David James: From Teenage Guitar Dreams to Disney, 360Learning, and a Better Way to Do L&D

If you work in Learning & Development, HR, or People Enablement and you keep asking “How do we actually close skills gaps at scale?”, this episode with David James (Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning, former Director of Learning, Talent & OD at Disney, and host of The Learning & Development Podcast) is your blueprint. We go from stacking shelves at 14 and gigging in London, to running L&D functions, mentoring (without ever asking), and designing learning that drives proficiency, not vanity metrics—so you can genuinely love Mondays again.What you’ll learnProficiency at scale: David’s practical approach to capability building that moves beyond “courses” to real performance.Career inflection points: Leaving school at 16, bank cashier → trainer → Disney L&D leader → co-founder (Loop) → CLO at 360Learning.Mentors without the awkward ask: How to build genuine relationships and get world-class guidance—no “will you be my mentor?” needed.Readiness beats luck: The exact habits that make you “lucky” when opportunity arrives.Stakeholder credibility: Partnering with HRBPs, reading the culture, and earning a seat at the table.Early career reframed: Why those frontline jobs are powerful skill-building reps you’ll use for life.Who this episode is forL&D leaders, CLOs, HR/People leaders, enablement pros, OD practitioners, instructional designers, talent strategists, and anyone who wants their learning programs to be taken seriously by the business.Get to know David:David James is the Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning and a highly respected voice in the Learning & Development industry. With a focus on harnessing technology to drive impactful learning strategies, David is recognised as one of the top 10 global influencers in the L&D space. His expertise lies in helping organisations modernise their approach to workplace learning, ensuring measurable results and business alignment.David is also the host of The Learning & Development Podcast, which has amassed over 500,000 downloads and ranks in the top 1% of podcasts globally. With more than 30,000 LinkedIn followers, he continues to shape the conversation around L&D innovation and best practices, drawing on his deep experience, including his time as Director of Learning, Talent & Organisational Development at The Walt Disney Company.Connect with David:https://360learning.com/lp/david-james/https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/https://360learning.com/lp/learning-and-development-podcast-by-david-james/Meet your host, Candice MitchellCandice Mitchell is a Talent Development Strategist, CEO of Talent Collective, and USA Today bestselling author of Choose You: For the People Who Refuse to Disappear. With nearly two decades of experience building and leading capability functions inside global and Fortune 500 organizations, she founded Talent Collective, a premium capability-building firm for L&D, HR, Change, and People leaders in high-growth companies.Your host, Candice Mitchell, can be found online at:Website: https://talentcollective.org/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candicemitchelltc/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candice_mitchell_msc/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@candice_mitchell_mscTalent Development Academy: https://courses.talentcollective.org/bundles/talent-development-academyChoose You book: https://chooseyoubook.com/Original music composed by: Paul DeHavenpauldehavenmusic.com