It all started with the BIG question on the table. How do we make L&D visible in our organizations—and actually get recognized for the value we bring? It quickly became clear this touches a nerve for all of us. We hesitate to promote ourselves because it feels too "salesy," like we're used car salesmen. But here's the truth—if we don't advocate for our work, no one else will. And we've all been there: when something goes wrong, training gets blamed. When it goes right? Crickets. The conversation turned to building a real department brand. Some in the group already have mission statements and logos in place, while others are starting from scratch or rebuilding after restructures. But a mission statement can't just sit on a wall—it needs to show up everywhere, from first slides to intranet pages, so people know what you stand for. We also tackled the vocabulary trap. Talking about "blended learning" doesn't land the way "reducing lost-time injuries" or "getting people back to work faster" does. Listen to what metrics matter to leaders, then connect your work to those outcomes in their language. Here's the reality: you already have a brand whether you're managing it or not. Right now it might be "the tick-a-box people" or "the PowerPoint people." Changing that perception takes intentional action—sharing relevant articles with stakeholders, asking to give five-minute updates in meetings, contributing to projects outside L&D. And the biggest piece? You have to ask for visibility. Ask what people say about L&D when you're not in the room. Because no amount of branding fixes a disconnect if you're not part of the conversation. So what's one step you can take this week to make your L&D work more visible? Stay curious! -Shannon   Video Chatbox   Transcript Transcript Summary Resources   Be Seen Branding Action Sheet   VA L&D Site   Crafting Your Brand Workbook   Job Opportunity: Entry Level Instructional Designer Role at the University of Arizona   Jason’s Spotify Playlist after his prom chaperone experience!   If you found value in this week’s coffee chat, please take a minute to leave a Google Review. Your feedback helps others discover our events and keeps the Coffee Chats brewing (will include in email as well).   Books   The Complete SEO Guide: Boost Your Online Business Visibility with SEO by Andrea Bensaid   Value Proposition Design: How to Create Products and Services Customers Want by Alexander Asterwalder   Internal Branding: Growing Your Brand from Within By Jerome Joseph   Upskill, Reskill, Thrive: Optimizing Learning and Development in the Workplace by James McKenna The Learning and Development Book: Change the way you think about L&D by Tricia Emerson and Mary Stewart   Be part of the Community. Gain more valuable resources to build your skills! Learn more here.   Join the conversation  Be part of the live chat! Sign up here.     Hire Learning Rebels  When you need learning that sticks, we’ll fight to make performance results happen. Visit the Learning Rebels website to learn more   Host: Shannon Tipton  Podcast produced by: Obsidian Productions