Hosted by Chandra Wobschall and Paul Houtkooper

Hey JDE fam! It’s Chandra and Paul, back on the mic after an action-packed week at BLUEPRINT 4D in Las Vegas — and boy, do we have stories. Between flash-frying ourselves poolside, trash-can-lid injuries, and whisking our coffee with scrambled-egg energy, the post-conference glow (and fatigue) is real. But despite the personal chaos, this year’s event gave us a LOT to reflect on — from executive insights and AI evolution to fresh energy from new faces in the JDE community.

New Energy, Full Rooms, and Standing Ovations

We saw something special this year: record attendance and a ton of first-time attendees. That’s right — in nearly every session we asked, “Who’s here for their first Blueprint 4D?” and hands flew up. The result? Standing-room-only sessions across tracks and a buzz that was impossible to ignore. The appetite to learn, connect, and reimagine was palpable. And if you were one of the first-timers: Welcome. We see you. We appreciate you. And we’re already recruiting you to present next year 😉

Emerging Leaders, Executive Forums, and Real Talk

Chandra kicked things off with the Emerging Leaders Program — an escape room, some deep storytelling, and a capstone project on AI that left the Quest board genuinely impressed. (Yes, there were almost-motions to get it funded on the spot.)

Meanwhile, the Executive Forum was a standout. We dove into:

• Change management challenges with Martha Heller
• The looming question of how to govern AI-ready data
• Communication styles (observant vs intuitive) from Chris Laping
• Empathy as a business-critical IT value

As we said in the pod: empathy isn’t just “nice to have.” It’s essential if we’re going to innovate and evolve together.

Chris Laping Lit the Fuse

Chris opened Tuesday’s main keynote and, true to form, didn’t let anyone sit back and coast. From Hamilton music clips to hard-hitting truths about trust, unlearning, and emotional intelligence, Chris gave us a framework we kept coming back to all week:

• Be good at unlearning
• Always ask why
• Lead with trust

The session sparked hallway conversations and strategy debates well beyond Tuesday morning — a clear sign the message hit home.

2005 Called — It Wants Its ERP Back

Let’s be real — some organizations are still running JDE like it’s 2005… or 1995. We’re not judging, but we are challenging. Are you taking advantage of what’s possible in 2025?

Our roadmap keynote drove this point home:

• JD Edwards is no longer just a system of record.
• It’s an appreciating asset — with automation, intelligence, and continuous innovation built in.
• If you are up to date on code but not adoption, you’re leaving value on the table.

We even brought in customers like Dealer Tire and Fulton Hogan to share how staying current doesn’t have to be painful — it can be efficient, strategic, and empowering.

Magic, Laughter, and Lingo Bingo

You didn’t think it was all work, did you?

Chandra’s favorite session? “Re-Energize” — a mix of comedy and magic that had her laughing (and maybe crying?) in the best way. And yes, she got called on stage.

But we can’t forget our own live podcast session. Lingo Bingo was a hit, the swag (thank you, Clayton Seeley!) was flying, and the crowd brought the energy. We’ll definitely be doing more of these in the future.

Midwesternism of the Day

After a week like that, it’s no surprise the phrase we choose this week captured how we felt — obsessed with the widgets, the ideas, the stories, and the potential we all saw at Blueprint. Whether it’s the Enterprise Process Modeler, AI adoption, or just committing to asking “why” more often… we’re buzzing with ideas.

Thanks again to everyone who joined us in Vegas — in sessions, at the podcast, or just in those hallway chats that spark big ideas. We’re grateful for this community and inspired by what’s next.

Let’s keep learning, sharing, and — most importantly — laughing together.

Catch the full episode wherever you get your podcasts or follow one of the podcast resource links below. Got feedback or ideas? Email us at [email protected]. And, if you scored a Lingo Bingo shirt… you’re now contractually obligated to send us photos of you wearing your shirt and you need to wear it to INFOCUS!

Toodles!

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