L&D Must Change

What happens when L&D professionals start thinking like marketers? In this episode, Jess Almlie talks with Mike Taylor and Bianca Baumann about how adopting a marketing mindset can transform learning experiences. From learner personas to emotional storytelling and irresistible content design, they share real-world strategies and small shifts with big impact. Discover how to connect more deeply with learners and elevate engagement through their new book, Think Like a Marketer, Train Like an L&D Pro.   Jess, Mike, and Bianca discuss The benefits of L&D adopting a marketer mindset How to apply key marketing concepts for L&D such as creating learner personas, developing learner journeys, and crafting emotionally resonant content.  Using the SURE framework (Simple, Useful, Resonant, Easy to scan/process) when writing descriptions, designing content, and communicating with learners Small shifts in approach that lead to big impact on learner engagement and content effectiveness Leveraging marketing tools like platforms and analytics Using learners' subconscious decision making to drive outcomes   About Mike Taylor With over two decades of experience as a learning consultant, Mike has been a driving force behind transformative instructional design and organizational performance. Known for his captivating speaking style and influential newsletter, Mike is dedicated to making learning more engaging, accessible, and effective. As a faculty member in Franklin University's Graduate Instructional Design and Technology program, he bridges the gap between academic theory and real-world practice, equipping future learning professionals with the skills to excel in today's dynamic landscape. Mike's innovative approach and infectious passion are redefining the way we think about learning.   About Bianca Baumann Bianca Baumann is a seasoned L&D strategist with more than 15 years of experience in L&D. She is passionate about consulting on effective, new solutions to serve learners’ needs. She has helped dozens of organizations improve their onboarding and reskilling programs. Baumann speaks at international conferences and is a facilitator at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.   Find and connect with Mike Taylor and Bianca Baumann Mike Taylor LinkedIn Bianca Baumann LinkedIn Mike Taylor's Website and Newsletter: https://mike-taylor.org/ Bianca Baumann Website: https://www.biancabaumann.com/ Think Like a Marketer Website: https://trainlikeamarketer.com/ Book: Think Like a Marketer, Train Like an L&D Pro   Find and connect with Jess Almlie LinkedIn Website: jessalmlie.com L&D Must Change Newsletter   Coming Soon! Jess's book, L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner will be published by ATD Press later this year. To be the first to get behind-the-scenes updates, early sneak peeks, and join the virtual launch party, join Jess's email list! You'll get the L&D Must Change newsletter delivered to your inbox weekly as well as special updates on the book when available. Click here to join! 

Think you need a fancy job title to land your dream L&D role? Think again. In this episode of L&D Must Change, Jess sits down with Sarah Cannistra, L&D career coach, author of Land Your Next L&D Role, and passionate advocate for breaking out of the "one and done" career mindset. Together, they unravel why L&D professionals often don't apply their own learning philosophies to their own career growth and how to change that. If you’re an L&D pro ready to rethink your path and future-proof your career, this conversation is your new roadmap.   Sarah and Jess Discuss How L&D professionals tend to approach our career development with a "one-and-done" mindset, contradicting how we view learning for others.  Expanding our career journey from chasing job titles (title vision) to identifying impact. Using your own L&D "niche" as a north star for career decisions. How to find and define your L&D niche. Viewing your resume as a marketing document vs. a laundry list of activities. How to use your resume to stand out from the crowd. Using a Boolean search to find relevant roles beyond job titles.    About Sarah Cannistra Sarah Cannistra is a passionate Learning and Development (L&D) leader and career coach dedicated to helping others grow. She began her career in sales, where she thrived in understanding clients’ needs and guiding them to their perfect homes. As she moved into management, Sarah discovered an even greater passion, coaching and developing people. She built training programs, shadowing opportunities, and learning resources for her team, finding deep fulfillment in their growth. Her career path shifted entirely when she attended a leadership development session and realized that facilitating learning was the work she was meant to do.       That moment led to her first role in L&D—offered to her on the spot—despite having no formal background in the field. Less than two years later, Sarah became the Director of Corporate Training for an organization of over 2,500 employees. Since then, she has led the learning function at five organizations, created hundreds of training programs, hired over 100 L&D practitioners, and served more than 20,000 learners. Since 2020, through coaching, courses, and communities, she has helped over 1,000 people transition into L&D careers, guiding them to find, land, and grow in roles they love. Sarah is also the host of The L&D Career Club Podcast, a top 200 career podcast dedicated to helping professionals break into and thrive in the L&D field.   Find and Connect with Sarah Cannistra LinkedIn Website: https://www.theovernighttrainer.com/ Book: Land Your Next L&D Role: Creating a Career that Works for You Podcast: The L&D Career Club   Find and Connect with Jess Almlie LinkedIn Website: www.jessalmlie.com L&D Must Change Newsletter   Additional Links from the Show Using Boolean search on LinkedIn   Coming Soon! Jess's book, L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner will be published by ATD Press later this year. To be the first to get behind-the-scenes updates, early sneak peeks, and join the virtual launch party, join Jess's email list! You'll get the L&D Must Change newsletter delivered to your inbox weekly as well as special updates on the book when available. Click here to join!   

Imagine a world where L&D is a driving force behind business transformation, not just a provider of training. In this episode, David James, former Disney L&D leader and current CLO of 360Learning shares why realizing this vision requires L&D to mature beyond reactive and even proactive operational models. He introduces a new L&D maturity model that lays out a clear roadmap for that shift and explains why this evolution is more urgent than ever. This conversation offers both inspiration and a practical starting point for what’s next.   Jess and David discuss The need for L&D to mature beyond providing learning.  How most of the L&D profession is operating at a low level of maturity, stuck in reactive and proactive models.  Why shifting stakeholder expectations and organizational mindsets is essential for maturing the L&D function. An overview of the 5 levels of a new L&D maturity model: Reactive, Proactive, Impacting, Strategic, and Transformative. Using this maturity model as both a vision and roadmap for the future.  The potential a maturedL&D function has to close a $6.5 trillion skills gap.   About David James David James is the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning and a highly respected voice in the Learning & Development industry. With a focus on harnessing technology to drive impactful learning strategies, David is recognised as one of the top 10 global influencers in the L&D space. His expertise lies in helping organisations modernise their approach to workplace learning, ensuring measurable results and business alignment. David is also the host of The Learning & Development Podcast, which has amassed over 500,000 downloads and ranks in the top 1% of podcasts globally. With nearly 30,000 LinkedIn followers, he continues to shape the conversation around L&D innovation and best practices, drawing on his deep experience, including his time as Director of Learning, Talent & Organisational Development at The Walt Disney Company.   Find and connect with David James Podcast: The Learning & Development Podcast LinkedIn Website Take the L&D Maturity Model Assessment   Find and connect with Jess Almlie LinkedIn Website: www.jessalmlie.com L&D Must Change Newsletter Sign-Up   Coming soon! Jess's book, L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner will be published by ATD Press later on September 2. To be the first to get behind-the-scenes updates, early sneak peeks, and join the virtual launch party, join Jess's email list! You'll get the L&D Must Change newsletter delivered to your inbox weekly as well as special updates on the book when available. Click here to join! 

Good feedback fuels performance and behavior change. Poor feedback does the opposite. It’s one of the most powerful tools in a leader’s toolkit, yet one of the hardest to get right. In this episode, Dr. Ken Nowack and Dr. Sandra Mashihi unpack why feedback often fails, and how L&D can help leaders build the skills to deliver it in ways that actually drive results. From the neuroscience of feedback to practical models like the 3E framework and 4-quadrant approach, Ken and Sandra offer L&D professionals a clear path to elevating feedback across the organization.   What You'll hear:  How to move beyond feedback systems to personal connections.  Addressing the gap between leader and employee perspectives on feedback. A 4-quadrant model that provides guidelines for personalized performance feedback.  The neuroscience behind both successful and painful feedback. The 3Es of effective performance feedback: Enlighten, Encourage, Enable.  Cultural considerations for feedback.   About Dr. Sandra Mashihi Dr. Sandra Mashihi is a distinguished Organizational Psychologist, keynote speaker, and author with over 20 years of experience. She is dedicated to transforming leadership behavior, building high-performing teams, and enhancing workplace relationships. As the founder of Spectra Coaching, Sandra leads with a blend of psychology and practical strategies that have successfully impacted Fortune 500 companies and leaders across industries.     About Dr. Kenneth M. Nowack Kenneth M. Nowack, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist and Senior Research Officer of Envisia Learning, Inc. Dr. Nowack received his doctorate degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Nowack is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association’s Division 13: Society of Consulting Psychology and was the former Editor-in-Chief of the Consulting Psychology Journal. He is also a member of Daniel Goleman’s Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations.     Find and Connect with Sandra and Ken LinkedIn: Sandra Mashihi, Ken Nowack Websites: Sandra - www.spectracoaching.com, Ken - www.envisialearning.com Book: Performance Feedback Strategies: Driving Successful Behavior Change   Find and Connect with Jess Almlie LinkedIn Website: www.jessalmlie.com Subscribe to the L&D Must Change Newsletter   Coming Soon! Jess's book, L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner will be published by ATD Press on September 2, 2025. To be the first to get behind-the-scenes updates, early sneak peeks, and join the virtual launch party, join Jess's email list! You'll get the L&D Must Change newsletter delivered to your inbox weekly as well as special updates on the book when available. Click here to join! 

Everyone’s talking about AI—but are we thinking about it the right way? In this special one-year anniversary episode, I finally dive into the AI conversation with Josh Penzell, who challenges us to see AI not as a tool, but as a teammate. This conversation isn’t about learning prompts—it’s about shifting mindsets and imagining what’s possible when we stop trying to make faster horses and start building something entirely new.   Josh and Jess Discuss Using AI as a collaborative team member and not a tool. Working with AI as a brainstorming partner to reduce cognitive load and improve creativity. Developing our skills working with AI, instead of spending time figuring out how to use AI.  Thinking about AI as a student and our L&D participants as teachers.  How AI provides an entirely new infinity point of what's possible, busting through current scarcity models and resource restrictions.  Shifting from the traditional L&D approach focused on creating optimized, one-size-fits-all learning experiences to one that enables individualized learning.    About Josh Penzell Josh Penzell is the VP of AI-Driven Transformation at ELB Learning and Founder and Chief Transformation Officer at Imagination Applied. He helps organizations rethink how they integrate AI—not as a tool, but as a collaborative force that enhances learning, leadership, and innovation. With a career spanning Amazon Alexa, Zillow Rentals, and Skillsoft, Josh brings a unique perspective that blends corporate strategy with his background as a musical theater director. This fusion of disciplines led to the creation of TheaterThink®, a methodology that applies storytelling, improvisation, and systems thinking to help businesses navigate change, drive transformation, and make AI work for humans, not against them. A sought-after speaker at industry events like ATD, Learning Technologies, and Training Industry conferences, Josh is also one of the 14% of qualified autistic professionals in corporate leadership. He is a strong advocate for neurodiversity, AI ethics, and adaptive leadership, helping organizations shift their mindset from AI as a disruptor to AI as an enabler.   Find and connect with Josh Penzell LinkedIn ELB Learning Email: josh@joshpenzell.com AI Assistant: JoshPGPT.AI   Find and connect with Jess Almlie LinkedIn Website: jessalmlie.com L&D Must Change Newsletter   Coming Soon! Jess's book, L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner will be published by ATD Press on September 2, 2025. To be the first to get behind-the-scenes updates, early sneak peeks, and join the launch party, join Jess's email list! You'll get the L&D Must Change newsletter delivered to your inbox weekly as well as special updates on the book when available. Click here to join! 

When does the L&D function form in an organization? What's the first order of business when it does? Today's guest, Tom Bowen, is known as the L&D pro who can get an L&D function up and running in the startup world and he's done that job over and over again. He even calls himself a "serial startup guy" for L&D.  In this episode, Tom will share what it's like to be the first L&D pro hired into a small start-up business including when he's usually brought in, what he does first, and what makes working in L&D in the startup world unique.    Jess and Tom discuss The main focus areas for L&D in a startup.  Key skills needed for those working in the fast-paced startup environment. The need to identify and prioritize all the "fires" according to which will mitigate future issues. How a startup's rapid growth requires the ability to scale processes and systems quickly.  Pairing risk and volatility against the potential for large impact.  Behaviors L&D can learn from the startup world.    About Tom Bowen Tom Bowen has been in the talent development world since 2008 and has predominantly focused on the education and tech sectors. He is a "serial startup guy" and really thrives in creating order in the chaos that often comes with a rapidly growing organization. He is most recently at Alchemy, a blockchain infrastructure startup valued at over $10B, where he leads all things people impact and change management. Often described as a divergent thinker, Tom enjoys challenging the status quo and finds the highest ROI activities are the ones where people are finding new ways to gain leverage with their time and energy and unlock their potential.    Find and connect with Tom Bowen LinkedIn   Find and connect with Jess Almlie LinkedIn Website: jessalmlie.com L&D Must Change Newsletter   Coming Soon! Jess's book, L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner will be published by ATD Press later this year. To be the first to get behind-the-scenes updates, early sneak peeks, and join the launch party, join Jess's email list! You'll get the L&D Must Change newsletter delivered to your inbox weekly as well as special updates on the book when available. Click here to join! 

There's nothing I love more than when someone takes on an L&D role from another industry and becomes immediately confused as to why our profession functions the way it does. It provides an immediate opportunity for new ideas and conversation. This was the case for today's guest, Rashi Kakkar, when she moved from a career consulting in product management into an L&D leadership role. The result was a marriage of the two professions. One where the best pieces from each were elevated and the confusing bits eliminated. It turns out L&D can learn a lot from product management.  Rashi and Jess discuss:  Shifting L&D from a project-based to a product-based mindset Organizing L&D teams around stages in the employee journey rather than siloed functions Embracing iterative development, frequent user testing, and ongoing refinement Conducting regular user discovery sessions to understand needs and challenges instead of waiting for training requests to arrive on our desks Tracking impact longitudinally, across the employee journey, not just from individual interventions About Rashi Kakkar Rashi Kakkar has two clear professional drivers: Creating human-centered products, experiences, and services and achieving organizational success and growth by unlocking human potential As a global lead within McKinsey’s Leadership Center of Excellence, Rashi is dedicated to building large-scale institutional capability through a skills-first approach. At McKinsey, she has advised Fortune 100 clients on complex strategic, operational, and organizational challenges. Rashi has successfully driven digital transformations, enhanced organizational effectiveness, and redesigned operating models, all grounded in a foundation of human-centered qualitative and quantitative research. She has also led multiple enterprise-wide agility and innovation programs to deliver impactful results. Before joining McKinsey, Rashi worked at a boutique design thinking firm, where she developed expertise in human-centered design, experience and service design, and innovation. Earlier in her career, she gained valuable experience as a professional sports agent, specializing in talent management, sponsorship sales, and licensing and merchandising. Outside of her professional endeavors, Rashi is passionate about writing as a way to refine her thinking. She authors a bi-weekly newsletter with over 1,300 subscribers and has published more than 80 opinion pieces in leading global publications. An avid golfer, former varsity tennis player, and newly minted pickleball enthusiast, Rashi balances her professional pursuits with an active lifestyle and a love for sports. Find and connect with Rashi Kakkar Newsletter: https://decksanddiapers.substack.com/  LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/rashikakkar BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/rashikakkar.bsky.social Threads: https://www.threads.net/@rashi_kakkar8 X (Twitter): https://x.com/rashi_kakkar Find and connect with Jess Almlie LinkedIn Website: jessalmlie.com L&D Must Change Newsletter Coming Soon! Jess's book, L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner will be published by ATD Press later this year. To be the first to get behind-the-scenes updates, early sneak peeks, and join the launch party, join Jess's email list! You'll get the L&D Must Change newsletter delivered to your inbox weekly as well as special updates on the book when available. Click here to join! 

How do you feel about your LMS? If you're like most you may have a love + hate relationship with the platform. Today's guest, Sarah Mercier, found herself working with client after client trying to solve clunky LMS issues, so she threw out the LMS playbook and created an alternate tool. What does that mean for you? Well, you just might not need your LMS any longer.  Sarah and Jess discuss:  The evolution of learning platforms Ongoing issues with traditional LMS systems like complexities in user access, content delivery, and data fragmentation  The creation of the new, XCL tool, designed to solve persistent LMS problems XCL's ability to eliminate user logins while still tracking detailed analytics, provide flexible content types, centralize data, improve user experience, and offer cost savings How XCL solves challenges related to accessibility   About Sarah Mercier Sarah Mercier, MBA, CPACC, specializes in innovative learning technology and strategic implementation of learning solutions. She is an advocate for learner-centered design and is known for her ability to translate highly technical concepts and research to real-world practice. As CEO of Build Capable, she leads a team of learning technology experts. Sarah is an author and the editor of Design for All Learners: Create Accessible and Inclusive Learning Experiences. She is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and business events on topics such as learning experience design, accessibility, xAPI, and learning ecosystems. Find and connect with Sarah Mercier LinkedIn Website: Build Capable Email: contact@buildcapable.com Book: Design for All Learners: Create Accessible and Inclusive Learning Experiences Find and connect with Jess Almlie LinkedIn Website: jessalmlie.com L&D Must Change Newsletter Additional links from the episode XCL Tool: https://www.buildcapable.com/xcl/ 7 Taps Microlearning: https://www.7taps.com/ Article: LXP vs. LMS: What Are The Differences?  https://www.techtarget.com/searchhrsoftware/tip/LXP-vs-LMS-What-are-the-differences Coming Soon! Jess's book, L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner will be published by ATD Press later this year. To be the first to get behind-the-scenes updates, early sneak peeks, and join the launch party, join Jess's email list! You'll get the L&D Must Change newsletter delivered to your inbox weekly as well as special updates on the book when available. Click here to join! 

It's time to clarify the purpose of our learning programs with our stakeholders, and I mean really clarify. Not just write the learning outcomes and create an evaluation form, but zero in our stakeholders' real needs and expectations. According to today's guest, Chris Taylor, CEO of Actionable.co, taking the reins to clearly define the purpose behind the request should drive everything else we do from design through measurement. Armed with a few practical questions, a strategy for continuous alignment, and clear measures to define our next steps, we can uplevel the effectiveness and impact of our programs.  In this episode you'll hear:  Ideas to sustain motivation after training interventions are complete How to shine a light on the immediate behavior change impact of learning programs, instead of only looking at lagging, longer-term data One key question to define what is really needed and keep stakeholders aligned and on track How to avoid over-complicating measurement by mapping out logic paths and measuring at multiple points The value of measurement for real time iteration Delivery practices proven to illicit behavior change rather than transfer information About Chris Taylor Actionable.co CEO, Chris Taylor, works at the leading edge of learning sustainment and impact measurement for progressive organizations. Described once by a client as “a curious blend of Boomer and Gen- Y”, Chris is often called upon to act as a bridge and translator between generations at work, our new state of constant change, and the impact technology has on team dynamics.  Through Actionable.co, Chris brings empirical evidence and stories to illustrate how, exactly, we measure ROI on corporate learning initiatives, and the systems to ensure every program creates lasting impact. He’s personally consulted to over 400 organizations across 6 countries, in almost any sector you can name. In addition to being a regular speaker for both public and private events, Chris has penned over 150 articles for dozens of publications, been quoted in The National Post, Toronto Star and Globe & Mail and hosted 90+ thought leader interviews for the iTunes #2 ranked business podcast, The 21st Century Workplace. Find and connect with Chris Taylor LinkedIn Website: Actionable.co Twitter (X)  Find and connect with Jess Almlie LinkedIn Website: jessalmlie.com Newsletter: L&D Must Change Additional links from this episode Actionable Annual Insights Report Actionable Behavior Change Toolkit    

It's time for L&D to both amp up our toolbox and become a tad more critical of our own work. Instead of adding content, we need to think about subtracting it or better yet, make changes that enable performance. Too often we prioritize activities over goals. Lavinia Mehedintu is known for this type of progressive thinking about the work of L&D, but she also believes in the necessity and power of supporting each other through changes in our profession that may feel risky.  Join us in this conversation where we discuss some of the challenges L&D must address to have a greater impact as well as how to support and empower our L&D community colleagues while we change.    In this episode:  Shifting L&D's approach from adding to subtracting content. The need for L&D to take a systems thinking approach. L&D skills that can be applied beyond workshops.  Reframing L&D's identity around goals vs. activities.  Why understanding the business builds credibility and enables strategic conversation. Making cross-functional "friends" as a strategy for business success. The importance of support systems and community when building new skills, overcoming organizational resistance, and navigating change.    About Lavinia Mehedintu: Lavinia Mehedintu has over 11 years of experience designing learning experiences across higher education, start-ups, and large enterprises. After leading an L&D team, she noticed a gap in resources tailored to L&D professionals' growth and found traditional approaches lacking the impact she was seeking. This inspired her to create Offbeat, a community where L&Ds explore their evolving roles amidst a rapidly changing world. Five years later, Lavinia combines experience design, behavior change, and technology at Offbeat to help L&Ds grow and consults with companies of all sizes on learning and behavior change initiatives.   Find and connect with Lavinia Mehedintu here:  LinkedIn Offbeat (L&D Community)   Find and connect with Jess Almlie here:  LinkedIn Subscribe to the L&D Must Change Newsletter Almlie Consulting Website