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What happens when you believe in a learning platform so much, you decide to join the company behind it?
That’s the case for Ashley and Debbie, two seasoned L&D professionals who’ve not only implemented Thrive in past roles — but now work within the business, helping others do the same. In a recent webinar, they reflected on their experiences as customers and now insiders, offering insights for anyone navigating learning tech decisions in 2025.
Spoiler alert: it’s not about ticking boxes. It’s about relationships, relevance, and the reality of what makes an L&D platform stick.
Between them, Debbie and Ashley have rolled out Thrive multiple times — in global organisations, during COVID chaos, and with frontline-heavy teams. That experience gives them a rare lens into the real drivers behind successful platform launches.
For Debbie, formerly at Ted Baker, the third time was the charm. After two failed attempts with other systems, the urgency of the pandemic forced a total rethink. With thousands of users across 15 countries and 12 languages, and no digital infrastructure in place, her team needed a solution — fast.
“We couldn’t wait for a phased approach,” she shared. “We needed a way to reach our global teams overnight. So, we went live with everyone, everywhere, on the same day.”
Meanwhile, Ashley brought Thrive into three separate organisations before making the leap to join the team herself. What sealed the deal each time? Yes, the tech was strong — but it was the relationship that made the difference.
“You’re not just buying software,” she said. “You’re building a partnership. And Thrive genuinely listened — to our goals, our feedback, and even our frustrations.”
Both Debbie and Ashley agreed: One of the hardest parts of selecting a new platform is remembering it’s not just your platform; it’s everyone’s.
“The operational lens is often totally different from the L&D one,” said Debbie. “We had to think about store teams, finance, HR — all with unique needs and challenges.”
Ashley echoed that sentiment, highlighting the importance of building with the business, not just for it. “So many L&D teams design in a vacuum. But the most valuable work happens when you bring others in — from comms, ops, IT. You get better outcomes and stronger buy-in.”
Their advice is clear: Clarify your non-negotiables — but also on who your stakeholders really are, and what they’ll need day to day.
So, what were those non-negotiables?
For Ashley, data and analytics were at the top of the list — not just for admin ease, but for proving impact.
“If a provider won’t show me what’s under the bonnet, that’s a red flag. I need to know the platform can help me track performance, not just deliver content. Otherwise, how do I demonstrate ROI to my exec team?”
Debbie added the importance of mobile functionality — especially for frontline teams — and strong visual design.
“There were systems that had decent functionality, but looked awful. If you’re a brand with personality, your platform has to reflect that. People need to want to log in.”
And both agreed: Platforms that are just bolt-ons to HR systems? Often a hard no.
“It feels like square peg, round hole,” Ashley said. “You can tell when learning is an afterthought.”
One theme came through loud and clear: partnership isn’t just a “nice to have” but a make-or-break factor.
Debbie described how her customer success manager felt like an extension of her team. “When you're a small L&D team, that kind of expert support is gold. They brought ideas I hadn’t even thought of.”
Ashley went further: “It’s not just that Thrive listens — it’s that your feedback changes things. You can see how the product evolves based on what customers say. That’s rare.”
That spirit of community also extends to Thrive’s customer base. Both Debbie and Ashley recalled being encouraged to connect with other clients — swapping stories, solutions and lessons learned.
“You’re not just a user of the product,” Ashley said. “You’re part of something bigger — a network of people who want to get better together.”
Now that they’re on the inside, what do they wish they’d known as customers?
“That the passion is real,” said Debbie. “You wonder if it’s a bit of a sales pitch — but it’s not. The whole team is genuinely focused on helping customers succeed.”
Ashley agreed. “And I wish I’d embraced AI sooner. It felt scary at first, but it’s saving L&D teams so much time. If I’d started experimenting earlier, I could’ve freed up time to work on strategy instead of admin.”
With Learn Tech in full swing, both shared their advice for anyone about to start a search:
And perhaps most importantly, stay curious.
“You should feel comfortable asking endless questions,” said Debbie. “The right partner will welcome them.”
If there’s one lesson from Debbie and Ashley’s journey, it’s this: Learning platforms don’t just deliver content. They shape culture. They connect people. They help businesses grow.
So yes, compare features. Yes, do your due diligence.
But also ask yourself: “Can I grow with this partner?”
Because when you find the right one, you might just end up working there.
Want to hear the full story? Watch the on-demand webinar with Debbie Frearson and Ashley Murray here.
Explore what impact Thrive could make for your team and your learners today.
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What happens when you believe in a learning platform so much, you decide to join the company behind it?
That’s the case for Ashley and Debbie, two seasoned L&D professionals who’ve not only implemented Thrive in past roles — but now work within the business, helping others do the same. In a recent webinar, they reflected on their experiences as customers and now insiders, offering insights for anyone navigating learning tech decisions in 2025.
Spoiler alert: it’s not about ticking boxes. It’s about relationships, relevance, and the reality of what makes an L&D platform stick.
Between them, Debbie and Ashley have rolled out Thrive multiple times — in global organisations, during COVID chaos, and with frontline-heavy teams. That experience gives them a rare lens into the real drivers behind successful platform launches.
For Debbie, formerly at Ted Baker, the third time was the charm. After two failed attempts with other systems, the urgency of the pandemic forced a total rethink. With thousands of users across 15 countries and 12 languages, and no digital infrastructure in place, her team needed a solution — fast.
“We couldn’t wait for a phased approach,” she shared. “We needed a way to reach our global teams overnight. So, we went live with everyone, everywhere, on the same day.”
Meanwhile, Ashley brought Thrive into three separate organisations before making the leap to join the team herself. What sealed the deal each time? Yes, the tech was strong — but it was the relationship that made the difference.
“You’re not just buying software,” she said. “You’re building a partnership. And Thrive genuinely listened — to our goals, our feedback, and even our frustrations.”
Both Debbie and Ashley agreed: One of the hardest parts of selecting a new platform is remembering it’s not just your platform; it’s everyone’s.
“The operational lens is often totally different from the L&D one,” said Debbie. “We had to think about store teams, finance, HR — all with unique needs and challenges.”
Ashley echoed that sentiment, highlighting the importance of building with the business, not just for it. “So many L&D teams design in a vacuum. But the most valuable work happens when you bring others in — from comms, ops, IT. You get better outcomes and stronger buy-in.”
Their advice is clear: Clarify your non-negotiables — but also on who your stakeholders really are, and what they’ll need day to day.
So, what were those non-negotiables?
For Ashley, data and analytics were at the top of the list — not just for admin ease, but for proving impact.
“If a provider won’t show me what’s under the bonnet, that’s a red flag. I need to know the platform can help me track performance, not just deliver content. Otherwise, how do I demonstrate ROI to my exec team?”
Debbie added the importance of mobile functionality — especially for frontline teams — and strong visual design.
“There were systems that had decent functionality, but looked awful. If you’re a brand with personality, your platform has to reflect that. People need to want to log in.”
And both agreed: Platforms that are just bolt-ons to HR systems? Often a hard no.
“It feels like square peg, round hole,” Ashley said. “You can tell when learning is an afterthought.”
One theme came through loud and clear: partnership isn’t just a “nice to have” but a make-or-break factor.
Debbie described how her customer success manager felt like an extension of her team. “When you're a small L&D team, that kind of expert support is gold. They brought ideas I hadn’t even thought of.”
Ashley went further: “It’s not just that Thrive listens — it’s that your feedback changes things. You can see how the product evolves based on what customers say. That’s rare.”
That spirit of community also extends to Thrive’s customer base. Both Debbie and Ashley recalled being encouraged to connect with other clients — swapping stories, solutions and lessons learned.
“You’re not just a user of the product,” Ashley said. “You’re part of something bigger — a network of people who want to get better together.”
Now that they’re on the inside, what do they wish they’d known as customers?
“That the passion is real,” said Debbie. “You wonder if it’s a bit of a sales pitch — but it’s not. The whole team is genuinely focused on helping customers succeed.”
Ashley agreed. “And I wish I’d embraced AI sooner. It felt scary at first, but it’s saving L&D teams so much time. If I’d started experimenting earlier, I could’ve freed up time to work on strategy instead of admin.”
With Learn Tech in full swing, both shared their advice for anyone about to start a search:
And perhaps most importantly, stay curious.
“You should feel comfortable asking endless questions,” said Debbie. “The right partner will welcome them.”
If there’s one lesson from Debbie and Ashley’s journey, it’s this: Learning platforms don’t just deliver content. They shape culture. They connect people. They help businesses grow.
So yes, compare features. Yes, do your due diligence.
But also ask yourself: “Can I grow with this partner?”
Because when you find the right one, you might just end up working there.
Want to hear the full story? Watch the on-demand webinar with Debbie Frearson and Ashley Murray here.
Explore what impact Thrive could make for your team and your learners today.
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