Surveying the L&D Landscape

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 workVarious 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 impactAND 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 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 employeesAn effective system her team utilizes to receive, evaluate, and manage training and development requestsHow 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 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 enablementHow he gets to have a seat at the table and consult stakeholders on issues and potential training solutionsWhy knowledge management is critical to his approach, as he strives to make resources and tools easy to find and easy to applyAND SO MUCH MORE! Let's dive in!

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 realitiesHow his company uses just-in-time microlearning and stretches onboarding over time for frontline successWhy 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 LinkedInFollow his podcast In The KnowListen in to his interview on Jess Almlie's podcast L&D Must Change

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 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 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 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 fieldHow she refines class content through A/B testing with trainers and students before a public launch of a new courseHow Amazon’s emphasis on small, autonomous teams reinforces risk-taking and a growth mindset that supports innovationAND 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 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 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 roleHow the ability to ask questions and navigate ambiguity has taken her performance from good to exceptionalHow improving course content requires patience and is like moving dirt up a mountain, one pile at a timeAND 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 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/

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 lifecycleHow he addresses neurodiversity by designing accessible, strengths-based content for both employees and individuals servedHow he led an initiative to integrate his organization’s learning management system with their HR systemAND 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 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 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 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 perspectiveHow onboarding done right can transfer to sustained performance, development, and organizational affectHer New Job Notebook: Onboarding & Onward – a tool she created to help people transform the way they start a new jobAND 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 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 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_abbyGet 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 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_abbyGet 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 LDCCFor more on SKILLS, check out Building a Common Language for Skills at Work A Global Taxonomy | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)