The Talent Development Hot Seat

On the 374th episode of the Talent Development Hot Seat Podcast, Andy Storch welcomes Jennifer Brown to the stage. Jennifer Brown is a globally recognized DEI thought leader, highly sought-after speaker, award-winning entrepreneur, and best-selling author. She envisions inclusive organizations where all of us can thrive. As someone who has experienced both the advantages of privilege and the sting of stigma, Jennifer is boldly redefining what it means to truly belong—in the workplace, in our families, and in our communities.  She openly shares her powerful and unforgettable true story with audiences to help us challenge our assumptions—about ourselves, about leaders, and others—and take meaningful action today for a more inclusive tomorrow.Jennifer has shared her thought leadership at corporations including Google, The Hartford, Hearst, IBM, Indeed, Intel, KFC Global (Yum! Brands), Liberty Mutual, LinkedIn, McDermott Will & Emery LLP, Medtronic, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Prudential, PSE

In this episode, Andy is welcoming Rachel Druckenmiller to The Talent Development Think Tank Podast. Rachel is the CEO of UNMUTED, a training and development company, and she’s on a mission to ignite resilience, connection, engagement, and compassion in organizations, leaders, and teams. She is a national thought leader in the employee engagement and wellbeing field and was recently recognized by The Daily Record as one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women of 2022 and a Forbes Next1000 honoree in 2021. Additionally, Rachel was recognized as the #1 Health Promotion Professional in the U.S. by the Wellness Council of America in 2015 and a 40 Under 40 Game Changer in 2019.In this bonus episode, you’ll hear:Rachel Druckenmiller’s proudest career moment.Her biggest career failure and what she learned from that experience.The biggest challenge she sees right now in the talent development space.Why she’s following the trend of prioritizing connection over content.The three books she recommends reading that sent her on a jour

In this episode, Andy is welcoming Rachel Druckenmiller to The Talent Development Think Tank Podcast. Rachel is the CEO of UNMUTED, a training and development company, and she’s on a mission to ignite resilience, connection, engagement, and compassion in organizations, leaders, and teams. She is a national thought leader in the employee engagement and wellbeing field and was recently recognized by The Daily Record as one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women of 2022 and a Forbes Next1000 honoree in 2021. Additionally, Rachel was recognized as the #1 Health Promotion Professional in the U.S. by the Wellness Council of America in 2015 and a 40 Under 40 Game Changer in 2019.In this episode, you’ll hear:Rachel Druckenmiller’s experiences as a timid child with perfectionist tendencies and the journey that transformed her into an unmuted version of herself today.Why your worth isn’t tied to your work and how competing commitments can prevent you from pursuing your goals.What organizations can do to help their employees avoid

On the 370th episode of the Talent Development Think Tank Podcast with Andy Storch, we welcome Larry McAlister for the third time. Larry is a strategic, energetic, inspirational, and visionary senior leader. He is consistently sought after as a thought leader in the HR space, both internally and externally and he was named in the Top 50 Human Resources Professional Award by OnConferences in January 2021.Over his career, Larry has built highly effective talent acquisition and enablement strategies and development programs. Larry is known for his exceptional ability to work with cross-functional leaders and silo bust throughout organizations.Currently, Larry is the Vice President of Global Talent at NetApp. He is transforming how NetApp thinks about talent with resilience, curiosity, and a growth mindset. He is leading a digital transformation of the HR functions, leveraging powerful technology to introduce an internal talent marketplace. Larry believes in leading with authenticity and creating a place where Ne

On the 370th episode of the Talent Development Think Tank Podcast with Andy Storch, we welcome Larry McAlister for the third time. Larry is a strategic, energetic, inspirational, and visionary senior leader. He is consistently sought after as a thought leader in the HR space, both internally and externally and he was named in the Top 50 Human Resources Professional Award by OnConferences in January 2021.Over his career, Larry has built highly effective talent acquisition and enablement strategies and development programs. Larry is known for his exceptional ability to work with cross-functional leaders and silo bust throughout organizations.Currently, Larry is the Vice President of Global Talent at NetApp. He is transforming how NetApp thinks about talent with resilience, curiosity and a growth mindset. He is leading a digital transformation of the HR functions, leveraging powerful technology to  introduce an internal talent marketplace. Larry believes in leading with authenticity and creating a place whe

Have you set your goals for 2023 yet? In this episode I will be leading you through a 5-step process that I use when I am setting goals. This process will support you to maximize your year, set yourself up for success, and take ownership of your career and life.Connect with Andy Storch here:WebsiteLinkedInJoin us in the Talent Development Think Tank Community!Talent Development Think Tank Conference

You don’t have to be imprisoned by your past. No matter how bad it was. And you’re not alone! Andy welcomes Susan Schmitt Winchester to share how to use career conflicts you face to overcome your past and build the future you deserve.Susan is SVP, CHRO for Applied Materials, with 30 + years of HR experience, previously as CHRO for Rockwell Automation and prior to that multiple leadership roles for the Kellogg Company. She is also author of the book, Healing at Work: A Guide to Using Career Conflicts to Overcome Your Past and Build the Future You Deserve, with Martha I. Finney.Highlights from this episode include:What has changed in HR over the last yearHow companies should be thinking about returning to the office and hybrid workHow to talk to people about this economyWhat talent development professionals need to be thinking about right now Why the topic of healing at work is so important  Susan shares a preview of her keynote at Think Tank Conference 2023Connect with Andy Storch here:WebsiteLi

Today, Andy welcomes guest Leanne Huges to The Talent Development Hot Seat. Leanne is a business and performance consultant, speaker, facilitator, and positive disruptor on a mission to help people realize what’s possible for themselves and their businesses. Leanne works with organizations on strategy and with learning and development professionals to create exceptional training programs. Leanne is also the creator of two podcasts, including the First Time Facilitator podcast and the Work and Live Large podcast. In this bonus episode, you’ll hear:6. Leanne Hughes’ biggest career accomplishment and what stands out about it.7. Why having a job for only two days stands out as one of her biggest career failures.8. What she views as one of the biggest challenges in talent development right now.9. The reason she’s excited about the metaverse and how it’s creating community.10. Her book recommendation, How to Live, by Derek Sivers, and her favorite tool, Descript.11. Leanne’s advice for finding the career you l

Today, Andy welcomes guest Leanne Huges to The Talent Development Hot Seat. Leanne is a business and performance consultant, speaker, facilitator, and positive disruptor on a mission to help people realize what’s possible for themselves and their businesses. Leanne works with organizations on strategy and with learning and development professionals to create exceptional training programs. Leanne is also the creator of two podcasts, including the First Time Facilitator podcast and the Work and Live Large podcast. In this episode, you’ll hear:What business looks like for Leanne Huges at the end of this year and going into 2023 and how companies will make decisions about virtual or in-person events in the future.Why personal connections and building rapport is just important in a virtual environment as it is in person.Some of Leanne’s best practices for L&D professionals who want to create better virtual workshops.How to get tactical during virtual workshops using Zoom and an iPad.What people can expect

Today, Andy welcomes Claude Silver to The Talent Development Hot Seat. Claude is the Chief Heart Officer of Vayner Media and is on a mission to build the best human empire in history. Her purpose is to be of joyful service in everything she does and create spaces where people can thrive. 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:The mission of Vayner Media and what the term Honey Empire means to Claude Silver.How you can move away from leading with fear and instead leading with honey in your organization.Why safety in an organization is vital for employees to bring their authentic selves to work.What emotional optimism is, why it’s important in the workplace and what toxic positivity is.The definition of radical inclusion and how it can help others find their voices to participate in the conversation.A preview of Claude’s talk about building a culture o

Today’s episode of The Talent Development Hot Seat features Matthew Daniel. For nearly 20 years, Matthew has consulted on talent development, talent management, and HR technology strategies for Fortune 500s, including companies like Nike, Boston Consulting Group, Capital One, Chipotle, Allstate, Cigna Healthcare, Microsoft, Walmart, and General Motors. He currently serves as Principal of Talent Strategy and Mobility at Guild Education, where he researches and consults on the intersection of skills, pathways, mobility, and equity in the workforce. Matthew speaks at industry events with Chief HR Officers, Chief Learning Officers, and Chief Diversity Officers, both inspiring and challenging his field.  Matthew is regularly published in industry outlets like TD Magazine, CLO, Talent Management, CTDO, and Training Magazine.Serving as a member of the Talent Management, Culture, and Diversity Subcommittee of the Defense Business Board, Matthew advises the Secretary of Defense and other Pentagon leaders on

Today’s episode of The Talent Development Hot Seat features Matthew Daniel. For nearly 20 years, Matthew has consulted on talent development, talent management, and HR technology strategies for Fortune 500s, including companies like Nike, Boston Consulting Group, Capital One, Chipotle, Allstate, Cigna Healthcare, Microsoft, Walmart, and General Motors. He currently serves as Principal of Talent Strategy and Mobility at Guild Education, where he researches and consults on the intersection of skills, pathways, mobility, and equity in the workforce. Matthew speaks at industry events with Chief HR Officers, Chief Learning Officers, and Chief Diversity Officers, both inspiring and challenging his field.  Matthew is regularly published in industry outlets like TD Magazine, CLO, Talent Management, CTDO, and Training Magazine.Serving as a member of the Talent Management, Culture, and Diversity Subcommittee of the Defense Business Board, Matthew advises the Secretary of Defense and other Pentagon leaders on

Andy welcomes Kevin M. Yates to The Talent Development Hot Seat this week. Kevin is known in the global training, learning, and talent development community as the “L&D Detective.” He solves measurement mysteries with facts, clues, evidence, and data. With more than 25 years of industry experience serving in diverse roles across multiple industries, Kevin has committed his time and talent to answering the question, “How do training and learning measurably impact human performance and business goals?”In this bonus episode, you’ll hear:7. Why Kevin M. Yates’ biggest accomplishment occurred in India and the reason it stands out.8. How dropping the ball on a project without giving a heads-up stands out as his biggest failure and what he learned from it.9. Why not being focused on performance is a challenge in talent development today.10. The performance trend and the reason it’s getting him excited.11. Kevin’s recommended authors, Jack and Patti Phillips from the ROI Institute.12. His favorite resources to re

Andy welcomes Kevin M. Yates to The Talent Development Hot Seat this week. Kevin is known in the global training, learning, and talent development community as the “L&D Detective.” He solves measurement mysteries with facts, clues, evidence, and data. With more than 25 years of industry experience serving in diverse roles across multiple industries, Kevin has committed his time and talent to answering the question, “How do training and learning measurably impact human performance and business goals?”In this episode, you’ll hear:How Kevin M. Yates became known as the “L&D Detective” and why measuring the influence of training and learning continues to be a mystery.The importance of a personal brand, how it represents us, and why your personal brand should reflect who you are.The reason measuring the influence of training and learning can influence human behavior, how that impacts the workplace, and what you can do to implement measurement at your organization.What he learned from spending time in Europ

This week, Tim Olaore, aka "Mr. Meaningful Work," joins Andy on The Talent Development Hot Seat. Tim serves as the Director of Leadership Resident and Internship Programs at Adventist Health while also creating energetic Meaningful Work content and tools that help HR and People Leaders develop teams that are inspired to stay. He's the host of the Mr. Meaningful Work : RETAIN podcast and keynotes for various groups across the country.Tim holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing, a master's in Organizational Leadership, is SPHR-certified and has spent the last 15 years in sales, HR leadership, and Leadership Development across diverse industries.In this bonus episode, you’ll hear:6. Why Tim Olaore is so proud of seeing people transition from new college graduates into leadership roles within just a few years.7. What he’s learned from his inability to plan ahead and how he’s working on changing that.8. What he sees as the biggest challenge in talent development right now.9. The pipeline program trend and why that

This week, Tim Olaore, aka "Mr. Meaningful Work," joins Andy on The Talent Development Hot Seat. Tim serves as the Director of Leadership Resident and Internship Programs at Adventist Health while also creating energetic Meaningful Work content and tools that help HR and People Leaders develop teams that are inspired to stay. He's the host of the Mr. Meaningful Work : RETAIN podcast and keynotes for various groups across the country.Tim holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing, a master's in Organizational Leadership, is SPHR-certified and has spent the last 15 years in sales, HR leadership, and Leadership Development across diverse industries.In this episode, you’ll hear:How organizational changes and layoffs can affect a team and how you can inject energy into your work while dealing with those changes.A preview of what Tim Olaore will present at the upcoming Talent Development Think Tank Conference in February and his KEEPER framework.What led him to talent development, why articulating your goals out loud c

Andy welcomes guest Sarah Cannistra back to The Talent Development Hot Seat. Sarah is a learning and development career and executive coach and founder of The Overnight Trainer, specializing in helping aspiring and existing L&D professionals create and build the L&D career of their dreams. Since beginning her career in L&D over a decade ago, Sarah has developed hundreds of learning and development programs for over 10,000 learners, led the learning function for four different organizations, and hired and trained dozens of L&D professionals. She uses what she’s learned to empower other L&D professionals to love and grow in their L&D careers.Sarah was our guest on episode 249, which was published on September 14, 2021.In this episode, you’ll hear:Some big shifts Sarah Cannistra has witnessed over the past few years in learning and development and how the pandemic pushed those changes forward.The key things people need to do in order to set themselves up to begin a career in L&D.Where

On this episode of The Talent Development Hot Seat, Andy welcomes Jorge Quezada from Granite Construction to the show. Jorge is responsible for talent acquisition, workplace compliance, and inclusive diversity, and he helps the company implement strategies to address Granite Construction’s guiding belief that diverse backgrounds, perspectives, cultures, and experiences enhance creativity and innovation. He brings an innovative approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion to make a lasting impact at Granite and the construction industry.Before joining Granite, Jorge served as Senior Director of Diversity and Inclusion - Leadership Development at Northwestern Mutual and Chief Diversity Officer at Kraft Foods. He also spent more than 25 years at Allstate Insurance Company with roles in human resources, D&I, product operations, product development, marketing, claims, and sales. Jorge holds a bachelor’s degree from Whittier College and an MBA from the University of Illinois at Chicago. In addition to his caree

On this episode of The Talent Development Hot Seat, Andy welcomes Jorge Quezada from Granite Construction to the show. Jorge is responsible for talent acquisition, workplace compliance, and inclusive diversity, and he helps the company implement strategies to address Granite Construction’s guiding belief that diverse backgrounds, perspectives, cultures, and experiences enhance creativity and innovation. He brings an innovative approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion to make a lasting impact at Granite and the construction industry.Before joining Granite, Jorge served as Senior Director of Diversity and Inclusion - Leadership Development at Northwestern Mutual and Chief Diversity Officer at Kraft Foods. He also spent more than 25 years at Allstate Insurance Company with roles in human resources, D&I, product operations, product development, marketing, claims, and sales. Jorge holds a bachelor’s degree from Whittier College and an MBA from the University of Illinois at Chicago. In addition to his caree

Andy welcomes Julianne Miles from Ceva Logistics to today’s episode of The Talent Development Hot Seat. Julianne is a human resources leader with extensive experience in talent and leadership development, talent acquisition, and university relations. As an expert in large-scale program development and process design, she helps several multinational companies attract, inspire, and retain the right talent.Julianne is a native Texan, spending her career in Houston with a brief stint in England. She has experience in multiple industries, including consulting, oil and gas, manufacturing, media, and logistics. She is also a master multi-tasker, managing her career and a family of five. She’s a dedicated wife and mother and, outside of work, can often be found on the sidelines at her daughters’ sports events, cheering them on.In this bonus episode, you’ll hear:6. Julianne Miles’ biggest career accomplishment and what makes it stand out.7. The career mistake that taught her there is always more to learn at work and i