2,582 registrations. 826 unique Chatters. 28 Coffee Chats. Here’s what happened when we built a community for practical, no-BS learning and development conversations in 2025.
Building a community is messy.
You send out invitations, you show up, you hope other people show up too. And then you do it again. And again. For 28 times throughout the year.
Here’s what happened when we did that for the Learning Rebels Coffee Chat in 2025.
The Coffee Chat Numbers (Because Data Tells a Story)
This year, out of 2,582 registrants, 826 unique people registered for at least one Coffee Chat. Some came once. Some came twice. And 46 people? They registered for 15 or more sessions. That’s not “I’ll pop in when it’s convenient.” That’s “I’m building this into my schedule.”
The topics that hit hardest:
- “After ATD, Now What?” (197 registrations) – Turns out, people don’t just want conference insights. They want to know what to actually do with them when they get back to their desk on Tuesday.
- The quarterly series sessions (averaging 120+ registrations each) – Consistency matters. People want a space they can depend on.
- Late spring and late year consistently pulled the strongest numbers, which tells me something about when L&D professionals need community most.
The feedback? An average rating of 4.84 out of 5. 🥳
But honestly, the ratings aren’t what stuck with me.
What you told us: The Coffee Chat Feedback
I read through 73 feedback responses, and the same themes kept showing up:
💡Permission to be imperfect. Multiple people mentioned feeling relieved hearing others say, “I just got done what I could in the time available,” or “something done is better than perfect.” This profession has a perfectionism problem, and apparently, Coffee Chats became a place where people could admit they’re working with duct tape and limited resources. And you know what? I’m down with that.
💡Practical tools, immediately. People aren’t here for theory. They want to know what tools others are actually using, what’s working, what’s not worth the money. One person wrote, “I came away with several tools and platforms I am going to look at to help support engagement.” That’s the goal. Walk away with something you can use Monday morning.
💡The community piece. This showed up over and over: “I appreciate the community that Shannon has built,” and “It’s a fun, meaningful way to spend an hour.” Multiple people mentioned leaving feeling “encouraged, renewed in focus, and like I’d made some new friends who get what the real world of L&D looks like.”
Here’s the thing that surprised me: Several people mentioned burnout and self-care. Not as throwaway comments, but as real struggles they’re navigating. One person wrote about still recovering from burnout and appreciating discussions about microbreaks and restoration. This isn’t just about getting better at training design. It’s about surviving in this profession and life in general.
The Coffee Chat Super-Regulars
You can’t talk about building community without acknowledging the people who kept showing up. These folks registered and showed up for 15 or more Coffee Chats in 2025:
🥰Andrew, Amanda, Jason, Victoria, Beth, Betsy, Olumide, Tamaki, Kat, Laura, Leslie, Maureen, Michelle, Douglas, Kelly, Linda G, Patti, Robert, Connie, Deb, Eda, Heather, Jeanette, Jose, JD, Debbie, Natalie, Nicole, Shari, Thomas, Todd, Carol, Jacqueline, Jake, Jennie, Jessica, Robin, Dawn, David, just to call out a few!
Some of you spoke up regularly in discussions. Some of you dropped resources in the chat that I immediately bookmarked.
Some of you just showed up and listened, which matters. A lot.
Every time someone new joins and sees a room full of people, it signals ‘other people are struggling with this too, and they’re showing up to figure it out.’
What People Want to Talk About in 2026
Based on the feedback, here’s what’s on your minds:
➡️Consulting skills – Multiple requests for “where to begin, what to expect, how to position yourself.” The shift from internal contributor to consultant isn’t intuitive, and you want concrete guidance. (Good news: We’re launching a separate monthly Consultants Chat in 2026 specifically for these conversations – planning your services, marketing yourself, navigating contractor life.)
➡️Difficult conversations – One person wrote, “This is something I still struggle with.” Me too. We all do.
➡️Working with constraints – Particularly this comment: “I work in the government sector healthcare. There are challenges we have, like lack of access to use AI, that limit what I can do… I’m trying to find creative ways to use Microsoft Forms to build learning activities.” This is real-world L&D. Let’s talk about it.
➡️Scope creep and saying no – You already know this is a problem. You want strategies for dealing with it.
➡️AI in L&D (with the caveat that it changes constantly, so we may plan quarterly check-ins)
What We’re Doing with This Information
One thing that stood out: The format works. 90% of you said 60 minutes is “just right,” and 89% find the follow-up resources helpful.
But here’s what we’re adjusting:
➡️More focused topics. Single-topic deep dives work better than trying to cover several things. So we’re structuring 2026 around a few mini-series where we can build on previous conversations.
➡️Conference and event tie-ins. The ATD follow-up session proved that you want practical debriefs after major events. Not just “here’s what I learned” but “here’s how this applies to what you’re working on.”
➡️Real constraints, real solutions. If you’re working with limited budgets, restricted technology access, or skeptical stakeholders (so… most of you), we’re talking about strategies that work within those realities. Not fantasy scenarios where leadership magically understands the value of L&D.
Upcoming For 2026
The Coffee Chats continue. Every other Friday at 11 AM Central, plus expect a few extra sessions based on events that may happen throughout the year.
If you’ve been lurking on the fence about joining: Show up.
The sessions are recorded and resources are available on the Learning Rebels website for free for 10 days after each session. But here’s the thing – if you join the Learning Rebels community, you get access to the full archive: videos, transcripts, book recommendations, all the resources from every Coffee Chat we’ve done. The topics are practical. The people are dealing with the same frustrations you are. And almost always, someone drops a resource or perspective that makes your whole week make sense.
If you’re one of the regulars: Thank you.
Community doesn’t build itself. It requires people who keep showing up, contributing, making space for newcomers, and being honest about what’s actually working in your organizations.
And if you came to one session this year and thought, “Maybe I’ll come back,” You should. The community is better with you in it.
What You Can Do Right Now
✅Join the next Coffee Chat. Check the Learning Rebels Coffee Chat page for the schedule and registration.
✅Join the Learning Rebels community. Get access to the full Coffee Chat archive (videos, transcripts, resources, book recommendations, and all the things from every session). Plus research, tools, frameworks, and discussions. It’s where the conversations continue between Coffee Chats. Check it out here and lock in 2025 prices.
✅Listen to the podcast. Every week, we break down the most recent coffee chat and get down to the practical in 30 minutes. Think of it as the Coffee Chat you can listen to on your commute. Available wherever you get podcasts.
✅Suggest topics that would actually help you. Use the feedback form after sessions. I read every response. If something’s on your mind, chances are it’s on 20 other people’s minds too.
✅Bring someone with you. Know another L&D person who’s struggling? Send them the Coffee Chat link. Building community means making room for more people, not gatekeeping the good conversations.
✅Chip in if you can. Free Coffee Chat resources aren’t actually free. There’s the Zoom account, the resource hosting, podcast creation and the hours creating blogs, tools and templates. If Learning Rebels has been valuable to you, buying me a coffee helps keep it free for everyone.
2025 proved something I suspected but wasn’t sure about.
There are a lot of L&D professionals who are tired of the corporate jargon, the impossible expectations, and the feeling that they’re figuring this out alone. Coffee Chats became a place where you could admit you’re working with limited resources and still trying to make something good happen. You have a voice and it deserves to be heard.
That’s worth continuing.
See you in January.
~ Shannon
Create Learning Experiences That Drive Real Business Impact
Register for the next free Learning Rebels Coffee Chat!
Ready to build learning experiences that drive business results? Start Now!
