Surveying the L&D Landscape – Details, episodes & analysis

After completing 50 interviews surveying the jobs and work of L&D professionals, Surveying the L&D Landscape host Abigail Wheeler Charlu sits down with her boss and mentor Emily Frieze-Kemeny to recap learnings from the 50 podcast episodes. 

Timestamps:

(00:00) - Introduction and background on Emily Frieze-Kemeny

(03:30) - Abigail's journey to L&D and starting the podcast

(10:00) - Key learnings from 50 episodes about L&D work

(16:30) - Importance of connecting L&D to performance

(22:00) - Challenges of creating relevant, accessible content

(28:00) - Critical role of leadership development

(33:00) - Reflections on interviewing L&D professionals

(38:00) - Variety of L&D roles and responsibilities

(45:00) - Advice for people interested in L&D careers

(50:00) - Abigail's experience working with Emily

(55:00) - Closing reflections on the podcast journey

In episode 50 of the Surveying the L&D Landscape podcast, I sit down with Bree Champagne to analyze her role as a Organizational Development and Effectiveness Expert at Bayer. 

During our conversation, we unpack:

• How talent marketplaces help companies become skills-based organization and prepare for the future of work
• Various methods you can leverage to communicate, education, motivate, and ensure someone adopts a new skill, behavior, or tool 
• A workshop she led with leaders in the organization to help increase talent profile adoption 
• How she and her team conducts retrospectives after each project completion to evaluate efficacy and increase their impact
• AND SO MUCH MORE!

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Bree Champagne currently works as an Organizational Development and Effectiveness Expert on the Talent Impact Team at Bayer, where she supports the North America organization enabling change and driving culture to design the organization of the future.

Bree is a seasoned talent management, change management, and trusted HR business partner with experience in the fields of human resources across multiple industries. She is motivated by creating environments where people can realize their career dreams and reach their full potential, embracing change and building a growth mindset.

Her goal is to increase employee satisfaction and empower employees to take control of their career.

In episode 41 of the Surveying the L&D Landscape podcast, I sit down with Susan Neva to unpack her role as a Sr. Learning Program Manager at Inuit.

During our conversation, we unpack:

• How she balances the skills of strategic and tactical thinking in her role
• How the ability to ask questions and navigate ambiguity has taken her performance from good to exceptional
• How improving course content requires patience and is like moving dirt up a mountain, one pile at a time
• AND SO MUCH MORE!

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Susan is a strategic and tactical L&D program manager who loves thinking about and planning learning strategy, leading collaborative decision-making, and implementing creative ideas and training solutions that drive behavior change. With L&D experience in a variety of businesses and sectors at multinational companies like NASA, Google, Starbucks, and now Intuit, Susan has successfully designed and reviewed content – and improved processes – to turn around situations that have gone off track. Susan leads and influences projects cross-functionally while making risks visible. She is committed to constant learning, continuous improvement, and applying modern, robust methodologies that go beyond ADDIE and Kirkpatrick.

WANT MORE OF SUSAN?

Connect with her on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/susanneva/

In episode 40 of Surveying the L&D Landscape podcast, I chat with Asya Isakova to analyze her role as Head of People & Culture at Inca Digital. 

During our conversation, we unpack:

• The impact of learning and connectedness in a fully remote-first work-setting;
• The importance of clear and curated communication in a multicultural work environment;
• How she implemented a “workcation”, which created the space for the development of a new product, benefiting the company and demonstrated impact from in-person interactions;
• AND SO MUCH MORE!

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Asya is an organizational psychologist with over 10 years of practical experience creating and maintaining people-centric processes for remote teams. For Asya, it's all about the people. She is fascinated by what makes remote workers tick, what drives them, and how organizations can create an environment for each and every team member to thrive. Asya is one of the creators of a people-first approach for distributed teams that focuses on human connection, yet delivers innovative products in IT.

WANT MORE OF ASYA?

Connect with her on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/asyaisakova/

Learn more about her work: asya-isakova.com/

In episode 39 of the Surveying the L&D Landscape podcast, I sit down with Luke Mastrangeli to analyze his role as a Diversity, Learning, & Talent Partner. 

During our conversation, we unpack: 

• The importance of championing DEI work for employees throughout the employee lifecycle
• How he addresses neurodiversity by designing accessible, strengths-based content for both employees and individuals served
• How he led an initiative to integrate his organization’s learning management system with their HR system
• AND SO MUCH MORE!

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Luke Mastrangeli is a talent professional at a large, non-profit that focuses on supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In his role, he is responsible for the design and delivery of all things talent development including manager trainings, leadership development, and new employee orientation. Additionally, Luke serves as Co-Chair for the DEIB Committee where he works closely with senior leadership in defining the landscape of DEIB and its intersection with the needs of the organization.

Prior to being in Human Resources, Luke was in Higher Education where he worked in Judicial Affairs, Career Services, and Academic Advising Case Management serving a diverse population of adult learners in addition to steering many regional and central projects related to professional development as well as contributing to the standing up of an organization's first LGBTQ+ Affinity Employee Resource Group.

WANT MORE OF LUKE?

Connect with him on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lmastrangeli/

In episode 38 of Surveying the L&D Landscape podcast, I sit down with Kevin Alster to analyze his role as the Head of Synthesia Academy at Synthesia. 

During our conversation, we unpack:

• How he became an expert for videos in L&D by seeing the opportunity to enhance learning experiences and raising his hand to learn on the job;
• Why he advocates for applying a product mindset to learning interventions;
• How he uses his FOCA framework to guide videos through four elements of the production process: Foundation, Organization, Content, and Action;
• AND SO MUCH MORE!

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Kevin Alster is an L&D professional obsessed with technology, learning, and design and has a track record of creating high-end branded learning products. His journey led him to collaborate with industry titans like The New York Times, Sotheby's and General Assembly, where he crafted impactful digital and blended learning experiences. Now, at Synthesia, Kevin is teaching others how to use synthetic humans and AI for workplace learning.  Kevin enjoys traveling and is currently based in Copenhagen. He loves engaging with the vibrant AI and learning community and invites you to connect.

WANT MORE OF KEVIN?

Connect with him on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kevinalster 

In episode 37 of Surveying the L&D Landscape podcast, I chat with Steph Auping about her role as Co-founder and Chief Learning Officer (CLO) at Leadership & Co.

During our conversation, we unpack:

• Her love for imparting new knowledge and skills to learners in group settings;
• Critical skills for leaders today: collaboration, innovation, critical thinking, influencing, and leading change;
• Curiosity as a core mindset that runs through Leadership & Co.’s programs – curiosity of self, others, and the world;
• AND SO MUCH MORE!

ABOUT THE GUEST: 

Steph Auping is Co-founder and Chief Learning of Officer (CLO) at Leadership & Co., a firm dedicated to preparing leaders to excel in today's complex business environment. Her focus lies in cultivating the skillsets, nurturing a curious mindset, and amplifying the leadership impact of participants.

In both her current position and her past role as a founding faculty member of CEB/Gartner's Leadership Academies, Steph has effectively led career-defining leadership development programs for leaders across a wide range of major industries in 25 different countries. Her unique blend of expertise in adult learning and diverse consulting experience enables her to bridge the worlds of theory and practical application.

Steph holds a Bachelor of Science degree in History and Secondary Education, as well as a Master of Science degree in Human Resources Management. Currently, she is working on her doctoral dissertation in Organization and Management with a focus on Generation X leaders.

In addition to her executive role, Steph is deeply involved in both her community and her field. Presently, she holds a position as a cabinet member for the United Way of Greater St. Louis' Women's Leadership Society and leads the Women's Mentoring steering committee.

WANT MORE OF STEPH? 

Connect with her on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/stephanie-auping/

Follow her work: leadershipandco.com

In episode 36 of the Surveying the L&D Landscape podcast, I sit down with Jessica Rivera to learn about her role as a People and Organizational Development Lead for Wise, Ltd.

During our conversation, we unpack: 

• What onboarding might look like from a company, team, and job perspective
• How onboarding done right can transfer to sustained performance, development, and organizational affect
• Her New Job Notebook: Onboarding & Onward – a tool she created to help people transform the way they start a new job
• AND SO MUCH MORE!

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Jessica Rivera is a workplace Learning & Development professional with over 20 years of experience across multiple industries for companies including Advent Health, Baylor Scott & White Health and Disney Cruise Line. She is currently the People & Organization Development Lead at Wise overseeing their global onboarding program. She is also the founder & CEO of New Job Notebook LLC, helping people discover a better way to start a new job.

WANT MORE OF JESSICA?

Follow and connect with her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjbrivera/

Get the New Job Notebook: Onboarding & Onward

In episode 35 of the Surveying the L&D Landscape podcast, I sit down with Justine Froelker, a Dare to Lead™ facilitator. Justine helps organizations build cultures of courage through her certified work teaching Brené Brown's Dare to Lead curriculum.

During our conversation, we unpack:

• How she creates cultures of courage by helping people show up as their full, integrated selves at work, addressing feelings and vulnerability, and fostering genuine human connections that lead to growth, innovation, and talent retention;
• How she leads through example in her facilitated workshops (and in her life), showing up with her fiery passion, her story, her candor, and her willingness to call people in to the brave spaces she creates;
• Why this work is more important today than ever before;
• AND SO MUCH MORE!

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Justine Froelker is a Licensed Professional Counselor with more than 20 years of experience in traditional mental health and personal and professional development. Justine has been certified in the work of Dr. Brené Brown for nine years. Justine is the author of eleven books, including five Amazon bestsellers covering subjects such as infertility, faith, and grief. She has been honored to do two TEDx Talks, The Permission of the And and The Donut Effect. She travels nationally and presents virtually to global audiences delivering keynotes, workshops, retreats, and trainings on topics such as leadership, courage, resilience, mental health, preventing and coping with burnout, and courageous and curious conversation, especially in creating cultures of belonging and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Justine lives in St. Louis with her husband Chad, their three dogs, and for four months of the year hundreds of monarch and swallowtail butterflies.

WANT MORE OF JUSTINE?

Learn more about her work at justinefroelker.com.

Connect with her on LinkedIn:

www.linkedin.com/in/justinefroelker/

Follow her on all the platforms @justinefroelker

In episode 34 of Surveying the L&D Landscape podcast, I chat with Jill Brown about her role as an Instructional Designer. 

During our conversation, we discuss:

☑ Why Jill advocates for high-quality visual design when creating training slides, eLearnings, videos, and websites;

☑ The need for radical candor in the safety of relationships when managing people;

☑ How she worked to design roles, responsibilities, workflows, and even development plans for her team;

☑ AND SO MUCH MORE!

ABOUT THE GUEST:

As an experienced instructional designer and learning and development leader, Jill blend design thinking with an agile mindset to guide teams in crafting solutions from microlearning to multifaceted learning ecosystems. Her expertise spans industries like biotech, medical, finance, and travel. Jill holds a B.A. in Liberal Studies from Antioch University Seattle, a B.S. in Workforce Education and Development from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and an M.S. in Educational Technology from Cal State East Bay.

Currently, Jill and her husband, Charlie Brown (his real name) live on the East Coast outside of Philadelphia. They are proud parents to three incredible kids and three adorable dogs whom we affectionately call our Mütley Crüe. ❤️ 🐾

WANT MORE OF JILL?

Connect with her on LinkedIn: