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HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons hosts the most downloaded sports podcast of all time, with a rotating crew of celebrities, athletes, and media staples, as well as mainstays like Cousin Sal, Joe House, and a slew of other friends and family members who always happen to be suspiciously available.
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If you work in Learning & Development, HR, or People Enablement and you keep asking “How do we actually close skills gaps at scale?”, this episode with David James (Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, former Director of Learning, Talent & OD at Disney, and host of The Learning & Development Podcast) is your blueprint. We go from stacking shelves at 14 and gigging in London, to running L&D functions, mentoring (without ever asking), and designing learning that drives proficiency, not vanity metrics—so you can genuinely love Mondays again.
What you’ll learn
Proficiency at scale: David’s practical approach to capability building that moves beyond “courses” to real performance.
Career inflection points: Leaving school at 16, bank cashier → trainer → Disney L&D leader → co-founder (Loop) → CLO at 360Learning.
Mentors without the awkward ask: How to build genuine relationships and get world-class guidance—no “will you be my mentor?” needed.
Readiness beats luck: The exact habits that make you “lucky” when opportunity arrives.
Stakeholder credibility: Partnering with HRBPs, reading the culture, and earning a seat at the table.
Early career reframed: Why those frontline jobs are powerful skill-building reps you’ll use for life.
Who this episode is for
L&D leaders, CLOs, HR/People leaders, enablement pros, OD practitioners, instructional designers, talent strategists, and anyone who wants their learning programs to be taken seriously by the business.
Get to know David:
David James is the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning and a highly respected voice in the Learning & Development industry. With a focus on harnessing technology to drive impactful learning strategies, David is recognised as one of the top 10 global influencers in the L&D space. His expertise lies in helping organisations modernise their approach to workplace learning, ensuring measurable results and business alignment.
David is also the host of The Learning & Development Podcast, which has amassed over 500,000 downloads and ranks in the top 1% of podcasts globally. With more than 30,000 LinkedIn followers, he continues to shape the conversation around L&D innovation and best practices, drawing on his deep experience, including his time as Director of Learning, Talent & Organisational Development at The Walt Disney Company.
Connect with David:
https://360learning.com/lp/david-james/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/
https://360learning.com/lp/learning-and-development-podcast-by-david-james/
Your host, Candice Mitchell, can be found online at:
Website: https://talentdevelopmentnerds.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicemitchelltdnerd/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talent_development_nerd/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@candicemitchell.TDNerd
Talent Development Academy: https://talentdevelopmentnerds.com/tda
Original music composed by: Paul DeHaven
86 episodes
