What if being good at your job isn’t enough anymore?

Confidence might just be the most overlooked skill in your professional toolkit. In this episode, we dive deep into what truly drives growth and fulfillment in the learning and development space—from the power of community, to the ways artificial intelligence is reshaping how educators work. It’s a conversation packed with vulnerability, real-world insights, and surprising moments of transformation.

Inna, a fifth-generation educator and learning strategist at Eli, shares the personal and professional stories that shaped her approach—from hosting her own Ed Talks podcast and building AI tools, to mentoring traumatized refugee children through karate. Whether you're stuck in your current role or seeking that next spark of inspiration, this episode offers both grounding wisdom and a fresh perspective on L&D today.

Key Takeaways

• Confidence often outweighs talent, especially when it comes to how you're perceived in your career.
• Belonging to a knowledge-sharing community can drastically enhance professional growth and help escape stagnation.
• Real transformation can come from unexpected roles—like teaching a language you barely know or using martial arts to rebuild broken lives.

Timestamps

[00:00] Confidence is more valuable than professionalism

[00:44] Inna’s background: educator, AI builder, and volunteer leader

[02:00] Why talking to different departments fuels her passion

[02:13] The power of the L&D Showcase community

[04:00] Avoiding stagnation in small orgs through community

[05:00] How teaching English before mastering it unlocked true learning

[06:00] Using AI to reduce hours of work to seconds

[07:00] Helping a traumatized child become a karate world champ

[08:26] The Zoom lecture with 0 interaction—and what came of it

[13:08] Why “acting like you understand” is a learned superpower

Links and Future Learnings

• Inna Horvath on Linkedin
• elai - L&D Essentials: A Starter’s Handbook
• Tom Bailey on LinkedIn
• Tom Bailey Website