In this episode, I sit down with Matt Gjertsen, founder of Better Everyday Studios and former Air Force pilot turned SpaceX training leader, to dive deep into what it really takes to love your work and build a career that fits the life you want.

We talk about:

✅ Matt’s journey from yard work as a teen to the Air Force Academy and pilot training.

✅ How becoming an instructor pilot led to running training at SpaceX for 7,500+ employees.

✅ Why frontline managers hold the key to engagement, retention, and productivity—and what most companies miss.

✅ The messy reality of entrepreneurship: sales, scaling, and becoming someone you’ve never been before.

✅ The overlooked questions we should be asking about career fit, culture, and how life choices shape our work.

Whether you're an L&D professional, a new manager, or someone craving a career that energizes you, Matt’s story is proof that structure, pressure, and persistence can create incredible outcomes.

🎧 Listen in for actionable insights, candid career lessons, and a real conversation about why hitting a "home run" in the wrong game never counts.

Connect with Matt:

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/matthewgjertsen/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matthewgjertsen/

Website: https://talentdevelopmentnerds.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicemitchelltdnerd/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talent_development_nerd/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@candicemitchell.TDNerd

Talent Development Academy: https://talentdevelopmentnerds.com/tda

Original music composed by: Paul DeHaven

pauldehavenmusic.com

Meet Brenda Noon Schmidt, aka Kick-Ass Modern Mom.

She grew up on a cattle ranch on the Arizona/Mexico border, worked six jobs in college (including teaching swim lessons and working at a cigar shop with retired cops), built a career in marketing and finance, and now runs her own business teaching moms how to outsource, delegate, and reclaim their time.

This episode is pure energy. We talk about:

✅ What ranch life taught her about systems and collaboration

✅ How she balanced multiple jobs, paid her way through college, and married an entrepreneur

✅ The surprising link between restaurant work and business strategy

✅ Her journey from finance to entrepreneurship and helping moms "run their home like a business"

✅ Why outsourcing isn’t a luxury (and how anyone can start with 5 hours a week)

If you’ve ever wondered how to juggle everything—career, family, adventure, and sanity—this conversation is your permission slip to stop doing it all yourself.

🎧 Listen in for stories about $2.13 diner shifts, cigar shop nights with Bill Murray types, and the secret to finally making time for the life you want.

📌 Watch now and learn how to buy back your time, build your village, and enjoy the life you’re working so hard for.

Connect with Brenda:

LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/brenda-noon-schmidt-4880aa183/

Website: https://talentdevelopmentnerds.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicemitchelltdnerd/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talent_development_nerd/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@candicemitchell.TDNerd

Talent Development Academy: https://talentdevelopmentnerds.com/tda

Original music composed by: Paul DeHaven

pauldehavenmusic.com

How do we help our kids (and learners) grow up with AI — without outsourcing all their thinking to it? In this final episode, Gavin shares the behind-the-scenes of his AI academy for kids and what he’s learned about teaching technology in a way that builds curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking.

We also explore the massive opportunity AI offers L&D professionals to personalize learning and build truly future-ready teams — and what we, as parents and People leaders, need to do right now.

Get to know Gav:

I’m a husband to an ambitious woman and a dad to two curious girls. I’ve spent years in tech as a seasoned IT professional, certified in AI and other areas at the world’s largest cloud computing company. Now I’m building a generative AI school for kids. The idea came from both personal and professional motivation. I want my daughters, and others growing up in this AI-shaped world, to understand the tools shaping their future.

Connect with Gav:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavin-b-4467198/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cutsmethod.official/

Keywords:

AI in education, personalized learning with AI, kids and AI, AI for parents, AI learning tools, future-ready skills, learning and development, adaptive learning technology.

Website: https://talentdevelopmentnerds.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicemitchelltdnerd/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talent_development_nerd/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@candicemitchell.TDNerd

Talent Development Academy: https://talentdevelopmentnerds.com/tda

Original music composed by: Paul DeHaven

pauldehavenmusic.com

At seven years old, Brianna published her first book and dreamed of changing the world. But her path was far from easy. Bullied in school, battling an eating disorder, and starting a business at 16, she learned grit the hard way. Ten years later, after building a successful agency, she burnt it all down to rebuild life and business on her terms — and birthed Overflow, her global movement helping entrepreneurs scale their businesses while actually enjoying their lives.

In this episode, Brianna shares:

• How writing and publishing a book at 7 shaped her entrepreneurial mindset
• The harsh lessons of bullying, judgment, and proving herself in boardrooms at 16
• Why she walked away from a thriving 10-year business to build Overflow
• The mindset shifts and support systems that keep her grounded while growing
• Why so many entrepreneurs hit big milestones yet still feel empty — and how to stop that cycle.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re carrying the weight of your clients, your dreams, or your business alone, Brianna’s story will inspire you to believe again. This isn’t just about scaling a business. It’s about creating a life of happiness, health, freedom, and impact — a life of Overflow.

Connect with Brianna:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianna-johnston-8b1229102/?originalSubdomain=uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_briannajohnston/

Website: https://talentdevelopmentnerds.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicemitchelltdnerd/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talent_development_nerd/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@candicemitchell.TDNerd

Talent Development Academy: https://talentdevelopmentnerds.com/tda

Original music composed by: Paul DeHaven

pauldehavenmusic.com

Will AI agents replace people? Or will they just free us from the worst parts of work? In this episode, we explore the future of work with AI agents — intelligent tools that don’t just suggest actions, but take them for you.

We talk about automation, emerging roles, job redesign, and how People functions need to get ready — now. Plus: how to help your workforce shift, reskill, and stay relevant in a world where knowledge work is being redefined.

Get to know Gav:

I’m a husband to an ambitious woman and a dad to two curious girls. I’ve spent years in tech as a seasoned IT professional, certified in AI and other areas at the world’s largest cloud computing company. Now I’m building a generative AI school for kids. The idea came from both personal and professional motivation. I want my daughters, and others growing up in this AI-shaped world, to understand the tools shaping their future.

Connect with Gav:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavin-b-4467198/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cutsmethod.official/

Keywords:

AI agents, future of work, HR automation, AI job disruption, strategic L&D, AI in business operations, reskilling workforce, AI adoption in HR

Website: https://talentdevelopmentnerds.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicemitchelltdnerd/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talent_development_nerd/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@candicemitchell.TDNerd

Talent Development Academy: https://talentdevelopmentnerds.com/tda

Original music composed by: Paul DeHaven

pauldehavenmusic.com

What does it take to go from working 17 jobs before age 25 to building a business in Dubai, pitching to investors, and living an adventurous, international life?

In this episode, Elena Agaragimova shares her fascinating journey:

➡️ Moving from Russia to the U.S. as a teen and feeling like an outsider

➡️ Changing majors five times and navigating her way through community college

➡️ Traveling the world recruiting students and living out of a suitcase (while sick in Peru!)

➡️ Moving to Dubai, reinventing herself, and launching a startup from scratch

➡️ Facing rejection, career lows, and rebuilding her confidence—plus how she turned it all around

This is a story about reinvention, risk-taking, and what you learn about yourself when you keep stepping into the unknown.

🎧 If you’ve ever felt stuck in your career, doubted yourself, or wondered if it’s too late to pivot—this episode will inspire you to take the leap.

Connect with Elena:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenaagaragimova/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elenaagaragimova/?hl=en

Website: https://talentdevelopmentnerds.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicemitchelltdnerd/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talent_development_nerd/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@candicemitchell.TDNerd

Talent Development Academy: https://talentdevelopmentnerds.com/tda

Original music composed by: Paul DeHaven

pauldehavenmusic.com

Ever talked about something random and then got an ad for it the next day? You’re not imagining it — and there’s more going on than you think. In this episode, we dive into how AI-driven algorithms shape what we see, hear, and even believe.

We unpack targeted ads, cookies, echo chambers, and why your AI tools are so agreeable — and how that can be dangerous. Plus: how to use prompts like “act as” to break out of the bubble and get AI to challenge you instead of flatter you.

Get to know Gav:

I’m a husband to an ambitious woman and a dad to two curious girls. I’ve spent years in tech as a seasoned IT professional, certified in AI and other areas at the world’s largest cloud computing company. Now I’m building a generative AI school for kids. The idea came from both personal and professional motivation. I want my daughters, and others growing up in this AI-shaped world, to understand the tools shaping their future.

Connect with Gav:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavin-b-4467198/

Website: https://nextgencloudacademy.com

Website: https://talentdevelopmentnerds.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicemitchelltdnerd/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talent_development_nerd/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@candicemitchell.TDNerd

Talent Development Academy: https://talentdevelopmentnerds.com/tda

Original music composed by: Paul DeHaven

pauldehavenmusic.com

John Kraski has been an ice cream scooper, UPS loader, aspiring airline pilot, Big Four accountant, author, startup exec, LinkedIn content machine, and maybe, just maybe, a future TV producer.

This episode isn’t about climbing a ladder. It’s about realizing the ladder’s against the wrong wall… and having the nerve to build your own.

We get into:

• How John spent 20 years in finance trying to leave
• Why LinkedIn became his personal TV channel (and what that even means)
• What people get totally wrong about brand partnerships and content monetization
• The business model he’s building next, and why it's designed to be replicable
• His “unhinged within professional guardrails” philosophy that keeps people watching
• Why he’d thank his younger self for booking a plane ticket, not picking a major

If you’ve ever felt stuck in a career that looks good on paper but drains your soul in practice, John's story will hit home. And if you're building something new from scratch? He’s got receipts, reality checks, and ideas you’ll want to steal.

🎧 Listen in for a very real, slightly wild, always strategic conversation about what it actually looks like to make your own lane.

Get to know John:

John Kraski is what happens when a former Big Four accountant decides to stop ignoring his creative instincts and start treating LinkedIn like late-night TV. After 20 years in finance (and knowing on day one it wasn’t for him), John’s built a second career as a content strategist, storyteller, and brand builder—logging 10,000+ hours on LinkedIn and driving over $10M in revenue for the companies he’s worked with.

He’s launched global event series, closed deals with CAA, helped raise $7M for a Mark Cuban–backed startup, and even chased Will Ferrell off a plane to pitch a screenplay.

Today, he’s obsessed with helping brands and leaders turn scrolls into strategy using the power of content that’s actually good. His style? “Unhinged within professional guardrails”—equal parts data-driven and delightfully unpredictable.

Oh, and he’s still got that screenplay. Hollywood, call him.

Connect with John:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnkraski/

Website: https://talentdevelopmentnerds.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicemitchelltdnerd/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talent_development_nerd/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@candicemitchell.TDNerd

Talent Development Academy: https://talentdevelopmentnerds.com/tda

Original music composed by: Paul DeHaven

pauldehavenmusic.com