Advertise on podcast: Learning Leader Spotlight: Interviews with corporate L&D leaders

Sarai Jacko, Regional Director of Training and Development for Southern California of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, joins us to talk about why learning and development has earned a seat at the business table in luxury hospitality. Sarai shares how training investment shows up in guest satisfaction scores, why personalized learning means meeting each colleague where they are and how a Lobby Ambassador initiative keeps non-guest-facing leaders connected to the operation.  Sarai also explains why flexibility and emotional intelligence matter most right now and how she built a quarterly luncheon for fellow luxury hospitality L&D leaders. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Why L&D now has a strong seat at the business table. 02:28 Finding L&D through hotel operations. 04:03 How training shows up in guest satisfaction and the bottom line. 05:57 Why AI will make L&D more personalized. 07:26 Meeting learners where they are. 08:51 Finding time for training in a 24/7 business. 11:59 What the Lobby Ambassador initiative teaches leaders. 14:38 Why flexibility and emotional intelligence matter most. 16:02 Building a quarterly luncheon for L&D peers. 19:00 Books for aspiring L&D leaders. If you enjoyed this conversation, please leave a 5-star review and subscribe to "Learning Leader Spotlight: Interviews with Corporate L&D Leaders," brought to you by TrainingPros — because when you have more projects than people™, the right L&D consultant makes all the difference. RESOURCES MENTIONED Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, the international luxury hotel brand for which Sarai works: https://www.fairmont.com/en.html Fairmont Century Plaza, the Los Angeles luxury hotel where Sarai leads training and development for the Southern California region: https://www.fairmontcenturyplaza.com/ SHRM Foundation, the nonprofit affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management and one of the networks Sarai relies on for industry news: https://www.shrm.org/foundation/about/Pages/about-us.aspx American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), a hospitality networking organization Sarai is active with in Southern California: https://www.ahla.com/ Century City Chamber of Commerce, the local chamber whose networking events Sarai attends: https://centurycitycc.com/ LinkedIn, a go-to source Sarai uses for industry news and information: https://www.linkedin.com/ ATD International Conference & EXPO, the Association for Talent Development conference Sarai attended in Los Angeles: https://atdconference.td.org/ “Unreasonable Hospitality” by Will Guidara, Sarai’s top book pick for anticipatory, personalized service: https://www.penguin.co.uk/series/UNRHSPTY/unreasonable-hospitality  “Dare to Lead” by Brené Brown, which Sarai’s team draws on in its trainings: https://brenebrown.com/hubs/dare-to-lead/  OneTreePlanted, TrainingPros’ company charity, which has planted almost 6,000 trees to date: https://onetreeplanted.org/ #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment

Nicole Kramer, Senior Manager of Capability Building at Mars, joins us to talk about how L&D is shifting from content creation to enabling performance. Nicole shares how a career that began in sales led her into learning and development, why AI is accelerating the move toward business transformation roles and the three boundaries she believes L&D can break down in the next five years. She also explains why you don’t have to wait for the next title to start thinking at the next level, how to build a disciplined curiosity and which books she recommends for up-and-coming L&D leaders. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Nicole’s north star. 03:53 Finding L&D through a career in sales. 05:14 From creating content to enabling performance. 07:26 The Gutenberg lesson for AI adoption. 09:32 Three silos L&D can break down. 12:15 Roles on a future transformation team. 13:28 Think at the next level before the title. 15:08 Building disciplined curiosity. 15:57 Creating a personal learning ecosystem. 18:00 Books for up-and-coming L&D leaders. If you enjoyed this conversation, please leave a 5-star review and subscribe to "Learning Leader Spotlight: Interviews with Corporate L&D Leaders," brought to you by TrainingPros — because when you have more projects than people™, the right L&D consultant makes all the difference. RESOURCES MENTIONED The Coca-Cola Company, where Nicole moved into her first formal L&D role after years in sales: https://www.coca-colacompany.com/ Mars, where Nicole leads capability building for the food service business at Mars Snacking, which now includes Kellogg’s: https://www.mars.com/  Brandon Hall Group Excellence Awards, the L&D awards program where Nicole was a recent winner: https://excellenceawards.brandonhall.com/ Tigerhall, the social learning platform Nicole uses almost daily to learn from other industries: https://tigerhall.com/ “Seeing the Big Picture” by Kevin Cope, Nicole’s top book pick for understanding how the business works: https://acumenlearning.com/free-book “Everybody Matters” by Bob Chapman and Raj Sisodia, which Nicole pairs with “Seeing the Big Picture” to keep the human side in view: https://barrywehmiller.com/bobchapman/book Reforestation World, TrainingPros’ company charity, which has planted over 5,000 trees to date: https://www.reforestationworld.org/ #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment #LeadershipTraining

Nick Borey, Senior Manager of Learning, Design and Technology of Best Buy, joins to talk about what actually gives a corporate training career staying power. He traces his path from training and facilitator roles into instructional design, explores what it takes to make learning work at scale, and shares his take on where AI genuinely changes the work, and where it doesn’t. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Why soft skills matter more than tools for long-term L&D careers. 01:19 Nick's path into L&D. 02:01 From AdventHealth trainer to instructional designer. 03:10 Leading learning design for Best Buy’s enterprise org. 04:05 What makes a learning organization actually work. 05:17 Building process without slowing teams down. 07:42 Where AI helps in L&D, and where it doesn’t. 11:33 What separates L&D hires who succeed from those who don’t. 16:34 Building career longevity through soft skills and trust. 18:28 Why networking outside your org matters. If you enjoyed this conversation, please leave a 5-star review and subscribe to “Learning Leader Spotlight: Interviews with Corporate L&D Leaders,” brought to you by TrainingPros — because when you have more projects than people™, the right L&D consultant makes all the difference. RESOURCES MENTIONED AdventHealth, where Nick worked in digital and web-based learning before moving into a dedicated L&D career: https://www.adventhealth.com/ Articulate 360, the e-learning authoring tool Nick references when discussing new AI-powered features in the L&D space: https://articulate.com Project Management Institute (PMI), which awarded Nick his PMP certification alongside his master’s in instructional design technology: https://www.pmi.org/ Best Buy, where Nick currently leads learning design for the enterprise learning organization: https://corporate.bestbuy.com/ #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment #LeadershipTraining

Lan Tran, Founder and Principal of Wysora, joins us to unpack what it really means to be a learning technology strategist, the emerging role sitting at the intersection of learning, technology and business strategy.  She traces her path from software developer to learning designer to enterprise learning technology leader, and shares how that combination shapes the way she now advises organizations on their learning ecosystems, their learning culture and the mistakes that quietly undercut both. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Why the learning technology strategist role matters now. 01:15 Lan's path from software developer to technology strategist. 06:28 What separates a strategist from an LMS admin. 09:53 How the right technology builds a real learning culture. 13:03 Why people teams often misread their own learning data. 16:41 Learning systems manager vs. technology strategist, explained. 19:34 Why design should come before the platform. 26:49 What to ask before bringing in outside expertise. 30:53 The most common mistake in optimizing learning platforms. 38:14 Where this role is headed as AI reshapes L&D. If you enjoyed this conversation, please leave a 5-star review and subscribe to "Learning Leader Spotlight: Interviews with Corporate L&D Leaders," brought to you by TrainingPros — because when you have more projects than people™, the right L&D consultant makes all the difference. RESOURCES MENTIONED Reforestation World, TrainingPros' company charity, referenced by the host — TrainingPros has planted over 5,000 trees to date through this initiative: https://www.reforestationworld.org/  DePaul University, where Lan earned her information systems degree before starting her career: https://www.depaul.edu/ Accenture (formerly Andersen Consulting), Lan's first employer, where she joined the business performance simulation group as a developer: https://www.accenture.com/ Kraft Heinz, where Lan managed the learning tech ecosystem and relaunched the corporate university: https://www.kraftheinzcompany.com/ McDonald's, where Lan led design and enabling learning technology: https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/ #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment

Ashley Corcoran, Director of Learning Design and Development of The Home Depot, joins us to talk about what it takes to reinvent a learning and development team at scale while AI reshapes how the work gets done. Her team builds learning experiences for 450,000 associates across retail stores, outside sales and service, and supply chain. Ashley shares why the business is her lead indicator for where L&D is headed, how she separates problems to be solved from tensions to be managed, and why leaders need “stagility” — a balance of stability and agility — to help teams adapt without losing their footing. She also shares how The Home Depot’s internship program gives early-career talent meaningful work and opportunities to make a real impact from the start. KEY TAKEAWAYS  00:00 Why people capabilities make or break every system 02:13 A clear mission as the team’s North Star 03:33 L&D’s shift from content creation to performance consulting 09:46 Thirty years of L&D, from e-learning to AI 14:09 Why the business sets L&D’s pace 15:56 AI as a blank slate moment for L&D teams 18:06 Problem to solve or tension to manage? 21:32 What early career talent really wants from an internship 27:12 Stagility: balancing stability and agility 28:42 Ashley’s book pick for aspiring L&D leaders If you enjoyed this conversation, please leave a 5-star review and subscribe to “Learning Leader Spotlight: Interviews with Corporate L&D Leaders,” brought to you by TrainingPros — because when you have more projects than people™, the right L&D consultant makes all the difference. RESOURCES MENTIONED Georgia Tech, where Ashley studied before starting her career in business consulting and systems implementation: https://www.gatech.edu/ The Home Depot, where Ashley has spent nearly 22 years in L&D and leads learning design and development for 450,000 associates: https://corporate.homedepot.com/ The Home Depot Internship Program, the paid 11-week program Ashley’s team uses as a talent pipeline: https://careers.homedepot.com/student-internships/  Georgia State University, whose master’s degree students have joined Ashley’s team as interns and full-time hires: https://www.gsu.edu/ Andy Stanley on managing organizational tension, the source of the problem-or-tension question Ashley uses with her team: https://andystanley.com/managing-organizational-tension-transcript “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen R. Covey, the source of the changeless core idea Ashley uses to anchor her team through change: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-7-Habits-of-Highly-Effective-People/Stephen-R-Covey/9781982137137  “Impact Players” by Liz Wiseman, Ashley’s book recommendation for every aspiring L&D leader: https://impactplayersbook.com/ Reforestation World, TrainingPros’ company charity, referenced by the host. TrainingPros has planted almost 6,000 trees to date through this initiative: https://www.reforestationworld.org/ #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment

Jennifer Baker, Director of Talent and Leadership Development at Foot Locker North America and Founder of Jen in AI, joins us to talk about how learning and development is changing as AI reshapes what people need to learn, how they learn it and the value an L&D team brings to an organization.  Jennifer shares how she built her way into L&D, from running two fashion boutiques and leading a retail store to creating her own training program before anyone asked her to. She explains why learning is moving closer to the work itself, why judgment is becoming one of the most important L&D skills in the AI era, and why learning agility, adaptability and curiosity matter more than trying to predict exactly what a job will look like five years from now. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Why Jennifer built her way into L&D instead of setting out to work in the field. 01:38 Jennifer’s 60-second path from retail to leading talent development at Foot Locker. 03:28 From fashion boutiques to store manager: how Jennifer built her first training program. 07:30 Why learning is moving closer to the actual work. 09:53 Where AI is taking L&D over the next five years. 14:17 The biggest challenge facing learning leaders right now. 17:08 Why learning agility is the most important skill in the workplace. 24:16 Jennifer’s go-to sources for industry news. 30:17 The Adam Grant book Jennifer recommends for every aspiring L&D leader. 35:14 Inside Jennifer’s LinkedIn Learning course on AI for instructional design. If you enjoyed this conversation, please leave a 5-star review and subscribe to “Learning Leader Spotlight: Interviews with Corporate L&D Leaders,” brought to you by TrainingPros — because when you have more projects than people™, the right L&D consultant makes all the difference. RESOURCES MENTIONED Association for Talent Development (ATD), the professional association Jennifer credits for research, chapter events and real-time industry information: https://www.td.org/ Safe Space by Workweek, a private online community for HR and people professionals that Jennifer credits for candid, real-time peer advice: https://hateithere.co/community/safe-space “Hidden Potential” by Adam Grant, the book Jennifer recommends for anyone moving into L&D leadership: https://adamgrant.net/book/hidden-potential/ “AI-Powered Content Creation: Train Your AI to Think Like an Instructional Designer,” Jennifer’s LinkedIn Learning course on using AI as an instructional design assistant: https://www.linkedin.com/learning/ai-powered-content-creation-train-your-ai-to-think-like-an-instructional-designer #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment

Alicia Turino-Sheppard, Director of Learning at Cognizant, joins us to talk about the shift happening inside L&D as AI takes over content creation and facilitation. Alicia leads a lean, consultative team supporting Cognizant's global Workday practice, and she makes the case that the professionals who stay relevant won't be the ones who build the best slide decks; they'll be the ones who think like business consultants. She also explores the difference between change resistance and change exhaustion, why she reads historical fiction instead of traditional leadership books, and the mentor lesson about asking for what you want that still shapes how she leads her team. KEY TAKEAWAYS  00:00 Why L&D’s future belongs to consultants, not content creators 01:35 Leading a lean L&D and talent team at Cognizant 03:53 Where AI ends and the human touch begins 06:25 From content creation to strategic consulting 09:09 The mentor who helped Alicia earn her first promotion 10:42 The career advice from her father she still follows 14:22 Why Alicia reads historical fiction, not leadership books 17:14 How to stay relevant in L&D 18:44 Change resistance vs. change exhaustion 21:10 Revisiting these AI predictions in a year If you enjoyed this conversation, please leave a 5-star review and subscribe to “Learning Leader Spotlight: Interviews with Corporate L&D Leaders,” brought to you by TrainingPros — because when you have more projects than people™, the right L&D consultant makes all the difference. RESOURCES MENTIONED Harvard Business Review, cited by Alicia as a regular source of L&D and business insight: https://hbr.org Association for Talent Development (ATD), the professional association Alicia references for talent development magazines and resources: https://www.td.org CliftonStrengths (formerly StrengthsFinder), the Gallup assessment Alicia recommends for identifying team strengths: https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/home.aspx “Atomic Habits” by James Clear, one of the leadership books Alicia references: https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment #LeadershipTraining

Brad Ulmanu, Director of Learning Experience at Expedia Group, joins us to talk about why storytelling is one of the most important skills in learning and development. Brad started his career as a journalist before moving into L&D, and he ties storytelling to instructional design, eLearning content creation, and learning experiences people want to finish. A useful frame for any learning leader rethinking corporate learning and development. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 What great learning is actually competing with. 01:56 How a journalism career led Brad into L&D. 02:51 What made the move into L&D worth it for Brad. 03:59 Brad's advice to his younger self. 07:54 What Brad's learned about first impressions. 09:37 The real AI challenge facing learning leaders. 12:28 The most important skill in the workplace right now. 13:29 Brad's go-to resource for L&D research. 14:12 Two books every aspiring L&D leader should read. 16:29 Why Brad's team designs learning like a media team would. If you enjoyed this conversation, please leave a 5-star review and subscribe to "Learning Leader Spotlight: Interviews with Corporate L&D Leaders," brought to you by TrainingPros — because when you have more projects than people™, the right L&D consultant makes all the difference. RESOURCES MENTIONED Expedia Group website: https://expediagroup.com/ i4cp (Institute for Corporate Productivity), a research subscription Brad's team uses for L&D and future-of-work insights: https://www.i4cp.com “The Leader's Guide to Storytelling” by Stephen Denning, on using organizational narrative to spark action and align teams: https://www.amazon.com/Leaders-Guide-Storytelling-Mastering-Discipline/dp/078797675X “The Design of Everyday Things” by Donald A. Norman, on mental models, feedback loops and human-centered design: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262640374/the-design-of-everyday-things/ #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #LeadershipTraining

Join Melissa Kruminas, VP, Learning Experience and Enablement of Litmos, as she shares her path from asset management to leading learning at a learning company, and the moment a Six Sigma project taught her to tie training to a measurable business outcome. She also breaks down the "assumptive yes," a tactic she uses to drive training attendance and buy-in without waiting for permission, and explains why L&D teams don't need a five-star program when a fast, good-quality solution will do. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Why L&D professionals hold themselves back by asking permission they don't need. 02:20 From asset management at Fruit of the Loom to leading learning at a learning company. 04:01 A Six Sigma project and the $70,000 lesson in measurable impact. 06:27 The Yoda-and-Dumbledore mindset shift: making others successful, not being the hero. 10:23 A blunt piece of feedback from a sales leader. 10:56 Radical candor: caring enough to tell someone what they need to hear. 13:54 The "assumptive yes": driving buy-in without asking permission. 15:40 The pizza analogy: progress over perfection. 17:47 AI and "learning in the flow of work," a decade after Josh Bersin coined it. 22:23 Melissa's go-to L&D resources: including LinkedIn and “Smart Brevity.” If you enjoyed this conversation, please leave a 5-star review and subscribe to "Learning Leader Spotlight: Interviews with Corporate L&D Leaders," brought to you by TrainingPros — because when you have more projects than people™, the right L&D consultant makes all the difference. RESOURCES MENTIONED Litmos Website: https://www.litmos.com/ Fruit of the Loom: https://www.fotlinc.com/ Brandon Hall Group: https://brandonhall.com/ Radical Candor: https://www.radicalcandor.com/ “Leading in the Age of AI” by Dr. Brigette Tasha Hyacinth: https://brigettehyacinth.com/books/ “Smart Brevity” by Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen and Roy Schwartz: https://www.axios.com/smart-brevity Josh Bersin: https://joshbersin.com/ #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment

Allyson Roote, VP, Learning and Organizational Development of The Bonadio Group, joins us to discuss why training shouldn’t be the default solution to every performance problem. After building Bonadio’s learning and development function from a team of one to a team of nine, Allyson shares why she starts with diagnosis, not design, and how that approach leads to more effective solutions.  She also explores how AI is making distinctly human skills even more valuable in L&D, and why adaptability and authenticity are among the most important workplace skills today. She closes by reflecting on the mentor whose approach continues to shape how she leads and develops her team. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Introduction: Why not every performance problem calls for training. 01:15 Scaling L&D at The Bonadio Group. 02:56 From psychology to L&D, sparked by an executive coach. 06:15 Why AI makes human judgment more valuable. 09:00 Why training can’t fix the wrong problem. 10:42 A mentor’s lesson: Know your worth before it’s recognized. 12:27 Why adaptability matters more than ever. 13:46 Authenticity, vulnerability, and Brené Brown’s leadership lessons. 16:39 Building curricula that speak the client’s language. 18:00 Two books for aspiring L&D leaders. If you enjoyed this conversation, please leave a 5-star review and subscribe to “Learning Leader Spotlight: Interviews with Corporate L&D Leaders,” brought to you by TrainingPros — because when you have more projects than people™, the right L&D consultant makes all the difference. RESOURCES MENTIONED The Bonadio Group (the accounting and advisory firm where the L&D function grew from a team of one to nine): https://www.bonadio.com/ Association for Talent Development (ATD) (a go-to resource for L&D industry news): https://www.td.org/ Training Industry (another regular industry resource for L&D news): https://trainingindustry.com/ McKinsey & Company (cited as a source for foundational learning and business research): https://www.mckinsey.com/ AICPA & CIMA (followed to stay current on the accounting side of the work): https://www.aicpa-cima.com/ Accounting Today (an accounting industry publication read to understand the client's world): https://www.accountingtoday.com/ Journal of Accountancy (another accounting publication followed to build credibility with clients): https://www.journalofaccountancy.com/ International Coaching Federation (ICF) (the organization behind the ACC coaching certification earned along the way): https://coachingfederation.org/ “The Trusted Learning Advisor” by Dr. Keith Keating (the team calls it “TLA” and gives a copy to every new hire): https://www.thetrustedlearningadvisor.com/ “Hidden Value” by Dr. Keith Keating (the other recommended book, by the same author): https://www.hiddenvaluebook.com/ #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment

Join Kara Kirby, Relationship Manager at TrainingPros, as she shares her career journey from sales training in the tire industry to corporate learning and development, and discusses the experiences and lessons that have shaped her role in relationship management at TrainingPros. She also explains how the instructional designer role is moving towards analysis and strategy, showing organizations what custom corporate training can look like when personalized learning solutions are within reach. Learning leaders still need instructional design consultants who can organize training people will finish. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Introduction to Kara Kirby and her role as relationship manager at TrainingPros. 01:26 How Kara found her way into L&D. 04:32 Career journey through corporate L&D. 11:03 The most rewarding part of relationship management. 13:42 The skill that helps most: coaching. 15:22 Themes in client conversations today. 16:51 What organizations are investing in now. 19:32 How AI could elevate instructional design. 21:37 What separates a good consultant from a great one. 24:16 Advice for consultants seeking contract work. If you enjoyed this conversation, please leave a 5-star review and subscribe to "Learning Leader Spotlight: Interviews with Corporate L&D Leaders," brought to you by TrainingPros — because when you have more projects than people™, the right L&D consultant makes all the difference. RESOURCES MENTIONED TrainingPros: https://trainingpros.com Ultimate Software (now UKG): https://www.ukg.com Dealer Tire: https://www.dealertire.com #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment

Kassy LaBorie, Keynote Speaker, Author and L&D Pioneer of Kassy LaBorie Consulting, joins us to talk about what a career built on noticing things, from people and patterns to vintage Barbie dolls, can teach the learning and development field about staying curious in the age of AI. Expert leaders know a lot, which paradoxically makes genuine curiosity harder. Kassy, host of The Spark Konnect podcast, discovered that stepping into unfamiliar territory forces the kind of authentic curiosity that matters most in learning leadership. When you move beyond your expertise, you stop performing knowledge and start asking real questions. That shift transforms how you approach talent development and team learning. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Introduction to Kassy LaBorie, keynote speaker, author and L&D pioneer 01:33 Trading the label "corporate trainer" for “professional noticer” 04:12 How a lifelong Barbie collection became the perfect AI learning lab 05:59 A theater degree and a career fair led to an accidental path into Silicon Valley training 14:45 Interviewing athletes and artists reveals what curiosity actually requires of a host 23:51 A painter once told her to squint and see the basic shapes before filling in the details 25:53 The one thing AI can't replace: human expression 27:33 L&D leaders building AI-ready teams should focus on the strategic yes 28:21 Three books from women shaping the L&D conversation earn a recommendation 29:10 The debrief question used to bookend every session If you enjoyed this conversation, please leave a 5-star review and subscribe to "Learning Leader Spotlight: Interviews with Corporate L&D Leaders," brought to you by TrainingPros — because when you have more projects than people™, the right L&D consultant makes all the difference. RESOURCES MENTIONED The Spark Konnect podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-spark-konnect/id1847731623 Interact and Engage! 75+ Activities for Virtual Training, Meetings, and Webinars by Kassy LaBorie: https://www.td.org/product/book--interact-and-engage-2nd-edition/112209 Producing Virtual Training, Meetings, and Webinars by Kassy LaBorie: https://kassylaborie.com/book-producing-virtual-training-meetings-and-webinars/ Learning That Lasts by Katrina Kennedy: https://www.td.org/product/book--learning-that-lasts/112503 L&D Order Taker No More! by Jess Almlie: https://www.td.org/product/book---ld-order-taker-no-more/112509 #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment

We sit down with Joe Stoup, Director of the Learning Experience Group at RealPage, Inc., where he oversees content development, content management and content delivery for a team of 32. Joe shares how AI is reshaping instructional design, why curiosity has become his team's most important skill, and why the research doesn't back up one of L&D's longest-held assumptions: learning styles. KEY TAKEAWAYS 01:24 Joe shares how he came into L&D from computer science and running help desks. 07:17 The most impactful shifts AI has brought to L&D. 12:33 Why Joe believes AI works best in a “human, AI, human” sandwich. 13:37 The mentor who taught Joe how to manage up. 16:43 Why curiosity is the most important skill in L&D right now. 19:40 Building a culture of care, from Simon Sinek's “culture of care” to RealPage's learning advisors. 24:00 Why Joe turns to Google Scholar instead of typical industry sources. 26:04 The book Joe recommends for evidence-based L&D leadership. 27:23 Busting the learning styles myth with the research behind it. 29:49 Joe's closing thought on the privilege of helping people learn. If you enjoyed this conversation, please leave a 5-star review and subscribe to “Learning Leader Spotlight: Interviews with Corporate L&D Leaders,” brought to you by TrainingPros — because when you have more projects than people™, the right L&D consultant makes all the difference. RESOURCES MENTIONED ReelPage, Inc. website: https://www.realpage.com/ “Evidence-Informed Learning Design” by Mirjam Neelen and Paul A. Kirschner: https://www.koganpage.com/hr-learning-development/evidence-informed-learning-design-9781789661415 Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment

Josiah Owens, Program Manager of Employee Development at INPO, talks about what it takes to build a career centered on impact rather than title. Josiah traces his path from video production and instructional design work to leading talent development inside the nuclear industry, and shares why he believes curiosity, more than expertise, is the most critical skill for learning and development professionals today. He also discusses his upcoming term as president of the ATD Greater Atlanta chapter, the mentor who shaped his leadership philosophy, and the book he recommends to every aspiring learning strategist building a career in talent development. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Introduction to Learning Leader Spotlight and this week's guest, Josiah Owens. 01:15 Josiah shares his path from teenage video production work to a career in talent development. 02:09 Josiah describes himself as an "impact chaser" pursuing purpose through people development. 04:42 Josiah explains how wider access to tools and resources has reshaped who gets to build learning content. 07:31 Josiah predicts L&D will shift from content creation toward genuine partnership with the business. 10:57 Josiah outlines his plans as incoming president of the Greater Atlanta ATD chapter. 17:38 Josiah credits his grandmother, a career educator, as his most influential mentor. 20:58 Josiah names curiosity as the single most important skill in the workplace today. 23:39 Josiah recommends "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey to every aspiring L&D leader. 24:43 The conversation turns to using Covey's Circle of Control to lead through the pandemic shutdown. If you enjoyed this conversation, please leave a 5-star review and subscribe to "Learning Leader Spotlight: Interviews with Corporate L&D Leaders," brought to you by TrainingPros — because when you have more projects than people™, the right L&D consultant makes all the difference. RESOURCES MENTIONED Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO): https://www.inpo.info ATD Greater Atlanta Chapter: https://atdatlanta.org The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey: https://www.franklincovey.com/books/the-7-habits-of-highly-effective-people/ #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment

Blair Bekker, Director of Global Talent Development of Chewy, joins us to discuss why L&D must trade perfectionism for speed, how entire workforces learning new skills at once is turning L&D into a strategic partner to the business, and why proving measurable impact is what separates the leaders who move fast from the ones who stay stuck. KEY TAKEAWAYS 00:00 Introduction. 01:35 What it looks like to lead talent development across every part of Chewy’s business, from corporate teams to the fulfillment floor. 04:22 Why Blair says the biggest shift in L&D isn’t a new model. 05:45 The uncomfortable mindset shift Blair has to coach her own team through every day. 09:05 Why Blair believes the entire workforce learning new skills at once is turning L&D into a strategic advantage. 09:55 Where Blair would put 10 times her current budget. 12:50 The skill Blair says is hardest to hire for on any L&D team right now. 17:05 The one book Blair credits with completely changing how she talks to the business. 19:00 How running a true A/B test gave Blair her first real proof that training moved the needle. 21:58 The career advice Blair says is the real unlock for L&D professionals. If you enjoyed this conversation, please leave a 5-star review and subscribe to “Learning Leader Spotlight: Interviews with Corporate L&D Leaders,” brought to you by TrainingPros — because when you have more projects than people™, the right L&D consultant makes all the difference. RESOURCES MENTIONED Chewy Website: https://www.chewy.com “Return on Learning: Training for High Performance at Accenture” by Donald Vanthournout: https://www.amazon.com/Return-Learning-Training-Performance-Accenture/dp/1932841423 #LearningAndDevelopment #CorporateTraining #TalentDevelopment