Lavinia Mehedințu: From Quiet Teen in a Romanian Village to L&D’s Loudest Cheerleader: A Story of Saying No, Leading Anyway, and Building What Didn’t Exist

She said no to people management. Dropped out of university. Burned out building Offbeat. And still? She built one of the boldest L&D communities on the planet.

She said no to people management. Dropped out of university. Burned out building Offbeat. And still? She built one of the boldest L&D communities on the planet.

In this episode, I’m joined by Lavinia Mehedintu — founder of Offbeat, a vibrant learning space for L&D professionals who are done with traditional.

We dive deep into:

💥 The messy reality of her first leadership role (spoiler: nobody thought she should be in it)

💥 Why she left a job and team she loved to build something of her own

💥 What therapy taught her about leading others — and herself

💥 Her raw take on burnout, money mindset, and building a business that doesn’t break you

💥 Why L&D careers need to be more human — and what we’re still getting wrong

Whether you’re an L&D leader, aspiring entrepreneur, or career explorer — Lavinia’s story will remind you that bravery isn’t loud... but it changes everything.

Connect with Lavinia:

🎟️ Offbeat LIVE is happening in London on June 9–10, 2025 — in a bar, not a ballroom. Come meet the movement.

LinkedIn

Instagram

Website

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

Website: https://talentdevelopmentnerds.com/

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

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

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@candicemitchell.TDNerd

Talent Development Academy: https://talentdevelopmentnerds.com/tda

Original music composed by: Paul DeHaven

pauldehavenmusic.com