Bring Out the Talent: A Learning and Development Podcast

While the economy is attempting to recover, the number of jobs still available has been a cause of concern for most employers. In fact, the latest data from the Labor Department revealed that there are currently 11.3 million job openings. Along with the slow return to work, we are experiencing the effects of the Great Resignation. With the challenge of finding talent - what should organizations do...

Learning engineering may not be new (it emerged in the 1960s) but new applications of AI in our industry, specifically adaptive learning, bring increased focus on that specialized skillset. How will learning analytics and adaptive solutions radically improve the speed and quality of learning? In this episode of "Bring Out the Talent," we speak with Michael Noble, PhD, President (Americas...

In this episode of “Bring Out The Talent,” we speak with Pearl Walker, the Senior Learning Operations and Delivery Manager at SAE International. With millions of employees now working remotely, most businesses are placing a heavier reliance on video conferencing tools, such as Zoom, Teams, WebEx, and others. With the increase of virtual meetings and training sessions, many organizations have found...

In this episode of “Bring Out The Talent,” we speak with Matt Resteghini, Chief Marketing Officer of Total Brain. It is no secret that there is a Mental Health Crisis impacting our world. Studies have found that 19% of people have a mental health condition and 51% are at risk for a mental health condition. So how can business leaders better understand employee stress levels, risks of mental condit...

In this episode of “Bring Out The Talent,” we speak with Bonnie Rivers, Director of Employer Relations for Work Without Limits at UMass Chan Medical School’s Commonwealth Medicine. With one in four adults in the US living with a disability, what can business leaders do to support their success?  With so many organizations increasing their focus on inclusion and diversity, many are looking to find...

In this episode of “Bring Out The Talent,” we speak with Erin Diehl on ways to engage and cultivate company culture in this new hybrid world. Erin is the energetic founder of “Improve it!” a unique professional development company that pushes others to laugh, learn, play, and grow. Erin has spoken on stages nationwide for associations including SHRM, HRMAC, and ATD. She has also worked with many a...

In this episode of “Bring Out The Talent,” we speak with Brian Boyle about extended reality (XR). Brian is a training designer, technologist, and founder of the award-winning CrossTrainer. With the global XR market expected to rise over 300 billion dollars by 2024 and more cost-effective solutions available, organizations are looking at XR to help increase learning engagement. Brian will discuss s...

In this episode of “Bring Out The Talent,” we speak with Dr. Christopher Croner, Principal, Lead Sales Psychologist, and Sales Assessment Developer at SalesDrive. With sales positions having such a high turnover rate, many organizations are looking for the secret to hiring and keeping exceptional salespeople.  In this episode, Dr. Croner uncovers that secret formula for success, and here’s a hint...

In this episode of “Bring Out The Talent,” we speak with Jon O’Keefe the Technology Education Jedi at Logical Operations. Jon discusses the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). Developed by the U.S. Department of Defense, the CMMC is a cybersecurity program designed to protect information that is shared by the Department with its contractors.  With over 350,000 contractors within the...

In this episode of “Bring Out The Talent,” we shake it up a bit and speak with Kris Myer an Emmy nominated and award-winning producer and co-founder and CEO of Muddhouse Media.  In this off-the-cuff episode, Kris discusses his 20+ year career working in the entertainment industry. From his work with the comedic duo The Farrelly Brothers on blockbuster hits such as “There’s Something About Mary,” “...

In this episode of “Bring Out The Talent,” we speak with Pari Smart, a Certified Gallup StrengthsFinder Coach.  Pari takes us for a deep dive into the strengths-based philosophy utilizing Gallup’s CliftonStrengths assessments. Over 26 million people have utilized CliftonStrengths assessments to help define their unique talent DNA. In fact, these assessments are so beneficial that thousands of comp...

In this episode of “Bring Out The Talent,” we speak with Magda Bukala, the Diversity Inclusion and Social Responsibility Manager II, and ATA Global Project Manager at Akamai Technologies.  Magda takes a deep dive into the origins of the Akamai Technical Academy (ATA), a training program for diverse talent, specifically people with the aptitude for technology who might not come from typical technic...

In this episode of “Bring Out The Talent,” we speak with Jerry Gschwind, President of Symphony Learning Partners, Learning Strategy Expert, and Senior TTA Learning Consultant. Jerry shares stories from his thirty years as a Learning Strategist and shares some remarkable stories from some of his notable award-winning projects. Jerry also takes a deeper dive into Learning Strategy, when to use a Lea...

In this episode of “Bring Out The Talent,” we speak with Kisha Dixon an award-winning Culture Change Agent and Senior TTA Learning Consultant.  In this powerful conversation, Kisha discusses diversity and how it has evolved over the years. Kisha also shares effective ways leaders can use empathy to address unconscious and implicit bias in the workplace, what a successful diversity program looks li...

In this episode of “Bring Out The Talent,” we speak with Joe Barrow, Senior Vice President of Business Development at Area9 Lyceum.  Joe, with his 25+ years of L&D experience, discusses the importance of personalized and adaptive learning. Joe shares the benefits of adaptive learning and why many organizations are adopting it. He also discusses key issues organizations should consider before a...

In this episode of “Bring Out The Talent,” we speak with Anne Bonney, an international keynote speaker, trainer, best-selling author of “GET OVER IT!”, podcast host of “Ignite Your Influence,” and an experienced leadership workshop facilitator.  Anne will discuss the important (yet sometimes daunting) aspect of how to manage change. Anne shares ways to get buy-in from the top down, how to handle r...

In this episode of, “Bring Out The Talent,” we speak with David Horning, speaker, comedian, and founder of the hilarious “Water Cooler Comedy.”  David will discuss how humor can be used as a powerful tool to inspire happiness, ignite creativity, boost productivity, and promote a collaborative workplace culture. He will also chat about ways that leaders can effectively use humor in the workplace, f...

In this episode of, “Bring Out The Talent”, we will be talking with Laura Eiman, a 67-year-old gold medal Olympic weightlifter, a Navy SEAL certified mental toughness coach, and a Resiliency Expert.  Laura will share her inspirational story on how she went from a life of dysfunction to becoming an Olympic gold medal winner in her 60’s by developing a mentally tough and resilient mindset. Laura dis...

In this episode of, “Bring Out The Talent”, we will be talking with Dr. Dennis Rebelo, a professor, speaker, career coach, former President of Alex and Ani University, and author of “Story Like You Mean It”.  Dr. Rebelo will share the meaning of storypathing, the importance of crafting your narrative, how storypathing can strengthen an organization, how employees can create and develop their stori...

Leadership : Leading With Structure and Substance In this episode of, “Bring Out The Talent.” we will be talking to Bruce Tulgan, founder and CEO of Rainmaker Thinking and Leadership Expert. Bruce will share his insights on the biggest challenges leaders face today, the under-management epidemic, tips for creating highly engaged leaders, what leadership methodologies have stood the test of time an...

In this opening episode of, “Bring Out The Talent.” we kick off our series with Maria Melfa, President and CEO of TTA. Maria begins our series by sharing the origins of TTA, what it’s like working with family, how the learning and development industry has changed over nearly three decades, the importance of company culture, funny stories from along the way, and so much more.

Tune into The Training Associates (TTA) “Bring Out the Talent” podcast to hear from learning and development talent and partners on their innovative approaches and industry insights.  In each episode, TTA’s CEO, Maria Melfa, and Talent Manager, Jocelyn Allen will chat with subject matter experts and bring you casual, yet insightful conversations. Maria and Jocelyn use their unique blend of industr...