Engagement is at the heart of most thriving learning businesses. In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, we talk about engagement with Amanda Kaiser, an engagement strategist, keynote speaker, and author of Elevating Engagement: Uncommon Strategies for Creating a Thriving Member Community.
Amanda’s background and focus are on community engagement in the context of associations, but her perspective on engagement is valuable for learning businesses of all types.
Co-host Jeff Cobb talks with Amanda about the necessary components of engagement including a high-level look at the six stages of engagement she covers in her book. Jeff and Amanda get into specific tactics and approaches such as e-mail communication, social proof, and priming members and learners for participation. They also discuss the primary importance of creating an organizational culture that supports and values engagement over transactions.
Show notes and a downloadable transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode355.
We are grateful to our sponsor for this episode Thinkific.
***
At Leading Learning, we believe reach, revenue, and impact are essential for all learning businesses. Thinkific Plus is a new-generation platform purpose-built to help growing businesses scale revenue.
With Thinkific Plus, you can generate monthly recurring revenue through course subscriptions and membership programs, sell multiple seats for your learning products to a single buyer, suggest additional products in the learning flow to increase sales, and go global with 0 percent transaction fees and payments accepted in over 100 countries.
Coastal Drone Co. uses Thinkific Plus to sell online courses, memberships, and certifications to those looking to fly drones in Canada. Since converting its training materials into online courses on Thinkific Plus, Coastal Drone Co. has scaled its business, earning more income, training more people, and positioning itself as a leading educator in the Canadian drone industry.
Right now, as a Leading Learning listener, you can get a free month of Thinkific Plus by going to our special URL. Start your free month today at thinkific.com/learning.
Globalization is a strategy that makes sense for many learning businesses, and going global usually involves language services.
This episode features Ingrid Christensen, president and founder of INGCO International, a full-service language solutions company, and author of The Language of Trust: Communicate to Build Meaningful Relationships in Business and Life.
Leading Learning Podcast co-host Celisa Steele and Ingrid talk about what localization, globalization, translation, and interpretation are and their role in diversity, equity, and inclusion. They also discuss trust as a necessary leadership skill and ways for learning businesses to build trust through marketing and instructional materials, credentials, feedback, and more.
Show notes and a downloadable transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode354.
We are grateful to our sponsor for this episode Thinkific.
***
As a Leading Learning listener, you know the importance we place on reach, revenue, and impact for learning businesses.
Thinkific Plus is a new-generation platform purpose-built to help growing businesses scale revenue. With Thinkific Plus, you can generate monthly recurring revenue through course subscriptions and membership programs, sell multiple seats for your learning products to a single buyer, suggest additional products in the learning flow to increase sales, and go global with 0 percent transaction fees and payments accepted in over 100 countries.
As one quick example, entrepreneur and business coach Ellie Diop uses Thinkific Plus for her Ellie Talks Money academy. She’s generated over seven figures in revenue, and nearly 50,000 people purchased courses in her first year alone. Right now, Thinkific Plus is offering Leading Learning listeners one month free for a limited time.
But that offer is only available if you go to our special URL. So go to thinkific.com/learning to learn more and to try out the platform.
Competition is a significant issue for most learning businesses, and, because the lifelong learning landscape is constantly evolving, the competitive landscape is also constantly shifting, making it critical for every learning business to periodically revisit its strategy to remain relevant and competitive.
In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, co-hosts Celisa Steele and Jeff Cobb highlight five forces driving competition for learning businesses using the framework first described by Michael Porter in his classic 1979 Harvard Business Review article.
Detailed show notes and a downloadable transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode353.
We are grateful to our sponsor for this episode Thinkific.
***
As a Leading Learning listener, you know the importance we place on reach, revenue, and impact for learning businesses.
Thinkific Plus is a new-generation platform purpose-built to help growing businesses scale revenue. With Thinkific Plus, you can generate monthly recurring revenue through course subscriptions and membership programs, sell multiple seats for your learning products to a single buyer, suggest additional products in the learning flow to increase sales, and go global with 0 percent transaction fees and payments accepted in over 100 countries.
As one quick example, entrepreneur and business coach Ellie Diop uses Thinkific Plus for her Ellie Talks Money academy. She’s generated over seven figures in revenue, and nearly 50,000 people purchased courses in her first year alone. Right now, Thinkific Plus is offering Leading Learning listeners one month free for a limited time.
But that offer is only available if you go to our special URL. So go to thinkific.com/learning to learn more and to try out the platform.
Providing practical and valuable education and credentials is critical to the role learning businesses can play in creating and maintaining a skilled workforce. In this episode, we dig into the causes and solutions to the skills gap in a conversation with David Capranos, director of market strategy and research at Wiley University Services.
Leading Learning co-host Jeff Cobb and David talk about the report David co-authored titled “Closing the Skills Gap: Employer Perspectives on Educating the Post-Pandemic Workforce,” and they get into related topics such as the growing relevance and appeal of alternative credentials to both learners and employers, the rising demand for softer skills, the role of learning in employee retention, empathy, partnerships to support career-connected education, and educational tourism.
Detailed show notes and a downloadable transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode352.
We are grateful to our sponsor for this episode Thinkific.
***
As a Leading Learning listener, you know the importance we place on reach, revenue, and impact for learning businesses.
Thinkific Plus is a new-generation platform purpose-built to help growing businesses scale revenue. With Thinkific Plus, you can generate monthly recurring revenue through course subscriptions and membership programs, sell multiple seats for your learning products to a single buyer, suggest additional products in the learning flow to increase sales, and go global with 0 percent transaction fees and payments accepted in over 100 countries.
As one quick example, entrepreneur and business coach Ellie Diop uses Thinkific Plus for her Ellie Talks Money academy. She’s generated over seven figures in revenue, and nearly 50,000 people purchased courses in her first year alone. Right now, Thinkific Plus is offering Leading Learning listeners one month free for a limited time.
But that offer is only available if you go to our special URL. So go to thinkific.com/learning to learn more and to try out the platform.
Melissa Majors is a keynote speaker, author of The Seven Simple Habits of Inclusive Leaders, and founder of Melissa Majors Consulting, where she helps leaders lead better and cultivate high-performing and engaged teams. Prior to starting her consulting practice, Melissa spent 20 years leading education services teams and divisions across a variety of industries, both large and small.
In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, co-host Celisa Steele talks with Melissa about what inclusive leadership is, its benefits, psychological safety, tactical empathy, and focusing on desired behaviors rather than leading with labels to get around DEI fatigue. They also talk about how to be inclusive in product design and development.
Detailed show notes and a downloadable transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode351.
We are grateful to our sponsor for this episode Thinkific.
***
We’re grateful to Thinkific for sponsoring the Leading Learning Podcast. As a Leading Learning listener, you know the importance we place on reach, revenue, and impact for learning businesses.
Thinkific Plus is a new-generation platform purpose-built to help growing businesses scale revenue. With Thinkific Plus, you can generate monthly recurring revenue through course subscriptions and membership programs, sell multiple seats for your learning products to a single buyer, suggest additional products in the learning flow to increase sales, and go global with 0 percent transaction fees and payments accepted in over 100 countries.
As one quick example, entrepreneur and business coach Ellie Diop uses Thinkific Plus for her Ellie Talks Money academy. She’s generated over seven figures in revenue, and nearly 50,000 people purchased courses in her first year alone. Right now, Thinkific Plus is offering Leading Learning listeners one month free for a limited time.
But that offer is only available if you go to our special URL. So go to thinkific.com/learning to learn more and to try out the platform.
We're thrilled to reach another milestone: 350 episodes of the Leading Learning Podcast. We are grateful to our listeners for making this possible.
Milestones are opportunities to reflect, both on what’s past and what’s to come. In this episode, we focus on three areas we expect to be of continuing and growing importance in the learning landscape and for learning businesses: AI, the X factor, and the work/learn connection.
Detailed show notes and a downloadable transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode350.
Learning businesses can play a critical role in creating learning pathways for adults that account for the realities of their work and life. Christine Carpenter, senior vice president of engagement at the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL), has spent years working with diverse stakeholders to establish such pathways and supporting on- and off-ramps to education for adult learners.
CAEL is a nonprofit membership organization and leader in the field of adult learning on a mission to build a transformative, equitable culture of lifelong learning and economic empowerment for all adult learners.
In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, co-host Celisa Steele talks with Christine about CAEL’s focus on supporting the learner/worker and the related role of credit for prior learning (CPL), competency-based education (CBE), and microcredentials. They also discuss CAEL’s “Adult Learner Leaders for Institutional Effectiveness” (ALLIES) framework and why our collective success is ultimately determined by the individual adult learner’s success.
Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode349.
Regardless of your position, if you work in a learning business, you need to care about finding opportunities to grow revenue—AKA business development.
According to Sean Soth, chair of the Leadership Advisory Board for Professionals for Association Revenue (PAR), we are all in business development.
PAR is a professional member organization that works to support and connect association teams to the ideas and applications needed to grow revenue. PAR’s mission is to inspire revenue growth for association professionals through knowledge, resources, and community.
In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, co-host Jeff Cobb talks with Sean about PAR’s origins and mission, revenue generation, revenue diversification, and the growing importance and relevance of the business development role in associations and other learning businesses.
Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode348.
All too often learning businesses focus solely on traditional educational offerings. But, by narrowly focusing on courses and conferences, learning businesses miss an opportunity to better understand their learners' needs and to deliver more value.
One of the best ways to understand those needs and to provide additional value is through a learning community.
In this episode, we explore the concept of community, including what one is (and isn't), the value one can offer, how to create or reinvigorate one, and approaches to pricing.
Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode347.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming how we all live, work, and learn. It will undoubtedly impact every industry, redefining how leaders in the business of lifelong learning need to think and act. One company helping organizations, particularly marketers, do this is Marketing AI Institute.
Marketing AI Institute’s mission is to make artificial intelligence approachable and actionable. And leading that mission is founder and CEO, Paul Roetzer. Paul is co-author of Marketing Artificial Intelligence: AI, Marketing, and the Future of Business as well as the creator of the Marketing Artificial Intelligence Conference (MAICON) and the AI Academy for Marketers.
In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, co-host Celisa Steele talks with Paul about his definition of artificial intelligence, why he thinks we’re at a tipping point with AI, the 5Ps of marketing AI, and use cases where a learning business looking to leverage AI for marketing might focus first.
Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode346.
We are grateful to our sponsor for this series, WBT Systems.
***
TopClass LMS provides the tools for you to become the preferred provider in your market, delivering value to learners at every stage of their working life. WBT Systems’ award-winning learning system enables delivery of impactful continuing education, professional development, and certification programs.
The TopClass LMS team supports learning businesses in using integrated learning technology to gain greater understanding of learners’ needs and behaviors, to enhance engagement, to aid recruitment and retention, and to create and grow non-dues revenue streams.
WBT Systems will work with you to truly understand your preferences, needs, and challenges to ensure that your experience with TopClass LMS is as easy and problem-free as possible. Visit leadinglearning.com/topclass to learn how to generate value and growth for your learning business and to request a demo.
Content alone is usually not enough to stand out and make your learning business as useful and as successful as it can be. You usually need something else to supplement or enhance your content.
That’s why we’ve identified five areas—what we’re calling the 5 Cs—to strategically build on the content that a learning business already has.
In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, we share those 5 Cs to help you enhance or repackage your existing products and services: coaching, cohorts, community, chunking, and credentials. We also explain how to power up your portfolio in each of those areas to grow the reach, revenue, and impact of your content.
Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode345.
We are grateful to our sponsor for this series, WBT Systems.
***
TopClass LMS provides the tools for you to become the preferred provider in your market, delivering value to learners at every stage of their working life. WBT Systems’ award-winning learning system enables delivery of impactful continuing education, professional development, and certification programs.
The TopClass LMS team supports learning businesses in using integrated learning technology to gain greater understanding of learners’ needs and behaviors, to enhance engagement, to aid recruitment and retention, and to create and grow non-dues revenue streams.
WBT Systems will work with you to truly understand your preferences, needs, and challenges to ensure that your experience with TopClass LMS is as easy and problem-free as possible. Visit leadinglearning.com/topclass to learn how to generate value and growth for your learning business and to request a demo.
It’s critical that learning business professionals pay careful attention to the research they create and the research they rely on for making decisions. This means asking questions, knowing the research methods used, and understanding the limitations of the data. But, because most of us aren’t trained in research, this can be a challenge.
That’s why Elizabeth Engel, chief strategist at Spark Consulting, and Polly Karpowicz, a seasoned association consultant, co-authored “Caveat Emptor: Becoming a Responsible Consumer of Research.” Their goal in writing the white paper was to help associations and others to be better informed about the research they use and to remain trusted, unbiased sources of information for the audiences they serve.
In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, co-host Jeff Cobb talks with Elizabeth and Polly about primary versus secondary research, qualitative and quantitative research, mixed research methods, the ethics of using people in research, and bias. They also discuss data validity, reliability, and statistical significance, and they share valuable tips for the responsible consumption and production of research.
Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode344.
We are grateful to our sponsor for this series, WBT Systems.
***
TopClass LMS provides the tools for you to become the preferred provider in your market, delivering value to learners at every stage of their working life. WBT Systems’ award-winning learning system enables delivery of impactful continuing education, professional development, and certification programs.
The TopClass LMS team supports learning businesses in using integrated learning technology to gain greater understanding of learners’ needs and behaviors, to enhance engagement, to aid recruitment and retention, and to create and grow non-dues revenue streams.
WBT Systems will work with you to truly understand your preferences, needs, and challenges to ensure that your experience with TopClass LMS is as easy and problem-free as possible. Visit leadinglearning.com/topclass to learn how to generate value and growth for your learning business and to request a demo.
Dr. Bror Saxberg is founder of LearningForge, a learning engineering consultancy that helps organizations think creatively about applying learning development and motivation science to their products, services, and strategies. Prior to this, he served as the chief learning officer and co-founder of K12 Inc., the chief learning officer of Kaplan, and the head of learning sciences at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.
Bror is an MD PhD, giving him a rich and unique perspective on the world of learning. He focuses on applying what’s known about learning science and learning measurement at scale to the practical business of making effective, efficient, usable, and graceful learning environments that get learners the outcomes they need to be successful.
In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, Celisa talks with Bror about the components of expertise, why and when to perform a cognitive task analysis, and motivation’s impact on learning. They also discuss learning engineering, effective iteration, and the importance of evidence-centered design.
Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode343.
We are grateful to our sponsor for this series, WBT Systems.
***
TopClass LMS provides the tools for you to become the preferred provider in your market, delivering value to learners at every stage of their working life. WBT Systems’ award-winning learning system enables delivery of impactful continuing education, professional development, and certification programs.
The TopClass LMS team supports learning businesses in using integrated learning technology to gain greater understanding of learners’ needs and behaviors, to enhance engagement, to aid recruitment and retention, and to create and grow non-dues revenue streams.
WBT Systems will work with you to truly understand your preferences, needs, and challenges to ensure that your experience with TopClass LMS is as easy and problem-free as possible. Visit leadinglearning.com/topclass to learn how to generate value and growth for your learning business and to request a demo.
1EdTech has been instrumental in the creation and ongoing management of important standards in the world of online learning. Formerly known as IMS Global, 1EdTech is a member-based community dedicated to powering learner potential. Its members include institutions and tech providers that work together to make learning technology better, safer, and more interoperable.
In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, co-host Jeff Cobb talks with Mark Leuba, vice president of product management at 1EdTech. They focus on 1EdTech’s work with digital credentials. They look at the current digital credentials landscape, the growing adoption, and potential challenges. They also discuss Open Badges and the Comprehensive Learner Record, two key standards developed by 1EdTech that are aimed at addressing some of the challenges that exist in the evolving market for digital credentials.
Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode342.
You've probably noted the remarkable rise of ChatGPT. In a short time, it become a game-changer in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and has the potential to revolutionize the way we work and learn.
In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, we explain what ChatGPT is, how it works, and its implications for both learners and providers of learning. We also discuss concerns about and limitations of ChatGPT and what learning businesses need to consider when using it.
Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode341.
Jen Lewi is an executive and career development coach, working at the intersection of coaching and learning. As vice president of career development and conferences at the School Nutrition Association (SNA), Jen helps SNA's diverse members get the training they need to succeed.
IIn this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, co-host Celisa Steele talks with Jen about the opportunities and benefits of coaching for learning businesses. They also discuss pandemic-driven portfolio changes, the power of peer sharing, cohort-based learning, and the importance of truly understanding your learners and how you can best serve them.
Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode340.
James Young is founder and chief learning officer of the Product Community, a product development learning community designed specifically for associations. Jim has decades of experience working in learning businesses that have embraced innovation in learning communities, gamification, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), cohort-based learning, and competency-based learning.
In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, co-host Jeff Cobb talks with return guest Jim about the connection between higher education and lifelong learning and creating indispensable learning environments. They also discuss the Product Community that Jim founded, the problem it’s trying to solve, tips for sustaining a community over time, and how to foster a culture of innovation.
Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode339.
When we said goodbye to 2022, we took time to reflect on milestones, trends, and potential implications for learning businesses in the previous episode. Now it's time to prepare for the new year and look ahead to the areas that are likely to impact learning businesses most in 2023.
In this first episode of the new year, we share data from a recent survey to uncover the top areas of focus for learning businesses in the coming year. We also share our key takeaways from the data and the related implications for the learning business landscape.
Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode338.
Understanding the science behind human behavior can be extremely powerful for learning businesses. Daniel H. Pink is the author of six provocative, bestselling books that uncover the truth about complex behaviors, including Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others, When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, and, most recently, The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward.
Dan Pink is also the creator of the Pinkcast, a series of short videos that feature science-based tools and tips for working smarter and living better, and his TED Talk on the science of motivation is one of the 25 most popular, with more than 29 million views.
In this redux episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, co-host Celisa Steele talks with Dan about themes he explores in his books that have implications for learning businesses, including motivation 3.0, learning goals versus performance goals, persuasion, and the importance of timing when it comes to learning.
Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode337.
The topic of mindfulness is likely one you’ve heard a lot about in recent years. But what does it mean to be mindful? And what is the connection between mindfulness and learning?
Dr. Ellen Langer is a social psychologist and a Harvard professor. She’s also a Guggenheim Fellow and the recipient of numerous awards and honors for her work on mindfulness that spans more than 40 years. She’s written 11 books and more than 200 research articles for general and academic readers on mindfulness. Her best-selling books include Mindfulness, The Power of Mindful Learning, On Becoming an Artist: Reinventing Yourself Through Mindful Creativity, and Counterclockwise: Mindful Health and the Power of Possibility.
In this redux episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, co-host Jeff Cobb talks with Ellen about what it really means to be mindful, the benefits that come with mindfulness, and ways you can encourage mindfulness in your own life and in the design of learning experiences.
Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode336.
With the end of the year quickly approaching, it’s a natural time to pause and reflect. Even though it can be easy to put reflection low on the priority list since it doesn’t necessarily lead to concrete outcomes, it’s an important practice and can have tremendous value for learning businesses.
In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, we reflect on 2022, our biggest milestones as a company, and bigger-picture trends impacting society more broadly. We also discuss the related challenges and opportunities these trends represent for learning businesses in the new year.
Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode335.
Diana Howles is an award-winning speaker, global virtual facilitator, and master trainer with 25 years of experience in the talent development field. Diana is CEO and co-owner of Howles Associates and author of Next Level Virtual Training: Advance Your Facilitation.
In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, co-host Celisa Steele talks with Diana about Next Level Virtual Training, the capability model she developed for virtual facilitators, and the pros and cons of hybrid or, as she prefers to call it, “live mixed” learning. Diana also shares practical tips and strategies for anyone looking to improve their virtual facilitation.
Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode334.
Dr. Prasad Ram (Pram) is founder and CEO of Gooru, a non-profit research and technology organization on a mission to honor the human right to education. Gooru Navigator, a GPS for learning, guides learners to their goals along personalized learning pathways.
In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, co-host Jeff Cobb talks with Pram about Gooru, its app, and the philosophy behind it. They also talk about education as a fundamental human right, the inherent complexity of learning, and the importance of knowing where a learner is in order to effectively help her on her learning journey.
Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode333.
With COVID concerns drastically decreased, many learning businesses are focused on how to effectively implement blended learning and strike the balance between in-person and online learning.
In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, we share our definition of blended learning, how it’s different from hybrid learning, and why it’s of particular focus for us in the current moment. We also offer a four-step framework for designing effective blended learning experiences, referenced in our related executive briefing, “Why and How to Build Your Blended Learning Playbook.”
Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode332.
Jim Goodell, co-editor of Learning Engineering Toolkit: Evidence-Based Practices from the Learning Sciences, Instructional Design, and Beyond, is a passionate proponent of learning engineering. He’s the director of innovation at Quality Information Partners and chairs chairs the Learning Technology Standards Committee at the IEEE Standards Association and IEEE ICICLE.
In this episode of the Leading Learning Podcast, co-host Celisa Steele talks with Jim about learning engineering: what it is, its relationship with learning science, its ethical considerations, and how it can be used to design and improve learning experiences. They also discuss the Learning Engineering Toolkit and what learning businesses can do to adopt a learning engineering approach.
Full show notes and a transcript are available at https://www.leadinglearning.com/episode331.