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Michelle Deshotels

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This isn’t a regularly updated blog.
It’s a collection of practical insights from over 15 years of building learning programs.
Each post tackles specific challenges with real examples and data.
My point of view, no theory, no fluff, just what actually worked (and what didn’t).

  • Backing In: Seeing the Patterns I’ve Built

    Michelle Deshotels

    August 20, 2026

    Backing In: Seeing the Patterns I’ve Built

    I didn’t set out to create a brand. I kept making things, following questions, and solving problems. Eventually, I looked back and saw that the pieces weren’t random. The patterns had been there all along. I had built them before I knew enough to see them.

    Read More: Backing In: Seeing the Patterns I’ve Built
  • How I Built Threaded by Wielding AI

    Michelle Deshotels

    April 5, 2026

    How I Built Threaded by Wielding AI

    I live across analog and digital — iPad, reMarkable, pen, paper, AI. For years something always fell through the cracks when I moved between them. Threaded is the system I built to fix that. It also became how I wield AI. One solution. Two problems solved.

    Read More: How I Built Threaded by Wielding AI
  • 3 Months In, I Was Failing as a Supervisor…

    Michelle Deshotels

    January 26, 2026

    3 Months In, I Was Failing as a Supervisor…

    I’d had great managers in my many years in corporate America. But three months into my first supervisory role at Chase, I was failing — and I knew it. What saved me wasn’t a training program. It was Janet. The best leader I ever worked for showed up right when I needed her most.

    Read More: 3 Months In, I Was Failing as a Supervisor…
  • Translating Information to Wisdom

    Michelle Deshotels

    January 26, 2026

    Translating Information to Wisdom

    My mother spent our entire childhood teaching us things she said we’d need one day — even when we couldn’t see why. She wasn’t filling our heads with facts. She was giving us information ready to become wisdom the moment life demanded it. Turns out she was right.

    Read More: Translating Information to Wisdom
  • Say it Loud! Training Should Be Fun

    Michelle Deshotels

    January 13, 2026

    Say it Loud! Training Should Be Fun

    I grew up in corporate when ‘fun’ and ‘learning’ were seen as opposites. Engaging training was suspicious – if people enjoyed it, they probably weren’t learning anything valuable. I found the opposite to be true. When I made training fun, engagement went up. And I have the data to prove it.

    Read More: Say it Loud! Training Should Be Fun
  • The Newsletter No One Read (But Everyone Used)

    Michelle Deshotels

    January 13, 2026

    The Newsletter No One Read (But Everyone Used)

    10% engagement rate. By most metrics, that’s a failure. I built a monthly newsletter and only 10% of staff actively read it. You’d probably tell me to kill it. Except 100% of new hires used it as their first stop for everything. Success isn’t always what it looks like.

    Read More: The Newsletter No One Read (But Everyone Used)
  • 70%+ LMS Engagement (Part 2): What Works

    Michelle Deshotels

    January 8, 2026

    70%+ LMS Engagement (Part 2): What Works

    In Part 1 I shared how we got from 10% to 70 and often over 80% sustained monthly engagement. Now let’s talk about what actually drives that – and why many are solving the wrong problem. The answer isn’t better content. It’s making your LMS the one source of truth.

    Read More: 70%+ LMS Engagement (Part 2): What Works
  • How I Got 70%+ LMS Engagement (Part 1)

    Michelle Deshotels

    January 8, 2026

    How I Got 70%+ LMS Engagement (Part 1)

    LMS engagement sits around 20-30%. Platforms see completion rates as low as 13%. We spend thousands on systems people visit once during onboarding and never touch again. In my last role, less than 10% of staff returned after onboarding. I needed to change that.

    Read More: How I Got 70%+ LMS Engagement (Part 1)
  • AI Adoption – My Reality Check 🤖

    Michelle Deshotels

    January 8, 2026

    AI Adoption – My Reality Check 🤖

    I collect information everywhere: YouTube, articles, Reddit threads. It sits until a problem connects the dots. That happened when my VP said AI would matter. 78% of orgs use AI. Only 1-2% have a real strategy. AI adoption isn’t about AI. It’s about managing change for people.

    Read More: AI Adoption – My Reality Check 🤖
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