L&D Must Change

Most L&D teams are using AI to write content faster, but the business doesn't care. Megan Torrance, founder of Torrance Learning and author of the upcoming AI Implementation Guide for L&D, joins Jess to make the case that L&D professionals are sitting on a goldmine of untapped superpowers, and it's time to use them where it matters most: inside the business's core AI strategy. From the AI Implementation Canvas to the WISE at AI framework, this episode will change how you see your role in your organization's AI future.

Jess and Megan Discuss

• Why L&D's current AI conversation (content generation, authoring tools) is largely invisible and irrelevant to the rest of the business
• The unique "superpowers" L&D brings to organizational AI strategy: workflow analysis, broad internal networks, and skilled questioning
• The AI Implementation Canvas: a 14-dimension framework across 4 categories that gives L&D a structured way to start strategic AI conversations
• How an empty dimension on the Canvas is actually data, and why silence signals a potential blind spot
• The three AI impact zones (L&D productivity, learner experience, and organizational transformation) and why L&D needs to push into zone three
• Why relationship power, not hierarchy, is L&D's path to being called upstream on AI initiatives
• Practical strategies for building those relationships: proactive curiosity, attending town halls, and asking "what else is going on in your world?"
• The WISE at AI framework (Wisdom, Inclusivity, Safe and Secure, Equitable, Accountable, Transparent) and how to operationalize it inside your organization

About Megan Torrance

Megan Torrance is the CEO and founder of TorranceLearning, where she leads a team of learning experience designers and engineers in reimagining workplace learning. Her firm has served Fortune 1000 companies, major research universities, global professional associations, and federal agencies for more than two decades. Megan brings a strategic vision that helps TorranceLearning bridge vision with execution—delivering innovative, data-informed, and learner-centered solutions.

Megan is active in the L&D community, frequently speaking at conferences and writing many articles. She has also written 3 books: Agile for Instructional Designers (2019), Data and Analytics for Instructional Designers (2023), and her newest book which comes out at the beginning of June 2026, The AI Implementation Guide for L&D.

Find and Connect with Megan Torrance

• Website: https://www.torrancelearning.com/
• LinkedIn
• Newest Book: The AI Implementation Guide for L&D (June 2026)
• Book: Data and Analytics for Instructional Designers (2023)
• Book: Agile for Instructional Designers (2019)

Find and Connect with Jess Almlie

• LinkedIn
• Website: www.jessalmlie.com
• Book: L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner
• L&D Strategic Business Partner Team Assessment and Team Development Roadmap
• Contact Jess

Most L&D teams are not struggling because they lack talent or effort. They are struggling because of the system they are operating in. In this episode, Jess sits down with L&D strategist Tracie Cantu to talk about why L&D's credibility problem is really an operating model problem, and what it looks like to fix it. They cover everything from governance and portfolio management to getting involved in strategic conversations, empowering others to create content, and the three-pillar Learning Operations Blueprint that can help any L&D team operate with the same rigor and intention as the business it serves.

Jess and Tracie Discuss

• Why L&D's traditional operating model is now a liability, not just a limitation
• What "running L&D like a business" actually means (and what it does not mean)
• Reframing governance and operational rigor as a superpower, not bureaucracy
• The difference between the business as your customer and employees as your consumers
• Portfolio management for L&D: making data-driven decisions about where to invest resources
• The Learning Operations Blueprint and its three pillars: people, process, and technology
• Why standardizing your intake process is the highest-leverage first step
• Becoming a connector and problem-solver across the organization
• Why over-indexing on content creation keeps L&D teams stuck
• Empowering SMEs to create content so L&D can focus on higher-impact work
• A simple first step any team can take: mapping current processes together

About Tracie Cantu

Tracie Cantu, MHRM, CPTD is an enterprise L&D strategist with 20+ years of experience building and transforming learning operations at scale. She has led learning functions across aviation, government, retail, and tech, including Director of Learning Technology at Whole Foods Market (Amazon) and Head of Learning Ecosystems at Meta, before stepping into fractional executive work and advising global organizations across financial services, legal, healthcare, and beyond. Her work is grounded in a single premise: L&D's credibility problem is an operating model problem.

As Chief Learning Strategist of Your CLO, she works with senior L&D leaders and the executives they report to on the infrastructure, technology strategy, and measurement systems that make learning functions perform like the business units they serve. Tracie is an international speaker and a regular presence at Learning, HR, and EdTech conferences. Her writing has appeared in publications such as TD Magazine, Federal News Network, and Training Magazine. Her book, Running L&D Like a Business: Drive Value with Learning Operations, published through ATD Press.

Find and Connect with Tracie Cantu

• LinkedIn
• Book: Running L&D Like a Business: Drive Value With Learning Operations
• Website: yourclo.net

Find and Connect with Jess Almlie

• LinkedIn
• Website: www.jessalmlie.com
• Book: L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner
• L&D Strategic Business Partner Team Assessment and Team Development Roadmap
• Contact Jess

Many L&D teams are being asked to "train the business on AI"… but what does that really mean? In this episode, Jess and Timothy Frost unpack the tension shaping AI in Learning and Talent Development: overreliance, resistance, and exuberance. They explore how these mindsets show up in your daily work, impact learning quality, and influence how you use AI. They also tackle the growing pressure on L&D teams to lead company-wide AI training and share a more strategic approach grounded in clear goals, data, and real use cases. If you are trying to figure out how to use AI without overdoing it or falling behind, this conversation will help you find your footing.

Jess and Timothy Discuss

• The "tri-linked crossroads" of AI in L&D: exuberance, resistance, and overreliance
• Why AI should be treated as a tool that enhances work, not replaces people
• The real reason behind resistance: fear, overwhelm, and reluctance to learn new tech
• How overreliance on AI can reduce learning quality and critical thinking
• The risk of turning L&D into a "churn and burn" content factory with AI
• Practical ways AI improves efficiency like brainstorming, email triage, and idea generation
• Why not all AI tools are equal and how to choose the right one for the job
• How to push back on executive pressure for cost savings without rejecting AI
• A simple framework for leading AI adoption: define the why, analyze data, design learning
• How to get started with AI through small, practical experiments
• The shift toward in-the-moment, personalized learning powered by AI
• Why L&D must focus on working with AI, not just using it

About Timothy Frost

Tim Frost is a digital learning and performance consultant who partners with organizations to solve real business problems, not just build training. With a background in education and enterprise healthcare, he specializes in transforming complex systems into intuitive, high-impact learning experiences. His work sits at the intersection of strategy, technology, and design, helping organizations modernize their learning ecosystems, improve adoption, and create experiences people actually want to engage with.

Find and Connect with Timothy Frost

• LinkedIn
• ATD Central Florida

Find and Connect with Jess Almlie

• LinkedIn
• Website: www.jessalmlie.com
• Book: L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner
• L&D Strategic Business Partner Team Assessment and Team Development Roadmap
• Contact Jess

Eighty percent of the global workforce is doing frontline work, yet, most L&D strategies are built from a corporate perspective. That's a mismatch. In this episode, Jess welcomes JD Dillon, author of "The Frontline Enablement Playbook," for a candid conversation about why the frontline workforce requires a fundamentally different enablement approach than the one designed for corporate employees. From rethinking leadership development to getting L&D professionals onto the floor alongside the people they support, this episode is a practical call to action for every talent professional ready to build strategies that actually fit how frontline work gets done.

Jess and JD Discuss

• Why L&D has historically overlooked the frontline workforce
• The gap between corporate learning strategies and frontline realities
• Moving from training to a broader enablement mindset
• Why frontline managers are the most critical leverage point
• The limits of traditional leadership development programs
• How peer connection drives real learning for managers
• Designing support based on the job, not L&D assumptions
• Why task focused support beats program based design
• The importance of getting on the floor and doing the work
• How to make learning content more authentic and useful
• Supporting people who train others but do not identify as L&D
• The opportunity to build stronger community in frontline environments

About JD Dillon

JD Dillon began his career on the frontline, gaining firsthand experience leading teams in theme parks, movie theaters, and contact centers. These roles shaped his understanding of how people learn, perform, and succeed in fast-paced business environments. Over the past 25 years, JD has become the leading voice in frontline enablement. He has held roles in operations, marketing, and talent development with global organizations, including Disney, AMC, Kaplan, and Axonify.

JD has shaped technology, content, and services used by millions of frontline workers around the world in industries like retail, grocery, food service, hospitality, logistics, financial services, and more. JD is a respected author, content creator, and keynote speaker with a passion for helping people do their best work every day. He advises organizations on frontline performance strategy, ecosystem architecture, and AI-enabled solutions. JD's first book, The Modern Learning Ecosystem, is a personal, practical, hilarious take on L&D's role in today's workplace. His latest book, The Frontline Enablement Playbook, is a blueprint for rethinking how organizations equip, engage, and empower their deskless workers.

Find and Connect with JD Dillon

• LinkedIn
• New Book: The Frontline Enablement Playbook
• First Book: The Modern Learning Ecosystem
• Website: jddillon.com

Find and Connect with Jess Almlie

• LinkedIn
• Website: www.jessalmlie.com
• Book: L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner
• L&D Strategic Business Partner Team Assessment and Team Development Roadmap
• Contact Jess

Microlearning sounds simple. It's not. In this episode, Jess sits down with Robyn Defelice to unpack why microlearning often fails and what L&D pros are getting wrong. They explore the critical shift from covering content to making intentional decisions, why misalignment derails projects, and how to actually use microlearning as part of a broader learning strategy. If you've ever been asked to "just make it shorter," this conversation will change how you think about design, stakeholders, and impact.

Jess and Robyn Discuss

• Why L&D must shift from content coverage to intentional decision making
• How microlearning exposes weak design and stakeholder habits
• The three different meanings of "microlearning" and why misalignment happens
• How to push back on stakeholders while staying learner focused
• Why microlearning is not just shrinking content
• The role of shared language in successful learning projects
• How the Microlearning Readiness Framework (MLR) helps teams assess capability
• When microlearning works best as pre-work, reinforcement, or extension
• Why microlearning should complement, not replace, other learning formats
• Practical first steps to start using microlearning more effectively

About Robyn A. Defelice

Robyn A. Defelice, PhD, is a learning strategist, consultant, and speaker who transforms how L&D professionals approach their craft. With 25 years spanning startups to Fortune 500s, manufacturing to healthcare, government to higher education, she helps practitioners integrate the art, science, and business of learning to become strategic partners in their organizations. She is the founder of RADLearning, co-author of "Microlearning: Short and Sweet" (ATD Press), and author of the newly released, "Maximizing the Power of Microlearning" (ATD Press). For over a decade, she has partnered with ATD on research into training development times, informing how organizations approach capacity and capability planning. Her favorite moments? When L&D teams discover their untapped potential and realize just how much impact they can have.

Find and Connect with Robyn A. Defelice

• LinkedIn
• Website: https://www.radlearning.com/
• 1st Book: Microlearning Short and Sweet
• New Book: Maximizing the Power of Microlearning

Find and Connect with Jess Almlie

• LinkedIn
• Website: www.jessalmlie.com
• Book: L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner
• L&D Strategic Business Partner Team Assessment and Team Development Roadmap
• Contact Jess

What if your real job in L&D isn't to build better courses, but to design better conditions for learning? In this episode, Mark Britz challenges us to step outside the L&D box and examine the larger ecosystem shaping performance every day. Through powerful stories and practical examples, Jess and Mark explore how control, efficiency, and legacy systems can unintentionally block learning. Instead of asking "What training should I create?" you'll be invited to ask, "What environment am I designing?" This conversation will stretch how you see your role and the impact you can truly have.

Jess and Mark Discuss

• The shift from controlling learning through courses to influencing learning through environment design.
• Why creating content can subtly reinforce control instead of capability.
• The power of organizational design in shaping behavior.
• How efficiency-driven systems can unintentionally create disconnection and limit learning.
• The case study that proves most performance problems are not training problems.
• How social tools like Slack and Teams can act as an MRI for your culture, revealing trust, power, and communication patterns.
• What learning in the flow of work really means.
• The learning that emerges when people are trusted to solve problems.
• Auditing your own L&D processes to identify where you may be reinforcing control.

About Mark Britz

Mark is the Director of Event Programming & Content at The Learning Guild and author of Social By Design: How to create and scale a collaborative company. Across roles in education, corporate, and start-up settings—as a teacher, instructional designer, social strategist, and performance consultant - his focus has been consistent: reshape systems to reduce friction, foster connection, and support learning through work, not around it.

Find and Connect with Mark Britz

• LinkedIn
• Website: www.markbritz.com
• Book: Social by Design: How to create and scale a collaborative company
• The Learning Guild
• Learning Leadership Conference
• DevLearn Conference & Expo

Find and Connect with Jess Almlie

• LinkedIn
• Website: www.jessalmlie.com
• Book: L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner
• L&D Strategic Business Partner Team Assessment and Team Development Roadmap
• Contact Jess

Is your L&D content closet getting a bit cluttered? When was the last time you cleaned it up? In this episode, Jess sits down with Ger Driesen, founder of World Learning Content Cleanup Day (#WLLCD), to challenge L&D's obsession with creation over maintenance. They explore why outdated learning erodes credibility, how to adopt a "retire by default" mindset, and how a simple annual cleanup can uncover powerful data insights. Let's reduce risk and increase the benefits of our content together with a cleanup celebration.

Jess and Ger Discuss

• Why L&D teams prioritize creation and neglect maintenance
• The concept behind World Learning Content Cleanup Day
• The idea of learning hygiene as a professional standard
• How to evaluate content using relevance, usage, accuracy, and risk
• Using LMS data to inform cleanup decisions
• The retire by default mindset shift
• Refreshing, rewriting, or retiring content strategically
• What heat illness training in Alaska can teach us about relevance
• How cleanup builds credibility with stakeholders
• Navigating resistance and "killing your darlings" conversations
• Turning a one day event into an ongoing process
• Simple ways any L&D pro can get started

About Ger Driesen

Ger Driesen started working in L&D in 1990 and has taken on almost every L&D role there is during his career. He's served as a L&D consultant, a learning designer, an L&D manager, a Trainer/facilitator, a teacher for L&D at a university of applied sciences, a writer, and speaker. As the Learning Innovation Leader at Newspring, Ger launched the World Learning Content Cleanup Day (#WLCCD) in 2023. He is the co-founder and independent learning and leadership consultant for Challenge Leadership Development Academy. Ger is based in the Netherlands and also known as the Dutch L&D trend catcher.

Find and Connect with Ger Driesen

• LinkedIn
• World Learning Content Cleanup Day Overview and Video

Find and Connect with Jess Almlie

• LinkedIn
• Website: www.jessalmlie.com
• Book: L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner
• L&D Strategic Business Partner Team Assessment and Team Development Roadmap
• Contact Jess

Choosing the right L&D technology can feel overwhelming when every platform promises transformation. In this episode, Jess and learning strategist Becky Willis cut through the noise to talk about how to evaluate learning tech with a critical eye. They explore how to separate real capability from marketing hype, what AI should actually be doing behind the scenes, and how to make smart technology decisions even when budget or legacy systems get in the way. If tech decisions stress you out, this conversation will help.

Jess and Becky Discuss

• Why legacy LMSs were built for course management, not performance impact
• "Dinosaurs on wheels" and how AI gets bolted onto outdated systems
• The difference between AI at the core vs AI for content creation only
• Why you should start with a business problem, not a platform wish list
• Red flags in vendor demos and the questions to ask anyway
• What actionable data should look like, including BI-style analytics
• Personalization, skills, and collaboration as real engagement drivers
• How L&D accidentally kills engagement by overwhelming learners
• Using pilots, especially with IT, to reveal gaps and build allies
• How to show value and earn budget even with clunky tech
• Tying learning to KPIs like quality, safety, and time-to-proficiency

About Becky Willis

Becky Willis is a modern learning strategist, speaker, and author who focuses on learning strategy, technology, and engagement. As a founder and chief learning officer at Tractus Learning, she helps businesses design, develop, and improve their learning solutions. She is a thought leader in the field of learning platforms and ecosystems and cares deeply about leveraging technology to create personalized, adaptive, and continuous learning experiences to drive better outcomes for businesses.

Find and Connect with Becky Willis

• LinkedIn
• Tractus Learning Website: https://tractuslearning.com/
• Book: 7 Steps to Learning Engagement

Find and Connect with Jess Almlie

• LinkedIn
• Website: www.jessalmlie.com
• Book: L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner
• L&D Strategic Business Partner Team Assessment and Team Development Roadmap
• Contact Jess

AI can spit out an L&D outline in seconds, but it cannot create connection. In this episode, Jess Almlie talks with Stephanie Hubka about why storytelling is the missing ingredient in a world of fast, transactional training. They break down how to choose stories with intention using the SOL framework, how to design learning through story using scenarios and choose-your-own-adventure techniques, and how to use AI as a partner without outsourcing the best parts of your craft. You will leave ready to start a story journal and humanize your learning.

Jess and Stephanie Discuss

• How AI exposes the gap between knowledge transfer and human connection
• Stephanie's "light switch" moment when ChatGPT matched her outline, but stripped the soul from the learning
• Why storytelling builds trust, openness, and the vulnerability learners need
• Common objections like "I'm not confident" and "I don't have the right story" and how to move past them
• Borrowing stories ethically, including when to ask permission and when to anonymize
• Using the SOL framework to pick stories that spark, overcome, underscore, or link
• The difference between adding a story and designing through story
• Story-based structures like scenarios and choose-your-own-adventure learning
• Four storytelling archetypes (superpowers) and how to match your style to your audience
• A practical workflow: human start, AI middle, human end
• A simple next step: start a story journal you can pull from anytime

About Stephanie Hubka

Stephanie Hubka wants to live in a world where learning is human at its core and anchored by experiences that celebrate joy, curiosity, and genuine connection. As the managing partner of Protos Learning, LLC she provides strategic leadership on professional learning and organizational performance solutions to companies around the world.

Stephanie is a Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD) and is Dare to Lead Trained. She is a sought-after facilitator and keynote speaker, and her work has been published in industry publications including TD Magazine. She is the co-author of 3-2-1 Launch!: The Ultimate Guide to Starting a Talent Development Podcast. Stephanie is a longtime ATD volunteer and proudly served as the president of the Metro DC chapter of ATD in 2016 and as a National Advisor for Chapters from 2017-2022.

Stephanie's passion for training is equaled only by her love of exploring the globe; an avid traveler, she has visited all 7 continents, more than 70 countries, and all 50 US states.

Find and Connect with Stephanie Hubka

• • LinkedIn
  • Website: Protos Learning
  • ATD Blog Article: AI Isn't Human, But Storytelling Is
  • TD Magazine Article: Channel Your Sorytelling Superpower (Free to ATD Members)
  • Book: 3-2-1 Launch! The Ultimate Guide to Starting a Talent Development Podcast

Find and Connect with Jess Almlie

• • LinkedIn
  • Website: www.jessalmlie.com
  • Book: L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner
  • L&D Strategic Business Partner Team Assessment and Team Development Roadmap
  • Contact Jess

Let's be real. Most Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs) don't actually improve performance. They're a legal termination plan in disguise. That doesn't make anyone feel good. But, they don't have to be this way! In this episode, Jess talks with coach and culture consultant Amy Kay Watson about rebooting accountability so performance improvement becomes a true development process instead of a disciplinary paper trail. Amy breaks down why most PIPs don't include learning or development and then shares a practical model built designed to restore psychological safety, clarify standards, and build early wins. You'll leave with concrete ways L&D can equip managers to partner in accountability conversations and diagnose root causes. PIPs can be positive turning points, but only with a different approach.

Jess and Amy Discuss

• Why PIPs often function as compliance tools instead of learning frameworks, and the downstream damage to trust, morale, and capability
• The "reformer's trap": why managers default to policing behavior under pressure (and what to do instead)
• How cultures fall into the "nice trap," confusing kindness with lack of structure and boundaries
• A developmental PIP model built on three pillars: Justice, Goals, and Efficacy
• Justice in practice: using transparent performance data ("Do you see what I see?") to reduce threat response and enable learning
• Goals that build capacity: shifting from deficit lists to resourced targets using the Job Demands–Resources (JDR) lens
• Efficacy: restoring agency by designing early, achievable wins to rebuild confidence and momentum
• L&D's three big opportunities: train managers as diagnostic "regulators," claim PIPs as a learning tool, and align with HR/Legal to avoid mixed messages
• The smallest high-impact starting point: be clear about standards because clarity really is kindness
• How to handle the hard reality: what changes when someone won't engage, even with support and partnership

About Amy Kay Watson

Amy Kay Watson, M.Div., MCC, is a Master Certified Coach and a sought-after speaker in empathy-driven leadership and performance improvement. She helps purpose-driven professionals balance accountability with compassion, especially in high-pressure, high-stakes roles. With a background spanning chaplaincy, corporate management, over 200 culture-shaping retreats, and over 3,600 coaching hours, Amy brings rare insight and practical wisdom to every stage and conversation.

Find and Connect with Amy Kay Watson

• LinkedIn
• Website: amykaywatson.com
• Article: It's Time to Reboot Accountability
• Special offer for listeners (quiz): rebootleader.com

Find and Connect with Jess Almlie

• LinkedIn
• Website: www.jessalmlie.com
• Book: L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner
• Strategic Business Partner Team Assessment and Team Development Roadmap