In this episode of The Self-Employed Life podcast, I had the great pleasure of speaking with learning scientist, curriculum expert, and the “Workshop Whisperer”, Julia Phelan. In this episode we explore how well-intended coaches, consultants, and course creators can unknowingly do harm when they don’t understand how people actually learn. Julia shares insights into why oversimplified advice discourages learners and how to design effective experiences for people at all levels. We also dig into the myth of learning styles, the difference between good content and good delivery, and what it really means to create learning experiences that empower rather than overwhelm. Whether someone is leading a team, creating a course, or crafting a keynote, this conversation will help anyone build with purpose and make a lasting impact—without ever losing sight of your learner.

Julia is the co-founder of To Eleven an innovative education consultancy firm specialized in using evidence-based principles and approaches to develop, evaluate, and improve learning experiences. Julia and Ellen co-founded To Eleven to utilize knowledge of how learning works to shape the design and development of meaningful and engaging learning experiences for learners of all ages.

Julia has a Ph.D in Education from UCLA and spent much of her career as a research and learning scientist at UCLA as well as consulting and advising for school districts, philanthropic organizations, academic publishing, ed tech, corporate training, and government agencies.

She is currently an advisor for the National Laboratory for Education Transformation.

Guest's Contact –

• Linedin

• Website: To Eleven Solutions

Contact Jeffrey –

• JeffreyShaw.com

• Books by Jeffrey Shaw

• Business Coaching for Entrepreneurs

• Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share!

Valuable Resources –

• The Self-Employed Business Institute You know you're really good at what you do. You're talented, you have a skill set. The problem is you're probably in a field where there is no business education. This is common amongst self-employed people! And, there's no business education out there for us! You also know that being self-employed is unique and you need better strategies, coaching, support, and accountability. The Self-Employed Business Institute, a five-month online education is exactly what you need. Check it out!

• Take The Self-Employed Assessment! Ever feel like you're all over the place? Or frustrated it seems like you have everything you need for your business success but it's somehow not coming together? Take this short quiz to discover the biggest hidden gap that’s keeping you from having a thriving Self-Employed Ecosystem. You’ll find out what part of your business needs attention and you'll also get a few laser-focused insights to help you start closing that gap.

• Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Having reviewed hundreds of websites, I can tell you 98% of websites are not. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. I'll email you a few suggestions to improve your brand message to attract more of your ideal customers. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO!

Host Jeffrey Shaw is a Small Business Consultant, Brand Management Consultant, Business Coach for Entrepreneurs, Keynote Speaker, TEDx Speaker and author of LINGO and The Self Employed Life (May 2021). Supporting self-employed business owners with business and personal development strategies they need to create sustainable success.