Neil Thompson is the founder of Teach the Geek, a company dedicated to helping technical professionals effectively communicate the value of their work to non-technical stakeholders. He joins the podcast to share how anyone with a specialization can sharpen their presentation skills—moving beyond acronyms and jargon that only experts understand. 

This conversation also explores what L&D professionals can do when they’re on the receiving end of technical lingo. How do you collaborate with a SME who seems to speak a different language? How can you encourage technical workers to embrace soft skill training? And where do we even start when it comes to AI? 

Neil answers all of these questions and offers practical tips to solve a common workplace issue: getting too technical. 

Resources:  

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilithompson/  
• Website: https://teachthegeek.com/  
• TD Magazine article (Member-only):  https://www.td.org/content/td-magazine/public-speaking-struggles-for-technical-professionals  
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/teachthegeek 

Jenny Wood, former Google executive and author of Wild Courage: Go After What You Want and Get It, challenges the idea that success means playing it safe. In this episode, she reveals how to reclaim nine so-called "negative" traits—like being selfish, nosy, or even manipulative—and use them to build confidence, influence without authority, and stand out in your career.

We explore how these traits play out in risk-averse vs. risk-friendly workplaces, how to apply them in team settings (not just as individuals), and how to avoid Trait Traps that turn strengths into weaknesses. Plus, Jenny tackles skepticism around reframing words like "manipulative" and shares which trait challenged her the most.

Resources:  

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennyilles/  
• Website: https://itsjennywood.com/
• Book: https://itsjennywood.com/book
• Download Get Promoted Guide: https://itsjennywood.kit.com/7b1b560076  
• More Tools from Jenny: https://itsjennywood.com/resources  

Seth Godin – acclaimed entrepreneur, bestselling author of This is Strategy: Make Better Plans, and closing keynote speaker at ATD25 – joins the podcast to challenge the way we think about strategy. 

What if strategy isn’t about rigid plans but about systems, time, and the games we choose to play? What happens when we mistake false proxies for progress? And how can community action and empathy fit into the puzzle of creating change? 

Seth shares his perspective on navigating ambiguity, designing upskilling and reskilling strategies for roles that don’t yet exist, and building a future-ready workforce. 

And for a sweet bonus? A little chocolate talk for dessert. 🍫 

Resources:  

• See Seth live at ATD25: https://atdconference.td.org/ 
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethgodin/ 
• This is Strategy: Make Better Plans book: https://seths.blog/tis/ 
• Seth’s blog: https://seths.blog/ 
• Website: https://www.sethgodin.com/  

Sarah Mercier is the CEO of Build Capable and the editor of the newly released book, Design for All Learners: Create Accessible and Inclusive Learning Experiences. Sarah joins the podcast to share an inside look into Design for All Learners, revealing why everyone benefits from more inclusive design, and actionable steps you can take immediately to create more accessible content.   

Sarah shares chapter sneak-peeks and explains how the story-driven format allows readers to understand accessibility in a new perspective. In addition, the conversation covers advocating for accessibility-focused roles and projects, how to make better design decisions, and going beyond a checklist mentality and basic standard compliance so that every learner can get the most out of your content. 

Resources: 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahcmercier  
• Book: https://www.designforallbook.com/
• Build Capable: https://www.buildcapable.com/  
• Episode Transcript: https://share.descript.com/view/h3uEvlW6HvR 

Erin Diehl is a podcast host, a bestselling author, and the CEO of improve it!. In this episode, she discusses how improv shows up in day-to-day life and simple ways to use improv techniques to find success in your work and relationships. 

Improv as a strategic tool has a variety of uses, including building company culture, navigating workplace challenges, and reinforcing inclusivity. Try the “yes, and” theory to foster collaboration, the M.O.V.E. O.N. method to turn failure into a learning habit, and the Tomorrow Ready Checklist to set achievable goals.  

Resources: 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erindiehl/
• Website: https://www.itserindiehl.com/
• Podcast: https://www.learntoimproveit.com/podcast-page 
• Book: https://www.itserindiehl.com/i-see-you
• Tomorrow Ready Checklist: https://mailchi.mp/learntoimproveit/the-tomorrow-ready-checklist
• Other Free Resources: https://www.learntoimproveit.com/free-tools-resources  

Juliana Sawaia is a happiness-at-work scientist, business consultant, and researcher with over 20 years of experience specializing in corporate happiness. On this episode, Julianna explains “why” fostering happiness is imperative not just for individuals, but as a business strategy. Tune in for actionable steps on “how” to cultivate happiness at work, as the conversation explores what the research says about happiness, why psychological safety matters, and practical strategies for getting stakeholder buy-in. 

Resources: 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julianasawaia  

• Website: https://julianasawaia.com.br/en/ 

• Send a Letter to Future You: https://futureme.com/ 

• The PERMA Model: https://positivepsychology.com/perma-model/  

Jessica Kriegel, Chief Strategy Officer at Culture Partners, is an author, podcast host, and culture expert. She joins the podcast to explore the many trend predictions for 2025, forecast which ones are likely to stick, and discuss how L&D professionals can anticipate changes to their roles. 

The conversation delves into the evolving use of AI tools, the future of middle managers, and why the five-day return-to-office (RTO) trend isn’t as daunting as it seems. Jessica’s insights provide a roadmap of trends that deserve your attention, and practical recommendations to navigate both the expected and unexpected in the year ahead.

Resources:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicakriegel/  
• Website: https://www.jessicakriegel.com/  
• Podcast: https://www.jessicakriegel.com/podcast-3/  
• Jessica’s 2025 Predictions article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/my-predictions-2025-workplace-trends-jessica-kriegel-w7mke/
• Jessica’s Book Recommendation: https://gregsatell.com/cascades/  
• RTO Article: https://www.smartbrief.com/original/what-the-data-shows-about-return-to-office-mandates  

Executive presence goes beyond confidence and charisma—it's a vital skill for every professional, not just those in the C-Suite. Hilary Blair, cofounder and CEO of ARTiculate Real&Clear, explores the evolving role of executive presence and its particular importance for trainers and instructional designers in the L&D field. 

Hilary delves into how executive presence shapes perceptions and challenges stereotypes tied to our “packaging.” She also shares strategies for developing an authentic executive presence that aligns with your personality, whether introverted or extroverted, and maintains your individuality. Leverage executive presence to foster stronger relationships, effectively communicate the value of your work, and deliver impactful training presentations.  

Resources:  

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hbarticulate  

• Website: https://articulaterc.com 

Alaina Szlachta, PhD, is the founder of By Design Development Solutions and author of the recently published Measurement and Evaluation on a Shoestring. Alaina’s book provides advice for L&D professionals navigating tight budgets, limited resources, and demanding expectations. 

In this episode, Alaina unveils her practical framework for measurement and evaluation, organized into three actionable strategies: Build, Borrow, or Buy. Build: Tailor strategies to your organization by forming hypotheses for desired outcomes and enhancing data literacy. Borrow: Maximize efficiency by leveraging existing data and systems. Buy: Invest wisely in external solutions when stakeholder buy-in, ROI, and expertise align. 

Tune in for more advice on using artificial intelligence, available tools and templates, and other insights from Alaina.  

Resources:  

• Website: https://dralainaszlachta.com/ 
• The Weekly Measure newsletter: https://dralainaszlachta.substack.com/
• Book: https://www.td.org/product/book--measurement-and-evaluation-on-a-shoestring/112406  
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drszlachta/ 

As coaching grows in popularity, so does the misconception that all coaching methods deliver the same results. In this episode, Jackie Sahm, Vice President of Integrative Solutions at Hogan Assessments, joins us to explore why assessment-based coaching stands out as a transformative approach for L&D professionals.   

Jackie breaks down what makes assessment-based coaching unique, who benefits most from it, and how data-driven insights can act as a catalyst for meaningful progress. We’ll also dive into how team-based assessments can amplify collaboration and performance, what to look for in a high-quality assessment, and share real-world success stories that can help you make a compelling business case for coaching.   

 Whether you’re a coach, L&D professional, or leader looking to maximize impact, this episode is packed with actionable insights to elevate your coaching strategy.   

Resources: 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackie-vanbroekhoven-sahm-8263686/ 
• Coaching the Hogan Way: https://www.hoganassessments.com/blog/coaching-the-hogan-way-leadership-development-solutions/ 
• How to Select an Assessment Provider: https://www.hoganassessments.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/HowToSelectAssessment_20200921-3.pdf 
• Personality Change and Leadership Development Podcast Episode: https://www.thescienceofpersonality.com/personality-change/ 
• Webinar: https://www.hoganassessments.com/webinar/how-to-fix-your-leadership-development-program/
• Can People Really Change? Practical Advice for Leadership Development: https://www.hoganassessments.com/webinar/can-people-really-change-practical-advice-for-leadership-development/