The Women Talking About Learning Podcast
The Women Talking About Learning Podcast

The Women Talking About Learning Podcast

Llarn Learning

Overview
Episodes

Details

The Women Talking About Learning Podcast is, well, women talking about learning and development. Underrepresented in senior roles in the learning function, this podcast amplifies women’s voices talking about all things learning and development related. You can find more on our website www.womentalkingaboutlearning.com.

Recent Episodes

The Allyship One
APR 14, 2026
The Allyship One
<p>Allyship gets talked about a lot. This episode asks whether it actually changes anything.</p><p>Chloe Duncan, Fran Harrison, and Nzinga Orgill bring three distinct perspectives to a conversation about what allyship looks like in practice, where it falls short, and what organisations and individuals need to do differently.</p><p>Full episode resources are listed on our website at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com">womentalkingaboutlearning.com</a></p><p><strong>Guests</strong></p><p>Chloe Duncan is an in-house DEI strategist specialising in inclusion-led culture transformation, aligning people strategy with organisational performance and regulatory obligations. She has designed and delivered inclusion initiatives across charity, emergency services and regulatory sectors. Chloe also volunteers as Head of Communications and Engagement at the Optimise Foundation. LinkedIn: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chloe-duncan-b1926515a/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/chloe-duncan-b1926515a/</a></p><p>Fran Harrison has more than 30 years in learning delivery, design and technologies. She has recently embarked on serious learning of her own, in transformative coaching and applied positive psychology, shifting towards a more developmental and transformational focus in her practice. LinkedIn: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/fran-harrison-uk/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/fran-harrison-uk/</a></p><p>Nzinga Orgill is Founder and CEO of Avi2i, a consultancy transforming how organisations communicate, include, and serve diverse audiences across events, tourism, aviation, and customer experience. With nearly two decades of expertise in project delivery, cultural competence, and psychological safety, she helps teams move beyond performative gestures and redesign systems so every colleague and customer feels safe, seen, and satisfied. LinkedIn: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nzinga-orgill/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/nzinga-orgill/</a></p><p>You can contact Women Talking About Learning through our website <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com">womentalkingaboutlearning.com</a> You can buy us a coffee to support Women Talking About Learning via Ko-Fi. Or you can email us via <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a></p>
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38 MIN
The Grief One
MAR 31, 2026
The Grief One
<p>You can contact Women Talking About Learning through our website <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com">womentalkingaboutlearning.com</a></p><p>You can buy us a coffee to support Women Talking About Learning via Ko-Fi.</p><p>Or you can email us via <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a></p><p>This Episode: Grief is an inevitable part of life, yet it remains one of the most challenging topics to discuss, especially in the workplace. This episode considers many different forms of grief—just a heads-up, this is not a usual type of episode and is, you'll notice, a bit longer than the norm.</p><p>Full episode resources at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com">womentalkingaboutlearning.com</a></p><p>Kavita Brown is owner and learning director for LDG Training. She's a highly experienced independent trainer, facilitator and L&amp;D consultant, having worked across various sectors. Kavita has significant experience in people roles across learning and development, HR, recruitment and organisational design. She's passionate about empowering change, transformation and growth in a fun, creative and inspiring way. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://linkedin.com/in/kavita-brown-9943a332">linkedin.com/in/kavita-brown-9943a332</a></p><p>Anita Guru is founder of The Mind Coach. She's an experienced mindset coach, psychotherapeutic counsellor and motivational speaker with a background in occupational psychology. She has nearly two decades of learning, leadership and organisational development experience at organisations such as Deloitte, Centrica and Coca-Cola. Anita supports organisations to raise awareness and support employees navigating grief. Committed to shattering stigma due to personal experiences, she actively raises awareness on issues linked to mental health and women's health. She has featured in Vogue, The Mail on Sunday, The Telegraph, The Times and on BBC Radio London. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://linkedin.com/feed">linkedin.com/feed</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://anitagurumindcoach.com">anitagurumindcoach.com</a></p><p>Lisa Sharp is a senior learning consultant who designs practical, human-centred solutions that help organisations turn strategy into meaningful behavioural change. With more than 15 years of experience across industries, she has led onboarding, leadership development and change initiatives within complex, regulated environments. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://linkedin.com/in/lisa-sharp-a2088583">linkedin.com/in/lisa-sharp-a2088583</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://solvdtogether.com">solvdtogether.com</a></p><p>Sarah-Jane Bellion is the leadership capability manager at Center Parcs UK &amp; Ireland. Previously she spent over 12 years at Marks &amp; Spencer, most recently partnering with their retail operations team. She designs learning experiences that spark curiosity, build confidence and make a lasting impact, helping people to see themselves and their world a little differently. Sarah-Jane's work sits at the intersection of people development, performance and creativity. Her own experience of grief has deepened her understanding of resilience and what it truly means to grow. She believes impactful learning happens through honest conversation, vulnerability and connection. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://linkedin.com/in/sarah-jane-bellion">linkedin.com/in/sarah-jane-bellion</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://instagram.com/sjbellion">instagram.com/sjbellion</a></p>
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49 MIN
The Return to Work One
MAR 17, 2026
The Return to Work One
<p>Contact &amp; Support: Women Talking About Learning: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com">womentalkingaboutlearning.com</a> Podcast Learning Festival: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://www.podcastlearningfest.live">www.podcastlearningfest.live</a> Support us: Ko-Fi Email: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a></p><p>This Episode: Returning to work is rarely just a logistics problem. It's a confidence problem, an identity problem, and for many women, a systemic problem that organisations still haven't taken seriously enough.</p><p>Clair Madeley and Jo Edgar speak from experience: as practitioners and as women who've navigated the return themselves. This is a conversation about what actually makes coming back harder than it needs to be and what genuine support looks like.</p><p>Full episode resources at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com">womentalkingaboutlearning.com</a></p><p>Guests: Clair Madeley is a Technology Trainer and Learning Specialist who has navigated her own career transitions. She knows firsthand what it's like to manage confidence dips, identity shifts, and the practical realities of stepping back into work. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://linkedin.com/in/clair-madeley-175b8522">linkedin.com/in/clair-madeley-175b8522</a></p><p>Jo Edgar is a Freelance Executive Coach and Leadership Trainer with over 20 years in learning and development. She specialises in coaching women returning to work after career breaks — whether through maternity leave, caring responsibilities, redundancy, or life taking a different turn. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a> | <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://linkedin.com/in/jo-edgar-15b692151">linkedin.com/in/jo-edgar-15b692151</a></p><p>Resources: How to cope with mum guilt | Emma's Diary Back to the office: not what women need | NOON Caregiver Leave in the UK | Contend Legal Flexible Work Arrangements | Benepass Flexible Work Arrangements | Women in Research 10 ways flexible working attracts senior women | Timewise Investing in Women Return Ready Week Survey Results Challenges facing women in post-study jobs post-pandemic | HEPI Employers' return to office plans 2025 | CIPD Getting Back to Work | IES Office Return Varies Across Sectors | British Chambers of Commerce Gender Differences in Loneliness Returning to work after a break | South London Partnership Returner toolkit | <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://GOV.UK">GOV.UK</a> Women, work and caring | IES Women in AI (#WAI) Women Are Avoiding AI. Will Their Careers Suffer? | HBS Working Knowledge WISE Campaign Top 3 barriers women face returning to work | IEP Social Innovation Analysis on Women Back to Work Women's health: a quarter shamed into returning early | FemTech World Half of mothers have negative experiences returning after maternity leave. AI and gender equality | UN Women</p><p>Thank you for listening.</p>
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37 MIN
The Identity One
MAR 3, 2026
The Identity One
<p>Contact &amp; Support: Women Talking About Learning: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com">womentalkingaboutlearning.com</a> Podcast Learning Festival: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://www.podcastlearningfest.live">www.podcastlearningfest.live</a> Support us: Ko-Fi Email: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a></p><p>This Episode: Identity is not fixed. It shifts with experience, loss, diagnosis, place, and time. Susan Fitzell, Meghan Waldron, Niki Hobson, and Aiko Sato reflect on what it means to understand that fluidity — and what becomes possible when we stop trying to hold a self that no longer fits.</p><p>This is a conversation about who we are, who we've been, and who we're still becoming.</p><p>Full episode resources at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com">womentalkingaboutlearning.com</a></p><p>Guests: Susan Fitzell is a speaker and educator whose work centres on learning and human potential. Diagnosed with neurodivergence alongside her child, her lived experience shapes her practice across dyslexia, ADHD, autism, and auditory processing. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://susanfitzell.com">susanfitzell.com</a> | <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://linkedin.com/in/susanfitzell">linkedin.com/in/susanfitzell</a></p><p>Meghan Waldron spent nearly two decades in K-12 education before moving into university advising. She works with women leaders through Women in Change USA, using writing and reflection to help people find and trust their own voice. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://linkedin.com/in/meghan-waldron-ed-d-11b213255">linkedin.com/in/meghan-waldron-ed-d-11b213255</a> | <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://facebook.com/rvawrites">facebook.com/rvawrites</a> | <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://smartsolutionsva.com">smartsolutionsva.com</a> | <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://womeninchange.co.uk/wic-usa">womeninchange.co.uk/wic-usa</a></p><p>Niki Hobson is a Learning Specialist at the BBC with experience across private, public, and voluntary sectors. She also trains practitioners in smartphone videography — helping people tell their own stories, in their own way. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://linkedin.com/in/nikihobson">linkedin.com/in/nikihobson</a> | <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://focusndevelop.com">focusndevelop.com</a></p><p>Aiko Sato works with people and organisations on how learning, culture, and behaviour evolve together. Her work sits in the space between insight and practice — interested in how meaning is made, shared, and carried into everyday action. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://linkedin.com/in/aiko-sato-717441156">linkedin.com/in/aiko-sato-717441156</a> | <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://substack.com/@aikocecile">substack.com/@aikocecile</a></p><p></p>
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36 MIN
The Appearing on Video One
FEB 17, 2026
The Appearing on Video One
<p><strong>Contact &amp; Support:</strong> Women Talking About Learning: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com">womentalkingaboutlearning.com</a> Podcast Learning Festival: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://www.podcastlearningfest.live">www.podcastlearningfest.live</a> Support us: Ko-Fi Email: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a></p><p><strong>This Episode:</strong> Why does being on camera feel so uncomfortable, and what actually helps? Liù Batchelor and Sarah Pocklington share practical approaches to video presence, drawing on decades of experience as coaches, facilitators and performers. The conversation covers self-view fatigue, the gendered dynamics of video calls, lighting, and how to move past the cringe. This is about showing up on screen without the overthinking or the "I hate how I look" narrative.</p><p>Full episode resources at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://womentalkingaboutlearning.com">womentalkingaboutlearning.com</a></p><p><strong>Guests:</strong></p><p>Liù Batchelor is a video and presenter coach, former TV presenter, videographer and TEDx producer. Her approach is "video without the cringe", helping service professionals get started with video and be themselves on camera. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://linkedin.com/in/liubatchelor">linkedin.com/in/liubatchelor</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://youtube.com/@LiuBatchelor">youtube.com/@LiuBatchelor</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://instagram.com/liu_batchelor">instagram.com/liu_batchelor</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://facebook.com/LiuBatchelorTV">facebook.com/LiuBatchelorTV</a></p><p>Sarah Pocklington is on a mission to help everyone, especially women, show up on camera without the cringe, overthinking or the "I hate how I look" narrative. A speaker, facilitator and coach with 30 years' experience in learning and development, she blends confidence and clarity with a no-nonsense approach to help business owners and teams build connection and real presence on camera. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://linkedin.com/in/sarah-pocklington-coachonaboat">linkedin.com/in/sarah-pocklington-coachonaboat</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://www.coachonaboat.co.uk">www.coachonaboat.co.uk</a></p><p>Thank you for listening.</p>
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41 MIN