In this episode of the Become an IDOL Podcast, Dr. Alaina Szlachta, author of the book "Measurement and Evaluation on a Shoestring," shares her insights on simplifying measurement and evaluation strategies for learning and development professionals. Tune in to hear: How Dr. Szlachta's research on the challenges of measurement and evaluation led to the writing of her book. Strategies for getting buy-in from stakeholders and being a strategic business partner when it comes to measurement. Ways to ...
Feb 07, 2025•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of the Become an IDOL Podcast, Stacy Carter shares her inspiring journey of transitioning from a career in education to becoming an Instructional Design Specialist for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration organization. Tune in to hear: How Stacy's perseverance and resilience led her to her dream job after three years of determined effort. The valuable lessons Stacy learned about the importance of building confidence, optimizing her LinkedIn profile, and practicing interviews. Sta...
Jan 10, 2025•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of the Become an IDOL Podcast, Matthew Campbell, a former Senior Director at McGraw Hill, shares his insights on transitioning from a social studies teacher to a successful career in educational technology. Tune in to hear: The key skills and qualities needed to break into instructional design and EdTech. How Matthew leveraged his teaching experience and networking to land his first corporate job. Matthew's tips for aspiring EdTech professionals, including building a portfolio an...
Dec 20, 2024•24 min•Ep 108•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Laurel Schulert, the Senior Director of Learning Experience at SAP Concur, discusses her journey from being an English teacher to becoming a successful instructional designer. Tune in to find out: Laurel's insights on why English majors make great instructional designers and the valuable skills they bring to the field. Laurel's personal story of transitioning from teaching to corporate training and development, and the challenges she faced along the way. Laurel's advice for aspi...
Sep 06, 2024•20 min•Ep 107•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of the Become an IDOL Podcast, Tamara McLemore, a project management expert, shares her insights and strategies for effective project management, particularly in the context of learning and development. Tune in to find out: Tamara's approach to building relationships and communicating with stakeholders, including her emphasis on understanding people's perspectives and what's in it for them. Tamara's tips for self-management and staying productive when working on solo projects, su...
Aug 23, 2024•34 min•Ep 106•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Dr. Robin Sargent interviews Kayvon Touran, the CEO and co-founder of Zal.ai, about the role of generative AI in workforce learning and development. Tune in to find out: How Kayvon and his company are using generative AI to enhance employee training and practice through AI-powered practice partners and feedback facilitators. The importance of using quantitative and binary rubrics to measure employee skills and competencies and how this data can drive personalized learning interv...
Aug 09, 2024•34 min•Ep 105•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Utdam Song, an instructional designer from Cambodia, shares his career journey from being a high school teacher to landing his first instructional design job. Utdam discusses how the IDOL courses Academy provided him with practical, hands-on learning that complemented his academic studies. This helped him succeed in the interview process and secure his current role. The episode highlights Utdam's success story and the value of the IDOL program in supporting career changers and a...
Jul 26, 2024•23 min•Ep 104•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Dr. Robin Sargent interviews Dr. Natalie Berkman about her journey to becoming an instructional designer through IDOL courses. They discuss her background in higher education, achievements, and transition into a C-level role. Tune in to hear: - Dr. Berkman's insights on upskilling and leveraging new tools like Articulate 360 and Genially to enhance instructional design. - Strategies she used to optimize her LinkedIn profile and portfolio, leading to significant career advancemen...
Jul 12, 2024•24 min•Ep 103•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of the Become an IDOL podcast, host Dr. Robin Sargent interviews Juliana Stancampiano, founder and CEO of Oxygen Experiences. Tune in to hear: - Juliana's journey from working at Microsoft to founding the US office of Oxygen and eventually acquiring ownership of the business - How Juliana's company creates engaging learning experiences through hands-on activities and emphasizes understanding the business perspective - Advice for new instructional designers around finding a mentor...
Jun 28, 2024•36 min•Ep 102•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of the Become an IDOL podcast, Dr. Robin Sargent interviews Dr. Dwayne Wood about leadership and teaching. Tune in to find out: How Dr. Wood explains how leadership and teaching are interchangeable concepts based on his military and educational background. Examples of leadership principles and qualities that can be applied to effective teaching and instructional design. How experiential learning techniques can be used in both leadership development and education, with a focus on ...
Jun 14, 2024•38 min•Ep 101•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of the Become an IDOL podcast, Betty Dannewitz and Dr. Robin Sargent discuss leadership training and overcoming imposter syndrome in L&D. Tune in to hear: Betty’s background in learning and development and how she became a known conference speaker Insights into imposter syndrome, including common causes and coping strategies discussed Tips for overcoming imposter syndrome during a career transition or when learning instructional design...
May 17, 2024•45 min•Ep 100•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of the Become an IDOL podcast, Amanda Nguyen shares her journey and advice on creativity in instructional design. Tune in to hear: - Amanda's experience working as a learning experience designer at Canva and how she utilized their platform for educational purposes. - Her creative process and workflow, including how she draws inspiration from other designers and industries to spark new ideas. - Her unconventional path to becoming an instructional designer, including how she "bootl...
May 03, 2024•36 min•Ep 99•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of the Become an IDOL podcast, Alyssa Coiro shares her journey from teacher to instructional designer. Tune in to hear: - Alyssa's story of how she discovered instructional design during the COVID pandemic and decided to pursue it through IDOL. - Details about Alyssa's experience building her portfolio within 8 weeks of the IDOL program and starting to apply for jobs. - An overview of Alyssa's career progression so far, including her roles at Lowe's and a large construction compa...
Apr 19, 2024•31 min•Ep 98•Transcript available on Metacast Mar 29, 2024•27 min•Ep 97•Transcript available on Metacast Mar 15, 2024•45 min•Ep 96•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Jessica Evans shares her journey from classroom teacher to freelance instructional designer. Tune in to hear: Jessica's career path from teacher to instructional designer and how she started her freelance business Tips on networking, building relationships, and generating referrals as a freelancer Advice for aspiring instructional designers on getting training, asking questions, and dreaming big
Mar 01, 2024•26 min•Ep 95•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Robin Sargent interviews Chris Skees, a Learning Product Manager at Cisco, about his career progression in the learning and development industry. He provides insights into career development and upskilling strategies, emphasizing mindset, curiosity, and stretch projects. Tune in to hear: 1. Chris Skees discuss his career journey from content creation to learning product management and the various roles and industries he has worked in. 2. Strategies for career development and ups...
Feb 16, 2024•24 min•Ep 94•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Robin Sargent interviews Russell Sweep about his career transition from professor to instructional designer and training manager. Tune in to hear: Russell's story of transitioning from academia to the corporate world as an instructional designer. How Russell prepared himself for 6 months before landing contract work and eventually a full-time role. Advice Russell has for others looking to make a similar career change, including building a portfolio and leveraging resources and y...
Feb 02, 2024•31 min•Ep 93•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of the Become an IDOL podcast, Robin Sargent interviews Destery Hildenbrand, an XR Solution Architect who helps clients realize their immersive technology dreams through virtual reality, augmented reality, and blended learning solutions. Tune in to find out: Destery's career journey from graphic designer to XR Solution Architect and how he got involved with immersive technologies. Examples of use cases for augmented reality and virtual reality in learning and why certain modaliti...
Dec 01, 2023•36 min•Ep 92•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of the Become an IDOL podcast, host Robin Sargent interviews Kelsie Marks, the director of resume services at Educated Exit, an organization that helps teachers transition out of the education profession. Tune in to find out: Kelsie's journey from being a preschool teacher to leaving the education field and founding Educated Exit. The process Educated Exit uses to help teachers find new careers outside of education, from identifying values and skills to resume/LinkedIn profile bu...
Nov 17, 2023•26 min•Ep 91•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Susan Teague shares her career journey in learning and development. Tune in to find out: How Susan transitioned from her first training role to becoming an instructional designer and elearning project manager. Susan's insights into leadership development and how she helps companies think about professional development for their employees. Advice Susan gives to new instructional designers for learning about different businesses and the challenges they face....
Nov 02, 2023•52 min•Ep 90•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of the Become an IDOL podcast, host Robin Sargent interviews Monica Garcia about her role as an instructional systems designer for the Air Force. Monica describes her career path which began in air traffic control and led her to become a branch chief overseeing curriculum development for 70,000 Air Force students across 180 career fields. She discusses some of the differences between developing training for the military versus corporate settings and provides advice for those look...
Oct 27, 2023•28 min•Ep 89•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of the Become an IDOL podcast, host Dr. Robin Sargent interviews JD Dillon, the Chief Learning Officer at Axonify and author of the book The Modern Learning Ecosystem. JD discusses his background transitioning from operations management into learning and development, focusing on supporting frontline workers. He shares examples of understanding workers' needs and problems to design effective performance support solutions rather than traditional training. JD emphasizes the importan...
Oct 20, 2023•32 min•Ep 88•Transcript available on Metacast This episode of the Become an IDOL podcast features Michael Shackleton, an instructional designer who transitioned into the field after 14 years of teaching. Michael shares his journey of discovering instructional design, enrolling in the IDOL Academy, and building his portfolio and skills. He discusses his application process, interviews he went through, and how he landed his first job as a learning content designer at a large company in Manchester. Michael offers advice to others looking to ma...
Oct 13, 2023•32 min•Ep 87•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, I'm chatting with Randi Myers and Teresa O from OWL which is Open World Learning, a FREE online training platform being offered to all registered charities in the US and Canada! Tune in to hear about this amazing resource and the process for volunteering as an instructional designer. Learn more about OWL-Open World Learning Are you looking for a no-nonsense formula for creating engaging courses and training? Check out my new book, The Do It Messy Approach: A Step-by-Step Guide f...
Jul 28, 2023•26 min•Ep 86•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, I'm chatting with Meg Ramey. Meg is an IDOL Academy member, she is the owner of WorldKind and she is also a leader of one of our IDOL World projects. IDOL World is a volunteer section of our academy to place instructional designers with nonprofit and volunteer opportunities. Tune in to hear about the importance of real world experience and the things that make a good volunteer. Connect with Meg on LinkedIn Are you looking for a no-nonsense formula for creating engaging courses a...
Jul 14, 2023•25 min•Ep 85•Transcript available on Metacast Unleash the power of your brain for training transformation with Matt Gjersten! Join me as I chat with the visionary founder of Better Everyday Studios, an instructional design consulting company. Get ready to be inspired as we delve into how Matt empowers learning teams to create a monumental impact. Don't miss out! Tune in now and discover the ultimate brain hacks for mastering behavior change in your training. Connect with Matt on LinkedIn Are you looking for a no-nonsense formula for creatin...
Jun 30, 2023•27 min•Ep 84•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, I am chatting with Theresa Francomacaro, the owner of Why Story Works. She helps others who want to get unstuck, sell their ideas, clarify their message and attract more clients. Tune in to hear her three golden rules for storytelling and so much more. You will feel Theresa's energy in this episode! Connect with Theresa on LinkedIn Are you looking for a no-nonsense formula for creating engaging courses and training? Check out my new book, The Do It Messy Approach: A Step-by-Step...
Jun 16, 2023•43 min•Ep 83•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, I'll be chatting with Sarah Cannistra who has an L&D Career, Executive and Business coach, and the founder of The Overnight Trainer, a coaching practice that helps purpose-driven people find, land, create, grow, and LOVE the L&D career of their dreams, so that they can live a life of fulfillment, inspiration, and freedom. Sarah utilizes her past experience as a modern learning leader and hiring manager to coach and consult her clients to ultimate career success. This is ...
Jun 02, 2023•35 min•Ep 82•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, I'm chatting with John Reynolds, an Instructional Designer with at Activision Blizzard, and a lifelong nerd. He strives to blur the line between creative training content creator and quest-giver. As an insatiable learner, he hopes to continuously connect with new people and gather fresh and exciting ways to change the game and keep training fun! Tune in to hear his full story and what its like to work for a video game company! Connect with John on LinkedIn Are you looking for a ...
May 19, 2023•27 min•Ep 81•Transcript available on Metacast 
