Why Human Experience Still Matters In The Age Of AI featuring Sara Loncka
Release Date: 05/22/2026
What AI Can't Do For Your Relationships featuring Eric Mill and Jessica Montague
Snafu w/ Robin Zander
I recently sat down Eric Mill and Jess Montague, the co-founders of Relatable, for a conversation about the skills that become more important as AI continues to change the way we work. We talked about their journey from working as marriage and family therapists to building Relatable, a relationship learning platform that brings many of the skills they have developed through years of therapy into the workplace. Eric and Jess shared what they see when they work with founders and leaders, including the less obvious forces behind high performance. We talked about grit, fear, insecurity, and the...
info_outline
What Theater Can Teach Us About Work featuring J. Noble and Nora Wheaton
Snafu w/ Robin Zander
I recently welcomed J. Noble and Nora Wheaton from American Conservatory Theater (ACT) onto the Snafu podcast for a conversation about theater, storytelling, leadership, and what the performing arts can teach us about how we communicate and work together. We talked about the tension between adapting to the person or situation in front of you while still bringing your own personality, perspective, and strengths into the conversation. We also explored storytelling and the role it plays in everything from sales and leadership to building relationships and communicating ideas. J and Nora made the...
info_outline
The New Rules Of Teamwork In The Age Of AI featuring Dane Groeneveld
Snafu w/ Robin Zander
I recently sat down with Dane Groeneveld for the second part of our conversation on Snafu, where we went deeper into his journey, his thinking on teams and leadership, and what it takes to navigate work when the world changes faster than we can plan for it. We talked about Dane’s childhood growing up in Australian mining towns, his 25-year career in recruiting, and the experiences that led him to become fascinated by what makes some teams thrive while others struggle. We also explored AI, from its potential to create abundance to the disruption and uncertainty it may bring. Dane shared how...
info_outline
The Myth of AI Adoption
Snafu w/ Robin Zander
info_outline
The Art of Human Connection featuring Adam Rosendahl
Snafu w/ Robin Zander
In this episode, I’m joined by Adam Rosendahl – facilitator, artist, and founder of Late Nite Art – for a conversation about creativity, trust, belonging, and why deeply human experiences may matter more than ever in an increasingly AI-driven world. Adam’s work uses collaborative art, storytelling, music, and facilitation to help people lower their defenses and reconnect with one another in ways that traditional meetings, networking, and workplace culture often fail to create. We explore how creativity can function as a kind of social technology — building trust, emotional openness,...
info_outline
Why Human Experience Still Matters In The Age Of AI featuring Sara Loncka
Snafu w/ Robin Zander
In this episode, I’m joined by Sara Loncka – experiential learning designer, leadership strategist, and CEO of Experience Institute – for a conversation about why human experience may matter more than ever in an increasingly AI-driven world. Sara’s work focuses on leadership development, experiential learning, and organizational transformation, but this conversation goes far beyond workplace training. It’s about what happens when people become disconnected from themselves, each other, and the environments shaping their lives – and why intentional experiences can interrupt the...
info_outline
Incorruptible: How Great Companies Stay Great featuring Eric Ries
Snafu w/ Robin Zander
In this episode, I’m joined by Eric Ries – entrepreneur, founder of the Lean Startup movement, and author of The Lean Startup and Incorruptible – for a conversation about what it actually takes to build companies that last. Eric’s work has shaped how startups and large organizations approach innovation, but this conversation goes deeper than experimentation. It’s about what happens after you succeed and why so many good companies slowly lose their way. At the center is a concept he calls financial gravity: the invisible force that pushes organizations toward short-term decisions,...
info_outline
How Cults Work with Ellen Huet
Snafu w/ Robin Zander
In this episode, I’m joined by Ellen Huet – journalist at Bloomberg and author of Empire of Orgasm – for a conversation about power, belonging, and the sometimes blurry line between influence and manipulation. Ellen has spent over a decade covering Silicon Valley – from AI startups to the personalities shaping the industry. Empire of Orgasm explores OneTaste, the sexual wellness company and alleged sex cult. Throughout the book, Ellen also explores the broader question of how high-demand groups actually work. At the center of this book is the uncomfortable idea that cults aren’t a...
info_outline
Building Community that Drives Business with Joshua Zerkel
Snafu w/ Robin Zander
In this episode, I’m joined by Joshua Zerkel – community strategist, former Evernote ambassador turned community leader, and author of The Community Code – for a conversation about what it really takes to build community that drives business outcomes. Joshua’s path is anything but typical. He started as a power user and advocate, writing productivity books about Evernote before eventually joining the company and helping scale its community as it grew from 100M to 200M users. From there, he went on to build and lead community at Asana, turning it into a global program spanning forums,...
info_outline
How to Move People with Lindsey Caplan
Snafu w/ Robin Zander
.In this episode, I’m joined by Lindsey Caplan — organizational psychologist, former Hollywood screenwriter, and upcoming author — for a conversation about creativity, communication, and how people and groups are actually moved. Lindsey’s path is anything but linear. She started her career on TV and film sets in Los Angeles, working on shows like Malcolm in the Middle, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and The Amazing Race. From there, she transitioned into learning and development at companies like DreamWorks Animation, Zendesk, and Credit Karma, eventually stepping fully into organizational...
info_outlineIn this episode, I’m joined by Sara Loncka – experiential learning designer, leadership strategist, and CEO of Experience Institute – for a conversation about why human experience may matter more than ever in an increasingly AI-driven world.
Sara’s work focuses on leadership development, experiential learning, and organizational transformation, but this conversation goes far beyond workplace training. It’s about what happens when people become disconnected from themselves, each other, and the environments shaping their lives – and why intentional experiences can interrupt the routines, assumptions, and identity patterns we often move through unconsciously.
At the center is Sara’s distinction between “little e” experiences and “Big E” Experiences. Little e experiences are the stories, habits, and assumptions people accumulate over time. Big E Experiences are intentionally disruptive moments that create reflection, discomfort, curiosity, and transformation. We talk about why growth often requires stepping outside familiar environments, embracing beginner mindsets, and placing ourselves in situations where certainty and competence disappear.
We also explore the origins of Experience Institute, why traditional corporate training often fails, how experiential learning creates lasting behavioral change, and the challenge of building organizations that remain deeply human as technology accelerates. Along the way, Sara reflects on founder transitions, reinvention, identity, discomfort, and how even small experiences can quietly reshape the direction of a person’s life.
Toward the end, the conversation becomes more personal as Sara shares how pregnancy and motherhood have challenged her relationship with control, embodiment, and uncertainty – becoming a different kind of transformational experience entirely.
If you’re thinking about leadership, personal growth, reinvention, or how to stay connected to what feels deeply human in rapidly changing times, this conversation is for you.