The best time to host local events, classes and workshops - Grow Your Local Business

Summary4 min read

Grow Your Local Business Podcast
Episode 159 – The Best Time to Host Local Events, Classes and Workshops
Host: Leslie Presnall
Release Date: May 12, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Leslie Presnall tackles a common dilemma faced by small business owners looking to grow their local presence: When is the best time to host events, classes, and workshops to maximize attendance? Drawing from a recent student question in her Localpreneur Academy, Leslie reframes the issue with a mindset-focused approach, arguing that success hinges less on timing logistics and more on belief in your value and ability to create demand. Through real talk and practical examples, she inspires business owners to step confidently into the role of an in-demand local leader.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Rethinking the "Best Time" Question

The popular belief is that event timing should be dictated by audience demographics and preferences.
While community feedback often centers on convenience, Leslie asserts the “best time” is really about your belief in your offer and the value you provide (03:10).
“It just depends on you. It just depends on your thoughts and your beliefs about your people. Because if you are being that local, go-to person and you generate demand, you can host a class or a workshop, an event, anytime, any day you want and people will show up. That is 100% true.” – Leslie Presnall [03:23]

The Power of Demand and Conviction

Leslie encourages thinking beyond logistics: What creates demand is conviction in what you’re offering, not simply selecting the most convenient date and time.
Taylor Swift analogy: "Think about Taylor Swift. She could say, I'm hosting this event on this time, this day. People from all over the world would come, they don't care when it is." (04:10)
- The lesson: If your audience wants what you offer badly enough, they’ll rearrange their lives to attend.

Selling the Result, Not the Time

Shift your mindset from selling the event itself to focusing on the result or transformation people desire.
“We’re not selling the workshop, the class. We are selling the result, the experience, the transformation. That’s what they’re buying.” – Leslie Presnall [05:12]
When you internalize this, you begin to market differently, spotlighting value over convenience.

Embodying the In-Demand Local Leader

Leslie invites listeners to see themselves as already in demand.
Your confidence and excitement about your offer is infectious and motivates people to make the effort to attend.
“Who is that version of you that is in demand? You have to show up as that person right now.” [05:54]

Practical Examples

Leslie shares her approach: She often picks arbitrary times (e.g., webinars on Mondays at 12pm), believing her ideal audience will make it work.
“I just picked that time and I just believe that I will have hundreds of people join me, all because I’m just like, they want this, they want what I’m selling and they want the result of this.” [09:39]
Anxiety over picking the “right” time usually signals a lack in belief about yourself, your offer, or your audience.

Root Cause: Belief Is Everything

Leslie guides listeners to examine if doubts about timing reflect deeper issues:
- Belief in yourself
- Belief in your offer
- Belief in your people
“When we get down into the nitty gritty of like, what’s the best time? That is showing that you have a lack of belief in one of those three things. Possibly more than one, possibly all three.” [11:40]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“You can host a class or a workshop, an event anytime, any day you want and people will show up. That is 100% true.” – Leslie Presnall [03:23]
“They will make arrangements, like whatever they have to do, because they want to be in that room, in that workshop. They want it that bad.” [04:33]
“We're not selling the workshop, the class. We are selling the result, the experience, the transformation.” [05:12]
“Who is that version of you that is in demand? You have to show up as that person right now.” [05:54]
“I just picked that time and I just believe that I will have hundreds of people join me, all because I'm just like, they want this, they want what I'm selling and they want the result of this.” [09:39]
“If there is no best time, there is just the time that you make right.” [12:12]

Suggested Actions

Reflect: Are doubts about event timing masking deeper uncertainty about your offer, your audience, or your own authority?
Decide & Commit: Pick a date and time based on your schedule and the value you’re committed to delivering.
Show Up with Conviction: Market your event as the unmissable solution or experience your audience craves.
Focus on the Result: Make the transformation front and center in your messaging; trust that those who need it will come.

Important Segments with Timestamps

[03:10] – The “best time” debate: audience convenience vs. personal conviction
[04:10] – The Taylor Swift comparison: the power of demand
[05:12] – Selling transformation over event logistics
[05:54] – Becoming the in-demand local leader
[09:39] – Leslie’s personal time-setting approach and belief
[11:40] – The true root: belief in self, offer, and audience

This episode is a must-listen for local business owners struggling with event planning paralysis. Leslie Presnall provides a motivating mindset shift: stop polling for the perfect time—start believing in yourself, your offer, and your people, and create demand from that place of confidence and conviction.

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Transcript3 lines

[00:00]
A
Hey, before you dive into this episode, I want to invite you to a free live training that I'm hosting on Monday, May 18, where I'm going to share how to get fully booked locally in three simple steps. The truth is, most business owners are really over complicating how to get in front of more local people and how to bring in clients. So if you feel like you've been spinning your wheels and you're still invisible in your city, if you feel confused and overwhelmed on how to market yourself, I. I'm gonna break it down in three simple steps that you repeat over and over. Whether you're just starting out or you wanna get your very first local clients or you wanna get fully booked within the next six months. So click the link in the show notes on whatever episode you're listening to to save your seat. It's totally free. I'll see you there.
[00:47]
B
You are listening to the Grow youw Local Business podcast where local marketing expert and life coach Leslie Presnol shares the strategies and the mindset to help you reach more people in your city and bring in stream of clients. All right, let's dive in.
[01:07]
A
Hey, welcome to episode 159. If you've ever hosted local events, workshops or classes, then you've likely thought about what is the best time to get the most people to show up or what's the best day. And that's exactly what I'm going to answer in this episode. This was a question one of my students recently had inside the localpreneur Academy. So what you're about to hear is the audio from my video feedback that I gave to her. And I was actually in the park whenever I filmed this. So you may hear some people walking around, there are some guys playing Frisbee. So it's not like our typical perfectly edited podcast episode. But what I have to say is so good. So I wanted you to hear it just exactly how I shared it with her. So let's dive in. Hey guys, I want to talk about the best time to have workshops or classes or in person events for your specific audience. This is a question that Leslie recently brought to the group and she said that she was planning on hosting a workshop and she was asking the group, like for those of you who did workshops and classes, like when is the best time to do this for your audience? And everybody was responding, had amazing advice and it kind of boiled down to it depends on your audience, it depends on the demographic. And I want to give everyone a different way to think about this. It Just depends on you. It just depends on your thoughts and your beliefs about your people. Because if you are being that local, go to person and you generate demand. You can host a class or a workshop, an event, anytime, any day you want and people will show up. That is 100% true. I do not want you guys to think that you have to host events on certain times, depending on your audience. That is a thought error. You are in demand. I want you to think about, think about Taylor Swift. She could say, I'm hosting this event on this time, this day. People from all over the world would come, they don't care when it is. They would change their schedules. And that's how you guys need to be thinking about what it is you're offering. That your people want what you have so bad that they are going to take off work, they're going to get a babysitter, they're going to ask their husband to babysit. They are, they will make arrangements like whatever they have to do because they want to be in that room, in that workshop. They want it that bad. We're not selling the workshop, the class. We are selling the result, the experience, the transformation. That's what they're buying. And that thing is the most important thing to them in their life right now. So of course they would change their plans to be there. So who is that version of you that is in demand? You have to show up as that person right now. So it really doesn't matter what time or what day. There is no magic formula for this. It really is just, are you being that person who believes in the demand that you create? Are you going out and marketing like people want what you have? Are you selling them this? Like this is the most important thing for them to do. Because if you're not believing that people would come to your event, that they would get a babysitter, that they would change their schedule, that they would take off work to get what you have then that's, that's a thought that starts with your thoughts. It has nothing to do with the event. That's, that's a thought error on your part that we need to work on. That's beliefs on your part that we need to build up so you can go out and market. Because I guarantee that's that's coming across in your messaging. You're not showing up, you're not shouting from the rooftops like this is the best thing they need to get, that they need to have because you're depending on the best time for them versus this is the best result, the best experience, the best place that they, that they could be, of course they want to come here. They're willing to change everything in their life to be here. Like, I just also have the belief that if I was like, hey, guys, on May 2nd at 9:00am I'm going to do an in person event in downtown Baton Rouge for anybody that wants to be there, I guarantee you guys would change your schedule. I don't even know what day of the week that is. It could be a Sunday for all I know. I don't, I don't know. But I just, I believe that if I told you guys, here's what we're gonna do, here's the result that you're gonna have when you leave. Here's what we're gonna get done. You guys would change your schedule. Whatever. Y', all, if you had clients already, you would probably be like, hey, listen, something's come up and we need. I just need to rearrange the schedule, get you on a different day. Like, I believe I have people that would do that. So I'm not worried about, like, oh, what's the perfect time to do this? I'm just like, I'm gonna pick a day, I'm gonna pick a time and I'm gonna go sell it. From the person who's like, I am in demand. People want this. And I would even think that some of you don't even live anywhere close to me. So you would even hop on a plane to get here. You would even come the day before, two days before, stay a day after. You would be that committed to coming. You would make that many arrangements in your life to be here. But that's all coming from my thoughts, my belief. And I would show up and sell it with that much conviction. And I'd be like, yes, come. It's going to be the most important thing that you could do with your time. Here's what we're going to do. Here's what you're going to walk away with all of it. I would sell it from that place. I wouldn't be polling you guys, hey, guys, what was the best time and date? Y' all let me know. You'd be like, what is this? Right? Like, I do my webinars typically on Mondays at 12pm it is an arbitrary date. And I just. And I, I work with local business owners who I know are probably working in their business at 12pm on Mondays. For some people on the West coast, that's 10:00am random. For people on the East coast, that's 1:00pm who knows what time it is for my European people. But I just picked that time and I just believe that I will have hundreds of people join me, all because I'm just like, they want this, they want what I'm selling and they want the result of this. And I'm going to show up and market and sell like that versus like what's the possible best time that I could pick. So I just want you to be thinking about what's the difference in me when I pick the time and I start believing in my people. Remember, it all comes back to belief in me, belief in my offer, belief in my people. So when we get down into the nitty gritty of like what's the best time? That is showing that you have a lack of belief in one of those three things. Possibly more than one, possibly all three. So let's get to the root of that and if you want to, you can comment on this post or bring it to Coaching. But that's what I wanted to offer you guys. If there is no best time, there is just the time that you make right. Hey, if you enjoyed today's episode, I want to invite you to check out my program, the LocalPreneur Academy. This is the only program for small business owners who want to become the local go to in their industry with a steady stream of clients. You can find more information@lesliepressnell.com and I'll see you inside.