About Side Door
Hi, I'm Michelle
Side Door
Founder
After 20 years leading learning and talent development—including as a Chief Learning Officer at a Fortune 100—I realized the best solutions rarely come through the front door.
I launched Side Door for leaders who want to do things differently. Who want strategy and practicality. Speed and substance. Development for their teams that sticks.
I’ve worked with global giants and scrappy teams. I’ve built programs from scratch and overhauled the ones that weren’t working. What I bring is real-world experience, no-BS advice, and a deep belief that capability building doesn’t have to be complicated—it just has to be done right.
If we work together, I’ll be honest about what you actually need:
- If a LinkedIn Learning course will do the trick? I’ll say it.
- If you just need a program refresh? I’ve got you.
- If it’s better to build in-house or use a different partner? I’ll point you there.
- And if you need a fresh strategy, a strong partner, and a deep dive into building capability? That’s what I do best.
You can also follow me on LinkedIn where I'm discussing all things L&D, the future of work... AND working mom content 👦🏻👦🏻, fast food favorites debates 🌮🔔, and sometimes Goldendoodles 🐶❤️.
Why Side Door?
Many people ask why I would leave an executive job to do my own thing?
Simple!
Because although most companies don’t need a CLO, EVERY company can benefit from the expertise of one a few times a year.
The truth is, very few CHROs come from a learning and development background. L&D is often HR-adjacent—important...and often misunderstood. And most new L&D leaders don’t need executive coaching. They need real-world, industry-specific guidance to help them make smart decisions and move fast.
Whether it’s strengthening an existing program, designing something new, or setting a long-term strategy—learning only works when it’s built to support how people grow, how companies operate, and how work is changing.
In a world where talent is your edge, engagement is everything, and capability is non-negotiable—L&D has never been more important.
And that's why Side Door is here!
