In this episode of Grossly Competent, hosts Steve and Patrick take some time to reflect on the last 25 episodes and discuss favorite episodes and moments. This isn't merely a self-serving episode - No! No! - instead, it's an opportunity to reflect on what has worked well, what could be improved, and future aspirations: the very spirit of Learning and Development.

As per typical, Steve cheats on his list and Patrick offers up a riveting new segment: Tales of the Gross-ery Store! And if all of that wasn't entrancing enough, you can hear the boys sing a fantastic, non-copyright version of Happy Birthday to a special listener!

Come for the chat, stay for the laughs, and run from our faces: we're Grossly Competent!

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Connect, chat, or chastise us, and here's how:

• Check out our website!
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Stay Ugly out there!

In this episode of Grossly Competent, Steve and Patrick welcome L&D and 'Real Talk' HR Royalty, Lynell Meeth! From her wealth of knowledge and experience, Lynell shares her views on Learning and Development, HR trends, and the benefits of finding and seeking opportunities in spaces previously unknown. It's a great conversation filled with light-hearted jabs, sincere anecdotes, and an unexplainable shared experience of being locked in mundane places.

Want to get in youch with Lynell? Click here!

Happen to be in the New York area and looking to support an incredible dance group (that also happens to be Lynell's son)? Here you go!

Come for the chat, stay for the laughs, and run from our faces: we're Grossly Competent!

Support the show

Connect, chat, or chastise us, and here's how:

• Check out our website!
• LinkedIn: Steve
• LinkedIn: Patrick
• Follow us on Instragram: @grosslycompetent
• Email: grosslycompetent@gmail.com

Stay Ugly out there!

On this Valentine's Day, it's important to KISS (or Keep It Simple, Stupid).

In this episode of Grossly Competent, hosts Steve and Patrick provide a nice overview of how important it is to Keep It Simple (KISS) the topic you are discussing when leading others or facilitating groups.

(Don't think for a second the irony is lost on Steve and Patrick telling everyone how to keep things concise and simple for the masses.)

Before that, Patrick shoots for a chance at redemption from his woes of locked bathroom doors and ultimately adds more to the heap of things adults should not do. Steve does his best to keep things PG and not get the episode flagged by the looming censor-monster of Apple Podcasts.

Come for the chat, stay for the laughs, and run from our faces: we're Grossly Competent!

Support the show

Connect, chat, or chastise us, and here's how:

• Check out our website!
• LinkedIn: Steve
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• Follow us on Instragram: @grosslycompetent
• Email: grosslycompetent@gmail.com

Stay Ugly out there!

We never said it was 'good' advice, but it is definitely advice.

In this episode of Grossly Competent, hosts Steve and Patrick discuss advice for facilitators that they beleive everyone should know, from being prepared versus memorizing, establishing intent of your sessions, giving A.L.E. to your audience, and not using your session as a means to hold a captive audience for your sales pitch.

But before that, the boys commiserate about what it would be like if regular people were a part of the Winter Olympics thanks to a tweet from Bill Murray many years ago.

Bill Murray's Tweet about including an Average Person in all Olympic events

Come for the chat, stay for the laughs, and run from our faces: we're Grossly Competent!

Support the show

Connect, chat, or chastise us, and here's how:

• Check out our website!
• LinkedIn: Steve
• LinkedIn: Patrick
• Follow us on Instragram: @grosslycompetent
• Email: grosslycompetent@gmail.com

Stay Ugly out there!

Are you a Thermometer or a Thermostat?

In this episode of Grossly Competent, hosts Steve and Patrick get into a subject that everyone could use a little bit more of in the world today: Emotional Intelligence. Patrick unveils his expertise in this world while Steve actively listens and interrupts accordingly, just as nature intended.

But before then, the boys take the opportunity to plea to the masses for help in being a unified front to take out the most pressing of concerns in the world today: Cold-Messaging Scammers on Social Platforms (that may rhyme with 'Stinked-In').

Want in? Connect with us on Instagram and we'll hook you right up!

Come for the chat, stay for the laughs, and run from our faces: we're Grossly Competent!

Support the show

Connect, chat, or chastise us, and here's how:

• Check out our website!
• LinkedIn: Steve
• LinkedIn: Patrick
• Follow us on Instragram: @grosslycompetent
• Email: grosslycompetent@gmail.com

Stay Ugly out there!

Wink twice and strap in for this ride!

In this episode of Grossly Competent, Steve battles the tail end of a cold and unveils a skill that may categorize him as the world's worst X-Men mutant while Patrick counters with his incredible inability to do extremely simple gestures and details the woes of women not succumbing to his 'double wink' siren song.

Afterward, the boys discuss TV shows that have been cancelled too soon and how it has turned into a bit of a self-fulfilling cycle for streaming services (here's looking at you, Netflix). Whether it's Love Monkey, Mindhunter, or The OA, the boys chat about them and somehow figure out a way to circle everything back to the professional world.

• Reddit: What is a TV show that got cancelled that you are still upset by?
• Love Monkey (Wikipedia / IMDb)
• MIndhunter (Wikipedia / IMDb)
• The OA (Wikipedia / IMDb)

Come for the chat, stay for the laughs, and run from our faces: we're Grossly Competent!

Support the show

Connect, chat, or chastise us, and here's how:

• Check out our website!
• LinkedIn: Steve
• LinkedIn: Patrick
• Follow us on Instragram: @grosslycompetent
• Email: grosslycompetent@gmail.com

Stay Ugly out there!

Glad to see you again, Whats-her-name / Whats-his-nut?

In this episode of Grossly Competent, Steve and Patrick decide to change things up and not talk trash about LinkedIn... just kidding. After making a mockery of the prototypical 'cold message connection', the boys decide to actually have a nice and thoughtful conversation about Crucial Conversations. You know, those super awkward interactions that each of us has to come face to face at some point in our lives.

Well, luckily for you Steve and Patrick layout some ideas on ways to make them a little less painful and a bit more empowering for all parties involved. Because if anyone knows how to handle that conversation with HR about being too ugly, it's these two chuckleheads (with a little help from Simon Sinek, of course).

Simon Sinek - Having an Uncomfortable Conversation

Say the Right Thing: How to talk About Identity, Diversity, and Justice

Come for the chat, stay for the laughs, and run from our faces: we're Grossly Competent!

Support the show

Connect, chat, or chastise us, and here's how:

• Check out our website!
• LinkedIn: Steve
• LinkedIn: Patrick
• Follow us on Instragram: @grosslycompetent
• Email: grosslycompetent@gmail.com

Stay Ugly out there!

Come get your tickets to the show, folks!

In this episode of Grossly Competent, Steve and Patrick reprise their original discussion of building trust in training from Episode 2 ('Never Let Go, Jack') and expanding it around building trust as a new employee or recipient of a new role. Between the two of them, there are enough synapses firing to at least achieve some solid ideas.

Before that, Steve decides to take the low-road and introduce the world's worst LinkedIn InMail scam he was the recipient of and does some light doxxing along the way. And finally, Patrick helps introduce some of the wonderful events you can expect at UggFest 2026* that are sure to delight and amaze for one low-price.

(*This is not an actual event but Steve and Patrick will gladly pretend it is.)

Oh, and come check out Innovation Overload and tell them Steve says 'Hi!'

Come for the chat, stay for the laughs, and run from our faces: we're Grossly Competent!

Support the show

Connect, chat, or chastise us, and here's how:

• Check out our website!
• LinkedIn: Steve
• LinkedIn: Patrick
• Follow us on Instragram: @grosslycompetent
• Email: grosslycompetent@gmail.com

Stay Ugly out there!