The Edge: A Skillsoft Podcast

Learning provides employees with the power to completely reinvent themselves. But how can we inspire the people around us to take the first steps towards making such a drastic life change? And how can we get started acquiring the new skills we need to be successful? On this episode of The Edge, our host Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek is joined by Nesha Pai, an award-winning author, a popular speaker, a determined mentor, and a passionate advocate for small businesses and stay-at-home moms. Nesha draws on her own experience and journey as a stay-at-home mom who reentered Corporate America. She was able to completely change her career trajectory with the founding of her own CPA firm hiring stay-at-home moms. Nesha inspires others to step into their power, regain trust in the process, and live the life of their dreams.

Two years after Black Lives Matter and a wave of corporate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs, what progress have we made? And what must we focus on to continue the journey? On this episode of The Edge, our host Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek is joined by Simone Sloan, the founder of Your Choice Coach, a DEI consulting and executive coaching firm. Simone sheds some light on the current state of DEI initiatives and why it’s so important to cultivate emotional intelligence as we continue to “show up,” “do the work,” and transform in meaningful ways.

We have all been persuaded by someone or something at some point in our lives. And the ability to persuade is one of the most important power skills you can develop. But what makes persuasion work? The art of storytelling and innovative thinking promotes powerful persuasion, professionally or personally. On this episode of The Edge, our host Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek is joined by Neal Foard, President of the Passion Logic Project, and master storyteller. Neal shares his expert opinion on storytelling and the power of persuasion, highlighting his career in advertising and his fame as a TikTok influencer.

We all know that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is an important focus for many organizations right now, but inclusion for those who classify themselves as “introverts," isn’t always the most obvious subcategory within DEI. On this episode of The Edge, our host Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek is joined by Jennifer Kahnweiler, bestselling author and one of the top global leadership speakers on introversion in the workplace. Jennifer shares her expert opinion on the top leadership skills needed for introverts, and how organizations can create an introvert-friendly culture. jenniferkahnweiler.com

Most learning journeys follow a learner from awareness, to competency, to proficiency, and finally mastery. But, skills attainment can be taken to an entirely new level when driven by purpose and passion. On this episode of The Edge, our host Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek welcomes Antonia Forster, a Senior XR Technical Specialist at Unity. Antonia’s learning journey not only changed her life,but has enabled her to use technology in creative and impactful ways to support her advocacy work for women in tech and the LGBTQ+ community. 

Skillsoft’s The Edge is back for Season 3, and we’re kicking things off with a conversation around the social compact emerging between employer and employee in the modern workplace. Challenged by skills gaps, a war for talent, and the “great resignation,” employers are redefining their obligations to employees. Host Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek talks with Black Knight’s Rich Baker, Enterprise LMS Administrator, and Matthew Noto, Manager for Cybersecurity and White Hat, to uncover the secret to creating a robust learning program that serves both the organization's interests and the learning needs of employees.

In honor of Women’s History Month, host Michelle Boockoff-Bajdek sits down with Kristy Wallace, the CEO of Ellevate Network, a global community of women+ committed to fostering and promoting gender equality in the workplace. Together, Michelle and Kristy discuss how organizations can strive to support women+ in their careers, and how Skillsoft and Ellevate Network are working together to advance women+ in the workplace through our newly announced partnership.  

On this special season finale of The Edge, we invite two insightful leaders to discuss Skillsoft’s 2nd Annual Lean into Learning Report– uncovering learning trends and lessons from 2021, and what else is to come in 2022. In part two, we speak with Cherie Hicks, a Diversity and Inclusion Learning Leader at Trane Technologies, who shares how Trane Technologies has worked to overcome the gender gap through their Women in Action™ Leadership Development Program, powered by Skillsoft. 

On this special season finale of The Edge, we invite two insightful leaders to discuss Skillsoft’s 2nd Annual Lean into Learning Report – uncovering learning trends and lessons from 2021, and what else is to come in 2022. In part one, we sit down with Skillsoft’s Chief People Officer Kristi Hummel who shares her perspective on key findings from this year’s report related to building a culture of learning, maintaining and retaining talent, and upskilling employees. 

Today, every company is a technology company – and so, an organization’s success depends on its ability to invest in technology-driven offerings, operations, and its people. On this episode we put a strong emphasis on the last component: people. As the rate and pace of change, particularly in technology fields, fails to abate, organizations that wish to thrive will need to focus on providing employees with critical training for in-demand skills. Jane Pitt, a Training Program Manager at Microsoft, joins The Edge to discuss why in the modern workforce, competency is the new currency.