Kim is the original Free Spirit. She set up L&D Free Spirits in early 2024 with one mission: to make freelancing in L&D less lonely, more connected, and a whole lot more doable.
A freelancer since 2017, Kim knows first-hand how hard it can be to get started. She spent a long time winging it alone — until she realised the power of community. Now she’s on a mission to help others find their people, their confidence, and their own version of freelance freedom.
We asked Kim: What’s one bit of advice you wish you’d had when you were starting out?
You don’t need to do everything at once – take your time, plan your strategy, create a value prop. Decide what you’re offering to whom because it’ll make your conversations so much more productive.
Liggy is an award winning and bestselling author, presenter and international consultant. She is recognised as a thought leader on human resilience and behavioural agility and works with a wide range of businesses focusing on optimising potential through continual learning and behavioural agility.
Some of the organisations that Liggy has worked with includes the NHS, the BBC, Walt Disney, the World Trade Organization, the United Nations and various public and private sector organisations, charities and universities.
She has written over thirty-five books (including her bite-sized life skills series) on a variety of topics that help people to be happier, healthier, and more productive. Liggy is passionate about distilling complexity and creating light, accessible and practical resources.
The guiding principles of her book on resilience through change has also been televised for a series with the BBC world service.
What will you get out of Liggy’s session?
In her opening keynote, Liggy will explore how belief, resilience and behavioural agility unlock your ability to succeed on your own terms. She’ll spotlight the core qualities that help freelancers thrive – including tenacity, self-belief, creativity and vision – and how to build habits that support consistent progress even when challenges hit.
You’ll walk away feeling more confident in your ability to achieve great things, more equipped to bounce back from setbacks, and more committed to pacing yourself with purpose. Liggy will offer practical encouragement to help you stay curious, prioritise self-care and take meaningful steps towards your goals.
We asked Liggy: What’s one bit of advice you wish you’d had when you were starting out?
Be clear about the purpose of what you are striving for because this will help you to be resilient when faced with challenges and setbacks.
Jasmine is a social anthropologist, and brings this specialist knowledge to her work in the corporate world. She runs a training and advisory consultancy, specialising in diversity, equity and inclusion, and she works with employee forums.
Jasmine has lived in London since 2008, and has worked extensively all around the UK. Before moving to London, she was a professor at FIT (the Fashion Institute of Technology, a part of the State University of New York), teaching cross cultural studies for international business majors.
What will you get out of Jasmine’s session?
In her closing keynote, Jasmine will share five thought-provoking stories about power — the power of sense-making, community, finding luck, reciprocity and resistance. But rather than ending the day with a lecture, she’ll offer a reflective and practical perspective on how human-level power can be a positive, motivating force.
Each story is designed to spark ideas and help you connect the day’s learning to your own freelance journey. You’ll come away with a handful of useful tips, new ways of thinking, and the clarity to notice and use the power already in your hands.
We asked Jasmine: What’s one bit of advice you wish you’d had when you were starting out?
When you run your own business, what makes what you offer special is YOU.
Linnéa is an independent learning designer who helps organisations move beyond content production and toward learning that creates real impact. With a background in adult learning, transfer and workplace pedagogy, she specialises in designing solutions that are relevant, clear and grounded in how people actually learn.
Known for her honest, thoughtful approach, Linnéa works closely with clients to uncover what people genuinely need in order to learn and apply new skills. Her Swiss-army-knife approach means she adapts the method to the problem, not the other way around, bringing flexibility and pragmatism into every project. She works as a business partner first and a learning designer second, using learning as the lever for real organisational impact.
Linnéa brings a blend of pedagogy, practicality and warm collaboration to her work, with a strategic lens that ensures every project moves both people and the organisation forward.
What will you get out of Linnéa’s session?
Freelance L&D life isn’t all smooth sailing – sometimes you’re handed a brief that makes you wince. In this session, Linnéa explores how to handle those ‘shitty asks’ in ways that protect your integrity, strengthen your craft, and avoid burning bridges.
You’ll find out how to evaluate whether to say no (and offer better options) or say yes with intention, using what she calls the Trojan Horse approach – small, smart moves that sneak better learning into constrained projects. Expect tools, tactics and a shift in mindset about the influence you can have, even within tricky parameters.
You’ll leave with a clearer decision-making model, practical techniques to raise learning quality without rocking the boat, and a bonus PDF packed with Trojan Horse examples to support you long after the session.
We asked Linnéa: What’s one bit of advice you wish you’d had when you were starting out?
I wish someone had helped me understand what ‘good enough’ actually looks like, and how to recognise it in different situations. It took me far too long to learn that skill, and it’s one of the best tools for managing your workload.
Rob is CEO and Creative Lead of LAS, and a lifelong designer with a passion for how people learn, what captures attention, and how technology can enhance learning experiences. With over 14 years’ experience leading innovation and change in the learning space, Rob blends creative design with deep expertise in human-centred learning.
He’s worked on a huge variety of digital learning projects and is known for pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. Rob is editor and co-author of The Really Useful eLearning Instruction Manual (Wiley), and regularly speaks at conferences on learning, technology, and sustainability. In 2015, he received the Outstanding Contribution Award at the eLearning Awards for raising standards and encouraging greater creativity in digital learning across the industry.
What will you get out of Rob’s session?
Creativity and resilience are two of the most important – and often overlooked – ingredients in a thriving freelance career. In his session, Rob will guide you through simple but powerful strategies to strengthen both.
You’ll walk away from this session with proven strategies for boosting personal creativity and building resilience.
We asked Rob: What’s one bit of advice you wish you’d had when you were starting out?
Resilience isn’t about pushing harder, it’s about knowing when to step back and recharge.
Emma is an award-winning learning professional with more than 25 years’ experience across L&D, Talent, and EdTech. She has written over 90 award-winning submissions (including more than 80 Gold), served as a judge and category chair for leading UK and US programmes, and developed a 99% success rate through her work in awards and recognition.
Emma founded Rooftop Recognition to help L&D, Talent, and EdTech teams communicate the value of their work with clarity, evidence and confidence. She specialises in building sustainable award strategies, crafting compelling impact stories, and helping organisations turn learning outcomes into recognition worth shouting about.
Passionate about elevating the voice of the L&D industry, she shares her expertise through speaking, writing and practical guidance. Emma believes recognition isn’t about trophies – it’s about shining a light on impact, strengthening credibility and telling stories that matter.
What will you get out of Emma’s session?
Now more than ever, freelancers need practical ways to prove their value – and that’s where an “award mindset” comes in. In this fast-paced and friendly session, Emma will introduce her Blueprint for Recognition: five essential elements that help you design stronger projects, tell clearer stories and stand out – even if you never submit an award entry.
You’ll learn how to spot the impact in your own work, use targeted prompts to surface outcomes and create a project snapshot you can use for marketing, proposals or awards. You’ll leave with a practical toolkit to improve how you frame your work, highlight results and show potential clients exactly why they should trust you.
We asked Emma: What’s one bit of advice you wish you’d had when you were starting out?
That you don’t have to have it all figured out right away; your services and ‘offer’ will evolve over time. Try things out, test, and iterate. Eventually things will click into place and you’ll have a clear understanding of who you are, who you help, and what you love doing most, i.e., the work that makes you thrive.
Andrew is a Learning Strategist and Organisational Impact Advisor. His work challenges the dominant model of workplace learning – the outer loop of training supply, programme delivery and content consumption. Andrew works with leadership teams to move into the inner loop: diagnosing the real problem, brokering across the organisation, and shaping the conditions where learning happens through work itself.
He is the founder of Llarn Learning and has led learning, talent and capability work across public, private and third sector organisations, including senior roles in central government with HMRC and the Department of Health and Social Care.
Andrew is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD, producer of the Women Talking About Learning podcast, and writes daily at lostanddesperate.com. His work has been recognised through national industry awards for informal learning, capability development, and learning strategy. He speaks globally at conferences and events about learning, leadership, and the systemic work required to build organisations that learn.
What will you get out of Andrew’s session?
Many freelancers feel intimidated by tenders, but they don’t have to be scary – in fact they can open doors and expand your horizons. In this session, Andrew will demystify public sector tendering.
You’ll explore where to find tenders, how the process works, and the tools that make it all more manageable. Whether you’re totally new to bidding or ready to raise your game, you’ll leave with practical insights to help you navigate the process and get noticed.
We asked Andrew: What’s one bit of advice you wish you’d had when you were starting out?
Ask more questions! And make sure you record the answers!
Tess is a Director at LAS, a multi-award winning, human-centred learning, innovation and change agency. She is also a conference speaker, writer and Learning Technologies Awards Panel Chair.
Having started her career in higher education, Tess has always had a keen interest in the psychology and behaviours behind how people learn and holds a Master’s degree in Organisational Behaviour.
In 2009, Tess moved into corporate learning, joining LAS, where they work with global organisations consulting, designing and developing high impact digital and blended learning experiences and behaviour change interventions.
What will you get out of Tess’s session?
Ready to align your learning passion with purpose? As L&D freelancers, your work impacts culture and behaviour, making you key drivers for a sustainable future. In this high-impact, 30-minute session, we’ll move beyond buzzwords to give you practical, eco-friendly strategies you can implement right away.
You’ll learn how to ‘green’ your client projects, understand the growing world of B Corps and purpose-driven organisations, and discover the benefits of working with them. Find out how you can reduce your carbon footprint, position yourself for the values-based economy and join a community committed to making a tangible, sustainable difference.
We asked Tess: What’s one bit of advice you wish you’d had when you were starting out?
Don’t be afraid to say no.
Meet the moderators & hosts
Get to know our marvellous moderators and fabulous hosts:
Andy is your plain speaking Learning Consultant from Aprendido Limited… Oh goodie, another L&D Consultant. Just what the world needs!
But here’s the thing: many businesses are still paralysed by the perceived cost and complexity of digital learning.
That’s where Andy comes in.
He helps organisations design and deliver digital learning that works – clearly, affordably, and without the nonsense. No jargon. No inflated tech. Just straight-talking advice and hands-on delivery.
Andy combines logic with empathy to cut through the fluff and focus on what your business really needs. With 35+ years’ experience and a background in digital, he guides clients from discovery to implementation – building bridges between teams and making change happen.
Andy communicates in plain English, stays hands-on, and know when to bring in the right people. He don’t pretend to have all the answers – but he knows how to find them.
We asked Andy: What’s one bit of advice you wish you’d had when you were starting out?
When you are a freelancer, every stranger is a new opportunity. Forget about competitors. Everyone in business just wants to be a success and to help others achieve the same.
Thea is one of only 45 Canva Verified Experts on the planet, turning design dread into “I can’t believe I made this!” moments. With nearly 15 years of training experience, she brings energy, humour, and no-nonsense tips to workshops, webinars, and 1:1s worldwide.
I’m also the founder of Totally Content, a hub for creative content, publishing, and print-on-demand. My passions include retro-tech, music, and helping others explore their creative potential.
We asked Thea: What’s one bit of advice you wish you’d had when you were starting out?
When I first started training, I made the rookie mistake of trying to copy my mentor, Gary. It felt all wrong, like wearing shoes two sizes too small – uncomfortable and not remotely me. The best advice I ever got? Be yourself and find your own style. The second I did, everything clicked, and training became fun, natural, and mine.
Natalie is a learning and development specialist, facilitator and Director of Leaderful Action. She has worked in L&D since 2007, bringing nearly two decades of experience across the public, third and private sectors. Natalie designs and delivers programmes that create real behaviour change, stronger leadership and more human workplaces. Her work blends evidence-based practice, coaching, emotional intelligence and practical tools to help people learn in ways that feel meaningful, relevant and sustainable.
As a business owner, Natalie sees the power of intentionally strengthening her own “curiosity muscle”; using it to build brilliant client relationships and deeply understand the challenges organisations are navigating. This curiosity-first approach underpins her business and shapes the way she collaborates – with clarity, compassion and a genuine desire to help clients think differently. She is known for her warm, thoughtful style and her ability to create safe, stretching spaces where people feel heard, supported and inspired to grow.
We asked Natalie: What’s one bit of advice you wish you’d had when you were starting out?
That you don’t have to be ‘perfect’ for people to see you as great at what you do – being human is all part of what people connect with as a facilitator and professional.
Tom is a leading advocate for experiment-led design and evidence-informed practice in learning and development. As the founder of Evolve L&D, he works with organisations to build L&D functions that solve real performance problems through practical, research-aligned methods rather than trends or guesswork.
Alongside his consultancy, Tom advises several edtech companies as a product and research partner, ensuring technology aligns with how people actually learn and work. He is also the creator of the IDTX conference series, hosting events that bring practitioners together to share evidence-informed practice.
A regular speaker at industry conferences, Tom focuses on the realities of workplace learning and the systems, cultures, and tools that enable people to perform at their best.
We asked Tom: What’s one bit of advice you wish you’d had when you were starting out?
It’s not about being clever, it’s about being helpful.