The fourth Woking #lnDcowork is on the 11th of May at the Glow Lounge in the Hilton Hotel.

If you are in LD, HR or OD and want to meet and chat and work with likeminded people, come along anytime between 11am and 3pm.

Come along and join me and my co-host Jayne Davids. If the weather is good, you

Yeah, yeah, yeah it's an AI image of me, but I don't have a real moody photo that I can use. So here it is. May the gods of photography forgive me.

𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵’𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗯𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗱𝗮𝘆 - 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗳𝗳.

So this year I’m 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 and 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 🎁

I've been working on something for a few months and it's finally ready.

However, I am only announcing it in my newsletter.

Carrot dangled 🥕 ... 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘂𝗽 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟭𝟯𝘁𝗵 ...

www.aprendido.co.uk

A QR code ... simples :-)

My monthly newsletter is going from strength-to-strength with some amazing feedback.

If you want something plain-speaking, simple but relevant, in your in-box each month.

Scan the QR code or sign-up here:

04fbfeb4.sibforms.com/serve/MUIFAF...

Me looking at the camera and smiling. Awkward ... moi! The collar is a bit scruffy but that's me, a bit rough around the edges.

𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘! 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆

Don't forget the Early Bird special is available until the 8th Feb. YAY!

I am helping to moderate some of the great sessions on offer. Looking forward to seeing you there.

More info here: ldfreespirits.com/product/disc...

𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗚𝗣𝗧 ME: Hey can you help me with this task please? GPT: Yes I can help with that. I would suggest doing this... ME: Can you do that then please, so I can see your suggestions? GPT: This is what I would do to create a suggestion... ME: Do that please. GPT: OK I will do this for you ... ME: Do it now. GPT: I will do that now for you, it will take a while. 𝘕𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘋𝘢𝘺 ME: Have you done that thing? GPT: I am still working on it ... 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻?

𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗚𝗣𝗧

Genuinely, what's going on?

Just a collage of images from the Hilton Hotel Woking and details of the Cowork event in January. All details are in the post. Nothing more to see here :-)

𝗧𝗼𝗼 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲?
Not to stick this in your diary!

14th of January, Jayne Davids and I will be again co-hosting #LnDcowork at the 𝗛𝗶𝗹𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗪𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴.

Free to attend between 11am-3pm. Work alongside likeminded L&D / HR / OD people. Or just chat & coffee.

Not in Woking? about.me/LnDcowork

A grey image with the word TEAM written in black caps. The inside space of the A is in read so it looks like a lower case i. So there is an "i in teams". Labored joke. But it's December. And quite frankly, the stuff that is appearing on LinkedIn nowadays is just plain boring or AI garbage. So I might as well post this. December day two and I had a chocolate in my advert calendar. I see a pattern emerging.

We have been wrong all this time.

Props to @lightbulbjo.bsky.social and @jaynedavids.bsky.social and @trainingjournal.bsky.social

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘀: 𝟯𝟴 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗥 𝗯𝘂𝗯𝗯𝗹𝗲

It was my pleasure to write this for 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹.

Thanks to 𝗝𝗼 𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗸 for the invitation, and to 𝗝𝗮𝘆𝗻𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘀 for the inspiration.

www.trainingjournal.com/2025/audienc...


BTW: My 38 years is swamped by the Journal's 60th anniversary.

Here is the link: www.nature.com/articles/d41...

It's a photo of me in Bogota, Colombia on their Independance Day. Ironically they closed off the main square, Plaza Bolivar, to stop protestors. So there was not a lot of freedom of movement that day. Simone Bolivar, by the way, is celebrated all over Colombia - but he was in-fact Venezuelan!

𝗔 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆 𝘀𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘀𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴.

After 6 years learning Spanish, I believe it.

It sharpened my English, unlocked hidden Spanish in UK words, and keeps my mind alive.

What if training did more than teach? What if it kept us cognitively young too?

Three boxes on a blue background. One in green highlights "Increased Capacity", one in blue highlights "Fresh Perspective" and one in orange highlights "Lower costs". I asked Google Gemini to create this image. It struggled a lot to make something using my neon sign style, so I decided to let it do it's own thing. And this is better than I expected ... for Generative AI.

𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 - 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀.

Need extra capacity, fresh eyes, or lower costs for your business?

I’ll boost output, bring new ideas and ease the load - an extension of your team, not a replacement.

Let’s make your internal content team breathe again.

Absolutely

World Travel Market London 2018 - A replica of the separation wall in Palestine by Banksy. He was a bit of a bugger that day but, in hindsight, it was quite funny. At the time we were fuming.

𝗜 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗜’𝗱 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴… 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀𝘆 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝗽.

At 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟴, his stunt blocked our stand for 2 days.

We had to immediately change our plans.

Sometimes managing change isn’t about sticking to the plan - it’s knowing when to step sideways and still move forward.

𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵, 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹𝘀.

I created immersive simulations for Google Nest, helping retail staff explain smart home devices they couldn’t demo in-store.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀?

🥇 Staff confidence soared.
🥇 Shoppers understood faster.
🥇 Sales and engagement grew.

Want the full case study? Ask me.

A black pumpkin which has been carved with the shape of a mobile phone battery indicator, backlit so the 1% shows clearly. Scary huh!?!?

<bandwagon>
Without doubt. The scariest pumpkin ever.
</bandwagon>

Source: unknown

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀...

My in-box is suddenly full of GDPR consent messages. It's been a year since I explored the job market to see what was available.

What did I find?

A ghost(ing) town

I am so pleased to be out of that place and forging ahead with 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗼

𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹, 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗜 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲?

The last 3 months were about connections.

From 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 to 𝗟𝗻𝗗𝗰𝗼𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 to 𝗪𝗼𝗸𝗼-𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗼 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 to 𝗟&𝗗 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘀 to 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱.

So I thought it's time to re-introduce myself to all the new online connections.

𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴.

Unlock new opportunities with AI and Boardy - L and D Free Spirits Boardy is a platform that works like a business partner, using AI to open doors and connect you with the people who can shape your future. Customers, investors, talent, collaborators…

𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆!

𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝟮𝗽𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁 #Boardy - my AI teammate who finds valuable partners and contacts while I focus on making great products for my clients.

𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗔𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 (𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲)?

Join the @ldfreespirits.bsky.social webinar:

ldfreespirits.com/product/unlo...

October is very busy - so I'm currently recharging in Colombia & Brazil.

𝟮𝟮𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 - I am doing a talk about 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘆 and how it's (he's) helping my business. I will tell the story of how we met, what we do together, and give some insights on how to make Boardy work with you to build your network.

October is very busy - so I'm currently recharging in Colombia & Brazil.

𝟭𝟱𝘁𝗵 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 - My second Woko-Loco Networking event from the brilliant 𝗚𝗲𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗻. Intimate & relevant. It's a great space to meet new people, chat about anything and everything, and learn lots of new stuff. Perfect for me.

October is very busy - so I'm currently recharging in Colombia & Brazil.

𝟳𝘁𝗵 & 𝟴𝘁𝗵 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 - Is 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 in Birmingham. I will be on 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝟵𝟬 with @ldfreespirits.bsky.social. Come over and say hello, it will be fab to meet you. If you also want to schedule some time with me - let me know

If you find yourself in Bogota, Colombia and need a space to work and focus. I highly recommend 𝗧𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗺𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 near Chapinero. A day Boarding Pass is less than £10 and the location and building is perfect.

tierrafir.me/

October is very busy - so I'm currently recharging in Colombia & Brazil.

𝟭𝘀𝘁 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 - Is 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘! I will be moderating & learning. It's going to be amazing. Get on over to @ldfreespirits.bsky.social to get your ticket. If you want a good seat - let me know and I'll pull some strings.

There’s no charge to attend – just bring your laptop (and maybe your to-do list). You might be tempted by the Hilton’s excellent drinks & snacks though…

If you plan to join, let me or @jaynedavids.bsky.social know so we can make sure there’s enough space.

Other locations here: about.me/LnDcowork

Not sure what #LnDcowork is?

It’s simple: we work on our own, but not alone.
If you work from home, or you’re the only L&Der in your organisation, it’s a great space for:
✔️ Sense-checking ideas
✔️ Networking
✔️ Learning from peers
✔️ Sharing a cuppa

Heard about #LnDcowork?
A new one is starting in Woking!

📍 Glow Lounge, Hilton Woking
📅 Mon 14 Oct, 11am–3pm

It’s free, informal coworking for L&D / HR / OD professionals. Bring your laptop, get work done, and enjoy the company of peers.

Let me or @jaynedavids.bsky.social know if you’re coming.

Me at World of Learning sporting my L&D Free Spirits cap like a boss. You can see me for real this year and I look forward to meeting you.

𝗜 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲.

On 𝟳𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟴𝘁𝗵 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 I'm donning my @ldfreespirits.bsky.social cap again at 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 in Birmingham.

I'm looking forward to promoting this great community and helping with your L&D problems.

𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙩 𝙃𝟵𝟬, 𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝙑𝙄𝙋 𝙇𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙚.

The Hotelplan Group logo on a creamy background. Regardless of them being an ex-client, their products are amazing. I took my grandkids to see Santa with Hotelplan and it was out of this world ... and achieved another 2-3 years of believing. Priceless RIO for me

𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹, 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗽.

I designed powerful learning, for UK travel agents, selling Hotelplan alongside rival brands.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀?

🥇 Agents recommended their brand more often.
🥇 Store managers saw revenues rise.
🥇 Hotelplan gained 10% ROI.

Want the full case study? Ask me.

Yeah it's AI. Don't shoot me down. But it does look a lot like me holding a box with the words "THE SECRET'S OUT". And to get this shot professionally would take a lot of time and money. And I hate being photographed. At this moment I am not looking myself in the eyes through fear of embarrassment. Anyway, thanks for your patience. Just sign up for the thing and get early access, to it!

𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁.

I’m the Plain Speaking Learning Consultant who 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 builds tools, not just talks about them

✅ I’ve turned my powerful glossary into a brand-new interactive tool
✅ First 10 people who DM me get a preview

I just need your email address + honest feedback

That’s it