Best Heather Burright Learning And Development Leader Leadership Development Consultant Instructional Designer Podcasts (2025)

1
Working across Generations? Three Things L&D Needs to Know with Kat Landa 36:14

3d ago36:14

36:14

Our world is constantly evolving, and because of that, our experiences across generations are different. Because our experiences are different, our perspectives are different, and because our perspectives are different, our actions are also different. All of those experiences, perspectives, and actions impact our workplaces, which is why L&D needs …

1
Curious about Working in Nonprofit? Get an Inside Look from These Nonprofit L&D Pros 1:07:45

10d ago1:07:45

1:07:45

I often get questions about working in nonprofit, so I launched Career Conversations - a series of LinkedIn Live conversations with people currently in nonprofit L&D roles. We are talking about their organizations, teams, and personal career journeys. Today, I’m bringing two of these conversations to you. We’re hearing from Nadra Dennis, the learni…

1
If You've Never Conducted a Training Needs Analysis, Listen to This 9:34

17d ago9:34

9:34

Understanding your training audience may be the best thing you can do as an instructional designer. Yet, many of us have never been taught how to conduct a training needs analysis. On this episode of Learning for Good, I want to talk about what you should be learning about your audience. What do you actually need to know? Tune in to find out. ▶️ If…

1
3 Ways to Identify Training Audience Needs 11:44

24d ago11:44

11:44

In L&D, when we are approached with a training request, it's our job to do a little research for ourselves about training audience needs. Often, the time you have to do this research is limited. Your capacity and the capacity of your subject matter expert is limited, and you may not even feel like you have the expertise to do the analysis. So how c…

1
Fixed vs. Growth Mindset: The Key to Stronger Nonprofit Leadership with Kim Andrews 31:02

1M ago31:02

31:02

The fear of failure impacts our learners’ ability to learn, so we need to help them move to a growth mindset. A growth mindset is a place where it's okay to try new things, fail, and continue to show up and be persistent even in the face of failure. For this episode, I've invited certified professional coach, consultant, and learning facilitator Ki…

1
How to Conduct a Training Project Debrief 12:51

1M ago12:51

12:51

Do you take the time to intentionally reflect after a training project ends? Reflection is powerful and it's something we often do, but it's not something we often do with intentionality. That’s why on this episode of Learning for Good, I want to share the seven steps I follow each time I close out a training project and why they set you up for suc…

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Small L&D Team? How One Nonprofit University Uses Volunteers to Increase their Capacity with Ashley Dugger 33:30

2M ago33:30

33:30

If you are looking to transition to L&D, your experience matters! Volunteering can help you fill in the gaps. This is exactly what Dr. Ashley Dugger is here to talk about. Ashley engages volunteers in her organization to help increase the capacity of her team. It also gives those volunteers a chance to deepen their skills in instructional design. S…

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My 4-Step Process to Write Better Learning Objectives 9:42

2M ago9:42

9:42

In this episode, I want to share my 4-step process to write better learning objectives. What do I mean by better? This is not a lesson on making them SMART (specific, measurable, actionable, relevant, and timely) though that is important. This is about the actual process I go through when writing objectives. This thought process is what gets me to…

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Are Your Learners Bored? How Building a Learner Persona Can Help. 11:34

2M ago11:34

11:34

Are your learners bored? So often our training audience attends training that isn't relevant or engaging, contains so much extra information they feel lost, or the included scenarios make no sense for them and their role. Context is one of the most important things in creating effective learning. That’s why in this episode, I want us to explore lea…

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How Building Your Personal Board of Directors Will Enhance Your Career with Jarrett Ransom 28:12

2M ago28:12

28:12

What’s the value of an outside perspective? An outside perspective will help you be more consistent, improve your awareness and confidence, and accelerate your career because they can see the things you can't. This is true in all areas of life, including your career. That’s why on today’s episode, I'm talking to self-proclaimed nonprofit nerd, Jarr…

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3 Components of Leadership Development | What Nonprofits Can Learn from the Aviation Industry with Craig Coyle 25:16

2M ago25:16

25:16

A lot of what we do in Learning and Development is not life and death. We often have the freedom to experiment with new ideas in our nonprofit training and while we want the best possible outcome, we can feel safe to fail. This is not the case in every industry. In this episode I want us to take some time to learn from another industry - the aviati…

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Improving the Health of Your Nonprofit through People Manager Development and Enablement with Kamaria Scott 34:13

3M ago34:13

34:13

People managers have a hard job. They have to set goals, manage resources, support real humans who are not always easy to support, and keep everything moving on time and within budget so the organization can meet its goals. That’s why I’ve invited Kamaria Scott, an I/O psychologist focused on people manager development and enablement, to join me …

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The Business Case for Mentoring - What's the Value? with Neil Cunningham 21:35

3M ago21:35

21:35

We know the impact a good mentor can have. Yet, according to a Forbes article, only 37% of professionals have a mentor. This means there are still many people out there who aren't benefiting from this type of relationship. How do we know when to create a mentoring program? And if we look at the needs and determine we should create one, how do we cr…

1
The Belonging Blueprint: How to Create Connection among Your Teams with Abigail Finck 36:27

3M ago36:27

36:27

While work may never be the top place you feel belonging, it can be a place where you can be yourself, where you can feel safe, and where you can feel connected to your work and team. However, this doesn’t happen organically, we have to work to create a space like this. That’s why in this episode, leadership and mindset coach Abigail Finck is shari…

1
How to Measure Behavior Change and Impact in a Federated Nonprofit or Membership Association 12:34

3M ago12:34

12:34

Measuring behavior change and impact is hard in most organizations, but add the complexities of federated nonprofit organizations or membership associations, and it suddenly feels impossible. In this episode, I’m exploring why measuring behavior change and impact is so hard in these organizations and I’m sharing some creative ideas to measure them…

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Using a Blended, Cohort Training Model to Create Behavior Change with Nonprofit Leader Rebecca Kelley 25:12

4M ago25:12

25:12

Creating behavior change is no easy task. So when Rebecca Kelley of Waterford.org approached me about a change she wanted to facilitate in one of her teams, I knew we had a lot of work to do. Today’s episode is a case study of sorts - we're taking a closer look at how my team at Skill Masters Market partnered with Rebecca's team at Waterford to add…

1
I'm 20 Years into My Career. If You're New to L&D, Listen to This. 14:58

4M ago14:58

14:58

I feel strongly that you don't need a formal education in adult learning to be a good instructional designer. But I do think instructional designers have to be open to learning new things. I’ve learned a lot over my 20 year career in Learning and Development and in this episode, I’m sharing three of my most valuable lessons. ▶️ I'm 20 Years into My…

1
How One Nonprofit Improves Emotional Intelligence through Training with Erin Harris 30:38

4M ago30:38

30:38

Boundaries, coping skills, conflict resolution, empathy, mental health, and self-care are skills we all need in life, and the nonprofit Un/Do Mindset is on a mission to make sure everyone has them. They're working to build a more resilient and compassionate society and I think we need more of that in the workplace too. That’s why I invited the foun…

1
Setting Values-Based Goals for 2025 13:12

4M ago13:12

13:12

People with goals are 10 times more likely to succeed. That’s the kind of momentum I want as I head into 2025. I've worked with others to set goals for years. I've coached people through career transitions. And I've led project teams with a specific goal in mind so I know how important a goal can be. In this episode, I’m bringing you some recommend…

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Two Skills Your People Managers Need But Probably Don't Have with Eric Girard 21:23

5M ago21:23

21:23

The number one priority for HR leaders in 2025 is leader and manager development and yet, only 36% of organizations with leadership development programs think they work. Organizations are spending money and prioritizing leadership development but they aren't seeing the results. So what’s missing? New manager expert, Eric Girard is joining me on thi…

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Using AI to Create Persuasive, Visual Stories for Your Training with Nicholas Leonard 34:58

5M ago34:58

34:58

Stories help us learn and engage us on an emotional level. But one of the more challenging parts of using stories is finding the right visuals to go with them. That’s where AI comes in. I personally have not used AI to create visual stories, that’s why I invited Dr. Nicholas Leonard to be my guest. Nicholas’s passion is at the intersection of AI an…

1
5 Ways to Incorporate Peer Learning into Your Nonprofit's Learning Strategy 12:39

5M ago12:39

12:39

Peer learning is a great technique to use in your training programs because it encourages active participation and networking, ensures diverse perspectives are shared and considered, encourages social and collaborative skills, and so much more. That’s why on this episode, I’m sharing five ways you can incorporate peer learning into your nonprofit's…

1
Developing Your People Managers with Off-the-Shelf Courses + Customized Conversations. An Inside Look at One Nonprofit's Approach with Alberto Garcia 24:51

5M ago24:51

24:51

Providing off-the-shelf courses is a common approach to training and development. But one of the limitations is the lack of context which is often needed to make the training relevant and meaningful. When I heard about Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston and how they were combining off-the-shelf courses with more contextualized learning, I kn…

1
Turn Your Subject Matter Expert into Your Biggest Asset with This Approach 11:10

5M ago11:10

11:10

Working with subject matter experts can be a great experience, but it can also be challenging. They don't always understand Learning and Development, they may have competing priorities that take them away from your project, and sometimes they think that they don't really need you. That’s why, in this episode, I’m sharing how you can turn your subje…

1
How to Use Change Management Principles to Improve Training Project Success 9:59

6M ago9:59

9:59

Is training a change project? My vote is almost always YES. Training is often either being used to drive a change or it's being offered as the result of a change. Why does that matter? 70% of organizational changes fail and L&D has a role to play in this. That’s why in this episode I’m exploring how we, as L&D, can use change management principles …

1
Three Practical Tips to Improve Your Nonprofit's Onboarding Process 10:18

6M ago10:18

10:18

Most people form a first impression in just a tenth of a second, and there’s no second chances. So, what is your nonprofit's first impression? When you hire a new staff person, what do they think or feel? It's worth asking the question, and it's worth investing in making that first impression a good one. That’s why, on today’s episode, I‘m sharing …

1
Want Better Leaders? Five Ways to Get Them. 12:21

6M ago12:21

12:21

50% of leaders will fail. Even those who were once successful often eventually fail. Leadership failure comes with significant cost. You have to recruit, hire, and onboard a new leader and employees may have left or stopped performing under the old leader. So why do leaders fail? And how can we in L&D support them so they don't? That’s what we’re e…

1
You Need Social Influence to Achieve Behavior Change. Here's How to Create It. 12:03

6M ago12:03

12:03

70% of organizational changes fail. I feel strongly that almost every training project is a change project. So, how do we successfully facilitate change? One essential element is social influence. We have to create the environment and the relationships to help our audience create and sustain the change. But how do we do that? I'm sharing five ways …

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5 Low Cost Leadership Development Activities for Organizations with Tight Budgets 12:32

7M ago12:32

12:32

I often hear from nonprofit L&D leaders about the challenges they face with constrained budgets. And I feel their pain. I know so many of you are working with small teams and few resources. But leadership development activities don’t have to be expensive and you don’t have to let a constrained budget keep you from developing your leaders. That’s wh…

1
Your L&D Team Needs Email Marketing. Expert Julie Nichols Shares Where to Start 26:35

7M ago26:35

26:35

You spend months working hard on a training only to launch it and hear crickets. If you can't mandate people take that training, what do you do? This is where marketing comes in. Marketing is a pretty different skill set than what most L&D teams have. And your marketing team may not have the capacity to support you with each new training. That’s wh…

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Hiring in L&D? Three Things to Look for in Your Next Job Candidate 11:29

7M ago11:29

11:29

I see a lot of L&D job descriptions and they usually include things like communication skills, project management skills, knowledge of learning design principles, and more. And while these are skills that you certainly do use as an L&D pro, what actually helps you hit the ground running? In this episode, I’m sharing three not-so-obvious skills or c…

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5 L&D Thought Leaders Predict the Future of Learning And Development 39:56

7M ago39:56

39:56

On today’s episode, I want us to look to the future of L&D. However, I don't only want to talk about the future of L&D from an L&D lens; I want us to be holistic and well-rounded and hear from a diversity of perspectives. That’s why I’ve invited some of my favorite L&D and L&D adjacent thought leaders to join me to talk about what they hope for the…

1
What Corporate Training Can Steal from Fantasy Football 11:58

8M ago11:58

11:58

Fantasy football is an $11 billion business with 29.2 million people playing in the US alone in 2022. So what’s the appeal? It's our job to look at what fantasy football is doing well and determine what we can steal to make our training more effective. In today’s episode, I’m exploring the four things L&D can steal from fantasy football to improve …

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Making Generative AI Your L&D Thought Partner with Valerie Ehrlich 29:09

8M ago29:09

29:09

Is generative AI your L&D thought partner? I've used ChatGPT for this podcast, for LinkedIn posts, for training, and more. And while I don't yet rely on it daily, it's becoming a better partner for me, because I'm getting better at using it. I love the idea of helping L&D pros like us make generative AI our thought partner, that’s why today’s guest…

1
5 Reasons Blended Learning is a Good Strategy for Staff Development 12:38

8M ago12:38

12:38

I'm a big fan of blended learning… I like being able to have learners spend some time inside a virtual or in-person classroom, but I also like them to spend time learning independently or in groups outside the classroom. Blended learning is a great approach to people development. In this episode, I’m sharing 5 reasons why. ▶️ 5 Reasons Blended Lear…

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STOP Using Stories in Training...Unless You're Using This Framework with Diana Farias Heinrich 32:37

8M ago32:37

32:37

We often reach for storytelling in our nonprofit training and it’s easy to understand why. Stories evoke emotion, help us connect with each other, and help us learn. But, there is a wrong and right way to tell a story. On this episode, Diana Farias Heinrich is sharing her ethical storytelling framework with us so we can tell stories the right way a…

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5 Things to Include in Your Training Project Kickoff 16:28

9M ago16:28

16:28

I start every new training project with a sense of hope and excitement. I'm ready to build a lasting relationship with my client and I feel ready because I have a proven plan for my project kickoff. I'm not reinventing it every time I have a new project. On today’s episode, I want to share that plan with you. Whether you're a consultant or currentl…

1
Leadership Development Lessons from the Olympics 22:05

9M ago22:05

22:05

As a training and leadership development consultant, I'm always wondering what we can learn from things around us, like the Olympics. The Olympics brings together top athletes from around the world as they compete against each other and their best selves. It takes years of practice and dedication to achieve something like this. We can learn a lot a…

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10 Tech Habits that Will Change the Way You Lead Talent Development with Shari Simpson of Paylocity 30:43

9M ago30:43

30:43

We have so many tools available for how we design and deliver learning. From project management and identifying learning needs to delivering our learning solutions, we're using tech throughout the process. Nonprofit L&D pros have very specific tech needs and we often have unique constraints that other organizations don't have. That's why I'm so exc…

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Building Your Leadership Pipeline? 10 Things Nonprofits Should Do When Developing Future Leaders 18:31

9M ago18:31

18:31

Getting qualified candidates into the nonprofit leadership candidate pool can be challenging, so we tend to start thinking about our internal candidates. They already know and love our mission so it's logical to want to advance them into these open leadership positions. But are your future leaders ready? In this episode, we're going to explore 10 t…

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Why You Should Use Cohorts in Your Nonprofit's DEIB Training 12:06

9M ago12:06

12:06

What makes a DEIB training successful? From meaningful discussion to skilled facilitation, there are a lot of things that make a DEIB training successful. But today, I want to talk about using cohorts in your nonprofit’s DEIB training. A lot of DEIB trainings are one-off experiences. And if there is more than one training, it's not really set up as…

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The Role of Coaching and Mentoring in Your Nonprofit's Talent Development Strategy 11:45

10M ago11:45

11:45

A good coach or mentor can be powerful. That’s why on today’s episode, I’m sharing five ways you can use coaching and mentoring in your nonprofit’s talent development strategy. There are so many benefits to coaching and mentoring and these tools can be used in a variety of ways. While this isn’t an exhaustive list, it’s a good place to start. ▶️ Th…

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How This One Needs Analysis Method Can Improve Your Nonprofit Training with Emily Taylor 24:49

10M ago24:49

24:49

Are you listening to your learners? In this episode, our guest is strategic listener Emily Taylor. With a background in human-centered design, Emily is an expert listener. I've worked with Emily before and she's helped me and my clients be better listeners so we can identify skill gaps and create tailored training and resources to support behavior …

1
Four Partners Every L&D Team Should Have 11:35

10M ago11:35

11:35

I couldn't do what I do as a training and leadership development consultant to nonprofits without my support system, and you need a support system too. You are doing the work day in and day out to lead your L&D team (if you’re a supervisor), engage with your internal partners, and deliver quality learning experiences. There is a lot that goes into …

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5 Ways to Supercharge Your Nonprofit's Volunteer Training with Karen Knight 29:29

10M ago29:29

29:29

In this episode, I’ve invited Karen Knight, volunteer extraordinaire, to give us some specific ways we can supercharge our nonprofit’s volunteer training. The demand for nonprofit services has increased, but the number of volunteers has decreased before and since COVID. It’s important that volunteers are trained well so that they have a good volunt…

1
4 Ways Good Instructional Design Can Break Down Silos in Your Nonprofit 11:59

11M ago11:59

11:59

As I think about all the challenges nonprofits face, all the burnout nonprofit leaders experience, and all the amazing things they want to accomplish, I am consistently reminded of how important strong trusting relationships really are. That's why on this episode, I want to explore how good instructional design can break down silos and build those …

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Make People Uncomfortable: How Your Nonprofit's Training Can Improve Behavior with Matt Gjertsen 26:14

11M ago26:14

26:14

Today’s guest is Matt Gjertsen, former Air Force instructor pilot and founder of Better Everyday Studios. He is giving us an outside perspective on behavior change and bringing some great insights to the nonprofit sector. Why are we surprised when we want our learners to change something and they don't? Behavior change is a funny thing and even a s…

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Why Change Initiatives Fail? Should L&D Be Involved in Change Management? 10:53

11M ago10:53

10:53

Why does change fail? There are a lot of reasons, but most of them come down to people. And if we're talking about people, L&D needs to be involved. That’s why on this episode of the podcast, I wanted to share the fastest way to organizational change and explore L&Ds role in change. ▶️ Why Change Initiatives Fail? Should L&D Be Involved in Change M…

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From 0 to 60 Employees in 4 Years: How this Nonprofit Onboarded and Trained Staff to Scale their Mission with Quilen Blackwell 30:17

11M ago30:17

30:17

In this episode of Learning for Good, my guest, Quilen Blackwell is taking us inside his nonprofit, Southside Blooms. They grew from zero to 60 employees in just four short years. That means they onboarded a lot of staff and learned a lot along the way. He’s sharing his experience with us, what worked and what didn’t, so you can take a look at your…

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WARNING: Do Not Create a Learning Community Yet (Wait Until You Hear this Episode) 15:21

12M ago15:21

15:21

People love communities. But not all communities are created equal. I have a learning community and it can be hard. It's not hard to create; that was pretty easy. But it's hard to get people to engage. That's where the work is. To get better at this, I've been reading books and listening to podcasts about community and I've been reflecting on commu…

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Heather Burright Learning And Development Leader Leadership Development Consultant Instructional Designer Podcasts

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