Dan Bielenberg was one of the original learning geeks who spent 25 years in adult learning at Accenture. After retiring, he only deepened that curiosity. His learning path took him through seminary studies, becoming a hospice chaplain, and now coaching faculty in higher education. Dan shares how stepping away from the corporate world opened a new chapter of intentional, reflective learning. We explore self-awareness, emotional intelligence, being present, and why the best learners never retire.

00:00 Cold Open

01:38 Learning from Seminary and Hospice

09:59 Strengths Coaching in Academia

17:13 Emotional Intelligence Matters

21:42 EdTech and Distracted Learner

25:16 Microlearning Revisited

29:55 What I'd Tell My Younger

34:45 One Last Thing…

36:10 Closing

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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-learning-geeks-podcast/id1413446184

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7mACo97JvUL1LOmVJ9lATI?si=c430a6d9b08c4100

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@learninggeekspodcast

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DISCLAIMER

All thoughts and views are of our own.

We're guest-free this week, so we pulled up some bar stools and went the unscripted happy hour route. We talk Bob’s move back to Chicago, the L&D pendulum swinging (again), AI hype, why hot takes suck and why you should teach instead. Plus, we discuss social media anxiety and a few other topics along the way. Pull up a barstool and join us!

00:00 Intro and first rounds

02:11 Bob moves back to Chicago

05:26 The L&D pendulum swings again

09:34 Resurrecting “Phenomenal Learning”

16:02 AI Hype and Human learning

21:07 Social Media anxiety and AI slop

27:41 Hot takes suck. Teach instead

31:21 Pop culture pivot: Marvel’s Wonder Man

33:14 Disney’s New CEO

35:18 Last call

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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-learning-geeks-podcast/id1413446184

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7mACo97JvUL1LOmVJ9lATI?si=c430a6d9b08c4100

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@learninggeekspodcast

You can also download us anywhere you get your podcasts.

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If you have any feedback or want to join in on the conversation, connect with us via LinkedIN.

DISCLAIMER

All thoughts and views are of our own.

David Chestnut joins us to rethink one of the biggest assumptions about AI enablement. We explore why AI isn’t a replacement for expertise, what AI is great at, what it’s terrible at, what ever happened to prompt engineering, and how context and delegation are becoming critical leadership capabilities.

00:00 Cold Open

01:12 Bob's Big Announcement

04:08 David's Journey into Learning

15:12 Challenges and future of AI

16:08 Limitations of GenAI

20:39 What ever happen to prompt engineering

22:26 The Importance of Context

24:52 Teaching AI Delegation

30:00 Future of AI and Human Expertise

30:48 Closing Remarks and Upcoming Events

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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-learning-geeks-podcast/id1413446184

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7mACo97JvUL1LOmVJ9lATI?si=c430a6d9b08c4100

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@learninggeekspodcast

You can also download us anywhere you get your podcasts.

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If you have any feedback or want to join in on the conversation, connect with us via LinkedIN.

DISCLAIMER

All thoughts and views are of our own.

It’s our yearly holiday special and a chance to pause, reflect, and look ahead. We reflect on the personal and professional lessons of 2025, including how AI, feedback loops, and immersive experiences are shaping learning. We also discuss the most important lesson – that at the end of the day, development is still about helping people become better versions of themselves. We wrap by looking ahead to 2026 and what we want to learn and build next, both for ourselves and for the podcast.

00:00 Introduction and banter

02:51 Bob – Meta tech and the Future of Learning

14:04 Dana – Better versions of ourselves

18:59 Bob Bot 3000

21:02 Jake – Family outings and AI powered journalling

30:42 Looking Forward to 2026

36:45 Thank you to listeners

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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-learning-geeks-podcast/id1413446184

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7mACo97JvUL1LOmVJ9lATI?si=c430a6d9b08c4100

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@learninggeekspodcast

You can also download us anywhere you get your podcasts.

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If you have any feedback or want to join in on the conversation, connect with us via LinkedIN.

DISCLAIMER

All thoughts and views are of our own.

In this episode, we’re joined by Brooke Weddle and Heather Stefanski from McKinsey to unpack why building tech skills is about unlocking human potential — not replacing it. We explore real client success stories and challenges with AI upskilling, the danger of ignoring human skills, why technology can’t fix broken work processes, and whether embedding AI into daily work actually improves apprenticeship and learning.

00:00 Cold open & banter

02:15 Introducing Brooke & Heather

04:26 What Tech Upskilling Really Means

07:13 Human Advantage vs. Machine Capability

14:52 Leadership, Storytelling & Positive Energy

17:29 Creating Space to Practice Tech Skills

18:26 Case Example: AI Transformation in Manufacturing

22:13 The Evolving Role of the CLO

26:09 Building a Developmental Ecosystem

31:27 AI as an Apprenticeship Engine

36:03 Final takeaways

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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-learning-geeks-podcast/id1413446184

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7mACo97JvUL1LOmVJ9lATI?si=c430a6d9b08c4100

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@learninggeekspodcast

You can also download us anywhere you get your podcasts.

READ MORE FROM BROOKE AND HEATHER

We’re all techies now: Digital skill building for the future: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/we-are-all-techies-now-digital-skill-building-for-the-future

The future of the CLO: Leading in a world of merged work and learning

https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/the-future-of-the-clo-leading-in-a-world-of-merged-work-and-learning

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If you have any feedback or want to join in on the conversation, connect with us via LinkedIN.

DISCLAIMER

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Longtime friend Deidra Busbee (Managing Director at JPMorgan Chase) joins us to unpack the power of your “learning posse”, or the group of people who challenge you, support you, connect you, and help you learn faster. We discuss how to build this crew intentionally, why it reduces stress and accelerates onboarding, and what roles AI has within the posse or will never replace. It's a thoughtful discussion at the relationships that fuel real growth.

00:00 Cold open and Deidre welcome

02:23 Deidre's Background

07:06 Deidre's Current Role at JP Morgan Chase

09:39 Building a Learning Posse

11:14 Roles in a Learning Posse

20:06 Introducing Bob Bot 3000

21:36 The Role of Human Connection

30:08 Networking Beyond Your Organization

34:53 Wrap up

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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-learning-geeks-podcast/id1413446184

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7mACo97JvUL1LOmVJ9lATI?si=c430a6d9b08c4100

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@learninggeekspodcast

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If you have any feedback or want to join in on the conversation, connect with us via LinkedIN.

DISCLAIMER

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We’ve been talking about skills for years — but how do you make them work? In this episode, we chat with Craig Friedman about his new book, Enterprise Skills Unlocked, and explore how to move beyond common misconceptions to connect learning, data, and business strategy. Craig shares practical insights on turning skills into measurable business impact — and even tells a story about throwing away pennies. Learn more about Craig’s book at https://stccg.com/enterprise-skills-unlocked-2/

00:00 Intro

02:10 Craig's Background and Experience

03:23 Skills-Based Organizations: An Overview

12:07 Defining Skills and Their Importance

17:05 Impact on Learning and Development

20:41 Validating and Assessing Skills

24:07 Strategies for Implementing Skills-Based Learning

29:06 Challenges and Mistakes in Skills-Based Technology

32:57 Final Thoughts and Book Information

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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-learning-geeks-podcast/id1413446184

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7mACo97JvUL1LOmVJ9lATI?si=c430a6d9b08c4100

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@learninggeekspodcast

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DISCLAIMER

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Jake shares some exciting news for the show - and provides a quick sneak peak behind the curtain on some upcoming episodes.

LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE ON APPLE, SPOTIFY, AND YOUTUBE

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-learning-geeks-podcast/id1413446184

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7mACo97JvUL1LOmVJ9lATI?si=c430a6d9b08c4100

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@learninggeekspodcast

You can also download us anywhere you get your podcasts.

CONNECT WITH US

If you have any feedback or want to join in on the conversation, connect with us via LinkedIN.

DISCLAIMER

All thoughts and views are of our own.