Meet Brenda Noon Schmidt, aka Kick-Ass Modern Mom.

She grew up on a cattle ranch on the Arizona/Mexico border, worked six jobs in college (including teaching swim lessons and working at a cigar shop with retired cops), built a career in marketing and finance, and now runs her own business teaching moms how to outsource, delegate, and reclaim their time.

This episode is pure energy. We talk about:

✅ What ranch life taught her about systems and collaboration

✅ How she balanced multiple jobs, paid her way through college, and married an entrepreneur

✅ The surprising link between restaurant work and business strategy

✅ Her journey from finance to entrepreneurship and helping moms "run their home like a business"

✅ Why outsourcing isn’t a luxury (and how anyone can start with 5 hours a week)

If you’ve ever wondered how to juggle everything—career, family, adventure, and sanity—this conversation is your permission slip to stop doing it all yourself.

🎧 Listen in for stories about $2.13 diner shifts, cigar shop nights with Bill Murray types, and the secret to finally making time for the life you want.

📌 Watch now and learn how to buy back your time, build your village, and enjoy the life you’re working so hard for.

Connect with Brenda:

LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/brenda-noon-schmidt-4880aa183/

Meet your host, Candice Mitchell

Candice Mitchell is a Talent Development Strategist, CEO of Talent Collective, and USA Today bestselling author of Choose You: For the People Who Refuse to Disappear. With nearly two decades of experience building and leading capability functions inside global and Fortune 500 organizations, she founded Talent Collective, a premium capability-building firm for L&D, HR, Change, and People leaders in high-growth companies.

Your host, Candice Mitchell, can be found online at:

Website: https://talentcollective.org/

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candice_mitchell_msc/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@candice_mitchell_msc

Talent Development Academy: https://courses.talentcollective.org/bundles/talent-development-academy

Choose You book: https://chooseyoubook.com/

Original music composed by: Paul DeHaven

pauldehavenmusic.com

How do we help our kids (and learners) grow up with AI — without outsourcing all their thinking to it? In this final episode, Gavin shares the behind-the-scenes of his AI academy for kids and what he’s learned about teaching technology in a way that builds curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking.

We also explore the massive opportunity AI offers L&D professionals to personalize learning and build truly future-ready teams — and what we, as parents and People leaders, need to do right now.

Get to know Gav:

I’m a husband to an ambitious woman and a dad to two curious girls. I’ve spent years in tech as a seasoned IT professional, certified in AI and other areas at the world’s largest cloud computing company. Now I’m building a generative AI school for kids. The idea came from both personal and professional motivation. I want my daughters, and others growing up in this AI-shaped world, to understand the tools shaping their future.

Connect with Gav:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavin-b-4467198/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cutsmethod.official/

Keywords:

AI in education, personalized learning with AI, kids and AI, AI for parents, AI learning tools, future-ready skills, learning and development, adaptive learning technology.

Meet your host, Candice Mitchell

Candice Mitchell is a Talent Development Strategist, CEO of Talent Collective, and USA Today bestselling author of Choose You: For the People Who Refuse to Disappear. With nearly two decades of experience building and leading capability functions inside global and Fortune 500 organizations, she founded Talent Collective, a premium capability-building firm for L&D, HR, Change, and People leaders in high-growth companies.

Your host, Candice Mitchell, can be found online at:

Website: https://talentcollective.org/

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candice_mitchell_msc/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@candice_mitchell_msc

Talent Development Academy: https://courses.talentcollective.org/bundles/talent-development-academy

Choose You book: https://chooseyoubook.com/

Original music composed by: Paul DeHaven

pauldehavenmusic.com

At seven years old, Brianna published her first book and dreamed of changing the world. But her path was far from easy. Bullied in school, battling an eating disorder, and starting a business at 16, she learned grit the hard way. Ten years later, after building a successful agency, she burnt it all down to rebuild life and business on her terms — and birthed Overflow, her global movement helping entrepreneurs scale their businesses while actually enjoying their lives.

In this episode, Brianna shares:

• How writing and publishing a book at 7 shaped her entrepreneurial mindset
• The harsh lessons of bullying, judgment, and proving herself in boardrooms at 16
• Why she walked away from a thriving 10-year business to build Overflow
• The mindset shifts and support systems that keep her grounded while growing
• Why so many entrepreneurs hit big milestones yet still feel empty — and how to stop that cycle.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re carrying the weight of your clients, your dreams, or your business alone, Brianna’s story will inspire you to believe again. This isn’t just about scaling a business. It’s about creating a life of happiness, health, freedom, and impact — a life of Overflow.

Connect with Brianna:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianna-johnston-8b1229102/?originalSubdomain=uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_briannajohnston/

Meet your host, Candice Mitchell

Candice Mitchell is a Talent Development Strategist, CEO of Talent Collective, and USA Today bestselling author of Choose You: For the People Who Refuse to Disappear. With nearly two decades of experience building and leading capability functions inside global and Fortune 500 organizations, she founded Talent Collective, a premium capability-building firm for L&D, HR, Change, and People leaders in high-growth companies.

Your host, Candice Mitchell, can be found online at:

Website: https://talentcollective.org/

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candice_mitchell_msc/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@candice_mitchell_msc

Talent Development Academy: https://courses.talentcollective.org/bundles/talent-development-academy

Choose You book: https://chooseyoubook.com/

Original music composed by: Paul DeHaven

pauldehavenmusic.com

Will AI agents replace people? Or will they just free us from the worst parts of work? In this episode, we explore the future of work with AI agents — intelligent tools that don’t just suggest actions, but take them for you.

We talk about automation, emerging roles, job redesign, and how People functions need to get ready — now. Plus: how to help your workforce shift, reskill, and stay relevant in a world where knowledge work is being redefined.

Get to know Gav:

I’m a husband to an ambitious woman and a dad to two curious girls. I’ve spent years in tech as a seasoned IT professional, certified in AI and other areas at the world’s largest cloud computing company. Now I’m building a generative AI school for kids. The idea came from both personal and professional motivation. I want my daughters, and others growing up in this AI-shaped world, to understand the tools shaping their future.

Connect with Gav:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavin-b-4467198/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cutsmethod.official/

Keywords:

AI agents, future of work, HR automation, AI job disruption, strategic L&D, AI in business operations, reskilling workforce, AI adoption in HR

Meet your host, Candice Mitchell

Candice Mitchell is a Talent Development Strategist, CEO of Talent Collective, and USA Today bestselling author of Choose You: For the People Who Refuse to Disappear. With nearly two decades of experience building and leading capability functions inside global and Fortune 500 organizations, she founded Talent Collective, a premium capability-building firm for L&D, HR, Change, and People leaders in high-growth companies.

Your host, Candice Mitchell, can be found online at:

Website: https://talentcollective.org/

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candice_mitchell_msc/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@candice_mitchell_msc

Talent Development Academy: https://courses.talentcollective.org/bundles/talent-development-academy

Choose You book: https://chooseyoubook.com/

Original music composed by: Paul DeHaven

pauldehavenmusic.com

What does it take to go from working 17 jobs before age 25 to building a business in Dubai, pitching to investors, and living an adventurous, international life?

In this episode, Elena Agaragimova shares her fascinating journey:

➡️ Moving from Russia to the U.S. as a teen and feeling like an outsider

➡️ Changing majors five times and navigating her way through community college

➡️ Traveling the world recruiting students and living out of a suitcase (while sick in Peru!)

➡️ Moving to Dubai, reinventing herself, and launching a startup from scratch

➡️ Facing rejection, career lows, and rebuilding her confidence—plus how she turned it all around

This is a story about reinvention, risk-taking, and what you learn about yourself when you keep stepping into the unknown.

🎧 If you’ve ever felt stuck in your career, doubted yourself, or wondered if it’s too late to pivot—this episode will inspire you to take the leap.

Connect with Elena:

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elenaagaragimova/?hl=en

Meet your host, Candice Mitchell

Candice Mitchell is a Talent Development Strategist, CEO of Talent Collective, and USA Today bestselling author of Choose You: For the People Who Refuse to Disappear. With nearly two decades of experience building and leading capability functions inside global and Fortune 500 organizations, she founded Talent Collective, a premium capability-building firm for L&D, HR, Change, and People leaders in high-growth companies.

Your host, Candice Mitchell, can be found online at:

Website: https://talentcollective.org/

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candice_mitchell_msc/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@candice_mitchell_msc

Talent Development Academy: https://courses.talentcollective.org/bundles/talent-development-academy

Choose You book: https://chooseyoubook.com/

Original music composed by: Paul DeHaven

pauldehavenmusic.com

Ever talked about something random and then got an ad for it the next day? You’re not imagining it — and there’s more going on than you think. In this episode, we dive into how AI-driven algorithms shape what we see, hear, and even believe.

We unpack targeted ads, cookies, echo chambers, and why your AI tools are so agreeable — and how that can be dangerous. Plus: how to use prompts like “act as” to break out of the bubble and get AI to challenge you instead of flatter you.

Get to know Gav:

I’m a husband to an ambitious woman and a dad to two curious girls. I’ve spent years in tech as a seasoned IT professional, certified in AI and other areas at the world’s largest cloud computing company. Now I’m building a generative AI school for kids. The idea came from both personal and professional motivation. I want my daughters, and others growing up in this AI-shaped world, to understand the tools shaping their future.

Connect with Gav:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavin-b-4467198/

Website: https://nextgencloudacademy.com

Meet your host, Candice Mitchell

Candice Mitchell is a Talent Development Strategist, CEO of Talent Collective, and USA Today bestselling author of Choose You: For the People Who Refuse to Disappear. With nearly two decades of experience building and leading capability functions inside global and Fortune 500 organizations, she founded Talent Collective, a premium capability-building firm for L&D, HR, Change, and People leaders in high-growth companies.

Your host, Candice Mitchell, can be found online at:

Website: https://talentcollective.org/

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candice_mitchell_msc/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@candice_mitchell_msc

Talent Development Academy: https://courses.talentcollective.org/bundles/talent-development-academy

Choose You book: https://chooseyoubook.com/

Original music composed by: Paul DeHaven

pauldehavenmusic.com

John Kraski has been an ice cream scooper, UPS loader, aspiring airline pilot, Big Four accountant, author, startup exec, LinkedIn content machine, and maybe, just maybe, a future TV producer.

This episode isn’t about climbing a ladder. It’s about realizing the ladder’s against the wrong wall… and having the nerve to build your own.

We get into:

• How John spent 20 years in finance trying to leave
• Why LinkedIn became his personal TV channel (and what that even means)
• What people get totally wrong about brand partnerships and content monetization
• The business model he’s building next, and why it's designed to be replicable
• His “unhinged within professional guardrails” philosophy that keeps people watching
• Why he’d thank his younger self for booking a plane ticket, not picking a major

If you’ve ever felt stuck in a career that looks good on paper but drains your soul in practice, John's story will hit home. And if you're building something new from scratch? He’s got receipts, reality checks, and ideas you’ll want to steal.

🎧 Listen in for a very real, slightly wild, always strategic conversation about what it actually looks like to make your own lane.

Get to know John:

John Kraski is what happens when a former Big Four accountant decides to stop ignoring his creative instincts and start treating LinkedIn like late-night TV. After 20 years in finance (and knowing on day one it wasn’t for him), John’s built a second career as a content strategist, storyteller, and brand builder—logging 10,000+ hours on LinkedIn and driving over $10M in revenue for the companies he’s worked with.

He’s launched global event series, closed deals with CAA, helped raise $7M for a Mark Cuban–backed startup, and even chased Will Ferrell off a plane to pitch a screenplay.

Today, he’s obsessed with helping brands and leaders turn scrolls into strategy using the power of content that’s actually good. His style? “Unhinged within professional guardrails”—equal parts data-driven and delightfully unpredictable.

Oh, and he’s still got that screenplay. Hollywood, call him.

Connect with John:

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

Meet your host, Candice Mitchell

Candice Mitchell is a Talent Development Strategist, CEO of Talent Collective, and USA Today bestselling author of Choose You: For the People Who Refuse to Disappear. With nearly two decades of experience building and leading capability functions inside global and Fortune 500 organizations, she founded Talent Collective, a premium capability-building firm for L&D, HR, Change, and People leaders in high-growth companies.

Your host, Candice Mitchell, can be found online at:

Website: https://talentcollective.org/

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candice_mitchell_msc/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@candice_mitchell_msc

Talent Development Academy: https://courses.talentcollective.org/bundles/talent-development-academy

Choose You book: https://chooseyoubook.com/

Original music composed by: Paul DeHaven

pauldehavenmusic.com

What’s the difference between machine learning and generative AI? What even is a hallucination in AI terms (and is ChatGPT taking mushrooms)? In this episode, Gavin breaks it all down in plain English — no tech jargon required.

We explore how tools like ChatGPT work, what they can really do, and why understanding the difference between prediction and true intelligence matters more than ever. This is your no-BS AI 101 — and every People leader should hear it.

Get to know Gav:

I’m a husband to an ambitious woman and a dad to two curious girls. I’ve spent years in tech as a seasoned IT professional, certified in AI and other areas at the world’s largest cloud computing company. Now I’m building a generative AI school for kids. The idea came from both personal and professional motivation. I want my daughters, and others growing up in this AI-shaped world, to understand the tools shaping their future.

Connect with Gav:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavin-b-4467198/

Website: https://nextgencloudacademy.com

Keywords:

machine learning vs generative AI, what is AI, AI for HR, ChatGPT explained, AI hallucinations, people-first AI, how does AI work, L&D and AI

Meet your host, Candice Mitchell

Candice Mitchell is a Talent Development Strategist, CEO of Talent Collective, and USA Today bestselling author of Choose You: For the People Who Refuse to Disappear. With nearly two decades of experience building and leading capability functions inside global and Fortune 500 organizations, she founded Talent Collective, a premium capability-building firm for L&D, HR, Change, and People leaders in high-growth companies.

Your host, Candice Mitchell, can be found online at:

Website: https://talentcollective.org/

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candice_mitchell_msc/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@candice_mitchell_msc

Talent Development Academy: https://courses.talentcollective.org/bundles/talent-development-academy

Choose You book: https://chooseyoubook.com/

Original music composed by: Paul DeHaven

pauldehavenmusic.com

Chris Taylor built his first business at 12, selling homemade "devil sticks" at school fairs. Since then, he’s been on a wild ride, from selling knives to crashing hard as a young leader, to rebuilding from his parents' basement and becoming a trailblazer in behavior change and impact measurement.

In this conversation, Chris shares the real behind-the-scenes story: the failure that humbled him, the habits that changed everything, and why he believes L&D must evolve from content delivery to driving measurable behavior change.

He also opens up about building Actionable (a tech platform now used in 7,000+ programs) and Catalyst (his community for early-stage consultants). Plus, we talk about the power of choosing yourself, building social capital before asking for anything in return, and how living nomadically reshaped his view on success.

If you’re in learning, leadership, consulting—or dreaming about what’s next—this episode is full of gems.

🎧 Topics we cover:

• Early entrepreneurial roots
• Failing hard as a young leader (and what turned it around)
• Building tech from a basement with $600
• How to prove the impact of your work
• Why you should create value before asking to be valued

Get to know Chris:

Chris founded Actionable.co in 2008 for the express purpose of helping corporate learners apply

what they learned; consistently and measurably. Since then, Chris – and his team at Actionable

– have supported the deployment of over 3000+ programs leveraging the Impact Certainty

model for driving change.

Described once by a client as “a curious blend of Boomer and Gen-Y”, Chris is often called

upon to act as a bridge and translator between generations at work, our new state of constant

change and impact technology has on team dynamics. He brings a self-deprecating sense of

humour and grounded-ness to his keynotes and workshops, ensuring attendees leave inspired

and well equipped to drive real change back in the workplace.

Chris is a regular speaker and writer on Learning Impact Measurement, Behavior Change and

how to overcome the challenges of eLearning.

Connect with Chris:

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

Website: www.actionable.co

The Behavior Change Toolkit(TM): https://actionable.scoreapp.com/

Meet your host, Candice Mitchell

Candice Mitchell is a Talent Development Strategist, CEO of Talent Collective, and USA Today bestselling author of Choose You: For the People Who Refuse to Disappear. With nearly two decades of experience building and leading capability functions inside global and Fortune 500 organizations, she founded Talent Collective, a premium capability-building firm for L&D, HR, Change, and People leaders in high-growth companies.

Your host, Candice Mitchell, can be found online at:

Website: https://talentcollective.org/

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candice_mitchell_msc/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@candice_mitchell_msc

Talent Development Academy: https://courses.talentcollective.org/bundles/talent-development-academy

Choose You book: https://chooseyoubook.com/

Original music composed by: Paul DeHaven

pauldehavenmusic.com

How does a kid stacking shelves in a South African supermarket end up advising Fortune 50 CEOs on AI strategy? In this episode, Gavin Bull — now a Principal at AWS — shares his unexpected journey from retail to tech leadership. We talk about the early jobs that shaped his people skills, the realities of moving across three continents, and the career pivots that led him into cloud computing and artificial intelligence.

Whether you’re in HR, L&D, or just curious about real-world tech careers, this is a powerful reminder that your starting point doesn’t define your trajectory.

Get to know Gav:

I’m a husband to an ambitious woman and a dad to two curious girls. I’ve spent years in tech as a seasoned IT professional, certified in AI and other areas at the world’s largest cloud computing company. Now I’m building a generative AI school for kids. The idea came from both personal and professional motivation. I want my daughters, and others growing up in this AI-shaped world, to understand the tools shaping their future.

Connect with Gav:

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/gavin-bull-aws-canada-technologist

Website: https://nextgencloudacademy.com

Meet your host, Candice Mitchell

Candice Mitchell is a Talent Development Strategist, CEO of Talent Collective, and USA Today bestselling author of Choose You: For the People Who Refuse to Disappear. With nearly two decades of experience building and leading capability functions inside global and Fortune 500 organizations, she founded Talent Collective, a premium capability-building firm for L&D, HR, Change, and People leaders in high-growth companies.

Your host, Candice Mitchell, can be found online at:

Website: https://talentcollective.org/

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candice_mitchell_msc/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@candice_mitchell_msc

Talent Development Academy: https://courses.talentcollective.org/bundles/talent-development-academy

Choose You book: https://chooseyoubook.com/

Original music composed by: Paul DeHaven

pauldehavenmusic.com

Keywords:

career transitions, Gavin Bull, AI in business, AWS Principal, global career path, HR podcast, learning and development, people development, AI journey