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#2155L&D Disrupt66.0 / 100Get badge
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L&D Disrupt

Hosted by HowNow

The world and the L&D space are changing faster than ever, but are you evolving with it? L&D Disrupt brings you tactical advice, proven tactics and honest experiences from people in the industry, helping you drive more impact every day.

164 episodes · publishes weekly · latest 2026-06-29 · ~35 min/episode

Rank

#2155

Substance

66.0

/ 100

Breakdown

Scored 2026-07
Updated monthly

HR rank

#98 of 381

Best B2B HR Podcasts →

Across the index

#2155 of 6182

Substance

Top 35%

outscores 65% of the index

Why it scores where it does

L&D Disrupt ranks #2155 on The B2B Podcast Index with a substance score of 66.0 out of 100, scored across 1 recent episode. It scores highest on guest caliber and specificity & evidence. Ruth South is a genuine practitioner with 12 years in L&D and real P&L-adjacent accountability across 1,500+ stores globally - not a career podcast guest. That said, she is a mid-senior functional leader rather than a C-suite executive or widely influential industry figure, which caps the ceiling.

The five-dimension breakdown

Averaged across 1 recently scored episode, with cited evidence.

Insight Density

13.0 / 20

A handful of concrete data points and real programme details appear (promotion rates, training volumes, coach numbers), but the majority of the 38 minutes is occupied by standard L&D principles - connect strategy to business, find stakeholders, measure success - with little that a working L&D practitioner hasn't already encountered. The signal-to-filler ratio is modest.

“we look at average sort of 40% promotion rate in the first year”

“140 increase on the number of people we put through coffee training last year versus the year before”

Originality

11.0 / 20

The episode recycles widely circulated L&D frameworks - squiggly careers, 'seat at the table,' learning in the flow of work, manager-as-champion - without meaningfully challenging or extending them. The 'barista to boardroom' framing is a tidy positioning device but offers no contrarian or first-principles thinking.

“it's about creating that table”

“Love a squiggly career. Mine's definitely been squiggly”

Guest Caliber

16.0 / 20

Ruth South is a genuine practitioner with 12 years in L&D and real P&L-adjacent accountability across 1,500+ stores globally - not a career podcast guest. That said, she is a mid-senior functional leader rather than a C-suite executive or widely influential industry figure, which caps the ceiling.

“I lead everything in the global learning team, from Coffee, compliance, learning and everything in between”

“over 50% of our L and D team is. Has started out their journey in store”

Specificity & Evidence

14.0 / 20

Usable numbers do appear - 40% first-year promotion rate, 140% uplift in coffee training volume, eight coaches qualified in 15 months, 50% of workforce under 25 - but large stretches of the conversation rely on vague language ('countless examples,' 'fantastic results,' 'great programs') that an operator cannot act on or benchmark against.

“we look at average sort of 40% promotion rate in the first year”

“140 increase on the number of people we put through coffee training last year versus the year before”

Conversational Craft

12.0 / 20

The host structures questions coherently and moves through relevant L&D territory, but rarely follows up to probe vague claims or push for harder evidence. Assertions like 'countless examples' and unquantified ROI statements pass unchallenged, and no productive disagreement emerges across the full episode.

“And as a looking at learning and talent, how have you shifted more into that data driven mindset and how has that come about?”

“Yeah, absolutely.”

Standout episodes

  • From Barista to Boardroom: How Costa Coffee Built a Learning Culture That Drives Real Business Impact | L&D Disrupt | Episode 203

    2026-06-29

    66

Rank over time

First period on the Index - history builds from here.

Episodes

1 scored on substance · 60 tracked in total.

  • From Barista to Boardroom: How Costa Coffee Built a Learning Culture That Drives Real Business Impact | L&D Disrupt | Episode 203

    2026-06-29 · 38 min

    66 / 100

Frequently asked

What is L&D Disrupt's substance score?
L&D Disrupt scores 66.0 out of 100 for substance and ranks #2155 on The B2B Podcast Index. That puts it ahead of 65% of the B2B podcasts we rank and #98 of 381 in HR. The score reflects insight density, originality, guest caliber, specificity and conversational craft across recent episodes - not downloads.
Is L&D Disrupt worth listening to?
Yes - L&D Disrupt outscores 65% of the B2B hr podcasts and shows we rank on substance, so a hr operator is likely to come away with something useful.
Who hosts L&D Disrupt?
L&D Disrupt is hosted by HowNow.
How often does L&D Disrupt publish?
L&D Disrupt publishes weekly, has 164 episodes, released its most recent episode on 2026-06-29.
Which L&D Disrupt episode should I start with?
Our highest-scoring recent episode is "From Barista to Boardroom: How Costa Coffee Built a Learning Culture That Drives Real Business Impact | L&D Disrupt | Episode 203" (66/100) - a good place to start.

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Guests who've appeared

Ruth South

Topics this show covers

The themes that come up most across this show's episodes.

Talent developmentapprenticeshipsinternal mobilityBarista to barista maestro progressionStore manager apprenticeship programGame Changers global talent programCoaching apprenticeshipsCoach Approach programDigital and data capability buildingSupply chain and procurement skills

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