Caffeinated L&D

This year I achieved a huge professional goal by presenting a session at DevLearn in Las Vegas. It's a few weeks later, and I'm still feeling fuzzy inside about it. It was by far one of the most valuable experiences I've ever had in L&D. I've always seen connections between my personal hobbies and what I do for a living. And after years of being told that my interests were "too niche" or "not relatable" or "just plain strange," it was great to be able to connect video games and gaming culture with project teams, psychological safety, change management, and design thinking for my colleagues and peers. More than that, it was great to do it in a professional setting where someone had actually said, "Yes, that sounds like a valuable use of time." I have never felt so cool in my entire professional life. After I got home, I started thinking about my experiences and what I would do next time if I could. As a first-time presenter, I ...