I’m excited to share a special highlight from The Talent Development Hot Seat podcast perfect for anyone passionate about building thriving workplaces, authentic leadership, and truly inclusive cultures.

Since this is a holiday week and many of us (myself included) are taking some well-earned downtime, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to revisit the archives and reshare a few of our most popular and impactful episodes. Today’s feature is one I found especially meaningful and insightful: my conversation with my friend Claude Silver, originally released as Episode 365 in January 2023.

Claude is on a mission to spread what she calls “emotional optimism,” which is simply an awareness that we have the capacity to influence how we think and how we feel.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

1. The mission of Vayner Media and what the term Honey Empire means to Claude Silver.
2. How you can move away from leading with fear and instead leading with honey in your organization.
3. Why safety in an organization is vital for employees to bring their authentic selves to work.
4. What emotional optimism is, why it’s important in the workplace and what toxic positivity is.
5. The definition of radical inclusion and how it can help others find their voices to participate in the conversation.
6. A preview of Claude’s talk about building a culture of belonging and bravery at the upcoming Talent Development Think Tank Conference.

And also LearnIt, which is offering a FREE trial of their TeamPass membership for you and up to 20 team members of your team. Check it out here.

Order my new book, Own Your Brand, Own Your Career on Amazon

And my first book, Own Your Career Own Your Life, is on Amazon as well.

Here is the link to the YouTube channel of Talent Development Hot Seat Podcast.

Connect with Andy Storch here: Website | LinkedIn

Connect with Claude Silver: LinkedIn | Website

Welcome back to The Talent Development Hot Seat! In this episode, I sit down with Elizabeth Villa, a dynamic people development leader and the global head of learning at Edenred, a leading French financial services firm. Elizabeth brings a truly international perspective growing up in Mexico, studying in the United States, and building her career in Paris with a background that’s both inspiring and practical for today’s global professionals.

Elizabeth is recognized for her transformative approach to corporate learning, especially her pioneering work on integrating emotional intelligence and humanity into traditional learning and development programs. Throughout the episode, she shares how she designs learning experiences that go far beyond the classroom focusing on building circles of trust, cultivating psychological safety, and inspiring genuine human connection among participants.

You’ll hear about her journey learning three languages, navigating different cultures, and crafting award-winning leadership programs that drive cultural change. Elizabeth also dives deep into the evolving intersection of technology, artificial intelligence, and the future of HR and learning, exploring what it means to be human in an increasingly digital world.

Whether you’re an L&D leader, HR professional, or curious about the future of work, this conversation is packed with insights about creating meaningful development experiences, fostering career growth, and ensuring people stay at the heart of every organization even as robots and AI become more prevalent. Don’t miss Elizabeth’s practical tips, global perspective, and passion for the human side of talent development!

Order my new book, Own Your Brand, Own Your Career on Amazon

And my first book, Own Your Career Own Your Life, is on Amazon as well.

And also LearnIt, which is offering a FREE trial of their TeamPass membership for you and up to 20 team members of your team. Check it out here.

Connect with Andy here: Website | LinkedIn

Connect with Elizabeth: LinkedIn

Today, I am talking with Shrikant Pattathil from Harbinger Group, a recognized leader with more than 25 years in the eLearning and HR technology space. In this conversation, Shrikant shares his unique perspective on the evolution of eLearning from the early days of computer-based training to today’s dynamic, AI-powered personalized learning experiences.

You'll learn how eLearning has transformed over the decades, the pitfalls organizations still encounter when implementing digital learning solutions, and the best practices for driving engagement and adoption. Shrikant dives into the concept of “industrialization” of eLearning, explaining how hyper-personalization and AI are reshaping the future of content creation and delivery for both learners and enterprises. Whether you’re a talent development leader, learning designer, or tech enthusiast, this episode is packed with actionable insights and fresh ideas for navigating the rapidly changing landscape of workplace learning.

Learn more about The Harbinger Group

Order my new book, Own Your Brand, Own Your Career on Amazon

And my first book, Own Your Career Own Your Life, is on Amazon as well.

This episode is also sponsored by The Harbinger Group, a trusted leader in eLearning.

And also LearnIt, which is offering a FREE trial of their TeamPass membership for you and up to 20 team members of your team. Check it out here.

Connect with Andy here: Website | LinkedIn

Connect with Shrikant: Website I LinkedIn