Continuous learning
How do you learn best?
What have you been learning lately? What subjects have you “going down rabbit holes” or dipping into them across multiple media platforms?
I ask because we’re at the halfway point in the year. And summer is here — many of you may already have children on their summer break. The longer days can create space to pursue your interests, the things you want to learn more about.
To get you thinking…
My three obsessions at the moment are:
AI
How our brains and emotions work
Italian
As business owners (and humans), continuous learning, with well-timed breaks, is a critical to our evolution and that of our businesses.
Another Italian lesson.
How you best approach learning new things is unique to you. And is also likely dependent on what it is you’re learning, how much time you have, and the funds you have to invest.
If you’ve been around this newsletter for a bit, you know I have a massive amount of “amore” for Italy. What you may not know is that I’ve been studying Italian, on and off, for 15 years. Why? Well, there were two inciting incidents. Both occurred on a trip a trip to Italy with a friend, prior to me starting to learn the language.
The first was at a car rental counter, where the rental agent (kindly) mocked me for having a very Italian last name and not speaking a word of the language (his co-worker politely laughed).
The second event on that trip hit closer to home. My friend and I took a day to visit the tiny hilltop town, not far from Lucca, where my grandfather was born. If you blink, you’ll miss the sign and the turn off to drive up to the town.
We arrived in the early afternoon and tried to find my relatives — great uncles and aunts and a few second cousins who I knew were there for the summer. After some madcap misunderstandings caused by me and my language deficit, we found my great uncle and aunt, who went to get my second-cousin to translate. It was lovely. They took me to visit another great aunt, the one who had remained in Italy after her brothers moved abroad.
At the end of the visit, before we left to drive back to our hotel, we sat talking to Denio and his wife, Lidia. I use “we” very loosely. Because it was my friend who did the talking. She, of Irish descent, was the one who had learned to speak Italian. At one point, Lidia (who could be a bit “spicy”) turned to my friend and said (and I translate), “She doesn’t understand a word we’re saying, does she?” Dio.
Learning the language.
Five or so years later, I made the decision to correct what had become to feel like a deficiency. I started my Italian language journey by signing up for in-person classes at Parliamo Italiano in NYC. It was a small group. We met weekly, could only speak Italian in class, and had homework to complete before each class. It was great and I continued through three levels, making good progress. Then life got in the way and I let it go. Though, I did keep all my notes and the handouts (helpful!).
But the urge to continue stuck with me, and I signed up for the language app Babbel. I stuck with it for a bit, but it was nowhere as impactful as the in-person sessions had been.
My third round of Italian lessons came in the form of weekly 1:1 Zoom calls with a lovely Italian teacher (“insegnante”). She was from Turin (“Torino”) and now lived in Paris. In addition to Italian, English, and French, she was also fluent in Spanish. These sessions with her were worth the time and every penny. As with the group program, our default rule was to only speak Italian (until I got too frustrated and said something in English) and there was also homework each week. I learned so much and what helped me the most was her teaching me how to pronounce words in Italian… tip: every vowel is pronounced and, with very few exceptions, there are no accents. I get complimented on my pronunciation to this day. And I have those notes a well.
I’ll dive back in again “presto”!
Ways of learning.
I was talking to a client late last week. We were discussing AI and how to learn to bring it into our businesses in a meaningful way and stay on top of the ongoing advancements.
I went the route of purchasing a self-paced online program that I heard about during its initial launch and then signed on for in the round two release. The program was significant enough an investment that I’m sticking with it (now on Module 5 of 6) despite the lack of accountability. And I am learning a lot. I like that I have access to the program with no end date. And their team is updating the course from time-to-time, which is a must. I do wish they held monthly calls though — to share AI updates and answer questions.
This works for me. My client? Not so much. She needs the accountability, so a self-directed course is a no-go. Another AI pro got on our radar — he runs a monthly membership with calls and a boatload of content. She’s leaning in that direction, but the mountain of content is a bit daunting. Where to start? Hopefully, they have a plan for that.
Student, know thyself.
So, how do you learn best?
How much time can you carve each day/week/month? Do you need accountability? Or are you a self-starter, disciplined enough to go-it-alone when a subject has your interest or the investment is large enough? Do you thrive in group settings? Or in 1:1 work? What funds do you have available to invest? If there are none, what can you do now to learn what you need to until the funds do become available or you’ve gotten what you need and moved on.
Once, you’re clear on the answers to these questions, you can choose your way of learning.
We live in a time when we have access to so much information and solid instruction across a variety of online tools, media, and formats.
Here’s a list of what came to mind:
LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok
YouTube videos
Email newsletters
Podcasts and audiobooks
Physical and e-books
Apps
ChatGPT
DIY (self-paced) courses
Topic-specific memberships
Online communities in which learning is a focus
Online group programs
1:1 coaching and VIP intensives
Really, you get to choose.
What’s on your list?
What’s on your list for the second half of 2025? What do you want to learn in service of your business and your personal development? How can you go about it in a way that works for you?
Like learning Italian was for me, what needs to change for you now? What do you want to commit time and resources to?
If it’s your business and 1:1 work is your preferred format, let’s talk.
Until next time.
Katherine
#ICYMI
