Learning Rebels Podcast

Learning Rebels
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Get the live, unfiltered conversations behind the popular Learning Rebels Coffee Chat. Workplace Learning will never be the same.

  1. 1D AGO

    Stop Consuming, Start Implementing

    It all started with the BIG question on the table.   What's the one skill you want to go deeper on this year—and how are you going to get there?   This Coffee Chat was about moving from broad knowledge to deep expertise. We kicked off with a quick level set: participants named skills they wanted to build—AI, gamification, executive presence, communication, writing learning objectives, digital acumen. But wanting to go deeper and actually doing it are two different things. One person said they're already consuming the next thing they won't implement. The group nodded hard—it's exactly what our learners go through with our content.   The conversation turned to barriers and breakthroughs. Someone shared their journey building executive presence through reading, observing people who model it, and creating a mental model of what success looks like. Another talked about using AI to develop exam questions and building tools that rejuvenate weak test items. Someone admitted they hate choosing tools because the learning curve feels endless, so they refuse to choose at all. The reality? We're all struggling to bridge training to implementation—even though that's literally what we do for a living.   We explored practical tools for going deep. ChatGPT can act as your instructor—upload a report, ask it to quiz you over coffee, and get feedback without judgment. Toby helps manage tab addiction by organizing articles for review so you don't lose track of what you want to learn. NotebookLM became the star of the show—upload sources, generate flashcards, create audio overviews you can listen to on your commute, or interrupt the podcast to ask questions. One participant realized the exploration is endless, which is both exciting and paralyzing.   The group talked about structuring learning time. Set a 30-minute timer. Focus on one Articulate skill. Stop when the alarm goes off. Listen to audio files during lunch. Quiz yourself in the grocery store line. Use AI to figure out where to start—ask it what a future-facing L&D leader would prioritize. The key is treating yourself like you're back in school, but on your terms.   The takeaway? The job market is shifting. AI can do some of what we used to do. We need deeper functional knowledge in areas AI can't replicate—strategy, gamification, executive presence, creative problem-solving. Know what you're good at as a human, as an L&D professional, and then pick one thing to go deep on. Follow that T-shaped path down.   So what's your one thing?   Stay curious! -Shannon   Video   Transcript Summary   Transcript   Chat Box     Resources: NotebookLM   Microsoft Copilot   Articulate Storyline Toby LinkedIn Learning Books: The Coaching Habit — by Michael Bungay Stanier   Write Better Multiple-Choice Questions to Measure Learning — by Patti Shank   The One Thing —   Authors: Gary Keller and Jay Papasan . Radical Candor — by Kim Scott   Be part of the Community. Gain more valuable resources to build your skills! Learn more here.   Join the conversation  Be part of the live chat! Sign up here.     Hire Learning Rebels  When you need learning that sticks, we’ll fight to make performance results happen. Visit the Learning Rebels website to learn more   Host: Shannon Tipton  Podcast produced by: Obsidian Productions

    36 min

  2. MAY 5

    Give Yourself 5%: The Habit That Changes Everything

    It all started with the BIG question on the table. How do we actually build a habit of learning—for ourselves?   This Coffee Chat tackled a challenge we all share: making time for our own growth when everything else feels more urgent. We kicked off identifying the barriers—time, distractions, guilt, and too many deadlines. Someone admitted they schedule learning time, then say yes when someone else's issues come up. Another confessed they're consistent at letting themselves down. The group nodded hard at the reality: we hoard articles, bookmark everything, and tell ourselves we'll get to it later. Later never comes.   The conversation shifted to practical solutions. One participant blocks lunch on their calendar every day (and tells their boss "it's not just lunch") to watch webinars and share takeaways with the team. Another uses Asana to forward emails directly into task lists so learning doesn't get buried. Someone shared a 30-day behavior change cohort where they committed to just five minutes of reading daily—and gave themselves a nine out of ten for sticking with it. The key? Making it easy to do the next right thing.   We explored workflow integration instead of breaking ourselves out of the day. Listen to a podcast on your commute. Read an article in the doctor's waiting room. Replace mindless scrolling with something brain-nourishing. One person shared a standard work spreadsheet to track daily, weekly, and monthly learning habits. Another talked about breaking goals into 5% of your work week—just two hours across five days. When you frame it that way, it's a no-brainer.   The group also talked about curating versus hoarding. Taking pictures of articles and saving them to Apple Notes. Pinning emails in Outlook. Creating project folders in ChatGPT. Organizing materials so you can actually find them again. And recognizing that clarity matters more than motivation—knowing what you want to learn and making the first step easy.   The takeaway? We need to stop making learning so heavy. It doesn't have to be an hour-long commitment. It can be five minutes. It can be part of your existing routine. And most importantly—you're worth 5% of your work week to sharpen your saw.   So what's one small step you can take to build your learning habit today?   Stay curious! -Shannon   Video   Transcript Summary   Transcript   Chat Box   Resources: Notebook LM Training Magazine Network Trello  Asana  Pomodoro Technique Getting Things Done (GTD) Crucial Learning  Shannon’s LinkedIn Post  SHA Leader Standard Work Template Daily Learning Habit Checklist    Books: Atomic Habits Full Focus Planner Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress Free Productivity Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less   Be part of the Community. Gain more valuable resources to build your skills! Learn more here.   Join the conversation  Be part of the live chat! Sign up here.     Hire Learning Rebels  When you need learning that sticks, we’ll fight to make performance results happen. Visit the Learning Rebels website to learn more   Host: Shannon Tipton  Podcast produced by: Obsidian Productions

    41 min

  3. FEB 17

    Creative Thinking: The Unexpected Essential Skill

    It all started with the BIG question on the table. What skills did we need in 2025 that we didn't see coming—and what does that mean for our careers?   This Coffee Chat was all about looking in the rearview mirror at the year behind us and thinking forward to what skills matter now. We kicked off with the big one: prompt engineering. Would we have known in January 2025 that mastering AI prompts would become critical? Some of us saw the signals, but most of us didn't jump on it fast enough. The question became: how do we get better at spotting trends before they pass us by?   The conversation turned to staying informed and developing a radar for what's next. Reading widely—Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, industry newsletters—and practicing pattern recognition helps you see what's coming down the hall. One participant carved out intentional innovation time each week to stay ahead of trends. Another pointed out that AI isn't just a tool—it's part of the workflow now. Prompt engineering, understanding AI agents versus simple prompts, and knowing which AI tool fits which task all became essential skills this year.   We explored creativity, storytelling, and binge-worthy learning. One participant asked: what if we designed learning people actually wanted to come back to, like a Netflix series? The group talked about framing content around compelling narratives, using humor and relatability (even corny stuff works if it's memorable), and building playlists instead of learning paths. Old-school techniques came back up too—process mapping, branching scenarios, empathy mapping, and the lost art of asking the right questions. Not "What problem are you solving?" but "What happened that brought you to my office today?"   We also tackled content curation with purpose. Throwing an entire library at people doesn't work. Instead, we need to help learners build targeted playlists—whether it's curated courses, YouTube videos, or internal resources—that actually match what they need. And we talked about dusting off skills like questioning, critical thinking, and creative problem solving. These aren't nice-to-haves anymore. They're essential.   The takeaway? The skills we need keep shifting faster than ever. Staying curious, staying informed, and staying flexible isn't optional—it's how we keep up.   So what skill are you sharpening as we head into 2026?   Stay curious! -Shannon   Video   Transcript   Transcript Summary   Chat Box   Other Resources:   Don’t forget!   Pass the Cranberry Sauce   Q1 Coffee Chat Schedule   Coffee Chat Schedule   Blog Posts:   Order taker to STRATEGIC Business Partner (2025)   Five skills L&D professionals couldn't ignore   6 must-have skills for 2025   Ditch Engagement! Create Learning People Can’t Ignore   Why Everyday Development is Crucial to Closing the Skills Gap   Podcasts:   Harvard’s Taylor Swift Course What You’re Really Learning   Examples:   When HR Goes Too Hard   Destinos: An Introduction to Spanish - Annenberg Learner   Webinar:   Creating Training Videos That Stick: Small Changes for Improved Outcomes    LinkedIn Posts   LinkedIn post on Microsoft by Dylan Tokar   Building Your Radar: How to Spot Signals and Make Sense of Change by Al Dea    Dear Leadership, We Need to Talk Not Activity by Shannon Tipton     Books:   The CEO's Guide to Training, eLearning & Work: Empowering Learning for a Competitive Advantage by Will Thalheimer   Think Like a Marketer, Train Like an L&D Pro: Strategies to Ignite Learning by Bianca Baumann and Mike Taylor   Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip and Dan Heath   The Accidental Instructional Designer by Cammy Bean   Practical Empathy by Indi Young   Be part of the Community. Gain more valuable resources to build your skills! Learn more here.   Join the conversation  Be part of the live chat! Sign up here.     Hire Learning Rebels  When you need learning that sticks, we’ll fight to make performance results happen. Visit the Learning Rebels website to learn more   Host: Shannon Tipton  Podcast produced by: Obsidian Productions

    31 min

  4. FEB 10

    Demands and Deadlines: Working with Stakeholders

    It all started with the BIG question on the table. What do we wish our stakeholders knew about learning—and how do we actually tell them?   This Coffee Chat was all about the communication breakdowns between L&D and stakeholders, and how to fix them without just venting for an hour (though we did some of that too). We kicked off with a hard truth: sometimes the misunderstandings are our fault. When we say yes to impossible deadlines, we train stakeholders to keep asking. So how do we break the cycle and have better conversations?   The group tackled the classic stakeholder statements. "Everyone needs this training" got unpacked with the five whys—asking why, why, why until you get to the actual problem they're trying to solve. We talked about shifting from big questions like "What's the business goal?" to smaller, clearer ones like "What behavior are you seeing that you don't like?" or "What failures are we trying to prevent?" Sometimes stakeholders have more clarity around what they want to avoid than what they want to create.   We explored practical tools for working with SMEs and stakeholders. Training request forms that are short enough to actually get filled out. Checklists that prompt SMEs to gather what we need without us having to nag. Discovery meetings where we fill out the form together. And the magic phrase: "If I don't hear from you by Friday, silence means yes." Documentation and receipts matter—send back what you agreed on so there's no confusion later.   The conversation turned to getting real reviews from SMEs. Sit with them and go through it together. Send them one section at a time instead of a 20-minute course. Give them specific examples of what feedback looks like—"This looks great" doesn't help, but "I like the tone you used on slide 3" does. Test it with someone who knows nothing about the topic. Read it out loud. Project it on a big screen. All of these catch things you'd never see otherwise.   We also vented about the things that drive us up the wall. Everything defaults to one hour. SMEs who tell us the solution instead of the problem. Requests that arrive with "turn this into a game" or "make a video" already baked in. The key is reframing without being combative—asking what "game" means to them, explaining constraints, helping them break content into need-to-know versus nice-to-know buckets.   The takeaway? We need to communicate better, set expectations upfront, and remember that stakeholders and SMEs aren't the enemy—they just don't know what we need unless we tell them clearly.   So what's one conversation you could reframe this week?   Stay curious! -Shannon   Andrew Jacobs   Chatbox   Andrew Jacobs Transcript   Transcript Summary   Resources   The Learning Rebels’ The 2025 Edition: From L&D Order-Taker To Strategic Business Partner   Where L&D Will Survive and Where It Will Die In Age of AI   What is Gilbert’s Behavior Engineering Model?   Gilbert's Behavior Engineering Model   Andrew Jacobs’ PPT   Andrew Jacobs’ Four Cs:   Collaboration - this is where we want to be but requires us to agree with their outcomes and theirs with ours Cooperation - we have different objectives from the business but we work with them to create effective elements which support both Coordination - we can't help the business but get out of the businesses' way so they can do their thing Competition - we're trying to get attention and fight for awareness with every other team, e.g. facilities, IT, Finance, etc   Cathy Moore’s Action Mapping   Management by Wandering Around   Andrew Jacobs’ Linkedin   Books   Leading the Learning Function: Tools and Techniques for Organizational Impact by MJ Hall and Laleh Patel   The Trusted Learning Advisor: The Tools, Techniques and Skills You Need to Make L&D a Business Priority by Keith Ketting   Employee Engagement for Organizational Change: The Theory and Practice of Stakeholder Engagement by Julie Hodges   Be part of the Community. Gain more valuable resources to build your skills! Learn more here.   Join the conversation  Be part of the live chat! Sign up here.     Hire Learning Rebels  When you need learning that sticks, we’ll fight to make performance results happen. Visit the Learning Rebels website to learn more   Host: Shannon Tipton  Podcast produced by: Obsidian Productions

    43 min

  5. FEB 3

    Small Budgets and Big Impact: Scrappy Design That Actually Works

    It all started with the BIG question on the table. How do we design learning fast without sacrificing quality? This Coffee Chat was all about scrappy design—doing more with less time, smaller budgets, and whatever tools you've got at hand. We kicked off with a reality check: sometimes your best work isn't your most polished work. It's the work that gets done and actually helps people. One participant shared a story about creating an entire electrostatic discharge course in one week by scanning a workbook into PowerPoint, adding a quiz, and launching it. Five years later, that "rushed" course was still running successfully. The conversation turned to mindset shifts and practical workflows. Progress over perfection. Templates over starting from scratch. Using tools in ways they weren't necessarily designed for—like turning PowerPoint into a graphic design tool or loading your brand guide into ChatGPT so it generates content in your voice. We talked about recording subject matter experts and repurposing that single video into scripts, podcasts, mini clips, job aids, and course content. One video, ten different outputs.| Tool recommendations came fast. Canva for templates and quick graphics. TechSmith's suite (Snagit, Camtasia, Audiate) for seamless video workflows. iSpring for PowerPoint-based courses on a budget. Gamma for AI-powered slide design. Genially for building interactive content and internal resource hubs. The group emphasized finding tools that talk to each other—upload once, edit everywhere, export in seconds. We also tackled the tension between being scrappy and putting out crap. There's a difference. Scrappy means helpful and useful, just faster. It means asking "What do people need to do?" before jumping into a full ADDIE process. Sometimes your analysis is one question. Sometimes the solution is a Word doc, not a course. And sometimes you say yes to the request, then gently steer the conversation toward what'll actually work. The takeaway? Build your workflow. Know your tools. Reuse what works. And remember—scrappy doesn't mean sloppy. It means smart. So what's in your scrappy design toolbox? Stay curious! -Shannon Resources: Video:VimeoScrappy Design & Smart Shortcuts - Coffee Chat   Chat Box: Learningrebelslearningrebels.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Scrappy-Design-Smart-Shortcuts-chat.pdf   Transcript:OtterOtter.ai Note | Otter.ai   Transcript Summary: Learningrebelslearningrebels.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Scrappy-Design-Smart-Shortcuts-Summary.pdf   Resources:  The Scrappy Instructional Designer’s Workflow Guide    Dr Phil's Newsletter   HeyGen TechSmith Tools Camtasia Snagit Audiate Screencast Keynote PowerPoint Storyline 360 Gamma Canva Canva Design School Presentation Zen Nolan Haims Creative ChatGPT Claude Monday.com Copilot Mico BrightCarbon BrightSlide Scribe Miro Venngage Vyond Sana Synthesia Goose Chase Genially     Books:  DataStory: Explain Data and Inspire Action Through Story by Nancy Duarte    slide:ology: The Art and Science of Presentation Design by Nancy Duarte   Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences by Nancy Duarte   Leaving ADDIE for SAM: An Agile Model for Developing the Best Learning Experiences by Michael W. Allen (Author), Richard Sites (Contributor)   A Trainer’s Guide to PowerPoint: Best Practices for Master Presenters by Mike Parkinson   Do-It-Yourself Billion Dollar Graphics: 3 Fast and Easy Steps to Turn Your Text and Ideas into Persuasive Graphics by Mike Parkinson   Downloadables: ChatGPT CheatSheet: Learningrebelslearningrebels.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/ChatGPT-CheatSheet-10.pdf   Image Prompt Sheet: Learningrebelslearningrebels.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Image-Prompt-cheatsheet.pdf Be part of the Community. Gain more valuable resources to build your skills! Learn more here.   Join the conversation  Be part of the live chat! Sign up here.     Hire Learning Rebels  When you need learning that sticks, we’ll fight to make performance results happen. Visit the Learning Rebels website to learn more   Host: Shannon Tipton  Podcast produced by: Obsidian Productions

    40 min

  6. JAN 27

    The Unmeasurable Problem: Soft Skills and Real Evidence

    It all started with the BIG question on the table. How do we measure the unmeasurable—those soft skills that don't fit neatly into a spreadsheet?   This Coffee Chat tackled one of the trickiest challenges we face: proving that leadership development, communication training, and other "fuzzy-edged" programs actually work. We moved beyond completion rates and smile sheets to explore what real evidence looks like when the numbers just don't tell the story.   The struggles came fast. Financial acumen training where clients want proof it makes people more money. Leadership programs where stakeholders won't touch 360 feedback. The classic problem of one person messing up, so now all 50 people need mandatory training. The group shared stories of self-assessments where the most confident people scored the lowest, and programs where leadership only cares about completion percentages.   We explored practical approaches to gathering evidence when traditional metrics won't cut it. Anecdotal stories from learners and stakeholders, discussion boards that show what people are taking away, and post-training check-ins that nudge application while measuring retention. One clever idea: have learners submit real scenarios anonymously, then use those examples throughout training to build relevance and buy-in.   The conversation turned to asking better questions upfront. Not just "What does success look like?" but "What's happening right now that's making us have this conversation?" and "What will this look like in the wild?" Because if you don't know what success sounds like and looks like before you build the program, you can't look for evidence of it afterwards.   We also tackled an uncomfortable truth: sometimes we're order takers whether we like it or not. Leadership says "build this course" and strategic partnership isn't happening today. But that doesn't mean you can't still ask questions or look for evidence in the wild—even when leadership doesn't want formal metrics. Just because they say "I don't want you to measure X" doesn't mean you can't ask the question and build toward it anyway.   Soft skills come with actions. Communication done well has body language, tone, and specific phrases. Leadership development shows up in how managers handle conflict. If you can describe what it looks like and sounds like when it's done well, you can watch for those signals after training. That's your evidence.   So what does success actually look like in the wild for your soft skills training?   Stay curious! -Shannon   Video   Chat Box   Transcript   Transcript Summary   Resources: The Learning Rebels Podcast ft. Kevin Yates Will Thalheimer's Learning-Transfer Evaluation Model   Books:  Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learningby Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III , Mark A. McDaniel   Proving the Value of Soft Skills: Measuring Impact and Calculating ROI by Patricia Pulliam Phillips, Jack J. Phillips, Rebecca Ray   Map It: The hands-on guide to strategic training design by Cathy Moore (More Affordable Option) Design Thinking for Training and Development: Creating Learning Journeys That Get Results by Sharon Boller, Laura Fletcher   Be part of the Community. Gain more valuable resources to build your skills! Learn more here.   Join the conversation  Be part of the live chat! Sign up here.     Hire Learning Rebels  When you need learning that sticks, we’ll fight to make performance results happen. Visit the Learning Rebels website to learn more   Host: Shannon Tipton  Podcast produced by: Obsidian Productions

    41 min

  7. JAN 21

    Bias Traps and Design Flops

    It all started with the BIG question on the table.  How do cognitive biases sneak into our learning designs—and what can we do about it?   It quickly became clear this conversation was going to hit close to home. We all fall into these traps—affinity bias, confirmation bias, halo effect, availability heuristic, and the Dunning-Kruger effect. It's not about shame; it's about recognizing that our brains have built-in shortcuts that sometimes help us and sometimes lead us astray.   The group shared real examples. One person caught themselves gravitating toward job candidates they liked rather than those with the best portfolios. Another realized they'd been making assumptions about learner personas based on who they wanted the audience to be, not who it actually was. We talked about how personality assessments like DISC can create bias, putting people in boxes and giving them excuses for behavior. And we explored the "squeaky wheel" problem—when one loud voice convincing us "everybody" needs something turns out to be just that one person.   The conversation turned practical. How do we catch ourselves? Listen for trigger words like "everyone," "always," and "never." Add a bias checkpoint to your needs analysis process. Share your assumptions with colleagues as accountability partners. One suggestion that landed: upload your training needs analysis into AI and ask it what you missed or overstated—an unbiased second look can reveal blind spots you didn't even know were there.   The takeaway wasn't about fixing ourselves overnight. It's about awareness. Recognizing when you're walking that worn path and choosing to step out of the trench. Starting with yourself before trying to point out biases in others. And when you see it happening in stakeholder meetings, using the gentle nudge: "I've heard that too—help me understand who 'everyone' is in your world." So what bias are you going to watch for in your next stakeholder meeting? Stay curious!  -Shannon   Video   Transcript   Transcript Summary   Chatbox   Resources   Cognitive Bias Quiz   5 Cognitive Biases Sabotaging Your Learning Programs   Explaining the Dunning-Kruger Effect   Unmasking the Mind: 11 Cognitive Biases That Can Derail Workplace Decisions (and How to Overcome Them)   The Cognitive Bias Checker   Books   Cognitive Biases - A Brief Overview of Over 160 Cognitive Biases: + Bonus Chapter: Algorithmic Bias by Murat Durmus   Mental Models: Learn How to Improve Decision Making, Problem Solving, Develop Better Strategic Thinking and Reasoning Ability to Avoid Cognitive Biases by Joe Silva   The Critical Mind: Enhance Your Problem Solving, Questioning, Observing, and Evaluating Skills (Cognitive Development Book 2) by Zoe McKey   How Our Brains Betray Us by Magnus McDaniels   Be part of the Community. Gain more valuable resources to build your skills! Learn more here.   Join the conversation  Be part of the live chat! Sign up here.     Hire Learning Rebels  When you need learning that sticks, we’ll fight to make performance results happen. Visit the Learning Rebels website to learn more   Host: Shannon Tipton  Podcast produced by: Obsidian Productions

    33 min

  8. 12/18/2025

    Murder Mystery Learning Design

    It all started with the BIG question on the table. How can we set goals that truly align with our personal and professional aspirations while making the process motivating, realistic, and actionable? This Coffee Chat was all about rethinking how we approach goal setting. Forget the old SMART goals you’ve heard about a thousand times—this conversation was focused on making goals meaningful, personal, and, most importantly, doable. We talked about the problem with framing goals in a negative light. How often do we say, “I need to stop doing this” or “I should do that”? We instead tried to ask “What’s the positive motivation behind my goal?” We also had some fun with numbers! By calculating the weekends left in our lives (yes, weekends), we got a new perspective on time and how to prioritize what matters most. It’s not about how many years you have left, but about how you’re using the time you’ve got. There was a great moment when someone shared their experience with imposter syndrome. But remember, Identifying barriers upfront—like fear or complexity—is the first step to overcoming them. This chat was full of “aha” moments and practical ideas, but what stuck with me most was this: Goal setting isn’t just about planning. It’s about believing in the process, breaking things down, and being kind to yourself along the way. So, what are your big, hairy, audacious goals? What’s stopping you? Let’s keep the conversation going! Stay Curious!  ~Shannon       Resources: Video   Transcript   Transcript Summary   Chatbox   Resources   BHAG Big Rock Goal Setting Planner   Books   SMARTER Goals: A Better & Smarter Approach To Setting & Achieving Goals by Tal Gur   The Efficient Path to Success - A Practical Guide to Achieving Your Goals by Nelson JR   Start Poorly: Sidestepping Perfection to Reach Your Goals by Justin Grifford   Goal Setting: Forget SMART Goals Try SMARTER Goals by Martin Formato       Be part of the Community. Gain more valuable resources to build your skills! Learn more here.   Join the conversation  Be part of the live chat! Sign up here.     Hire Learning Rebels  When you need learning that sticks, we’ll fight to make performance results happen. Visit the Learning Rebels website to learn more   Host: Shannon Tipton  Podcast produced by: Obsidian Productions

    40 min
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Get the live, unfiltered conversations behind the popular Learning Rebels Coffee Chat. Workplace Learning will never be the same.

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