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Capability Edge

Candice Mitchell

What it really takes to build a career and life you're proud of, told by the people who've actually done it.

The Capability Edge is real career stories from leaders across every industry. The pivots nobody posts about. The failures that turned out to be the whole point. The fetal position moments that are way more common than anyone admits. And the decisions that actually built the career they have now — not the cleaned-up version, the real one.

Hosted by Candice Mitchell, founder and CEO of Talent Collective, USA Today bestselling author of Choose You: For the People Who Refuse to Disappear, and a practitioner with nearly 20 years inside People functions. Solo episodes cover talent strategy, people capability, and meeting this moment, because AI is rewriting the rules and the organizations that bring their people along are the ones that will still be standing.

This is not a highlight reel. This is the hallway conversation, out loud, on purpose.

New episodes every Friday.
Previously published as Development Nerds.
Subscribe: talentcollective.org | Follow Candice on LinkedIn

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#165
Today · 56 min
Your work won't speak for itself: Visibility, purpose and the inner work of leadership | Ajitha Srinivasan
What if doing excellent work isn't enough to get you promoted? Ajitha Srinivasan has built an impressive career, from starting in software sales in India to becoming a Vice President at Citibank, leading major global projects, and eventually creating her own leadership development framework. But her journey wasn't a straight line. In this conversation, Ajitha shares the career decisions, personal challenges, and moments of transformation that shaped the leader she is today. We talk about why making your work visible matters, how fear of being seen can hold you back, and why career progression requires more than simply doing your job well. We also get into the deeper work behind leadership. After years of navigating major personal changes, Ajitha began bringing together her personal development journey and her experience in leadership development. Today, she works with experienced professionals, senior leaders, and founders who are ready to explore their potential and lead with greater self-awareness. There's a lot to take away from this conversation, whether you're trying to progress in your career, questioning your current path, or figuring out what comes next. What you'll get from this episode: Why doing great work doesn't automatically make you visible to the people making promotion decisions. How to make your contributions known beyond your direct manager. Why fear of being seen can cause you to miss career opportunities. The difference between being busy in your career and intentionally building your future. How personal challenges can become a catalyst for change. Why self-awareness matters when navigating career and life transitions. How to recognise when your current path is no longer aligned with what you want. Why leadership development involves more than professional skills. Get to know Ajitha: Ajitha Srinivasan is a keynote speaker, consciousness architect & leadership advisor, founder of EPIC Leadership Mastery. A former Senior Vice President at Citibank, she brings nearly two decades of corporate experience to her work at the intersection of leadership, consciousness, and AI. She created the EPIC Leadership Operating System™ to help leaders align their emotional, physical, intellectual, and consciousness dimensions and lead with clarity, purpose, and intuitive intelligence. Her guiding message: “Automate what AI can. Master what only you can.” After 20+ years in corporate world, Ajitha launched this venture as a result of both her personal and professional transformations. Having navigated 7 out of top 10 stressors of life within 7 years, she is now bringing her lived experience of upgraded consciousness to Tech Founders, with full appreciation that this work is becoming mandatory in the AI driven economy. Prior to launching this Advisory she held the roles of Sr VP in Citibank, Enterprise Agile Coach with L’Oreal and has trained/coached leaders in Fortune 500 organizations including Amazon, US Federal Government, Citi, JP Morgan Chase, Conde Nast. Ajitha is also a Professional Singer, Mandala Artist and Mother of two adult boys and a former Model/Beauty Pageant winner. Connect with Ajitha: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/epicleadershipmastery Instagram: allthatisajitha LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajithas/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ajithas Website: https://www.epicleadershipmastery.com/
#164
November 6 · 22 min· Video
What a Weak Talent Development Team Actually Costs Your Business
For a 300-person company, weak capability costs more than $1 million a year. You'll never find it on the P&L, because it lands in other people's budgets: a resignation in finance, a sales hire still ramping in month seven, a manager whose team has stopped trying. In this solo episode, Candice walks through: The five hidden costs: turnover, productivity drag, manager failure, missed revenue and learning debt Why accounting rules make cutting development look like pure profit The napkin math to put a defensible dollar number in front of your leadership team Your one move this week For CEOs, founders and People leaders, and every Talent Development leader defending a budget this quarter. Send it to your work bestie. Sources: Gallup, LinkedIn Learning, World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report 2025, Honigsberg & Rajgopal. Meet your host, Candice Mitchell Candice Mitchell is a Talent Development Strategist, CEO of Talent Collective, and USA Today bestselling author of Choose You: For the People Who Refuse to Disappear. With nearly two decades of experience building and leading capability functions inside global and Fortune 500 organizations, she founded Talent Collective, a premium capability-building firm for L&D, HR, Change, and People leaders in high-growth companies. Your host, Candice Mitchell, can be found online at: Website: https://talentcollective.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicemitchelltc/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candice_mitchell_msc/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@candice_mitchell_msc Talent Development Academy: https://courses.talentcollective.org/bundles/talent-development-academy Choose You book: https://chooseyoubook.com/ Original music composed by: Paul DeHaven pauldehavenmusic.com
#163
October 30 · 53 min· Video
Your network is your net worth: How relationships build better businesses | Jason Frost
You can work harder, chase the next title, and try to prove everyone wrong. But what happens when working harder isn't enough? Jason Frost, CEO of The Fractional Network and a fractional COO, has built his career by pushing beyond what other people thought he could do. From being told he would never play college baseball to working his way into executive leadership, Jason has learned that effort matters. But so does knowing when to stop doing everything yourself. In this conversation, Jason shares what it took to build his career, the mentors who challenged him, and the moment he realized that growing a business and scaling a business are two very different things. We also get into the part of business development that too many people rush: building relationships. Jason explains why he stopped approaching networking with his hand out, why he now leads with “How can I help you?”, and how intentional relationships helped him grow The Fractional Network to more than 140 executive members in just four months. And in a world where AI is changing how we work, there's a bigger question worth asking: What happens when we stop treating relationships as a way to get business and start treating them as something worth building? What you'll get from this episode: Why being told you can't do something doesn't have to determine what happens next. How the right mentors challenge you to become better, not simply feel better. The difference between growing a business and scaling one. Why working longer hours isn't always the answer to business growth. How to enter rooms where you have more to learn, without pretending you know everything. Why trust, consistency, and genuine relationships matter more than collecting business cards. How asking “How can I help you?” can change the way you build your network. Why collaboration over competition creates opportunities for people and businesses. If you're building a business, moving toward an executive role, or trying to surround yourself with people who will challenge your thinking, this conversation is worth your time. Get to know Jason: Jason Frost is a seasoned executive leader, Fractional COO, and Founder & CEO of The Fractional Network, a global organization connecting fractional C-suite executives, executive recruiters, and business leaders across 13 countries. With over a decade of executive leadership experience and an MBA in Finance and Marketing, Jason specializes in operational excellence, business transformation, strategic growth, and organizational scaling. His career includes helping scale a family-owned business into the second-largest company in its industry in the United States. Passionate about collaboration over competition, Jason is committed to empowering executives, developing leaders, and helping organizations build the operational foundations necessary for sustainable growth. He is also the author of Build Smarter, Scale Stronger, a book focused on building businesses that can scale beyond their founders. Connect with Jason: LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-d-frost Website: Thefractionalnetwork.org Meet your host, Candice Mitchell Candice Mitchell is a Talent Development Strategist, CEO of Talent Collective, and USA Today bestselling author of Choose You: For the People Who Refuse to Disappear. With nearly two decades of experience building and leading capability functions inside global and Fortune 500 organizations, she founded Talent Collective, a premium capability-building firm for L&D, HR, Change, and People leaders in high-growth companies. Your host, Candice Mitchell, can be found online at: Website: https://talentcollective.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicemitchelltc/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candice_mitchell_msc/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@candice_mitchell_msc Talent Development Academy: https://courses.talentcollective.org/bundles/talent-development-academy Choose You book: https://chooseyoubook.com/ Original music composed by: Paul DeHaven pauldehavenmusic.com
#161
October 24 · 55 min
The career pivots, mental health and lessons that shape us | Mike Orlowski
What happens when the path you've chosen stops working for you? Mike Orlowski knows a thing or two about starting over. He's worked in recruiting, built his own businesses, moved into logistics, and returned to entrepreneurship. Along the way, he's had to navigate professional setbacks, difficult decisions, and the reality that sometimes the thing you worked so hard to build isn't the thing you need to keep doing. But there's more to Mike's story than career pivots. In this conversation, we talk about mental health, the pressure to keep going when you're struggling, the mentors who make a difference, and the importance of asking for help. Mike also shares one of the most pivotal moments of his life and why he's chosen to use his experience to help others feel less alone. We get into the uncomfortable parts of building a business, the ego that can come with stepping back into employment, and what it takes to recognize when something needs to change. Because starting over doesn't mean everything you've done was a waste. Sometimes, those experiences are exactly what prepare you for what comes next. What you'll hear in this episode: Why Mike's career took him from recruiting and entrepreneurship into logistics. What happens when a business opportunity falls through and you have to rethink your next move. Why returning to employment after running your own business can be an adjustment. How mental health struggles can affect the way we experience work and life. Why finding a mentor is something you shouldn't leave to chance. How honest conversations can help people feel less alone. What Mike would thank his younger self for today. If you're questioning your career direction, navigating a difficult season, or trying to figure out what comes next, this conversation is worth your time. Get to know Mike: Mike Orlowski is the founder of MOJO Worldwide and host of Mojo, Motivation & Mental Health, Presented by MOJO Worldwide—a podcast featuring conversations that change lives. In 2019, Mike faced a choice: end his life or choose happiness. He chose to live—and, more importantly, to share his story so that others facing their darkest moments might find hope. That decision became his mission: if his vulnerability and journey can reach just one person who needs to hear it, then every conversation and every episode matters. Transportation & Logistics Expertise Beyond his podcast & advocacy work, Mike brings extensive experience in providing transportation solutions that drive measurable savings and produce measurable results for customers. He also helps companies improve margin, identify cost savings and increase company value through comprehensive auditing solutions with no up-front cost. Connect with Mike: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MOJOMotivates X: https://x.com/MichaelOrlowski Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mike_orlowski/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeorlowski/ Youtube: https://youtube.com/@Mojomotivates Website: https://mojoww.com Meet your host, Candice Mitchell Candice Mitchell is a Talent Development Strategist, CEO of Talent Collective, and USA Today bestselling author of Choose You: For the People Who Refuse to Disappear. With nearly two decades of experience building and leading capability functions inside global and Fortune 500 organizations, she founded Talent Collective, a premium capability-building firm for L&D, HR, Change, and People leaders in high-growth companies. Your host, Candice Mitchell, can be found online at: Website: https://talentcollective.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicemitchelltc/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candice_mitchell_msc/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@candice_mitchell_msc Talent Development Academy: https://courses.talentcollective.org/bundles/talent-development-academy Choose You book: https://chooseyoubook.com/ Original music composed by: Paul DeHaven pauldehavenmusic.com
#160
October 9 · 27 min· Video
5 Reasons People Will Never Go Out of Style in the AI Era
While everyone zigs toward AI, Candice Mitchell, founder of Talent Collective and USA Today bestselling author of Choose You, is zagging toward people. In this episode of The Capability Edge, she shares five reasons people will never go out of style, and why Talent Development teams will be the glue that holds an AI-powered workplace together. Candice draws on the Harvard Study of Adult Development, the longest study of happiness ever run, and Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz's book The Good Life. She covers the US Surgeon General's warning that loneliness is as harmful as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day, research linking good managers to lower heart disease risk, and a Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon study showing that the more people trust AI, the less critical thinking they apply. You'll also get a simple social fitness check to see which relationships energize you and which drain you, at home and at work. The 5 reasons people will never go out of style People make the good life. Relationship satisfaction at 50 predicted health at 80 better than cholesterol did. The quality of your people decides your energy. A toxic boss can drain you. A great team can carry you through a 12-hour day. Nobody wins anything big alone. Behind Hillary and Tenzing on Everest stood about 350 porters and 20 Sherpas. Good thinking needs other people. Critical and systems thinking get sharper when someone pushes back. Talent Development is the glue. The people who build people will decide which companies make it through the AI shift. Key stats from this episode Lacking social connection is as harmful as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day, and about half of US adults report loneliness (US Surgeon General, 2023). In the Harvard Study of Adult Development, relationship satisfaction at age 50 predicted health at 80 better than cholesterol levels did. Time spent with friends in person fell from about 60 minutes a day in 2003 to 20 minutes in 2020 (US Surgeon General, 2023). Managers account for at least 70% of the variance in team engagement (Gallup). It takes about 50 hours together to make a casual friend and more than 200 hours to make a close friend (Jeffrey Hall, University of Kansas). 85% of employers name upskilling as their top workforce strategy through 2030, ahead of automation at 73% (World Economic Forum, 2025). Frequently asked questions What did the Harvard Study of Adult Development find? Since 1938 the study has followed 724 men and now their children. Its clearest finding is that close, warm relationships predict a long, healthy, happy life better than money, fame, social class, IQ or genes. What is social fitness? A term from The Good Life for the health of your relationships. Like physical fitness, relationships need regular attention or they weaken. The book suggests listing the people in your life, how often you see each one, and whether they leave you energized or drained. Can a bad boss affect your health? Research says yes. A Swedish study of more than 3,000 working men found that employees with good managers had a lower risk of heart disease, and the benefit grew the longer they stayed with that manager. Does using AI reduce critical thinking? A 2025 Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon survey of 319 knowledge workers found that people who trusted AI more applied less critical thinking to its output, while people confident in their own skills checked and improved it. Will AI replace Talent Development teams? Candice argues the opposite. As AI handles content and process, the human work of building managers, connection, mentoring and judgment becomes more valuable, and that is the work Talent Development teams are built for. Resources mentioned The Good Life by Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz Robert Waldinger's TED talk: What makes a good life? US Surgeon General's advisory: Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation How many hours it takes to make a friend (University of Kansas) Managers account for 70% of variance in engagement (Gallup) Generative AI and critical thinking study (Campus Technology) Meet your host, Candice Mitchell Candice Mitchell is a Talent Development Strategist, CEO of Talent Collective, and USA Today bestselling author of Choose You: For the People Who Refuse to Disappear. With nearly two decades of experience building and leading capability functions inside global and Fortune 500 organizations, she founded Talent Collective, a premium capability-building firm for L&D, HR, Change, and People leaders in high-growth companies. Your host, Candice Mitchell, can be found online at: Website: https://talentcollective.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicemitchelltc/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candice_mitchell_msc/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@candice_mitchell_msc Talent Development Academy: https://courses.talentcollective.org/bundles/talent-development-academy Choose You book: https://chooseyoubook.com/ Original music composed by: Paul DeHaven pauldehavenmusic.com
#159
October 4 · 59 min
Stop waiting to be noticed: Build the career you want | JD Dillon
What happens when being good at your job is not enough? JD Dillon has spent his career working across movie theaters, Walt Disney World, learning and development, technology, operations, and frontline enablement. Along the way, he learned something that changed how he approached his career: You cannot always wait for someone to notice your work. In this conversation, JD shares the unexpected lessons that shaped his career, from working in some of the busiest movie theaters in the world to finding his way into Disney, becoming an L&D leader, moving into technology, and eventually writing about the 80% of the workforce working in frontline and deskless roles. We talk about visibility, career ownership, cross-training, breaking out of traditional career paths, and why frontline employees have been overlooked for far too long. This is a conversation about doing good work, understanding the system around you, and being willing to create your own path when the obvious one does not exist. WHAT YOU'LL GET FROM THIS EPISODE Why being a great performer does not automatically make you visible. The lesson behind JD literally promoting himself to supervisor. How cross-training helped him build the experience he needed for his next opportunity. Why waiting for someone to notice you can keep your career stuck. How JD moved from operations into learning and development and technology. Why frontline and deskless workers deserve a bigger place in the L&D conversation. What organizations often miss when designing learning for people who do not work behind a desk. Why career paths are not always ladders, and sometimes you have to figure out the route yourself. The lesson JD would thank his younger self for learning early: be willing to try. Get to know JD: JD Dillon began his career on the frontline, managing movie theaters and theme parks. With 25 years of experience across operations, talent, and marketing with companies like Disney, AMC, and Kaplan, he’s a trusted authority on performance enablement and a passionate advocate for improving the employee experience. A popular keynote speaker, prolific creator, and author of The Modern Learning Ecosystem and The Frontline Enablement Playbook, JD advises organizations on frontline performance strategy, ecosystem architecture, and AI-enabled solutions that power real work every day. Learn more about his latest projects at jddillon.com. Connect with JD: Instagram: @learngeekjd LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jddillon/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@learngeek⁩ Website: https://jddillon.com/ Book: http://frontlineplaybook.com/ Meet your host, Candice Mitchell Candice Mitchell is a Talent Development Strategist, CEO of Talent Collective, and USA Today bestselling author of Choose You: For the People Who Refuse to Disappear. With nearly two decades of experience building and leading capability functions inside global and Fortune 500 organizations, she founded Talent Collective, a premium capability-building firm for L&D, HR, Change, and People leaders in high-growth companies. Your host, Candice Mitchell, can be found online at: Website: https://talentcollective.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicemitchelltc/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candice_mitchell_msc/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@candice_mitchell_msc Talent Development Academy: https://courses.talentcollective.org/bundles/talent-development-academy Choose You book: https://chooseyoubook.com/ Original music composed by: Paul DeHaven pauldehavenmusic.com
#158
September 25 · 43 min
The Future of Talent Development: 5 Shifts for 2027
The future of talent development in 2027: only 19% of teams are seen as a strategic partner, down from 23%, while budgets and demand keep growing. Talent Development has never mattered more to business, and it has never had less faith from the business. Only 19% of learning and development teams are viewed as a strategic partner by their own organization (GP Strategies, 2026), down from 23% the year before. Meanwhile, companies spend around $400 billion a year on corporate learning, 85% of employers name upskilling as their top workforce strategy through 2030, and training and development specialist roles are projected to grow 11% from 2025 to 2035, against 3% across all occupations. Companies need us. Now we need to step up. 🎧 In this episode, I walk through the five shifts that separate high-performing people functions from everyone else: Start with the business problem before you take the order Get into the room where strategy gets built Spend your own development budget on strategic thinking Use AI for speed and add human judgment on top Prove impact with a number the business already reports This one is for Talent Development leaders, Chief People Officers, and CHROs who want the function seen as a strategic partner in 2027. 📄 Full written breakdown and the State of L&D 2027 booklet on the Capability Edge on Substack - article title: The state of Talent Development: what will win in 2027 📞 Book a 45-minute call: BOOKING LINK Know someone who needs to hear this? Send it to your work bestie. Sources: GP Strategies (2026), Josh Bersin (2026), World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends 2026, LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report 2025, Gartner, Gallup.
#157
September 22 · 54 min
Hired Then Ghosted: Why Sometimes You Just Have To Keep Going | Jason Lauritsen
Jason Lauritsen sold copiers out of a minivan in rural Iowa, got sued by his old employer for starting a competing firm, watched his new business partner disappear into addiction treatment two weeks after they opened the doors, and once tried to lay off a colleague out loud in a budget meeting before he had even learned her name. Now he runs Connected Performance Group, helping leadership teams build workplaces people actually want to stay in. This episode traces that whole arc, from picking rocks out of an Iowa field at ten years old to the insight that changed how he thinks about leadership for good: most workplaces still treat work like a contract to be enforced, when what people actually need is to feel like it is a relationship built on trust. What you'll get from this episode: Why treating employees like units of production is a management model built on a flawed premise, and what to replace it with The seven months of zero results that taught Jason the difference between quitting too soon and staying the course How a leadership clarity gap, not a performance problem, is usually the real thing costing you retention The connected performance framework Jason uses with leadership teams: clarity, alignment, and management capability Why the workplace stories that feel the most dysfunctional often reveal exactly what needs to change Get to know Jason: Jason Lauritsen is the CEO of Connected Performance Group and an advisor to leaders who are tired of choosing between results and their people. A former corporate executive, he developed the Connected Performance System to help leaders fix the systems that drive performance by strengthening connection at work. Jason is the author of Unlocking High Performance and a keynote speaker known for pairing provocative insight with practical guidance leaders can use immediately. Connect with Jason: Instagram: jasonlauritsen LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonlauritsen/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JasonLauritsenVideo Website/s: https://connectedperformancegroup.com/ https://jasonlauritsen.com/ Meet your host, Candice Mitchell Candice Mitchell is a Talent Development Strategist, CEO of Talent Collective, and USA Today bestselling author of Choose You: For the People Who Refuse to Disappear. With nearly two decades of experience building and leading capability functions inside global and Fortune 500 organizations, she founded Talent Collective, a premium capability-building firm for L&D, HR, Change, and People leaders in high-growth companies. Your host, Candice Mitchell, can be found online at: Website: https://talentcollective.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicemitchelltc/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candice_mitchell_msc/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@candice_mitchell_msc Talent Development Academy: https://courses.talentcollective.org/bundles/talent-development-academy Choose You book: https://chooseyoubook.com/ Original music composed by: Paul DeHaven pauldehavenmusic.com
#156
September 12 · 15 min
Build vs Buy Is the Wrong Question
Most leadership teams walk into the build versus buy conversation with two camps already formed and zero diagnosis done. In this solo episode, Candice breaks down why that question is the wrong one to start with, and the three-bucket diagnosis she runs with every client before anyone opens a job requisition or builds a single course. She walks through the real cost of hiring, why training without a diagnosis is just a slower way to burn the same money, and the financial services client who went from two hundred fifty people to seven hundred fifty in six weeks and solved it without a single hiring sprint. If your team is stuck arguing hire versus train right now, this episode gives you the one hour of work that ends the debate before it starts. What you'll get from this episode: The real cost of a bad hire, and why hiring only fixes one specific kind of gap The three-bucket diagnosis to run before you decide anything: can't do it, won't do it, or the system won't let them Why a six-figure leadership academy can be excellent and still fix nothing The financial services case where diagnosis, not headcount, got the firm retained through a hiring freeze The one-hour exercise to run with your team this quarter before you build or buy anything
#155
September 4 · 52 min
You Don't Have To Fit In To Succeed | Kassy LaBorie
Kassy LaBorie built her career on technology nobody wanted to touch and colors nobody told her to wear. She was on the training team at WebEx on September 11th, the day the whole company understood that the tool they were building would change how the world worked. She went on to build a four million dollar business line at Dale Carnegie in four years. Then she left it to build her own thing, in her own colors, on her own terms. This conversation runs from an ice cream shop in Sacramento to a colleague who once told her, we don't wear red pants here, ten minutes before she took the stage. What you'll get from this episode: Why the confidence that makes someone memorable has nothing to do with talent and everything to do with owning what makes them different How Kassy turned a rejected industry into a four million dollar business line in four years The exact ChatGPT prompt that changed how she teaches technology today Why the people who tell you to tone it down are rarely the people worth listening to Get to know Kassy: Kassy is a futurist and Connection Strategist whose personal style may draw inspiration from the past, but whose vision is fixed on the future, sparking excitement and curiosity among audiences nationwide about our evolving digital landscape. She’s in the futurist space, but not in a weird sci-fi, “let’s populate Mars” kind of way. Instead, she takes a Connection Strategist approach that sees the best of emerging technology and the best of what makes us uniquely human, and thoughtfully integrates both into work and life. From her early days developing groundbreaking virtual learning programs for L&D professionals, corporate trainers, and HR leaders, to advising Fortune 500 companies on virtual engagement strategies, Kassy has learned a thing or two about fostering genuine connection in digital environments. But the most profound truth she’s discovered is that the skills we master in the online space don’t just stay on the screen; they become the superpowers that shape how we show up in the real world. Connect with Kassy: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kassylaborie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kassylaborie/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kassylaborie/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kassylaborie5098 Website: https://www.kassylaborie.com/
#154
August 28 · 40 min
85% of Employers Say Skill Development Is Their Top Priority. So Why Is L&D Still The First To Get Cut?
85% of employers say upskilling is their number one priority. 71% say they expect to cut their Learning & Development budget when things get tight. I can't make those two numbers make sense. I've spent 20 years in L&D, and I've watched this contradiction play out in boardrooms and organizations again and again. The problem isn't that leadership doesn't value learning. It's that too often, we haven't made the value visible in the language the business understands. In this episode, I talk about what I've learned from building L&D functions, working through major business changes, and sitting across the table from leaders who need to know one thing: What changes because of this work? I share three stories from my own work and introduce the Five-Spoke Impact Model, which looks at how L&D contributes to: • Attracting and keeping the right people • Building capability at every level • Making high performance possible • Increasing agility and sparking innovation • Elevating the employee experience And I share four things I would do this week to start making that value visible. Because being called a priority does not protect your budget. Proof does. And if we're serious about making L&D a strategic partner, we have to get better at showing what would break if our work disappeared tomorrow. The full Five-Spoke Impact Model and companion article, 85% Say It's a Priority. So Why Is L&D Still Being Cut?, are available on The Capability Edge Substack. Substack Post: https://substack.com/@candicemitchellmsc/note/p-212611003?utm_source=notes-share-action&r=73wbhn Cheers to the ones who are tired of defending a function that nobody else understands. You know your work matters. Now go make it impossible to overlook.
#153
August 21 · 55 min
What If Your Career Could Bring You Joy? With Jenny Zook
What if the career path you were taught to follow is not the only way to build a good life? In this episode, I sit down with Jenny Zook, a former middle school teacher turned entrepreneur, to talk about career changes, motherhood, entrepreneurship, finding purpose, and the work that brings us joy. Jenny spent more than 20 years in education before stepping away from the classroom and eventually building Style School, a business that brings together her love of personal style and her passion for teaching. But the interesting part of her story is not just the career change. It is how she figured out what she wanted her work to give her. Jenny talks honestly about the hard parts of entrepreneurship, including building something that initially failed, learning to listen to feedback, making expensive mistakes, and accepting that a business rarely becomes what you first imagined. We also talk about something I think we need to discuss much more when it comes to careers: Joy matters. But joy alone may not be enough. The bigger question is how we connect what brings us joy with what gives our lives purpose.Because there is no single career path that everyone needs to follow. You can work in corporate. You can teach. You can build a business. You can change direction halfway through your career. The goal is not to find the "perfect" career. It is to build a life and career that actually fit who you are. What you'll get from this episode: How Jenny went from teaching for more than 20 years to becoming an entrepreneur Why career paths do not have to follow a predictable formula The difference between finding something you enjoy and finding something that gives you purpose How motherhood changed the way Jenny thought about her career Why her first business idea failed and what she learned from it What entrepreneurship really looks like beyond the overnight-success stories Why being willing to change and evolve is essential when building a business The importance of being careful about who you hire and where you invest How difficult experiences can sometimes become valuable skills later Why teachers have a unique opportunity to influence the trajectory of a young person's life What Jenny believes we should be teaching young people about careers Why building a career you enjoy is possible, even if the path looks different from everyone else's How to think about joy, purpose, impact, and the kind of life you actually want to build Connect with Jenny LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-zook-847807168/
#150
August 14 · 19 min
Hiring an L&D Person? Here's What Those Letters After Their Name Actually Mean
Need the full breakdown in writing along with the comparison matrix? Get the full comparison and download here. You're staring at a resume with three sets of initials after the name. You recognize one. The other two, you're guessing at. This episode fixes that. Candice Mitchell, founder of Talent Collective and a hiring manager who's built seven L&D functions from scratch, breaks down the six certifications you'll actually see on L&D and talent development resumes: APTD, CPTD, PHR, SHRM-CP, CPTM, and AIHR. What each one signals, what it doesn't, and where a certification should factor into your hiring decision at all. What are the main L&D and talent development certifications, and what do they actually mean for hiring? APTD and CPTD are exam-based talent development credentials. PHR and SHRM-CP are general HR credentials, not L&D-specific. CPTM is the only one built specifically around the training manager role, with a live practicum. AIHR is a broader HR program with specializations. None of them, on their own, prove someone can lead your function. In this episode: Why certifications tell you someone studied, not that they can build The incentive problem behind paid webinars and "expert" panels — and why it should change how you weigh a credential A require, recognize, overlook framework for coordinator, manager, and director-level hires The five interview questions that separate someone who passed a test from someone who can run the function Real stories from Candice's 20 years across 14 industries and 4 continents — including the 15-minute coaching session a 40-year HR veteran called the most valuable of his career Want the printable version — all six credentials side by side, cost, format, and Candice's honest take on each, plus the five interview questions written out to pull up before your next candidate conversation? It's already included in The Capability Edge on Substack. Get the full comparison and download here. Keywords: L&D certifications, talent development certifications, APTD vs CPTD, CPTM certification, SHRM-CP for L&D, AIHR certification, hiring an L&D manager, talent development interview questions, how to evaluate HR credentials
#149
August 7 · 58 min
What it takes to build a successful business, and is it worth it? With David Jones
Some careers happen because everything goes according to plan. Most don't. David Jones grew up in a single-parent household, became the first person in his family to go to university, built a career in HR, started a business that was later acquired, and learned that some of the biggest career decisions come down to one thing: trusting your own judgement. David didn't wait for someone else to tell him where his career should go. He paid attention to what gave him energy, took calculated risks, and kept choosing the path that felt right, even when it wasn't the obvious one. We also talk about entrepreneurship, leadership, building a business with long-term value, and why freedom comes with responsibility. Whether you're leading an L&D team, building your own business, or simply wondering what your next career move should be, I think you'll find something in this conversation. What You'll Get From This Episode: Why trusting your own judgement is one of the most valuable career skills you'll ever build. What growing up in a single-parent household taught David about resilience and responsibility. How becoming the first person in his family to attend university shaped his career. The career decisions that led him from HR into entrepreneurship. What it really takes to build a business that creates long-term value. Why every entrepreneur needs clarity on what they're actually building. Lessons on leadership, ownership, and creating a career that reflects your values instead of someone else's. About David Jones: David B. Jones is a Partner at Mercer specializing in innovative talent assessment, human capital, and technology. With over 35 years of experience, including 27 years in the Middle East, he has advised policymakers and organizational leaders in more than 40 countries on talent, leadership, transformation, and workforce strategy. David combines expertise in labor market economics, psychometrics, and emerging technology to help organizations elevate their human capital. He has lectured at leading institutions, including the University of Cambridge, ESMT Berlin, and the University of Bradford. He is the author of several books, including The Future of Assessments, the bestselling Unlocking the Paradox of Plenty, and the award-winning Game Changers, and has contributed to multiple publications on workforce policy and economics. Connect with David Jones: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-barrie-jones Meet your host, Candice Mitchell Candice Mitchell is a Talent Development Strategist, CEO of Talent Collective, and USA Today bestselling author of Choose You: For the People Who Refuse to Disappear. With nearly two decades of experience building and leading capability functions inside global and Fortune 500 organizations, she founded Talent Collective, a premium capability-building firm for L&D, HR, Change, and People leaders in high-growth companies. Your host, Candice Mitchell, can be found online at: Website: https://talentcollective.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicemitchelltc/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candice_mitchell_msc/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@candice_mitchell_msc Talent Development Academy: https://courses.talentcollective.org/bundles/talent-development-academy Choose You book: https://chooseyoubook.com/ Original music composed by: Paul DeHaven pauldehavenmusic.com
#148
July 31 · 24 min
AI-Proof Companies: Why the Winners Won't Be the Most Automated Runtime
Everyone is talking about how to AI-proof their career. I think we're asking the wrong question. The question I've been thinking about is this: What makes a company AI-proof? Because individual capability only takes us so far if the organization around us hasn't built the capability to adapt. In this episode, I unpack why the companies that will thrive through AI disruption won't necessarily be the most automated. They'll be the ones that build human capability before everyone else realizes it's the real competitive advantage. I walk through the five characteristics I believe every AI-proof company shares, why People teams are at the center of making them possible, and how I evaluate whether an organization is building for the future or simply reacting to it. In this episode, I cover: • What "AI-proof" actually means • The five characteristics of AI-proof companies • Why capability is infrastructure, not a nice-to-have • The human capabilities AI can't replace • Four questions I use to evaluate whether an organization is built for the future • Why the strongest competitive advantage isn't technology. It's people. I also share why a conversation with my brother, who leads AI integration at Google, completely reinforced something I've believed for years: The humans are the moat. Meet your host, Candice Mitchell Candice Mitchell is a Talent Development Strategist, CEO of Talent Collective, and USA Today bestselling author of Choose You: For the People Who Refuse to Disappear. With nearly two decades of experience building and leading capability functions inside global and Fortune 500 organizations, she founded Talent Collective, a premium capability-building firm for L&D, HR, Change, and People leaders in high-growth companies. Your host, Candice Mitchell, can be found online at: Website: https://talentcollective.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicemitchelltc/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candice_mitchell_msc/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@candice_mitchell_msc Talent Development Academy: https://courses.talentcollective.org/bundles/talent-development-academy Choose You book: https://chooseyoubook.com/ Original music composed by: Paul DeHaven pauldehavenmusic.com
#147
July 24 · 56 min
Nolan Hout: The Billable Hour Is Dying
Nolan Hout has spent 15 years at InfoPro Learning without ever doing the same job twice. In this episode we talk about the culture that made that possible, the shift happening right now in consulting as AI kills the billable hour model, and why chasing a job title might be the wrong move entirely. If you work in talent development, L&D, or any kind of people consulting, this one will change how you think about pricing your own value. Meet your host, Candice Mitchell Candice Mitchell is a Talent Development Strategist, CEO of Talent Collective, and USA Today bestselling author of Choose You: For the People Who Refuse to Disappear. With nearly two decades of experience building and leading capability functions inside global and Fortune 500 organizations, she founded Talent Collective, a premium capability-building firm for L&D, HR, Change, and People leaders in high-growth companies. Your host, Candice Mitchell, can be found online at: Website: https://talentcollective.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicemitchelltc/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candice_mitchell_msc/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@candice_mitchell_msc Talent Development Academy: https://courses.talentcollective.org/bundles/talent-development-academy Choose You book: https://chooseyoubook.com/ Original music composed by: Paul DeHaven pauldehavenmusic.com
#146
July 21 · 23 min· Video
Is the Training Needs Analysis keeping us stuck in Order-Taker land?
I do not run a training needs analysis. I have not run one in years, and it is one of the most strategic decisions I have ever made about my own work. The traditional training needs analysis is a real diagnostic. It can tell you what gap exists between what people can do and what the work needs. What it cannot tell you is whether training was ever the right answer in the first place, because by the time you're running the analysis, someone already decided that it was. In this episode I walk through why that one flaw quietly turns an L&D function into an order taker, and I tell you about the week in 2011 I spent riding along with a group of semi truck drivers, showing up at their depot at 4am, to find out what they actually needed. It was not what I assumed. Then I give you the three moves I use instead. A five layer read on the business before I ever touch a course. Getting on the ground the way I did with those drivers. And a one page capability plan built to get funded, not filed. Plus the measurement swap that gets an L&D team invited back into the room instead of nodded out of it. I'm Candice Mitchell, founder and CEO of Talent Collective and creator of the Talent Development Academy. I've built seven L&D functions across fourteen industries and four continents, and I'm still in the room with companies doubling and quadrupling in size right now. This is not theory from someone who left the field. This is my Tuesday. The full field guide, the one page capability plan template, and the measurement framework from this episode are waiting in this week's Capability Edge on Substack. Link in the show notes. For the ones tired of building the thing the request asked for, and watching it not move a single number. New episodes every Friday. Meet your host, Candice Mitchell Candice Mitchell is a Talent Development Strategist, CEO of Talent Collective, and USA Today bestselling author of Choose You: For the People Who Refuse to Disappear. With nearly two decades of experience building and leading capability functions inside global and Fortune 500 organizations, she founded Talent Collective, a premium capability-building firm for L&D, HR, Change, and People leaders in high-growth companies. Your host, Candice Mitchell, can be found online at: Website: https://talentcollective.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicemitchelltc/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candice_mitchell_msc/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@candice_mitchell_msc Talent Development Academy: https://courses.talentcollective.org/bundles/talent-development-academy Choose You book: https://chooseyoubook.com/ Original music composed by: Paul DeHaven pauldehavenmusic.com
#145
July 10 · 1 hr 1 min· Video
Why L&D Gets Cut First in the AI Era with Dr. Nigel Paine
Guest: Nigel Paine, former CLO, organizational learning researcher, author of five books. A room full of executives is working out how AI changes their business. Real conversation, real ideas. Then the L&D person asks if they want a course built. The room stops. What we cover: Why is L&D diverging from the business? Nigel watched L&D teams celebrate cutting content development time by 60% while the rest of the organization was drowning. Nobody outside L&D cared. What should that person have said instead of "shall I build a course"? Nigel gives the exact words. It starts with the CEO's business, not with learning. How do you refuse a training request? He calls it field work. Go talk to people. If they say no, go anyway. What is actually blocking L&D? Not budget. Nigel wrote a whole book about learning culture and found he could have written one sentence: no trust, no learning culture. What's on the other side of the bridge? From disengagement to engagement. From inward facing to outward facing. Once you're on the agenda, you start being part of the agenda. I came out of this energized and a little furious. You will too. Meet your host, Candice Mitchell Candice Mitchell is a Talent Development Strategist, CEO of Talent Collective, and USA Today bestselling author of Choose You: For the People Who Refuse to Disappear. With nearly two decades of experience building and leading capability functions inside global and Fortune 500 organizations, she founded Talent Collective, a premium capability-building firm for L&D, HR, Change, and People leaders in high-growth companies. Your host, Candice Mitchell, can be found online at: Website: https://talentcollective.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicemitchelltc/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candice_mitchell_msc/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@candice_mitchell_msc Talent Development Academy: https://courses.talentcollective.org/bundles/talent-development-academy Choose You book: https://chooseyoubook.com/ Original music composed by: Paul DeHaven pauldehavenmusic.com
#144
June 26 · 13 min
How to Work WITH AI Without Becoming Replaceable | The Capability Edge
Fighting AI is like trying to fist-fight the ocean — you're going to lose. The professionals who stay relevant in an AI world aren't resisting the technology; they've learned to work WITH it. In this episode of The Capability Edge, Candice Mitchell shows you how to use AI as a tool without becoming someone the tool replaces. AI is extraordinary at volume — summarizing, drafting, organizing, processing. What it cannot do is judgment, context, relationships, or anything that requires lived experience. That gap is where your professional value lives. Using a real client case study — a three-year capability strategy delivered in 14 weeks instead of six months — Candice shows exactly where AI did the work and where human expertise made the output actually matter. Then she gives you the Three-Layer Human-AI Collaboration Framework: a model you can take into work tomorrow to direct AI, interrogate what it gives you, and apply the judgment that keeps you irreplaceable. This is Episode 3 of the Stay Relevant in an AI World series — the turn from "here's what AI is changing" to "here's what you actually do about it." WHAT YOU'LL LEARN ✅ Why "AI is going with you, not coming for you" is the only reframe that matters ✅ The difference between processing everything and understanding anything — and why it protects your career ✅ A real case study: how AI delivered speed and human judgment delivered value ✅ The Three-Layer Human-AI Collaboration Framework — Input Intelligence, Output Judgment, and The Human Overlay ✅ Why hiding your AI use signals anxiety, and how showing it signals senior-level confidence KEEP GOING 📋 Download the free AI-Proof Skills Checklist → http://talentcollective.org/ai-proof-skills ▶️ Watch Episode 4: The Skills AI Can't Replace → https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRPqNNQbaJw8f2cql6DenOQbuZ63PoqRw 🎓 Explore the Talent Development Academy → https://courses.talentcollective.org/memberships/talent-development-academy 📖 Read Choose You: For the People Who Refuse to Disappear → https://a.co/d/0b8645qX 💬 Follow Candice on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicemitchelltc/
#143
June 12 · 1 hr 1 min· Video
The brutal truth about AI in L&D with Markus Bernhardt
Is your AI implementation just busy work? Learn to spot the difference between genuine AI transformation and buying empty tools. Many businesses mistake purchasing software for actual progress. This video breaks down why most AI adoption efforts fail to produce measurable results. If you are a leader or manager looking to improve your team's output, you need to understand why spending money on licenses is not the same as changing how your company operates. We examine the primary indicator of failure: when work processes remain identical six months after new software is introduced. If your decisions and daily tasks have not shifted, you are likely stuck in a cycle of activity rather than true AI transformation. Use these insights to audit your current AI strategy and pivot toward meaningful operational changes instead of just checking boxes. Subscribe for weekly business strategy breakdowns, and comment below if you have seen your own workflows change after adopting new tech. Connect with Markus: Markus on LinkedIn Complete the diagnostic Click here. You will be happy you did Meet your host, Candice Mitchell Candice Mitchell is a Talent Development Strategist, CEO of Talent Collective, and USA Today bestselling author of Choose You: For the People Who Refuse to Disappear. With nearly two decades of experience building and leading capability functions inside global and Fortune 500 organizations, she founded Talent Collective, a premium capability-building firm for L&D, HR, Change, and People leaders in high-growth companies. Your host, Candice Mitchell, can be found online at: Website: https://talentcollective.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicemitchelltc/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candice_mitchell_msc/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@candice_mitchell_msc Talent Development Academy: https://courses.talentcollective.org/bundles/talent-development-academy Choose You book: https://chooseyoubook.com/ Original music composed by: Paul DeHaven pauldehavenmusic.com

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