What if the best way to change and develop isn’t with big plans, but "tiny experiments"? Neuroscientist and author Anne-Laure Le Cunff joins Jess to explore how small, low-risk actions can unlock powerful learning, creativity, and change. Whether you’re an L&D leader navigating uncertainty or designing experiences for others, Anne-Laure offers a fresh, science-backed mindset shift. You’ll walk away with new tools to beat perfectionism, escape outdated scripts, and turn curiosity into real progress, one tiny experiment at a time.

Jess and Anne-Laure Discuss

• Why tiny experiments beat big goals in uncertain environments
• How to redesign your L&D workflow and projects using curiosity, not willpower
• A simple tiny experiment formula: “I will [action] for [duration]”
• How L&D pros can test new ideas without full-scale rollouts
• Helping learners build agency through their own tiny experiments
• The surprising downsides of goals and default cognitive scripts
• Tools for reflecting on progress, including the “Plus, Minus, Next” method
• The mindset shift from “success vs. failure” to “learning vs. learning more”

About Anne-Laure

Anne-Laure Le Cunff is an award-winning neuroscientist and entrepreneur. She is the founder of Ness Labs, where her weekly newsletter is read by more than 100,000 curious minds. Her research at King’s College London focuses on the psychology and neuroscience of lifelong learning, curiosity, and adaptability. Her book, Tiny Experiments, is a transformative guide for living a more experimental life, turning uncertainty into curiosity, and carving a path of self-discovery. Previously, she worked at Google as an executive on digital health projects. Her work has been featured in Rolling Stone, Forbes, Financial Times, WIRED, and more.

Find and Connect with Anne-Laure

• Website (Newsletter and more): Ness Labs
• Book: Tiny Experiments
• Instagram

Find and Connect with Jess Almlie

• LinkedIn
• Newsletter: L&D Must Change
• Website: jessalmlie.com
• Book: L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner

Coming Soon! Jess's book, L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner will be published by ATD Press on September 2, 2025. Order your copy now and be sure to sign up for the L&D Must Change newsletter for weekly articles and book updates.

What can you do when an employee insists on a promotion, but you don't have one to give? Jess and Al Dea dive into one of the most pressing challenges in today’s workplace: how to keep top talent engaged and growing when promotions are scarce, or not the answer at all. They explore the psychology behind promotion expectations, the systemic gaps in career development, and how L&D teams and managers can lead a smarter, more human-centered approach to growth. You’ll leave with actionable ideas, real-world examples, and a new way to think about employee development.

Jess and Al Discuss

• Why promotion obsession is a symptom, not the root cause
• How managers can use curiosity to uncover what employees actually want and/or need
• Why transparency, honesty, and small actions matter more than grand gestures
• The hidden influence of educational systems on career expectations
• Systemic steps L&D can take to redefine development company-wide
• The power of “going first” with your own team as a testing ground
• Real-life examples from companies using language and culture to shift the narrative
• Practical ways to start redefining growth without needing a promotion

About Al Dea

Al Dea is a talent and leadership development consultant, facilitator, and speaker. He is the Founder of The Edge of Work, a talent and leadership development firm that helps organizations develop leaders to improve engagement and performance.

Al works at the intersection of the future of work, talent, and leadership development. His insights have been published in outlets such as Forbes, Fast Company, and Business Insider. He is also the host of The Edge of Work podcast, which explores the future of work, talent and leadership, and a LinkedIn Top Voice in the Future of Work and Leadership.

Previously, Al worked at organizations such as Deloitte Consulting LLP and Salesforce. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business from Boston College and an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Find and Connect with Al Dea

• LinkedIn
• Website: www.al-dea.com
• Podcast: The Edge of Work

Find and Connect with Jess Almlie

• LinkedIn
• Blog: L&D Must Change
• Subscribe to Jess's Email List (Weekly Emails)
• Website: jessalmlie.com
• Book: L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner

Now Available! Jess's book, L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner, published by ATD Press, is now available for pre-order wherever books are sold (official release date is September 2, 2025). To learn more and be the first to get behind-the-scenes updates, early sneak peeks, and join the virtual launch party, join Jess's email list! You'll get the L&D Must Change newsletter delivered to your inbox weekly as well as special updates on the book when available. Click here to join!

What if learning didn’t need to be controlled to be powerful? In this episode, Jess sits down with Anamaria Dorgo, a learning and community consultant and founder of L&D Shakers, to explore what happens when we let learning unfold organically. From redefining the role of L&D to creating emotionally rich, immersive learning experiences, Anamaria challenges traditional models and invites us to embrace “scandalous learning” and the power of community. Tune in to discover how to decentralize learning, build learning ecosystems, and design experiences that leave a lasting impact.

Jess and Anamaria Discuss

• What it means to “let learning roam free”

• Why communities of practice are so powerful

• How L&D can shift from being content controllers to learning enablers

• Best practices for launching an internal community

• Creative approaches to measuring community impact

• The concept of “scandalous learning”

• Why every L&D leader needs a “scandalous learning playground”

About Anamaria Dorgo

Anamaria is a Learning and Community Consultant, Learning Experience Designer and Facilitator. She's bringing over 10+ years of experience in HR and L&D, and combines it with 6+ years of building collective learning spaces, in the form of communities of practice. She co-hosts the Mapping Ties podcast, where internal community builders share their work, and writes the IRrEGULAR LEtTER: a newsletter about community + experience design + learning, with a dash of experimental vibes.

Find and Connect with Anamaria Dorgo

• LinkedIn
• Newsletter: IRrEGULAR LEtTER
• Podcast: Mapping Ties

Find and Connect with Jess Almlie

• LinkedIn
• Blog: L&D Must Change
• Subscribe to Jess's Email List (Weekly Emails)
• Website: jessalmlie.com
• Book: L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner

Additional Links from the Show

• L&D Shakers Community Newsletter: The Learning Brief
• Follow L&D Shakers on LinkedIn

Now Available! Jess's book, L&D Order Taker No More! Become a Strategic Business Partner, published by ATD Press, is now available for pre-order wherever books are sold (official release date is September 2, 2025). To learn more and be the first to get behind-the-scenes updates, early sneak peeks, and join the virtual launch party, join Jess's email list! You'll get the L&D Must Change newsletter delivered to your inbox weekly as well as special updates on the book when available. Click here to join!