Professor Pete Alexander hosts a rapid‑fire "6 questions in 7 minutes" interview with Carrie Berg (Director of Learning and Development at Livongo). The conversation opens with a brief personal intro, then explores what makes learning & development appealing—its fast‑paced, technology‑driven nature and the need for creative, learner‑centric approaches. Carrie shares practical work‑life balance tactics, emphasizing regular check‑ins with team members and outdoor walking meetings conducted over Zoom to inject fresh air and break monotony. She recommends a fellow Livongo leader, Manny Hernandez, highlighting his personal connection to type‑1 diabetes and his energetic leadership style. Her core leadership advice centers on listening more than speaking (the 80/20 rule), asking thoughtful questions, and learning by observing others. Carrie recounts her first job as a buffet attendant at Shakey’s Pizza in La Crosse, Wisconsin, noting how early customer‑service experiences shaped her professional habits. The episode closes with her LinkedIn profile and Livongo website for listeners to connect.
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This is Professor Pete Alexander with the Winning at Business and Life podcast, where business leaders share their insights. It is 6 questions in 7 minutes because successful business leaders are busy and rarely have more time to spare. So let's get to it. Question number 1: In a few sentences, please tell me who you are and what you do.
I am Carrie Burke. I live in the Chicago, Illinois area, and I am the Director of Learning and Development at Livongo.
Kari, it's great to have you on the show. Question number 2: What's the best thing about working in your industry?
Uh, learning and development is fast-paced, always changing. You got to stay on top of the technology. Uh, everybody learns a different way, so it requires lots of out-of-the-box thinking and keeps you on your toes.
I bet. Question number 3: I hear from other business leaders that staying in a good work-life balance for them and their team members is a challenge. What What are your thoughts?
I absolutely agree that it is a challenge. I find that I often have to stop and ask my team, how are you doing? Are you feeling overwhelmed? Do I need to shift projects? I've been now encouraging outdoor walking meetings, get some fresh air. It's amazing what a little sunshine can do. So I think it's very easy to get caught up in the day-to-day constant going, and you have to take a breath, stop, and then check in with your team and your peers at the same time.
The outdoor walking meeting, so everybody has their phone and they're just connected like on Zoom?
Yes, yeah, we use Zoom and I always suggest that if, you know, you don't need to be in front of your laptop for that meeting, go outside. The mute button exists for a reason. If the birds are, you know, you can turn off the birds and all that and just enjoy them yourself, but there's a lot to be said for just getting a short walk around the block in.
Absolutely. That's a great idea. I love that. Question number 4: What other successful business leaders like yourself should be on my podcast?
I can think of one. His name is Manny Hernandez. He brought me to Livongo. He happens to be a person with type 1 diabetes and is very passionate about helping other patients. And, you know, he is a very lively personality and has had a very interesting career.
Oh, perfect. I'll reach out to him. Thank you for that referral. Question number 5: What insight or advice would you like to give to other business leaders?
Um, I think the biggest thing is that if you're a leader, whether you're a people manager or an individual contributor, always ask people how they're doing, where they're at, and listen. Listen in meetings. Watch how other people conduct themselves. How they ask questions. I think I've learned the most in my career by just sitting back, shutting up, and watching others and seeing what they do. And I think it's amazing what we can learn from other personalities and other people by, by watching and listening.
Absolutely. It sounds like, you know, the classic 80/20 rule that you listen 80% of the time and you talk 20% of the time.
Yep, absolutely. And you want to mention asking questions. You want to, after that meeting, go back to that person and say, how did you think of that question? And what was your process and all of that? It's about definitely 80/20.
Yep, yep, that's great. And question number 6, please tell me about your first job.
Well, I did a lot of babysitting, which is probably why I don't have children today. But my first real job was at Shakey's Pizza and Buffet in La Crosse, Wisconsin. I was a buffet attendant, and it's also a reason why I won't eat at food buffets to this day. But I learned a lot about customer service, about people, and how to present myself at work. Those first jobs are everything, and I was lucky enough to have a good place to learn what to do and what not to do very early on.
Oh boy, that brings back memories for me too. Shakey's used to be a place where as a kid we'd have a lot of the class birthday parties and stuff. So I just now, I just imagined the big movie screen and everything like that.
Exactly, exactly. Total flashbacks. Yeah.
Love it. Kerry, thank you so much for being on the show. How can people find you?
I am on LinkedIn at Kerry Burke, and you can also find our work for Livongo. So please check out our website, www.livongo.com.
Wonderful. This is Professor Pete Alexander with the Winning at Business and Life podcast. For more insights and ideas, please go to LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, or iTunes and search for the Winning at Business and Life podcast. Thanks for listening.
