Public Speaking, Podcast Episodes Leanne Hughes Public Speaking, Podcast Episodes Leanne Hughes

Episode 138: There's no such thing as a difficult group - only an inflexible facilitator with Marcus Crow

Marcus Crow is the co-founder of 10,000 HOURS. They design and deliver content for Training, Conferences and Offsites. And they have been honing their craft for more than 20 years. Prior to starting 10,000 Hours, he co-founded, built and sold Phuel / Oxygen Learning to John Singleton's STW (now WPP).

We’ve been delivering in-person workshops for years. We’re comfortable. Give us a marker pen, some butcher’s paper and some decent catering: We’re good to go!

When Covid hit earlier this year, many of us had to shift gears and deliver workshops online. We had to adjust to new technology, new ways of experiencing workshops, a range of energy levels. We all started feeling like First Time Facilitators!

That’s the conversation I have with today’s guest, Marcus Crow.

Marcus has an insane amount of in-person workshop experience. He’s also the co-founder of 10,000 HOURS. They design and deliver content for Training, Conferences and Offsites, and they have been honing their craft for more than 20 years. Prior to starting 10,000 Hours, he co-founded, built and sold Phuel / Oxygen Learning to John Singleton's STW (now WPP).

Since 1997, clients hire Marcus to do three things:

(1) be their keynote speaker, (2) provide strong facilitation for their high-stakes meetings and off-sites, (3) teach their team new skills.

He works at the front of the room at their conferences, meetings, road-shows, team off-sites, town-halls and team huddles.

Marcus’ Experience:

  1. As a guy standing at the front of the room: Keynote speeches, high-stakes facilitation, workshops, offsites, conference hosting for market leading organisations across industry. Thousands of sessions to tens of thousands of people over more than twenty-two years.

  2. As an advisor: Meeting architecture, building conference agendas, configuring strategy offsite objectives and outcomes, constructing workshop activities, designing plenary and small group sessions, rehearsing senior talent for high-stakes presentations.

  3. As an entrepreneur: Start-ups, mergers, capital raising, staff retention equity plans, trademark disputes, grooming business for sale, succession-planning, talent management, acquisitions, IP licensing.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • What it takes to adapt a face to face workshop, and move it online

  • How you can build your flexibility muscles as a facilitator

  • What to do when you encounter resistance from someone in your workshop

  • Good tips for timing for your virtual sessions

  • Key considerations if you’re thinking of dropping your job and starting your facilitation business


Here are some questions I asked Marcus during the interview:

  • What’s the difference in your preparation between being a keynote speaker and as a facilitator? What’s your approach?

  • What did you learn that’s different, new and challenging for you, that pushed you out of your comfort zone?

  • How do you feel about being forced to transition to the online facilitation world?

  • How are you converting face to face to virtual workshops in terms of timing, pre and post sessions?

  • What would be your advice for people who would like to start their own facilitation business?

Resources mentioned on this show:


Quotes:

  • “We need a brand that’s going to recognize wisdom as we get older.”

  • “There’s no such thing as a difficult group, there's only a flexible facilitator.”


Watch the video!



About your 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, France, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, 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.



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    Episode 136: How to use body language to increase participation in your virtual workshops with Mark Bowden

    Voted the #1 Body Language Professional in the world for two years running, Mark Bowden is passionate about giving your audience the most influential and persuasive communication techniques to stand out, win trust, and gain credibility every time they speak. Inspiring, energetic, engaging, and entirely entertaining, Mark’s memorable talks and training programs not only educate but have proven life-changing in helping people and organizations grow across all industries and sectors.

    Mark Bowden is back!

    It sounds weird to say this: But this guy makes you feel at home when you chat to him. Yes, I know we’re all at home already — he’s curious, he uses your name when he talks to you, he asks questions, he nods, he does all the things to make you feel safe and ready to contribute.

    I spoke to Mark in Episode 102 of the First Time Facilitator podcast, and it’s the #1 most downloaded episode of all time! Last time we spoke, we discussed body language tips for real world workshop facilitation.

    It’s funny what changes in less than a year! Or in our case, in 30 episodes.

    So, I brought Mark back on the show, to share how we can use our body language to create engagement and connections quickly, in the virtual world.

    The answer is more reassuring than you think.

    From my perspective - he’s been there, done that but my favourite thing about Mark is how funny, down to earth and comfortable he is to be around. 

    With our Virtually Possible community opening last week, I also decided to hand over the microphone to the group, and let them ask Mark some questions.

    A big thanks to those from VP who joined live and felt comfortable coming off mute to ask Mark a question, you kept the fabulous group interview going, I salute you!

    About our Guest: Mark Bowden

    Voted the #1 Body Language Professional in the world for two years running, Mark Bowden is passionate about giving your audience the most influential and persuasive communication techniques to stand out, win trust, and gain credibility every time they speak. Inspiring, energetic, engaging, and entirely entertaining, Mark’s memorable talks and training programs not only educate but have proven life-changing in helping people and organizations grow across all industries and sectors.

    Mark’s work is consistently invaluable to sales and leadership teams, CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, and prime ministers of G7 powers. His highly acclaimed TEDx talk has reached millions of people, and he has presented to many of the biggest, coolest, and most innovative organizations in the world, including Shopify, Dell, Viacom, RBC, Fidelity, Amex, Unilever, Daimler, Microsoft, Toyota, VW, Samsung, KPMG, GSK, Walmart, Nestle, and even Real Madrid.

    In this episode you will learn:

    • How to lead the behaviour in a virtual session using your body language, and positive affirmations to create that safe space

    • Techniques to ramp up your energy by using different camera angles and positions (think, scene changes)

    • How camera angles affect intimacy of conversation during virtual sessions

    • How our primitive brain works in a virtual environment and how to best utilise it

    • The difference between why people are engaged or disengaged in a virtual meeting

    Questions asked in this show include:

    • It is difficult to read the body language in a virtual session, what can we do to compensate for that?

    • How much do we need to ramp up our gestures and body language in front of a webcam?

    • What’s your view on standing up or sitting down in a virtual session?

    • How does the primitive brain work in a virtual environment and to best utilise it?

    • What can you do to establish a really strong connection or rapport quickly?

    • Where do you think the future of technology used in virtual facilitation is going?


    Resources:


    Watch the video! Leanne Hughes along with the Virtually Possible community chat to Mark Bowden


    About your 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, 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.


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      Episode 135: Using virtual events to supercharge your business growth with Ken Burgin

      Ken Burgin works with foodservice operators to assist them to be more popular & successful. He is a former cafe and restaurant owner in Sydney, and started the online management platform Profitable Hospitality. He now works for hospitality finance company SilverChef, focused on educational content and events for business owners.

      Have you been running webinars but finding it difficult to get people through the door? This week’s guest is great at tuning in to topics that people actually want, and he’s figured out a pretty neat system to do this!

      When Covid hit, Ken Burgin was the first person I hung out with on a Zoom call. In the space of 15 mins of just chatting to him on a call, I learnt a LOT about virtual facilitation.

      In this conversation, we flip between talking about the virtual facilitation side of things, and providing value to our people; then we hear how Ken really grew his business and sold out his workshops on weekends; how he connects with people, how he adds value.

      About Our Guest: Ken Burgin

      Ken Burgin works with foodservice operators to assist them to be more popular & successful. He is a former cafe and restaurant owner in Sydney, and started the online management platform Profitable Hospitality. He now works for hospitality finance company SilverChef, focused on educational content and events for business owners.

      Ken has many years of experience providing training and content to help transform the hospitality industry. He likes finding out the 'why' of business success, and the 'why not' of business problems, keeping track of the latest technology & presentation techniques, and updating his photography skills.

      In this episode you will learn:

      • Keeping up to date with the latest in your industry

      • Growing your business and revenue

      • Preparation tips for webinars

      Questions Leanne asked Ken during the interview:

      • How did you build your skills quickly to deliver the need for webinars?

      • If you have the same audience coming to your webinar every week or fortnightly, do you feel some sort of pressure to keep things fresh? 

      • How do you tune in to what’s going on in your industry?

      • What are your tips for growing a business and revenue?

      • How do you manage your time doing all the work you do?

      Resources mentioned in this episode:


      Watch the video! Leanne Hughes and Ken Burgin chat about virtual events


      About your 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, 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.


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        Episode 134: Virtual centering and well-being techniques for online meetings with Wade Brill

        Wade Brill is a Professional Certified Coach, Energy Leadership Index™ Practitioner, and Meditation Facilitator through UCLA’s Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior. She hosts the popular Centered in the City podcast, offering modern meditations for busy professionals, and is a recognized speaker at conferences, companies, and retreats. Wade helps busy professionals create calm and clarity amid chaos and realize the importance of their one mind, one body, and one life.

        Are you zipping around from one virtual meeting to the next? Clicking Exit on a call, then clicking a new link to jump on the next without getting space in between?

        I am!

        Let’s talk about the arrival: How can we facilitate an experience, where our participants arrive into our virtual workshops with renewed energy and focus?

        That's the conversation I have with today's guest, Wade Brill.

        Wade is a Mindfulness Coach, Podcaster and Speaker who helps busy professionals experiencing stress and overwhelm be more present, productive and energized. Wade devotes her life’s work to helping others connect to their own inspiration.

        In this episode, we discuss virtual centering and wellbeing techniques, and how to build our facilitation skills, as we move virtually to help support team wellbeing.

        Wade also shared her ideas on how we can use team video calls to work on team connection, listening and attention skills. 

        About Our Guest: Wade Brill

        Wade Brill is a Mindfulness Coach, Podcaster and Speaker who helps busy professionals experiencing stress and overwhelm be more present, productive and energized. At the age of 21, Wade survived Hodgkin’s Lymphoma while simultaneously losing her mother to Leukemia. This major life interruption inspired Wade to realize how precious life is and that practicing radical self-care is smart, not selfish. Wade devotes her life’s work to helping others connect to their own inspiration.

        Wade is a Professional Certified Coach, Energy Leadership Index™ Practitioner, and Meditation Facilitator through UCLA’s Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior. She hosts the popular Centered in the City podcast, offering modern meditations for busy professionals, and is a recognized speaker at conferences, companies, and retreats. Wade helps busy professionals create calm and clarity amid chaos and realize the importance of their one mind, one body, and one life.

        In this episode you will learn:

        • How to settle your mind and nervous system

        • Relaxation breathing techniques

        • How to incorporate mindfulness into online sessions through centering activities

        • Combining productivity with well-being

        Questions Leanne asked Wade during the interview:

        • If someone wants to take charge of what’s going on in their head, where can they start?

        • What are the ways we can bring your work into online sessions?

        • What is your approach for people to become more mindful during the day?

        • How do you prepare for starting a new workshop with a client?

        Resources:


        Watch the video! Leanne Hughes and Wade Brill chat about virtual centering and wellbeing techniques for online meetings


        Quotes:

        • “Before you let your day fill up with meetings, carve out half an hour of time for yourself, that’s going to make you feel your best, having that is key to being productive for the rest of the day.”

        • “True self-care and mindfulness is learning to listen inwards and let our inner voice tell us what our body and mind need instead of our body clock telling us.”

        • “As a facilitator, I am not responsible for the audience's outcome, they are responsible to make their own meaning and connect the dots in their own way. We plant the seeds but we don’t get to control how it’s going to get watered, bloom or blossom.”


        About your 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, 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.


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          Episode 133: Serving 132,000 students worldwide from a spare bedroom in remote Australia with Sarah Cordiner

          Anytime you’re live - whether that’s presenting a webinar, or a face-to-face workshop, you’re essentially exchanging your time for money.

          Today’s guest, Sarah Cordiner has helped over 132,000 students from all over the world. You don’t do that by running workshops, you do it by scaling what you offer through digital programs and courses.

          Where do you start if you want to scale? That’s the conversation I have with Sarah today.

          Sarah Cordiner is a Qualified Course Creation Specialist, trusted by over 20,000 Course Creators & Educators in 146 countries. She helps you turn your expertise into profitable digital products and programs.

          Anytime you have to “go live” - whether that’s presenting a webinar, or a face-to-face workshop, you’re essentially exchanging your time for money.

          Today’s guest, Sarah Cordiner has helped over 132,000 students from all over the world. You don’t do that by running workshops, you do it by scaling what you offer through digital programs and courses.

          Where do you start if you want to scale? That’s the conversation I have with Sarah today.

          Sarah Cordiner is a Qualified Course Creation Specialist, trusted by over 20,000 Course Creators & Educators in 146 countries.  She helps you turn your expertise into profitable digital products and programs.

          In this episode, you’ll learn how to start, how to build an audience and how one idea from a video, can be used to market in so many different ways.

          More than that, it’s an inspiring episode looking at failure and how all that matters with failure, is deciding what to do next. Reflecting on this episode, I was reminded of this Winston Churchill quote: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

          If you’ve ever held yourself back, or have reasons to not do things, I think you’ll also be inspired by what Sarah shares in this conversation.

          About today’s guest: Sarah Cordiner

          Sarah Cordiner is a postgraduate qualified education and training professional with over 13 years of experience as a leader and business owner in the education and training sector.

          She’s the youngest university Executive Director in Australia's history,

          She was listed by the Huffington Post as "The Top 50 Must-Follow Female Entrepreneur 2017", has had her course creation work cited in Forbes, she is a 12 x published author (and 5 times international number 1 best-seller), host of the Course Creators Podcast and holds the record for being the youngest University Head & Director in Australian history - a university that was ranked number 1 in Australia at the time of her leadership.

          She's also a mum to 2 young children and runs her 7-figure education company from the spare room in her outback Australian home.

          Using Sarah's tried and tested step-by-step system, even the newest entrepreneurs, traditional businesses and even complete non-techies can quickly and easily create a profitable online course that can impact millions and create a life and business that they love.

          Here are some of the questions Leanne asked Sarah during the interview:

          • What do you do now and how do you discover the world of online courses and online training?

          • What is the first course you ever produced and how did it go?

          • How did it take for you to build your audience from all around the world?

          • How are you doing all of the things you do? 

          Resources:


          Watch the video! Leanne Hughes and Sarah Cordiner chat about online course creation

          Quotes:

          • “When you go out with a ‘I can get through this’ attitude, you no way you’re going to fail.”

          • “Education comes in many forms. And I realized the reward of gifting somebody new knowledge.”

          • “I am so amazed by how somebody’s life can be changed by simply allowing them to understand themselves. Showing people the skills that they didn’t know were there.” 

          About your 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, 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.

          Like this show?



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            Episode 132: Getting your foot in the door as a moderator with Kjell Lutz

            Kjell Lutz is fascinated by how people learn. During his studies in organizational psychology, he immersed himself in the theory of knowledge transfer, how can you help people learn.

            He first applied this with small groups during training, then online with e-learnings and then with large groups during meetings.He further immersed himself in the psychology of making choices, how do we make choices and especially how can we make better choices.

            Panel discussions! You see some great ones, you see some ordinary ones.

            A few years ago I was really into the ABC TV show, Q&A with Tony Jones. Some people didn’t enjoy his style. I loved it. He was direct, funny, great at segueing the conversation and getting panellists to add, argue, contradict each other, which created fantastic drama.

            It’s really funny, over 131 episodes down and today we explore a topic we’ve never discussed before: The skill of moderating.

            That’s what we talk about with today’s guest, Kjell Lutz

            In this one, you’ll hear how Kjell got his start with moderating panels and MCing, how he creates a dynamic conversation between panelists and audiences; how he gets large audiences interacting with content as well.

            About our Guest: Kjell Lutz

            Kjell is fascinated by how people learn. During his studies in organizational psychology, he immersed himself in the theory of knowledge transfer, how can you help people learn. He first applied this with small groups during training, then online with e-learnings and then with large groups during meetings.He further immersed himself in the psychology of making choices, how do we make choices and especially how can we make better choices.

            Kjell as a chairman is full of energy and enthusiasm. With an appropriate dose of humour and the right interaction, he connects the participants to the theme of the day and the current topics. He loves to lead different work forms that contribute to the learning process of the participants. Let people experience something meaningful in a playful way.

            As a speaker, he ensures that the dialogue session is properly initiated with an appropriate keynote. As a moderator, he facilitates the rounds of conversations to create the space that is needed.

            In this episode you will learn:

            • How to create good conversation between panelists and audience

            • How to prepare yourself (and the panellists) before an event

            • How to select good speakers for your panel

            • Tips about moving training from face to face to online

            Here are some of the questions Leanne asked Kjell during the interview:

            • Can you share what you discovered working from training  and presentations to moderating and what are the skills needed in moderating?

            • How do you create an environment where people feel safe enough to stand up? 

            • If you are the panelist, how do you make sure that you get the best out of each speaker?

            • Do you need interactive tools like Sli.do or any technology during moderation?

            • How do you prepare before the workshop?

            Resources:


            Quotes:

            • “The important thing in moderation is what the goal is and what do we need to do.”

            • “Be open to new information, make choices and start doing.”

            About your 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, 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.

            Doors are closing soon: Virtually Possible

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            Virtually Possible

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              Episode 131: The conflict of creating interesting conversations (then having to stop them, so we can move to the next one) with Misha Glouberman

              How did I find today’s guest? Through this article: How to Host a Cocktail Party on Zoom (and have better classes, conferences and meetings, too) written by Misha Glouberman, that Michael Bungay Stanier shared on LinkedIn.

              As I read the article, my jaw dropped. The level of consideration around facilitating this birthday party was next level! From this one article, you could tell how much he values the finer details of hosting an event.

              Misha Glouberman teaches communication skills, runs meetings and conferences for organizations,  hosts live events, and speaks at conferences. His work has been described as “humanizing relationships—one event at a time."

              In this episode, you’ll learn how we can get better at our conversations by zooming out, how to be collaborative when solving problems AND he also shares an incident he had as a panellist, when someone in the audience, called him out! Listen in for that story and more importantly, what Misha learnt from it.

              One thing I’m still trying to navigate, is that fine line between giving your participants autonomy to create, vs. “sticking to the plan”.

              Misha provides an excellent distinction on how we can decide how to progress by being transparent with the group.

              About our Guest: Misha Glouberman

              Misha Glouberman is the author, with Sheila Heti, of the book The Chairs Are Where the People Go, which the New Yorker named as one of its top nonfiction books of 2011 and described as "a triumph of what might be called conversational philosophy." In it, Misha relays everything he knows about communication, conferences, relationships, making friends, monogamy, playing charades and more.

              His approach to conference design draws on Open Space Technology and UnConference approaches, which are highly effective at getting people talking and sharing ideas in ways that are effective and meaningful.

              Misha has taught classes in improvised music and theater, worked as a database designer, and has a degree in philosophy from Harvard.

              His interest in how people connect extends into his work as a performer and artist. Every month he hosts Trampoline Hall, a barroom lecture series that has been popular with the arts and literary set in Toronto and New York for well over a decade. His instructions on how to ask a good question at a public event were published in the New York Times Magazine. His Terrible Noises for Beautiful People is a series of participatory sound events for non-musicians, which has been presented in partnership with Nuit Blanche Toronto and the Long Now Foundation among others. 

              Here are some of the questions Leanne asked Misha during the interview:

              • With your background and the work that you do, have you always been interested in creating great connections? When did you discover that you want to work in this field?

              • If you could offer tips or suggestions for listeners on how to target relationships and build it over time?

              • How do you draw the line between giving autonomy vs being collaborative?

              • How do you get yourself ready for a workshop experience?

              Resources:

              • Connect with Misha Glouberman on Linkedin 

              • Lecture series hosted by Misha The Trampoline Hall

              • Say to Misha via Twitter and let him know you’ve listened to this episode

              • Visit Misha Glouberman’s website for more details

              • Join a community of facilitators from all over the world, on The Flipchart!


              Quotes:

              “When you are in a difficult conversation, zoom out - talk about the pattern, relationship, feelings and systemic issues.”

              “I have two conflicting jobs as a facilitator, one is to create interesting conversation and the other one is to stop them so we can move on to the next.”

              Join the Virtually Possible movement

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              Doors are now open!

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                Episode 130: Taking you back-stage: How to find a collaboration buddy and facilitate a solution with Leanne Hughes

                On this weeks’ show, I’m taking you backstage!

                If you’ve been listening for a few weeks, you’ll hear that I’m collaborating with Joeri “The Magic Sauce” Schilders on a project called Virtually Possible.

                We started chatting in early June and we’re really close to launching this new program! In this episode, I share my perspective on the collaboration process, and how you can facilitate a collaborative project with a) Someone you barely know, who b) Lives in another country.

                We haven’t done things the traditional way: We don’t use emails to communicate at all!

                I’d love this episode to inspire you to consider: Is there someone in this beautiful world who you could collaborate with to solve a problem? 

                On this weeks’ show, I’m taking you backstage!

                If you’ve been listening for a few weeks, you’ll hear that I’m collaborating with Joeri “The Magic Sauce” Schilders on a project called Virtually Possible.

                We started chatting in early June and we’re really close to launching this new program! In this episode, I share my perspective on the collaboration process, and how you can facilitate a collaborative project with a) Someone you barely know, who b) Lives in another country.

                We haven’t done things the traditional way: We don’t use emails to communicate at all!

                I’d love this episode to inspire you to consider: Is there someone in this beautiful world who you could collaborate with on a problem? 

                Collaboration is great for so many reasons - surprisingly, it’s also great for building your self-awareness.

                I also share how you can identify a collaboration partner (hint: Look for someone who’s better than you at certain things!), how you can establish communication protocols and roles that play to your strengths, and the format for our sprint/work sessions last week.

                Join us live!

                Joeri and I are live-streaming onto YouTube later this week, sharing 5 ways you can ramp up the energy in virtual meetings (by being a little bit lazy). We’d love you to join in!

                Click here to register (can’t make it live? We’ll email you the link!)

                Resources mentioned in this show

                About your 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, 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.

                Waitlist: Virtually Possible

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                Also, you’ve heard it here first! Joeri from The Magic Sauce and I are collaborating on a program called Virtually Possible.  

                Sign up to the Virtually Possible wait list and join the movement

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                  Episode 129: Facilitating culture change, one conversation at a time with Prina Shah

                  In this week’s First Time Facilitator conversation with Prina Shah, you’ll learn how culture change works for organisations, balancing roles between being a consultant and workshop facilitator, how to build a facilitation business and also bringing in your personality and uniqueness.

                  So many times as facilitators we’re asked to come in to solve a specific problem: It could be communication, leadership challenges, absenteeism, decision fatigue or indecision, even. We’re given a lot of challenges and you know what? A lot of the time, it comes back to the culture of a team, the culture of an organisation and what standards and values have been set.

                  lowres_Prina.jpg

                  When you start talking about culture, it can get pretty complex, right?

                  So, where do you start?

                  That’s the focus of my conversation today with my guest, Prina Shah.

                  She is one of those rare HR people who have generalist and specialist experience AND she’s also working part-time and has her side hustle going as well - very cool.

                  We connected over IG and LinkedIn and as I mention during this interview, I really like the way Prina communicates her value with behind the scenes videos on social media. I saw she was doing some cool things and it’s why I reached out for a chat with her!

                  About today’s guest: Prina Shah

                  Prina has over 18 years’ experience of in-house management roles in the areas of Organisational / Leadership Development, Human Resources, Culture Change and Change Management for companies within the not for profit, government, utilities, small business and private sectors across London and Australia.

                  She’s based in my other favourite Australian city, Perth and she’s accredited in a variety of tools including the LSI, DISC and her specialisations include coaching, leadership and team development, facilitating culture change and more.

                  In this episode you will learn:

                  • How culture change works for organisations

                  • Balancing roles between being a consultant and workshop facilitator 

                  • Building a facilitation business

                  • Bringing in personality and uniqueness

                  Here are some of the questions Leanne asked Prina during the interview:

                  • If the client wants to set a new culture, where do you begin?

                  • What do you do hen senior leaders are not role modelling positive culture?

                  • What kind of workshops are you running? How did you progress and build your facilitation business?

                  • How do you prepare the night before / or in the morning to get yourself in the energetic state that you need to be?

                  Resources:


                  Quotes: 

                  “I like the excitement of facilitating and not knowing how it’s going to go. Having an idea of what the outcome is but also going with the flow during the day.”

                  “As a first time facilitator, remember your personality, remember to be yourself rather than sticking to your slides.”

                  Waitlist: Virtually Possible

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                  Also, you’ve heard it here first! Joeri from The Magic Sauce and I are collaborating on a program called Virtually Possible.  

                  Sign up to the Virtually Possible wait list and join the movement

                  Like this show?





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                    Episode 128: Stop being so afraid: Nobody wants a humble consultant (and other truth bombs) from the rockstar of consulting, Alan Weiss

                    Leanne Hughes interviews the rock star of consulting, Alan Weiss on the First Time Facilitator podcast. Discover what it takes to create a million dollar consultancy.

                    If you’re going to learn something, you might as well learn from the best, right?

                    I’m still reeling from my interview with today’s guest, Alan Weiss.This is another episode for you if you run your own business or looking to be a solopreneur.

                    I reached out to Alan after Michael Bungay Stanier’s contribution to Episode 120, where he said, “If you read Alan Weiss’ book Million Dollar Consulting, you’ll never go hungry again”.

                    Alan Weiss is the rockstar of consulting. Marshall Goldsmith once called him “The finest entrepreneurial coach in the world.”

                    In today’s conversation we cover many topics, including: 

                    • Debunking the myth that the riches are in the niches

                    • Who we should target in our marketing efforts (spoiler alert: Not HR or Training people) 

                    • How to create our value proposition to share the value we bring 

                    • Why it’s important to create content to build marketing gravity

                    Honestly? This is a masterclass in how to market your facilitation and consulting business.

                    This was also an experiential, Show.Up private community episode, where I invited members to ask Alan questions on the show.

                    Doors for Show.Up will open up in a couple of months - get notified when they do!

                    About our guest: Alan Weiss

                    Alan Weiss is one of those rare people who can say he is a consultant, speaker, and author and mean it.

                    His consulting firm, Summit Consulting Group, Inc., has attracted clients such as Merck, Hewlett-Packard, GE, Mercedes-Benz, State Street Corporation, Times Mirror Group, The Federal Reserve, The New York Times Corporation, Toyota, and over 500 other leading organizations. He has served on the boards of directors of the Trinity Repertory Company, a Tony-Award-winning New England regional theater, Festival Ballet, and chaired the Newport International Film Festival.

                    His speaking typically includes 20 keynotes a year at major conferences, and he has been a visiting faculty member at Case Western Reserve University, Boston College, Tufts, St. John’s, the University of Illinois, the Institute of Management Studies, and the University of Georgia Graduate School of Business. 

                    He has held an appointment as adjunct professor in the Graduate School of Business at the University of Rhode Island where he taught courses on advanced management and consulting skills to MBA and PhD candidates. 

                    He once held the record for selling out the highest priced workshop (on entrepreneurialism) in the then-21-year history of New York City’s Learning Annex. His Ph.D. is in psychology. He has served on the Board of Governors of Harvard University’s Center for Mental Health and the Media.

                    In this episode you will learn:

                    • Tips for those starting out on how to get traction and build marketing gravity

                    • How to shift from day rate pricing to value based pricing

                    • Difference between niche consultancy and generalist consultancy

                    • Providing clarity of outcomes when creating proposal for those those working in less tangible deliverables

                    Here are some of the questions Alan Weiss was asked during the interview:

                    • Why is it important to differentiate marketing and consulting?

                    • How do you build marketing gravity if you are just starting out?

                    • What is your strategy for showing up delivering to the clients and marketing yourself on different channels?

                    • How do you move from day rate pricing to value based pricing?

                    • If you are a generalist process consultant how do you know where to market yourself?

                    • What meetings do you recommend and how do you handle them? 

                    • How can we maintain more stability when it comes to associating with contracts?

                    Resources:

                    Quotes:

                    • “You're better off meeting with a buyer and failing to obtain immediate business than sitting at your desk designing "programs" and "offerings." The former is progress, the latter is procrastination”You're better off meeting with a buyer and failing to obtain immediate business than sitting at your desk designing "programs" and "offerings." The former is progress, the latter is procrastination.”

                    • “When you are organized, focused and disciplined, then you have power because you are in control of your life.”

                    Waitlist: Virtually Possible

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                    Virtually Possible is coming soon.

                    Also, you’ve heard it here first! Joeri from The Magic Sauce and I are collaborating on a program called Virtually Possible.  

                    Sign up to the Virtually Possible wait list and join the movement

                    Like this show?





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                      Ep127: How to structure a 60 minute virtual workshop that delights your participants with Leanne Hughes

                      Today I share my approach, mindset, key considerations and structure, on how to deliver a 60 min virtual training session, or workshops - that boosts interaction and engagement. The methods I share on today’s show are simple - no use of difficult technology, just simple ways to mix things up and keep you audience front and centre.


                      This episode was inspired by a question that came through on The Flipchart community last week from Yishan Chan, host of the Talent Stack podcast.

                      She asked, “Hi Leanne, is there a short podcast episode I can share with my workplace on why we need to think differently about how Zoom "show and tell" sessions are run?”

                      Today I share my approach, mindset, key considerations and structure, on how to deliver a 60 min virtual training session, or workshops - that boosts interaction and engagement.

                      The methods I share on today’s show are simple - no use of difficult technology, just simple ways to mix things up and keep you audience front and centre.

                      I also hope this episode inspires you to share with me your approach to 30-60minute workshop delivery. What great things do you bring in, to create interaction?  


                      Waitlist: Virtually Possible

                      Also, you’ve heard it here first! Joeri from The Magic Sauce and I are collaborating on a program called Virtually Possible.  

                      Sign up to the Virtually Possible wait list and join the movement

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                      Virtually Possible is coming soon.

                      About your 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, 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.



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                        Episode 126 - Facilitation for Innovation: Mixing together madness, measure and magic sauce with Joeri Schilders

                        Many leaders, teams and companies talk about innovation. It’s often a company value. Yet, we still see traditional work practices, and not a lot of real innovation happening. So, what is innovation? Joeri Schilders believes innovation isn’t a simple 7-step framework. He says it’s more like a street fight (and he’s been in a few).

                        We talk about that (and more) in this week’s First Time Facilitator podcast episode.


                        If I was playing a game of corporate buzzword meeting bingo, the one word I’d like on my bingo card would be: Innovation!

                         (“Unprecedented” would be my second choice).

                        Many leaders, teams and companies talk about innovation. It’s often a company value. Yet, we still see traditional work practices, and not a lot of real innovation happening.

                        So, what is innovation?

                        My guest this week, Joeri Schilders believes innovation isn’t a simple 7-step framework. He says it’s more like a street fight (and he’s been in a few)

                        Over the past decade and a bit, Joeri has worked on numerous challenges spanning from new product development across Asian emerging markets, digitising traditional manufacturing in Europe, to building systemic innovation cultures around the globe.  

                        Joeri bring tons of energy, a pragmatic approach and fresh inspiration, which you’ll also find on his YouTube channel, Joeri the Magic Sauce.

                        In this conversation, we discuss many topics, including: 

                        • How to facilitate innovation in organisations and help employees take action when the workshop is over 

                        • How to manage your relationships with clients as an external facilitator

                        • Joeri’s predictions on the future of workshops + virtual facilitation

                        About our Guest: Joeri “The Magic Sauce” Schilders

                        After having lived in the US, UK and China for almost half his life, Joeri set up The Magic Sauce in Singapore in 2013. Over the past decade and a bit, he has worked on numerous challenges spanning from new product development across Asian emerging markets, digitising traditional manufacturing in Europe, to building systemic innovation cultures around the globe.

                        He has been in Asia for more than 20 years and spends most of my time designing and facilitating innovation & co-creation.

                        Joeri did not go to the University of Innovation.

                        Instead he brings real stories, tough lessons, tools and tricks learned from running over 100 big and small innovation projects over the past decade, working with some of the coolest industries and businesses. He has the battle scars to show.

                        In 2013, he set up The Magic Sauce in Singapore with the aim to demystify innovation and creativity for global clients through facilitation, speaking and content creation.

                        He has an effusive passion for the work I do and always brings tons of energy, a pragmatic approach and fresh inspiration.

                        Here are some questions Joeri answers on the show:

                        • Why do you think people hold innovation as a value on a pedestal?

                        • How do you ensure an organization will take action on ideas discussed in a workshop?

                        • What tips do you have for people who love face to face workshops and are struggling with virtual facilitation?



                        Resources:

                        Joeri - The Magic Sauce quotes:

                        • “Innovation is an output of creative thinking, critical thinking, a bit of luck, a lot of work, spotting opportunities and making something of a new value and with a bit of luck that innovation goes on to be successful.” 

                        • “Innovation is the engine. Creativity is the oil that makes the engine run".

                        Like this show?


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                          Episode 125: Holding the mirror up: 3 powerful questions to help you sustain success with Dr Fergus Connolly

                          I’m in complete awe of high performing athletes and teams, who show up, work hard, have a strong mental game, pull off impossible feats and my guest, helps them do that! Dr. Fergus Connolly is one of the world’s foremost human potential thought leaders and influencers. Author of the bestselling book "Game Changer - The Art of Sports Science". We talk about how he works with high performing teams, how he builds trust and rapport quickly, what he’s thinking/feeling when he starts working with amazing athletes, the common challenges amongst sporting and business teams. We also talk about purpose and he shares 3 questions that can help you be content and passionate in what you do everyday and also how he prepares for upcoming speaking engagements.


                          Listen to this episode from First Time Facilitator on Spotify. I invited this week's guest on the show because I love, love, love sport; I love playing it, I love watching it. I'm in complete awe of high performing athletes and teams, who show up, work hard, have a strong mental game, pull off impossible feats and my guest, helps them do that!

                          I invited this week’s guest on the show because I love, love, love sport; I love playing it, I love watching it. I’m in complete awe of high performing athletes and teams, who show up, work hard, have a strong mental game, pull off impossible feats and my guest, helps them do that!

                          Dr. Fergus Connolly is one of the world’s foremost human potential thought leaders and influencers. Author of the bestselling book "Game Changer - The Art of Sports Science"

                          Fergus has applied performance science with leading sports, military, and business teams.

                          He is the only coach to have full time roles in every major sport, including soccer (Liverpool, Bolton Wanderers), professional and college football (San Francisco 49s and University of Michigan), rugby (Welsh national team) and elite military units.

                          We talk about how he works with high performing teams, how he builds trust and rapport quickly, what he’s thinking/feeling when he starts working with amazing athletes, the common challenges amongst sporting and business teams. We also talk about purpose and he shares 3 questions that can help you be content and passionate in what you do everyday and also how he prepares for upcoming speaking engagements.

                          I loved listening to Fergus share all of his experiences and how we can hold the mirror up and answer questions, to help us gain clarity and move forward.

                          About our Guest: Dr Fergus Connolly 

                          Coach, teacher, mentor, author, speaker and student of success and resilience – Dr. Fergus Connolly has worked with some of the world’s leading sports, military, and business teams including the San Francisco 49ers, University of Michigan, Liverpool FC and multiple Special Forces units

                          Dr. Fergus Connolly is one of the world’s foremost human potential thought leaders and influencers. Author of the bestselling book "Game Changer - The Art of Sports Science"

                          Fergus has applied performance science with leading sports, military, and business teams.

                          Fergus Connolly shares his personal story of success, authenticity and the power of empathy among leaders. 

                          In this episode you will learn:

                          • How to influence people with challenging ideas

                          • Finding your purpose out of the work that you do

                          • Three questions to help you sustain success - who are you, what do you do, and why are you here

                          • How to prepare for speaking engagements or events


                          These are some of the the questions Leanne asks Fergus on the show:

                          • What career pivots got you here?

                          • Do you get intimidated or pressured being a part of a high performing team? 

                          • What is the common thing that you find with these teams? 

                          • What are some ways you’ve adapted your style when working with different people and trying to influence them with a challenging idea?

                          • Is it okay to link your purpose to what you do? If not, how do we avoid it?

                          • What are some of the ways you build trust with a group or individual?

                          • How do you prepare for speaking engagements and events?

                          • What is the advice that you probably have given yourself when you started your path?

                          Resources:

                          Quotes:

                          “I became aware of understanding people’s fears and needs which changes from cultures and environment.”

                          “Organizations need clear, disciplined directions and start moving on to the next stage where you are starting to get better.”

                          “Three questions fundamentally people should be able to answer - who are you, what do you do, and why are you here?”

                          “Would you have been authentic enough to find awareness so you can be empowered and start to develop yourself.”

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                            Episode 124: How walkshops can help you read the room better with Jacinta Cubis

                            What happens when you mix street photography and facilitation together? Very cool things! You become a better observer, a key skill for facilitators.

                            Listen to this episode from First Time Facilitator on Spotify. We've never really taken a deep dive on the concept of "noticing". Noticing your perspectives, other people's perspectives, seeing things in a new light, or a different way. I think this is always relevant, particular as facilitators - noticing, sensing what's happening in a workshop room (or a Zoom room!).

                            We’ve never really taken a deep dive on the concept of “noticing”. Noticing your perspectives, other people’s perspectives, seeing things in a new light, or a different way.

                             I think this is always relevant, particular as facilitators - noticing, sensing what’s happening in a workshop room (or  a Zoom room!). 

                            My guest this week, Jacinta Cubis, is one of Melbourne’s most energetic and creative facilitators. She went to uni to become a journalist, exited a filmmaker and developed photographs in a Parisian basement. 

                             She’s absolutely thrilled to be hosting Virtual #Facilitography Walkshops.  

                             You heard it right, WALK SHOPS. What a cool concept.

                             Curious? Listen to find out more!

                            Jacinta is passionate about bringing out the best in people as a facilitator, coach and mentor.

                            As an author and speaker, she inspires and energises people with insights and ideas. She loves helping thought leaders and experts translate technical information into engaging content, and nail what they want to say, for diverse audiences.

                            She is the founder of #Facilitography that helps to train our eyes not just to look, but to see, notice and observe – with our phones and street photography. Better observers make better facilitators. Better project managers. Better team leaders. Better teachers. Better…everything!

                            About our Guest

                            Jacinta Cubis is one of Melbourne’s most energetic and creative facilitators. She went to uni to become a journalist, exited a filmmaker and developed photographs in a Parisian basement. She’s absolutely thrilled to be hosting Virtual #Facilitography Walkshops.

                            She helps take you on a creative 'walkshop' that helps you to get a good eye for reading the room - or the Zoom! #Facilitography can help anyone get better at reading the room and help:

                            • Project teams connect to their strategy

                            • Employees connect with each other

                            • Communities show organisations what they like, want and need, in addition to telling them in writing and words

                            • Internal teams see things from stakeholders and communities points of view

                            • Stakeholders and partners see things from each other’s perspective

                            In this episode you will learn:

                            • How you can get better at reading the room

                            • Practicing observational skills for facilitation

                            • How to give people photographic exercises based on what is useful for facilitation

                            Here are some questions Leanne asked Jacinta on the show:

                            • How did you decide to start a career in facilitating workshops?

                            • Can you share more what partnership brokering is all about?

                            • What is facilitography?

                            • How are you adapting/pivoting to the online world?

                            Resources:

                            Connect with Jacinta:

                            Quotes:

                            • “I am engaged to deliver outcomes.”

                            • “Everyone can get better at looking (reading the room). If you practice your observational skills, it follows.”

                            • “As facilitators, you have to work with what you’ve got.”

                            • “Better observers, make better facilitators.”

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                              Episode 123: You lost me at hello: Re-engaging your audiences and nurturing your relationships with David Nour

                              What do you learn when you sit on 128 webinars in a week? My guest this week, David Nour shares his experiences and more in this episode!

                              Listen to this episode from First Time Facilitator on Spotify. What do you learn when you sit on 128 webinars in a week? My guest this week, David Nour shares his experiences and more in this episode! I invited senior leadership/board advisor, researcher, executive educator and best-selling author, David Nour on the show to talk about a phrase/book he's releasing called Curve Benders.

                              What do you learn when you sit on 128 webinars in a week? My guest this week shares his experiences and more in this episode! 

                              I invited senior leadership/board advisor, researcher, executive educator and best-selling author, David Nour on the show to talk about a phrase/book he’s releasing called Curve Benders. These are the strategic relationships we have in our lives - that can help our growth (personal, or business) dramatically. But how do you find these people in your life? How can you nurture these relationships?

                              David answer these questions and also shares a very cool story on how he created a speakers video reel, without ever speaking on stage!

                              About today’s guest: David Nour

                              David Nour was born in Iran, immigrated to the U.S. as a teenager with $100, limited family ties and no fluency in English. He graduated from Georgia State University with a bachelor’s degree in business management and went on to earn an Executive MBA from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University. He resides in Atlanta, GA, with his family.

                              He is internationally recognized as the leading expert on applications of strategic relationships in profitable growth, sustained innovation, and lasting change. The author of ten books, including best-sellers Relationship Economics® (Wiley), and Co-Create (St. Martin’s Press), as well as the forthcoming Curve Benders, Nour serves as a trusted advisor to global clients and coaches corporate leaders. He is an adjunct professor at the Goizueta Business School at Emory University and Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management, was named to the Global Gurus Top 30 Leadership Professionals list and is honored to be one of Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Global Coaches. 

                              A Forbes Leadership contributor on the Future of Work, and an Inc. contributor on Relationship Economics, Nour’s unique insights have been featured in a variety of prominent publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Fast Company, Huffington Post Business, Entrepreneur, and Knowledge@Wharton. He’s also the host of the popular Curve Benders podcast.

                              Resources mentioned in this episode

                              Social Media handles:

                              Quotes from David Nour

                              • “Your relationships are your biggest assets.”

                              • “Relationships should be intentional, strategic and ideally quantifiable in your journey from now to next.”

                              • “Don’t let obstacles get in the way of what you’re after. Get creative, get scrappy, find a way to get there.”

                              • “Use this pandemic to rethink, reimagine, reinvent, reinvigorate, parts of your life, parts of your job to go after that next level of personal and professional growth.”

                              • “Many relationships come into our life that dramatically bend, shape our growth journey.”

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