Rogue L+D Hotshots with Tom Bailey

What if AI isn’t threatening your job — but exposing how we work?AI isn’t just another tool rollout, it’s reshaping how people think, work, and relate to their jobs. This episode explores why most AI initiatives struggle, what really drives adoption, and how learning and people teams can lead change without fear, guilt, or burnout. It’s a practical and human conversation about mindset, skills, and designing work that actually supports people.Drawing on decades of experience across major UK brands and now as a consultant and author, Erica Farmer shares insights from large-scale transformation, neurodivergence, and the realities of running a modern L&D business. As co-founder of Quantum Rise Talent Group and author of AI for People Professionals, she brings a grounded, people-first lens to one of the biggest shifts facing workplaces today.Key TakeawaysI’ve learned that AI adoption fails when we treat it like a system rollout instead of a human shift. Hearts and minds always come before skills and tools.AI isn’t about working faster — it’s about removing mental load so people can do more of what actually matters. That’s the real productivity gain.If L&D doesn’t lead experimentation and mindset change, someone else will. And that’s how the function becomes irrelevant.Timestamps[00:00:00] Introduction & purpose of the podcast[00:01:45] Erica’s background and move from corporate to consultancy[00:06:10] The realities of running an L&D business[00:10:45] AI as more than productivity — the mindset shift[00:14:20] The personal “AI dividend” and neurodivergence[00:17:30] Why AI adoption fails in organizations[00:19:50] Best L&D experience and human-first change design[00:27:10] Career failure, neurodivergence, and growth[00:33:40] Comic-Con, Marvel, and leadership metaphors[00:42:30] Advice for L&D leaders facing AI disruptionLinks:Erica Farmer on LinkedInQuantum RiseTom Bailey on LinkedInTom Bailey Website

What happens when you let someone interview you on your own podcast and ask what you really think about L&D?This episode dives into the real truth behind modern L&D, exploring what actually moves performance, what does not, and what most learning teams never say out loud. Listeners will hear how to shift from order taker to strategic partner, why measurement still gets ignored, and how to influence the business by talking the language senior leaders actually use. It is an honest, practical conversation that cuts through the fluff and gets to the heart of what makes L&D valuable.Kirsty Lewis, award winning founder of School of Facilitation, takes over the microphone and interviews Tom Bailey, ATD award winner and recognised L&D leader. Together they explore the mindset, skills and experiences that shape a high performing people development function, from commercial acumen and internal selling to the influence of AI and the role of real world experiences. For anyone who wants to elevate their L&D impact, this conversation offers grounded insights and fresh thinking without the jargon.Key TakeawaysI realised that the most powerful shift in my career happened when I stopped acting like an employee and started thinking like a consultant.I learned that the vehicle does not matter as much as the outcome, and that measuring real performance is the thing most L&D teams skip.I saw how much better my work became when I stayed connected to the outside world rather than repeating what had always been done.Timestamps:[00:00] Welcome to the takeover and setting the tone[01:00] Why Tom hates being a podcast guest[02:00] How Tom discovered his real motivation[03:30] Why business knowledge matters for L&D[05:15] Sales skills and commercial background shaping L&D success[07:30] The hidden reality of internal selling in L&D[09:00] Tom’s biggest soapbox about impact and measurement[12:30] Why AI will disrupt instructional design[15:00] The L&D experience that changed Tom’s career[32:00] Tom’s biggest fails, best lessons and advice for practitioners[40:00] Final reflections and why the L&D community mattersLinksKirsty Lewis on LinkedInSchool of FacilitationTom Bailey on LinkedInTom Bailey Website

What if the best learning event you ever ran didn’t have a single slide deck?In this episode of Rogue L&D, Tom sits down with Kirsty Lewis, founder of School of Facilitation and creator of SoFest, a three-day festival celebrating the art and energy of facilitation.Kirsty shares how her mission to bring connection back into corporate learning sparked a thriving global community of trainers and facilitators. From her Diageo days designing world-class experiential programs to creating SoFest in a literal field, Kirsty shows how real learning happens when people play, talk, and co-create.They dive into why L&D professionals are often the most professionally lonely people, how to design sessions that feel alive, and why most conferences still get learning completely wrong. Expect plenty of soapboxes, laughter, and hard truths about the future of facilitation, plus the infamous story of how chewing gum almost derailed her corporate career.If you’re in learning, leadership, or coaching, this episode will reignite your passion for how we teach, connect, and grow people together.Key TakeawaysExperiential beats instructional: Learning sticks when participants do, not when they’re taught.Community cures professional loneliness: Even L&D pros need people who “get it.”Design is everything: Great workshops start with structure, story, and emotional energy — not slides.Timestamps[00:00:20] Tom welcomes Kirsty and her facilitation obsession.[00:01:15] The three parts of School of Facilitation explained.[00:02:29] The birth of SoFest — why it had to happen.[00:04:40] “I’m not a mushroom!” — Kirsty’s rant on bad L&D events.[00:07:22] Designing experiential learning and fighting professional loneliness.[00:10:10] Why building community beats working solo in L&D.[00:12:12] Kirsty’s best-ever L&D program from her Diageo days.[00:25:15] Her proudest career moment — creating global Master Trainers.[00:26:24] Biggest fail: chewing gum while hungover in a workshop.[00:33:39] Final advice: nurture relationships — they shape your L&D legacy.LinksKirsty Lewis on LinkedInSchool of FacilitationTom Bailey on LinkedInTom Bailey Website

Most training fails because it forgets the human at the center.This episode dives deep into how learning becomes more than just training—it becomes an experience people want to be part of. Vanessa Trower, award-winning learning consultant and industry leader, shares her creative approach to designing programs that connect both to the heart and to business outcomes. From the power of storytelling to the importance of collaboration, her insights reveal how to create initiatives that don’t just tick boxes but truly move the needle.Along the way, Vanessa opens up about her proudest achievements, including winning L&D Professional of the Year, and even some epic failures—like the time an LMS mishap spammed an entire company. With humor, honesty, and practical wisdom, this conversation will leave you rethinking how learning works, what really matters, and how to design experiences people never forget.Key TakeawaysCreating learning that connects to both hearts and business outcomes is what makes programs stick.Collaboration and valuing other people’s strengths always lead to stronger results than going solo.Even mistakes and failures can become the spark for some of the best learning experiences.Timestamps[00:00] Introduction & Vanessa’s background[01:31] Why she focuses on meaningful learning experiences[03:20] What truly fires her up about L&D[05:20] Balancing creativity with business impact[07:11] Vanessa’s favorite campaign: “Homecoming”[11:06] Personal quirks: gestures, cooking, and food[13:36] Learning Spanish—and the reality of failure[15:55] Proudest career moments & major awards[20:47] Her worst L&D experience: the LMS email fiasco[29:01] Vanessa’s best advice for anyone starting in L&DLinksVanessa Trower on LinkedinNexperkTom Bailey on LinkedInTom Bailey Website

Training is the laziest—and often the worst—solution organizations reach for.Most organizations rush into training without asking the most important question: what’s the real problem we’re trying to solve? In this episode, Tom Bailey, a seasoned people development maverick, breaks down why traditional training often misses the mark—and what to do instead.Listeners will discover how to separate real skill gaps from deeper organizational issues, why performance consulting models are essential, and how to create measurable outcomes that actually change behavior. Whether you’re in HR, leadership, or team development, this episode will shift the way you think about learning forever.Key TakeawaysTraining requests often mask deeper issues like resources, management, or structure—not just skills gaps.Real people development starts by clarifying the exact behavior change or outcome desired.Using a performance consulting model helps diagnose, address, and measure what truly matters.Timestamps[00:00] Don’t jump straight into training[00:09] Why organizations default to “more training”[00:22] Asking the critical outcome question[00:36] When the issue isn’t training at all[00:52] Examples of hidden causes: resources, pay, shifts[01:05] Why L&D often misses the real gap[01:15] The trap of traditional schooling bias[01:25] What real learning and development should do[01:35] Using performance consulting to diagnose issues[01:45] How to measure behavior change that mattersLinksTom Bailey on LinkedInTom Bailey Website