The BLOC Podcast

In this episode, I say goodbye to the Building Learning and Organizational Culture (BLOC) podcast after 5 years.  Thank you so much to each and every guest that made this podcast special! I couldn't have don it without you. It'll continue to be posted on your favorite podcast platforms so you can go back and listen at any time.  I've compiled a list of the resources shared from all...

In this unique, unfiltered, and completely unedited episode, I chat with my brilliant life coach, Hana Michels, about burnout: what it is, how it shows up differently for different people, and how to fight it when you aren't able to quit your job and rest for a year.  Hana Michels has been written up in the LA Times, LA Weekly and others.  She received her life coaching certification from the...

In today's episode,  I chat with my new friend, Dr. Owen Chamberlain, about pracademia and how we can narrow the gap between theory and practice by approaching what we learn in academia with more practical intent. We talk about the role of truth in learning and asking the kinds of questions that matter.  Owen Chamberlain is a strategist, writer and speaker with 15+ years of experience in orga...

In this solo episode, I share 3 best practices for getting more or better leadership support for your learning initiatives based on my experience and research.  Those three tips include:  Knowing the common obstacles and how to overcome them Aligning your work with business goals from the beginning Showing the impact of your work (going above and beyond survey and assessment data) Please don'...

In this episode, I chat with Dr. Carrie Graham about how to consult with intention in the learning space, specifically how to treat clients and organizations with patience, respect, and grace when you begin work with them and have to tell them they're doing things wrong or poorly.  Carrie is a Learning Solutions Architect known for translating executive vision into tangible performance outcom...

In this episode, I chat with Hanan Harb Sahourieh, author of Everybody, Be Cool! 6 Personal Development Lessons to Elevate Your Workplace Vibe . We talk about what it really takes to level up at work, from asking tough questions to embracing self-awareness -- with plenty of pop culture and real talk along the way.  Hanan Harb Sahourieh is a writer, workshop facilitator, and learning & developm...

Linnéa Sjögren is a Stockholm-based educational training professional passionate about creating learning opportunities. With extensive experience in planning, developing, delivering, and evaluating various types of training, she creates everything from classroom training to blended learning and e-learning. Having worked in organizations that haven't always had the resources to hire external s...

In this episode I answer the question "What process, model, or framework do you use for needs analysis? Does it have to be a formal process?" For some great questions to ask during needs analysis, visit the Ultimate Guide to Working with SMEs on the Useful Stuff website.  For more on Roger Kaufman's work, I highly suggest visiting the HPT Treasures website !  To learn more and get m...

On this episode, my friend, Lata Hamilton, returns to talk about her new book, Pioneer Your Career Change. Lata shares stories from her own career that taught her to have the confidence to do the kind of work she loves - and how you can find work that excites you too.    Lata Hamilton is a Change Leadership and Confidence expert who empowers ambitious women to carve their own paths in career, lead...

To end the year on a high note and to continue the celebration of 100 episodes of the BLOC, I'm sharing a replay of the #1 most downloaded episode of the BLOC of all time - a chat I had with my L&D BFF, Tim Slade. Tim Slade is a speaker, author, award-winning freelance eLearning designer, and creator of The eLearning Designer’s Academy . Having spent the last decade working to help others...

It's the 100th episode of the BLOC! On this episode, I reflect on how this podcast turned into an L&D business and how human connection is what separates us from the robots.  To learn more and get more great resources:  Connect with me on LinkedIn   Join our global Useful L&D Community Work with me or see what I'm working on with Useful Stuff

This special episode is a replay of a live podcast recording I did with Tom McDowall on November 15 in London as part of the Learning Network's Connect 2024 conference. You can also find the replay (with video) on Tom's The iDeas Podcast . I also highly recommend joining The Learning Network if you want to connect with other brilliant L&D folks! In the episode, Tom suggests everyone...

In this episode, I invite all of you to join the Useful L&D Community I launched back in September. I share a little bit about why I started this (global - as I forgot to mention in the episode) safe space for aspiring, new, and expert L&D pros to connect and working together to make learning more useful.  We are having great discussions, hosting events, and we're just getting started...

In this episode, I chat with Fred Thompson, CEO of Thirst, about staying current in L&D and how he's managed to continue to take a modern approach to L&D, despite beginning his career with Flash. Fred Thompson is CEO of Thirst and is a seasoned learning and development expert with over two decades of experience helping businesses create engaging learning environments that level up lea...

Dinye Hernanda is a distinguished practitioner in Learning & Development, known for her bold, results-driven approach. With a proven track record in building L&D departments for high-growth organizations, Dinye has made her mark across major corporations, tech scale-ups, and VC firms. Named one of the 'Thirty Under 30' in L&D in 2021, she is recognized for her unique ability...

In this episode, I chat with my new L&D pal, Caner Akova, about how we learn in real life, how we can bring some of those best practices into workplace learning, and why it isn't happening more often. Caner is an L&D expert with global experience in higher education and multinational corporations and he’s here to shake things up. He’s passionate about cutting through the fluff, and us...

In this episode, inspired in part by my new friend Molly's LinkedIn post about undergoing 10 job interviews for a contract L&D position, I talk about the dreaded job interview assignment.  This episode is both for job seekers and hiring managers because I give best practices for what you should be looking for in a job interview assignment, including the following: Every job interview shou...

On this episode, I celebrate the BLOC turning 4! Can you believe I started this podcast 4 years ago?  I talk about the origin story of the podcast, some of the tips I've learned along the way, and recap the most popular episodes! Here's to more episodes of the BLOC! Thank you all so much for your support.  To learn more and get more great resources:  Connect with me on LinkedIn   Join ou...

In this episode, I chat with engineer and founder of Teach the Geek, Neil Thompson, about how we can be better presenters as technical professionals or improve our training on technical topics, making them more useful for our audience. After one too many failed presentations, Neil Thompson, an engineer who worked in the medical device industry, knew he had to improve. He did so, and now, via his c...

In this episode, I chat with my brilliant friend, Dr Linda Berberich about AI, learning technologies, prototypes, and how you're never too old to learn something new! Linda Berberich, PhD, is a behavioral scientist specializing in innovative, impactful, and immersive learning and intelligent, intuitive technology product design.  With an extensive background in data analysis, technical traini...

In this episode, I chat with Karen Vieth about her journey and time at InSync Training. We also discuss how to do a better job collecting learning data and connecting it to the business goals. Karen Vieth is a distinguished figure in the realm of virtual and hybrid learning, serving currently as the President & CEO of InSync Training . Her illustrious journey in education commenced within the...

In this episode, I sit down with my brilliant friend and colleague, Mallori Steele, to talk about how she landed in L&D and how she uses her strengths as a connector to create spaces for marginalized people to network, learn, and grow. Mallori is a multi-passionate and multi-talented Leader, Strategist, Solutionist, Entrepreneur, and Mom of 2. She is the CEO of Growductive Consulting , an L&am...

In this episode I answer your questions about inspiration, adding value, skills development, L&D tools, and the L&D job search!  Here are some of the resources mentioned in the show: Bloc Podcast Episode 75: Why is There SO Much Bad Training? Bloc Podcast Episode 3: Positive Organizational Change with LaToya Smith Intro to Copyright for L&D To learn more and get more great resources: ...

In this episode, I explain 5 helpful tips for making your training (and I'm talking ANY kind of training - job aids, virtual sessions, instructor-led, and even eLearning) more engaging. And if you know me, you know that I believe the best way to make training engaging is to make it useful.  So, forget all the bells and whistles and gimmicks, and let's talk making training highly effectiv...

In this episode, I chat with my new friend, Yen Tan. We chat about why they founded Kona and how they've built a product that uses AI to help coach remote managers. We talk about why you shouldn't "slap AI on everything" and how we can take a more deliberate approach to using AI in L&D. We also explore some use cases where it can really help teams and managers be their best...