The #1 word that tanks a workshop in under 3 seconds
+ my 2026 event gamble: You in for Con Con?
Psst. Exciting announcement re- an upcoming live event, more on that below.
I love the way Jenny Blake
puts it: a book creates “Serendipity Popcorn.”
You write it and release it to the world, and it pops… somewhere.
With someone. At a time you didn’t plan.
This week, my book The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint has been popping like a bag on high heat.
I shared the blueprint during a fun workshop with a healthcare client based in New York that started at 4am (thank you, Zoom!).
Liz, a doctor-turned-educator/speaker recently shared her post-workshop buzz on LinkedIn, and how the book helped her design her first workshop (Breast Cancer 101).
I was invited to crowdsource and design a workshop live with the PMI Queensland group, and in 45mins we co-created a session called “From Engineer to Engager”.
That’s the quiet superpower of creating assets: your work shows up when you can’t.
A book, a podcast, a recorded talk…these things go places you don’t, meet people you haven’t, and get invited into rooms you didn’t even know existed.
It’s omnipresence without the burnout.
If I were writing a V2 of the book today, I’d add two fresh pages:
1. Never say “Icebreaker”
File this under "words that tank a room in under three seconds."
The moment you say "icebreaker," everyone's shoulders rise. People brace for gimmicks.
Gosh, even I would groan.
Run your opener invisibly, like a great referee.
The best referees are the ones you barely notice. They keep the flow going and maintain energy without drawing attention to their role.
That's exactly what you want.
You're not there to perform some elaborate ritual that screams "workshop time!"
Don't announce what you're doing, just lead into it, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world: "I’d love you to turn to the person next to you and share…"
2. How to bring a group back together
A reader wrote me this week:
“How do I bring people back when they can’t hear me because they’re so into the discussion?”
Firstly, congratulations. You did your job so well that time ceased to exist.
Then, when you do need to land the plane, here are some ideas.
Own the front of the room: Step in, take space, lower your voice (yes, lower), and simply begin. Most people are waiting for permission to stop; you provide it by starting.
Nominate timekeepers: At the start, ask each table to choose a timekeeper. Give explicit cues (“You’ve got 10 minutes / wrap by 9:47am”) and ask them to self-monitor.
Tibetan bell: A crisp ting slices through chatter better than a shout ever will. You can also pre-frame the re-gather (“I’ll ring the bell once; you’ll have 30 seconds to wrap and face the front”). Here’s a video of Michael Bungay Stanier sharing his tibetan bell during our First Time Facilitator podcast chat.
Countdown timer on your slide: A silent, visual nudge that does all the heavy lifting.
Turn music off: If you’ve got background music on while they’re working/discussing, just turn it off when it’s time to regroup.
Oh and the other day, I had a team member who stood up and became the unofficial “Let’s get back to it!” announcer through the day, which was great.
How do you like to bring large groups of people back together? Let me know in the comments.
Events coming up
LinkedIn Live, Aug 15: "How to Ignore Feedback" with Alan Weiss + me. 7am Brisbane / 5pm ET Thursday. We'll show you how to trust your gut and gracefully ignore the noise. Join us live.
Brisbane, Aug 20: Practice Work Fame with me and the talented members of IABC Queensland. 5:30pm start. Grab your spot.
Aaand… this is the big one:
Will Con Con 2026 live or die? You get to decide on Aug 28
This is the experiment I can't run without you.
Con Con (i.e. Leanne Hughes’ first ever Consulting Convention) is either on or off.
📩 Watch the short explainer video and join the waitlist to get the 12-hour link on 28 August 2025.
The gist:
What it is: A small, high-signal gathering for solopreneurs and boutique consultants/professional service founders who want better clients, better fees, and better peers
50 people max, Gold Coast, June 18–19, 2026
August 28th: First-Mover tickets for 12 hours only to validate the idea. To get the link to purchase a ticket, you need to register here.
If I sell 15 tickets on 28 August = Con Con is ON
If I sell less than 15 tickets on 28 August = instant refunds, event shelved
Why so stark?
Because this is exactly how I'd coach a client: set constraints, short window, define success before you sell.
Let’s see if the popcorn explodes.
👉 If you enjoy reading this post, feel free to share it with friends! Or feel free to click the heart 💙 button on this post so more people can discover it on Substack 🙏
🌴
Leanne “Wondering if Con Con 2026 is a goer” Hughes
P.S. Con Con (Gold Coast, 18–19 June 2026) will only run if 15 tickets sell within 12 hours on 28 August. The total event is capped at 50 incredible consultants. Crazy experiment? Maybe! Life is one big adventure.
So, do you want access to the pre-sale? Get on the list.