What makes an L&D freelancer valuable?

In this episode, we chat with Tom McDowall — founder of Evolve L&D, learning strategist, and long-time contributor to the L&D community. Tom shares his unconventional path from theatre tech to freelance consultant. He opens up about the reality of outsourcing, pricing for value instead of time, and why our industry may need a serious wake-up call.

Tom answers Paul’s ‘golden rule’ question from the previous episode, and poses a bold challenge for our next guest. Whether you’re just starting out or rethinking your freelance strategy, this episode is packed with honest reflections, practical tips, and a fresh take on where L&D is headed.

A graphic with a dark green geometric background featuring the quote "Be easy to work with" in bold white text. Large turquoise quotation marks and a stylised quote line appear to the left. On the right side is an image of Tom McDowall smiling slightly.