Best The Learning Geeks Podcasts (2025)

1
S7 E14 Part 1: Learning Trends for 2025 and Beyond (with Jessica Glazer) 37:37

14d ago37:37

37:37

We dive deep into McKinsey's latest Learning Trends Perspective Report with authors Jessica Glazer and our co-host Jake Gittleson. The two share an overview of the report and their deep perspective on the three key macro trends, sub trends, implications on development, and how these forces will shape the future of people development. In Part 2, we …

1
S7 E13: Learning Practices to Put to Rest—or Resurrect 40:57

1M ago40:57

40:57

Inspired by a recent Star Wars-themed trip to Japan, Bob leads a discussion on learning and development practices that deserve to be put to rest—and those worth bringing back from the dead. Each of us shares one of each, along with our take on why. Have a listen to hear what made our list! 00:00 Cold open 00:29 Banter – Japan trip and field trips 0…

1
S7 E12: The Creative Power of Ambiguity 38:43

2M ago38:43

38:43

What if uncertainty was actually a spark for creativity? In this episode, the three of us explore how reframing ambiguity can lead to innovation, not anxiety. Inspired by the book Navigating Ambiguity, we share personal stories, practical strategies, and a reminder that sometimes the messiest moments lead to the best ideas. Referenced in this episo…

1
S7 E11: Professor + CLO: Bridging Academia and Corporate Learning (with Majd Sakr) 34:24

3M ago34:24

34:24

In this episode, we are joined by Majd Sakr, Computer Science Professor at Carnegie Mellon University and Chief Learning and Research Officer at Accenture. We learn about Majd’s transition from academia to corporate learning environments, key differences, how to measure ROI of training, the challenges of maintaining learner engagement in fast-paced…

1
S7 E10: The Intersection of Emerging Tech and Cognitive Science (with Alex Kass) 36:40

3M ago36:40

36:40

We are joined by Alex Kass from Accenture Labs to delve into the future of learning and technology. We discuss various advancements such as neurosensing, artificial intelligence, extended reality, and their implications for educational experiences. Alex shares insights on how these technologies can enhance user interaction, improve the design proce…

1
S7 E09: Exploring Behavioral Economics in Learning (with Melina Palmer) 38:51

4M ago38:51

38:51

In this episode we are joined by Melina Palmer from The Brainy Business to discuss the intersection between behavioral economics and corporate learning. We dive into principles of behavioral economics and how they can influence training and learning strategies within organizations. We get into choice architecture, reward structures, decision-making…

1
S7 E08: The Skill Code – Experts, Novices, and the Future of Learning (with Matt Beane) 37:57

5M ago37:57

37:57

In this episode, we are joined by Matt Beane, assistant professor and author of 'The Skill Code.' We explore Matt’s research on the impact of AI and robotics on skill development between novices and experts. Matt also discusses the disruption of traditional learning methods, the effects of remote work on apprenticeship, and the need for new metrics…

1
S7 E07: The Pieces That Shape Us - The good, bad, and grey 44:36

5M ago44:36

44:36

In this episode, we discuss why it’s the pieces we collect over time that shape us into who we are today. The good, the bad, the grey. It’s the variety of those pieces that’s necessary for effective learning and growth. It also creates the uniqueness in each of us. We spend this episode sharing our three “pieces”… either moments, experiences, or pe…

1
S7 E06: Rethinking Education and EdTech (with Julia Stiglitz) 34:01

6M ago34:01

34:01

We’re joined by Julia Stiglitz, CEO and co-founder of Uplimit, to explore the transformative role of AI in education, edtech, and corporate skill development. Julia shares her journey as an edtech entrepreneur and her insights on using AI for cohort-based learning, tutoring, course management, and practice. We also dive into the potential and chall…

1
Holiday Special: Reflections and Learnings from 2024 34:08

7M ago34:08

34:08

It's our yearly, end-of-year special where we reflect on personal and professional challenges, changes, and goals from 2024. We then pivot to look ahead to 2025, our goals, direction of podcast and more. LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE, SPOTIFY, AND YOUTUBE Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-learning-geeks-podcast/id1413446184 …

1
S7 E5: Your Brain Chemistry When Learning (with Jessica Billiet) 35:16

7M ago35:16

35:16

We are joined by Jessica Billiet to discuss the chemicals in the brain and how they influence learning. We dive into neurotransmitters like dopamine, glutamate, serotonin, and cortisol, explaining their roles and how learning professionals can harness them to improve development. We also dive into practical tips for onboarding, team settings, and c…

1
S7 E4: Creating a Learning Community (with Ben Chambers) 30:57

7M ago30:57

30:57

We explore the concept of learning communities with Ben Chambers, head of learning performance and talent. Ben shares insights on his own journey in creating and leading the Talent and Leadership Club, a global network of over 1,000 learning professionals. The conversation provides valuable takeaways on the benefits and challenges of building and s…

1
S7 E3: Testing the truth - Brain science and learning 33:04

8M ago33:04

33:04

We discuss the growing mainstream interest in durable learning by delving into key topics from Andrew Huberman's podcast on optimal learning methods, including neuroplasticity, the importance of testing, sleep, and the value of social and solitary study sessions. We discuss our personal examples and strategies for effectively applying these concept…

1
S7 E2: The Persistence of Ignorance (with Deb Arnold) 38:09

9M ago38:09

38:09

Deb Arnold joins the show and dives into effective strategies for engaging stakeholders, learning from them, and measuring the impact of training on business outcomes so you can tell effective impact stories. Deb shares valuable insights from her extensive experience, including tips on improving business acumen, performing stakeholder analysis, and…

1
Season 7 Premiere: Predicting the Future of L&D 31:25

9M ago31:25

31:25

In our Season 7 premiere, we explore the evolving landscape of learning and development, debating whether traditional L&D structures should be reimagined as performance-focused functions. We discuss new skills we may need, how we may work with other functions, the role of data, and what we can do today to prepare. CONNECT WITH US If you have any fe…

1
Season 6 Finale: Celebrating 100 Episodes & Our Essentials for Impactful Learning 39:15

10M ago39:15

39:15

Not only is it our 100th episode, it’s Dana’s retirement special! After 35+ years within the profession, Dana shares his key elements necessary for impactful learning experiences. We get into areas of biology, psychology, sociology, geography, “performanceology”, and content design. Bob and Jake discuss each, share examples, and reflect on the mean…

1
S6 E18: The Science of Change Fatigue and Burnout (with Britt Andreatta, PhD) 37:03

11M ago37:03

37:03

Britt Andreatta, PhD joins the show to discuss the pressing issue of change fatigue and burnout – something that is occurring so frequently given the events of the past year. We get into the brain science behind our resistance to change, symptoms of burnout, and practical strategies to manage continuous change in the workplace. We also end the conv…

1
S6 E17: Eight Learning Trends for 2024 and Beyond 33:59

12M ago33:59

33:59

Lisa Christensen and Verónica Gómez from McKinsey & Company, join the show to share eight learning and people development trends that really matter for our profession. These trends were identified following an extensive analysis by looking at 40 plus major trend reports of various disciplines and industries. We share all eight and discuss what each…

1
S6 E16: An Honest Dialogue About the Skills-First Era (with Bob Mosher) 34:45

1y ago34:45

34:45

Bob Mosher, Chief Learning Evangelist at Apply Synergies, joins the show to have an honest dialogue about the current skills-first, upskilling, and/or reskilling investments in organizations. We discuss how we can learn from similar moments in history (especially the failures), define what we mean by “skill", and how to shift from knowledge to appl…

1
S6 E15: The Next Gen Learning Leader (with Cathy Hoy) 31:47

1y ago31:47

31:47

Cathy Hoy, former CLO and now CEO and co-founder of CLO100, joins the show to share what skills and capabilities are required for the next generation of learning leaders. She also leads a twelve-month Learning Leaders program and shares common struggles, what L&D will look like in future, and exciting innovations heard by her cohorts. Any type of i…

1
S6 E14: Legos for Learning and Innovation (with Col. Jason Trew) 34:55

1y ago34:55

34:55

Col. Jason “Toga” Trew, PhD joins the show to discuss the benefits of strategic play at work and how it can be used for learning, development, creativity and innovation. Jason also live demos a portion of his workshop that requires Dana, Jake and Bob to build and tell creative stories using a very popular toy. CONNECT WITH US If you have any feedba…

1
S6 E13: How we Overcome Creative Slumps 31:29

1y ago31:29

31:29

The three of us discuss our techniques to increase creativity during our many lulls and slumps. We discuss what we feel like during these times, techniques we use, and how we deal with ambiguity. Bob also shares his favorite creative story involving an eureka moment when he was a kid at camp – which we are now referring to as the “tighty-whities” m…

1
S6 E12: How to be a Trusted Learning Advisor (with Dr. Keith Keating) 35:14

1y ago35:14

35:14

In this episode, Dr. Keith Keating, CLO and author, joins the show to discuss his book “The Trusted Learning Advisor” and shares what it means to be one, practical examples, and tips on how to be one regardless of your role. We also discuss how L&D can create the table vs finding a seat, and the difference from taking the order and order taking. MO…

1
S6 E11: Three Unresolved Problems Facing L&D and CLO's 32:00

1+ y ago32:00

32:00

We are joined by Noah Rabinowitz, CLO at Commonwealth Fusion Systems and contributor in CLO Lift. Noah shares three unresolved problems facing the learning and development industry over multiple decades, despite meaningful activity and investment to solve them. Noah and group of about 40 CLO’s (CLO Lift from the Learning Forum) are partnering toget…

1
S6 E10: Data-Driven Experiential Learning (with Declan Dagger, PhD) 34:52

1+ y ago34:52

34:52

Declan Dagger (PhD), Co-founder of ETU, joins the show to share insights from his applied research in the field of educational psychology, soft skills verification, development, and experiential learning (simulations, practice). Declan shares what it takes to design data-driven immersive learning, including how to break down skills and codify them …

1
S6 E9: The Emotion of Awe at Work (with Dr. Megan Cuzzolino) 36:11

1+ y ago36:11

36:11

Dr. Megan Cuzzolino from Harvard University's "The Next Level Lab", joins the show to discuss her research on the emotion of awe and how it can make learning happen. Megan explains what awe is, elicitors of awe, how it helps with meaning at work, and how awe impacts learning and motivation. We also share our personal stories of awe in innovation an…

1
S6 E8: Learning and Wellness Accelerators (with Dr. Lauren Hodges) 36:14

1+ y ago36:14

36:14

We are joined by a good friend of the show, Dr. Lauren Hodges, well-being, human performance, and learning expert. We discuss the latest research into how nutrition, exercise/movement, sleep, and stress management can optimize and accelerate your learning throughout your day. MORE FROM LAUREN https://www.performance-on-purpose.com/ CONNECT WITH US …

1
S6 E7: Conor Grennan’s Learning story with GenAI 33:05

1+ y ago33:05

33:05

In late 2022, Conor Grennan never knew of GenAI. Now – he’s teaching companies and thousands of his followers on how to use it. This all started because he was completely fascinated by the potential. In this episode, Conor Grennan – NYU Stern Dean of Students, NY Times bestselling author, LinkedIn teacher – shares his personal learning narrative, h…

1
Holiday Special: Traditions and a season of learning 31:34

1+ y ago31:34

31:34

Lisa Christensen, Director of the Learning Design COE at McKinsey, joins us as guest co-host to assist a jet-lagged Bob who recently returned from France. We get together and share our favorite learning moments and traditions from the holidays and what we learned. Stories such as Bob learning French, Dana studying at the holiday dinner table, Lisa …

1
S6 E6: What we learned in 2023 and what’s next? 35:05

1+ y ago35:05

35:05

We continue our yearly tradition to recap things we learned in 2023. This year, we open up and share some of the struggles and fears we experienced while learning. We also discuss major changes that forced us to learn new things. Dana also shares major news! CONNECT WITH US If you have any feedback or want to join in on the conversation, connect wi…

1
S6 E5: Breaking down silos in Talent and L&D (with Heather Stefanski) 32:12

1+ y ago32:12

32:12

Heather Stefanski, CLO from McKinsey, joins the show to discuss why we need more People, Talent, and L&D professionals working together to achieve business outcomes. Heather shares new skills we will need, how her teams are evolving, and how other CHRO’s and CLO’s are responding. CONNECT WITH US If you have any feedback or want to join in on the co…

1
S6 E4: Real Guidance from AI Conversations (with Amanda Lannert) 32:45

1+ y ago32:45

32:45

Amanda Lannert, CEO of Jellyvision, joins the show to share how she is scaling employee support and personalized learning through simulated, friendly, human conversations. Amanda shares the tech to make this work, her history in this domain, and how AI will help in making things more accessible and personal. CONNECT WITH US If you have any feedback…

1
S6 E3: Learning from the Games we Play 34:11

1+ y ago34:11

34:11

We love games. They’re enjoyable, sometimes difficult, but there’s a lot we learn from them. The three of us share the games we played, how they taught us life lessons, and how they taught us to be better designers. CONNECT WITH US If you have any feedback or want to join in on the conversation, connect with us via LinkedIN, Twitter (@bobbyhollywoo…

1
S6 E2: Social Dimensions of Learning Transfer (with Tessa Forshaw) 31:09

1+ y ago31:09

31:09

Tessa Forshaw, co-founder of Harvard University’s Next Level Lab, rejoins the show to discuss the various social dimensions of learning transfer. Tessa shares key insights from an apprenticeship study including socially enabled priming to facilitate the transfer of learning, how to best learn from 'experienced others' through apprenticeship, and th…

1
Season 6 Premiere: What Makes a Strong Learning Culture? 33:50

2y ago33:50

33:50

Dana kicks off the season by sharing his team’s latest research on what makes a strong learning culture. The research identified five areas and we discuss each and their value. We also discuss some of the barriers that prevent a learning culture. CONNECT WITH US If you have any feedback or want to join in on the conversation, connect with us via Li…

1
Geeks Rewind: Can You Unlearn What You’ve Learned? 29:12

2y ago29:12

29:12

Originally recorded on September 2021 Was Master Yoda wrong this entire time? Can you really unlearn what you have learned? We discuss this very question with special guest Clare Norman, Professional Certified Coach. We discuss the science of unlearning, why it’s something you can’t do, how you recognize that the old way of thinking is no longer us…

1
Geeks Rewind: The Mindset of an Essentialist 30:17

2y ago30:17

30:17

Originally recorded on September 2019. After reading ‘Essentialism’ by Greg McKeown, Dana found a direct application to our Learning world. As the author states, “our society has been consumed by the undisciplined pursuit of more…” So in this episode, the Geeks unpack the core principles of Essentialism and discuss why adopting a mindset on an Esse…

1
Geeks Rewind: Why Intentional Learning is a Fundamental Skill 32:32

2y ago32:32

32:32

Originally published on November 2020. Learning is a skill and considered the most fundamental skills of our time. In this episode, Lisa Christensen (Director of Learning and Development CoE at McKinsey & Company) and Matt Smith (former CLO at McKinsey & Company) join the show to discuss their research on Intentional Learning. The crew discusses th…

1
Geeks Rewind: Teaching With Star Wars 29:18

2y ago29:18

29:18

Originally published on November 2020. Special guest Dan Zehr - high school educator, podcast host of Coffee with Kenobi Podcast, and author of the “Teaching with Star Wars” blog on StarWars.com - joins the show to discuss how educators in K-12, Higher Ed, and corporate education can learn from the Star Wars franchise. Dan has become well-known for…

1
Season 5 Finale: How Learning is aBOT to change 36:37

2y ago36:37

36:37

Kyle Jackson, CEO and Co-Founder of Talespin, has experimented and innovated in AI for over a decade. Kyle joins the show to discuss how the acceleration of innovation unlocks new use cases and impacts the way we work, learn, create, and solve problems. And yes – we ended the season with a Dad joke title. You’re welcome. CONNECT WITH US If you have…

1
S5 E15: Summer Learning, Had me a Blast 34:03

2y ago34:03

34:03

In this episode, the three of us discuss an assortment of learning topics that are currently on our minds. We discuss the difference between training and learning and why it’s important to differentiate between the two. We also discuss the learning value when people are physically together (face-to-face). Finally, we discuss our learning plans for …

1
S5 E14: Harness the Power of Storytelling 36:07

2y ago36:07

36:07

In this episode we're joined by Justin Blanchard, Creative Director at Attensi, and delve into the captivating art of storytelling. From ancient tales to modern examples, we discuss how stories are used in various learning modalities, and how they can enhance learning effectiveness, memory, and emotional impact. CONNECT WITH US If you have any feed…

1
S5 E13: Prompt Engineering, Formative Assessments, and Reflection 35:32

2y ago35:32

35:32

We return to our podcast roots and bring in one thing to share that’s currently on our mind. Bob shares the skills we need in AI, such as prompt engineering. Jake discusses formative assessments and why they’re not as scary as they may sound. And Dana discusses reflection and why we need more of it. CONNECT WITH US If you have any feedback or want …

1
S5 E12: The Intersection of Wellness and Learning 31:30

2y ago31:30

31:30

Dr. Lauren Hodges returns to the show to discuss wellbeing science, human performance, stress, and the connections to learning at home and work. We also spend time discussing stress and burnout during uncertain times, and what we can learn to ensure we take care of ourselves and others. MORE ABOUT LAUREN See Lauren’s website at https://www.drlauren…

1
S5 E11: What in the World are Psychometrics? 29:46

2y ago29:46

29:46

John Kessler and Tom Rogers from Accenture join the show to discuss psychometrics, why it’s the science of assessments, the future needs of assessments in organizations, why you need a psychometrician on your team, and how psychometrics can help improve the larger learning and talent strategy. CONNECT WITH US If you have any feedback or want to joi…

1
S5 E10: A Masterclass on Masterclass 33:19

2+ y ago33:19

33:19

David Rogier, CEO and Founder of Masterclass, joins the show to give us a masterclass on Masterclass. David shares the origin story, the creation process, surprising teachers, and why entertainment and education can be one in the same. David also shares their approach to storytelling, creativity, and innovation. CONNECT WITH US If you have any feed…

1
S5 E09: How to Connect and Learn from other L&D Professionals 27:33

2+ y ago27:33

27:33

For those looking to grow in this profession, getting an outside perspectives from other L&D professioanls is a necessity. Dana, Bob, and Jake can all contribute much of their learning from going beyond the 4 walls of their organization. But how do you do it? M.J. Hall, Content Manager for the ATD Forum, shares what she has learned from years of ex…

1
S5 E08: A Neuroscientist’s Take on Cohort Learning 32:52

2+ y ago32:52

32:52

Dr. Grace Chang, Cognitive Neuroscientist at EY, joins the show to continue our discussion on cohort learning. Last episode we focused on the design, and in this episode we focus on the science and why it is so effective. We also go into the role of trust, why mentalizing and storytelling matters, the potential risks when not designed properly, why…

1
S5 E07: Reflections on CES 2023 and Generative AI 30:46

2+ y ago30:46

30:46

Elliott Masie, Chair at the Masie Learning Foundations, joined the show to a highlight what’s new in technology following his 2023 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) visit. Elliott shares a run-down of interesting tech at CES that may be impacting L&D, discussions at CES on Chat-GPT, CLO reactions to Generative A.I, and other innovations, lack of inve…

1
S5 E06: Designing Cohort Learning That Works 33:16

2+ y ago33:16

33:16

Mike Kester, CEO and Founder of Lead Belay, joins the show to discuss the design of cohort learning. Mike shares plenty of design advice including the proper cohort size, how to sustain engagement, how to measure, dealing with loud voices, and more pro tips CONNECT WITH US If you have any feedback or want to join in on the conversation, connect wit…

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The Learning Geeks Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

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