Most training fails because it forgets the human at the center.

This episode dives deep into how learning becomes more than just training—it becomes an experience people want to be part of. Vanessa Trower, award-winning learning consultant and industry leader, shares her creative approach to designing programs that connect both to the heart and to business outcomes. From the power of storytelling to the importance of collaboration, her insights reveal how to create initiatives that don’t just tick boxes but truly move the needle.

Along the way, Vanessa opens up about her proudest achievements, including winning L&D Professional of the Year, and even some epic failures—like the time an LMS mishap spammed an entire company. With humor, honesty, and practical wisdom, this conversation will leave you rethinking how learning works, what really matters, and how to design experiences people never forget.

Key Takeaways

• Creating learning that connects to both hearts and business outcomes is what makes programs stick.
• Collaboration and valuing other people’s strengths always lead to stronger results than going solo.
• Even mistakes and failures can become the spark for some of the best learning experiences.

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Timestamps

• [00:00] Introduction & Vanessa’s background
• [01:31] Why she focuses on meaningful learning experiences
• [03:20] What truly fires her up about L&D
• [05:20] Balancing creativity with business impact
• [07:11] Vanessa’s favorite campaign: “Homecoming”
• [11:06] Personal quirks: gestures, cooking, and food
• [13:36] Learning Spanish—and the reality of failure
• [15:55] Proudest career moments & major awards
• [20:47] Her worst L&D experience: the LMS email fiasco
• [29:01] Vanessa’s best advice for anyone starting in L&D

Links

• Vanessa Trower on Linkedin
• Nexperk
• Tom Bailey on LinkedIn
• Tom Bailey Website

Training is the laziest—and often the worst—solution organizations reach for.

Most organizations rush into training without asking the most important question: what’s the real problem we’re trying to solve? In this episode, Tom Bailey, a seasoned people development maverick, breaks down why traditional training often misses the mark—and what to do instead.

Listeners will discover how to separate real skill gaps from deeper organizational issues, why performance consulting models are essential, and how to create measurable outcomes that actually change behavior. Whether you’re in HR, leadership, or team development, this episode will shift the way you think about learning forever.

Key Takeaways

1. Training requests often mask deeper issues like resources, management, or structure—not just skills gaps.
2. Real people development starts by clarifying the exact behavior change or outcome desired.
3. Using a performance consulting model helps diagnose, address, and measure what truly matters.

Timestamps

[00:00] Don’t jump straight into training

[00:09] Why organizations default to “more training”

[00:22] Asking the critical outcome question

[00:36] When the issue isn’t training at all

[00:52] Examples of hidden causes: resources, pay, shifts

[01:05] Why L&D often misses the real gap

[01:15] The trap of traditional schooling bias

[01:25] What real learning and development should do

[01:35] Using performance consulting to diagnose issues

[01:45] How to measure behavior change that matters

Links

• Tom Bailey on LinkedIn
• Tom Bailey Website

There I was, buried in a pile of buzzwords—‘capability,’ ‘instructional design,’ ‘OD’—wondering what L&D actually meant.

Most people hear “learning and development” and immediately think of training sessions or workshops—but that’s only scratching the surface. In this episode, Tom Bailey, a passionate expert in people development, breaks down the real meaning of L&D and why it’s the most underleveraged tool in your company’s arsenal. From debunking the “training equals learning” myth to showcasing how L&D drives real business performance, this episode reframes how organizations should think about their people strategy.

You’ll learn the broader toolkit behind successful L&D—from coaching and mentoring to experience-based learning—and how to apply it based on actual needs, not assumptions. If you’re tired of wasted training budgets and disengaged teams, this episode is the wake-up call that’ll help you build a smarter, more effective workplace.

Key Takeaways

1. L&D is not just about training—it’s about driving real performance and behavioral change in teams and individuals.
2. Training is only one part of a much broader toolkit that includes mentoring, resources, simulations, and more.
3. To unlock L&D's true impact, organizations must shift from a content-focused approach to an outcome-based mindset.

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Timestamps

• [00:00] What is L&D and why it matters
• [00:23] The buzzword salad: how we confuse terms
• [00:55] L&D’s real goal: performance improvement
• [01:09] Where L&D sits in organizations
• [01:20] Why “training” is misunderstood
• [01:44] The true scope of L&D tools
• [01:58] Diagnosing the real issue behind performance gaps
• [02:10] Why L&D is crucial for organizational outcomes
• [02:25] Common misconceptions about “training”
• [02:45] The mindset shift L&D needs now

LinksTom Bailey on LinkedInTom Bailey Website