In this excellent interview, Adam sits down with Nelson Sivalingam of HowNow.

Nelson is the CEO and Co-founder of HowNow, a learning experience platform used by over 100 fast-growing companies and global enterprises. A serial entrepreneur and author of Learning at Speed, Nelson brings an outsider's perspective to L&D, challenging traditional approaches to solve the "mother of all problems": ensuring people have the right skills.

In this episode, Nelson discusses the future of L&D, the role of AI, and the critical shift from content-focused to skills-focused learning. He offers a forward-thinking guide for modern learning professionals, including:

1. The Problem with the LMS: Why traditional Learning Management Systems often fail to solve the real problems executives care about and why L&D must pivot to helping people actually do their jobs better.
2. Skills with a "Little s": Nelson distinguishes between massive organisational transformations and the practical application of skills—starting with work tasks to determine relevant learning interventions.
3. Scaling One-to-One Teaching with AI: How AI agents like HowNow's "Guru" can finally scale the personalised, high-quality teaching dynamic found in elite coaching, moving beyond just generating more content.
4. The Self-Running Platform: The potential for AI to automate admin and answer complex data questions (e.g., "Has this focus skill improved?") without needing a data science degree, finally connecting learning to business ROI.
5. From Instrument Player to Conductor: Nelson argues that the future L&D leader must stop being a "content factory" and start orchestrating an ecosystem of curated, credible resources and AI-generated learning aligned with business goals.
6. Advice for New L&D Professionals: Nelson shares his top three tips for those entering the field: master AI tools to gain an edge, learn marketing skills to drive engagement, and—crucially—understand how the business actually operates.

Nelson offers a visionary yet practical roadmap for L&D leaders ready to embrace technology and prove their strategic value. If you want to understand how AI and skills will shape the future of workplace learning, this is a must-listen-to episode.

Connect with Nelson on LinkedIn: Nelson Sivalingam

Looking for a content library to help your team develop their productivity, communication, leadership skills and more? Check out assembleyou.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

In this excellent interview, Brigid sits down with Neil Cunningham.

Neil is a strategic L&D people partner at the Children's Investment Fund Foundation with over 15 years of experience across diverse sectors such as tech, comms, utilities, and philanthropy. His expertise lies in developing key capabilities, measuring learning impact, and driving digital L&D strategy.

In this episode, Neil discusses the philosophy of where L&D belongs in an organisation and how to navigate major external challenges. He provides a masterclass on stakeholder management and agility, including:

• L&D’s Core Function: Neil defines the core function as helping people acquire the knowledge, skills, and behaviours they need to perform at their best, acting similarly to R&D by researching needs and developing solutions.
• Create Your Own Table: Rather than worrying about where L&D sits hierarchically or fighting for a "seat at the table," Neil advises creating your own table by inviting stakeholders to engage one-on-one.
• Moving from "Nice to Have" to Business Driver: How to shift from reporting on activity and enjoyment to telling a data story that demonstrates monetised ROI, productivity gains, or staff retention.
• Navigating Major Challenges: Neil offers three tips for handling crises or restructuring: ensure solutions are agile and can pivot quickly, remove your ego from the work, and keep your ear to the ground with senior stakeholders.
• Building Trust: Why trust is not something you can teach, but an output of your actions—doing what you say you will do until you reach a level where leaders refer others to you.
• Decenter Yourself: Neil’s key advice for anyone in the industry is to remember that L&D is a support function existing to make everyone else's lives better.

Neil offers a pragmatic and ego-free approach to L&D that focuses on service and strategic partnership. If you want to learn how to build stronger relationships and respond effectively to organisational change, this is a must-listen-to episode.

Connect with Neil on LinkedIn: Neil John Cunningham

Looking for a content library to help your team develop their productivity, communication, leadership skills and more? Check out assembleyou.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

In this interview, Adam sits down with Abi Holmes of Assemble You.

Abi is the Head of Content at Assemble You, bringing over a decade of experience in learning design. She has led teams creating blended programmes, bespoke solutions, and off-the-shelf learning, always with human-centred design at the heart of her work. She now leads the development of Assemble You's audio learning content, solving real organisational challenges from leadership to digital skills.

In this episode, Abi discusses a groundbreaking approach to one of L&D's most dreaded topics: compliance training. She reveals how podcasts can transform this essential but often disengaging subject, including:

1. The Problem with Traditional Compliance: Abi highlights why compliance training often fails—it's too legislation-heavy, irrelevant to daily roles, and seen as a "tick-box" exercise rather than a meaningful learning experience.
2. A Human-Centred Approach: Discover how shifting the focus from the "what" (legislation) to the "why" (personal responsibility) makes learning stick. Abi advocates for using real-world scenarios and expert voices to bring dry topics to life.
3. Compliance You Can Listen To: Learn about Assemble You's innovative audio-first compliance solution. Abi explains how they balance engaging, conversational storytelling with the necessary legislative rigour and robust assessment to ensure organisations remain compliant.
4. Why Podcasts Work for Compliance: Abi argues that podcasts meet learners "where they are," fitting into their daily lives and making complex, intimidating topics approachable through conversation.

Abi offers a fresh and practical perspective on reimagining mandatory training. If you are looking to make your compliance training more engaging, relevant, and effective, this is a must-listen-to episode.

Connect with Abi on LinkedIn: Abi Holmes

And check out our compliance lessons: https://www.assembleyou.com/products/compliance-training

Looking for a content library to help your team develop their productivity, communication, leadership skills and more? Check out assembleyou.com and follow us on LinkedIn.