

If you haven’t seen the YouTube version yet, go and watch it. Neen radiates light, energy, and fun — she’s truly a walking champagne moment.

Fun links:

Discover Your Luxury Mindset Self-Assessment

Luxury Is A Mindset

Neen James Luxury Mindset Research Executive Summary

You might remember Neen from her earlier book Attention Pays. She’s since continued her global journey speaking with C-suite leaders and luxury brands, helping them elevate their communication and connection. Now, she’s back with a brand new book: Exceptional Experiences — and this one is all about how to create moments that make people feel seen, heard, and valued.

We chat about:

• 🥂 What Taylor Swift gets right about treating your energy as a luxury
• 🌟 Why true luxury isn’t about expensive things — it’s about connection and attention
• 💬 How to use “luxury language” to elevate your communication (and what words sound cheap vs. expensive!)
• 🕯️ How facilitators and leaders can engage all five senses to create memorable experiences
• 💗 The importance of champagne moments — those tiny, joyful touches that make ordinary experiences extraordinary
• 🌏 Why the world needs more optimism and how not to dim your light — even when it feels too bright
• 🎁 How personalization, customization, and fascination create magic in any client or workshop experience

Neen also shares some behind-the-scenes examples from world-class luxury brands (think Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton) and how we can bring that same level of care and intentionality into our own work — even in small, everyday ways.

If you’re a facilitator, coach, consultant, or anyone who cares about the experience you create for others — this conversation is pure gold.

👉 Learn more about Neen and her new book: neenjames.com

👉 Explore her Luxury Mindset research and download her Luxury Language Dictionary at luxuryisamindset.com

If you're nodding along to today's First Time Facilitator episode, you're going to love my written companion: Work Fame — a weekly Spublication designed to help you stand out in your work, build your reputation, and get the opportunities others don’t.

📝 Subscribe for free at work.fa.me

See you in your inbox.

Support the show

Send Leanne a message

In this episode of First Time Facilitator, I chat with Dr Liz O'Riordan about her leap from the operating theatre to the workshop room.

After being diagnosed with cancer and leaving surgery, Liz turned to speaking, writing, and now — facilitation. With only days to prepare, she discovered my book The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint, raided her kitchen cupboards for props, and built a session that participants called “brilliant — don’t change a thing.”

We unpack how she:

• Transformed complex cancer science into playful, prop-based learning (think Jenga and cupcakes 🍰).
• Used a simple structure to design a two-hour workshop in 72 hours.
• Sent pre-session videos that warmed up the room before she arrived.
• Managed nerves, energy, and the “silent moments” during activities.
• Built her social media presence to reach thousands with her message.

🎯 If you’re new to facilitation, or you’ve ever thought, “Where do I even start?”, Liz’s story will inspire you to pick a date, lower the bar, and just run the workshop.

👉 Subscribe to First Time Facilitator for more stories, strategies, and behind-the-scenes lessons on designing sessions that land.

🔗 Connect with Dr Liz O'Riordan on Instagram and LinkedIn

If you're nodding along to today's First Time Facilitator episode, you're going to love my written companion: Work Fame — a weekly Spublication designed to help you stand out in your work, build your reputation, and get the opportunities others don’t.

📝 Subscribe for free at work.fa.me

See you in your inbox.

Support the show

Send Leanne a message

I wrote this article this after being on a group call where one person dominated the airtime. You know the ones, right?

As facilitators, it’s our job to respect the room, the time, and the energy of everyone there. And sometimes, that means stepping in. Yes, interrupting can feel awkward — but if you do it with care, it can completely transform the vibe of your sessions.

In this episode, I share:

• Why interrupting is actually a public service
• Three reasons we don’t interrupt — and how to move past them
• Powerful redirect phrases you can use right away
• How to interrupt without feeling like a jerk
• The difference between a question and a monologue

This one's all about giving you permission to run a tight, purposeful room — and boost your Work Fame while you’re at it.

🧠 Mentioned:

• The Advice Trap by Michael Bungay Stanier
• My Substack publication: Work Fame — sign up here

🎧 And hey, if you’re into more short, punchy episodes like this, check out my daily podcast Leanne On Demand.

Let’s keep the room moving. Enjoy the episode!

If you're nodding along to today's First Time Facilitator episode, you're going to love my written companion: Work Fame — a weekly Spublication designed to help you stand out in your work, build your reputation, and get the opportunities others don’t.

📝 Subscribe for free at work.fa.me

See you in your inbox.

Support the show