The Assembly

In this special episode, Assemble You Co-Founders Adam Lacey and Richard Ward step out from behind the interview chair for a raw, founder-to-founder conversation - sharing the practical lessons from building Assemble You that L&D leaders can apply immediately to increase adoption, influence stakeholders and drive behavioural change.Instead of theory or frameworks, this episode is built from real experience: testing ideas fast, getting buy-in, marketing learning internally, and building the conditions where development actually sticks.Adam and Rich explore what happens when L&D is run with a startup mindset - agile, learner-led, problem-focused and impact-driven. They break down the lessons, mistakes and mindset shifts that helped Assemble You scale audio-based learning into hundreds of organisations, and how the same thinking can help you accelerate progress with limited resource.In this episode, you’ll learn:- How to validate learning needs like a product team- Why managers - not content - often determine adoption- How to build internal champions who spread learning for you- Simple internal branding tactics that boost visibility- The power of minimal viable learning vs. over-engineering- How to influence stakeholders and stay strategic under pressure- Where to focus first when resource is tight- Why psychological safety fuels experimentation and growth- How to turn requests into patterns - and patterns into strategyIf you want your learning initiatives to spread faster, embed deeper and demonstrate value sooner, this one is worth your time. It’s an honest behind-the-scenes conversation designed to give L&D leaders clarity, confidence and practical shortcuts they can use straight away.If you love podcast-style learning, Assemble You gives you ready-to-use, audio-first courses that slot straight into your learning strategy.Help your workforce build practical skills - communication, productivity, leadership and more - with engaging content people actually want to listen to. Explore assembleyou.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

In this excellent interview, Brigid sits down with Kat Hayes.Kat is the Senior Director of People at Boden, the iconic British fashion brand. With a commercial mindset and a passion for practical, human-centred change, she works closely with the executive team to shape culture, strengthen leadership, and build sustainable talent across the UK and US.In this episode, Kat shares the story behind Boden’s highly successful "In Conversation With" series, a masterclass in driving employee engagement through storytelling and external perspective. She offers a practical guide for L&D leaders looking to replicate this impact, including:The Power of External Voices: Kat explains why bringing in speakers from outside the organisation—like fashion editors, Olympians, and industry experts—can often resonate more deeply with employees than internal messaging, especially on topics like career growth, resilience, and diversity.Building a Culture of Permission: Discover how Boden’s executive team actively role-models learning by attending sessions themselves and explicitly giving their teams permission to take an hour out of their week to listen, learn, and be inspired.Connecting People to Purpose: Hear the moving story of how a chance conversation between a guest speaker and a long-serving warehouse employee highlighted the deep human connection and sense of belonging that these events can foster.Crowdsourcing Creativity: Kat reveals how tapping into the personal networks of employees—from the exec team to affinity groups—has been the secret sauce for finding diverse and relevant speakers without a huge budget.Learning Beyond the Classroom: Learn how Boden is expanding its development initiatives, from using the Insights Discovery model to improve team collaboration to launching a cross-functional "Boden Academy" that connects head office staff with the reality of the factory floor.Practical Steps for Implementation: Kat offers actionable advice for any organisation wanting to start their own speaker series: start small, listen to what your people actually want to hear about, and don't be afraid to be creative with who you invite.Kat offers an inspiring and achievable blueprint for creating a learning culture that is engaging, inclusive, and deeply connected to the wider world. If you want to spark energy and conversation in your organisation, this is a must-listen-to episode.Connect with Kat on LinkedIn: Kat Hayes Looking for a content library to help your team develop their productivity, communication, leadership skills and more? Check out assembleyou.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

In this excellent interview, Adam sits down with Samah Salih.Samah is a strategic talent and learning leader with over 18 years of experience in FTSE 100 retail and corporate environments, including pivotal roles at Nestlé, BGA, River Island, and BT. She specialises in helping organisations build leadership pipelines and align people strategy with business goals to enable transformation at scale.In this episode, Samah discusses the unique challenges of executive leadership development. She provides a candid look at why senior leaders often struggle to prioritise their own growth and offers a back-to-basics framework for building resilient, empathetic leadership teams, including:The Executive Development Paradox: Samah explains why leaders are often "time-poor" and risk-averse, treating development as a secondary habit rather than a core responsibility."Fail Fast" vs. "Fail Well": Why the popular buzzword is often misunderstood, and how true growth comes from the pause, reflection, and accountability that follows a setback.The Power of the Coaching Mindset: Why great leaders move from "telling" to "asking." Samah argues that coaching is a fundamental skill for life, driving accountability and clarity in a complex world.Case Study in Success: A deep dive into a successful global leadership program at Nestlé, highlighting the importance of sponsorship, application processes, and applying frameworks to real-world business context.AI and Human Skills: While AI can drive efficiency, Samah discusses why it cannot replace the human need for empathy, difficult conversations, and authentic connection.Building Psychological Safety: How to foster trust through clarity, transparency, and consistency. Samah emphasises that trust should be given first, not just earned, and highlights the underrated power of kindness.Samah offers a deeply human and practical perspective on what it takes to lead at the highest levels. If you are looking to understand how to support and develop your executive team effectively, this is a must-listen-to episode.Connect with Samah on LinkedIn:  Samah S. Looking for a content library to help your team develop their productivity, communication, leadership skills and more? Check out assembleyou.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

In this excellent interview, Brigid sits down with Jez Anderson.With over 30 years in L&D as a manager, leader, and consultant, Jez has a deep passion for understanding how people learn. He specialises in digital learning technologies, informal learning, and creating cultures that foster curiosity and growth.In this episode, Jez draws on his extensive experience to provide a masterclass on the principles of effective learning design. He offers a thoughtful and practical guide for L&D professionals, including:Learning Design as Experience Design: Jez defines learning design not just as constructing content, but as creating learning experiences that engage, inspire, and empower people to make meaningful changes.Balancing Needs: He discusses the crucial (and often difficult) balance L&D must strike between meeting organisational objectives and catering to the individual learner's needs and how they best learn.Three Core Pedagogies: Jez outlines the spectrum of learning approaches, from traditional instructor-led methods to adult-centred (ecological) designs, and the learner-driven heutagogical model, advocating for a blended strategy.Keep It Simple, Focus on Context: Learn why effective design isn't about chasing the latest tech fad (like VR for VR's sake). Sometimes the best solution is simple and tailored to the learner's context, even if it's a well-designed PDF for shop-floor staff.Beyond Content Download: Discover how to make traditional classroom or synchronous virtual sessions more impactful by shifting the focus from instruction to facilitation, using methods like reverse classrooms, experiential activities, and scenario-based learning to embed knowledge and encourage application.The "So What?" Question: Jez emphasises the most critical question for any learning experience: "So what?" If learners can't articulate what they'll do differently as a result, the learning hasn't landed.Embracing Digital & Informal Learning: He stresses the importance of thinking digitally about the entire learner experience (not just the LMS) and fostering informal learning through communities of practice and social connection.Jez offers a pragmatic and experience-led perspective, grounding innovative ideas in the fundamental principles of good learning practice. If you want to design more impactful and engaging learning experiences, this is a must-listen-to episode.Connect with Jez on LinkedIn:  Jez Anderson Looking for a content library to help your team develop their productivity, communication, leadership skills and more? Check out assembleyou.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

In this excellent interview, Adam sits down with Adela Paun.Adela is a global L&D leader with over 15 years of experience, known for her pivotal role as a founding member of Spotify's L&D team, "The Greenhouse." During her 11+ years at Spotify, she witnessed and supported hypergrowth, scaling learning initiatives for thousands of employees globally while navigating the shift to a work-from-anywhere model.In this episode, Adela provides a rare inside look at building and scaling L&D within one of the world's fastest-growing tech companies. She offers a masterclass on creating a thriving learning culture amidst constant change, including:Laying the Tracks for Hypergrowth: Adela explains how the L&D team's mission was to enable learning "at the pace of change," acting as enablers, not bottlenecks, for Spotify's rapid expansion.Navigating the Pandemic Pivot: Adela details the strategic decisions made when shifting L&D entirely virtual, prioritising leadership support, rethinking content ("killing darlings"), and managing the chaos of adopting (and later consolidating) new learning technologies.Leveraging Leaders for Impact: Hear how Spotify strategically involved senior leaders in key learning programs to provide business context, model behaviour, and foster connection, trusting them to speak authentically.L&D as a Cultural Engine: Adela highlights how L&D initiatives like Introdays and intentionally diverse training cohorts actively built cross-functional connections and reinforced Spotify's collaborative culture.Adela offers a unique and invaluable perspective on the realities of high-growth L&D. If you want to understand how to build adaptable, impactful learning experiences that scale, this is a must-listen-to episode.Connect with Adela on LinkedIn:  Adela Paun Looking for a content library to help your team develop their productivity, communication, leadership skills and more? Check out assembleyou.com and follow us on LinkedIn.