L&D Must Change is a podcast dedicated to people development professionals (L&D, TD, OD, etc.) who want to make an impact. Through conversations with L&D colleagues passionate about changing our profession for the better and the occasional solo episode, Jess Almlie will uncover practical strategies we can all use to make a positive difference in the world of work. Let's learn from each other and collectively raise the bar for the work we do!
L&D Must Change
Claim This Podcastby Jess Almlie
5.0(8 reviews)
57 episodes
Updated Weekly
Accepts GuestsHas SponsorsLocation 🇺🇸
43
Podcast Authority
BetaFairBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Quality63
Social0
YouTube0
Engagement60
Podcast Overview
L&D Must Change is a podcast dedicated to people development professionals (L&D, TD, OD, etc.) who want to make an impact. Through conversations with L&D colleagues passionate about changing our profession for the better and the occasional solo episode, Jess Almlie will uncover practical strategies we can all use to make a positive difference in the world of work. Let's learn from each other and collectively raise the bar for the work we do!
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
4/1/2024
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Recent Episodes
June 10, 2026
56. LIVE from ATD 2026: Working with SMEs with Jeff Daigle and Tami Reiss
<p>If your SME projects keep stalling, it's possible the SME isn't the problem. Recorded LIVE at the ATD 2026 International Conference and Expo in Los Angeles, this special episode brings together influence strategist Tami Reiss and Sr. L&D Manager Jeff Daigle to tackle what can be one of the most universal frustrations in our field: working with subject matter experts. Together, Jess, Tami, and Jeff dig into why content overload kills clarity, how to position L&D as a true business partner, and what it actually looks like to stop persuading SMEs and start aligning with them. Plus, hear Jeff's rare perspective as someone who has sat in the SME seat himself.</p> <p><strong>Jess, Tami, and Jeff Discuss</strong></p> <ul> <li>Why SME projects stall when L&D focuses on collecting content instead of defining clear learner outcomes</li> <li>The critical difference between persuasion and alignment, and why alignment gets SMEs to actually show up, engage, and champion your work</li> <li>How Jeff, as a former field SME, felt pressure to share everything, and what good L&D partnership looked like from that side of the table</li> <li>Practical strategies for earning and keeping SME time, including doing your homework before meetings and following through on every promise, even small ones</li> <li>The "need-to-know vs. nice-to-know" framework and why nothing the SME shares should ever get thrown away</li> <li>How to use AI tools like ChatGPT and Copilot to build draft structures before meeting with SMEs, shifting their role from content creator to expert editor and reviewer</li> <li>Where SME partnerships are headed in the future</li> </ul> <p><strong>About Tami Reiss</strong></p> <p>Tami Reiss is a global speaker and trainer specializing in strategic influence and leadership communication. She has worked with professionals across industries to help them gain buy-in, lead without authority, and communicate with clarity. Tami is the creator of Just Not Sorry, author of a book on management, a respected authority on communication, and the voice behind the Confident Communicator GPT, a tool for leaders building executive presence and strategic influence.</p> <p><strong>Find and Connect with Tami Reiss</strong></p> <ul> <li><a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamireiss/">LinkedIn</a></li> <li>Website: <a href= "https://tamireiss.com/">https://tamireiss.com/</a></li> </ul> <p><strong>About Jeff Daigle</strong></p> <p>Jeff Daigle is a Senior Learning & Development Manager based in Kenner, Louisiana. He bridges big‑picture strategy and real‑world execution, helping organizations turn complex goals into clear, practical learning that drives performance. Jeff specializes in competency‑based talent development, organizational frameworks, and technical training, with a knack for making complex concepts easy to understand. Known for his approachable style, he supports people while thoughtfully challenging them to grow, believing the best development happens when clarity, trust, and high expectations come together.</p> <p><strong>Find and Connect with Jeff Daigle</strong></p> <ul> <li><a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-daigle-88w/">LinkedIn</a></li> </ul> <p><strong>Find and Connect with the host, Jess Almlie</strong></p> <p> </p> <ul> <li><a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessalmlie/">LinkedIn</a></li> <li>Website: <a href= "https://www.jessalmlie.com/">www.jessalmlie.com</a></li> <li>Book: <a href= "https://www.amazon.com/dp/196023126X/">L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.jessalmlie.com/services">L&D Strategic Business Partner Team Assessment and Team Development Roadmap</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.jessalmlie.com/contact">Contact Jess</a></li> </ul>
May 27, 2026
55. Beyond AI Content Tools: L&D's Strategic Role with Megan Torrance
<p>Most L&D teams are using AI to write content faster, but the business doesn't care. Megan Torrance, founder of Torrance Learning and author of the upcoming AI Implementation Guide for L&D, joins Jess to make the case that L&D professionals are sitting on a goldmine of untapped superpowers, and it's time to use them where it matters most: inside the business's core AI strategy. From the AI Implementation Canvas to the WISE at AI framework, this episode will change how you see your role in your organization's AI future.</p> <p><strong>Jess and Megan Discuss</strong></p> <ul> <li>Why L&D's current AI conversation (content generation, authoring tools) is largely invisible and irrelevant to the rest of the business</li> <li>The unique "superpowers" L&D brings to organizational AI strategy: workflow analysis, broad internal networks, and skilled questioning</li> <li>The AI Implementation Canvas: a 14-dimension framework across 4 categories that gives L&D a structured way to start strategic AI conversations</li> <li>How an empty dimension on the Canvas is actually data, and why silence signals a potential blind spot</li> <li>The three AI impact zones (L&D productivity, learner experience, and organizational transformation) and why L&D needs to push into zone three</li> <li>Why relationship power, not hierarchy, is L&D's path to being called upstream on AI initiatives</li> <li>Practical strategies for building those relationships: proactive curiosity, attending town halls, and asking "what else is going on in your world?"</li> <li>The WISE at AI framework (Wisdom, Inclusivity, Safe and Secure, Equitable, Accountable, Transparent) and how to operationalize it inside your organization</li> </ul> <p><strong>About Megan Torrance</strong></p> <p>Megan Torrance is the CEO and founder of TorranceLearning, where she leads a team of learning experience designers and engineers in reimagining workplace learning. Her firm has served Fortune 1000 companies, major research universities, global professional associations, and federal agencies for more than two decades. Megan brings a strategic vision that helps TorranceLearning bridge vision with execution—delivering innovative, data-informed, and learner-centered solutions.</p> <p>Megan is active in the L&D community, frequently speaking at conferences and writing many articles. She has also written 3 books: Agile for Instructional Designers (2019), Data and Analytics for Instructional Designers (2023), and her newest book which comes out at the beginning of June 2026, The AI Implementation Guide for L&D.</p> <p><strong>Find and Connect with Megan Torrance</strong></p> <ul> <li>Website: <a href= "https://www.torrancelearning.com/">https://www.torrancelearning.com/</a></li> <li><a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/in/megantorrance/">LinkedIn</a></li> <li>Newest Book: <a href= "https://www.amazon.com/AI-Implementation-Guide-Megan-Torrance/dp/1963392299/"> The AI Implementation Guide for L&D</a> (June 2026)</li> <li>Book: <a href= "https://www.amazon.com/Analytics-Instructional-Designers-Megan-Torrance/dp/1953946445/"> Data and Analytics for Instructional Designers</a> (2023)</li> <li>Book: <a href= "https://www.amazon.com/Agile-Instructional-Designers-Iterative-Management/dp/1949036502/"> Agile for Instructional Designers</a> (2019)</li> </ul> <p><strong>Find and Connect with Jess Almlie</strong></p> <ul> <li><a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessalmlie/">LinkedIn</a></li> <li>Website: <a href= "https://www.jessalmlie.com/">www.jessalmlie.com</a></li> <li>Book: <a href= "https://www.amazon.com/dp/196023126X/">L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.jessalmlie.com/services">L&D Strategic Business Partner Team Assessment and Team Development Roadmap</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.jessalmlie.com/contact">Contact Jess</a></li> </ul>
May 13, 2026
54. Running L&D Like a Business with Tracie Cantu
<p>Most L&D teams are not struggling because they lack talent or effort. They are struggling because of the system they are operating in. In this episode, Jess sits down with L&D strategist Tracie Cantu to talk about why L&D's credibility problem is really an operating model problem, and what it looks like to fix it. They cover everything from governance and portfolio management to getting involved in strategic conversations, empowering others to create content, and the three-pillar Learning Operations Blueprint that can help any L&D team operate with the same rigor and intention as the business it serves.</p> <p><strong>Jess and Tracie Discuss</strong></p> <ul> <li>Why L&D's traditional operating model is now a liability, not just a limitation</li> <li>What "running L&D like a business" actually means (and what it does not mean)</li> <li>Reframing governance and operational rigor as a superpower, not bureaucracy</li> <li>The difference between the business as your customer and employees as your consumers</li> <li>Portfolio management for L&D: making data-driven decisions about where to invest resources</li> <li>The Learning Operations Blueprint and its three pillars: people, process, and technology</li> <li>Why standardizing your intake process is the highest-leverage first step</li> <li>Becoming a connector and problem-solver across the organization</li> <li>Why over-indexing on content creation keeps L&D teams stuck</li> <li>Empowering SMEs to create content so L&D can focus on higher-impact work</li> <li>A simple first step any team can take: mapping current processes together</li> </ul> <p><strong>About Tracie Cantu</strong></p> <p>Tracie Cantu, MHRM, CPTD is an enterprise L&D strategist with 20+ years of experience building and transforming learning operations at scale. She has led learning functions across aviation, government, retail, and tech, including Director of Learning Technology at Whole Foods Market (Amazon) and Head of Learning Ecosystems at Meta, before stepping into fractional executive work and advising global organizations across financial services, legal, healthcare, and beyond. Her work is grounded in a single premise: L&D's credibility problem is an operating model problem. </p> <p>As Chief Learning Strategist of Your CLO, she works with senior L&D leaders and the executives they report to on the infrastructure, technology strategy, and measurement systems that make learning functions perform like the business units they serve. Tracie is an international speaker and a regular presence at Learning, HR, and EdTech conferences. Her writing has appeared in publications such as TD Magazine, Federal News Network, and Training Magazine. Her book, Running L&D Like a Business: Drive Value with Learning Operations, published through ATD Press.</p> <p><strong>Find and Connect with Tracie Cantu</strong></p> <ul> <li><a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/in/traciemcantu/">LinkedIn</a></li> <li>Book: <a href= "https://www.amazon.com/Running-Like-Business-Learning-Operations/dp/1963392108/"> Running L&D Like a Business: Drive Value With Learning Operations</a></li> <li>Website: <a href= "https://www.yourclo.net/">yourclo.net</a></li> </ul> <p><strong>Find and Connect with Jess Almlie</strong></p> <ul> <li><a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessalmlie/">LinkedIn</a></li> <li>Website: <a href= "https://www.jessalmlie.com/">www.jessalmlie.com</a></li> <li>Book: <a href= "https://www.amazon.com/dp/196023126X/">L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.jessalmlie.com/services">L&D Strategic Business Partner Team Assessment and Team Development Roadmap</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.jessalmlie.com/contact">Contact Jess</a></li> </ul>
57 total episodes available
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