

Offbeat On Air
Lavinia Mehedintu & Milica Sapic
We are on a mission to break our L&D bubble! We want to connect to people trying to achieve similar goals to ours, but in other circumstances, with different skills, and tools. We’ll learn how scientists solve problems, how professional athletes think of performance, and how surgeons approach the learning process. All of this to infuse new perspectives into our lives as learning professionals.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 3, 2024 • 48min
The common ground between L&D and Innovation
What is innovation exactly? Does it have anything to do with L&D? What's the difference between improvement and innovation? You might be wondering as well. If so, enjoy our latest episode, where, together with our guest, Cori Moore, we peeled innovation in an effort to better understand what it is, how it happens, and how it's connected to L&D. We explored:
- The common ground between L&D and innovation;- The rigorous methodology needed to foster innovation, including the process of experimentation and dealing with setbacks;- How L&D can support innovation by creating a culture of psychological safety, reflection, and continuous experimentation;- Practical advice for L&Ds such as spending time with learners, running small-scale experiments, and embracing informal learning opportunities.
Get ready for some radical honesty when it comes to innovation!
Our sponsor
This new season of Offbeat On Air is sponsored by Sana. Sana is an AI-powered learning platform that empowers organizations to find, share, and harness the knowledge they need to achieve their missions. Backed by some of the world’s leading investors, operators, and founders, Sana has raised $54M to date. The company's headquarters are in Stockholm, Sweden, with offices in London and New York.
Your hosts
We’re Lavinia & Mili, and we hope this episode brings you at least one idea you can use in your own practice. If you want to share it with us, feel free to reach out on our LinkedIn profiles, which you can find below.
Lavinia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laviniamehedintu/
Milica: https://www.linkedin.com/in/milicasapic/

Oct 29, 2024 • 48min
What can L&Ds learn from product management?
We've heard it quite often lately: there's a lot L&D can learn from product management. But what is that exactly? Thanks to Lucia Collarà who brought years of experience to the table, we got to explore:
A framework for building products looking at viability, feasibility, and desirability;
The difference between product management and product ownership;
How just like L&Ds, PMs are informal leaders, and need to influence change without authority;
How the discipline of prioritization helps product managers in being impactful business partners;
Why the OKR framework can fail without enough resources & psychological safety.
Get ready for lots of insights, and a thoughtful conversation about product management, teaching product management, and the lessons we can learn as L&Ds from the product world.
Our sponsor
This new season of Offbeat On Air is sponsored by Sana. Sana is an AI-powered learning platform that empowers organizations to find, share, and harness the knowledge they need to achieve their missions. Backed by some of the world’s leading investors, operators, and founders, Sana has raised $54M to date. The company's headquarters are in Stockholm, Sweden, with offices in London and New York.
Your hosts
We’re Lavinia & Mili, and we hope this episode brings you at least one idea you can use in your own practice. If you want to share it with us, feel free to reach out on our LinkedIn profiles, which you can find below.
Lavinia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laviniamehedintu/Milica: https://www.linkedin.com/in/milicasapic/

Sep 24, 2024 • 44min
The anatomy of a Chief People Officer
Join us in exploring the world of a Chief People & Culture Officer together with Anna Gullstrand from Mentimeter. In this episode, we learn about:
Anna's career path, and the importance of being intentional in choosing your journey
Anna's vision for the Chief People Officer role, with its responsibilities, and skills
Mentimeter's unique ways of looking at learning as a day-to-day activity and how the organization embraces this principle
Anna's views about how the Chief People Officer works with L&D to support business development
Get ready for an inspiring episode, where the future is not HR, but People, where learning is not only L&Ds responsibility, and buckle up to start your exploration of the Chief People Officer role!
Our sponsorThis new season of Offbeat On Air is sponsored by Sana. Sana is an AI-powered learning platform that empowers organizations to find, share, and harness the knowledge they need to achieve their missions. Backed by some of the world’s leading investors, operators, and founders, Sana has raised $54M to date. The company's headquarters are in Stockholm, Sweden, with offices in London and New York.
Your hostsWe’re Lavinia & Mili, and we hope this episode brings you at least one idea you can use in your own practice. If you want to share it with us, feel free to reach out on our LinkedIn profiles, which you can find below.
Lavinia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laviniamehedintu/Milica: https://www.linkedin.com/in/milicasapic/

Aug 23, 2024 • 53min
Exploring future possibilities in L&D and beyond
Join us in learning the ins and outs of foresight together with our awesome guest, Steph Clarke, Futurist, Facilitator, and Speaker at 28 Thursdays. In this episode, Steph tells us all about:
What foresight is, why it's an important, yet not easy discipline;
Where & when foresight experts are brought on board to help;
The 6-step process she follows when going through a project and a detailed explanation of each step;
Why, for her, facilitation is a key aspect of the foresight work she does;
What she thinks the future of learning and L&D might look like, and advice on how L&Ds can broaden their views.
Get ready for a strategic, fun, and insightful episode, and buckle up to start your journey of exploring foresight! 💜
Our sponsor
This new season of Offbeat On Air is sponsored by Sana. Sana is an AI-powered learning platform that empowers organizations to find, share, and harness the knowledge they need to achieve their missions. Backed by some of the world’s leading investors, operators, and founders, Sana has raised $54M to date. The company's headquarters are in Stockholm, Sweden, with offices in London and New York.
Your hosts
We’re Lavinia & Mili, and we hope this episode brings you at least one idea you can use in your own practice. If you want to share it with us, feel free to reach out on our LinkedIn profiles, which you can find below.
Lavinia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laviniamehedintu/
Milica: https://www.linkedin.com/in/milicasapic/

4 snips
Jul 24, 2024 • 51min
Applying Experience Design in L&D
Tim Logan, a facilitator at Kaospilot specializing in experience design, shares his expertise in crafting engaging learning experiences. He discusses the emotional aspects that enhance participant involvement and introduces the 5E Model as a framework for effective design. Tim emphasizes the importance of prototyping to iterate on ideas and adapt them based on user feedback. He also highlights strategies for engaging stakeholders and fostering meaningful connections in learning development, balancing discipline with the creativity necessary for impactful training.

Jun 24, 2024 • 48min
Guiding change in organizations
Season 4 of Offbeat On Air is out! 💃 🪄
Join us as we chat with change management expert Paula Anastasiade. In this episode:
We break down the nuts and bolts of change management;
Talk about the essential role of sponsors in driving change;
Discuss how to effectively handle transformations in an organization.
Paula shares her personal journey, and key strategies, and offers valuable tips for L&D pros stepping into the world of change management. Tune in for a lively and insightful conversation that's packed with practical advice and real-world examples!
Our sponsor
This new season of Offbeat On Air is sponsored by Sana. Sana is an AI-powered learning platform that empowers organizations to find, share, and harness the knowledge they need to achieve their missions. Backed by some of the world’s leading investors, operators, and founders, Sana has raised $54M to date. The company's headquarters are in Stockholm, Sweden, with offices in London and New York.
Your hosts
We’re Lavinia & Mili, and we hope this episode brings you at least one idea you can use in your own practice. If you want to share it with us, feel free to reach out on our LinkedIn profiles, which you can find below.
Lavinia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laviniamehedintu/
Milica: https://www.linkedin.com/in/milicasapic/

Apr 5, 2024 • 1h 10min
Exploring AI in L&D through curiosity and experimentation
It feels like AI is everywhere and nowhere. It's everywhere because everybody is talking about it. For many of us, it's nowhere because we're not yet using it at full capacity. Ross, Aki, and Rita bring us three different perspectives in this episode: external L&D consultant, internal L&D, and product. Together with them, we explore:
Is the hype real, or is AI just another bubble?
Are there any organizations or L&D teams already using AI? Spoiler alert, yep, there are!
What stands in the way of experimenting and adopting AI? Fear of failure and inaccurate expectations;
What will the role of L&D Professional be in the future? Will anything change?
What do we need to do, as L&Ds, if we want to be involved in AI adoption and digital transformation in our organizations?
We spent more than an hour dissecting all these points and had an honest, bold, and tough conversation about the intersection between L&D and AI.
Our sponsor
This new season of Offbeat On Air is sponsored by Sana. Sana is an AI-powered learning platform that empowers organizations to find, share, and harness the knowledge they need to achieve their missions. Backed by some of the world’s leading investors, operators, and founders, Sana has raised $54M to date. The company's headquarters are in Stockholm, Sweden, with offices in London and New York.
Your hosts
We’re Lavinia & Mili, and we hope this episode brings you at least one idea you can use in your own practice. If you want to share it with us, feel free to reach out on our LinkedIn profiles, which you can find below.
Lavinia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laviniamehedintu/
Milica: https://www.linkedin.com/in/milicasapic/

Feb 29, 2024 • 37min
Improving L&D’s impact through Service Design
Join us as we explore how integrating Service Design principles into our L&D work can improve the way we cater to our internal customers. Together with Simone Anne Slaviero we discussed:
The definition of Service Design as a way to view the entire customer journey and evaluate all backstage processes, systems, and teams that make a service successful.
The role and importance of a Service Designer, with aspects such as their involvement in business, project or product management, and UX.
The challenge of customer research and user access as a critical part of the process.
A step-by-step process of service design, describing issues such as problem definition, stakeholder engagement, and prototyping.
If you're curious about how to best serve your internal customers, you will find this conversation useful and filled with practical tips.
Our sponsor
This new season of Offbeat On Air is sponsored by Sana. Sana is an AI-powered learning platform that empowers organizations to find, share, and harness the knowledge they need to achieve their missions. Backed by some of the world’s leading investors, operators, and founders, Sana has raised $54M to date. The company's headquarters are in Stockholm, Sweden, with offices in London and New York.
Your hosts
We’re Lavinia & Mili, and we hope this episode brings you at least one idea you can use in your own practice. If you want to share it with us, feel free to reach out on our LinkedIn profiles, which you can find below.
Lavinia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laviniamehedintu/
Milica: https://www.linkedin.com/in/milicasapic/

Feb 1, 2024 • 1h 24min
From Full-Time to Freelance: Tales from the L&D & People Space
We're seeing a wave of L&D Professionals thinking about freelancing or just starting their freelance journeys. So we decided to speak to those who've done it and see what wisdom they have to share. We were joined by:
Sarah Cannistra, L&D Career, Executive & Business Coach and Fractional Chief Learning Officer & Head of Learning
Luke O'Mahoney, Founder @ Sapienˣ
Liam Moore, Executive Coach, Supervisor & Facilitator
We explored A LOT, but here's a summary of what you can expect:
How did they decide on going solo? What drove them? What questions did they ask? What would they advise others?
What drove their decisions about their services and offerings? Spoiler alert: it's about doing what gives you energy!
What are the hurdles of running your own show? How do they navigate all the feelings that come with the role?
What's a flywheel and how does Luke use it to drive growth?
What did Liam learn from his father, an entrepreneur himself?
How does Sarah look at her business through the lens of her life stages?
Prepare for a rich discussion, full of nudgets of wisdom! If you're considering running your own company, being a solopreneur, or freelancing in the L&D and People Space, or just want to hear the exciting adventures of those who do, join us!
Our sponsor
This new season of Offbeat On Air is sponsored by Sana. Sana is an AI-powered learning platform that empowers organizations to find, share, and harness the knowledge they need to achieve their missions. Backed by some of the world’s leading investors, operators, and founders, Sana has raised $54M to date. The company's headquarters are in Stockholm, Sweden, with offices in London and New York.
Your hosts
We’re Lavinia & Mili, and we hope this episode brings you at least one idea you can use in your own practice. If you want to share it with us, feel free to reach out on our LinkedIn profiles, which you can find below.
Lavinia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laviniamehedintu/
Milica: https://www.linkedin.com/in/milicasapic/

Nov 6, 2023 • 50min
The benefits of yoga for the mind. A journey into calm and inner discovery
Yoga is more than just a practice; it's a journey into the self, a discipline that synchronizes the body, mind, and spirit. In our latest podcast episode, we were happy to listen to the insights of Editha Satara, a PowerYoga Teacher, who guided us through the transformative powers of yoga on mental wellbeing.
Here's a glimpse into the discussion we had:
Unveiling the layers: Editha shared how yoga transcends physical benefits, acting as a balm for the mind, easing stress, and fostering a sanctuary of calm within.
The grounding force: We delve into practices and routines that help maintain a connection to the present moment, highlighting how being grounded can enhance our daily lives.
The art of balance in teaching: Editha discussed the delicate equilibrium between meticulous preparation and the intuitive ability to read and respond to the energy of a yoga class.
The synergy of wellness: The conversation took us through the complementary relationship between yoga and other pillars of health, such as breathwork and nutrition, underscoring the holistic nature of this ancient practice.
Join us as we navigate the serene paths of yoga with Editha Satara, understanding how this age-old discipline can cultivate an enduring sense of peace and self-discovery. Tune in to this soulful exchange and perhaps find a key to unlock your own journey into inner tranquility. We hope you find inspiration and a moment of peace in this episode.
Our sponsor
This new season of Offbeat On Air is sponsored by Sana. Sana is an AI-powered learning platform that empowers organizations to find, share, and harness the knowledge they need to achieve their missions. Backed by some of the world’s leading investors, operators, and founders, Sana has raised $54M to date. The company's headquarters are in Stockholm, Sweden, with offices in London and New York.
Your hosts
We’re Lavinia & Mili, and we hope this episode brings you at least one idea you can use in your own practice. If you want to share it with us, feel free to reach out on our LinkedIn profiles, which you can find below.
Lavinia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laviniamehedintu/
Milica: https://www.linkedin.com/in/milicasapic/
Editha: https://www.poweryogainstitute.de/ueber-uns/lehrer/edita-satara/


