Podcast Summary – Partnership, Purpose, and Resilience in L&D with Leigh Hurst of TrainingPros
Leigh’s Journey into Learning & Development
When you meet Leigh Hurst, you quickly realize she’s more than a Relationship Manager at TrainingPros. With over three decades in learning and development, she has built a career that spans corporate universities, startups, nonprofits, and higher education. Her journey began at Accenture where she designed curriculum for new consultants and became fascinated by simulation-based learning. That interest led her to Northwestern University, where she studied under Roger Schank, often described as the father of AI in education.
From there, Leigh helped startups launch online learning offerings, supported global organizations through change management, and spent two decades leading a nonprofit focused on behavior change. She’s also taught master’s-level courses in instructional design and L&D. Today, she applies all of this experience to her work at TrainingPros, connecting expert learning and development consultants with clients who need the right skills at the right time.
Why Relationship Management is More Than Recruiting
Leigh is clear: being a Relationship Manager at TrainingPros is not a transactional role. She views herself as part of a client’s planning team, advising on L&D strategy and helping them adapt projects based on budget, timeline, or skillset needs.
We’re not just there to take orders. We’re there to really understand the business and add value.
This consultative approach reflects TrainingPros’ model: all relationship managers come from L&D backgrounds, meaning clients don’t just get staffing; they gain a strategic partner who understands the nuances of custom learning solutions. For clients, that partnership feels like adding another team member, and for consultants, it opens doors to projects they might not otherwise access.
Opening Doors for Learning and Development Consultants
One of the most rewarding aspects of Leigh’s role is advocating for consultants. Many global organizations will not contract directly with independents. By working through TrainingPros, learning and development consultants gain access to projects with Fortune 500 companies and leading enterprises that would otherwise be closed to them.
Her approach is more balanced:
- Use AI to brainstorm, draft, or analyze.
- Keep the heart of content creation with skilled instructional designers.
- Leverage AI for feedback, refinement, and efficiency, but never as a wholesale replacement.
In other words, AI can be your creative partner, but it shouldn’t be the sole designer.
Explore how TrainingPros has delivered measurable success through custom learning solutions that empower organizations to thrive.
Leigh has helped learning and development consultants win Brandon Hall Group awards for their work in instructional design consulting, custom eLearning development, and other corporate training solutions—and she has watched her recommendations elevate entire careers. “It feels good when I know they’re getting to do interesting work that will help their careers long term,” she says. For new consultants making the leap from corporate roles, Leigh offers mentorship; guiding them through consulting basics and helping them build confidence. For seasoned professionals, she serves as a connector, matching them with opportunities that align with both skillset and lifestyle goals.
Consultants know they can trust TrainingPros to provide meaningful, quality projects. Clients know they’ll be matched with professionals who are not only skilled, but also flexible, proactive, and collaborative.
What Clients Value Most: Responsiveness and Partnership
Speed matters in business, and clients consistently point to TrainingPros’ responsiveness as a differentiator. Within 24 hours, Leigh can present highly qualified candidates tailored to a project’s needs. This agility allows organizations to launch initiatives quickly without sacrificing quality.
But speed is only part of the equation. Clients emphasize partnership; feeling like they’ve gained another L&D professional on their team. Leigh describes this as the essence of success: “Partnership means everything. Without it, you’re just filling a role. With it, you’re invested in their success, thinking strategically, and helping them reach their goals.”
This approach is why Leigh has one of the highest client retention rates at TrainingPros. Her clients return year after year, valuing the combination of deep L&D expertise, responsiveness, and collaboration.
Backed by the clients she serves, Katie Kelly from P&G shares her experience working with Leigh and highlights the very qualities discussed here.
Resilience, Advocacy, and Saying “No”
Leigh’s career isn’t defined only by her corporate accomplishments. In her early 30s, she was diagnosed with breast cancer; a shock for a marathon runner with no family history. That diagnosis changed the course of her life.
Determined to raise awareness, she founded Feel Your Boobies, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting early detection in young women. Through viral social media campaigns in the early days of Facebook, the organization saved lives by reaching women who might not otherwise have considered self-checks. Leigh’s background in behavior change and media made the campaigns memorable, approachable, and effective.
Her advocacy work led to recognition from the CDC, speaking engagements, and national committee appointments. Today, she shares those lessons through keynotes, teaching audiences about resilience, navigating adversity, and learning the power of saying “no.”
For Leigh, that word was transformative. “There were things I could not keep on my plate anymore. I learned to say no to what didn’t align with my values.” It’s a lesson she believes resonates broadly with professionals—especially women juggling careers, families, and personal responsibilities.
I learned to say no to what didn’t align with my values.
Critical Skills Consultants Need to Succeed
When asked what makes a consultant stand out, Leigh highlights three traits:
- Flexibility – The ability to adapt when projects shift, budgets change, or client needs evolve.
- Professionalism – Consistently delivering with excellence, building trust through reliability and integrity.
- Proactive communication – Raising red flags early, thinking strategically, and adding value beyond task execution.
Consultants who combine technical expertise in eLearning development, leadership development, or specialized domains with business consulting skills are the ones who thrive. As Leigh puts it, “They’re not just order takers—they’re partners in achieving outcomes.”
The point isn’t to transform everything overnight, it’s to build confidence, measure progress, and slowly scale what works.
Mentorship and Paying It Forward
Just as mentors shaped her own path, Leigh is committed to guiding others. She mentors new consultants, helping them transition from corporate roles, and offers practical advice about the realities of independent work. She believes mentorship is a multiplier: by helping one consultant succeed, she indirectly impacts the clients, learners, and organizations they serve. At TrainingPros, many of our learning and development consultants find that mentorship accelerates their careers just as much as project experience.
Leigh’s approach mirrors what industry research emphasizes: mentorship and knowledge transfer are critical to building strong, future-ready workforces.
- Understanding risks and governance.
- Learning enough technical language to connect business needs with engineering realities.
- Demonstrating transparency and ethical use.
- Constantly experimenting and learning.
In short, it’s not about hype—it’s about fluency, adaptability, and credibility.
Final Thoughts: Work That Feels Like Partnership
Leigh’s story is one of resilience, advocacy, and a deep belief in partnership. From Accenture’s corporate classrooms to TrainingPros’ client collaborations, from nonprofit advocacy to keynote stages, she has dedicated her career to helping people grow.
For her, the most meaningful measure of success is when clients, consultants, and teams all feel supported and empowered. “It’s rewarding to know we’re not only supporting careers, but also shaping better workplaces where people can thrive,” she reflects.
It’s rewarding to know we’re not only supporting careers, but also shaping better workplaces where people can thrive.
Resources and Recommendations
Leigh’s work is informed by her diverse experiences and by resources she recommends to others in L&D and beyond:
- The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle – on intentionally shaping team culture
- Josh Bersin’s research – for benchmarking and industry trends
- Harvard Business Review – for broader business and leadership insights
- Roger Schank’s work on simulation and AI in learning – pioneering insights into scenario-based and experiential learning design
For her, the most meaningful measure of success is when clients, consultants, and teams all feel supported and empowered. “It’s rewarding to know we’re not only supporting careers, but also shaping better workplaces where people can thrive,” she reflects.
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If your projects need instructional design consultants, eLearning developers, or other L&D consultants for your custom content projects, reach out to one of our industry-expert relationship managers today.
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