Surveying the L&D Landscape (Abigail Wheeler Charlu)

Welcome to our first EVER episode of Surveying the L&D Landscape!

In season 1, we'll analyze a variety of learning & development (L&D) and L&D adjacent jobs to better clarify, classify, and envision the type of L&D role that you want to land next. 

In today's episode, we're chatting with Jess Almlie and analyzing her former role as VP of Learning Experience at WEX. We dive into:

• Why training solutions aren’t always the right solution
• How relationship building is one of the most critical skills for an L&D leader
• How she leveraged the 70-20-10 rule of learning to overhaul onboarding programs
• AND SO MUCH MORE

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Jess Almlie has worked in learning and development roles for the entirety of her 25+ year career. Her experiences span for-profit, non-profit, and higher education sectors. Currently, she is the owner of Learning Business Advisor Consulting, a firm dedicated to upleveling learning within organizations. Previously, Jess served as the Vice President for Learning Experience in the benefits division of WEX. 

Jess is a thought leader for corporate learning strategy and writes a regular newsletter on LinkedIn called, “L&D Must Change.” She earned a B.A. in Organizational Communication, an M.S. in Educational Leadership, and a certificate in Improving Human Performance. Jess volunteers as a National Advisor for Chapters for ATD and is a member of the Talent Development Think Tank, a community of forward-thinking talent development leaders from around the world.

WANT MORE OF JESS?

Catch her on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessalmlie/ 

Follow her Newsletter, "L&D Must Change." https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/learning-must-change-6883482362617872384/

Welcome to the Surveying the L&D Landscape! In season 1, we'll analyze a variety of learning & development (L&D) and L&D adjacent jobs to better clarify, classify, and envision the type of L&D role that you want to land next. Find out more about your host - Abigail Wheeler Charlu - and why she's ready to take this journey with you!

In this episode, I chat with Jessica Del Rosario Dent to analyze her role as a Learning Experience Designer at Western Digital.

During our conversation, we discuss:

• How learning experience design goes beyond e-learning, taking a holistic approach to addressing the needs and crafting tailored solutions to knowledge and skill development;
• How building trust with stakeholders is key to the consultative process and allows us to push boundaries of what learning solutions can be;
• How she leverages the 5 Moments of Need Methodology (New, More, Apply, Solve, Change) to design learning solutions that drive job performance;
• AND SO MUCH MORE!

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Jessica is a learning and talent development professional with experience in the higher education, healthcare, marketing, and advertising industries. She has experience designing organizational-wide learning programs tailored to multiple audiences and building learning evaluation models for behavior-based learning outcomes.

She is passionate about growing and supporting her local L&D community by serving as the Associate for Talent Development (ATD) California Young Professionals Orange County representative, a group dedicated to offering resources and engaging workshops geared toward L&D young professionals across California.

She holds a bachelor of arts degree in business management from Azusa Pacific University (APU) and a master of science in instructional design & technology from California State University, Fullerton (CSUF).

WANT MORE OF JESSICA?

Connect with her on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicadelrosariodent/

In episode 26, I chat with Danny Gluch to analyze his role as a Senior Learning and Development Specialist at Channel Bakers, a global advertising agency.

During our conversation, we unpack:

• How he prioritizes time for thinking and imagining to offer innovative learning solutions;
• The power of giving candid feedback in teams when trust, psychological safety, light-heartedness, and a collective mindset have been established;
• How a multiplicity of learning resources available on demand in various formats (e.g. job aids, podcasts, Tik Tok videos, elearnings, workshops, etc.) will become increasingly important for the field and our learners;

 

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Danny Gluch is an innovative talent and organizational development professional. He leverages his unique experience in education, ethics, community development, talent development, and gamification to level-up how organizations grow their people. He loves to delight people with his unique perspective and humor and to help make their view of the world and future a little bit brighter. He values creating and sustaining a healthy culture that is psychologically safe and promotes experiences of inclusion, equity, and lifelong learning in his work.

 

WANT MORE OF DANNY?

Connect and follow him on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dgluch/

In episode 29 of the podcast, I chat with Gary Deppe to analyze his role as the Director of Learning and Organizational Effectiveness.

During our conversation, we unpack:

• Different aspects of organizational effectiveness (OE) and how to relates to change management and learning interventions;
• How L&D can partner with performance management teams to encourage coaching conversations, identity areas of growth opportunity, and help individuals accomplish performance goals;
• The importance of leveraging stakeholder management and navigating stakeholder decision rights as a learning professional

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Gary Deppe is a strategic learning and talent development professional with proven skills at building and leading high-performing strategies, teams, and projects. Gary is recognized as a creative and collaborative leader, business partner, and mentor. He possesses expertise in virtual and remote learning inclusion & diversity, executive presence, facilitation, emotional intelligence, and coaching. His experience includes enterprise level roles at large global multinationals and startups. Gary is passionate about developing others to be their best -- it's the why that drives his work!

 

WANT MORE OF GARY?

Follow him on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/garydeppe/

 

L&D RESOURCES TO UPLEVEL YOUR CAREER:

• Join the Talent Development Think Tank to build your L&D network:

  https://tdtt.us/community/?affiliate=tdtt_abby

• Get support in landing your next L&D job with Sarah Cannistra's Career Club: https://theovernighttrainer.thinkific.com/products/communities/the-l-and-d-career-club?ref=d759de Use code: LANDSCAPE for 15% off the LDCC

In episode 38 of Surveying the L&D Landscape podcast, I sit down with Kevin Alster to analyze his role as the Head of Synthesia Academy at Synthesia. 

During our conversation, we unpack:

• How he became an expert for videos in L&D by seeing the opportunity to enhance learning experiences and raising his hand to learn on the job;
• Why he advocates for applying a product mindset to learning interventions;
• How he uses his FOCA framework to guide videos through four elements of the production process: Foundation, Organization, Content, and Action;
• AND SO MUCH MORE!

 

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Kevin Alster is an L&D professional obsessed with technology, learning, and design and has a track record of creating high-end branded learning products. His journey led him to collaborate with industry titans like The New York Times, Sotheby's and General Assembly, where he crafted impactful digital and blended learning experiences. Now, at Synthesia, Kevin is teaching others how to use synthetic humans and AI for workplace learning.  Kevin enjoys traveling and is currently based in Copenhagen. He loves engaging with the vibrant AI and learning community and invites you to connect.

 

WANT MORE OF KEVIN?

Connect with him on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kevinalster 

 

In episode 42 of the Surveying the L&D Landscape podcast, I sit down with Ross Stevenson to analyze his role as Head of Learning and Development at a UK-based tech company.

During our conversation, we unpack: 

• How Ross revamped his company’s ineffective one-day onboarding into a hybrid digital/human experience over three months;
• The shift from technical skills to relationship-building, cultural understanding, and navigating diverse business needs when moving from individual contributor to management roles;
• How L&D practitioners must diversify their expertise with complementary skills like marketing, data analytics, and product management, understanding their customers, and proving impact on the bottom line; 
• AND SO MUCH MORE!

 

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Ross is the man who dared to tell the world, "Steal These Thoughts!" and made it a business 🤯. He is on a mission to empower modern L&D pros and organizations with the tools, tactics, and frameworks that can transform their work and career Ross spent nearly two decades building world-class learning and performance functions for global organizations. He maximize learning technology, helping L&D teams get unstuck from the web of technologies by demystifying modern and emerging tools. He helps you work smarter with AI, by designing and delivering custom workshops and programs to turn L&D pros from AI clueless to confident. And he boosts skills for modern L&D teams, equipping them with the necessary tools, tactics, and frameworks to thrive in the modern world.

WANT MORE OF ROSS? You can find Ross’s portfolio of work at www.stealthesethoughts.com.

Follow Ross and subscribe to his newsletter: www.linkedin.com/in/rstevensonuk 

 

In episode 34 of Surveying the L&D Landscape podcast, I chat with Jill Brown about her role as an Instructional Designer. 

During our conversation, we discuss:

☑ Why Jill advocates for high-quality visual design when creating training slides, eLearnings, videos, and websites;

☑ The need for radical candor in the safety of relationships when managing people;

☑ How she worked to design roles, responsibilities, workflows, and even development plans for her team;

☑ AND SO MUCH MORE!

 

ABOUT THE GUEST:

As an experienced instructional designer and learning and development leader, Jill blend design thinking with an agile mindset to guide teams in crafting solutions from microlearning to multifaceted learning ecosystems. Her expertise spans industries like biotech, medical, finance, and travel. Jill holds a B.A. in Liberal Studies from Antioch University Seattle, a B.S. in Workforce Education and Development from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and an M.S. in Educational Technology from Cal State East Bay.

Currently, Jill and her husband, Charlie Brown (his real name) live on the East Coast outside of Philadelphia. They are proud parents to three incredible kids and three adorable dogs whom we affectionately call our Mütley Crüe. ❤️ 🐾

 

WANT MORE OF JILL?

Connect with her on LinkedIn: 

 

In episode 40 of Surveying the L&D Landscape podcast, I chat with Asya Isakova to analyze her role as Head of People & Culture at Inca Digital. 

During our conversation, we unpack:

• The impact of learning and connectedness in a fully remote-first work-setting;
• The importance of clear and curated communication in a multicultural work environment;
• How she implemented a “workcation”, which created the space for the development of a new product, benefiting the company and demonstrated impact from in-person interactions;
• AND SO MUCH MORE!

 

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Asya is an organizational psychologist with over 10 years of practical experience creating and maintaining people-centric processes for remote teams. For Asya, it's all about the people. She is fascinated by what makes remote workers tick, what drives them, and how organizations can create an environment for each and every team member to thrive. Asya is one of the creators of a people-first approach for distributed teams that focuses on human connection, yet delivers innovative products in IT.

WANT MORE OF ASYA?

Connect with her on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/asyaisakova/

Learn more about her work: asya-isakova.com/

 

Today, we're surveying Emma Strong's Senior Program Manager job at Veritext Legal Solutions. 

During our conversation, we discuss:

• The transferrable skills she brought to the table from her years in higher education;
• The metrics she uses to measure the success of her onboarding programs;
• How industry specific knowledge isn’t a necessity for landing an L&D role but the ability to leverage SMEs to learn it and build learning experiences around it will always be;
• AND MORE!

ABOUT THE GUEST:

 After working in higher education for 7 years, she transitioned into her role in corporate L&D about 2 years ago. Since then, Emma has designed and implemented a company-wide onboarding program, developed eLearning courses, and facilitated train-the-trainer sessions. She is currently working on a leadership development program with the goal of enhancing managers' capabilities in onboarding their new hires. Emma leads with creativity, care, and collaboration, and sees herself as a problem-solver. 

WANT MORE OF EMMA?

Connect with her on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmadstrong/

Get resume review support at https://www.strong-edits.com/.

 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

• Join Sarah Cannistra's L&D Career Club at:

  https://www.theovernighttrainer.com/ldcc

• Join Andy Storch's Talent Development Think Tank community through my referral link: https://tdtt_abby--tdf.thrivecart.com/tdtt-community-subscription/

 

 

In our 25th episode of the podcast, I chat with THE Sarah Cannistra to analyze her role as a Fractional Chief Learning Officer (CLO)!

During our conversation, we discuss:

• How organizations can leverage Fractional CLOs on a part-time basis to align learning strategy and initiatives with business goals;
• Her five-part process to creating a learning and development strategy for organizations: assimilation, assessment, alignment, amplify, and activate;
• The importance of aligning skills and values with a role, rather than relying on job titles to navigate the diverse opportunities in the field;
• AND SO MUCH MORE!

 

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Sarah Cannistra is an L&D Career, Executive and Business coach, and the founder of The Overnight Trainer, a coaching practice that helps purpose-driven people find, land, create, grow, and LOVE the L&D career of their dreams, so that they can live a life of fulfillment, inspiration, and freedom. With over a decade of experience in the L&D field, Sarah has held roles such as Systems & Corporate Trainer, Instructional Designer, Training Manager, Director of Training, and Head of Learning. Having led the learning function 4x, Sarah utilizes her past experience as a modern learning leader and hiring manager to coach and consult her clients to ultimate career success.

 

WANT MORE OF SARAH?

Connect with her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scannistra/

Join the L&D Career Club! Use my referral link and the code LANDSCAPE for 15% off at purchase.

 

In this episode, I sit down with Gloria Song to learn more about an L&D adjacent field – Organizational Development (OD).

In our discussion, Gloria breaks down the work she does as Organizational Development consultant, the intersections between L&D and OD, and what cross-over skills she’s leveraged throughout her career.

If you’re wanting to better understand techniques for facilitating change in an organization, this is a good one for you.

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Gloria Song is a coach, consultant, founder, L&D leader, and OD leader. She’s held roles at major companies including Microsoft and Autodesk, where she’s coached employees, and created and facilitated learning programs globally. Gloria holds a master’s degree in human systems intervention and currently works as an Organizational Development practitioner at her company Co-Change Lab Inc, where she is on a mission to help people and organizations create the positive change they envision.

WANT MORE OF GLORIA:

Connect with her on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/gloria-song-ma-acc-cpcc-24135159/ 

Explore the services she offers: cochangelab.com

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Want more resources on how OD and L&D and even IO Psych tie together or where they fit in the landscape? Check out these articles:

• Training, L&D, OD, HRD -- What's in a name? by Sean O'Toole (2010) published in Australian Journal of Adult Learning. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ952242.pdf
• The Link Between Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Organization Development, & Change Management by Steve Ngyuen, PhD (2016) posted on Workplace Psychology. https://www.workplacepsychology.net/post/link-between-industrial-organizational-psychology-organization-development-and-change-management

In this episode, I sit down with Anamaria Dorgo to analyze her role as Head of Community Building at Butter.

During our conversation, we discuss:

• How she has created a thriving community centered around social learning and peer-to-peer knowledge exchange in her role; 
• The intricacies of hosting and planning community events;
• An example of a community-based mentorship initiative that she led, which motivated all stakeholders to get involved, add value to the community, and even raise money for a good cause;
• AND SO MUCH MORE!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Anamaria Dorgo is a Community and Learning Experience Designer, Consultant, Facilitator, and the Head of Community at Butter. With degrees in psychology and human resources, she has a lifelong commitment to learning, resulting in her creating engaging learning experiences for a global community. Through her role at Butter.us, she is striving to build a platform that facilitates collaboration and professional growth amongst facilitators, trainers, course creators, design thinkers, educators, and consultants.   In her spare time, Anamaria nurtures a global online community of practice for Learning & Development professionals called L&D Shakers, which was awarded the Silver Learning Give Back Award 2023 by the Learning and Performance Institute. As a consultant, she partners with organizations to build communities from within and design collaborative, social, and memorable learning experiences. Explore here work here: https://bento.me/anamaria-dorgo  

WANT MORE OF ANAMARIA?

Connect with her on LinkedIn: https://nl.linkedin.com/in/anamariadorgo

Follow and get involved with the L&D Shakers community!

 

In episode 45 of the Surveying the L&D Landscape podcast, I sit down with Stephen Mostrom to discuss his [former] role as L&D Product Manager at Silicon Valley Bank.

During our conversation, we unpack how Stephen:

☑ Built a peer-based, learning community program, making it fun to practice and adopt new skills

☑ Utilized agile project management tailored to business cycles and stakeholder needs when managing L&D programs

☑ Demonstrated his impact through metrics like retention and skills fostered across the organization

☑ AND SO MUCH MORE!

 

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Stephen Mostrom spent a decade building internal L&D programs first at Bank of America and later at Silicon Valley Bank.

Stephen has several letters behind his name – JD, MBA, PMP. But he says that his most important titles are: DaDa and Founder. In the last year, Stephen made the jump to entrepreneurship. He’s the Founder of Develop Daily, a career development consultancy firm.  When Stephen’s not delivering workshops, he’s busy reading and crushing it on LinkedIn, where he publishes his Develop Daily newsletter. He enjoys hiking, red wine, podcasts, traveling, and a good indie film. 

 

WANT MORE OF STEPHEN?

Connect with Stephen on LinkedIn and follow his Develop Daily content!

In this episode, I chat with Maura Lemon about her role as Talent Development Manager at Admore Home Design, Inc.

During our conversation, we discuss:

• How she gets to be a talent architect for her company, having a hand in both talent acquisition and development;
• How she looks for RAD talent as a recruiter – talent with evidence of Resilience, Adaptability, and Drive – and strives to be one herself;
• How personality assessments are a great start for leadership development AND can be followed up with ongoing coaching conversations;
• AND MORE!

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Maura Lemon is a corporate educator and Pepperdine MBA passionate about helping organizations increase their competitive advantage through premier talent development strategies. During her 10+ years with the Walt Disney company, she coached talent and facilitated corporate training both domestically and around the globe. Maura aligns staff development goals with organizational business goals, leveraging her broad experience in product manufacturing, recruiting, and the professional services industries. Her agile learning approach delivers on the promise to develop transformative talent to meet the needs her clients now and in the future. Prior to earning her MBA at Pepperdine University, Maura was awarded a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Massachusetts - Amherst. She has lead talent development initiatives at Disney, Lee Hecht Harrison, and other top-tier organizations. 

WANT MORE OF MAURA? Connect with her on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/maura-lemon/  

In this episode I sit down with Kevin M. Yates to analyze his role as the L&D Detective.

During our conversation, we discuss:

• How he investigates the impact of learning using facts, clues, evidence, and data;
• The importance of telling the truth about the many contributing factors that influence performance;
• A time he leveraged A/B testing to assess the impact of training on customer satisfaction scores;
• AND SO MUCH MORE!

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Kevin M. Yates is known in the global training, learning, and talent development community as the L&D Detective. He investigates impact and solves measurement mysteries with facts, clues, evidence, and data. With 25+ years industry experience serving in diverse roles across multiple industries, Kevin examines fulfillment of purpose for training and learning. He is also founder and president of Meals in the Meantime, a nonprofit providing food support and assistance with pop-up food pantries.

WANT MORE OF KEVIN?

Find him and get connected with in all the ways below!

• Website
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• YouTube

GRAB YOUR L&D DETECTIVE TOOLKIT

Visit his website to explore the toolkit and leverage to demonstrate your impact in your next L&D project!

https://kevinmyates.com/l%26d-detective-kit

In episode 39 of the Surveying the L&D Landscape podcast, I sit down with Luke Mastrangeli to analyze his role as a Diversity, Learning, & Talent Partner. 

During our conversation, we unpack: 

• The importance of championing DEI work for employees throughout the employee lifecycle
• How he addresses neurodiversity by designing accessible, strengths-based content for both employees and individuals served
• How he led an initiative to integrate his organization’s learning management system with their HR system
• AND SO MUCH MORE!

 

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Luke Mastrangeli is a talent professional at a large, non-profit that focuses on supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In his role, he is responsible for the design and delivery of all things talent development including manager trainings, leadership development, and new employee orientation. Additionally, Luke serves as Co-Chair for the DEIB Committee where he works closely with senior leadership in defining the landscape of DEIB and its intersection with the needs of the organization.

Prior to being in Human Resources, Luke was in Higher Education where he worked in Judicial Affairs, Career Services, and Academic Advising Case Management serving a diverse population of adult learners in addition to steering many regional and central projects related to professional development as well as contributing to the standing up of an organization's first LGBTQ+ Affinity Employee Resource Group.

 

WANT MORE OF LUKE?

Connect with him on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lmastrangeli/

In episode 37 of Surveying the L&D Landscape podcast, I chat with Steph Auping about her role as Co-founder and Chief Learning Officer (CLO) at Leadership & Co.

During our conversation, we unpack:

• Her love for imparting new knowledge and skills to learners in group settings;
• Critical skills for leaders today: collaboration, innovation, critical thinking, influencing, and leading change;
• Curiosity as a core mindset that runs through Leadership & Co.’s programs – curiosity of self, others, and the world;
• AND SO MUCH MORE!

 

ABOUT THE GUEST: 

Steph Auping is Co-founder and Chief Learning of Officer (CLO) at Leadership & Co., a firm dedicated to preparing leaders to excel in today's complex business environment. Her focus lies in cultivating the skillsets, nurturing a curious mindset, and amplifying the leadership impact of participants.

In both her current position and her past role as a founding faculty member of CEB/Gartner's Leadership Academies, Steph has effectively led career-defining leadership development programs for leaders across a wide range of major industries in 25 different countries. Her unique blend of expertise in adult learning and diverse consulting experience enables her to bridge the worlds of theory and practical application.

Steph holds a Bachelor of Science degree in History and Secondary Education, as well as a Master of Science degree in Human Resources Management. Currently, she is working on her doctoral dissertation in Organization and Management with a focus on Generation X leaders.

In addition to her executive role, Steph is deeply involved in both her community and her field. Presently, she holds a position as a cabinet member for the United Way of Greater St. Louis' Women's Leadership Society and leads the Women's Mentoring steering committee.

 

WANT MORE OF STEPH? 

Connect with her on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/stephanie-auping/

Follow her work: leadershipandco.com

In episode 49 of the Surveying the L&D Landscape podcast, I sit down with Jesmin Mejia to unpack her role as a training and development specialist.

During our conversation, we unpack: 

• How sitting under the Operations function of the business helps her and her team closely support the work of employees
• An effective system her team utilizes to receive, evaluate, and manage training and development requests
• How she helped train employees on the adoption of a new company-wide dashboard application

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Jesmin Mejia moved to the US on her own when she was 21. She had to navigate language, employment, and cultural barriers, which sparked her passion for Human Resources. Through diverse roles in HR, Jesmin honed her skills, eventually transitioning to Learning and Development. In her current role, she focuses on instructional design, leadership development programs, facilitation, and employee onboarding. She’s led by curiosity and a desire to continuously learn and evolve. Her goal is to drive organizational success and nurture employee talents.

In this episode, I sit down with Heidi Kirby to analyze her former role as a senior associate experience developer (instructional designer) at Dealer Tire.

During our conversation, we dive into:

• The behaviors that she identified from her doctoral research as critical leadership skills for instructional designers;
• The importance of considering alternative interventions beyond e-learning and being open to using different tools and resources;
• How she developed a leadership program, aligning leadership competencies with organizational values and business goals;
• AND SO MUCH MORE

 

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Based in Cleveland, Ohio, Heidi Kirby, PhD, is the co-founder of Useful Stuff (getusefulstuff.com) and host of the BLOC (Building Learning and Organizational Culture) podcast for L&D professionals. She got her start as a college English professor but has since worked as an instructional designer for NASA and an L&D leader in the tech industry, building learning programs and high-performing teams. She is passionate about helping aspiring and experience L&D professionals be their best and helping L&D teams become more inclusive and efficient by adopting useful processes to help them work.

 

WANT MORE OF HEIDI?

Connect with her at www.getusefulstuff.com

Subscribe to her podcast: https://blocpod.buzzsprout.com/

Follow her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

In this episode, I chat with Tim Olaore to learn about his role as the Director of Leadership Resident and Internship Programs at Adventis Health

During our conversation, we unpack:

• How a leadership residency program can build a talent pipeline for the organization;
• What it looks like to manage the full life-cycle of programs from design to management and promotion;
• Why learning agility is a key component of success;
• AND more!

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Tim “Mr. Meaningful Work” Olaore is the Director of Leadership Resident and Internship Programs at Adventis Health. Tim has 15 years of experience in sales, HR, and HR leadership across diverse industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing, a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership, and is SPHR Certified.  Tim is also the host of the Mr. Meaningful Work: RETAIN podcast, which is available on all podcast platforms.

WANT MORE OF TIM?

Connect with Tim on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Twitter. Check out his website MrMeaningfulWork.com and his podcast!

In this episode, I sit down with Adam Spacht to unpack his role as Training and Development Manager at Igus Inc, a global manufacturing motion plastic company that seeks to have a carbon-neutral footprint and be the easiest company to work with.

During our conversation we unpack: 

• How Adam's journey from sales to L&D began when he recognized the need for captivating and non-boring trainings within his organization;
• Why he invests significant time in the analysis and development phases of the ADDIE Model to ensure he addresses the right problems and utilizes effective methods in his solutions;
• How he keeps it simple by embracing discernment and an operations mindset to get the job done effectively, rather than relying on the latest gadgets and gismos;
• AND SO MUCH MORE!

 

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Adam started in sales and sales management but found a passion for training. By day he is a corporate Training & Development manager. By night, he posts content under the No Boring Training brand to help those new to training and those tired of the blank stares during their sessions.

 

WANT MORE OF ADAM?

I highly recommend you go follow his content - No Boring Training by following him on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/adamspacht/

 

In episode 33 of the Surveying the L&D Landscape podcast, I talk all things Leadership Development and his facilitation approach with Eric Girard, CEO of Girard Training Solutions, LLC.

During our conversation, we discuss:

• How his approach to skill building mirrors his approach to scuba diving training;
• How he sets the stage for in-person sessions and activates the learner’s senses with name tents, good smelling Mr. Sketch markers, fiddle toys, and music;
• The responsibility managers have in managing their own stress, being attune to their emotions, and building the skill of empathy;
• And so much more!

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Eric has over 30 years of experience helping improve the performance of managers and employees. He specializes in the development of new managers, focusing on their successful transition to their new role and on their team management skills. He has a high-energy and engaging facilitation style. Eric is a passionate, lifelong learner. As a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor, he is pursuing the rating of Master Scuba Diver Trainer. When not designing or delivering training, he enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife and twin 14-year-old daughters.

 

WANT MORE OF ERIC?

Follow him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericpgirard/

For more on his leadership approach, check out his book Lead Like a Pro!

 

L&D RESOURCES TO UPLEVEL YOUR CAREER:

• Join the Talent Development Think Tank to build your L&D network: https://tdtt.us/community/?affiliate=tdtt_abby
• Get support in landing your next L&D job with Sarah Cannistra's L&D Career Club: https://theovernighttrainer.thinkific.com/products/communities/the-l-and-d-career-club?ref=d759de Use code: LANDSCAPE for 15% off the LDCC

In episode 47 of the Surveying the L&D Landscape podcast, I sit down with JD Dillon to analyze his role as Chief Learning Architect at Axonify.

During our conversation, we unpack: 

• Why he advocates for learning and design that fits operational realities
• How his company uses just-in-time microlearning and stretches onboarding over time for frontline success
• Why he obsesses over helping people and the building of solutions

ABOUT THE GUEST:

JD Dillon is a veteran talent development leader, former Disney cast member and dedicated Back to the Future aficionado.

JD became a learning and performance expert over two decades working in operations and talent management with dynamic organizations, including The Walt Disney Company, Kaplan, Inc. and AMC Entertainment. A respected international speaker and author of The Modern Learning Ecosystem, JD continues to apply his passion for helping people do their best work every day in his roles as Axonify's Chief Learning Officer and founder of LearnGeek, an insights and advisory practice.

You can find JD riding his Peloton, refusing to stand in line at Orlando theme parks or online at LearnGeek.co. 

Ways to continue the conversation with JD:

• Connect with him on LinkedIn
• Follow his podcast In The Know
• Listen in to his interview on Jess Almlie's podcast L&D Must Change

 

In episode 44 of the Surveying the L&D Landscape podcast, I sit down with my friend and mentor Jyssaka Myers as the Retail Learning and Development Manager at Commerce Bank.

During our conversation, we unpacked how she: 

☑ Translated her experience across industries into the corporate L&D space

☑ Implemented an AI coaching pilot and key lessons learned

☑ Defines metrics and success for learning programs aligned to business goals

 

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Jyssaka Meyers serves as the Retail Learning and Development Manager at Commerce Bank, where she drives strategic learning initiatives to enhance employee performance and fuel organizational growth.

With a master’s degree in communication and a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership, Dr. Meyers leverages her expertise to shape effective learning strategies aligned with business objectives.

At Commerce Bank, Dr. Meyers is instrumental in empowering employees through innovative learning programs and technology-driven solutions. Her dedication to fostering a culture of continuous improvement and maximizing workforce potential underscores her commitment to driving excellence in performance and engagement.

 

WANT MORE OF JYSSAKA?

Connect with her on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jyssakameyers/ 

 

In episode 46 of Surveying the L&D Landscape podcast, I sit down with Gretchen Pettet to analyze her role as Senior Talent Development Consultant. 

During our conversation, we unpack concepts like:

☑️ Empowering individual contributors to drive change as informal leaders

☑️ Using leadership competencies as roadmaps to intentionally connect learning to business goals

☑️ Guiding leaders to model competencies like emotional intelligence and relational skills

☑️ Helping employees align their unique skills/passions with impactful opportunities across the organization

 

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Gretchen Pettet is a passionate and engaging leadership consultant and coach skilled in all aspects of talent and organizational development. Seriously, you name the L&D landscape role, Gretchen has filled it. Trainer, skills specialist, customer service effectiveness lead, performance consultant, VP of Talent and Culture -- she’s truly done it all. Gretchen is a high-energy optimist who believes anything is possible with a great team and actively works to grow and develop others through relationships built on mutual respect and trust. Connect with Gretchen on LinkedIn to continue the conversation. 

 

In this episode, I sit down with Ryan Nicholson to analyze his role as Senior Director of Global Documentation at Bullhorn.

In our conversation, we discuss:

• The art of storytelling as a key skill of a trainer;
• How knowledge management processes are critical to effective technical training;
• How part of the challenge around AI is teaching literacy skills, the ability to decipher what ChatGPT content is accurate and what “good” really looks like;
• AND MORE!

 

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Ryan Nicholson is a strategic and results-driven leader with significant experience working for values-driven, agile, and growing technology companies. He champions change management initiatives, designs strategic product roadmaps, develops innovative support programs, and inspires teams to deliver with excellence. As Senior Director of Global Documentation for Bullhorn, he is building a comprehensive training and documentation department that delivers results for the organization. Ryan is a Navy veteran and a DEI advocate who founded several employee groups and speaks at prestigious conferences. In his free time, he enjoys rowing, tinkering with gadgets, and photography.

 

WANT MORE OF RYAN?

Connect with him on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ryannicholson01/

In episode 24 of Surveying the L&D Landscape podcast, I sit down with Matthew J. Daniel to analyze his unique role as Senior Principal, Talent Strategy and Mobility at Guild Education.

During our conversation, we unpack:

• How Matthew partners with companies to develop their frontline employees. Guild offers long-form programs aligned with career pathways and market demand, providing support and coaching to learners to help them acquire new skills and advance in their careers.
• Matthew's passion and commitment to equity through L&D. Creating opportunities for skill development across the organization is not just the right thing to do—it's a strategic advantage for organizations.
• How L&D cannot exist in isolation. Integrating L&D with broader HR functions and building strong relationships is vital for success. It's about connecting the dots between talent development and organizational strategy.

 

ABOUT THE GUEST:

For nearly 20 years, Matthew Daniel has consulted on talent development, talent management, and HR technology strategies for Fortune 500s, including companies like Nike, Boston Consulting Group, Chipotle, Allstate, Cigna Healthcare, Microsoft, Walmart, and General Motors. Matthew currently serves as Sr. Principal of Talent Strategy at Guild, where he crafts solutions at the intersection of skills, pathways, mobility, and equity in the workforce. From 2012 to 2018, Matthew served as Capital One’s leader of Learning Innovation, Design, and Technology during that company’s “digital transformation,” helping to reskill and upskill the workforce in preparation for changes in financial services.

Matthew speaks at industry events with Chief HR Officers, Chief Learning Officers, and Chief Diversity Officers, both inspiring and challenging his field. Matthew is regularly published in industry outlets like TD Magazine, CLO, Forbes BrandVoice, Talent Management, CTDO, and Training Magazine.

Matthew serves as a member of the Talent Management, Culture, and Diversity Subcommittee of the Defense Business Board, where he advises the Secretary of Defense and Deputy Secretary of Defense on the latest in Talent Practices.

 

WANT MORE OF MATTEW?

Connect and follow him on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/matthewjdaniel

In this episode, I sit down with Phillip Mgyanko to analyze his role as Director of Director of Coaching at Happen to Your Career.

During our conversation, we dive into all things coaching and try to pinpoint where it fits within the landscape of learning and development.

We talk about:

• Consistency as the biggest factor in a client’s success;
• The skills required to hold space for someone, actively listen, and ask questions to uncover what’s holding them back achieving their goals;
• How coaching programs can be enhanced by good learning resources;
• AND how more organizations are prioritizing their employees’ career development journeys!

 

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Phillip is on a mission to help individuals find and prioritize meaningful work. Growing up on a landfill (literally), he got his start at his family's landfill business until they sold it in 2014. Later he began working in multiple HR and Recruiting roles within the technology and manufacturing spaces, as well as working for one of the leading jobs boards in the United States. He is currently the Director of Coaching at Happen to Your Career, an organization designed to help individuals find work they love, and spends his time building career development programs, leading the company's coaching team, and individually coaching over 2,000 clients.  He has extensive knowledge of the career change process and working 1:1 with executive coaching clients.

WANT MORE OF PHILLIP?

Find him on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/phillipmigyanko/ and/or follow him Twitter @pmigyanko

 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

• StrengthsFinder: CliftonStrengths Online Talent Assessment | EN - Gallup
• HighFive: Free Strengths Test | Find Your Character Traits & Personality Types (high5test.com)
• Crucial Conversations: Crucial Learning- Crucial Conversations
• Happen to Your Career: Book: Happen To Your Career - Happen To Your Career

 

In this episode, I sit down with Ryan McCrea to analyze his role as the Head of Learning and Leadership Development at Ameren, an electric and gas company that services Missouri and Illinois. 

During our conversation, we discuss:

• How skills in marketing, data analytics, and project management are critical for an L&D professional;
• How to leverage the Kirkpatrick model of training evaluation as a tool to assess learning interventions;
• Why an important metric to consider is the reputation of an L&D team and how the team builds relationships across the organization;
• AND MORE!

 

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Ryan McCrea is focused on making an impact by helping organizations maximize and develop talent through creative people solutions. He’s passionate about helping others own their career and providing thought leadership on strategic talent management, leadership development, mentoring, team dynamics and culture building.

In his current role at Ameren, Ryan leads a team focused on corporate learning and development programs. Prior to Ameren, Ryan was Vice President – Manager of Talent Development at Commerce Bank. In this position, he launched a corporate-wide professional development program, while overseeing the strategy around people and leadership growth.

Ryan has certifications in Situational Leadership, 4 Stages of Psychological Safety, DiSC, MBTI and is also a Social and Emotional Intelligence Coach. Ryan received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Southern Indiana and a Master of Arts in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Ryan lives in St. Louis with his wife, Susan, and two adorable cats, Zooey and Coco. He loves music, movies, fashion, pop culture and art. Ask him about any of these topics and you may never get away.

 

WANT MORE OF RYAN?

Connect with him on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/rmccre

 

ADDIITONAL RESOURCES:

• What is The Kirkpatrick Model? / Kirkpatrick (kirkpatrickpartners.com)
• Project management in L&D: Part 2 | Mind Tools for Business (mindtoolsbusiness.com)

 

In this episode, I chat with Sabina Sulat to analyze her former roles as Head of L&D and OD, which she held in three different organizations.

During the conversation, we discuss:

• How learning leaders are the heartbeat of the organization;
• Why L&D and OD go so well together;
• What it means to be a learning organization AND how to ask questions to assess the extent to which a company values learning!

ABOUT SABINA:

Sabina Sulat is an accomplished Talent Management professional with over 15 years of experience in the L&D field and a master’s degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology.  Sabina is a three-time Head of Learning & Development and OD, Sabina has worked for multiple national and global organizations including BlueCross BlueShield, CPA Global, the federal government, the UNHCR, The George Washington University, and AstraZeneca. She consults on topics including HR policy and procedures, job skills and competencies, learning and development, diversity and inclusion and compliance.

Sabina is also the author of the book and host of the podcast Agile Unemployment, where she helps folks recently unemployed navigate the complicated path of returning to work. 

 

WANT MORE OF SABINA?

Catch her on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/sabinasulat. 

Learn more about her work Re: Working at www.reworkingworks.com/

Purchase the book: Agile Unemployment. 

Listen to her podcast: Agile Unemployment 

 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Talent Review: 

• https://www.sigmaassessmentsystems.com/9-box-grid/  
• https://www.aihr.com/blog/9-box-grid/  
• https://cezannehr.com/hr-blog/2021/06/what-is-a-9-box-grid/
• https://www.td.org/insights/using-talent-reviews-as-a-strategic-partner 

The Five Disfunctions of a Team

• https://www.tablegroup.com/topics-and-resources/teamwork-5-dysfunctions/

 

After completing 50 interviews surveying the jobs and work of L&D professionals, Surveying the L&D Landscape host Abigail Wheeler Charlu sits down with her boss and mentor Emily Frieze-Kemeny to recap learnings from the 50 podcast episodes. 

Timestamps:

(00:00) - Introduction and background on Emily Frieze-Kemeny

(03:30) - Abigail's journey to L&D and starting the podcast

(10:00) - Key learnings from 50 episodes about L&D work

(16:30) - Importance of connecting L&D to performance

(22:00) - Challenges of creating relevant, accessible content

(28:00) - Critical role of leadership development

(33:00) - Reflections on interviewing L&D professionals

(38:00) - Variety of L&D roles and responsibilities

(45:00) - Advice for people interested in L&D careers

(50:00) - Abigail's experience working with Emily

(55:00) - Closing reflections on the podcast journey

In episode 50 of the Surveying the L&D Landscape podcast, I sit down with Bree Champagne to analyze her role as a Organizational Development and Effectiveness Expert at Bayer. 

During our conversation, we unpack:

• How talent marketplaces help companies become skills-based organization and prepare for the future of work
• Various methods you can leverage to communicate, education, motivate, and ensure someone adopts a new skill, behavior, or tool 
• A workshop she led with leaders in the organization to help increase talent profile adoption 
• How she and her team conducts retrospectives after each project completion to evaluate efficacy and increase their impact
• AND SO MUCH MORE!

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Bree Champagne currently works as an Organizational Development and Effectiveness Expert on the Talent Impact Team at Bayer, where she supports the North America organization enabling change and driving culture to design the organization of the future.

Bree is a seasoned talent management, change management, and trusted HR business partner with experience in the fields of human resources across multiple industries. She is motivated by creating environments where people can realize their career dreams and reach their full potential, embracing change and building a growth mindset.

Her goal is to increase employee satisfaction and empower employees to take control of their career.

 

 

In episode 41 of the Surveying the L&D Landscape podcast, I sit down with Susan Neva to unpack her role as a Sr. Learning Program Manager at Inuit.

During our conversation, we unpack:

• How she balances the skills of strategic and tactical thinking in her role
• How the ability to ask questions and navigate ambiguity has taken her performance from good to exceptional
• How improving course content requires patience and is like moving dirt up a mountain, one pile at a time
• AND SO MUCH MORE!

 

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Susan is a strategic and tactical L&D program manager who loves thinking about and planning learning strategy, leading collaborative decision-making, and implementing creative ideas and training solutions that drive behavior change. With L&D experience in a variety of businesses and sectors at multinational companies like NASA, Google, Starbucks, and now Intuit, Susan has successfully designed and reviewed content – and improved processes – to turn around situations that have gone off track. Susan leads and influences projects cross-functionally while making risks visible. She is committed to constant learning, continuous improvement, and applying modern, robust methodologies that go beyond ADDIE and Kirkpatrick.

 

WANT MORE OF SUSAN?

Connect with her on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/susanneva/

In episode 48 of the Surveying the L&D Landscape podcast, I sit down with Jospeh Diaz to analyze his role as a Sales Enablement coordinator.

Joseph Diaz is an instructional designer with skills in project management, UX/UI design, and sales enablement. A former Spanish and Portuguese tutor, Joseph holds a master’s degree in Instructional Psychology and Technology.

During our conversation, we dive into:

• The L&D adjacent world of sales enablement
• How he gets to have a seat at the table and consult stakeholders on issues and potential training solutions
• Why knowledge management is critical to his approach, as he strives to make resources and tools easy to find and easy to apply
• AND SO MUCH MORE!

Let's dive in!

In this episode, I chat with Erin Orchard to learn about her job as the Learning and Development Manager at Alyeska Pipeline Service Company based in Anchorage, Alaska.

 

During our conversation, we unpack:

• How offering emotional intelligence training helps make the connection between mindfulness and safety to support safety consciousness across the organization;
• Supporting leadership development through a variety of programming, including the Breakthrough Leadership Workshop;
• Creating learning and development within a highly regulated field with lots of compliance requirements while also fostering a culture of learning and growth;
• AND MORE!

 

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Erin Orchard is the Learning and Development Manager at Alyeska Pipeline Service Company based in Anchorage, Alaska. She oversees the regulatory, compliance, technical and non-technical training for workers of the Trans Alaska Pipeline System. In addition to training, Erin’s team onboards, coaches, and develops employees. She holds a BA in Psychology and International Studies from the University of Denver and an MS in Management and Leadership from Pepperdine University. Outside of work Erin chairs the Pioneer Leadership Program Alumni Association and the Alaska chapter of the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership organization.      WANT MORE OF ERIN? Connect with her on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/erinorchard/

In episode 43 of the Surveying the L&D Landscape podcast, I sit down with Connie Ozmer to analyze her role as Lead Technical Trainer at Amazon Web Services (AWS) Skills Center in Seattle, WA.

During our conversation, we unpack:

• Her emphasis on approachability in her courses, as she supports and encourages her learners to enter and build skills in a highly technical field
• How she refines class content through A/B testing with trainers and students before a public launch of a new course
• How Amazon’s emphasis on small, autonomous teams reinforces risk-taking and a growth mindset that supports innovation
• AND SO MUCH MORE!

 

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Connie leads technical training at Amazon’s Skills Center, collaborating with instructional designers to develop and deliver in-person and hybrid course offerings. Prior to her work at AWS Skills Center, Connie spent the last 20 years in IT holding the roles of Quality Assurance Analyst, Web Developer, Instructor, Instructor Manager, and Lead Technical Trainer. Connie’s passion and belief in education shows when introducing learners to cloud computing, and in her personal growth. She is currently working on her third master’s degree in Data Analytics at the University of Maryland. Her passion in life is to help others move into IT, especially those underrepresented, as it is a fulfilling and challenging career.

 

WANT MORE OF CONNIE? Connect with her on LinkedIn

 

In this episode, I chat with Colin J. Hahn, Ph.D. to analyze his role as Learning and Organizational Development Manager for Douglas Dynamics.

During our conversation, we discuss:

• The importance of really understanding what your business does;
• Why L&D teams can focus on mastering the various communication channels that will reach their audience;
• How we can draw from continuous improvement methodologies in our work to really manage performance and impact the business;

 

ABOUT THE GUEST:

In his current role, Hahn is responsible for the company’s learning strategy and people analytics, including leadership development, performance improvement, and talent development. Hahn has more than 15 years of experience in talent development and has led programs that have generated over $2MM in annual impact and attained over 90% rates of behavioral change. He is a former President of the Southeastern Wisconsin ATD chapter and now serves as an ATD National Advisor for Chapters. Hahn holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from Marquette University.

 

Learning and Organizational Development Manager with Colin Hahn, Ph.D.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinjhahn/

In this episode, I chat with Carlo Morante to analyze his role as the Senior Manager of Race, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (RIDE) where he focuses a significant amount of his work to professional learning within his organization at Education First.

 

During our conversation we unpack:

• How a DEI professional utilizes principles in both change management and adult learning to inform their work;
• Practical ways of building psychological safety and removing barriers to DEI work;
• And how it’s essential to make intentional connections between the learning content and job responsibilities.

 

We even spend a bit of time thinking about the recent push in the business world towards ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) values and goals and whether or not that furthers the work of DEI professionals.

 

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Carlo has a dedicated career to social justice, leadership, sustainability, community engagement, and animal rights work within higher education, K-12, corporate social responsibility, and the nonprofit sector. He is currently working at Education First Consulting as the Senior Manager of Race, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity where he leads the DEI and race equity strategic efforts and supports the consulting and internal sides of the firm.

Prior to Education First, Carlo served as DEI & HR Director at Generation Vegan and led global strategic efforts to diversify narratives in vegan spaces and build an intersectional movement. He also served as the Vice-Chair for Justice, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion & Sustainability for the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Foundation WLC where he built the organization’s DEI and sustainability efforts to expand HOBY’s commitment to inclusion and social impact. Carlo’s passion lies in facilitating social identity and leader identity exploration for people in order to develop culturally aware, active citizens.

Carlo is a two-time Florida State University graduate where he earned a Master of Science degree in Higher Education and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and Media/Communication Studies. Carlo is originally from Peru and moved to Miami at the age of 10. He now lives in beautiful Los Angeles where he is a swimmer and competes for an LGBTQIA+ swim team, trains Crossfit, and loves to spend his free time at the Farmer’s Market.

 

WANT MORE OF CARLO?

Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlomorante/

 

In episode 36 of the Surveying the L&D Landscape podcast, I sit down with Jessica Rivera to learn about her role as a People and Organizational Development Lead for Wise, Ltd.

During our conversation, we unpack: 

• What onboarding might look like from a company, team, and job perspective
• How onboarding done right can transfer to sustained performance, development, and organizational affect
• Her New Job Notebook: Onboarding & Onward – a tool she created to help people transform the way they start a new job
• AND SO MUCH MORE!

 

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Jessica Rivera is a workplace Learning & Development professional with over 20 years of experience across multiple industries for companies including Advent Health, Baylor Scott & White Health and Disney Cruise Line. She is currently the People & Organization Development Lead at Wise overseeing their global onboarding program. She is also the founder & CEO of New Job Notebook LLC, helping people discover a better way to start a new job.

WANT MORE OF JESSICA?

Follow and connect with her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjbrivera/

Get the New Job Notebook: Onboarding & Onward

In episode 35 of the Surveying the L&D Landscape podcast, I sit down with Justine Froelker, a Dare to Lead™ facilitator. Justine helps organizations build cultures of courage through her certified work teaching Brené Brown's Dare to Lead curriculum.

During our conversation, we unpack:

• How she creates cultures of courage by helping people show up as their full, integrated selves at work, addressing feelings and vulnerability, and fostering genuine human connections that lead to growth, innovation, and talent retention;
• How she leads through example in her facilitated workshops (and in her life), showing up with her fiery passion, her story, her candor, and her willingness to call people in to the brave spaces she creates;
• Why this work is more important today than ever before;
• AND SO MUCH MORE!

 

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Justine Froelker is a Licensed Professional Counselor with more than 20 years of experience in traditional mental health and personal and professional development. Justine has been certified in the work of Dr. Brené Brown for nine years. Justine is the author of eleven books, including five Amazon bestsellers covering subjects such as infertility, faith, and grief. She has been honored to do two TEDx Talks, The Permission of the And and The Donut Effect. She travels nationally and presents virtually to global audiences delivering keynotes, workshops, retreats, and trainings on topics such as leadership, courage, resilience, mental health, preventing and coping with burnout, and courageous and curious conversation, especially in creating cultures of belonging and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Justine lives in St. Louis with her husband Chad, their three dogs, and for four months of the year hundreds of monarch and swallowtail butterflies.

 

WANT MORE OF JUSTINE?

Learn more about her work at justinefroelker.com.

Connect with her on LinkedIn:

www.linkedin.com/in/justinefroelker/

Follow her on all the platforms @justinefroelker

In Episode 31 of the podcast, I sit down with Dr. Keith Keating to analyze his role as Chief Learning and Talent Officer at Archwell Holdings, a global mortgage services company.

During our conversation, we unpack: 

☑ The importance of learning agility and problem-solving skills in today’s rapidly changing world;

☑ How it’s essential for learning advisors to understand the science of learning to lighten the cognitive load and help “make it stick”;

☑ How to become a trusted learning advisor by aligning learning needs with business goals, identifying skill gaps, and using the data to tell a story for stakeholders;

☑ AND SO MUCH MORE!

 

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Dr. Keith Keating serves as a Chief Learning and Talent Officer, collaborating with numerous Fortune 500 companies worldwide. He is the author of the groundbreaking L&D practitioner's guide, 'The Trusted Learning Advisor.' A respected industry author and sought-after keynote speaker, Dr. Keating ardently champions lifelong learning as the pathway to seizing control of one’s career trajectory.  He is also an advocate for talent development and leverages his platform to emphasize human talent as the cornerstone of organizational success.

 

WANT MORE OF DR. KEATING?

Follow him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-keith-keating-1976963a/

Go get his book: The Trusted Learning Advisor 

 

L&D RESOURCES TO UPLEVEL YOUR CAREER:

• Join the Talent Development Think Tank to build your L&D network: https://tdtt.us/community/?affiliate=tdtt_abby
• Get support in landing your next L&D job with Sarah Cannistra's L&D Career Club: https://theovernighttrainer.thinkific.com/products/communities/the-l-and-d-career-club?ref=d759de Use code: LANDSCAPE for 15% off the LDCC
• Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning

 

 

In this episode, I chat with Ashley LaGrow to learn about her role as the Community and Course Manager at SPI Media.

 

During our conversation, we unpack:

• Why "community powered" learning is the future of online courses
• How working for a company with shared values can help you thrive in your professional development
• The ways content development draws on both learning design and marketing skills

 

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Ashley LaGrow is a Community and Courses Manager for a startup digital media company called SPI Media. Ashley is an education professional working remotely in the midwest. She holds an MS.Ed. in curriculum and instruction as well as an elementary education degree, with 7 years of experience in public schools through 2022. In her current role, she supports entrepreneurs with all the things they need to know to start and grow their business. She also runs her own business where she creates curriculum support materials and activities for upper elementary teachers. Ashley has also created and conducted professional development training and materials on contract for education technology companies and, in her spare time, she volunteers for HOBY Illinois.

 

WANT MORE OF ASHLEY?

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleynlagrow/

In today’s episode, I sit down with Chris Skees to analyze his role as the Learning Content Manager at Cisco.

We unpack the different pillars of his role:

• Content governance: how to provides structure for a learning team to be creative and produce quality and consistent work within bounds;
• Content stakeholdering: how to project manage the development and continuous improvement of course content taken from various SMEs and teams and prepare that content for Instructional Designers to implement;
• Learning metrics: How to obtain and analyze different learning metrics from various sources including the organization’s development tool and the LMS / how to look at internal team metrics as well as the business outcomes the team is influencing.

 

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Chris Skees is a leader in the learning and development space. His focus is on building relationships and bringing out the best in people. Chris has experience developing award-winning learning experiences, scaling up development programs, and constantly seeking smarter ways to work. Chris is also a proponent of work-life balance / work-life integration. He has been fully remote since 2014 and a four-day workweek advocate.

 

WANT MORE OF CHRIS?

Follow and connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-skees/

 

In this episode, I chat with Seana Nuñez to analyze her job as Employee and Organizational Development Consultant at the University of California, Riverside.

During our conversation, Seana outlines what it takes to be a great facilitator, including: 

• The tasks involved in facilitating a workshop or program;
• The way that a facilitator shows up to set the stage and create a safe space for growth;
• The emotional work and difficult conversations that may sometimes be necessary for facilitating "soft" skill type development programs;
• AND SO MUCH MORE!

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Seana has over 15 years of experience in training, facilitation, organizational development and consulting.  She works with staff across all levels at UC Riverside, and with leaders across the UC System.  She manages various leadership programs, and facilitates professional and personal development classes.  Seana holds a Master of Science degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, and is certified to administer various personality and behavior assessments.

 

WANT MORE OF SEANA? Catch her on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/smnunez/

In this episode, I explore the world of Learning Experience Design and Embodied Learning with Lena Nasiakou as we analyze her role as a Learning Experience Design Consultant.

During our conversation, we unpack:

• What learning experience design really is and how it differs from instructional design;
• Some of the principles of effective adult education in corporate settings;
• How experience design gets people into their bodies and experiences, tapping into all three intelligence centers (thinking, feeling, doing) to drive behavior change;
• AND how imposter syndrome is more of a phenomenon that takes place than a clinical diagnosis -- it’s worth reframing the term!

 

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Lena Nasiakou is an L&D Consultant, Experience Designer, Trainer from the Netherlands, and the founder of Lena’s Moves As a trusted L&D partner for large organizations, Lena’s Moves co-creates non boring learning solutions that engage learners, drive sustainable behavior change and close performance gaps. 🎈 Having created non-boring learning experiences for more than 8 years for companies like Netflix, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Trivium Packaging, and Quantis, Lena continues to discover the learning is more experiential than it is knowledge based and aims to shift that mindset in her work. Lena holds a master’s degree in Adult Learning and is on a mission to bring embodiment to the learning process across organizations.

 

WHAT MORE OF LENA?

Connect with her on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lenanasiakouembodiedlearning/

Explore her work and services: www.lenasmoves.com/

 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

• The Next Right Thing podcast with Emily P. Freeman: The Enneagram and Decision-Making
• What is The Kirkpatrick Model? / Kirkpatrick (kirkpatrickpartners.com)
• L&D Shakers LinkedIn Community

In episode 27 of the Surveying the L&D Landscape podcast, I sit down with Jessica Smith to analyze her role as an Instructional Designer at Cisco Meraki.

During our conversation, we discuss:

• The subtle differences between instructional design and the more recent push to learning experience design;
• How her company’s business model impacts the type of learning materials and experiences she creates;
• Essential skills for an ID or LXD: the ability to zoom in on the small details and zoom out on the big picture; the ability to help SMEs translate the content to the learner; and the ability to empathize with the learner and discern what they really need to know;
• The importance of allowing company values to guide your approach to your day-to-day work;
• AND MORE!

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Jessica is currently making some Meraki magic! She is a highly skilled and experienced learning and development professional. She loves transforming content into an experience that is impactful, easy to learn, entertaining, or just clear and simple to understand.

She’s done this for years as an instructional content developer and designer, writing and designing great content, editing and simplifying complex subject matter, managing process, creating and refining digital products, and, above all, building team and client relationships.

Now, she’s enabling Cisco Meraki customers to use our brilliant technologies in seamless and powerful ways by designing and building self-paced, on-demand content.

Jessica also loves to bake and is 1st kyu in the martial art of aikido!

WANT MORE OF JESSICA?

Connect with her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chicagojess/

 

In episode 32 of the Surveying the L&D Landscape podcast, I sit down with Jarron Rice to analyze his role as Global Skills Lead at Deer & Co. (AKA John Deer).

During our conversation, we unpack: 

• How defining and measuring “skills” typically depend on your customer/client/user and the use case;
• The importance of change management skills for implementing new HR/talent technologies with buy-in + adoption across the organization;
• Talent Marketplaces as a means to solve a number of challenges – identifying skills people hold across the organization, creating career pathways, getting more work done, and facilitating mentorship, networking, and development opportunities;
• And so much more!

 

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Jarron Rice is a leader in the learning & skills technology space. After spending years focused on technology process improvement & change management, he stumbled his way into an L&D role in 2019 and never looked back. During his relatively short tenure in L&D, Jarron has had the opportunity to drive innovation and change on every team he’s been a part of. He’s had the opportunity to experience and lead a variety of technology & platform implementations including learning experience platforms, cohort-style learning platforms, talent/skills intelligence tools, and talent marketplaces. This has given him firsthand experience with the career development ecosystem of an organization – expertise he leverages daily in his work at John Deere as their Global Skills Lead, where he is responsible for their enterprise skills strategy, skills data governance, and internal talent marketplace.

 

WANT MORE OF JARRON?

Follow and connect with him on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jarron/

 

L&D RESOURCES TO UPLEVEL YOUR CAREER:

• Join the Talent Development Think Tank to build your L&D network: https://tdtt.us/community/?affiliate=tdtt_abby
• Get support in landing your next L&D job with Sarah Cannistra's L&D Career Club: https://theovernighttrainer.thinkific.com/products/communities/the-l-and-d-career-club?ref=d759de Use code: LANDSCAPE for 15% off the LDCC
• For more on SKILLS, check out Building a Common Language for Skills at Work A Global Taxonomy | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)

In episode 30 of the Surveying the L&D Landscape podcast, I chat with my friend Leena Mendoza to analyze her role as a Learning and Development Manager.

During our conversation, we discuss:

• How the application of concepts helps her participants build confidence in their skills and abilities;
• An easy way to think about the skill of project management: cost, scope, and schedule;
• Generational differences and how identifying those differences may help us better communicate with one another;
• Her three C’s of Leadership: connect, communicate, character;
• AND MORE!

 

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Leena Mendoza is an experienced learning and development professional and executive coach. Leena has previously held roles such as a project manager, career coach, and management analyst, all of which make her a well-rounded L&D professional.  With a passion for personal and professional growth, Leena is dedicated to helping individuals and organizations unlock their full potential. She has had the privilege of partnering with a diverse range of leaders to navigate challenges, drive performance, and cultivate lasting success.

 

WANT MORE OF LEENA?

Connect with her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leenamendoza/

 

L&D RESOURCES TO UPLEVEL YOUR CAREER:

• Join the Talent Development Think Tank to build your L&D network:

  https://tdtt.us/community/?affiliate=tdtt_abby

•  

  Get support in landing your next L&D job with Sarah Cannistra's L&D Career Club: https://theovernighttrainer.thinkific.com/products/communities/the-l-and-d-career-club?ref=d759de Use code: LANDSCAPE for 15% off the LDCC

In this episode, I chat with Jen Collins about her role as Senior Director of Client Experience - Academies at Degreed.

While unpacking her role, we break down:

• The benefits of Academies, especially the social learning components
• Behavior change as the end goal of both Marketing & L&D
• How being a strategic partner often involves reframing a “no” to an offer of alternative solutions
• AND SO MUCH MORE!

ABOUT THE GUEST: 

Jen Collins is a learning strategist, consultant, speaker, and facilitator with a passion for talent development, in particular, skill-specific learning programs and academies. Today, she is Sr. Director of Client Experience - Academies at Degreed. She has consulted and facilitated learning experiences on a variety of topics for all levels of employees across B2B and B2C businesses, drawing on her combined experience in L&D and marketing to understand learner motivations and drive engagement. Jen has over 20 years of Marketing and Business Management experience, with a focus on talent development for the past five years. She lives at the Lake of the Ozarks and outside of work, Jen volunteers as an Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) and Fire Fighter for her local fire department.

 

WANT MORE OF JEN?

Connect with her on LinkedIn at: www.linkedin.com/in/learningwithjen/

 

In this episode, I chat with Dr. Mechelle Roberthon to analyze her role as VP of Talent Development for Home Bank. So much wisdom from Dr. Mechelle Roberthon in this episode!

During our conversation, we unpack: 

• Different professional capabilities in the L&D landscape (as outlined by ATD): instructional design, training delivery and facilitation, knowledge management, coaching, career and leadership development, etc.;
• How you can choose to pursue specialize in one of these slices or become well-versed in the whole pie;
• Why kindness as a top characteristic needed for an L&D professional (but really any professional);
• How she successfully created and deployed a training strategy for a new company acquisition;
• Her processes for regular communication with various departments and stakeholders;
• AND SO MUCH MORE!

 

 

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Dr. Mechelle Roberthon is a Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD). Her background includes training delivery, performance improvement, and managing learning programs. She received her Doctor of Education degree from Baylor University and holds a Master of Science in Education with a specialization in Training and Performance Improvement. Dr. Roberthon is also an experienced career and professional development instructor. She has taught over 500 corporate courses with her evaluations consistently earning high ratings. Her dynamic teaching style has become a favorite amongst learners.

 

WANT MORE OF THE GUEST?

Connect and follow her on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mechelleroberthon/

 

In episode 28, I sit down with Josh Irmler to analyze his role as CEO and Founder of Landdai, a corporate EdTech solution and consulting firm that optimizes talent development utilizing AI.

During our conversation, we discuss:

• How the name of the game today is much less about knowledge transfer or the commodification and much more around transformation or behavior change;
• How a generative AI tools, like Landdai, can enable L&D teams to rapidly produce high-quality, tailed learning programs to continuously upskill employees and meet today’s ever-changing business needs;
• Why he measures his success not only by the amount of revenue his company generates but also by the positive impact he has on those he works with;
• AND SO MUCH MORE!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Josh is incredibly excited to help revolutionize the way we do L&D work with his product the Landdai app. In less than 2 minutes, Landdai allow users to create eLearning courses, career development programs and powerpoint slide decks that are highly custom and personalized.

Josh has had a 20+ year career in Learning & Organizational Development and is also the author of the book: The Ai Edge: How L&D Professionals Can Leverage Ai To Gain A Competitive Advantage. His passion is to equip high caliber leaders and organizations to unleash their fullest potential and become more holistically successful.

WANT MORE OF JOSH?

Follow him on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-irmler/

EXCITING OFFERS:

• Download your free copy of the AI Edge at

  https://landdai.com/freebook/.

• To start using Landdai today for just $348 or $29 a month for the first year, head to:

  https://landdai.com/promo/?via=abigail. Once you're there, hit that "Claim Your Free Offer" button to see pricing offerings. And if you want to dip your toes in first, there's a free trial waiting for you too!