The Secrets of Learning & Development

Our podcast is designed for business leaders, managers, consultants, industry experts, and individuals who are passionate about driving change and promoting growth in their organisations or personal development. Each episode will delve into crucial topics such as mindset recalibration, visibility, and strategic planning. We will have insightful conversations about change management and innovative initiatives that can transform your approach to learning and development. Our aim is to equip you with valuable insights and practical strategies to enhance your leadership skills, business acumen, and personal growth. We are focusing on our leaders and professional guests' unique journeys and the key moments that have shaped their careers. We are passionate about sharing stories that inspire, educate, and ignite a spark within our listeners Join us on this journey as we unlock the secrets to success in the dynamic world of learning and development.

The Secrets of Learning & Development is a business podcast hosted by Valerie & Julia, with 99 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Valerie & Julia hosts The Secrets of Learning & Development, a business show with 99 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #7

  Lynne Parker was Told Women Aren’t Funny. Then She Changed Comedy.

  Aug 13, 202639 minS5

  If you enjoyed this podcast, we'd love to hear from you! What happens when one dismissive comment becomes the catalyst for more than two decades of change? In this episode, Julia and Valerie are joined by Lynne Parker, founder of Funny Women, the award-winning platform that has championed female performers, writers and creators since 2002. Lynne shares how being told that women ‘aren’t funny’ led her to challenge a male-dominated comedy industry and create opportunities for emerging talent, including Funny Women Award winner Katherine Ryan. Lynne reflects candidly on her varied career in journalism, public relations and retail, the risks behind building Funny Women and the financial realities of sustaining work in an industry where comedy is still not officially recognised as an art form. She also explores how comedy can help women strengthen their confidence, communicate with greater impact and make themselves heard in business and beyond. This is an honest and spirited conversation about reinvention, visibility, collaboration and what it takes to keep backing an idea when the structures around you have yet to catch up. Key Learnings Your experience may prepare you for work you never planned to do. Lynne’s background in journalism, PR and business gave her the storytelling, commercial judgement and determination to build Funny Women. Lasting change requires more than personal success. It depends on opening doors, recognising new talent and working together so that opportunity extends beyond one person. Guest Information: https://www.lynneparker.co.uk/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynneparker/ https://funnywomen.com/ https://magazine.funnywomen.com/2025/12/11/the-glitter-project-how-a-spark-became-a-nationwide-creative-movement/ Comedy Advisor to CRAFT, the newly formed Comedy Representation and Artform Trust. https://thecraft.lol/ https://magazine.funnywomen.com/2026/04/30/born-out-of-misogyny-why-we-are-still-waiting-to-be-heard/ Support the show Support the Show Help us continue making great content and get a shout-out on the show! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2389736/support

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  The Secrets of Learning & Development

  Bonus: What Are You Ambitious for Now

  Aug 7, 202611 minS5

  If you enjoyed this podcast, we'd love to hear from you! What if the part of your career that made the least sense taught you the most? In this bonus episode, Julia and Valerie explore the qualifications, roles and unexpected changes in direction that rarely fit the polished version of a career story, yet often reveal something important about who we are and how we work. They examine the difference between competence and fit, why being highly valued for a skill doesn’t always mean you want to build your future around it and how seemingly unrelated roles can reveal a consistent thread in the contribution others trust you to make. This isn’t about pretending every difficult experience happened for a reason. It’s about looking honestly at what each chapter showed you about your abilities, your standards and the environment in which you do your best work. Because a career doesn’t need to follow a straight line to make sense. Sometimes the detour is where you discover what the original plan could never have taught you. Support the show Support the Show Help us continue making great content and get a shout-out on the show! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2389736/support

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  Episode #6

  Roz Morris: How To Look More Credible, Confident and Professional On Screen

  Jul 30, 202632 minS5

  If you enjoyed this podcast, we'd love to hear from you! S5: E6 In this episode of The Secrets of Learning and Development, Julia Bend and Valerie Merrill are joined by Roz Morris, author, broadcaster and founder of TV News London. With more than 32 years in television news, media training and communication, Roz shares her journey from the newspaper world of The Guardian and The Observer to BBC radio, television reporting, presenting and running her own business. The conversation explores how communication has changed, why visual skills now matter in almost every professional setting and what many leaders still miss when they appear on screen. Roz talks about the “grammar of TV”, the rise of the visual economy, the impact of COVID on online communication and why professionals today need to think not only about what they say, but how they show up. From crisis media training to executive presence, networking, asking for help and learning how to walk into a room with authority, this episode is a sharp, timely and practical look at what it means to communicate well in a world where we are all increasingly visible. Key Learnings We are all visible communicators now. Roz makes the point that communication is no longer just about words. Whether it’s Zoom, Teams, social media, live streaming or online presentations, professionals now need to understand how they appear on screen. Framing, lighting, sound, camera position and eye contact all shape how credible and prepared someone appears. Presence is a skill, not a personality trait. The episode highlights that executive presence, media confidence and the ability to communicate under pressure can be learned. Roz links this to crisis communication, public speaking and how people enter a room, speak on camera or respond when the pressure is high. The message is clear: strong communication is not just about having something to say. It’s about knowing how to carry it. Guest Information: http://www.tvnewslondon.co.uk/ roz@tvnewslondon.co.uk https://www.linkedin.com/in/rozmorris https://www.amazon.co.uk/Visual-Revolution-Guidebook-success-economy /dp/1915483468?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Wjen2urR6_yVOJ2iqlG1gKvNgJDgc3N9UQ8ygSouXio.8G27bcQLgvvBkXUTT-qEmNsMYmFZrkmymlknEg82xoY&qid=1720184432&sr=8-1&linkCode=sl1&tag=tvnewslondon-21&linkId=39edf3fe3035eb3c4b2555754e01bcaf&language=en_GB&ref_=as_li_ss_tl In The Visual Revolution Guidebook media expert Roz Morris , who has trained thousands of people to succeed in media interviews, videos and presentations, provides you with a unique practical toolkit for the visual skills you need right now for success in your career in this new visual-centric world. Support the show Support the Show Help us continue making great content and get a shout-out on the show! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2389736/support

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  The Secrets of Learning & Development

  Bonus: Why One Size Doesn’t Fit All – Learning for Non Office Workers

  Jul 23, 20267 minS5

  If you enjoyed this podcast, we'd love to hear from you! In this bonus episode of The Secrets of Learning & Development, Valerie and Julia turn their attention to a group of employees who are often underserved by traditional workplace learning: non-office workers. From frontline teams and retail staff to healthcare, logistics and manufacturing workers, many people don’t have the time, space or equipment to access learning in the same way as office-based colleagues. A 45-minute online course may work well for someone at a desk, but it’s far less realistic for someone working shifts, dealing with customers, supporting patients or responding to live operational demands. Valerie and Julia discuss why learning needs to be designed around the reality of the job, not around outdated assumptions about how people work. They explore the role of mobile-first learning, short and focused content, practical support at the point of need and learning that becomes part of the working day rather than something separate from it. This episode is for anyone involved in L&D, people development or line management who wants to create learning that is accessible, relevant and useful for people who are not sitting behind a laptop all day. Support the show Support the Show Help us continue making great content and get a shout-out on the show! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2389736/support

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  Episode #5

  Why It’s Never Too Late to Say Yes: Christine Marsh on Learning, Leadership and Reinvention

  Jul 16, 202627 minS5

  If you enjoyed this podcast, we'd love to hear from you! In this episode of The Secrets of Learning and Development, Julia Bend and Valerie Merrill are joined by Christine Marsh, transformation catalyst, global keynote speaker, author and working model. At 85, Christine continues to speak, write, create and model, with two active contracts and a career that challenges many assumptions about age, leadership and what is possible later in life. Christine shares how her early experiences, including returning from India unable to read and often being the new person, shaped her ability to observe, listen and understand people. She reflects on her work in learning and development, conflict resolution and organisational change, including her time supporting thousands of people across the UK and her decision to found Prime Objective at the age of 50. The conversation explores what gets in the way of real change in organisations, why leadership is about developing others rather than ego, and how Christine’s SELF model helps people bring clarity to complex situations by separating the situation, emotion, logic and forward movement. Christine also talks openly about grief, reinvention, writing her book Flashpoint Transformation: Life’s Choices: Ready to Jump or Waiting to Be Pushed, and the importance of saying yes before we talk ourselves out of what might be possible. This is a powerful and uplifting conversation about change, courage, learning, leadership and continuing to grow at every stage of life. Key Learnings Real change requires honesty, not just procedures. Christine makes a powerful point that organisations often create mission statements, training schedules and procedures, then stop revisiting them. Her view is that change has to stay relevant, fresh and connected to the real world, otherwise it becomes a tick-box exercise rather than something that truly helps people or the organisation move forward. Growth does not stop at a certain age or stage of life. Christine’s story challenges the idea that there is a natural point where we should slow down, step back or stop saying yes. At 85, she is still speaking, writing, creating and modelling, and her message is very clear: keep learning, keep trying and do not rule yourself out before you Guest information: https://thechristinemarsh.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechristinemarsh/ Support the show Support the Show Help us continue making great content and get a shout-out on the show! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2389736/support

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