Everything you missed from Free Spirits Live (Spring '26 edition)

Join us on the Free Spirits of L&D podcast for a very special episode — we're bringing you the full Free Spirits Live conference in a box. Mark chats with speakers, attendees and the Free Spirit behind it all as the day unfolds, then catches up with a couple of guests a few days later once the dust has settled.In this episode you'll hear from Emma Klosson, who shares reflections on her session about impact and recognition, the value of showing your work like a maths exam, and why building a case study is always worth it whether or not you win the award. Kara Stanford, marketing strategist and first-time speed session speaker, talks about taking real-time action during sessions — including updating her LinkedIn profile mid-talk and leaving with a full post-Judy to-do list. Jill Sainsbury returns from last year's live podcast to share highlights from her video tips session, a fascinating new approach to AI accuracy, and the fascinating concept of the COI (cost of inaction) — as a way of helping clients understand the value of doing something. Amy Gottler from the eLearning Academy gives her verdict as a first-time attendee, explaining why the online format gave her the confidence to take part more fully than she ever could in person, and why validation can be just as powerful as learning something new. Dave Plunkett shares his experience as a speaker at the event, giving his take on the audience, the organisation and what made it such a smooth experience to be part of. Tejas Kotecha joins Mark a couple of days later to reflect on his first Free Spirits Live, the newfound confidence to say no to the wrong kind of work, and why he reckons the admission fee paid for itself within the first ten minutes. And finally, Kim Ellis, the original Free Spirit and host of the whole event, joins Mark to talk about what went right, what went wrong, what she took away from Dave's referrals session, and what's already in motion for the next Free Spirits Live event.Reserve your ticket for the next Free Spirits Live event on 1st October 2026 at https://ldfreespirits.com/product/find-your-voice/