BLOC Podcast: Recent Episodes

Heidi Kirby

The BLOC (Building Learning and Organizational Culture) Podcast is a learning and development podcast where Heidi Kirby talks to professionals in the field who are passionate about finding creative, innovative ways to bring learning front and center at their organizations and beyond.

In this episode, I say goodbye to the Building Learning and Organizational Culture (BLOC) podcast after 5 years.

Thank you so much to each and every guest that made this podcast special! I couldn't have don it without you. It'll continue to be posted on your favorite podcast platforms so you can go back and listen at any time.

I've compiled a list of the resources shared from all 110 episodes of the podcast. You can find it here, where you'll be prompted to make a copy so that you can filter, edit, and sort and create a professional development plan for yourself.

To learn more and get more great resources:

Connect with me on LinkedIn
Join our global Useful L&D Community
Work with me or see what I'm working on with Useful Stuff

In this unique, unfiltered, and completely unedited episode, I chat with my brilliant life coach, Hana Michels, about burnout: what it is, how it shows up differently for different people, and how to fight it when you aren't able to quit your job and rest for a year.

Hana Michels has been written up in the LA Times, LA Weekly and others. She received her life coaching certification from the Wainwright Global Coaching Institute. She has also been trained in The Tools methodology & techniques (recently featured in the Netflix documentary Stutz) by Barry Michels, co-author of The Tools and Coming Alive, whom she can’t pretend is not her father because they share a last name. She knows how hard it is to form and keep habits and is here for anyone who needs to do so. She works hard to help clients with whatever they wish to address, including overall discipline and organization, talking through creative ideas and/or help bringing specific projects to fruition, overall mood and emotional regulation, finding your own personal answers to key life decisions, mindfulness techniques, enduring life’s transitions or difficulties, rekindling passion for a creative practice, communication between couples, communication between work partners, adapting personalizing and fitting a tools practice into your life, adapting personalizing and fitting a shadow work practice into your life, combating part x (also part of The Tools methodology,) weird family stuff, normal but still difficult family stuff, accountability and help when trying to establish new habits, accountability and help when trying to replace or eliminate old habits, and more!

Whew, that was a lot! To work with Hana or learn more about her work, visit her linktree: https://linktr.ee/sparkcreativecoaching

Hana's suggestions for dealing with burnout:

If you're creatively burnt out and unable to create, try a brand new art form you know you'll be bad at so there's no pressure!
If you're plagued by dwelling on the future or the past, try mindfulness and getting in touch with your five senses.
If you have a lot of baggage from childhood, look into the books that exist on this topic (there are so many - just start a Google search)!
If productivity guilt is weighing you down, check out Devon Price, PhD's book "Laziness Does Not Exist."
If your nervous system feels overloaded, try breathing exercises while having your finger on your pulse so that you can feel the heartbeat slowing or modify the exercise so you're not holding your breath so long. And don't hold your breath too long, or you'll pass out. Splash cold water on yourself.
If grounding helps, carry something in your pocket that has an interesting texture.
If you are overvaluing anyone's opinion of you, create a silly visual to represent that person (instead of picturing people naked -- weird!).

To learn more and get more great resources:

Connect with me on LinkedIn
Join our global Useful L&D Community
Work with me or see what I'm working on with Useful Stuff

In today's episode, I chat with my new friend, Dr. Owen Chamberlain, about pracademia and how we can narrow the gap between theory and practice by approaching what we learn in academia with more practical intent. We talk about the role of truth in learning and asking the kinds of questions that matter.

Owen Chamberlain is a strategist, writer and speaker with 15+ years of experience in organizational transformation, remote work culture, and the future of leadership. He currently works at a Fortune 500 company, shaping strategy at the intersection of people, systems, and power.

A British-born ‘pracademic’, he is currently based in Colorado. Owen has a doctorate in education and critical theory, and his research draws heavily from Foucault, systems thinking, and lived experience. He is particularly interested in the evolution of professional identity, how invisible power shapes our working lives, and the role of technology in shaping the future of work.

Owen has spoken at major conferences in both the US and UK on topics ranging from the future of remote work to the politics of knowledge in corporate systems. He is a guest lecturer, podcast contributor, and behind-the-scenes advisor to executives seeking to redesign their organizations with humanity in mind. His writing has been featured in business journals and online platforms.

Before his current role, Owen held senior positions in both corporate and educational sectors, often serving as the bridge between legacy institutions and emerging models of work. His previous roles include strategic advisor, director of execution, and consultant on distributed teams and transformation initiatives.

He is best known for blending sharp analysis with irreverent humor, frequently asking the questions others avoid, whilst delivering this with a Northern British accent. He’s also after the perfect curry recipe.

When not interrogating the cultural machinery of work, he spends weekends either hiking, fixing things, or playing music. He misses British pubs, but not British weather.

Find him on

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/owenchamberlain
Website: owenchamberlain.com

Owen's suggestions for:

Learning more about pracademia: Google "arts-based learning" and "arts-based research" to see pracademia in action
For your general professional journey: do a therapy course to learn how to ask great questions and listen well

Please don't forget to visit our brilliant sponsor, Yellowdig, if you're looking to create more engaging learning communities.

To learn more and get more great resources:

Connect with me on LinkedIn
Join our global Useful L&D Community
Work with me or see what I'm working on with Useful Stuff

In this solo episode, I share 3 best practices for getting more or better leadership support for your learning initiatives based on my experience and research.

Those three tips include:

Knowing the common obstacles and how to overcome them
Aligning your work with business goals from the beginning
Showing the impact of your work (going above and beyond survey and assessment data)

Please don't forget to visit our brilliant sponsor, Yellowdig, if you're looking to create more engaging learning communities.

To learn more and get more great resources:

Connect with me on LinkedIn
Join our global Useful L&D Community
Work with me or see what I'm working on with Useful Stuff

In this episode, I chat with Dr. Carrie Graham about how to consult with intention in the learning space, specifically how to treat clients and organizations with patience, respect, and grace when you begin work with them and have to tell them they're doing things wrong or poorly.

Carrie is a Learning Solutions Architect known for translating executive vision into tangible performance outcomes. She specializes in designing training strategies that align with organizational values, support business goals, and deliver measurable impact—often within just 90 days. Carrie’s strategic approach has led to a 40% reduction in onboarding time, an 85% improvement in knowledge retention, and a 3x return on training investment. Her work ensures consistent execution across all levels of an organization, seamlessly integrating learning with broader business strategy to drive real, scalable results.

Carrie's suggestion for someone getting started with consulting to try an focus in their strategy/vision? The best resource is your mind -- you have to understand your own process and document it so that you can implement it.

Please don't forget to visit our brilliant sponsor, Yellowdig, if you're looking to create more engaging learning communities.

To learn more and get more great resources:

Connect with me on LinkedIn
Join our global Useful L&D Community
Work with me or see what I'm working on with Useful Stuff

In this episode, I chat with Hanan Harb Sahourieh, author of Everybody, Be Cool! 6 Personal Development Lessons to Elevate Your Workplace Vibe. We talk about what it really takes to level up at work, from asking tough questions to embracing self-awareness -- with plenty of pop culture and real talk along the way.

Hanan Harb Sahourieh is a writer, workshop facilitator, and learning & development strategist with over 20 years of experience in writing, marketing, and workforce development.

As the author of 'Everybody, Be Cool!'—a practical (and real) guide to employee growth and communication—she’s captivated audiences as a keynote speaker at events like the ATD Sacramento Learning Conference and UKG’s Thrive Summit. Her insights have been featured in top industry outlets, including Training Industry, eLearning Industry, Chief Learning Officer, and Big Think.

Hanan’s mission is simple: to help people and organizations grow, connect, and thrive by developing essential skills like empathy, introspection, and curiosity. Learn more about her work and approach at everybody-be-cool.com.

Please don't forget to visit our brilliant sponsor, Yellowdig, if you're looking to create more engaging learning communities.

To learn more and get more great resources:

Connect with me on LinkedIn
Join our global Useful L&D Community
Work with me or see what I'm working on with Useful Stuff

Linnéa Sjögren is a Stockholm-based educational training professional passionate about creating learning opportunities. With extensive experience in planning, developing, delivering, and evaluating various types of training, she creates everything from classroom training to blended learning and e-learning.

Having worked in organizations that haven't always had the resources to hire external support, Linnéa has developed the skills to build everything from start to finish. Instructor materials, participant materials, exercises, videos, audio files, podcasts, and infographics are just a few of the things she can produce.

More about her work can be found at www.linneasjogren.se, and her educational tips are available under the hashtag #pedagogiskaverktygsladan or at www.pedagogiskaverktygsladan.wordpress.com.

Linnéa's suggestion on honing in on your freelance skills? Ask your favorite AI or a friend "What it is I do that is so great?"

Please don't forget to visit our brilliant sponsor, Yellowdig, if you're looking to create more engaging learning communities.

To learn more and get more great resources:

Connect with me on LinkedIn
Join our global Useful L&D Community
Work with me or see what I'm working on with Useful Stuff

In this episode I answer the question "What process, model, or framework do you use for needs analysis? Does it have to be a formal process?"

For some great questions to ask during needs analysis, visit the Ultimate Guide to Working with SMEs on the Useful Stuff website.

For more on Roger Kaufman's work, I highly suggest visiting the HPT Treasures website!

To learn more and get more great resources:

Connect with me on LinkedIn
Join our global Useful L&D Community
Work with me or see what I'm working on with Useful Stuff

On this episode, my friend, Lata Hamilton, returns to talk about her new book, Pioneer Your Career Change.Lata shares stories from her own career that taught her to have the confidence to do the kind of work she loves - and how you can find work that excites you too. Lata Hamilton is a Change Leadership and Confidence expert who empowers ambitious women to carve their own paths in career, leadership, and life with confidence, authenticity, and fulfillment. A speaker, author, leadership trainer, and consultant, Lata has worked with some of Australia’s largest companies on transformative initiatives, including global cultural shifts, digital innovations, and operating model changes impacting thousands. After tripling her salary in just three years to nearly $200,000, she is on a mission to help millennial women find their worth, step into their leadership, and embrace the magic of change.

Make sure you go back and listen to Lata talk with me about change management in L&D on episode 55.

To learn more and get more great resources:

Connect with me on LinkedIn
Join our global Useful L&D Community
Work with me or see what I'm working on with Useful Stuff

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To end the year on a high note and to continue the celebration of 100 episodes of the BLOC, I'm sharing a replay of the #1 most downloaded episode of the BLOC of all time - a chat I had with my L&D BFF, Tim Slade.

Tim Slade is a speaker, author, award-winning freelance eLearning designer, and creator of The eLearning Designer’s Academy. Having spent the last decade working to help others elevate their eLearning and visual communications content, Tim has been recognized and awarded within the eLearning industry multiple times for his creative and innovative design aesthetics. Tim is also a regular speaker at international eLearning and instructional design conferences, a LinkedIn Learning instructor, and author of The eLearning Designer’s Handbook.

I took it upon myself to recommend Tim's free community of eLearning professionals to anyone who is looking to get into instructional design.

To learn more and get more great resources:

Connect with me on LinkedIn
Join our global Useful L&D Community
Work with me or see what I'm working on with Useful Stuff

It's the 100th episode of the BLOC! On this episode, I reflect on how this podcast turned into an L&D business and how human connection is what separates us from the robots.

To learn more and get more great resources:

Connect with me on LinkedIn
Join our global Useful L&D Community
Work with me or see what I'm working on with Useful Stuff

This special episode is a replay of a live podcast recording I did with Tom McDowall on November 15 in London as part of the Learning Network's Connect 2024 conference.

You can also find the replay (with video) on Tom's The iDeas Podcast.

I also highly recommend joining The Learning Network if you want to connect with other brilliant L&D folks!

In the episode, Tom suggests everyone read Human Competence by Thomas Gilbert.

To learn more and get more great resources:

Connect with me on LinkedIn
Join our global Useful L&D Community
Work with me or see what I'm working on with Useful Stuff

Human Competence

In this episode, I invite all of you to join the Useful L&D Community I launched back in September. I share a little bit about why I started this (global - as I forgot to mention in the episode) safe space for aspiring, new, and expert L&D pros to connect and working together to make learning more useful.

We are having great discussions, hosting events, and we're just getting started!

Join us here: https://useful-stuff.circle.so/join?invitation_token=729b68d43899a5f480ee11363cc12b7a9b766573-aea3a980-a69c-4a70-b0f4-8d3b27a526c4

To learn more and get more great resources:

Connect with me on LinkedIn
Join our global Useful L&D Community
Work with me or see what I'm working on with Useful Stuff

In this episode, I chat with Fred Thompson, CEO of Thirst, about staying current in L&D and how he's managed to continue to take a modern approach to L&D, despite beginning his career with Flash.

Fred Thompson is CEO of Thirst and is a seasoned learning and development expert with over two decades of experience helping businesses create engaging learning environments that level up learner engagement.

Fred has spearheaded numerous initiatives that have empowered employees to learn and develop in the most intuitive way possible. His insights into the latest learning technologies and trends have been invaluable to countless organizations looking to turbocharge their learning cultures with game-changing learning platforms.

Fred has a passion for using AI and machine learning to create social learning experiences that meet the unique needs of each employee and help them enhance their skills and grow their careers.

Fred's suggestion for taking a modern approach to L&D:

Look at what influencers and your favorite people on social media are using to create content, and try creating a prototype!!

To learn more and get more great resources:

Connect with me on LinkedIn
Join our global Useful L&D Community
Work with me or see what I'm working on with Useful Stuff

Dinye Hernanda is a distinguished practitioner in Learning & Development, known for her bold, results-driven approach.

With a proven track record in building L&D departments for high-growth organizations, Dinye has made her mark across major corporations, tech scale-ups, and VC firms. Named one of the 'Thirty Under 30' in L&D in 2021, she is recognized for her unique ability to blend strategic vision with practical execution.

Honored as Mentor of the Year 2023, Dinye is committed to elevating the practice of L&D professionals across industries. A global citizen, she divides her time between Berlin, Dubai, and Jakarta.

https://www.dinyehernanda.com/

Dinye's suggestion for learning a tool that isn't specific to L&D? Learn Canva.

To learn more and get more great resources:

Connect with me on LinkedIn
Join our global Useful L&D Community
Work with me or see what I'm working on with Useful Stuff

In this episode, I chat with my new L&D pal, Caner Akova, about how we learn in real life, how we can bring some of those best practices into workplace learning, and why it isn't happening more often.

Caner is an L&D expert with global experience in higher education and multinational corporations and he’s here to shake things up.

He’s passionate about cutting through the fluff, and uses real life learning to make workplace learning actually work.

He likes tackling the brutal truths about L&D, delivering practical, no-nonsense solutions that work without the need to invest in a ton of different software and hardware.

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

Caner's advice for those who want to start making changes to learning at their organizations:

Watch how the people (and pets) around you are learning in real life.
Make one small change at your workplace (without asking for permission).
Assess the results, and add more changes or adjust accordingly.

Thanks for listening to the BLOC!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

Or check out what I'm working on over at https://www.getusefulstuff.com/

In this episode, inspired in part by my new friend Molly's LinkedIn post about undergoing 10 job interviews for a contract L&D position, I talk about the dreaded job interview assignment.

This episode is both for job seekers and hiring managers because I give best practices for what you should be looking for in a job interview assignment, including the following:

Every job interview should be part of a structured process that is clearly communicated to candidates. This is what we DO as L&D professionals, we should be clearly communicating up front how many interviews, if there's an assignment, and the goal start date of the candidate.
If given, job interview assignments should NOT be arbitrary - the assignment should clearly align with its purpose and HAVE a purpose. Is the purpose to show proficiency with a particular tool? Then, it should do that. It shouldn't be "create a 30-minute eLearning module on the topic of your choice" because that's what their portfolio is for.
If the assignment is going to take the candidate more than 3 hours, it should be paid. Also, you should never use a candidate's work or ask for source files.

If a job interview assignment feels icky, you should trust your gut!

Thanks for listening to the BLOC!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

Or check out what I'm working on over at https://www.getusefulstuff.com/

On this episode, I celebrate the BLOC turning 4! Can you believe I started this podcast 4 years ago?

I talk about the origin story of the podcast, some of the tips I've learned along the way, and recap the most popular episodes!

Here's to more episodes of the BLOC! Thank you all so much for your support.

Thanks for listening to the BLOC!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

Or check out what I'm working on over at https://www.getusefulstuff.com/

Send us a Text Message.

In this episode, I chat with engineer and founder of Teach the Geek, Neil Thompson, about how we can be better presenters as technical professionals or improve our training on technical topics, making them more useful for our audience.

After one too many failed presentations, Neil Thompson, an engineer who worked in the medical device industry, knew he had to improve. He did so, and now, via his company Teach the Geek, he works with technical professionals like himself to improve their presentation skills. He’s the creator of the Teach the Geek to Speak online public speaking course, geared towards those in the technical fields. He hosts a podcast, the Teach the Geek podcast, interviewing technical professionals about their public speaking journeys. He’s also author of the book, Teach the Geek to Speak: a no-fluff public speaking guide for STEM Professionals and the accompanying workbook. To get in touch with Neil, please visit http://teachthegeek.com, and to check out the podcast, visit http://podcast.teachthegeek.com.

Neil's advice for those who want to improve their presentation skills:

Join your local Toastmasters

Thanks for listening to the BLOC!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

Or check out what I'm working on over at https://www.getusefulstuff.com/

Send us a Text Message.

In this episode, I chat with my brilliant friend, Dr Linda Berberich about AI, learning technologies, prototypes, and how you're never too old to learn something new!

Linda Berberich, PhD, is a behavioral scientist specializing in innovative, impactful, and immersive learning and intelligent, intuitive technology product design. With an extensive background in data analysis, technical training, behavior analysis, learning science, neuroscience, behavior-based performance improvement, and sport psychology/performance enhancement, Dr. Berberich consults with clients developing innovative learning technology products, projects, and programs, especially for highly technical audiences, using her proprietary Level-Up Learning Framework. Her focus is on learning innovation, product/program/project vision, learning strategy, leading team ideation, rapid prototyping, and roadmapping the path to a fantastic final product in record time.

LI profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linda-berberich-phd-3745004/

LI business page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/linda-b-learning/

Website: https://www.lindablearning.com/

Linda's advice if you want to get into AI and learning technologies?

Find your favorite GPT and ask it to create a curriculum on any topic. Use that as a jumping off point to assess the quality of the AI, add and remove your own content, and create something amazing.

Thanks for listening to the BLOC!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

Or check out what I'm working on over at https://www.getusefulstuff.com/

In this episode, I chat with Karen Vieth about her journey and time at InSync Training. We also discuss how to do a better job collecting learning data and connecting it to the business goals.

Karen Vieth is a distinguished figure in the realm of virtual and hybrid learning, serving currently as the President & CEO of InSync Training. Her illustrious journey in education commenced within the academic sphere, progressively advancing to significant roles in teacher training at both district and national levels, thus cementing her status as a revered educational consultant. Vieth's ascent to the presidency in January 2024 was notably influenced by her substantial tenure at InSync Training, where she previously excelled as the Director of Training and later as the Vice President of Virtual Learning Solutions. During these formative years, she pioneered the integration of research-backed methodologies and professional expertise to develop learner-centric training experiences, setting new benchmarks for quality and engagement in virtual education. This rich background laid the groundwork for her visionary leadership, under which InSync Training has emerged as a beacon for pioneering accredited train-the-trainer certificate programs and customized virtual learning services. These offerings are meticulously designed to ensure optimal engagement, effective learning transfer, and enduring retention. Through her strategic foresight and dedication, Vieth has played a pivotal role in redefining the landscape of virtual education, thereby shaping her presidency at InSync Training.

Karen's suggestions for digging into the data:

InSync Training's Hybrid Learning Research Report
Virtual Learning is Real Learning

Thanks for listening to the BLOC!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

Or check out what I'm working on over at https://www.getusefulstuff.com/

In this episode, I sit down with my brilliant friend and colleague, Mallori Steele, to talk about how she landed in L&D and how she uses her strengths as a connector to create spaces for marginalized people to network, learn, and grow.

Mallori is a multi-passionate and multi-talented Leader, Strategist, Solutionist, Entrepreneur, and Mom of 2. She is the CEO of Growductive Consulting, an L&D Consulting Agency, the Founder of the non-profit Black in L&D, and the visionary of the virtual conference, The Learning Exchange. Mallori is a connector! She strongly believes in the power of community and collaboration. She has a passion for helping people reach their full potential and has a unique skill set that allows her to communicate effectively with people from all walks of life. A California native, Mallori lived 10+ years abroad in Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, and Turkey. She currently resides in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area.

Mallori is launching her latest passion project, celebrating moms for Mother's Day. So, if you're a Bad-A$$ Mom, have a Bad-A$$ Mom, or know a Bad-A$$ Mom, register for the Bad-A$$ Mom event on May 9th: https://www.airmeet.com/e/3967c820-f793-11ee-84ef-3d68ce1df13c

Connect with Mallori on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/malloristeele/

Mallori's advice if you want to start something (a community, event, business, etc.):

Focus on YOU
Don't overthink it
Collect your thoughts and resources in OneNote (or a similar notetaking app)
Think about what you want and your capacity
Realize that other people's advice is just that -- advice

Thanks for listening to the BLOC!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

Or check out what I'm working on over at https://www.getusefulstuff.com/

In this episode I answer your questions about inspiration, adding value, skills development, L&D tools, and the L&D job search!

Here are some of the resources mentioned in the show:

Bloc Podcast Episode 75: Why is There SO Much Bad Training?
Bloc Podcast Episode 3: Positive Organizational Change with LaToya Smith
Intro to Copyright for L&D

Thanks for listening to the BLOC!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

Or check out what I'm working on over at https://www.getusefulstuff.com/

In this episode, I explain 5 helpful tips for making your training (and I'm talking ANY kind of training - job aids, virtual sessions, instructor-led, and even eLearning) more engaging. And if you know me, you know that I believe the best way to make training engaging is to make it useful.

So, forget all the bells and whistles and gimmicks, and let's talk making training highly effective.

Thanks for listening to the BLOC!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

Or check out what I'm working on over at https://www.getusefulstuff.com/

In this episode, I chat with my new friend, Yen Tan. We chat about why they founded Kona and how they've built a product that uses AI to help coach remote managers. We talk about why you shouldn't "slap AI on everything" and how we can take a more deliberate approach to using AI in L&D. We also explore some use cases where it can really help teams and managers be their best.

Yen is co-founder of Kona, the AI-powered coach for remote managers. Yen's work on people-first leadership and employee happiness has been featured by The Guardian, Fortune, Yahoo, TechCrunch, Entrepreneur, Harvard Business School, Forbes, and more. They've led remote management, employee well-being, and feedback workshops at Mercury, Mailchimp, Circle, and more. In their free time, Yen likes exploring LA's bookstores and boba shops and convincing their partner that they could use another plant.

Yen's suggestion for folks who want an intro to practical AI use:

HBR's Guide to AI Basics for Managers Toolkit

Thanks for listening to the BLOC!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

Or check out what I'm working on over at https://www.getusefulstuff.com/

In this episode, I talk about how I moved from an individual contributor role as an instructional designer to an L&D leadership role and give you tips if you're interested in doing the same.

I talk about how to break it to your manager, how to create a plan to upskill, weighing the risks of staying at your current organization or trying to branch out to a new one, and how to get people leadership experience outside your full-time day job.

Thanks for listening to the BLOC!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

Or check out what I'm working on over at https://www.getusefulstuff.com/

In this episode, I bring Tim Slade back to talk about building your reputation on LinkedIn. We use it to look for work... We use it to find new clients... We use it to connect and learn about each other... But there's so much noise! How do we know what's real?

Tim's suggestion for folks who are getting into instructional design?

Read a BOOK - you're more likely to get expertise because of the time and effort it takes to write and publish a book than what FURUs can accomplish in brief social media posts

Tim's suggestion for people as they begin to post on LinkedIn?

Be yourself
Don't try to create something that you're not
Write what comes to mind
Include what you LEARNED when you share a certificate

Thanks for listening to the BLOC!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

Or check out what I'm working on over at https://www.getusefulstuff.com/

In this episode, I chat about the lessons I learned in 2023 and what I think are L&D's brightest possibilities for 2024.

Thanks for listening to the BLOC!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

Or check out what I'm working on over at https://www.getusefulstuff.com/

In this episode, I answer YOUR questions on L&D leadership, upskilling in tools, working cross-functionally, getting data for needs analysis, and more!

Resources mentioned in the episode:

Rachel Schell's Emerging Leaders in L&D
ScreenPal (which I referred to by its former name, Screencast-o-matic)
OpenShot Video Editor
Audacity
Canva

Thanks for listening to the BLOC!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

Or check out what I'm working on over at https://www.getusefulstuff.com/

In this episode, I chat with Hannah Waddams -- or Han -- from MAAS Marketing about why you need a marketing strategy for learning projects and what other best practices we can borrow from our marketing departments!

Marketing for learning® expert, Han is part of the duo that make up MAAS Marketing. With over a decade of experience, Han is on a mission to help L&D embrace the power of marketing within their function (and get the learner engagement we all so want!)

Here's where you can connect with Han:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahwaddams/
https://www.maas-marketing.co.uk/
https://www.maas-marketing.co.uk/podcast/

Hannah's suggestion for starting to market your learning projects:

MAAS Marketing's Guides (especially on Learner Personas!)

Thanks for listening to the BLOC!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

Or check out what I'm working on over at https://www.getusefulstuff.com/

In this episode, I chat with Rachel Koblic about why she isn't buying into the hype around hustle culture and how she founded Starling to support middle management.

Rachel Koblic is a leader at the intersection of learning, design, and strategy. Her mission is to create high-quality learning for life in the digital economy, and foster nurturing and inspiring workplaces for the people around her. With nearly 20 years of interdisciplinary professional experience as both a doer and a leader, she is adept at designing effective learning programs, growing engaged and efficient teams, and connecting disparate dots to solve complex problems.

Rachel lives in Saratoga Springs, NY with her partner Luke and their two dogs, three cats, and four chickens.

Here's where you can find her:
https://www.starlinglx.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rkoblic/

Rachel's suggestion for middle management to hone their skills:
ChatGPT Premium Subscription (for ideas for questions, ways to solve problems, ways to word emails, etc.)

Thanks for listening to the BLOC!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

Or check out what I'm working on over at https://www.getusefulstuff.com/

In this episode, Alexandria and I talk about L&D from the healthcare lens -- but the conversation is important to ALL of us in L&D as we talk about the importance of remembering that there are solutions that aren't eLearning out there, we can learn a lot from UX design, and that proving our impact and being able to scale training is crucial to our success in L&D.

With a decade of experience in the field of learning and development, Alexandria has had the privilege of contributing to the growth of individuals and organizations. Her journey began as a career development coach, where she had the opportunity to work closely with underserved populations in the nonprofit social services sector. Alexandria's passion for helping others led her to her current role as the Crisis Prevention Training Program Manager at one of New York City's largest hospitals.

In her role, Alexandria is dedicated to providing professionals with the knowledge and skills they need to support individuals in crisis effectively. She also focuses on creating safe environments within organizations, prioritizing the well-being of employees and the communities they serve. Alexandria remains committed to enhancing human potential and fostering compassionate workplaces.

Alexandria's recommendation for those who want to learn more about the healthcare industry:

Road to Resilience Podcast by the Mount Sinai Health System

Thanks for listening to the BLOC!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

Or check out what I'm working on over at https://www.getusefulstuff.com/

It's a short story, but as requested by Dr. Sonia Tiwari, who was interviewed in my last episode, I share the story of how I came to create training that was presented to actual astronauts! I also share a bit about what I'm working on today so that maybe we can find a way to collaborate. To learn more, visit www.heidikirby.com.

Thanks for listening to the BLOC!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

Or check out what I'm working on over at https://www.getusefulstuff.com/

In this episode, I sit down with my brilliant friend Dr. Sonia Tiwari to talk about what it's like to pursue your PhD while juggling the responsibilities of motherhood. It's a bit different than your normal episode, but whether you're a mom considering a graduate degree or someone who wants to learn how to better support your family, friends, and colleagues who are juggling both -- there's good stuff for everyone.

Content warning: at the end of the episode, Sonia and I briefly talk about post-partum depression.

Dr. Sonia Tiwari is a Learning Experience Designer interested in creating children's educational products (media, books, toys, games, AR) based on qualitative research. Her current research explores ethical design of virtual influencers for children through industry collaborations in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Sonia's recommended resource for mom PhD students:

The Smart Way to Your Ph.D.: 200 Secrets from 100 Graduates

Thanks for listening to the BLOC!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

Or check out what I'm working on over at https://www.getusefulstuff.com/

In this episode, I share some previous episodes of the BLOC as well as some tips from my own personal experience being laid off (twice now).

Here are the previous episodes of the BLOC I mentioned:

16: Leveraging Your Linkedin
31: Instructional Design Interviews
35: Agile Unemployment with Sabina Sulat
43: Musings from an ID Hiring Manager with Matt Gjertsen

Thanks for listening to the BLOC!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

Or check out what I'm working on over at https://www.getusefulstuff.com/

In this episode, I share some stories of bad training -- why I think bad training is so prevalent in L&D, based off my dissertation research -- and some of the things I think we can do to help.

Thanks for listening to the BLOC!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

Or check out what I'm working on over at https://www.getusefulstuff.com/

I finally get a chance to sit down with one of my L&D besties -- the one and only Tim Slade -- to talk about what you need to become an ID and how to present those skills in your portfolio. We tackle some common misconceptions and help you navigate through some of the noise!

Tim Slade is a speaker, author, and award-winning freelance eLearning designer. Having spent the last decade working to help others elevate their eLearning and instructional design content, Tim has been recognized and awarded within the learning and development industry multiple times for his creative and innovative design aesthetics. Tim is also a regular speaker at international eLearning and instructional design conferences, a recognized Articulate Super Hero, a LinkedIn Learning instructor, author of The eLearning Designer’s Handbook, and creator of The eLearning Designer’s Academy.

I took it upon myself to recommend Tim's free community of eLearning professionals to anyone who is looking to get into instructional design.

Thanks for listening to the BLOC!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

Or check out what I'm working on over at https://www.getusefulstuff.com/

In this episode, I chat with my pal Clea about reflecting on your first role as an ID and how to use that knowledge to find your SECOND ID role!

Clea is an instructional designer who collaborates with cross-functional teams to design and deliver inclusive and impactful learning experiences for a global teams and internal communities. Keep up with her wildly-experimental, mostly-rambling blog at cleadesigner.com.

Clea recommends just networking and connecting with people who are doing things similar to what you want to be doing as a way to build your skills for your second ID job.

Thanks for listening to the BLOC!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

Or check out what I'm working on over at https://www.getusefulstuff.com/

In this episode, Matt Smith is back to ask me YOUR questions from LinkedIn. We cover things like L&D leadership, imposter syndrome, AI, and more!

Thanks for listening to the BLOC!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

Or check out what I'm working on over at https://www.getusefulstuff.com/

In this episode, Sam Kain of Purple Reset and I talk all about how handwriting helps with retention and how L&D professionals might benefit from incorporate writing into their work and into their own practice as a tool.

Sam Kain has been a project manager for 8 long years now, and she will tell you, it's been quite the ride. But despite her professional background, she's always been a creative at heart. Sam firmly believes that creativity is the key to success, both in and out of the workplace.

Sam is all about getting things done as quickly and effectively as possible. She hates wasting time and resources, and she's constantly on the lookout for ways to optimize processes and improve workflows. But she will always go physical before digital.

One thing that Sam is super passionate about is journaling. She believes that everyone should do it, no matter who you are or what you do. It's a great way to reflect, organize your thoughts, and stay on top of your goals -- which is one of the driving forces to build her own collection of journals and notebook systems for creative chaotic minds.

You can find Sam on all social media platforms as @purplereset and on linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-kain-twcwapm-ab9a9533/

Sam's suggestion for how to get started:

Purple Reset Bumper Pack of Journal Prompts (FREE!)

Thanks for listening to the BLOC!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

Or check out what I'm working on over at https://www.getusefulstuff.com/

In this episode, I chat with my friend Nicole Papaioannou Lugara about working with others (clients, SMEs, teammates, and stakeholders) and about learning with others through social learning.

Nicole Papaioannou Lugara, PhD, is the founder of Your Instructional Designer, a learning and people development agency committed to accelerating startups through enhanced operational efficiency and collaboration via our social learning solutions. An entrepreneur at heart, she is also co-founder of the eLearning Freelancer Bootcamp, Learn Getaway retreats for women entrepreneurs, and Recovery Education and Applied Learning, a platform for parents of children with substance use disorder. She is working hard to learn how to Her mission is to make learning that matters.

https://www.yourinstructionaldesigner.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolepapaioannouphd
https://www.instagram.com/yourinstructionaldesigner

Nicole's suggestion for creating social learning experiences:

Contagious by Jonah Berger

Thanks for listening to the BLOC!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

Or check out what I'm working on over at https://www.getusefulstuff.com/

On this Q&A episode of the BLOC, I answer (from my experience and opinion) the following questions:

How do I know what to put in my instructional design portfolio?
How do I deal with a toxic boss who keeps giving me more and more work, doesn't understand how long ID takes, and who keeps expecting me to take orders without any pushback?
How do I get my team to work more quickly and efficiently through the ID process?

Thanks for listening to the BLOC!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

Or check out what I'm working on over at https://www.getusefulstuff.com/

In this episode, Tom and I didn't have a plan... so we ended up talking about how nothing is really original in L&D and how the past can teach us lessons to take into the future.

Tom McDowall has been making workplace learning work for people and businesses for the last decade. From sales and customer services to utilities, IT and some stuff that’s still secret, he’s stepped across industries with a single focus, helping organizations deliver by building performant workforces. Tom now runs Evolve Learning Design with his wife and a small team of learning geeks.
He is currently the chairperson of The Learning Network, a community interest company created to support learning and development professionals, share best practices and elevate the industry.
Tom also hosts the iDeas Podcast and the Instructional Design Tips YouTube channel.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-mcdowall/
IDT: https://www.youtube.com/c/InstructionalDesignTips

Tom's suggestion for a historical resource to learn from? The Republic by Plato, which you can find for free on MIT's The Internet Classics Archive.

Thanks for listening to the BLOC!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

Or check out what I'm working on over at https://www.getusefulstuff.com/

Whether you're looking for a new career in L&D, a promotion, a new organization, or just looking to stay right where you are but grow and learn more, this episode is a quick chat about how to set professional development goals for 2023. I believe in having two kinds of goals: one that enhances your career and one that enhances your soul/heart.

Thanks for listening to the BLOC!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

Or check out what I'm working on over at https://www.getusefulstuff.com/

In this episode, I chat with my L&D BFF and the other half of Useful Stuff, Matt Smith, about the trends we saw in L&D in 2022, why L&D should be more boring and useful, and future predictions for 2023.

Matt Smith has been in L&D for 14 years working as an internal L&D professional, trainer, consultant, freelancer and ran a learning agency in Australia. He's also the co-founder of Useful Stuff (https://www.getusefulstuff.com/).

Matt's suggestion for L&D pros as they head into 2023:
The L&D Word Project (https://www.getusefulstuff.com/words).

Thanks for listening to the BLOC!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

Or check out what I'm working on over at https://www.getusefulstuff.com/

In this episode, I chat with Zahra Davidson of Huddlecraft about peer-to-peer learning and how we can learn better together.

Zahra is Chief Exec of Huddlecraft. a Community Interest Company who help people and organizations wield the ‘power of peer groups’. Over the next decade, people face the steepest collective learning curve in history. Huddlecraft exists to spark a surge of peer-to-peer learning that can help us climb this curve.

There are lots of ways to get involved with Huddlecraft.

Join a Huddle: purposeful peer groups that tackle a learning journey together. There are Huddles open around a range of themes locally and globally, from parenting, to going beyond burnout, to reimagining hope. Check them out: huddlecraft.com/huddles

Sign up for Huddlecraft 101: a 7 session immersive training that will teach you how to apply the power of peer groups within your own work. The next programme will start in May 2023: huddlecraft.com/101

Follow Huddlecraft on socials:
Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/enrol-yourself
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/huddle.craft/
Twitter https://twitter.com/Huddlecraft

If you can spot a way to collaborate or work together, get in touch with zahra@huddlecraft.com

Zahra's suggestions for more about peer-to-peer learning:

Huddlecraft's Resources
Liberating Structures
Microsolidarity

Thanks for listening to the BLOC!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

Or check out what I'm working on over at https://www.getusefulstuff.com/

In this episode, I take the time to share a couple of TRUE horror stories (with names and details omitted) from L&D horrors I've experienced in my time working in the field -- as well as the lessons I've learned from each. I talk about compliance training, meeting learner needs, projects that go off the rails, working well with others, and more!

Thanks for listening to the BLOC!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

Or check out what I'm working on over at https://www.getusefulstuff.com/

In this episode, I talk to my new pal, Josh Cardoz, about how L&D is viewed in the business and what we can do to become better cross-functional partners with those in the business.

Josh Cardoz is an independent Digital Learning Strategist - with over a decade’s experience helping organizations go digital the right way, fine-tune their strategy and create amazing things together. He was previously Head of Digital Learning Experience at a large professional services firm, and prior to that, Principal Learning Strategist at a creative digital learning agency.

Josh also teaches at the University of Toronto, and is the creator and producer of Digital Learning Done Right - an audio series catered to supporting digital learning leaders and their organizational strategies.

Anything at the intersection of design, story, learning and technology (and sarcasm) - that’s where you’ll find him.

www.digitallearningdoneright.com

Josh's suggestion for impacting the business:

Watch the movie Inception (2010)

Thanks for listening to the BLOC!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

Or check out what I'm working on over at https://www.getusefulstuff.com/

In this episode, I chat a bit about what I think is an unnecessary separation of theory and practice in L&D, including how that separation has impacted me as a PhD student in instructional design and technology and also as an instructional design and L&D leader in the field.

I also suggest following or consuming content by some amazing folks who are constantly encouraging evidence-informed, research-informed, and data-driven practice:

Data-Driven Learning Resources from Lori Niles-Hofmann
Evidence-Informed Learning Design by Mirjam Neelen and Paul A. Kirschner
Eamonn Powers
Matt Smith
Useful Stuff

Thanks for listening to the BLOC!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

Or check out what I'm working on over at https://www.getusefulstuff.com/

Evidence-Informed Learning Design: Creating Training to Improve Performance

In this episode, I chat with my friend McKenzie Day about her journey from instructional designer to senior instructional designer and how she upskilled and leveraged her network to find a new role and a promotion!

McKenzie Day is a Senior Technical Instructional Designer who creates digital learning experiences with purpose. With a background in education, McKenzie started off as an ID in the financial services sector before making the move to tech and joining a software company. Her career has led her to diverse communities of learners all over the planet- from Antigua to Quito to Hong Kong to Atlanta to Indianapolis.

She is an active advocate for DEI initiatives in the workplace, and lives those values by instilling authenticity, inclusivity, and autonomy into her work. Outside of L&D, McKenzie is a voracious bookworm and the member of a feminist community choir.

You can connect with McKenzie on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mckenzieday123/) or check out her website at www.mckenzieAday.com.

McKenzie's suggestion for anyone looking for a promotion:

The HerMoney podcast with Jean Chatzky

Thanks for listening to the BLOC!

Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

Or check out what I'm working on over at https://www.getusefulstuff.com/

On this Q&A episode of the BLOC, I answer (from my experience and opinion) the following questions:

How do we get people to use all these new courses we've given them?
What is the difference between L&D and instructional design?
How do I know which people to follow on LinkedIn - which people are quality and who is just trying to sell something? And how do I network with those people?
I know it's not okay to lie about previous titles on my resume, but what do I do about my LinkedIn headline?

Connect with Heidi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/ or on my website: www.heidikirby.com

In this episode, I chat with my teammate at Pantheon, Bela Gaytan, about accessibility - not only how to create more accessible experiences for our learners but also some common misconceptions about accessibility - such as what is a disability? And can we make something 100% accessible?

Known for her authenticity, transparency, and vulnerability, Bela Gaytan (she/her) unapologetically disrupts spaces to create change. She leverages her lived experiences and intersectional identities as a neurodivergent, queer, physically disabled Latina to educate folks on disability, accessibility, diversity, inclusion, and equity.

She is a Technical Instructional Designer at Pantheon (https://pantheon.io) on the Customer Education team with Heidi Kirby (yay), as well as the co-lead of Pantheon’s LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group and an active member of the DEIA (diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility) task force. She also works as the Community and Social Media Manager for The eLearning Designer’s Academy (https://elearningacademy.io) with her mentor, Tim Slade. In her free time, she is a WordPress Web Developer, a fierce DEIA (diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility) advocate, speaker, and coach.

You can connect with Bela on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/belagaytan), Twitter (https://twitter.com/belagaytan), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/belagaytan), Medium (https://belagaytan.medium.com), or on her website (https://belagaytan.com) where you can sign up for her newsletter to stay up to date on cool crap! :)

Bela's suggestion for learning more about accessibility:
Web Accessibility in Mind (WebAIM): (https://webaim.org/)

In this episode, I share four ways for L&D to get a seat at the table:

Stop complaining that we don't have a seat at the table.
Work on discovering the problem, not immediately sharing a solution.
Broaden the metrics we use to define success.
Work with, not against, the other areas of business.

Don't forget to sign up for the Useful Stuff newsletter (usefulstuff.email). Issue #2 is going to be all about how to determine what people need and how to determine business goals.

Connect with Heidi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

On this episode, I chat with co-founder of Offbeat, Lavinia Mehedintu, about creating a podcast, starting a business, and curating content.

Lavinia Mehedintu has been designing learning experiences and career development programs for the past 9 years both in the corporate world and in higher education. As a Co-Founder and Learning Architect @Offbeat she’s applying adult learning principles so that learning & people professionals can connect, collaborate, and grow. She’s passionate about social learning, behavior change, and technology and constantly puts in the work to bring these three together to drive innovation in the learning & development space.

Visit Offbeat: offbeat.works

Lavinia's suggestion for inspiration: producthunt.com

Connect with Heidi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/

In this episode, Dr. Kuva Jacobs and I break down 4 major learning myths: the learning pyramid, the Forgetting Curve, learning styles, and microlearning as the answer to the world's problems. If you've encountered any of these on social media lately, you should tune in!

Kuva's passion for learning design seeded from a PhD in mathematics when she created visual, interactive, flash based modules that brought complex mathematical equations - like sorting algorithms and spring oscillations - to life.

This drive to create innovative learning solutions has led Kuva into the corporate space, where she's had the excitement of contributing to a wide range of learning & development projects, across all stages of their lifecycle.

Feel free to connect with Kuva on LinkedIn, where she regularly sparks controversial learning debates. Or come bust some myths at- https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14108260/

Check out Kuva's company at www.emergentlearning.com.au

Connect with Heidi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidiekirby/ or on my website: www.heidikirby.com

In this episode, I chat with the brilliant Lata Hamilton about change management and how it's related to the field of L&D. We talk about the differences and similarities between L&D and change management as well as why change managers like to work with folks in L&D.

Lata is a pocket rocket burst of energy with a big heart... and big hair! She is the Founder & CEO of Passion Pioneers and the creator of the “Leading Successful Change” program. Lata has worked with some of Australia’s biggest companies, and tripled her salary in the space of just 3 years to almost $200,000. She moved from Marketing to the world of Organisational Change Management and developed her own style of inspiring change leadership. She’s worked on changes that have impacted over 100,000 people, global cultural transformations, operating model changes, and digital transformation that is literally changing the way that we work. In 2015, Lata became a certified Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Practitioner and Coach, and started her own side hustle. Lata transitioned full-time to her business in July 2021, blending her coaching and change work into her courses and consulting services. She helps women carve their own paths for change in career, leadership and life with confidence and authenticity and truly earn their worth. Lata is an absolute foodie, a cardio junkie, and an avid op/thrift shopper. Lata was adopted from India by an Australian family and believes it doesn’t matter where you started - it’s where you’re going and the lives you change along the way that counts.

Website: www.latahamilton.com
Follow Lata on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/latahamilton

Lata's suggestion for those interested in learning more about change management:

Free Underpaid & Overlooked Coaching Action Guide: www.latahamilton.com/worthit

In this quick solo episode, I reflect back on two years' worth of BLOC podcast episodes, talk about how I think new instructional designers (and even some of the most seasoned L&D professionals) should think about learning. I also share that Laura Hoyer and I are back and ready to run our ID Coaching Cohort this fall!

In this episode, I answer some of the interview questions from my ATD blog article, "10 Questions to Ask When Interviewing Instructional Designers."

Here's a link to the blog article: https://www.td.org/atd-blog/10-questions-to-ask-when-interviewing-instructional-designers

In this episode, I chat with Bhakti Karkare, founder of Third Loop Learning about what facilitation can teach leaders. We talk about how leadership has changed since the pandemic and Bhakti gives tips on how to be an inclusive leader.

Bhakti Karkare is the founder of Third Loop Learning. She is a Facilitation Evangelist, who takes simple, easy to use facilitation skills and shows you how to use them to become the leader you know you can be - one that inspires loyalty, creativity, and dedicated work. She has helped hundreds of leaders and managers become facilitators, and really, they discover their own authentic style of leadership that makes all the difference for their teams, and their career.

Bhakti's suggestion for growing your leadership skills:

Timothy R. Clark's The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety

In this episode, I chat with the founder of Playful Perspectives, Sarah Filman about how she helps develop teams and leaders through improv and play.

Sarah Filman (she/her) is a certified leadership coach, playful facilitator, and improv comedian based in Seattle, Washington. She founded Playful Perspectives to support mission-driven individuals, leaders, and teams to grow, connect, and create to transform themselves and the world. Grounded in leadership and people management experience in both tech and non-profit organizations, she's passionate about the power of play to support radical growth, inclusive spaces, and thriving teams.

Visit Sarah's website at: https://www.playfulperspectives.com

Sarah's suggestion for those interested in learning more about leadership and power dynamics:

Cyndi Suarez's The Power Manual: How to Master Complex Power Dynamics

The Power Manual: How to Master Complex Power Dynamics

In this episode, I look back at some of my favorite BLOC podcast moments, messages, and guests to celebrate the release of the 50th episode.

In celebration of the 50th Episode, I've created a document with all of the resources recommended by my guests over the last 50 episodes. You can find it here. (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rCrOvsFGlwUaLRmn9l9r8KWqYa62GQk8ig7shFcLZgA/edit?usp=sharing)

In this episode, I chat with my dear friend, William Cronje, about the cohort-based learning experiences, social learning, and William's career journey that led him to leading a cohort of 800 instructional designers from all over the world!

As an instructional designer and program manager at Eduflow Academy, William Cronje is the co-creator of the popular "Instructional Design Principles for Course Creation" cohort-based course. With over five years of experience creating online and blended learning experiences, William is a proud geek who is always eager to learn more about learning. His most recent fixation is finding ways to tap into the social energy of a learning community with the goal of finding ways to make online learning more engaging and valuable.

Eduflow Academy: https://www.eduflow.com/academy
Instructional Design Principles for Course Creation: https://www.eduflow.com/academy/instructional-design-principles-for-course-creation
William on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-cronje-95847729/
William on Twitter: https://twitter.com/williamcronje

William's suggestion for those who want to learn more about instructional design principles for course creation (outside of the Eduflow Academy course):

Great Minds on Learning Podcast (https://greatmindsonlearning.libsyn.com/)

In this episode, I talk about learning culture - a term with a really broad definition that comes down to a human being learning. If we think about what it takes for human beings to learn, we can leverage those conditions to create a positive learning culture.

I also announce my new side hustle: learning culture and strategy consulting. You can find out more from my website: www.heidikirby.com

In this episode, I define psychological safety and explain why it's important in the workplace and what individuals in L&D can do to promote psychological safety in their organizations. I also talk about the traits of toxic work environments, how L&D can help make a difference, and advice for if and when you find yourself in a toxic work environment. As someone who successfully got out of a toxic work environment, this topic is close to my heart. I'm so proud to work for a place that has, even in my short tenure, encouraged me to show up as my authentic self each and every day.

In this episode, I celebrate International Women's History Month with Alexandra Smith, CPTM. We chat about what it's like being a woman leader in L&D and what you can do to learn and grow as a leader!

Alexandra Smith, CPTM, is a leading learner who leads leaders! She brings to her team her empathetic leadership approach. They get high-level projects across the finish line. Alexandra is a highly skilled, creative and experienced learning leader with a strong background in communications. She thrives on the process of training, motivating and directing employees in order to optimize workplace productivity and promote professional growth. Adept at addressing the needs of a wide variety of employees and customers, Alexandra's experience in past positions impacts others worldwide.

Alexandra's suggestions for women leaders in L&D

Follow L&D leaders like Kassy Laborie and Elliott Masie on LinkedIn
Attend conferences, like DevLearn (https://devlearn.com/) and the Training Industry Conference & Expo (https://trainingindustry.com/tice/)
Join groups, such as the Training Industry (https://trainingindustry.com/)

In this episode, I'm bringing my friend, Dr. Dawn DiPeri back to chat about her new book, Graphic Design for Course Creators!

Her book is CC-BY, which means you can print, copy, paste, and re-use the content however you like as long as you give her credit. This also means that the web version is FREE!! You can find it here: https://graphicdesignforcoursecreators.pressbooks.com/front-matter/dedication/

Dr. Dawn DiPeri is a learning designer and graphic designer with over 15 years of experience working in the corporate sector in various capacities serving ad agencies, publishing firms, and as the owner of a certified minority women-owned business. Additionally, Dawn spent many years as a college professor teaching online, face to face, and in hybrid environments for both public and private universities. She has taught courses that range from new media literacies, educational technology, graphic design, animation, interpersonal communication, public speaking, and branding. Dr. Dawn DiPeri has also published scholarly research on the topics of online pedagogy and also on the topics of gender and race disparity in the workforce. Dr. Dawn DiPeri has been lucky to work with some of best organizations and brands in the world including UNICEF, Harvard Graduate School of Education, United Way, Celgene, The Vanderbilt Museum, ONEHE, and many more. Additionally, Dr. Dawn DiPeri has also presented at conferences all over the world including the E-Learning Summit and the Q10 Conference.

To contact Dawn Lee DiPeri for speaking, training or design opportunities email dawn.diperi@eastendadvertising.com or find her on Linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawnleediperi

Dawn suggests finding an accountability partner if you want to write you own book, by joining communities or book coaching programs.

In this episode, I give you 3 easy tips that you can start incorporating today to ensure that your learning and development department can be more scalable and can contribute the most resources and the most value to your organization.

I mention a few L&D communities in this episode:

Tim Slade's eLearning Designer's Community: https://community.elearningacademy.io/home
GLDC (Global Learning and Development Community): https://mygldc.com/
TLDC (The Training, Learning, and Development Community): https://www.thetldc.com/
360Learning's L&D Collective: https://360learning.com/blog/l-and-d-collective-launch/

In this episode, I talk to Matt Gjertsen of Better Every Day Studios about his recent hiring process to hire a new part-time instructional designer for his team!

Matt's journey into learning started as an Air Force Instructor Pilot where he also spent time teaching people to compete in half marathons and triathlons. After 9 years in the Air Force, Matt took his experience with him to SpaceX where he worked for 4 years as the manager of the Training and Development team. Matt left SpaceX in 2019 to start Better Every Day Studios with a mission of enabling as many people as possible achieve their maximum potential by transforming how small companies approach learning and development.

Matt believes excellence is repeatable and can be developed in everyone. By both believing more in and committing more to their employees, companies will far exceed their performance expectations and create a dedicated workforce of the highest caliber.

For more information on how Better Every Day Studios can help, please contact them here and Matt will get back to you immediately. Also, join the conversation on LinkedIn where Matt is always looking to connect with like-minded people. According to Matt, "Let’s see what we can learn together."

Matt's suggestion for nailing the job interview? Visit and study the company's website!

In this episode, I share with you some of my favorite books that are on my L&D book shelf.

What I Wish I Knew Before Becoming an Instructional Designer by Dr. Luke Hobson
Design for How People Learn by Julie Dirksen
The Non-Designers Design Book by Robin Williams
Designing for Modern Learning - Beyond ADDIE and SAM by Crystal Kadakia and Lisa M.D. Owens
The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

Enjoy!

In this episode, I talk to three of my favorite former educators who now have a successful career in learning and development. We talk about how they got there and what they've learned so far!

Heidi Ranganathan pivoted from bilingual classroom teacher to corporate instructional designer in 2021. She specializes in the alignment of organizational needs with learning objectives and partnering with stakeholders and subject matter experts to achieve the greatest organizational impact. A career transition is possible AND remember that you are the hero of your own story! You can read all the books, listen to many podcasts, and experiment with various authoring tools, but in the end it is how you take action, reflect, and keep moving forward to support your career transition. Outside of work, Heidi enjoys traveling and cooking up new recipes from around the world with her family.

Elsbeth Seymour started her transition journey in eLearning around January of 2021, while working fulltime as a High School Special Education Resource teacher. Elsbeth was finishing up a Master of Educational Technology, and has added a certificate in Workforce Learning from Boise State and is slated to graduate in 2022. Elsbeth also attended Tim Slade's eLearning Designer's Academy before landing a local position as an Instructional Designer at a community credit union in June. From there, she has continued to learn and grow and now works as a contractor for Winmax Systems at Apple Inc. With a diverse background, Elsbeth enjoys creating dynamic and visually pleasing eLearning that tells a story but is also accessible.

Sarah Natalie taught preschool, 3rd grade, and 4th grade for 10 years before transitioning to corporate instructional Design in June 2021. As a teacher, she worked with students who were identified as gifted, specifically advocating for students from underrepresented groups to access gifted education programming. This work informed a lot of who Sarah is and what she believes about learning as a tool for social and professional mobility. As a teacher, and now as an L&D professional, a core value of Sarah's has always been advocating for and enabling others to gain access to something that might enrich their lives. To learn more about Sarah, connect with her on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahnatalie/) and take a look at her website (sarahnatalie.com)!

Heidi, Elsbeth, and Sarah's recommendations for people who want to make a career change to L&D:

Nyla Spooner's I'm New Here (https://www.nylalxd.com/blog/categories/i-m-new-here)
Ruth Colvin Clark's Scenario-based e-Learning (https://www.amazon.com/Scenario-based-Learning-Evidence-Based-Guidelines-Workforce-ebook/dp/B00AM1WE74)
Ruth Colvin Clark and Chopeta Lyons' Graphics for Learning (https://www.amazon.com/Graphics-Learning-Guidelines-Designing-Evaluating/dp/0470547448)

Graphics for Learning: Proven Guidelines for Planning, Designing, and Evaluating Visuals in Training Materials, 2nd Edition

Scenario-based e-Learning: Evidence-Based Guidelines for Online Workforce Learning

In this brief episode, I talk about my 2021 and give a challenge to all of you listening.

In this episode, I talk about three trends that have impacted L&D in 2021.

Educators making a career switch into L&D/instructional design
Microlearning
Learning in the flow of work

Here are some links to things I mention in this episode:

TLDC's free January 2022 event: The Road to L&D: From Teaching to Instructional Design (https://www.thetldc.com/)
7Taps (https://www.7taps.com/)
The HPT Model (https://hptmanualaaly.weebly.com/ispi-hpt-model.html)

In this episode, I get to chat with Ann Lopez, creator of The Pivoter website, which is chock FULL of free resources for those looking to change careers and enter the field of L&D.

3 years ago, Ann pivoted out of teaching and found her true calling working in the education technology sector. In 2020, when schools were forced to move to remote learning due to the pandemic, she decided to transition back to public education and supported teachers with technology integrations.

She has since worked as a learning experience designer and is now a product operations manager for an ed tech company.

When Ann is not geeking out on new technologies, she's a full-time mom to two little kiddos and likes to work on some passion projects to help others. She's also a volunteer mentor for a group called Teaching: A Path to Learning & Development, where she help teachers who are interested in transitioning out of the classroom.

Here's a link to Ann's The Pivoter website: https://thepivoter.preview.softr.app/

Ann's suggestion for those wanting to break into Ed Tech:

EdSurge website (https://www.edsurge.com/)

In this episode, I chat about 4 big takeaways I've found to be true in my recent L&D job search.

Hone your search.
Network, network, network.
Practice self-care.
Avoid toxic positivity.

I mention two great resources in this episode:

Sarah Cannistra's The Overnight Trainer Podcast (https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-ty9ns-1100e63)
Subina Sulat's Agile Unemployment (https://www.amazon.com/Agile-Unemployment-Guide-Thriving-While/dp/1737718308)

Agile Unemployment: Your Guide to Thriving While Out of Work

In this episode I talk to the founders of the Hubspot Academy, Sarah, Chris, and Lindsay about what it's like standing up a customer education academy, difficulties they faced, and fond memories they made. You are NOT going to want to miss the very first (but not the last) BLOC party episode!

Sarah Bedrick is an advisor for software companies looking to build and scale their Academy education initiatives. Sarah founded and grew the HubSpot Academy team from 2012 to 2017, and after that cofounded the fast-growing HR software company Compt. In her free time, Sarah is a personal and career coach, and enjoys exploring her new home in St Petersburg, Florida and living life through the eyes of her toddler.

Chris LoDolce spends his time professionally advising Customer Education/Academy Leaders of B2B SaaS Software companies on how to build and scale their educational content initiatives to drive top and bottom line growth. Chris was a founding member of HubSpot Academy in 2012 and in 2019-2020 as the Director lead the team to scale HubSpot Academy across the globe in six languages. Over 1 million people learned from HubSpot Academy between the time Chris helped found the team to when he left in the fall of 2020.

Lindsay Thibeault is an advisor for SaaS businesses who are growing their education and training programs. Lindsay has been driving interactive marketing and brand strategy at global companies for over 12 years. She joined HubSpot in 2013 and for seven years was responsible for building HubSpot Academy's operations and content processes. She specializes in building communities that generate leads and retains customers through compelling and educational content. Lindsay has taught tens of thousands of marketers how to build scalable content creation, website optimization, and reporting strategies for their organizations.

If you want to work with Sarah, Chris, and Lindsay, you can contact them here: https://www.saasacademyadvisors.com/

Sarah, Chris, and Lindsay's suggestions for where to begin with customer education:

Simon Sinek's How Great Leaders Inspire Action (https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action?language=en)
Brian Solis (https://www.briansolis.com/category/articles/)
Julie Dirksen's Design for How People Learn (https://usablelearning.com/the-book/)
Cammy Bean's The Accidental Instructional Designer (https://www.td.org/books/the-accidental-instructional-designer)

In this episode, I talk to Sabina Sulat about her amazing book Agile Unemployment (https://www.amazon.com/Agile-Unemployment-Guide-Thriving-While/dp/1737718332) and what it is like to be unemployed, how to take care of yourself, and how to focus your search for the next step in your career journey.

Sabina is a graduate of St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland. While in school, she studied philosophy, mathematics, and physics. She performed her graduate work in Industrial/Organizational Psychology through Walden University, focusing on the impact of internet use on social interactions. Sabina has spent most of her career as an HR professional and Learning & Development executive for multiple organizations at a national and global level including Magellan Health, BlueCross BlueShield, the federal government, The George Washington University, and most recently, AstraZeneca. Sabina specializes in leadership development, change management, organizational development, and DEI. Along her career journey Sabina has become certified and versed in multiple assessments including Total SDI, Bridge’s Model for Change Management, MBTI, DiSC, and others. She has also consulted with numerous organizations to develop and design programs that merge organizational goals and strategy with meeting employees’ development needs.

Sabina has recently launched her first book, Agile Unemployment, written to help people build resilience and confidence while out of work. In spring of 2022, she will launch her second book, tentatively titled, The Working World, geared at explaining workplace dynamics and expectations to high school and college students.

In addition to her work, Sabina spends a significant amount of her time volunteering for such organizations as ONE.org, the African Well Fund, and her alma mater, St John’s College. In her personal time Sabina enjoys travel, entertaining, and live music. She is hopeful we will be able to enjoy all those hobbies soon.

To learn more about Sabina's book and to book a speaking engagement see: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ina9q5nyegkbeKP3oh0LxNHUAns6KYIi/view?usp=sharing

Sabina's suggestion for those who are unemployed or considering resigning:
Caroline Adams Miller, MAPP and Dr. Michael B. Frisch's Creating Your Best Life: The Ultimate Life List Guide (https://www.amazon.com/Creating-Your-Best-Life-Ultimate/dp/1402779984)

Agile Unemployment: Your Guide to Thriving While Out of Work

Creating Your Best Life: The Ultimate Life List Guide

In this episode, I chat with Chris Young about the changing economy and its impact on L&D, what L&D hiring managers are looking for, and about BS words in L&D. :)

Chris Young serves as the director of Workforce Development, a section of the Human Resources Division at the Texas Department of Transportation.

Chris began his career in the U.S. Army. After the Army and then undergraduate work at the University of Texas, Chris served as a diplomat for the State Department where he led training programs overseas for foreign governments. In 2008, he left the State Department and went to work for a small business as a consultant to the U.S. Government – building and implementing training programs for the intelligence community – before moving back to Texas.

Chris has degrees from the University of Texas, an MBA from the University of Colorado, and a PhD in industrial-organizational psychology. Chris holds multiple certifications and is a member of research and professional committees for transportation, training, and HR.

Chris lives in central Austin with his wife and 3 kids and is looking forward to retiring from TxDOT in a few decades.

Chris's suggestions for learning more about L&D and performance improvement:

The Chapman Alliance - How Long Does it Take to Create Learning?Louis Hyman's - Temp

Temp: How American Work, American Business, and the American Dream Became Temporary

In this episode, I talk to Roberta Dombrowski, VP of User Research, about how to encourage a culture of learning in your organization and what mindfulness in the workplace looks like.

Roberta Dombrowski, MS is the VP, UXR at User Interviews, a research recruitment platform aimed at helping teams discover and embrace user insights. Roberta previously led product research at Year Up, edX, and Pluralsight. In her free time, Roberta is an adjunct professor through Boise State University's Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning (OPWL) program and mindfulness teacher.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertadombrowski

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/robertalearns

Roberta's suggestion for those who want to make a bigger impact on the learning culture at their organization:
Teresa Torres' Continuous Discovery Habits: Discover Products that Create Customer Value and Business

Continuous Discovery Habits: Discover Products that Create Customer Value and Business Value

On this Q&A episode of the BLOC, I answer (from my experience and opinion) the following questions:

I want to get into an L&D career - what should I do? (or some form of this)
What is the best way to tell someone, "Uh, no dude, that is not MY job, that is YOUR job"?
I have a new learning program that I am trying to launch, and I just can’t get buy-in past my own boss. What can I do?
I met with a SME last week, and I asked a TON of needs analysis questions that I don’t think she had even considered. She literally just came to my boss and tried to order an e-learning course on leadership. When I starting asking questions, she became really defensive. After the meeting, she emailed my boss and asked for a different instructional designer to be in charge of the project because I didn’t “understand her vision.” What should I do?
I’m looking for more professional development opportunities in L&D. How do I know which conferences to go to and which conferences are going to have the same old content?

In this episode, we talk about instructional design interviews. What are the common questions that are asked? What are those questions trying to get at?

In this episode, I reference Nyla Spooner's "I'm New Here" podcast, which you can check out here: https://anchor.fm/nylalxd.

I also reference Episode 3 of the BLOC with LaToya Smith, which you can find here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1206305/4521908-episode-3-latoya-smith.mp3?download=true

In this episode, I talked to Sarah Cannistra about L&D Leadership.

Sarah Cannistra is an L&D career coach and modern learning leader and consultant. Through her company, The Overnight Trainer, Sarah helps people looking to transition into an L&D career, as well as L&D leaders looking to grow their strategic learning mindset. She draws on over 10+ years experience in corporate L&D to provide both group and 1:1 coaching from an L&D executive vantage point.

Website: www.theovernighttrainer.com
Sign Up for Next Cohort of Group Coaching: https://theovernighttrainer.thinkific.com/courses/the-overnight-trainer-8-week-coaching-program-august-2021
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scannistra/

Sarah's suggestion for L&D leaders:

Designing for Modern Learning: Beyond ADDIE and SAM

Here is the link to Sarah's AWESOME podcast: https://theovernighttrainer.podbean.com/

Designing for Modern Learning

In this episode, I talk to Dr. Julia Huprich, Editor-in-Chief of Learning Science Weekly, about how we can avoid L&D fads or trends and focus on what really matters in the field.

Julia Huprich is the Vice President of Learning Science at Intellum, where she leads the initiative to establish evidence-based practices in corporate learning and customer education that drive real-world results. She is also the Editor-in-Chief of Learning Science Weekly (www.learningscienceweekly.com), an outreach initiative that helps to bridge the gap between empirical research related to the learning sciences and the practice of professionals in the field. She earned her PhD from the Department of Learning Sciences at Georgia State University in 2020. A former librarian, she previously worked as the Director of Training and Continuing Education for the Georgia Public Library Service, where she provided e-learning and in-person training for Georgia’s 4,000+ public library staff.

Julia's suggestion for learning more about the future of L&D

Learning Science Weekly Newsletter
Learning Science Weekly Podcast

Bonus: Julia's Blog on Gamification

In this episode, I talk to Mark Hoffman about user experience (UX) design, which is closely tied to learning design and why Mark, an instructional designer, has decided to take this career side step.

Mark is an educator and learning development professional who began his career as a high school social studies teacher and happily landed in the career of instructional design. Mark has a passion for leveraging technology to make materials that are respectful of learner's time, and are learner centered. He is currently pursuing a Masters in User Experience Design, and hopes to create thoughtful user-centered products upon completion of his program. Connect with Mark on LinkedIn!

Mark's suggestions for learning more about UX design:

Career Foundry's UX Design Courses (Including a FREE e-mail short course)
LinkedIn Learning's UX Design Courses (May be free through your local library!)

In this solo episode, I talk about a couple of ways we can add value to our organization as an L&D department - by collaborating with our SMEs and stakeholders so that they understand the time and effort it takes to create learning experiences and by innovating and using a variety of tools to create learning experiences quickly and efficiently.

I mention the wonderful 7taps tool in this podcast. If you haven't tried it yet, you should because it's great!

On this episode, Cara North is BACK! We chat about the recent videos she's published to her Unfiltered ID YouTube channel, FREE L&D organizations you can join, and how you can move into the field of L&D and why it's important to continue growing as an L&D professional.

Here are links to the FREE resources discussed in this podcast:

Teaching: A Path to L&D
ATD (Association for Talent Development)
TLDC (The Training, Learning, and Development Community)
EdTech Books
The Learning Guild
AECT (Association for Educational Communications and Technology)
GLDC (Global Learning and Development Community)
L&D Cares

Please note - some of the organizations we've shared also have paid memberships and resources behind a paywall, but it is not necessary to become a member to access some of their free resources!

In this episode of the BLOC, I celebrate the 25th episode by playing the intro to every guest interview of the BLOC we've had so far.

In order of their appearance, you'll hear from:

Eamonn Powers
Dr. Luke Hobson
LaToya Smith
Jeremy Negrey
Cara North
Holly Owens
Veronica Reed
Alex Mitts
Leslie Early
Jenifer Johnson
Sara Stevick
Kate Udalova
Dr. Dawn DiPeri
Monique Danielle
Matt Gjertsen
Jonah Goldstein
Margaret Boersma

In this episode, I chat with Margaret Boersma about emotional intelligence.

Margaret Boersma, OCT is an educational consultant, trainer, speaker with proficiency in Emotional Intelligence. Her career in teaching, combined with her expertise in social/emotional learning allows her to assimilate the affective domain (people skills) in the context of a company’s goals. In the role of a catalyst, her innovative programs are experiential in nature and have participants highly engaged in creating memorable and practical integration into their workplace. Results are leadership skills, new models of communication and collaborative employees who embrace diversity, equity and inclusion. Margaret’s use of brain-compatible strategies to engage and internalize learning makes the transfer of knowledge to life impactful.

To connect with Margaret for a FREE lunch and learn and to find out more about her work, visit her website, Creative Education in Action.

Margaret's suggestions for reading more about emotional intelligence:

Jack Canfield's The Success Principles Workbook: An Action Plan for Getting Where You Want to BeDarren Hardy's DarrenDaily Daily Mentoring

In this episode, I talk to Jonah Goldstein about the cool projects he gets to work on at 360Learning, from the CLO Connect leadership interview series to programs for new leaders and ways to get everyone in the organization involved in learning.

Jonah has worked in education, training and development for 20 years. From academic publishing, to education policy with the United Nations, and corporate learning and development, he has held leadership roles in many organizations in both the United States and France. Today, Jonah leads L&D at 360Learning, the leading collaborative learning platform.

Check out Jonah's L&D interview series, CLO Connect (which was also his suggestion for a resource to check out if you are responsible for creating learning programs at your organization).

In this episode, I talk to Matt Gjertsen of Better Every Day Studios about how he helps small companies scale great learning experiences and how learning for behavior change is better than throwing information at people any day of the week!

Matt's journey into learning started as an Air Force Instructor Pilot where he also spent time teaching people to compete in half marathons and triathlons. After 9 years in the Air Force, Matt took his experience with him to SpaceX where he worked for 4 years as the manager of the Training and Development team. Matt left SpaceX in 2019 to start Better Every Day Studios with a mission of enabling as many people as possible achieve their maximum potential by transforming how small companies approach learning and development.

Matt believes excellence is repeatable and can be developed in everyone. By both believing more in and committing more to their employees, companies will far exceed their performance expectations and create a dedicated workforce of the highest caliber.

For more information on how Better Every Day Studios can help, please contact them here and Matt will get back to you immediately. Also, join the conversation on LinkedIn where Matt is always looking to connect with like-minded people. According to Matt, "Let’s see what we can learn together."

Matt's suggestions for helping you better focus on learners and learner behavior:

Lisa Feldman Barrett's How Emotions are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain

Anil Seth's Your Brain Hallucinates Your Conscious Reality

In this solo episode, I talk about how the learning and development function at an organization can help to contribute to employee engagement. We typically think of employee engagement in terms of how engaging our learning experiences are, but in this chat, I offer additionally ideas and ways to think about employee engagement.

If you want more ideas for employee engagement events with varying price points, here's a pretty comprehensive list from SnackNation!

In this episode, I talk to voiceover artist, Monique Danielle, on why you should hire professional voiceover artists for your learning projects whenever possible. She also shares tips for amateur voiceover for those moments when you have to record your own voiceover for learning projects.

Monique Danielle is a friendly voiceover artist providing outstanding, vibrant voiceovers for eLearning projects and more. She tells stories with an engaging, approachable voice with a penchant for quirkiness! As a voiceover actor and a designated accountant, she's that one-of-a-kind left- and right-brained talent able to genuinely connect with your script as an artist and deliver results like a business professional.

Find her work on www.MoniqueDanielleVO.com or connect with her on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram or Facebook @Monique4Reals.

Monique's suggestions for learning more about voiceover:

The Global Voice Acting Academy (lots of free resources)
Gravy for the Brain (for those looking to pursue voiceover as a career)

In this episode, I talk to Dr. Dawn DiPeri about how she combines graphic and instructional design to run her co-owned small business, East End Advertising. She gives great tips on graphic design for new instructional designers! We even talk briefly about - gasp - COMIC SANS!

Dawn DiPeri is a Learning Designer at Harvard University where she works in the AERID lab helping a team of researchers migrate a face-to-face professional development teacher training curriculum online. Prior to working at Harvard, Dawn worked for the Center for Higher Education Leadership where she helped them rebrand themselves as Brighter Higher Ed. Dawn also helped them create courses for higher education professionals. Dawn has also co-owned a mbwe graphic and instructional design agency on the east end of Long Island for over 9 years. She has taught and designed college courses online, face to face, and in the hybrid modalities since 2012. Dawn writes and researches on topics of workforce development and education.

Dawn's suggestions to learn more about graphic design:

Gary Hustwit's Helvetica

Robin Williams' The Non-Designer's Design BookVisit Dawn's advertising agency's website to join the waitlist for her graphic design course and to be sent a sweet list of graphic design resources while you wait!!

Non-Designer's Design Book, The

In this episode, I chat with Kate Udalova about her amazing new product, 7taps! We talk about how she came up with the idea, some of the great features, and a new 7taps course creation contest she is launching, which she announces for the very first time right here on our show!!

Here is a link to the 7taps contest!

Kate Udalova is the founder of 7taps Inc, a Florida-based edTech startup that allows users to create, share, and track stunning microlearning content - in a way that is fast and painless. Previously, Kate worked at a Belarusian consulting company where she was responsible for building and scaling L&D products and worked closely with clients as an L&D consultant.

Here is a link to the 7taps website.

Connect with Kate on LinkedIn.

Kate's suggestion for a great resource on microlearning:

Carla Torgerson and Sue Iannone's Designing Microlearning

In this solo episode, I briefly introduce the idea of empathic design to create a learner persona to best help learning and development professionals understand their learners' needs.

First, I briefly explain the Empathic Framework created by Kouprie and Visser.

Then, I introduce another form of empathic design, an Empathy Map that was first introduced to me by Connie Malamed but has since been updated into a new Empathy Map Canvas by Dave Gray.

Finally, I share an article, Building Empathy and Developing Instructional Design Experience and Skills, written by my Ph.D. advisor, John Baaki, and Jennifer Maddrell (who I worked with on projects that included the personas mentioned in the article).

In this solo episode, I give five basic tips for leveraging your LinkedIn profile as well as a couple of more advanced tips for LinkedIn users. I think LinkedIn is a powerful, professional social media platform that can be used for more than just finding a job!

Feel free to check out my LinkedIn profile and send me a connection request!

In this episode, I chat with Sara Stevick, who is an instructional designer and the founder and president of Teaching: A Path to Learning & Development (TPLD) (formerly known asThe Next Step: Life After Teaching (TNSLAT)), a volunteer organization who helps educators transition into instructional design career roles. We talk about why we are committed to helping new instructional designers essentially become our competition, imposter syndrome, and some of the more surprising nuances of instructional design.

Sara Stevick is inspired to design, and designing to inspire! Finding ways to engage learners in eLearning, blended instruction, or teacher-led instruction is not just Sara's career path, it's a passion of hers. There is a complex puzzle to solve with each instructional design project and excitement to be had in finding the best way to solve it using tools/skills already honed or by developing new ones! Learning is not stagnant - it is ever-evolving, and Sara strives to stay ahead of that curve to bring her learners not only an optimal learning experience but one they can relate to and enjoy!

Having recently made the jump from teaching to instructional design, Sara has discovered a new-found calling and passion in helping others looking to do the same - for the low, low price of free! Navigating that transition can be overwhelming and confusing and so she has created a webinar series, as well as a resource website (with a podcast coming soon!), to help set up an alternative option for anyone interested.

Here is the link to the TPLD website.

Here is the link to the TPLD LinkedIn group.

Sara finds motivation in the quotes "the possibilities are endless," "where there is a will, there is a way," and “education is not the learning of facts, but training of the mind to think” (Einstein). If you feel these also speak to you (or even if they don't!), she would love to connect with you via her LinkedIn! If you are a teacher/educator thinking about switching into ID, please feel free to reach out, she loves collaborating and helping others!

Sara's suggestion for a resource to learn about the field of instructional design:

Kristin Anthony's Dear Instructional Designer podcast

In this episode, I chat with my former manager, Jenifer Johnson, about organizational development (OD) (or, as I like to call it, instructional design's cousin) and how OD can transform your organization, improve performance, and engage employees. She also shares some tips for managing a virtual team and how to keep some of the work-from-home perks we currently enjoy after the pandemic is over.

Jen is currently the Senior Manager of Associate Experience at Dealer Tire in Cleveland, Ohio. As an Ohio native, she possesses a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Relations and Communications with an emphasis in Business from Baldwin-Wallace University and a Master’s Degree in Education in Adult Learning and Development from Cleveland State University. At eighteen, as first in her family, she earned her Associate of Arts degree from Lorain County Community College through the Post Secondary Enrollment Options Program (PSEO) two weeks before graduating from high school. She also holds a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification and is currently pursuing a Certified Learning and Performance Professional (CPLP) Certification. Jenifer also possesses 14 years of experience in education and organizational development and has been recognized locally and nationally for her work.

Jen began her educational work in one of the founding Early Colleges in Ohio as a College Transition Adviser. In her role, she served as a college readiness instructor, an academic advisor to students and alumni, and a community outreach coordinator, partnering with teachers, professors, and community members to create real world learning experiences, enrichment programs, internships and guided pathways. Her school was one of the most successful Early Colleges in the country and became a model for other Early College programs.

After leaving Early College, Jen has worked in several industries as a Learning and Organizational Development Manager and Consultant. She has developed and implemented instructor-led and virtual courses, programs and certifications for diverse audiences across the Americas and Europe, in a wide variety of subjects, including: leadership, change management, talent management, secondary school instruction, and various other technical and soft skill topics. In addition, she has designed, implemented. and managed several large-scale competency-based talent management initiatives that have included recruitment, on-boarding, learning and development, coaching, performance management, employee recognition, succession planning, employee engagement, and implementing learning management systems (LMS). Jen has also led several organizations through multiple significant restructures and change initiatives.

A self-proclaimed nerd, Jen loves to read and experience new things. Jen travels extensively and has been to all 50 states as well as six of the seven continents.

Jen's suggestions for learning more about organizational development:

Association for Talent DevelopmentOD Network

In this episode, I start by answering the question I ask all my guests, "Tell me a little bit about your career path and how you got into L&D."

Then, I reflect on this year and share one of my favorite resources to help you reflect on 2020 and set goals for 2021. YearCompass offers a free booklet that I used last year and intend to use this year as well! Scroll down to "Download Booklet," and choose your language and format preferences.

Thank you so much to all my listeners for your support! And to all the podcast guests who helped me get this thing off the ground in 2020, I can't thank you enough!

In this episode, Leslie and I talk about some of the controversial thoughts and ideas educators and IDs bring to the table: including pedagogy versus andragogy, where learning objectives belong, and the myth of learning styles. Gasp Leslie shares her perspective as both and educator and an instructional designer.

Leslie Early is an instructional designer focused on developing engaging digital content that incorporates the best of storytelling, graphic design, and adult learning theory. In a past life, she taught ESL and elementary education for 10+ years. Lessons Leslie learned there include the value of project-based learning and how to make lessons rewarding, self-directed, and fun.

You can check out Leslie's portfolio at www.leslieearlydesign.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Leslie's suggestion to read more on Learning Styles:

APA's Belief in Learning Styles Myth May Be Detrimental

In this episode, I talk to Alex Mitts about our shared undergraduate backgrounds in English Literature and our affinity for the arts and how that has shaped who we are as instructional designers. Alex gives advice to those who are looking to hone their craft and shares how "being obsessed" has helped him to transition from teaching to instructional design.

Alex Mitts currently serves as an Instructional Designer for California State University, Bakersfield and Bakersfield College. He is a former Instructional Technology Coach and classroom teacher. He has an MA in Educational Technology, a BA in English Literature, and is pursuing his preliminary administrative services credential. He is constantly developing himself to be the best asset he can be in the realm of educational technology and instructional design!

When he is not up to his elbows in academia, you can find Alex with his lovely wife at home with their two basset hounds, at Disneyland, crafting voice-overs, or on stage in some musical capacity, whether it be playing in a band or performing in musical theatre.

Visit Alex's website here.

Alex's suggestion for something an instructional designer with a creative background can use to bolster their career:

Matt Sustaita's Transition from Teaching to eLearning

In this episode, I talk to Veronica Reed about developing your instruction design/talent development/learning and development style and why it is important for you personally as well as for your organization. We also talk about your ID/L&D philosophy, which goes a bit deeper and why it's important to be grounded in your style and philosophy and also to revisit them regularly.

Veronica Reed, aka "The Learning Queen," is a new Learning Experience Designer who has over 7 years of experience in Human Resources. Veronica is passionate about connecting the employee experience with the learner experience and discovered she could do this as a Talent Development professional. Veronica is an active volunteer for the ATD Dallas Chapter, where she helped to start the New to Talent Development Meetup, which focuses on providing resources for professionals new to the field.

Please visit Veronica's website https://thelearningqueen.com to learn more about her!

Veronica's suggestions for those who want to learn more about developing their personal style/philosophy:

Nyla Spooner's I'm New Here podcast (also featured in Episode 9 of the BLOC podcast) - Episode Eight specifically talks about Crafting Your Instructional Design Philosophy
Rance Greene's Instructional Story Design(for those looking for some style inspiration, this is what Veronica has drawn from for her own personal style)

In this solo episode, I celebrate International Podcast Day by sharing some of my favorite L&D podcasts:

The Classics:

The Good Practice Podcast
The eLearning Coach Podcast with Connie Malamed
The Instructional Redesign Podcast with Cara North and Joseph Suarez
Trends & Issues in Instructional Design, Educational Technology, & Learning Sciences Podcast with Abbie Brown and Tim Green

The Up and Coming:

Dr. Luke Hobson Podcast
That’s Awesome ID! with Leslie Early
ifyouaskbetty with Betty Dannewitz
I’m New Here: A Podcast for New Instructional Designers and E-learning Developers with Nyla Spooner

Sorry that I say National Podcast Day in the episode. It's INTERNATIONAL! :)

In this solo episode, I issue a challenge for my fellow L&D professionals to do the following to finish 2020 strong:

Keep up with and consume educational research,
Find a new technology to try to help you design instruction,
Have one difficult conversation that helps you gain a little bit more autonomy, and
Set one last professional development goal.

In this episode, I talk to Holly Owens about how the media has given remote learning a bad reputation, and Holly talks about the difference between remote learning and online learning. She provides best practices for teachers as well as tips for those hoping to transition from education into instructional design.

Holly Owens is the Assistant Director of Instructional Design with Online Education at Touro College and University System. She has over 13 years of experience in education in various roles, including instructional technologist and high school educator. She has taught both undergraduate and graduate courses in education, and instructional design. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in Education Administration and Leadership with Touro University Nevada and will graduate in the summer of 2021. She has a passion for online learning and the opportunities this modality brings to students around the world.

Holly has presented at international, national, and regional conferences on topics related to online learning, educational technology, and research-based quality assurance in the online classroom.

Her presentation experience includes:

June 2020: Lecture Breakers Virtual Conference, Ed Tech Tools in the Online Space
July 2019: 26th Annual International Conference on Learning, Queen's University, Belfast, Ireland, Transitioning the Academic Learning Environment: From Blackboard to Canvas.
Multiple presentations & years, Online Learning Consortium (OLC) Accelerate & Quality Matters (QM)

Holly is also a small business owner in New York (Jolly Holly Ed Services, LLC) and offers professional services for those that want to transition to a career in instructional design. Her business services include technology training, consultation, coaching and other professional services related to online pedagogy. She can be contacted at holly.owens@jollyholly.me or by going to her site jollyholly.me for business-related inquiries. Holly enjoys collaborating with other professionals to help bring meaning to all educational experiences.

Holly's suggestions for those who want to learn more about online education:

Dr. Ken Robinson's Finding Your Element (NOTE: This is the SECOND time this has been recommended by a guest! The first was by LaToya Smith in Episode 3. Check it out!)

Aaron Johnson's Excellent Online Teaching: Effective Strategies for a Successful Semester Online

In this episode, we talk to Cara North about how to professionally brand yourself as a learning and development professional. We also talk about graduate degrees for learning and development professionals, and although neither of us believe a degree is necessary for success in the field, we talk about some of the benefits we've seen to pursuing one.

Cara North is an award-winning learning experience designer and has been in talent and development for 10+ years, working in both higher education and corporate settings. She is a Training Operations Manager at Silfex. North is also a Ph.D. candidate at The Ohio State University. She also serves as Past-President of Central Ohio ATD and Community Manager for the Training Learning and Development Community. A self-proclaimed social media junkie, you can often find her on Twitter (@caranorth11) & LinkedIn (/in/caranorth11).

Cara's suggestions for those who are considering instructional design:

Harold D. Stolovitch and Erica J. Keeps's Telling Ain't TrainingWill Thalheimer's - WAIT! Do NOT buy this book. There is a new version in the works. Sign up here to be notified when it releases. :)

In this episode, we talk to Jeremy Negrey about finding potential in candidates outside of traditional learning and development roles. He issues a challenge to L&D hiring managers to think outside the box when looking for qualified candidates.

Jeremy Negrey has spent nearly his entire career in customer education. He’s run the gamut from technical writer to instructional designer and has created and delivered both instructor-led and eLearning content. He’s currently the owner and lead learning consultant for Crooked River Learning and the Director of Customer Education for PartsSource Inc., a healthcare technology management solution based just outside of Cleveland, Ohio USA where he resides with his wife, three children, and two dogs.

Jeremy's suggestions for instructional designers who want to expand their skill set or non-instructional designers who are interested in the field:

Cammy Bean's The Accidental Instructional Designer

Articulate's E-learning Heroes CommunityThe Learning Guild

In this solo episode, I summarize and provide insight on a blog post I wrote for Verasana about creating a leadership development framework for your organization.

Here is the link to the blog post on Verasana.

In this episode, we talk to Dr. Luke Hobson about his popular blog post, "What I Wish I Knew Before Becoming an Instructional Designer" and discuss some of our own stories from the field.

Dr. Luke Hobson is a Program Manager for Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and an Instructor for Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). His blog and podcast center on his years of experience in online higher education and focus on the learning experience and supporting online students. He holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership from SNHU where his research focused on online Millennial Generation students and how they perceived their relationships with online Academic Advisors.

Visit the links below for of Luke's work:

Dr. Luke Hobson's Website and Blog
The Dr. Luke Hobson Podcast

Luke's suggestions for further reading on becoming an awesome instructional designer:

Katie Novak and Tom Thibodeau's UDL in the Cloud

In this episode, we talk to Eamonn Powers about simulation and virtual reality and how it can be used for training. We also talk a little bit about Star Wars and video games!

Eamonn is the Learning Experience Architect at FlightSafety International. He specializes in technical training environments, the use of simulation, and emergent technologies like virtual/augmented reality.

His research interest focus mainly around how data generated performance measures can improve training effectiveness and how the technology and design of video games can be used to design amazing learning experiences.

Eamonn's suggestions for further viewing/reading on VR and simulation:

Watch Episode 4 of Disney Gallery - Star Wars: The Mandalorian
Read Charles Fink's Convergence, an AR-enabled book

Eamonn also mentions Unreal Engine a number of times throughout this episode, so I wanted to provide the link to that as well.

In this episode, we talk to Latoya Smith about about how to bring positive change to organizations and how to tell if a potential employer truly values learning during your interview.

LaToya Smith is the Director of Support & Training for EDX Wireless in Eugene, Oregon. EDX is the technology leader in advanced Radio Frequency (RF) planning solutions. As an active member of the Executive Leadership Team, LaToya has reintroduced EDX Wireless and their customers to service-oriented support offerings. As training is a new focus for EDX, LaToya is introducing her team to new methods and technologies designed to help develop and provide customers with a training framework that provides a consistent means for addressing workplace learning and performance needs. This new learning ecosystem is designed to support RF Engineers and professionals in gaining the knowledge and skills needed to use EDX Software and deliver quality results.

Prior to joining EDX Wireless, LaToya served in the contractor role of Training and Development Manager at the NASA Safety Center (NSC) under the direction of the Technical Excellence Office. She was responsible for managing the development and maintenance of instructor-led and web-based training courses; providing curriculum support and overseeing technical discipline support for NASA Safety and Mission Assurance (SMA) activities. She also managed the contractor team efforts in support of the Technical Excellence Office for the NSC and interfaced directly with respective NSC customers.

From 1999 through 2006, she served as a member of the U.S. Coast Guard, where she performed safety and security inspections for foreign freight vessels and designated waterfront facilities for commercial operations. She also served as a SME during and after 9/11 in New York City, after which she became an instructor at Coast Guard Training Center Yorktown, in Virginia. LaToya later received an honorable discharge and designation as a disabled veteran. After the military, she started Monarch Presentations, LLC as a female- and minority-owned small business in Virginia; developing business and educational multimedia websites and courses for other small business owners. Currently, she co-owns and manages a homeschool group and IT consulting business in Thompson, Ohio.

During her career, LaToya has completed specialized training in safety, incident response, and leadership. She currently holds a Master of Science degree in Education Media Design & Technology from Full Sail University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice with a concentration in DHS Emergency Management from Strayer University.

LaToya's suggestion for further reading on being impactful at your organization:

Dr. Ken Robinson's Finding Your Element

Do you want your organization to live and breathe learning, but you don’t know where to start?

Do you want your team to be as passionate about learning as you are, but you don't know how to inspire them?

Join Heidi Kirby, a learning and development professional, as she chats with people in the field who are passionate about creating a learning culture to be proud of.

It all happens here on the BLOC (Building Learning and Organizational Culture) Podcast!