“Creating ASPC is… a career highlight, one of the most joyful things I've done.” — Cheryl Crupi

In this episode of *SPCs Unleashed*, the crew welcomes Cheryl Crupi from the SAFe Framework team to unpack the brand-new **Advanced SPC (ASPC) training**. While Cheryl joins as a friend rather than in an official role, her fingerprints are all over the course design. Together with Mark, Niko, and Stephan, she explores what “advanced” really means for SPCs, how the training was shaped by research with more than 1,000 practitioners, and why practice, mastery, and confidence-building are at its heart.

Actionable Insights

1. Advanced = Confidence in Sticky Situations ASPC doesn’t revisit the basics. It focuses on the hardest parts of transformation — engaging executives, breaking through organizational inertia, and sustaining momentum — to help SPCs step forward with confidence.

2. Practice, Not Just Theory Half of the ASPC course is scenario-based learning. SPCs practice pitching, influencing, advocating, and problem-solving in a safe environment before facing those challenges in their organizations.

3. Engaging Leaders is Central The Engaging Leaders module emerged as a clear favorite. SPCs must empathize with executives, understand what truly matters to them (growth, innovation, talent), and communicate in their language.

4. The Learning Lab Brings It Together The program culminates in a Learning Lab — a simulation where SPCs navigate a transformation story, apply tools, and create artifacts. It reinforces that no one SPC has all the answers; success comes from collaboration, experimentation, and feedback.

5. Staying Advanced Requires Continuous Growth ASPC is just the first step. To remain advanced, SPCs must keep practicing, mentor others, and share lessons learned at conferences or meetups — sharpening both technical expertise and soft skills over time.

Conclusion The Advanced SPC training is less about new slides and more about preparing SPCs to **lead change with confidence and empathy**. For practitioners who’ve mastered the basics, ASPC offers a challenging but rewarding next step — shifting the role from teaching SAFe to catalyzing enterprise-wide transformation.