DJ Husted

DJ works in the learning and development team at Charcoalblue. He supports the Group Training and Development Manager with the smooth running of the global training and development work across North America.

In short, I design and coordinate learning experiences for team members in all regions, helping them grow personally and professionally through the formats best suited to their goals. I work directly with individuals to support their development and partner with Business Units to organize learning activities aligned with organizational goals.My work spans live instructor‑led training, focus forums, asynchronous learning resources, externally sourced programs, conference support, onboarding, and more. I approach my work with creativity and with a commitment to making learning a positive, uplifting experience. I’m always looking for ways to make the journey from idea/challenge -> learning activity -> reflection as easy and straightforward as possible.At the end of the day, I want everyone to feel comfortable saying “I didn’t know that, but now I do”.

A Project That Shaped How You Work

Implementing new software that impacts our entire global team in the past year really challenged us to consider the best format for different learning outcomes. Equipped with new video recording and trimming tools, I set out to make the technical how-to training asynchronous and available for all team members when they need it in bite-size pieces. We can save the live instructor-led training for transformational topics that benefit from interactivity and discussion and everyone gets more time back in their calendar.

A Problem You Love Solving

As much as I love training facilitation and getting the opportunity to make learning meaningful, my favorite problems to solve revolve around data and automation. Spreadsheets and coding have this reputation for being dry and lifeless, but I love encountering a technical challenge or an opportunity to make something easier, quicker, or more automatic. There’s an energizing sense of accomplishment when learning to craft a stubborn formula or wrangling an entire spreadsheet of data in a fluid motion.

A Place That Shaped or Inspires You

Cliche as it may be, NYC has always inspired me. Growing up in Oklahoma, you find beauty in nature and sparsely in the cities and suburbs. But in NYC it’s in every building, park, bridge, and subway. It’s a city where life is lived no matter who’s watching as opposed to living it in private, sequestered from everyone else on an ugly highway, usually in a traffic jam.

Coffee, Travel, or Creative Ritual

Coffee is an absolute ritual for me. These days I make my espresso by hand with a manual grinder and hand-powered espresso maker. There’s something therapeutic about the routine of grinding, raking, tamping, pressing, and watching the espresso bloom out of the portafilter.

What Are You Learning About Right Now

I’ve been learning Spanish for almost 3 years now, but I’m breaking out of Duolingo (1000-day streak) and listening to more Spanish pop music, podcasts, and tv shows to help with immersion.

Cultural Value You Most Identify With

I’ve joked that I’m someone who can’t shut up when a process can be better, easier, or more reliable. So it’s been extremely gratifying to work with a group of people who are always open to challenging the status quo in the pursuit of better work. Charcoalblue really exemplifies Creativity and Innovation in this way as I’ve seen idea after idea considered, discussed, improved, and often implemented.