Capability Edge

What does it look like to take ownership of your money, and your career, when the world told you not to? In this episode, Lorie Jones (CFP®, MBA), owner of Fearless Financial Advisors, shares how she went from McDonald’s Hamburger University to helping grow an RIA from ~$30M to ~$230M, all while raising five kids, earning her licenses, and fighting imposter syndrome in a male-dominated industry. W...

What if everything you do today is already out of date? In this episode of Development Nerds, Candice sits down with Allister Frost — former Microsoft marketing leader, global keynote speaker, and author of Ready Already — to talk about developing a future-ready mindset in a world that won’t stop changing. From wiping tables at 11 to leading marketing at Microsoft, Allister shares how curiosity, e...

If you work in Learning & Development, HR, or People Enablement and you keep asking “How do we actually close skills gaps at scale?”, this episode with David James (Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, former Director of Learning, Talent & OD at Disney, and host of The Learning & Development Podcast) is your blueprint. We go from stacking shelves at 14 and gigging in London, to runni...

Executive coach Susanne Biro (Vancouver, BC) gets radically honest about leadership, self-doubt, and what entrepreneurship really looks like—sometimes 11 p.m., laptop open, tears flowing… and doing it anyway. We dig into “having your own back,” doing scary things before you feel ready, building a reputation that earns investment, and why the inside-out game (how you feel daily) drives sustainable...

Dr. Jessica Schloemp’s story is a powerful reminder that leadership isn’t about titles, ladders, or likes — it’s about being honest with yourself. From dropping ketchup on a customer at 14, to door-to-door sales, to earning her doctorate in Strategic Leadership, Jessica has lived every lesson she now teaches. In this episode, Jessica and Candice talk about: ✅ Finding yourself again after losing y...

On paper, Lauren Evans had everything: a secure corporate job, steady paycheck, even a pension. But inside her cubicle, she kept asking herself one quiet, uncomfortable question — is this it? This is the story of what happens when you stop ignoring that question. Lauren shares how she went from an 18-year-old UPS supervisor to the founder of Design and Streamline Solutions , where she helps small...

When you hear the name “L&D Detective,” you probably think: clever branding. But for Kevin M. Yates, it’s more than that — it’s who he is. In this episode, Kevin shares his remarkable journey: from his first job at 16 stocking shelves in a Chicago pharmacy to a global career leading learning impact at brands like McDonald’s and Meta — and ultimately, to founding Meals in the Meantime, a nonpro...

What does it take to go from bartending in a tourist town to leading global leadership development programs for billion-dollar companies? In this episode, I sit down with Amber Anderson , Head of Learning & Leadership Development and Executive Coach, to unpack her incredible 25-year career journey. From working in her dad’s dive shop on the Great Lakes, to creating her own role in corporate tr...

When Dr. Sarah Nicholls hit the wall in her first year as a doctor, she did what most high-achievers do: pushed harder. That only made the burnout worse. In this conversation, Sarah shares how a toxic work culture, night shifts, and perfectionism turned life into a slog—and how she found her way back to lightness, joy, and sustainable success . (Plot twist: she also launched a mini business painti...

What happens when you do everything “right” — top grad program at GE, Six Sigma Black Belt, big roles at BP — and still feel the tug to do life on your terms? Meet Lisa Long , a Scotland-born entrepreneur and psychologist who moved countries (more than once), left corporate, built and sold a viral custom art brand (featured by major outlets), earned a master’s in psychology at 44, and now coaches...

What does it take to go from walking dogs for $10 a day to coaching New York Times bestselling authors, Olympians, and industry leaders on how to deliver the best speech of their lives? In this real, unpolished conversation, I sit down with Mike Pacchione , founder of Best Speech, to hear his career journey — from comic books and mowing lawns, to botched interviews, a fax machine that changed his...

Worried about the jobs AI will replace? You’re not alone. It’s not just entry-level work at risk anymore — some of the highest-paid, most prestigious careers are on the chopping block. In this video, I break down the 4 jobs AI will replace first — from content creators (yes, even in Learning & Development) to financial analysts, lawyers, and even managers who don’t actually lead. More importan...

Andrew Barry’s career story is a masterclass in resilience, humility, and reinvention. From bagging groceries in Cape Town to qualifying as a chartered accountant, from corporate auditor at KPMG to global learning facilitator, and finally taking the leap into entrepreneurship — Andrew’s journey shows the lessons hidden inside the hardest jobs and the courage it takes to keep moving forward. In thi...

AI is coming for jobs — maybe even yours. Roles built on repeatable, predictable tasks are already disappearing. But this doesn’t have to be a career death sentence. If you know how to respond, you can make yourself AI-proof and thrive in this new world of work. In this video, we’ll talk about: AI is coming for jobs (why it matters now) Stop pretending AI is a fad How to know if your job is in the...

In this episode, I sit down with Matt Gjertsen , founder of Better Everyday Studios and former Air Force pilot turned SpaceX training leader , to dive deep into what it really takes to love your work and build a career that fits the life you want. We talk about: ✅ Matt’s journey from yard work as a teen to the Air Force Academy and pilot training. ✅ How becoming an instructor pilot led to runnin...

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 abou...

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 personaliz...

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...

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...

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 wo...

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”...

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 W...

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 matte...

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, th...

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 art...