Training Impact Podcast
Podcast Description
The Training Impact Podcast focuses on Partner Training Programs and how to maximize their impact on organizations. I’m Jeff Walter, host of the Training Impact Podcast, and Founder and CEO of LatitudeLearning. I’ve been a member of the Learning and Development industry for over twenty years. During that time, we’ve accomplished much as an industry yet we’ve ignored two important dimensions of our industry: Partners and Programs.
Partner Training (i.e. training resellers, franchises, authorized service providers, customers, suppliers, etc.) is the fastest growing segment of our industry and yet there’s little thought leadership on the unique challenges L&D professionals face training partners. Instead the industry focuses almost exclusively on challenges of employee training.
Managing Training Programs is what we do for a living and yet there’s little thought leadership on how to do this for maximum strategic effect. Instead the industry focuses almost exclusively on tactical course level techniques of instruction.
The Training Impact Podcast is my humble attempt to explore these two neglected dimensions of the Learning and Development industry: Partners and Programs. I will be interviewing partner training program managers and discuss the challenges they face training partners and techniques they use to manage those programs for maximum impact. Along the way I’ll also share insights we’ve developed exploring partner training programs. It should be an exciting journey! Thank you for joining me, and thank you for listening.
Follow me on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreywalter
The learn more about LatitudeLearning visit www.LatitudeLearning.com
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
This podcast explores themes surrounding partner training programs and strategic training management, with episodes like 'The 7 Artificial Intelligence Use Cases for Learning and Development' and 'Transform Your Training Program into a Strategic Asset,' highlighting the need for innovative strategies in maximizing training impact and the unique challenges faced by L&D professionals.
The Training Impact Podcast focuses on Partner Training Programs and how to maximize their impact on organizations. I’m Jeff Walter, host of the Training Impact Podcast, and Founder and CEO of LatitudeLearning. I’ve been a member of the Learning and Development industry for over twenty years. During that time, we’ve accomplished much as an industry yet we’ve ignored two important dimensions of our industry: Partners and Programs.
Partner Training (i.e. training resellers, franchises, authorized service providers, customers, suppliers, etc.) is the fastest growing segment of our industry and yet there’s little thought leadership on the unique challenges L&D professionals face training partners. Instead the industry focuses almost exclusively on challenges of employee training.
Managing Training Programs is what we do for a living and yet there’s little thought leadership on how to do this for maximum strategic effect. Instead the industry focuses almost exclusively on tactical course level techniques of instruction.
The Training Impact Podcast is my humble attempt to explore these two neglected dimensions of the Learning and Development industry: Partners and Programs. I will be interviewing partner training program managers and discuss the challenges they face training partners and techniques they use to manage those programs for maximum impact. Along the way I’ll also share insights we’ve developed exploring partner training programs. It should be an exciting journey! Thank you for joining me, and thank you for listening.
Follow me on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreywalter
The learn more about LatitudeLearning visit www.LatitudeLearning.com
In this powerful and thought-provoking episode of the Training Impact Podcast, host Jeff Walter sits down with Rubens Tilkian—trial lawyer, master coach, mediator, and founder of Vertus Conflict Solutions. With over 70,000 resolved agreements and more than 550 professionals trained, Rubens brings deep experience and personal insight into one of the most overlooked elements of organizational success: conflict resolution through proactive training.
Rubens begins by reflecting on his legal background in Brazil, where even courtroom victories often left clients emotionally unsatisfied. This disconnect led him to an important realization: true resolution is not about winning a case, but about restoring agency to those involved. That insight became the foundation of Vertus, a Miami-based firm focused on preventing and resolving conflict before it disrupts teams, partnerships, and productivity.
Rubens emphasizes that Vertus is more than a mediation service—it’s a proactive training organization that equips people with the emotional intelligence, communication tools, and self-awareness to manage interpersonal dynamics before they spiral. Whether in franchise systems, family businesses, or corporate teams, Vertus helps organizations identify conflict patterns early and train against them with precision.
A central theme of the episode is the underinvestment in soft skills. Rubens shares that while 93% of employers value communication and emotional intelligence, only 35% invest in related training. The consequences? High turnover, siloed departments, and culture breakdowns. Together, Jeff and Rubens advocate for reframing soft skills as *strategic capabilities*—ones that drive retention, engagement, and business results when given proper attention.
Rubens explains that at the heart of conflict resolution is self-awareness. From personal dissatisfaction to interdepartmental friction, people often carry unspoken assumptions, unprocessed emotions, and unproductive habits. Traditional HR mediation fails because employees rarely feel safe enough to speak truthfully. Vertus offers third-party facilitation in a psychologically secure setting—one where real breakthroughs happen.
Through diagnostics, interviews, and tailored workshops, Vertus helps organizations tackle common pain points like low productivity, misaligned teams, and poor communication. Their training goes beyond theory and into practice, using tools such as the Enneagram and structured behavior feedback to create long-term transformation.
Among the firm’s training offerings:
Turning Conflicts into Opportunities – A foundational course focusing on self-awareness and the root causes of conflict.
Navigating Life Conflicts – Builds on emotional regulation and helps participants develop practical communication skills.
Mastering Negotiation – Prepares professionals for real-world negotiation, whether internal or external.
Rewriting the Script of Your Life – A personal development journey that links emotional insight to career and relationship goals.
Rubens also shares his personal journey of rebuilding Vertus in the U.S. after a successful legal career in Brazil. His story of professional reinvention speaks volumes about the resilience and adaptability his training encourages in others. It’s a message Jeff connects to deeply, reinforcing the core mission of the Training Impact Podcast: to position training—particularly partner and program-level training—as a lever for long-term business success.
The episode ends with a powerful call to action. Conflict shouldn’t be addressed only in crisis. Like safety, ethics, or cybersecurity, conflict resolution should be an ongoing discipline woven into the fabric of the business. Training for it isn’t a luxury—it’s essential infrastructure for human-centered growth.
Whether you’re a franchisor, HR leader, executive coach, or team manager, this episode delivers insight into why emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and structured communication aren’t optional—they’re transformative. And Vertus Conflict Solutions offers a compelling model to make that transformation real.
Connect with Rubens Tilkian of Vertus Conflict Solutions
Instagram: @rubenstilkian and @Vertus.usa
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/rubenstilkian
Website: https://iVertus.com.br/en/
WhatsApp (786) 913-1033
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