Be Customer Led: Recent Episodes
Bill Staikos
We explore the intersection between customer experience (CX), employee experience (EX), and how companies are creating leaders and cultures that are maniacal about their customers - both internal and external.
Visit us on www.becustomerled.com
This discussion explores the perspectives of Casey Denby, VP of Strategic Accounts & Partnerships at Zenarate, on customer experience excellence and the strategic use of AI.
Casey explains that Zenarate is a leading frontline simulation and coaching platform that automates role-play to improve training effectiveness, reduce turnover, and enhance the customer experience. He highlights how AI powers realistic conversation simulations, helping new hires build confidence and proficiency while maintaining consistency.
The discussion also covers the impact of Zenarate on attrition, the importance of competence in shaping customer experience, and the balance between compliance and empathy. Casey concludes by emphasizing practical AI applications in CX.
Highlights
[00:36] Casey's Career Journey
[04:38] Overview of Zenarate
[08:50] AI's Role in Zenarate
[12:41] Attrition and Training Effectiveness
[20:59] Customer Experience and Compliance
[39:04] Implementation Challenges and Opportunities
[42:31] Future of AI in CX
Connect with Casey:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/caseydenby/
Website: zenarate.com/
This conversation explores the career journey of Brad Shaw, CEO of Livepro, and his views on knowledge management in the age of AI.
Brad explains why AI needs accurate, well-managed information to produce reliable answers. He highlights the risks of using crowdsourced content and stresses the importance of having a single trusted knowledge base across all channels.
Brad also shares how organizations can keep their knowledge up to date by using feedback, analytics, and regular reviews. He discusses how AI may help with future updates, but human oversight will still be essential. He ends with simple advice for CX leaders: keep your knowledge organized, approved, and always up to date!
[02:55] Brad's Career Journey
[06:34] The Importance of Knowledge Management in AI
[10:06] Challenges and Misconceptions in AI and Knowledge Management
[15:24] Applications of AI-Ready Knowledge Bases
[20:48] Keeping Knowledge Bases Up to Date
[32:11] Future of Knowledge Management and AI
[38:30] Advice for CX Leaders
[39:57] Contact Information
Connect with Brad:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brad-shaw
Email: brad.shaw@livepro.com
In this talk, Matt Bruno, Chief Revenue Officer at Laivly, explains how Laivly grew during the pandemic and how its AI tools make customer service agents' work easier and more effective.
Matt discusses why AI projects in contact centers often bring strong results and how Laivly's platform, Sidd, supports agents by guiding them in real time, automating tasks, and improving customer satisfaction. He also shares real success stories with clients and discusses the future, where agents use AI to build stronger, more personal connections with customers while maintaining the human touch.
[02:35] Matt's Career Journey
[05:16] Challenges and Successes in AI Deployments
[07:09] Laivly's Approach to Agent Assist and AI Agent
[14:56] Technology and Integration at Laivly
[24:03] Examples of Laivly's Impact on Client Success
[36:57] Future of Customer Experience and Agent Roles
Connect with Matt:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/matthew-bruno
Website: laivly.com/
Email: matt.bruno@laivly.com
Mentioned in the episode:
The AI Mindset: Thriving Within Civilization's Next Big Disruption: amazon.com/AI-Mindset-Thriving-Civilizations-Disruption
Blueprint for Customer Obsession: amazon.com/Blueprint-Customer-Obsession-Marbue-Brown
Today's episode features Gregorio Uglioni, Associate Partner at Forward, board member of the Customer Experience Professionals Association, and founder and host of the CX Goalkeeper podcast.
During today's conversation, Gregorio reflects on his early career, emphasizing the value of human interaction and a key lesson he learned by listening to customer calls instead of relying only on presentations. The discussion also highlights how CX is more than a department; it is a mindset shaped by culture, core values, and transformation.
Gregorio introduces his five principles for human-centric transformation: creating a shared vision, understanding problems, prioritizing pain points, innovating processes, and measuring progress. He illustrates these with both successful and unsuccessful change initiatives, stressing the importance of learning and incremental improvement.
He also talks about challenges in healthcare CX, the role of AI in improving service and patient care, and the importance of continuous learning and collaboration.
[01:35] Gregorio's Career Journey
[03:59] The Importance of Business Transformation in CX
[05:43] Framework for Human-Centric Transformation
[13:34] Examples of Successful and Unsuccessful Change Initiatives
[21:16] Challenges in Delivering Superior Patient Experience in Hospitals
[28:46] AI Deployments in CX and Healthcare
[34:02] Gregorio's Podcast and Its Impact
[37:55] Connect with Gregorio
Connect with Gregorio:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/gregorio-uglioni
Website: cxgoalkeeper.com/
Want to know why customers really stay loyal? It starts with psychology!
Meet Mark Levy, Head of Consumer Product and Customer Experience at Frontier Internet.
During today's conversation, Mark highlights how human behavior shapes customer interactions. Drawing from his new book, The Psychology of CX 101, he explains how 101 psychological principles can be applied to create meaningful, trust-driven experiences that drive business success.
Mark illustrates concepts such as the anchoring effect, peak-end rule, and Von Restorff effect with real-world examples, while also addressing the growing role of AI in customer service. Moreover, he explores practical strategies for measuring the impact of CX and creating experiences that are effortless and empathetic.
[01:54] Mark's Journey to Customer Experience
[04:00] The Intersection of Psychology and Customer Experience
[07:43] The Psychology of CX 101
[13:37] Practical Examples of Psychological Principles
[25:34] Measuring Customer Experience
[27:46] AI and Customer Experience
[32:35] Final Thoughts
[33:25] Resources
Resources
Connect with Mark:
Website: psychologyofcx101.com/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marklevy/
In this episode, we welcome Brian Solis, Head of Global Innovation at ServiceNow, a nine-time best-selling author, keynote speaker, and digital futurist. Starting the conversation, Brian shares the inspiration behind his latest book, "Mindshift", and emphasizes the importance of empathy and a truly customer-centric mindset. Through examples from Amazon, Disney, and IKEA, Brian illustrates how organizations can create meaningful and memorable experiences that drive both loyalty and growth.
The conversation also explores the evolving role of AI, shifting from automation and cost savings to augmenting human interactions and delivering personalization. Finally, Brian calls on leaders to embrace innovation, cultivate empathy, and invest in customer experience as a catalyst for transformation and long-term success!
[00:31] Guest Introduction
[02:00] The Concept behind "Mindshift"
[04:07] Empathy and Customer-Centric Approach
[13:30] The Role of AI in Customer Experience
[26:34] Developing Leadership Skills for Customer Experience
[31:25] The Future of AI in Customer and Employee Experience
Resources:
Connect with Brian:
Website: briansolis.com/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/briansolis
Mentioned in the episode:
Mindshift: Transform Leadership, Drive Innovation, and Reshape the Future: amazon.com/Mindshift-Embracing-Unlimited-Possibilities-Visionary
Blueprint for Customer Obsession: amazon.com/Blueprint-Customer-Obsession-Marbue-Brown
In today’s episode, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, President of SLD (Shikatani Lacroix Design), talks about the “blink factor,” a concept first discovered in 1993 with Pizza Hut. He explains how 40% of brand recognition comes from color and shape, and why emotions drive 80% of buying decisions. Drawing from his book “Think Blink Manifesto”, Jean-Pierre shares examples of brands that succeed by building emotional connections and warns of the risks that arise when brands lose authenticity.
The conversation also covers the seven key principles of emotional branding, the role of design and storytelling, and how AI can help personalize customer experiences. Jean-Pierre stresses the need to balance functional benefits with emotional connections, prepare for future disruptions, and focus on authenticity to create lasting customer loyalty.
[01:44] Jean-Pierre's Career Journey
[04:32] The Concept of the Blink Factor
[07:53] Think Blink Manifesto and Its Purpose
[09:27] Examples of Emotional Branding and Missed Opportunities
[13:56] The Seven Tenets of Think Blink
[21:11] AI and Emotional Connections at Scale
[24:17] Blind Spots in the Experience Economy
[27:09] Shifting from Function First to Emotion First
[30:28] Key Takeaways
Connect with Jean-Pierre:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jeanpierrelacroix
Website: sld.com/
Mentioned in the episode:
Think Blink Manifesto: sld.com/books/think-blink-manifesto/
Today's episode features Nick Glimsdahl, a contact center strategist and podcast host, for a deep dive into the evolving role of AI in customer experience. Nick, recognized as one of ICMI's top 25 thought leaders of 2025 and author of "The Heart of Service", shares his unique perspective on blending empathy with technology.
The conversation delves into real-world challenges in contact centers and explores practical AI applications, such as agent summarization and real-time voice translation. Nick advocates for a human-first approach, emphasizing the importance of solving real problems, gaining team buy-in, and bridging the "Go-Live Gap."
Tune in and discover how to integrate AI without sacrificing the human touch!
[01:39] Nick's Journey and Perspectives on AI
[03:53] Motivation Behind "The Heart of Service"
[07:11] Choosing a Parable Format for the Book
[09:33] Character Inspiration and Real-World Experiences
[11:42] Human-Centric Approach to AI
[15:23] Practical AI Applications in Contact Centers
[19:31] Building Buy-In and Overcoming Skepticism
[23:00] Addressing the Go-Live Gap
Connect with Nick:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nickglimsdahl/
Website: press1fornick.com/
Noam Fine, CEO of Hear.ai, joins today's episode to explore how generative AI is revolutionizing customer experience (CX), particularly within contact centers. Noam explains the shift from using multiple specialized tools to a single autonomous AI platform that learns from customer interactions, enhances compliance, automates quality assurance, and delivers real-time insights.
Highlighting a $2M cost-saving success story, he shares how AI reduces agent attrition and boosts performance. He also outlines a broader vision: AI analyzing unstructured data across all customer touchpoints, driving the evolution toward autonomous, adaptive contact centers that are transparent, efficient, and future-ready.
[01:22] Noam's Journey
[06:11] Challenges and Opportunities in CX with AI
[10:35] Technical Infrastructure and Zero-Touch Platform
[16:32] Success Stories and Impact on Agent Performance
[22:10] Compliance and Regulatory Tracking
[27:47] Expanding AI's Role Beyond Contact Centers
[33:39] Vision for the Autonomous Contact Center
[35:18] Future Directions and Exciting Developments
Connect with Noam:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/noamfine
Website: hear.ai/
Email: noam@hear.ai
Today's conversation explores the impact of storytelling, emotional intelligence, and employee empowerment on crafting exceptional customer experiences.
Ken Hughes, a renowned keynote speaker and consumer behaviorist, shares his journey to becoming the "King of Customer Experience." He explains the concept of the "blue dot customer," highlighting the shift toward customer-centric business models. Through compelling stories from brands like Ritz-Carlton, Zappos, and Virgin Atlantic, Ken demonstrates how culture, leadership, and emotional connection foster lasting loyalty. He also offers valuable guidance for leaders seeking to embed customer intimacy within their organizations and build enduring brand advocacy.
[01:00] Ken's Journey to Becoming the "King of Customer Experience"
[03:41] The Importance of Action in Customer Experience Metrics
[04:58] Customer Experience Stories
[16:25] The Blue Dot Customer: A Metaphor for Customer-Centric Business Models
[21:17] Embedding Customer Intimacy in Company Culture
[32:33] The Power of Stories in Customer Experience
Connect with Ken:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kenhughesie/
Website: kenhughes.info/
This episode features Martin Palamarz, co-founder and Chief Customer Officer at TheyDo. Martin shares his global career journey, working with iconic brands like IKEA, Volvo, Nike, and Adidas from Sweden to the UK. He explains how his passion for customer behavior and Agile practices led to co-founding TheyDo to help enterprises act on customer feedback at scale.
Furthermore, Martin introduces the concept of journey management, which is aligning data, teams, and decisions to improve customer experience. He also explores how AI enhances this process and emphasizes linking CX improvements to real business outcomes and metrics.
[01:44] Martin's Career Journey and Founding TheyDo
[05:28] Challenges in Customer Journey Management
[11:37] Introduction to Journey Management
[18:04] Examples of Journey Management Success
[23:32] Challenges in Becoming Customer-Centric
[30:15] Future Initiatives and AI in Journey Management
Connect with Martin:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/palamarz
Email: martin@theydo.com
Website: theydo.com/
In this episode, we meet Dr. Chitra Ranganathan, Head of Data Science and Analytics at Atlassian. She shares her inspiring journey from academia to top roles at Microsoft, Amazon, and now Atlassian. Dr. Chitra talks about designing better employee and customer experiences using data, including her work on Amazon's groundbreaking feedback system, Amazon Connections. She explains how AI and machine learning help turn data into action and offers thoughtful advice on staying customer-focused in the long run.
[01:47] Dr. Chitra's Career Journey
[07:37] Insights from Dr. Chitra's Career
[10:55] Amazon's Employee Feedback Program: Amazon Connections
[17:54] Impact on Employee Experience
[21:40] Challenges and Innovations
[34:29] Dr. Chitra's Role at Atlassian
[36:00] The Role of AI in Capturing Sentiment
[39:09] Final Thoughts
Connect with Dr. Chitra Ranganathan
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/chitra-ranganathan-ph-d-
Website: atlassian.com/
Follow Be Customer Led on LinkedIn
linkedin.com/company/becustomerled
Connect with Marbue Brown on LinkedIn
linkedin.com/in/marbuebrown
Meet Brett Frazer, a seasoned customer experience leader with a career spanning Microsoft, Adobe, and Sunbasket and co-founder of Service Matters. Brett emphasizes the vital link between employee and customer experience, illustrated through real-world examples and his Five A's framework—Acknowledge, Align, Assist, Advise, and Ask. Throughout the conversation, Brett explains how these principles drive long-term customer loyalty and business profitability.
[01:46] Brett's Career Journey and Background
[08:12] The Interconnection of Customer and Employee Experience
[13:53] The Five A's of Successful Customer Engagement
[26:02] The Hidden Profit Center and Long-Term Value
[32:56] Practical Applications and Real-World Examples
Connect with Brett:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brettfrazer/
Mentioned in the episode:
Your Hidden Profit Center: Mastering the 5 A's of Successful Customer Engagement: amazon.com/Your-Hidden-Profit-Center-Successful
In today's episode, Zach Riggar, Vice President of Digital Marketing for Major League Soccer (MLS), shares his extensive career journey, highlighting his work with big brands and his role in the evolution of digital marketing in sports. He discusses MLS's growth, fueled by innovative technology, high-profile players like Lionel Messi, and the upcoming 2026 World Cup. Zach emphasizes the emotional nature of sports marketing, strategies for fan engagement, and the importance of balancing brand and performance marketing. He also talks about how MLS clubs shape fan experiences, the significance of first-party data, and the league's approach to growing its fanbase.
[00:58] Zach's Professional Journey.
[02:53] MLS's Rise in Popularity
[04:44] Differences in Customer Experience in Sports
[06:53] Engaging and Retaining Fans
[09:19] MLS's Approach to Growing Fan Base
[11:11] Favorite Platforms for Engagement
[13:19] Elevating the Fan Experience
[16:49] Unique Club Personalities
[21:40] Learning from Other Leagues
[27:09] Balancing Brand and Performance Marketing
Connect with Zach:
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/zachriggar/
Website:jobs.mlssoccer.com/
Meet Tim Mueller-Hickler, the Founder of Thinc-Performance and a former VP at Snap Inc. and Amazon, specializing in customer obsession, platform integrity, and employee services.
In this conversation, Tim talks about his career journey and deep expertise in customer obsession. Tim shares insights from his time at American President Lines, Sun Microsystems, Amazon, and Snapchat, highlighting how customer-centric mechanisms drive business success. He explains Amazon's approach, including systems like the Andon Cord and Customer Connection, and how customer obsession extends beyond customer service to every department. Tim discusses practical ways companies can implement these principles, emphasizing leadership accountability, risk-taking, and innovation. He concludes with key takeaways on embedding customer obsession into company culture and driving meaningful improvements in customer experience.
[02:12] Tim's Career Journey
[06:34] Understanding Customer Obsession at Amazon
[11:53] Customer Obsession Beyond Amazon
[16:02] Implementing Customer Obsession in Practice
[30:10] Adapting Customer Obsession Practices to Other Companies
Connect with Tim Mueller-Hickler
LinkedIn: in/tim-mueller-hickler-2a6317/
Website: thinc-performance.com
Discover how businesses can shift from transactional models to customer excellence enterprises!
Today's episode features Tom DeWitt, Ph.D., a globally recognized leader in customer experience management. As the founder and director of CXM at Michigan State University (MSU), Tom pioneered North America's first academic program in customer experience management. He is also the co-author of The Customer Excellence Enterprise, a book that redefines how organizations can embed customer-centricity into their DNA. Tom shares insights on transforming customer engagement, building a customer-centric culture, and the financial impact of exceptional customer experiences.
The discussion explores real-world examples, including a healthcare experience in Thailand, the concept of helpfulness as a guiding principle, and the 39 Bold Moves for achieving customer excellence. Tom also discusses the importance of customer loyalty, the role of leadership in CX transformation, and the groundbreaking MSU Master of Science in Customer Experience Management program.
[01:00] Tom’s journey in customer experience leadership
[05:00] The inspiration behind The Customer Excellence Enterprise
[09:00] A real-world example of customer excellence in healthcare
[12:40] The impact of the "Amazon Effect" on customer expectations
[19:00] 39 Bold Moves for achieving customer excellence
[25:00] Why leaders must model customer-centric behaviors
[29:00] Measuring emotional outcomes in customer experience
[31:00] The creation and impact of the MSU CXM program
[34:00] How CX education is transforming careers
[36:40] The future of customer experience management
Resources
- Connect with Tom DeWitt on LinkedIn: Tom DeWitt, Ph.D.
- The Customer Excellence Enterprise (Book by Tom DeWitt & Wayne Simmons) - Available on Amazon
- Michigan State University Master of Science in Customer Experience Management: MSU CXM Program
Today's episode features David Edelman, Harvard Business School fellow and author of Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI. David shares his career journey from consulting at BCG to leading digital transformation at Digitas, McKinsey, and Aetna. He explains why personalization is more than just a marketing tactic—it's a strategic tool to enhance customer experience and drive business growth.
The discussion explores real-world examples from Starbucks, Spotify and Aetna, highlighting both the opportunities and challenges of AI-driven personalization. David also introduces the Personalization Index, detailing five key dimensions that separate industry leaders from laggards. Finally, he offers insights on how companies can use AI and data to improve customer engagement and financial performance.
[01:14] David's Career Journey
[04:33] The Importance of Personalization
[08:36] Personalization in Customer Experience
[14:46] Motivation Behind Writing the Book
[16:39] The Personalization Index and Its Dimensions
[23:13] Unlocking New Opportunities with Personalization
Connect with David
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/daveedelman
Website: www.edelmanadvisoryservices.com
This week’s episode of the Be Customer Led podcast features Amanda Ono, Chief Human Resources Officer at Kroll. When she was in college, her passion was the interaction between teams and leaders and how they worked together to drive results. She worked in a wide range of positions, including recruiting, training, and building leadership programs, which led her towards the specific title she holds now. In today’s conversation, we talk about migrating from customer experience to employee experience.
[01.26] Professional Journey – Starting the conversation, Amanda shares where she ignited her passion for customer experience.
[07.40] Outcomes – Amanda explains what outcomes they achieved at Resolver by bringing customers and employees together as a business decision.
[13.13] Training programs - If training is the answer, what's the question? Amanda shares why training programs fail most of the time and what we need to do to get real outcomes form them.
[19.37] Leadership and management – We discuss the distinction between change leadership and change management.
[26.21] Training on empathy – Amanda walks us through how they train employees on building empathy in their onboarding program at Resolver.
[32.55] Inspiration – Wrapping up the conversation, Amanda shares where she gets her inspiration in her life to keep going.
Resources
Connect with Amanda
LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/amandaono/
Website - resolver.com/
Twitter - twitter.com/amandaono
Book by John P. Kotter
Leading Change –
goodreads.com/book/show/51370.Leading_Change
Today's episode of Be customer Led features Kimberly Wiefling, founding member & global consultant at Silicon Valley Alliances. Her superpower is uniting people of different nationalities, cultural backgrounds, and aesthetic preferences to accomplish a common goal. Kimberly has worked in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Also, she has visited Japan more than a hundred times to work with the culturally diverse staff of globalizing Japanese businesses. Throughout our conversation today, she imparts invaluable advice on creating an influential culture and leadership.
[01:14] Background – Kimberly recounts the origins of her company, which she founded over two decades ago, and her professional journey.
[04:36] Culture - Kimberly defines both corporate culture and leadership, and we talk about the relationship between the two. Also, we discuss the relationship between leaders and managers and whether one can be both, or if one must choose between being a leader or a manager.
[09:42] Disconnection - Kimberly outlines why firms fail to give what employees want and why there seems to be a disconnect between the company, its executives and managers, and its employees.
[16:55] Culture in Japan - What is the difference between the culture of Japan and Silicon Valley?
[19:07] Leadership - Leaders are responsible for creating and maintaining a strong organizational culture. This involves modeling the desired behavior, celebrating successes that align with the cultural values, and correcting or dismissing behavior that goes against the cultural norms.
[21:44] Culture - If you are a new leader and want to establish a company culture, Kimberly offers some suggestions on how to do so, as well as some actions you may take as an individual to alter an existing culture that is toxic or unappealing.
[25:08] Action, Communication, and Thinking - The ACT framework is a simple and effective way for leaders to understand their roles and responsibilities.
Resources:
Connect with Kimberly:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/scrappykimberlywiefling/
Website: wiefling.com/
Website: kimberlywiefling.com/
Silicon Valley Alliances: siliconvalleyalliances.com/
The CEO of Wine Access, Inc., Joe Fisch, joins Bill Staikos on this week's episode of Be Customer Led. Through careful selection, engaging narratives, and impeccable provenance, Wine Access makes finding and enjoying the world's most inspiring wines simple. During this episode, Joe discusses a variety of the experiences, insights, and perspectives that he has gained throughout his time working in the wine industry.
[02:37] Background – Joe describes his professional career, including the steps that ultimately resulted in the launch of his company.
[05:47] Wine Access – How exactly does Wine Access cater to the needs of its customers?
[09:09] NPS – NPS, CX, and the Wine Industry
[13:37] Personalization – Joe explains how quickly they swing into action when a customer is having a bad time with their service. On top of that, he details his company's usage of customization.
[19:05] Customer Satisfaction - We talk about how to strike a balance between maximizing profits and sales and providing a satisfying experience for customers.
[25:33] Guest’s Question: In response to the previous guest's question, Joe outlines his interest in philanthropy and donating.
Resources:
Connect with Joe:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joefisch/
Website: wineaccess.com/
App: apple.com/us/app/wine-access/id1642804318
This week on Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos, we interview Stacy Salvi, Vice President of Strategy at Movano Health. Movano Health is creating a portfolio of purpose-driven healthcare products to bring medical-grade, high-quality data to the forefront of consumer health devices. They are on a mission to empower and inspire you to live a healthier, happier life by integrating crucial health data with individualized intelligent feedback in stylish form factors tailored to your specific lifestyle and present you with the data most important to you. Throughout today's episode, Stacy elaborates on Movano's mission and delivers her insights on wearable technology and the customer experience.
[00:28] Journey – Stacy describes her exciting journey thus far. In addition, she details her work at Movano and the company's emphasis on women.
[07:27] Wearable Technology - How has technology worn on the body progressed? How has the consumer's viewpoint evolved?
[09:41] Other Use Cases - Stacy shares where besides healthcare, she sees the most pressing need for wearable technology.
[12:30] The Combination – Customer Experience, User Experience, and Product
[18:49] The Future – What does the future hold for wearable technology?
[24:09] Guest Question – Stacy's Question: How do you find balance in your life and translate that into your working life?
Resources:
Connect with Stacy:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/stacysalvi/
Janet Polach, executive coach, speaker, author, and retired marine, joins Bill Staikos for this week's episode of Be Customer Led. Janet has extensive training and expertise as an executive coach and leader-builder. Leaders throughout the world have benefited from her coaching and guidance. She has a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership and Development from the University of Minnesota and is a retired Marine lieutenant colonel. Today's session focuses on her insights and advice for aspiring and established leaders alike in the realm of coaching.
[01:20] Janet's Background – Janet commences the conversation by detailing her background.
[05:54] Bill as a Leader - Janet gives Bill a leadership coaching session, during which she questions him on several themes and delivers insights.
[11:56] Culture of Feedback – The concept of receiving regular feedback.
[17:44] Coaching – Role of coaches, their impact and importance, and underlying reasons why most middle-aged individuals hesitate to get the support they need.
[23:40] Tools for Success - How can middle-level managers ensure they are equipped with the necessary tools for success and do not lose personnel at their level or below?
[28:18] Inspiration – Janet responds to the question of which leaders she admires and where she finds inspiration.
Resources:
Connect with Janet:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/janetpolachphd/
Mentioned in the episode:
The Seven Mistakes New Managers Make: How to Avoid Them and Thrive: goodreads.com/book/show/61877493-the-seven-mistakes-new-managers-make
Trey Hoffman, Vice President of Customer Experience at Fleetio, joins the Be Customer Led podcast for this episode. Fleetio's software enables global organizations to track, analyze, and enhance fleet operations. In today's episode, Trey, who has a deep-seated interest in assembling formidable teams to aid clients in achieving their goals by employing novel approaches, discusses his experiences in this regard.
[01:03 Trey's Journey – Trey recounts his experience and describes what Fleetio offers its customers.
[09:10] Evolution of the Team - Trey explains what he was looking for in the CX team when he joined Fleetio, how Trey structured the team, and the change in the team structure he is most proud of implementing.
[16:09] Team's success - Defining what constitutes success for the team.
[19:34] Customer Feedback - Trey describes how he will relay customer feedback to the product board.
[24:07] Customers' Success - How to measure the customers' success? How to balance focusing on different customer types and deciding whom the company wants to invest the most?
[30:22] Future – Trey expresses his desires regarding his discipline.
[33:18] Trey's answer – Trey responds to the previous guest's questioning regarding the brand experience that has been relevant, proactive, and responsive to his needs.
Resources:
Connect with Trey:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/treyhoffman/
The current generation of chatbot technology utilized in business and consumer settings has significant shortcomings, such as a lack of long-term memory, interactive learning, deep contextual knowledge, and the inability to reason or explain itself, making conversing in a meaningful manner impossible. Our guest today is Peter Voss, the founder/ CEO/ chief scientist at AGI Innovations & Aigo.ai. Aigo.ai is the most sophisticated platform available for natural language interaction. It is implemented utilizing 'The Third Wave of AI,' a cognitive architecture resembling the brain. In this episode, Peter explores the past, present, and future of conversational AI and its impact on the user experience.
[01:06] Peter's Journey - Peter recounts his professional journey, mentioning a couple of defining moments in his career.
[04:53] Aigo.ai - We discuss Peter's company and the products he and his team deliver.
[07:16] Levels of Chatbots - Evolution of conversational AI technology.
[11:31] Use Cases - Peter highlights some of the fascinating use cases he has observed, mentioning the B2C and B2B applications and the most significant issues with tech support in conversational AI.
[21:33] Conversational AI - How will conversational AI technology affect our advancement as customers, and how will it improve our lives as individuals?
[27:37] The Future – Peter outlines his predictions for the future of technology and his hopes for its improvement.
Resources:
Connect with Peter:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/vosspeter/
Website: aigo.ai/
“Part of the instinct of getting started with new products, for me, is starting with real human motivations and the customer base you are going after.”
Adam Nash, CEO & Co-Founder at Daffy, joins Bill Staikos on this episode of Be Customer Led. Daffy is a non-profit organization founded on the principle that everyone should set something aside for those in need. Providing a streamlined mobile experience for saving, investing, and donating to over 1.5 million charities, they encourage people to give more frequently and increase the amount they give. Throughout this episode, Adam imparts the wisdom he has gained in product experience.
[01:40] Background – Adam discusses the defining moments in his professional background that helped him get to where he is now.
[04:33] Daffy – Adam explains how he and his team created Daffy and the customer experience he aimed for when designing the platform.
[09:58] Meeting the Demand – Adam outlines how he considers customer reactions to his products when they are so diverse.
[14:56] Customer Delight Features - Customer delight is special. Mentioning that, Adam points out that the delight features are not readily apparent enough for customers to request.
[25:00] Adam's Advice – Adam's advice for other leaders who wish to launch their enterprise.
[29:15] Guest Question Answer – Adam mentions how he achieves balance in his life and applies it to his work.
Resources:
Connect with Adam:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/adamnash/
Mentioned in the episode:
Website: daffy.org/
App: apps.apple.com/dk/app/daffy-charitable/“Part of the instinct of getting started with new products, for me, is starting with real human motivations and the customer base you are going after.”
Adam Nash, CEO & Co-Founder at Daffy, joins Bill Staikos on this episode of Be Customer Led. Daffy is a non-profit organization founded on the principle that everyone should set something aside for those in need. Providing a streamlined mobile experience for saving, investing, and donating to over 1.5 million charities, they encourage people to give more frequently and increase the amount they give. Throughout this episode, Adam imparts the wisdom he has gained in product experience.
[01:40] Background – Adam discusses the defining moments in his professional background that helped him get to where he is now.
[04:33] Daffy – Adam explains how he and his team created Daffy and the customer experience he aimed for when designing the platform.
[09:58] Meeting the Demand – Adam outlines how he considers customer reactions to his products when they are so diverse.
[14:56] Customer Delight Features - Customer delight is special. Mentioning that, Adam points out that the delight features are not readily apparent enough for customers to request.
[25:00] Adam's Advice – Adam's advice for other leaders who wish to launch their enterprise.
[29:15] Guest Question Answer – Adam mentions how he achieves balance in his life and applies it to his work.
Resources:
Connect with Adam:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/adamnash/
Mentioned in the episode:
Website: daffy.org/
App: apps.apple.com/dk/app/daffy-charitable/
“The best gift you could give your employees is to put them in a position where they can earn a life of meaning and purpose through service to others that get recognized and rewarded by teammates.”
This episode of Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos features Fred Reichheld. Fred is one of the world's leading customer and employee loyalty experts. He is the Net Promoter System (NPS®) creator and has been called the "high priest" of loyalty by The Economist. Also, Fred is the founder of Bain's Loyalty practice and a fellow at Bain & Company, where Fred advises businesses on increasing customer and employee loyalty to boost business performance. In this episode, he explains how NPS enables enterprises to become genuinely client-focused, thereby releasing the potential for profitable expansion.
[01:18] Fred's Background - Fred describes the milestones and turning points in his professional life.
[03:04] Net Promoter System – Fred details about net promoter system and how to benefit from it.
[08:03] Winning on Purpose: The Unbeatable Strategy of Loving Customers - Fred explains how customer affection translates into Net Promoter Score (NPS) or likelihood to recommend a product.
[14:48] Best Gift - What is the best gift a company can give its employees?
[18:31] More on NPS - The power of NPS, putting NPS into practice, and the concept of earned growth
[26:33] Advice – Fred provides guidance for CEOs to begin their journeys to success.
[30:35] Fred's Question - Which business, brand, or product have you enthusiastically recommended to a friend, and why?
Recourses:
Connect with Fred:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/fredreichheld/
Mentioned in the episode:
Winning on Purpose: The Unbeatable Strategy of Loving Customers: goodreads.com/en/book/show/58090620-winning-on-purpose
“A core part of what we do through strategic workforce planning is translating that purpose and strategy into what the organization needs from its workforce.”
This week on Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos, we speak with Alicia Roach, Founder, and CEO of eQ8 and a global thought leader in Strategic Workforce Planning and Analytics. Alicia has spearheaded the development of a globally unique SWP solution, "eQ8," by combining her skills in complicated data analysis and sophisticated financial modeling with attractive visualizations and tales. EQ8 is an innovative, globally-unique, dynamic, and scalable SAAS platform for Strategic Workforce Planning. Also, Alicia's passion is assisting organizations in executing their purpose by knowing their existing and future workforce potential. In this episode, she discusses how organizations can take their Strategic Workforce Planning to the next level.
[01:37] Background – Alicia describes her path, the company she co-founded, and how it earned its name," eQ8".
[09:23] SWP – What are the Strategic Workforce Plan, its outcomes, and its impact on the long-term health of the business
[23:32] SWP and CX - If you can improve the employee experience, it will benefit the consumer experience in numerous ways. Alicia mentions how she observes businesses utilizing SWP as a basis for getting a better customer experience.
[27:36] The Future - Alicia's vision for the future of SWP.
[31:21] Previous Guests' question - Where would you choose to live and work remotely around the globe, and why?
[32:21] Inspiration – Alicia discusses where she finds inspiration.
Resources:
Connect with Alicia:
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/aliciaroach/
This episode of Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos features Jennie Weber, Senior Vice President of Customer Experience & Insights at Best Buy. With over a thousand stores and over a hundred thousand employees in the United States and Canada, Best Buy addresses essential human needs in areas such as productivity, security, health, entertainment, and connectivity. In today's discussion, Jennie shares her insights and experience gleaned from over two decades of consumer marketing and strategy formulation.
[01:29] Jennie's Journey – Jennie mentions distinguishing aspects of her career as she recounts her path to this point.
[06:22] Evolution - How the role of customer experience has changed in the last five years.
[09:22] Core Tenants - Jennie's standpoint on the fundamental tenets of CX
[14:30] Technology and CX - The influence of technology advancements on customer experience.
[18:58] Culture – Jennie explores her role and its potential to change the culture and make the company more customer-focused.
[23:20] CX – Jennie's reflections on the role of chief experience officer and the customer experience team
[30:18] Inspiration – We conclude the conversation by discussing Jennie's sources of inspiration and her question for the following guest.
Resources:
Connect with Jennie:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jennie-weber-31802531/
“Customer experience isn't something that organizations control because that is ultimately how customers perceive their interactions with the company.”
On this episode of Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos, Michael Hinshaw, President of McorpCX, joins us in conversation. Michael and his group assist businesses in improving their interactions with customers by applying digital and customer-centric innovations. Prominent analysts have hailed Michael as a pioneer in digital transformation and customer experience. In today's conversation, he expresses his thoughts on the evolution of customer experience management, discussing what has been happening in the CX space, what differentiates companies in the CX space, and where it's going.
[01:07] Micheal's Background – Michael shares his journey and the work he is currently engaged in while discussing how to identify opportunities while entering a new industry
[07:23] Customer Experience - Michael defines customer experience and where he believes it should reside from an organizational structure viewpoint.
[11:03] Qualities and Skills - What leadership styles are the most effective in the CX space, and what qualities and abilities do such leaders possess?
[13:35] Core Tenants – Michael discusses the key tenets of customer experience and the areas where he believes the most significant roadblocks exist.
[23:22] CX in Real Business Outcomes - How to link customer experience management initiatives to real business outcomes.
[28:58] The Future - We explore where technology and customer experience are headed.
[33:48] Last Guest's Question - Which business or product have you suggested to a friend, and why?
Resources:
Connect with Michael:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mhinshaw/
“The entire sales process simply seeks to understand and define clearly the problem the prospect is having at this moment, the impact that it's having on their business, and then how we can be the solution and solve that gap.” Grant Freeman is the guest on this episode of Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos. Being the Chief Customer Officer at Thryv, growing the SaaS division's income is one of Grant's primary concerns. Grant oversees the software sales and client experience teams and the retention and monetization of Thryv's software customers. Throughout our conversation today, he shares how he supports more than 40,000 local businesses across the U.S. through a fully integrated, end-to-end customer experience platform, Thryv software. [01:03] Background –Grant discusses the aspects that have set him apart professionally and how he has applied those learnings to assist small businesses in improving their operations. [03:41] Thryv - How Thryv helps organizations improve their daily operations so they can focus on what they should be doing. [06:55] Onboarding - What Grant does at Thryv and his thoughts on why the onboarding process is so crucial [15:50] Customer-Focused Culture- Grant outlines how they help organizations improve operationally and culturally. [17:41] Measure the Success - What metrics are used to gauge a company's success in relation to the customer's experience? [22:19] CX - Grant expresses his views on customer experience as a board-level topic. [24:23] The Future - Grant describes how he envisions the CCO's obligations will evolve over time. [27:44] Never-again Error - The one mistake Grant will never repeat. [31:51] Inspiration – Sources where Grant draws his motivation and inspiration.
Recourses: Connect with Grant: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grantfreeman/ (linkedin.com/in/grantfreeman/) Website: https://www.thryv.com/ (thryv.com/)
“It’s your customers telling you what they think about your company, what your product about your service; it’s incredibly valuable if you can use that to your benefit.” Etie Hertz, CEO of Loris.ai, is featured in this episode of Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos. Currently, Loris provides customer service employees with real-time coaching. When transitioning to chat and email-based customer care, firms employ Loris to assist the support team’s shift to these more current channels of client communication. In 2019, Loris transformed into a technology firm with an interaction-level impact. They developed a software solution based on natural language processing that can be integrated with existing customer service platforms to guide agents in real-time with their best practice language suggestions. In 2021, Loris emerged from stealth mode as a potent AI solution in the form of a chrome extension. Having such expertise and experience, Etie investigates the influence of conversational AI on CX in great detail throughout today’s episode. [01:02] Etie’s Journey – Etie shares the defining aspects of his life and career that led him to become the CEO of Loris. [04:05] The Evolution Of Conversational AI - How conversational AI has altered over the past 15 years and how the B2B sector has adopted this technology. [08:18] Benefits – Etie describes some advantages of customer involvement he has observed while working with his clients. [12:32] Rush to Digitalization - Etie explores if he sees some individuals rejecting technology due to corporations pushing more digital towards them and whether businesses need to be more thoughtful about how they engage customers across several platforms. [15:51] B2B and B2C - When it comes to the application of conversational AI technology, how do business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) organizations differ? [19:51] Horizon – Etie expresses his thoughts on the future of conversational AI, emphasizing real-time conversational awareness and disclosing insights. [22:15] Digitally Immersive Environment - We pondered what it might be like to have an agent in a digitally immersive environment. [24:48] The Policy - Does Etie’s company have a policy that is so customer-friendly that it causes customers to perform a double take? [26:30] Inspiration - Etie shares what has been influential to him. Resources: Connect with Etie: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/etiehertz/ (linkedin.com/in/etiehertz/) Website: https://loris.ai/ (loris.ai/)
“You don't move past obsession. I guess what's beyond obsession is more obsession.” This episode of Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos features Marbue Brown. He is the founder of The Customer Obsession Advantage, an organization devoted to assisting businesses in achieving exceptional business outcomes through customer obsession. He is an experienced executive in the field of customer experience (CX) who has proven his ability to lead by example. Also, Marbue is a well-known speaker and published author on topics such as customer experience, business strategy, and economic policy. In today's episode, he explores in great depth a wide variety of topics pertaining to Customer Obsession and contrasts it with other topics. [01:49] Introduction – Marbue discusses the ups and downs of his professional life. Furthermore, he talks about his upcoming book and the inspirations behind penning it. [09:59 Three Terms – Marbue outlines the distinctions between customer focus, customer-centricity, and customer obsession. [14:23] Maturity Path - Is there a rung on the ladder of maturity that leads to a focus on the customer? [28:10] The Next - After Customer Obsession is More Obsession. [31:36] Inspiration – Marbue mentions the factors that have been an inspiration to him. [34:21] Biggest Roadblock - In response to the previous guest's question, Marbue explains why he believes maintaining established franchises is the most prominent hurdle organizations have in delivering customer-obsessed experiences, internally or externally. [36:41] Marbue's Question – Marbue poses a question to the subsequent guest. In addition, he specifies when he intends to release his book for sale. Resources: Connect with Marbue: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marbue-brown-43a8a52/ (linkedin.com/in/marbue-brown-43a8a52/) Link to Marbue’s New Book: https://www.amazon.com/Blueprint-Customer-Obsession-Marbue-Brown/dp/1662858507/ref=sr_1_1?crid=38732QR5QRDO2&keywords=marbue+brown&qid=1666181871&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIwLjAwIiwicXNhIjoiMC4wMCIsInFzcCI6IjAuMDAifQ%3D%3D&s=books&sprefix=marbue+bro%2Cstripbooks%2C70&sr=1-1 (Blueprint for Customer Obsession)
“When people ask me what marketing is, I say it's the customer experience from the first time they engage with your brand to the last time they purchase and after that.” Erik Huberman, the Founder, and CEO of HawkeMedia, the fastest growing marketing consultancy in the United States, appears on this episode of Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos. Hawke Media began operations in 2014 and has seen its valuation rise to $75 million while expanding from seven to more than 150 workers. Among the many accolades bestowed to Hawke Media include spots on the Inc. 5000's "Fastest Growing Companies" list for 2017, the "50 Best Workplaces in Southern California" list from Fortune and Forbes' "Content Marketing Companies to Check Out in 2018" list. In today's episode, Erik discusses the underpinnings of marketing and the future of the field as a whole. [01:00] Erik's Journey – Erik discusses the distinguishing characteristics of his career while recounting his path to this point. [03:34] The Hawke Method – Erik explains the impetus behind the writing of his book. [06:27] Three Pillars - Erik outlines how he works with and advises customers by referencing the three pillars outlined in his book: awareness, nurture, and trust. [16:49] Social Media – Erik addresses the impact of social media on marketing and how social media has altered the nature of trust. [21:23] The Future - Erik expresses his predictions for the future of marketing over the next few years. [2437] Impact on CX - Erik outlines the effect of marketing on the customer experience, specifically how the three pillars described would affect the customer experience. [25.35] Inspiration – Erik shares the sources from which he draws his inspiration. Resources: Connect with Erik: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikhuberman/ (linkedin.com/in/erikhuberman/) Mentioned in the episode: The Hawke Method: The Three Principles of Marketing that Made Over 3,000 Brands Soar:https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/60087797-the-hawke-method (goodreads.com/en/book/show/60087797-the-hawke-method)
This episode of Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos features Ivonne Kinser. Ivonne is the Vice President of Marketing and Innovation for "Avocados from Mexico." She is in charge of the high-performance team and the company's innovation strategy, both of which helped propel "Avocados from Mexico" to the top of the branding category on Fast Company's 2021 list of the world's most innovative companies. Throughout our discussion today, she shares her insights on whether the experience itself is the brand or the brand itself is the experience. [01:10] Ivonne's Story - Ivonne recounts her journey while discussing her eclectic job. In addition, she describes the company for which she works, "Avocados from Mexico." [07:31] Innovative Marketing – Ivonne discusses the reason behind combining marketing and innovation and how they function together. She also offers her opinion on whether marketing firms would benefit from incorporating more innovation-related disciplines into their teams or responsibilities. [11:56] Difficult Balance – Ivonne outlines her approach to marketing while serving all these partners along the value chain. [17:15] CX – Ivonne presents her views on the customer experience concerning her role in marketing. [20:37] Brand vs. Experience - Some say the brand is experience. Some say experience is the brand. Ivonne expresses her opinion on whether she agrees or disagrees with a particular camp and the possibilities of connecting the two. [22:50] The Future - Ivonne explains how she believes marketing will evolve over the next couple of years, and what she means by combining brand and performance is where marketing is headed. [25:04] Driving Factors - Ivonne outlines some of the ecosystems generating a great deal of change in the marketing sector. In addition, she analyzes if a marketing leader requires any new skills or resources in light of these changes. [29:44] Inspiration – Ivonne reveals where she finds inspiration. Resources: Connect with Ivonne: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivonnekinser/ (linkedin.com/in/ivonnekinser/) Website: https://ivonnekinser.com/ (ivonnekinser.com/)
“You have to be careful about what dials you are changing because you do not get to learn if you are doing too much, specifically in driving customer acquisition costs down, which is something we think a lot about.” On this week's episode of Be Customer Led podcast with Bill Staikos; the special guest is Corey Ashton Walters, the Founder, and CEO of Here. "Here" makes it possible for people all over the world to invest in holiday rentals online and receive passive income from the asset class with the most significant yield in real estate, all without lifting a finger. In today's episode, Corey takes the listeners along on his journey as an entrepreneur, sharing his experiences and the lessons he's learned along the way. [00:32] Corey's Journey – Presenting a concise overview of his company's business model, Corey shares how this path ultimately led him to start "Here." [13:57] Development Process – Corey describes how he uses client insights into his development process. [16:51] Advice – Corey imparts his guidance to business owners and other entrepreneurs. [19:30] Superfan - Corey discusses how to recognize a superfan and how he has included them into his company's growth strategy. [24.47] Name – Corey recounts the sequence of events that led him to choose the name "Here." [28:54] Guest's Question - In response to the prior guest's question, Corey expresses his thoughts on reducing acquisition costs. Also, he poses a question for the following guest. [34:24] Inspiration – Corey mentions where he finds inspiration. Resources: Connect with Corey: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreyashtonwalters/ (linkedin.com/in/coreyashtonwalters/) Mentioned in the episode: The Practicing Stoic: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37886498-the-practicing-stoic?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=8KYEW83BHY&rank=1 (goodreads.com/book/show/37886498-the-practicing-stoic?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=8KYEW83BHY&rank=1)
This episode of Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos features Bella Obudho, Head of Operations and Customer Experience at BrighterMonday Kenya. BrighterMonday Kenya is part of Ringier One Africa Media Group (ROAM), one of Africa's major digital publishers, offering global businesses to access targeted audiences nationally, regionally, and continentally. Bella is regarded as a thought leader in ROAM Africa, where she manages the CX Centre of Excellence (COE) and drives the adoption and accountability of NPS best practices. Throughout the span of today's episode, we delve into a diverse range of topics pertaining to the process of setting up a CX Team for Success. [01:17] Background - Bella recounts her life and career, mentioning the path that led her to become an expert in customer experience. [03:56] CX in Kenya – Bella discusses the current state of customer service in Kenya and how she believes it may have changed over the past several years. [08:09] Core Tenants – Bella shares her take on the fundamental principles of customer experience. In addition, she describes how the COVID epidemic has altered her perspective or method for reaching the consumer or employee voice. [16:05] Technology – We discuss how technology has shaped a new direction in the consumer experience. Additionally, Bella lists a few tools she is eager to use and begin testing. [26:54] Advice - As a frontrunner in the CX industry, Bella guides individuals who wish to head a function or team. [31:46] Inspiration – Bella mentions the people she admires and where she finds inspiration. Resources: Connect with Bella: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosebella-abok-10951a19/?originalSubdomain=ke (linkedin.com/in/rosebella-abok-10951a19/?originalSubdomain=ke)
“Smart AI can differentiate who you’re talking to, when you’re talking to them, and what you need to say, and how that’s where this starts to make a real difference.” Christopher Willis, Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Product Officer of Acrolinx, joins us on this episode of Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos. Chris is regarded as a very innovative and results-driven CEO with a track record of building effective marketing and sales groups. Also, he is accountable for all areas of the organization’s marketing strategy. Moreover, Chris specializes in content governance, artificial intelligence, and pipeline management. In today’s discussion, we dive deep into various aspects concerning the improvement of content and its effect on the customer experience. [01:10] Background – Chris shares his journey to this point and highlights the characteristics that set him apart. [06:03] Acrolinx - Chris outlines Acrolinx’s fascinating AI and content-related projects. He then elaborates on AI’s impact on content development, curation, and consumption since its adoption. [15:48] Content as an Asset - Numerous businesses consider content an afterthought rather than an asset. Chris describes what he believes companies lack on the experiential side, especially when explaining its value for the first time. [20:36] C - Level Initiative – Chris explains how revenue modeling resulting from content governance becomes a C-level endeavor. [23:33] Content Fitness – Chris gives an excellent explanation regarding the idea of content fitness. [29:46] Horizontal Solution – Chris discusses the corporate sizes to which their service extends and whether or not it is genuinely an enterprise-level solution. [32:13] Inspiration – Chris mentions the business executives he looks up to most and why he does so. He also notes where he gets his inspiration. Resources: Connect with Christopher: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cpwillis/ (linkedin.com/in/cpwillis/) Website: https://www.acrolinx.com/ (www.acrolinx.com)
This week's episode of Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos will feature the CEO of Walnut.io, Yoav Vilner. Yoav has started multiple businesses. Also, he is a startup adviser for Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and United Nations-affiliated accelerators. While discussing Yoav's journey with Walnut in today's conversation, we delve deeper into the relevance of sales experience for the success of a business. [01:06] Yoav's Background - Yoav describes the journey that finally led him to start Walnut. [03:08] Walnut – Yoav describes what problem he was attempting to answer with Walnut, how he came up with the company's name, and how long it took him to develop a platform from concept to prototype. [07:45] Sales Experience – Yoav explains his point of view on why he believes many people have forgotten about the importance of sales experience. [09:16] Service – Yoav discusses the services that his organization provides and the motives behind delivering such services. [12:28] Demos as Assets - Yoav offers an explanation as to why businesses do not view demos as an asset. [15:35] Data – Yoav further elaborates on Walnut's services and discusses the direction he believes the sales experience will take as a differentiator for organizations. [24:07] Inspiration – Yoav mentions the business executives he admires and the sources he frequents to be inspired and energized. Resources: Connect with Yoav: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yoav-vilner/ (linkedin.com/in/yoav-vilner/) Website: https://www.yoavvilner.com/ (yoavvilner.com/)
“From an EX/CX perspective, what some of our cutting edge clients are starting to see is that any changes that occur even on the EX side, actually have an impact on the CX side, around retention, around levels of engagement.” On this week's episode of Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos, our guest will be Manish Goel, the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of TrustSphere. In the fields of Relationship Analytics and Organizational Network Analysis, TrustSphere is the company that has established itself as the undisputed market leader. They assist companies in capitalizing on one of their most precious assets - the collective relationship network. Throughout today’s episode, we dive into relationship analytics and how businesses can utlilize it to improve their growth. [01:06] Background – Manish outlines his journey and the factors that distinguished his profession and led to TrustSphere. [02:18] TrustSphere - Manish talks about his company and what they do for clients. [05:59] Use cases - Manish describes the primary use cases that he observes many of his clients considering for his company's work. [07:27] Inclusiveness – Manish explains how he considers gauging inclusion in an organization by examining details about the individuals. [10:19] Leadership Network – Manish discusses observations he has made that he deems vital in the leadership network. [14:36] CX – Manish illustrates how companies can enhance the customer experience through relational analytics. [19:04] Business Outcomes – Manish demonstrates how firms may boost their revenue and top-line growth by utilizing relational analytics. [21:09] The Future – Manish discusses the direction he believes his work will take over the next three to five years and the aspects of his job that excite him the most. [23:32] Predictions - As the capability of relationship analytics improves, Manish mentions what else he thinks may be quite intriguing in terms of predictive aspect. [25:33] Inspiration – Manish describes his business role models and sources of inspiration. Resources: Connect with Manish: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manishgoelts (linkedin.com/in/manishgoelts) Website: https://www.trustsphere.com/ (trustsphere.com/) Email: manishgoel@trustsphere.com
“If we're gonna move to something like AR, we want it to do something new and something different, something that we couldn't do before.” This week on Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos, we have an in-depth interview with Brad Quinton, an entrepreneur, and researcher who has consistently pushed the technological frontier. Brad is the CEO and CTO of Singulos Research, Inc, which focuses on developing cutting-edge software and intellectual property (IP) to enable Deep Learning-based solutions for Augmented and Mixed Reality applications. Throughout the episode, we discuss Brad's previous work and his perspectives on various aspects of augmented reality, particularly regarding how AR Advances may alter experiences. [01:24] The Journey - Brad recounts some distinguishing aspects of his profession. [04:32] Singulos Research Inc. – Brad mentions the problem he was attempting to remedy in the world that prompted him to create this firm and how he chose the names, Singulos and Perceptus. [07:38] Definitions – Brad discusses the distinctions between augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality. [09:58] Perceptus Platform – Brad outlines the distinguishing characteristics of the Perceptus Platform and some of the use cases that personally thrill him the most. [14:44] AR Technology - Brad mentions when he anticipates that augmented reality (AR) technology will be widely available and how he believes people would react to such a change. [22.39] Consumer Demand - Brad explores whether consumer demand drives technological innovation or whether technological innovation drives consumer demand. [25:04] Privacy – Brad comprehensively analyzes data security versus privacy. [30:42] Inspiration – Brad describes the business executives he admires and the sources of his inspiration. Resources: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-quinton-489a423/?originalSubdomain=ca (linkedin.com/in/brad-quinton-489a423/?originalSubdomain=ca) Website: https://www.singulosresearch.com/ (singulosresearch.com/) Mentioned in the episode: What if AR could see: https://www.perceptusai.com/ (perceptusai.com/)
“In essence, we identified an asset that was completely overlooked but can drive very smart insights.” Technical content is something that often goes unnoticed by many organizations but is able to deliver immense value when used correctly. This week on Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos, we have a deep conversation with an expert in strategic product content, Gal Oron. Gal is the CEO of Zoomin, a firm that helps businesses improve customer experience by utilizing the power of product content. Throughout the episode, we dive into why content is important and how it can be a valuable asset to businesses. [01:14] Gal’s Story – The story of how Gal transitioned from a military career as a pilot to starting his own company and the problems Zoomin is solving for its clients. [05:30] Business Journey – How Zoomin’s business and its services have evolved over the last few years. [08:44] Content Consumption – We take a deep dive into how different companies use technical content for their internal operations and building communities. [12:38] Content as an Asset – The value technical content adds to a business and why businesses should view technical content as a strategic asset. [15:24] Content & CX – How content influences the customer experience and what Zoomin offers to its clients to help them identify and resolve points of friction. [20:05] Content & Policy – How content can give insight into how a company’s policies are influencing its employees and customers. [26:26] CX Community – Gal talks about the community his company created for CX people and how it’s been growing. [29:38] The Future – Gal’s thoughts on how the utilization of technical content as a strategic asset may evolve in the coming years. [34:45] Inspiration – We ask Gal where he gets inspiration for success in his personal and professional life.
Resources Connect with Gal Website: https://www.zoominsoftware.com/ (www.zoominsoftware.com) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gal-oron-6857902/ (linkedin.com/in/gal-oron-6857902) FLOURISH Community: https://www.zoominsoftware.com/flourish (www.zoominsoftware.com/flourish)
This week on Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos, our guest is Teresa Cain. Teresa is the Director of Product and UX at TreviPay, responsible for the product vision, strategy, and user experience of a B2B financial technology SaaS platform. She is also the founder and chief executive officer of Lucid Startup Consulting, a company that advises start-up businesses on their strategy and vision. Teresa has over 15 years of experience directing worldwide product and user experience teams. Also, she has extensive expertise in leading B2B and B2C product management, product design, research, strategy, and innovation. [01:24] Background - Teresa describes her journey so far. She also talks about the firm she works for, TreviPay, and what inspired her to start her own company, Lucid Startup Consulting. [05:51] Design Sprints- Teresa defines the phrase "design sprint" and shares her ideas on when firms require design sprints and the outstanding results she has witnessed from design sprints. [11:11] The Mix of Roles – Teresa mentions, in addition to engineers and others, who else she prefers to include in this process, elaborating on the optimal blend of individuals or jobs where she found the most success with the design sprint model. [13:06] Team - Teresa shares the engagement framework she employs and how she leads her team virtually. [17:44] Problems – Teresa describes how she addresses a few of the most common team management challenges. [25:42] Integration - Teresa explains why more businesses do not adopt the agile process's incorporation of human-centered design and design thinking. [28:18] KPI – Teresa discusses the metrics businesses should implement to determine whether or not their design sprint process has been successful. [30:12] Roadblocks - Teresa points out the obstacles that prevent firms and brands from genuinely focusing on the customer and making decisions in their best interest. [32:13] Inspiration - Teresa outlines where she finds inspiration.
“If an organization is getting certain results, it’s because it’s designed to get those results. So if you want to have different results, then we need to design the organization to deliver different results.” This week on Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos, we’re having a deep conversation about organizational change with Ken Thompson, principal partner and CEO of AlignOrg Solutions. In his current role, Ken has led multiple successful strategic organization transformation initiatives with Google, FedEx, Adobe, and many other global industry leaders. Throughout today’s episode, Ken shares his expertise in organization design, operational efficiency, and strategies for organizations to win in a highly competitive marketplace. [01:13] Ken’s Story – We start the conversation with what led Ken to start his company and how his military experience shaped his career path. [04:31] AlignOrg Solutions – What strategic organization design is, and how Ken’s firm, AlignOrg Solutions, helps its clients build a winning strategy. [08:35] Reasons for Struggling - Why many organizations struggle to design their organization in a way that allows them to get the results they want. [12:55] The Starting Point – How to start making changes that would benefit the business, its employees, customers, investors, and other key stakeholders. [17:44] Good and Bad Customer Experiences – We talk about some of the customer experiences we’ve had and the lessons businesses can learn from these experiences. [23:10] Mastering the Cube – We dive into the core content of the book published by Ken’s company, Mastering the Cube: Overcoming Stumbling Blocks and Building an Organization that Works. [27:03] Change Management – Ken talks about the approach AlignOrg takes when looking at change management for its clients. [31:45] Inspiration – Ken’s sources of inspiration and why Ken loves the exposure he gets from books.
Resources Connect with Ken Phone: 801-232-1442 (M) Email: ken.thompson@alignorg.com Website: http://www.alignorg.com (www.alignorg.com)
“When people were working at home, kids were popping up in the corner. Mine certainly did. The really cool thing that came out of that is people started to be more comfortable being human, not just at work, but with clients.” We close out the month on Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos joined by Sarah Dayes, the Chief Client Officer at Acceleration Partners (AP), a renowned worldwide performance marketing agency. Sarah is responsible for the success of AP's Client Services team, which consists of more than 250 individuals, and the health and happiness of their global client relationships. She has been a member of AP's leadership team for ten years and has been involved in the success of key client engagements, with seriously big brands including Uber, adidas, Target, and Airbnb. [01:17] Background – Sarah describes her journey thus far, during which she has experienced nearly every aspect of customer service, client service, and hospitality. [05:53] Sarah's Role – Sarah explains the work she conducts in her role and its influence on the company. [07:13] Evolution - Sarah shares her view on how her role has evolved over the years she has held it, as well as a list of traits she believes may persist in the new norm. [11:47] In-person versus Virtual Mix – Sarah discusses her views on remote work situations. [13:35] KPI - Sarah presents her thoughts on assessing performance and mentions the metrics utilized by her organization to measure its success. [17:00] The Future - Sarah addresses how she would like to see the chief client officer's role evolve and her team's impact within this environment. [18:23] Distinct Roles - Sarah expresses her opinion regarding the chief client officer acting the part of the chief financial officer and whether she believes some roles should be essentially distinct. [21:24] Advice – Sarah offers advice to aspiring chief customer officers and allies who want to support female executive leadership. [24:11] Role Models - Sarah describes whom she admires in business and where she finds inspiration. Resources: Connect with Sarah: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahjohnsondayes/ (linkedin.com/in/sarahjohnsondayes/) Mentioned in the episode: Winning on Purpose: The Unbeatable Strategy of Loving Customers: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58090620-winning-on-purpose?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=GWUDemJtit&rank=1 (goodreads.com/book/show/58090620-winning-on-purpose?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=GWUDemJtit&rank=1)
“Journey orchestration became a key fundamental in terms of connecting experiences in the context of the journey and then making personalization and individualization decisions based on where the customer is on that journey and where they are on multiple journeys.” This week on Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos; we will be speaking with Ray Gerber, Chief Technology Officer and SVP of WW Engineering at Thunderhead. Thunderhead brings brands closer to their customers by assisting them in better understanding and satisfying the demands and needs of each client, regardless of where or when they connect. [00:56] Ray's Story – Ray recounts his journey up to this point and describes the significant landmarks he has encountered. [05:20] Journey Orchestration – Ray outlines journey orchestration and what he noticed in the industry that inspired him to say, "Hey, we need to build this because it fills a massive need." Also, taking into account the present level of technology, he further explains how far he believes the company has developed since he first conceived of it and began constructing it. [13:46] Conversation in the C suite - Ray describes why journey orchestration is discussed less frequently in the executive suite. [18:15] Use Cases - Ray presents some of the more intriguing Journey Orchestration use cases he has observed. [22:25] No Personas - If you can begin to personalize the experience, you may no longer require personas for design. Theoretically, it would help if you had guideposts but not necessarily personas. Ray delivers some of his thoughts in response to this. Resources: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-gerber-b4232b/ (linkedin.com/in/ray-gerber-b4232b/) Website: https://www.thunderhead.com/ (www.thunderhead.com)
“What you do internally shows up externally.” This week on Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos, we’re having a conversation with Ram Parimi, head of customer strategy & insights at Blend, a FinTech firm that focuses on bringing simplicity and transparency to financial services so more consumers can gain access to the world’s financial resources. Throughout the interview, we dive into what it means to be customer-first, how to adapt to market dynamics, how to cater to ever-evolving consumer expectations, the future of fintech, and more. [00:32] Ram’s Journey – How Ram’s career, which started in music production, eventually evolved into customer strategy and the story of Blend and what they offer to their customers. [04:03] Customer-first Approach – Ram dives into what a customer-first approach means in the fintech space and how Blend enables a customer-first experience. [09:33] Industry Dynamics – Consumer lending space is changing rapidly, with lots of new players coming into the market with new innovative products. Ram shares his thoughts on how Blend is responding to these changes. [15:19] Consumer Expectations – What the modern consumers expect from financial & banking services, and how the fintech space can prepare to cater to these consumers. [20:02] The Future – Ram shares his takes on how the lending space may change in the next few years. [26:17] leaders and Inspiration – Ram talks about his sources of inspiration and some of the leaders and inspiring personalities he looks up to. Connect with Ram LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramparimi/ (linkedin.com/in/ramparimi) Website: https://blend.com/ (www.blend.com) Disclosure: This podcast contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements generally relate to future events, future performance or expectations and involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this podcast may include, but are not limited to, our expectations regarding our product roadmap, future products/features, the timing of new product/feature introductions, market size and growth opportunities, plans for future operations, competitive position, technological capabilities and strategic relationships. The forward-looking statements contained in this podcast are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes to differ materially from the outcomes predicted. Further information on these risks and uncertainties are set forth in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements in this podcast are based on information available to Blend and assumptions and beliefs as of the date hereof. Except as required by law, Blend does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments, or otherwise.
“The purpose is the soul of the brand and needs to be understood in going through a rebranding exercise.” Most companies want their brand to be what customers want, and rivals envy. And that calls for a strong, purpose-driven brand strategy. This week on Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos, we had a fantastic conversation with Bill Kenney, CEO, and partner of Focus Lab, about aligning the customer experience with the company’s brand. Bill’s company, Focus Lab, is an established brand agency that assists B2B firms in connecting with their consumers and distinguishing themselves as market leaders. [01:08] Bill’s Background – Sharing his journey so far, Bill describes how he and his business partner established their company, Focus Lab, and how they serve their clients. [07:15] BX, CX, and PX - Bill outlines the distinctions between brand experience, customer experience, and product experience. [10:30] Purpose and Brand – Bill addresses the intrinsic relationship between purpose and brand. [14:11] Brand Strategy - Bill discusses the core tenets of brand strategy development. [19:00] Connecting the Experience – Bill mentions how businesses should consider tying their brand to the experience they intend to give. In addition, he explores how change management and employee experience influence above said connection formation. [27:50] Simplicity – Bill emphasizes the importance of simplicity in delivering a comprehensive brand experience. [30:07] Inspiration - Bill describes the personalities he admires from a business and mindset perspective and the sources of his inspiration.
Resources: Connect with Bill: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billskenney/ (linkedin.com/in/billskenney/) Website: https://focuslab.agency (focuslab.agency)
Mentioned in the episode: The Ideal Team Player: How to Recognize and Cultivate The Three Essential Virtues: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28930640-the-ideal-team-player?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=0n991sancI&rank=1 (goodreads.com/book/show/28930640-the-ideal-team-player?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=0n991sancI&rank=1) Zero to One, Start Now Get Perfect Later, Shoe Dog A Memoir by the Creator of Nike, [Hardcover] Crushing It 4 Books Collection Set: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52373483-zero-to-one-start-now-get-perfect-later-shoe-dog-a-memoir-by-the-creat?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=w5oMqQMvmb&rank=1 (goodreads.com/book/show/52373483-zero-to-one-start-now-get-perfect-later-shoe-dog-a-memoir-by-the-creat?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=w5oMqQMvmb&rank=1)
“In everything we talk about in customer experience, you can take the word customer out and put the employee in; the whole thing applies to employee experiences.” This week on the Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos, we’re joined by Colin Shaw, one of the earliest pioneers in Customer Experience. Furthermore, LinkedIn has recognized Colin as one of the "World's Top 150 Business Influencers". Also, he is the founder and CEO of Beyond Philosophy LLC. The Financial Times selected his company as one of the best management Customer Experience consultancies consecutively for the last four years. Besides that, Colin is the co-host of the popular podcast Intuitive Customer, ranked in the top five percent of all podcasts, according to Buzzsprout. [02:51] Colin's Background – Sharing his journey and the distinguishing characteristics of his career so far, Colin explains how his company differs from other CX consultancies in the industry. [08:03] Key Tenets – Colin presents some of the fundamental principles of CX to him. Comparing customer experience to employee experience, he elaborates on the application of customer experience in B2B. [10:27] Bring Together - Colin discusses his thoughts on how firms should integrate customer experience and employee experience in a meaningful way. [16:47] Intuitive Customer - In his book, "Intuitive Customer," he discusses focusing on the emotional, subconscious, and psychological aspects of the customer experience from a behavioral economics perspective, rather than merely comprehending the rational experience of customers. Mentioning this, he illustrates how to make this concept tangible for the CEOs or CFOs. [28:46] Customer Science - Colin defines the phrase customer science and its significance in broad terms. Additionally, he stresses the need for a proactive customer experience while embracing advanced technology applications in CX. [37:40] Inspiration – Colin describes the people who have impacted his life and the places where he finds inspiration and serenity. Resources: Connect with Colin: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinrjshaw/ (linkedin.com/in/colinrjshaw/) Mentioned in the episode: Podcast: The intuitive customer - Improve your customer experience to gain growth:https://beyondphilosophy.com/podcasts/ (beyondphilosophy.com/podcasts/) Who Moved My Cheese?: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4894.Who_Moved_My_Cheese_?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=gepln5qMnW&rank=1 (goodreads.com/book/show/4894.Who_Moved_My_Cheese_?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=gepln5qMnW&rank=1) The Intuitive Customer: 7 Imperatives For Moving Your Customer Experience to the Next Level: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32328098-the-intuitive-customer?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=ONl1jIGZnE&rank=1 (goodreads.com/book/show/32328098-the-intuitive-customer?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=ONl1jIGZnE&rank=1)
“Everything begins with you; it begins and ends with you.” This week on Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos, we’re joined by Nils Vinje, Founder and CEO of 30 Day Leadership. In thirty months, Nils Vinje advanced from an individual contributor to a vice president. Every team he coached excelled in performance. Also, the method by which Nils accomplished this served as the basis for his leadership coaching. He is a leadership coach, 3X Top 25 Customer Success Influencer, consultant, and public speaker. Moreover, Nils is the author of the book 30 Day Leadership, which equips leaders with the tools to handle any situation confidently. [01:54] Nils’s Journey – Nils describes his exciting journey to his current position and how he happened to write his book. [10:13] Way of Working – Nils discusses the styles he employs in his work with clients. [12:15] Yourself First – Nils explains why it is essential to understand how to lead ourselves first and how to initiate self-reflection. [19:05] Timeless - Nils points out why the leadership principles he teaches are universally applicable and how the COVID 19 pandemic has affected their applicability. [22:45] Social Contract - Nils defines the social contract and explains why he believes social contract violations are a significant cause of the current wave of great resignation. Nils also discusses how frequently he would suggest people update the social contract. [27:49] Leading with Communication – Nils summarizes his four pillars of leadership beliefs and why simply carrying out your tasks as a leader is insufficient. [31:41] Yes or No – Nils highlights the reasons and mechanisms for why it is crucial to receive a yes or no for any activity. [34:32] Role Models and Inspiration – Nils mentions the role models he admires. Furthermore, he explains how his sources of inspiration.
Resources: Connect with Nils: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nilsvinje/ (linkedin.com/in/nilsvinje/)
Mentioned in the episode: 30 Day Leadership Playbook: Your Guide To Becoming The Leader You Have Always Wanted To Be: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55127989-30-day-leadership-playbook?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=TpkSmNB1Ab&rank=2 (goodreads.com/book/show/55127989-30-day-leadership-playbook?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=TpkSmNB1Ab&rank=2) B2B Academy - Exclusive Courses for Business Leaders: https://b2b-academy.com (b2b-academy.com) 30 day leadership: https://www.30dayleadership.com (30dayleadership.com)
“The most important piece of the puzzle is empathy and truly understanding the people you're designing experiences for.” This week on Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos, we had a great talk with Callie DePina about establishing and fostering the member experience. Callie is the vice president and head of member experience at ButcherBox, a company launched in 2015 with the purpose of making high-quality meat more accessible. Throughout the episode, we dive into ButcherBox’s approach to member experience and some important takeaways from Callie’s experience. [01:37] Callie's Background - Sharing her journey so far, Callie explains her role at ButcherBox. Moreover, she mentions several practices they follow there. [12:25] Metrics – Callie discusses the metrics they employ to identify and quantify the impact of their members. [18:00] Journey Mapping - Callie presents their approach toward journey mapping and mentions its significance. [21:23] Experience Management – Callie highlights the most crucial aspects of experience management. [25:11] The Future – Callie describes the direction she expects experience management will take over the next few years. [28:14] Advice From Callie – Callie gives the listeners two essential pieces of advice on nurturing the member experience. [31:18] Inspiration – Callie shares the role models she admires and the sources of her inspiration. Resources: Connect with Callie: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smithcallie/ (linkedin.com/in/smithcallie/) Check out ButcherBox: http://www.butcherbox.com (www.butcherbox.com) ButcherBox discount: if you want to become a new ButcherBox member, ButcherBox is offering listeners $30 off their first box by using the discount code: CALLIE30.
“Communication is two-way. So it's much about listening to understand what matters to them, not just telling.” This week on Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos, Amy Radin joins us for an insightful conversation. She is a member of the Global Board of Directors at the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. In her corporate career, Amy championed the use of customer data and technology, devising novel solutions to create new sources of value. Her accomplishments include overseeing the digital transformation of Citi Cards, a $5BB P&L, driving five years of double-digit adoption growth, and establishing a corporate venturing unit to promote mobile peer-to-peer payments in anticipation of new trends. She also demonstrates her competence at AXA US by developing consumer data analytics and digital marketing strategies and rebranding the company. [01:37] Board's Responsibility – Sharing her background, Amy discusses the board's responsibility in defining leadership and the customer experience they wish to give and the extent to which boards should delve into these topics. [08:59] Advice – Amy describes how she would advise them regarding board engagement if she were sitting down with a CXO or CCO. [15:28] Get Ahead – Amy discusses a few aspects of the customer and employee experience that boards or CEOs/founders may need to address in the next year or two. [22:23] Scale-up - Amy highlights what founders should consider in terms of customer or employee experience while transitioning from startup to growth and scalability. [25:55] Customer Feedback - Amy addresses whether more businesses and startups should pay closer attention to the numerous signals available, such as direct customer feedback. [30:03] Customer-Focused Change - Amy explains her recommendation strategy for influencing senior-level decision-makers to create customer-centric change. [33:56] Amy's inspiration – Amy mentions the leaders she admires and the sources of her motivation. Resources: Connect with Amy: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyradin/ (linkedin.com/in/amyradin/) Mentioned in the Episode: The Change Maker's Playbook: How to Seek, Seed and Scale Innovation in Any Company: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38747877-the-change-maker-s-playbook?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=c5ypZrTTrF&rank=1 (goodreads.com/book/show/38747877-the-change-maker-s-playbook?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=c5ypZrTTrF&rank=1)
“This technology that's been available for big brands and large enterprises, we like to say we're democratizing that for small businesses.” This week on Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos, we are having a wonderful conversation with Gavin Macomber, the President, and CEO of Cloudli Communications, a leading provider of voice, messaging, and data communications solutions for businesses and consumers of the future generation. He enables numerous other businesses to welcome clients in novel and inventive ways through his company. Also, over 7,000 clients rely on Cloudli's mobile-first unified communications (UCaaS), VoIP connectivity, and digital fax solutions. [01:47] Gavin's Journey - Gavin shares his career experience thus far, highlighting key elements that he believes have benefited him. [12:21] Cloudli Communications – Gavin explains what his company does and the impact of their work. In addition, he describes several methods they've employed to improve their approach to enhance the customer experience. [22:05] Research - Gavin mentions the outcomes of his research. Also, he further describes how his firm assists local businesses and how they interact with customers. [32:26] Business Texting – Gavin outlines the facts he has gathered regarding the influence of business texting on the SMB market. [34:56] Inspiration - Gavin describes whom he looks up to in the business world and where he finds inspiration. Resources: Connect with Gavin: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gmacomber/ (linkedin.com/in/gmacomber/)
This week on Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos, we’re having a fascinating conversation with Luis Angel-Lalanne, Vice President, Customer Voice at American Express. Luis has global responsibility for the Voice of Customer program and complaints reporting for the Global Services Group. The Voice of Customer program covers all servicing interactions and is the primary measure of customer experience success for the organization and for individual frontline colleagues. Throughout today’s episode, we dive into Luis’s approach to customer listening, the evolution of customer listening, using customer listening to drive change within an organization, and more. [01:20] Getting to Know Luis – We start the conversation with a brief look at Luis’s career, which he started as an engineer and transitioned into business. [04:12] Evolution of Customer Listening - Luis shares his perspective on how the discipline of customer listening has changed over the years and what we can expect in the future. [07:04] Luis’s Approach to Customer Listening – Luis shares the philosophy and the approach they follow for customer listening at Amex. [10:11] Reporting vs. Insights – The measures implemented by Luis and his team to move away from traditional reporting and pivot toward deeper and more meaningful insights. [13:26] Driving Change – Luis shares his perspective on how insightful information gathered via customer listening could be used to drive change within an organization. [17:00] Journey Analytics – Luis shares his thoughts on how Amex’s approach to journey analytics and orchestration has evolved over the years. [23:54] Future of Surveys – Luis’s perspective on the place surveys will have in the future of customer listening. Resources: Connect with Luis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luis-angel-lalanne/ (linkedin.com/in/luis-angel-lalanne/)
“The reason you would choose, as a customer, to engage with a company and buy their product or engage in their service is very similar to the reason an employee would want to work there.” This week, Kevin Budelmann, the co-founder and president of Michigan-based strategic design firm Peopledesign joins the Be Customer Led podcast with Bill Staikos. From startups to Fortune 500 firms, Kevin has worked with a vast array of businesses, including education, healthcare, manufacturing, finance, and consumer items. Moreover, he serves as an adjunct lecturer at Northwestern University. Addressing various exciting topics, Kevin explores the relationship between purpose, brand, and experience in today’s conversation. [01:37] Kevin’s Story – Starting the conversation, Kevin summarizes his journey so far. Moreover, he talks about his company and how it works with its clients. [05:00] Interconnectivity of Purpose and Brand – Kevin discusses the interrelationship between purpose and brand and the pandemic’s effect on this. [13:30] Cross-Functional Teams – Kevin shares his take on shifting into cross-functional teams. [16:55] Organized for Success - Kevin outlines the organizational structures he has observed firms use successfully and what they do differently when progressing from purpose to an actual product or service. [20:02] Initial Steps - Kevin points out how he would convince his clients to connect the brand’s purpose to the delivered experience. [23:39] Service Design – Kevin distinguishes service design from other design efforts and the significance of service design in the context of customer experience. [28:02] Inspiration – Kevin concludes the talk by detailing where he finds inspiration and who he admires in his sector, along with the reason why. Resources: Connect with Kevin: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinbudelmann/ (inkedin.com/in/kevinbudelmann/)
“One of the things that I've always been focused on is not just the advent of CX but on making sure that customer earned growth and value are really embedded in driving the overall corporate agenda and culture in a meaningful way.” This week's episode of Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos features Amy Shioji. Amy is the Senior Vice President for Analytics and Transformation and Chief Experience Officer at Strategic Education. Strategic Education facilitates economic mobility through education, where Amy is committed to fostering revolutionary customer growth and organizational focus in her current role. [01:17] Amy's Background – Amy discusses her journey and the distinguishing factors that led to her current position. [03:36] Strategic Education - Amy outlines what "Strategic education" is and what it does, how it differentiates itself from other companies in the industry, and how her work there differs from her previous role. [08:48] Human Resources – Amy describes the opportunities and relationship between the corporate strategy and experience function and the HR division. [11:27] Message to CEOs – Amy covers some of the initial measures that CEOs can take within their organizations to integrate strategy and CX in a meaningful way. [15:13] Platforms and Tools – Amy explains the tools and platforms utilized by the strategy and CX teams. [19:38] Journey and Product – Amy addresses how organizations are now aligning themselves around journeys and not necessarily the product. In addition, she mentions the techniques they have been employing concerning this. [23:38] The Future – We examine how the integration of strategy and customer experience will evolve in the coming years. [30:25] Inspiration - Amy talks about her sources of motivation and her role models. Resources: Connect with Amy: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyshioji/ (linkedin.com/in/amyshioji/)
“The good corporate explorers puncture the bubble that leadership teams often have around their business that makes them believe it’ll continue and continue and continue.” In the early days, innovation was viewed as a game best left to entrepreneurs, but a new breed of corporate executives reverses this logic. Corporate Explorers possess the knowledge, tenacity, and discipline necessary to overcome barriers and launch new initiatives inside even the largest organizations. This week on Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos, we welcome Andrew Binns, co-founder of Change Logic, a Boston-based strategic advising firm. Additionally, he is a co-author of Corporate Explorer and a founding member of The Corporate Explorers Club. Most importantly, Andy is driven by the mission to assist enterprises in unleashing their potential to innovate and delight the globe. [01:31] Background – Andy discusses his background by recounting his transition from marketing to consulting. Also, he mentions what motivated him to write his book. [06:27] Corporate Explorer - Andy explains the concept of corporate explorers and how organizations could empower such individuals. [11:27] Digital Business Transformation - Andy points out how critical it is for an organization to be tech-savvy or forward-thinking and how to ensure that the organization develops the correct attitude internally. [13:47] Three Disciplines - Andy expresses his thoughts on how the client and the workforce contribute to success via the lens of three disciplines: Ideation, Incubate, and Scale. [19:56] Time is Up – Andy highlights how to determine when it is appropriate to transition to the next discipline. [23:39] Success Models – Andy mentions his views about an optimal way to set up business ventures and ensure their success. [29:15] Change Agent - Andy explains why he considers the corporate Explorer a pioneer in innovation and transformation. [33:16] Productive Tension – Andy defines productive tension and outlines how corporate explorers create and maintain it. [39:27] Role Models - Andy shares where he finds inspiration and who he admires.
Resources: Connect with Andy: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewjmbinns/ (linkedin.com/in/andrewjmbinns/) Mentioned in the podcast: Corporate Explorer: How Corporations Beat Entrepreneurs at the Innovation Game: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58398731-corporate-explorer?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=VZ44lkuwjG&rank=1 (goodreads.com/book/show/58398731-corporate-explorer?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=VZ44lkuwjG&rank=1) Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44064568-reimagining-capitalism-in-a-world-on-fire?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=efRAVEPXq3&rank=1 (goodreads.com/book/show/44064568-reimagining-capitalism-in-a-world-on-fire?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=efRAVEPXq3&rank=1)
“Having different opinions helps the journey and solves the problem differently. It's part of getting it right.” This week on Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos, we are joined by Amanda Whiteside, Worldwide Head of Customer programs at Amazon. She has been working on developing a multi-year strategy that is the foundation for Amazon's global, commercial, and customer strategies for shipping. She leads a large team of technical product and program managers, focusing on five distinct business functions, including onboarding and integration, customer service tracking and delivery, billing and sustainability, and business analytics. Throughout today’s episode, Amanda shares her knowledge and thoughts on the role leadership plays in the CX & EX spaces and bits of wisdom she accumulated along her journey. [01:21] Amanda's journey – Mentioning the versatility she had throughout her career, Amanda shares her journey from sales to programs and products. [03:48] Customer Experience – Amanda explains how she incorporates customer experience into her work. [05:01] Amanda's Work - Amanda describes the type of work she does with her team. [06:30] Two Sides of The Same Coin - Given her emphasis on leading a broad, diverse workforce, Amanda shares her philosophy on the synergistic relationship between the customer and employee experience. [08:12] Stakeholders – Dealing with multiple stakeholders is quite challenging. Noting that Amanda outlines her encounters with a wide range of stakeholders. [10:50] New Normal – Customers' perceptions of digital commerce have shifted due to the global pandemic. Amanda discusses how she and her organization prepare to deliver the types of experiences that consumers increasingly want. [13:13] Employees and Feedback – Amanda explains how she manages the employees and enhances the employee experience by listening to them daily and having a self-development day. [16:37] Leadership Style – Amanda describes how her leadership style may have evolved. [19:35] The Future - Amanda expresses her thoughts on how she sees the customer-obsessed or customer-led culture evolving over the next year or two.
Resources: Connect with Amanda: LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/amanda-whiteside-880503209 (linkedin.com/in/amanda-whiteside-880503209)
“It is important to be smart. It is important to be personable, but being a good influencer is such a critical skill.” This week on Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos, we’re joined by Ryan Hart, Fractional Chief Experience Officer and Experience Practice Lead at Chameleon Collective. Ryan also served as Managing Director, Experience Management Consulting (Tokyo) at PwC Japan, where he empowered a diverse and inclusive team of talented, creative, and strategic thinkers to assist organizations in Japan and throughout the Asia Pacific in accelerating experience, digital, and cultural transformations. Throughout the episode, we cover several aspects of experience management, including its key components, where people struggle in experience management, and how to prepare for the future of experience management. [01:25] Ryan’s Story – Emphasizing how fortunate he is to come from such a diverse background, Ryan discusses his journey thus far. [04:53] Chameleon Collective – Ryan describes the business model of Chameleon Collective, the company for which he works. Additionally, he presents his ideas on a variety of organizational structures. [11:29] Leadership – There are numerous leadership styles. Ryan explains the type of leader who often achieves tremendous success, in his opinion. [13:49] Key Pillars – Ryan talks about experience management and its core components. [16:32] Why Fail? – Ryan outlines why and where he believes people fail the most or do not place as much importance on customer experience. [23:34] The Future – Ryan shares how he envisions experience management five or ten years from now. [27:54] Inspiration - After mentioning the leaders he most admires in this field, Ryan reveals where he finds inspiration. Resources: Connect with Ryan: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-hart-a9254b4/ (linkedin.com/in/ryan-hart-a9254b4/) Twitter: https://twitter.com/rhartcx (twitter.com/rhartcx)
“You have to inspire yourself every day. Even if you had a massively bad day before, you have to try to find the victories in it.” Today's episode of Be Customer Led features Richard Botto, Founder & CEO of Stage 32. Stage 32 is an online platform and marketplace aimed at democratizing the entertainment industry, by providing networking and training opportunities for all film, television, digital content makers and professionals, globally. The member community is now over 750,000! Throughout today's episode, Richard discusses his journey and experience creating his company and developing the community and member experience. [01:14] Richard's Journey – Mentioning how an entrepreneurial spirit blossomed inside of him, Richard explains his story so far and the distinguishing aspects that drove him to become a business founder. [07:12] Stage 32 - Richard mentions how he came up with the name Stage 32, the genesis of the firm and why he launched it. [12:45] Challenges – While recounting the instances where he noticed the community's curvy expansion, Richard shares the evolution of his struggles and victories over the last 11 years. [22:26] Richard's Advice – Richard offers suggestions and assistance to anyone considering doing something similar to what he did. [27:23] Community. Not a Platform – Richard discusses what he does differently to emphasize the community experience and make individuals feel like they are not part of a large platform but rather part of a community to help one another grow, expand, and develop. [31:31] Inspiration – Leaving several worthy facts, Richard reveals who he admires and where he finds inspiration. Resources: Connect with Richard: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardbotto/ (linkedin.com/in/richardbotto/) Company Website: http://www.stage32.com/ (stage32.com)
“It’s not that you always have a plan. You don’t know what’s going to come, but when somebody is bringing an opportunity to you to make a change, you cannot ignore it.” This week on Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos, we’re joined by Marcela Lay. Marcela is a Senior Vice President & Head of Client Strategy & PM Operations at Y Media Labs, a digital product and design agency that creates innovative products that export Silicon Valley to the world. Throughout today’s episode, we dive deep into several aspects of influencing and driving culture change within an organization and how to create cultural changes that result in better work environments, less friction within teams, and sustainable growth. [01:10] Getting to Know Marcela – We start the conversation with Marcela’s story of growing up in Colombia and becoming a Silicon Valley executive. [04:17] Y Media Labs – How Marcela’s company, Y Media Labs, approaches client strategy. [07:14] Recipe for Success – Marcela shares with us some of the factors that she has discovered in her time with YML that contribute to the success and steady growth of an organization. [10:22] Tension and Friction – How Marcela approaches dealing with tension or friction within a team that keeps the team from reaching its full potential. [14:51] Inclusive Change – Marcela’s advice on how to influence the executive teams to drive inclusive change. [19:11] Allies in the Workplace – Marcela’s advice for people who want to become allies to their colleagues and help them grow professionally. [22:30] Inspiration – Marcela shares with us some of the people, books, and resources that bring her inspiration and motivation. Resources Connect with Marcela LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/marcelalayccxp (linkedin.com/in/marcelalayccxp) Website: http://ymedialabs.com/people/marcela-lay (ymedialabs.com/people/marcela-lay) Mentioned in the Episode Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose – Tony Hsieh https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6828896-delivering-happiness (goodreads.com/book/show/6828896-delivering-happiness)
“I think the next battlefield is the ecosystem; whoever the smart one will follow and build or learn from it.” Steven Moy, CEO of Barbarian, joins today's episode of Be Customer Led. Barbarian is an agency that is obsessively focused on utilizing technology to eliminate friction, leveraging data to fuel new ideas, and harnessing creativity to bring new products and services to life for their customers. Its principal objective is to assist clients in transforming and disrupting their industries. Throughout the episode, Steven shares his expertise and experience with client needs, how they are growing, and how they are influencing new technology. [01:33] Steven's Journey - Steven relates his tale, which includes numerous twists and turns, and discusses how he believes this journey has provided him with a greater perspective on his current role as CEO. [22:28] Customer Needs – Customer requirements change and evolve at a breakneck pace. Also, the pandemic has significantly altered and has undoubtedly accelerated that alteration. Steve discusses the important tendencies he observes in those shifts in needs. [30:51] Digital Convenience and Personalization – Steven provides an overview of his stance on digital convenience and customization to fulfill client needs. [39:28] Digital Frontiers - Steven talks about the digital horizons that interest him the most. [15:47] Steven's Inspiration – In response to the episode's final question, Steven shares where he finds inspiration. Resources: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenmoy/ (linkedin.com/in/stevenmoy/) Website: https://wearebarbarian.com/ (wearebarbarian.com) Twitter: https://twitter.com/Steven_P_Moy (twitter.com/Steven_P_Moy)
This week’s Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos features Steve Dion, founder and CEO of DION Leadership, dedicated to creating workplaces where the employees start every day excited and end every day accomplished. Throughout today’s episode, Steve shares his knowledge and expertise in helping organizations develop more vital workplaces and cultures by creating and deploying innovative assessment, leadership, and team development programs. [01:32] Steve’s story – Steve describes his journey and how he came to be in the position he is in today. [05:33] Impact of COVID – Steve discusses how the world of work is changing due to COVID’s impact over the last two years. [07:35] The Future - While sharing one of his recent experiences coaching a CEO, Steve explores some areas he finds fascinating regarding the future of work. [12:14] Advice to CEOs – Steve counsels CEOs on their own need to return to the office. [16:04] Better Workforce - Steve outlines what advice he would give leaders on establishing leadership and teamwork to improve the workforce and how people respond to that kind of framework. [24:23] Steve’s Approach – Steve explains how he serves his clients through his company, Dion Leadership. [26:28 Inspiration – Steve shares the thought leaders he admires and the places he seeks inspiration. Resources: Connect with Steve: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sdion/ (linkedin.com/in/sdion/) Website: https://dionleadership.com (dionleadership.com) Work-life balance: https://www.worklifealigned.com (worklifealigned.com)
This week’s Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos features Kermit Randa, a results-driven CEO with vast expertise managing the transformation to establish accountability, high performance, and profitable development cultures. He is also a visionary well-known as a strategic thought leader, motivator, and mentor. Throughout the episode, he discusses the importance of customer success in driving CX, drawing on his experience and expertise as a change agent who effectively leads firms to become sustainable, thriving category-leading businesses. [01:16] Background – Kermit describes his journey and the factors he believes contributed to his current position. [04:41] Customer Success - Kermit delves deeply into defining customer success, noting that it has risen significantly in relevance within a firm during the last five years. [10:35] More on Customer Success – Further elaborating on customer success, Kermit discusses the critical responsibilities of the CEO position regarding customer success. [13:48] Customer Retention – Kermit addresses some important ways in which customer success teams may begin considering and focusing on retention, a critical component of their responsibilities. [20:17] Metrics - Kermit mentions several metrics for measuring the success or performance of a customer success management team, which he has employed so far. [22:47] Customer Experience - Kermit explains how focusing on customer success improves customer experiences. [26:00] Employee Retention – Kermit presents his thoughts on what he believes leaders should do better in employee retention. [28:41] Feedback from Employees - Kermit and Bill discuss their respective perspectives on how employers should respond to employee feedback. [35:26] Inspiration – Kermit talks about his role models and sources of inspiration. Recourses: Connect with Kermit: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kermitranda/ (linkedin.com/in/kermitranda/)
This week’s episode of Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos features Michael Bartlett, author of The Dark Side of CX. Michael is the director of experience innovation at JMARK. He’s also the founder and creator of the CCXP exam simulator, which helps CCXP candidates prepare for certification with highly realistic sample questions. Throughout today’s episode, he presents several concepts from his recently released book that you can utilize to create a better customer experience for your customers. [01:31] Michael’s Story - Michael discusses how he transitioned from the film industry to the area of customer experience and what motivated him to create the CCXP exam simulator. [05:51] The Dark Side of CX – Michael shares what inspired him to write his book and what the book is about. [09:35] Challenges & Learnings – Michael’s takeaways from the journey of writing and publishing his book. [12:31] Research – Michael describes his research and idea gathering approach before publishing his book. [16:27] Next Move - Why Michael thinks companies have a hard time understanding customers’ issues and thinking of the next right move for the customer. [21:26] Confusion – Michael explains how confusion affects the consumer experience and how to reduce confusion in customers’ interactions with a business. [24:58] Social Friction vs. Goal friction – Michael explains the concept of two types of friction that contribute to a bad customer experience. [33:04] Michael’s Role Models – Michael reveals who he looks up to and where he finds inspiration. Resources: Connect with Michael: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelbartlettccxp/ (linkedin.com/in/michaelbartlettccxp/) CCXP Exam Simulator https://ccxpexamsimulator.com/ (ccxpexamsimulator.com) Mentioned in the episode: The Dark Side of CX: The costly patterns that turn loyal customers into brand haters: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60502211-the-dark-side-of-cx?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=nDCQaqFUcI&rank=1 (goodreads.com/book/show/60502211-the-dark-side-of-cx?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=nDCQaqFUcI&rank=1)
This week on Be Customer Led, we’re joined by Katie Schlott, a Partner at IA Collaborative. Katie has worked with fantastic companies, including FedEx, HP, GE, and Samsung, bringing these brands to life through user-centered product, service, and brand innovation. Throughout today’s podcast, Katie covers numerous aspects of inclusive design and the need to include the perspective of all women, and their diverse experiences, in designing new products and services. [01:42] Katie’s Journey – Katie begins the conversation by recounting her heroic journey thus far. [06:25] IA Collaborative – Katie describes IA Collaborative’s mission and focus, how they help their clients, and her role in the process. [10:48] Inclusive Design – Rather than relying on regular users, inclusive designers broaden the range of viable use cases. Noting that Katie offers her perspective on inclusive design. [14:40] Designing for Women - Katie discusses the importance of incorporating a woman’s perspective into the design. Moreover, she mentions several companies contributing to this societal shift. [24:07] Best Practices – Katie outlines some of the best practices and inclusive design principles that anyone can take away and begin exploring, testing, and learning with their data. [29:0] National Women’s Day – Katie suggests new executive-level initiatives commemorating National Women’s Day. [33:16] Inspiration – Katie talks about her role models whom she looks up to and the sources of inspiration for her work. Resources: Connect with Katie: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-schlott-ab314b7/ (linkedin.com/in/katie-schlott-ab314b7/) IA Collaborative: http://www.iacollaborative.com (www.iacollaborative.com) Design for Women: http://www.iacollaborative.com/women (www.iacollaborative.com/women) Mentioned in the episode: Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41104077-invisible-women?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=g9DoKwS2mf&rank=1 (goodreads.com/book/show/41104077-invisible-women?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=g9DoKwS2mf&rank=1) Quotes “My favorite part of the innovation process is thinking about new areas of opportunity, prototyping, building, failing multiple times…but teaching our clients, that’s the way we’re going to iterate to build something that the people you’re trying to serve actually need; as opposed to what you think they need.” “I think about inclusive design as specifying products and services for as many people and situations as possible, while you reduce the level of ability required by each of those people.” “Rather than use that common, average user - inclusive designers extend those possible use cases to the widest variety of people…and that’s really important, because culture assumes that a few can represent all, and that leaves a lot of people unserved.” “When you’re designing for and marketing to the same homogeneous demographics time and time again, you’re missing out on huge areas of opportunity for equity and innovation.” “As we celebrate International Women’s Day…think about, how are you are integrating your various products, services or solutions to solve bigger, more systemic challenges facing women?”
Kerry Goyette, founder, and president of Aperio Consulting Group, is today's guest on Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos. Aperio Consulting Group is a corporate consulting firm specializing in developing high-performance cultures via workplace analytics and training. Moreover, Kerry is a keynote speaker, an award-winning author, and an expert in behavioral science. In today's episode, Kerry discusses her thoughts, knowledge, and expertise with workplace analytics and the future of work. [01:04] Background – Starting the conversation, Kerry recounts her journey thus far. [03:03] Aperio Consulting Group – Kerry discusses how Aperio help its clientele work at their best. [05:31] Workplace Analytics – Kerry discusses how analytics technology has influenced her work with corporations. Moreover, she explains how organizations are using these capabilities to strengthen their cultures and teams. [09:47] Artificial Intelligence – Kerry discusses how artificial intelligence may be used to uncover opportunities and assescs cultures or teams' strengths and weaknesses. [13:17] Aperio’s Approach – Kerry shares with us how her firm approaches exploring raw, messy data to find valuable information using data mining techniques and artificial intelligence. [21:34] Great Resignation – Kerry outlines what she sees as the factors influencing the ‘great resignation’ and why there’s more to the story than it being just another effect of the pandemic. [26:59] Future Work – Kerry discusses her perspective for the new normal and how our work culture may evolve as people begin to rethink the way they work. [30:00] Motivational Research Institute - Kerry talks about her work in the Motivational Research Institute and why she founded it. [34:14] Inspiration – Kerry reveals where she finds inspiration.
Resources: Connect with Kerry: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerry-goyette/ (linkedin.com/in/kerry-goyette/) Website: https://www.aperiogroup.com (aperiogroup.com)
In an increasing number of firms, we see CX supporting the organization’s marketing efforts. Today’s guest of Be Customer Led is Christy Dempster, who works for Roche as a senior international marketing manager - customer experience and analytics lead, global customer experience. Roche is a global leader in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics, aiming to advance science and ultimately enhance people’s lives. Christy is one of the finalists for the CX Leader of the Year in 2021. Throughout today’s podcast, Christy widely describes the relationship between customer experience and marketing and the opportunities that open up from collaborations between these two fields. [01:32] Christy’s Story – Christy’s career includes some non-traditional twists and transitions through multiple industries. She shares with us her background and how the journey she has nurtured her knowledge and her perspective on CX. [05:56] Christy’s Role at Roche – Christy recounts her role at Roche, what intrigued her to the position, and the impact she contributes to creating. [11:09] CX Analytics – Christy explores how far the discipline of CX has come in terms of pure analytics and how it will significantly impact the consumer level. [17:06] CX and Marketing – Christy emphasizes the importance of integrating customer experience and marketing to create better outcomes for customers. [24:17] Inspiration – Christy talks about the things that motivate her the most.
Resources: Connect with Christy: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christydempster/ (linkedin.com/in/christydempster/)
Mentioned in the episode: Clare Muscutt Helps Us Understand CX Community Building for WiCX: https://becustomerled.com/captivate-podcast/clare-muscutt-helps-us-understand-cx-community-building-for-wicx/ (becustomerled.com/captivate-podcast/clare-muscutt-helps-us-understand-cx-community-building-for-wicx/)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddunger1/ (Todd Unger), Chief Experience Officer and SVP for Marketing and Member Experience at the https://www.ama-assn.org/ (American Medical Association) (AMA), joins us for today's episode to cover various topics connected to organizing for customer experience, leadership, and community growth. As AMA's Chief Experience Officer, Todd is responsible for acquiring, keeping, and engaging AMA members, growing the scope and impact of AMA's mission-based work, and driving digital transformation efforts. Also, Todd manages projects that connect the product, marketing, commerce, and service to accomplish this while keeping the client at the center of all they do. [01:09] Background – Todd discusses his background and journey thus far and how that experience contributes to the success of his current role. [04:06] Todd's Role – Todd outlines how he combines the traditional customer experience role and the digital marketing community in AMA. [09:18] Factors Behind the Growth - Todd discusses the main elements that influence the growth of the medical field and practice. [14:52] Benefits of Merging – Todd gives an astounding description of the benefits of integrating several disciplines they experience at AMA. [19:13] Challenges – Serving a variety of audiences is not a simple endeavor. Todd discusses the difficulties inherent in the model AMA is embracing. [24:21] AMA COVID-19 Update – Todd talks about the podcast that they produce at AMA. [24:45] Inspiration – Being part of AMA's inspirational work, Todd shares his sources of motivation.
Resources: Connect with Todd: Website: https://www.ama-assn.org/ (ama-assn.org/) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddunger1/ (linkedin.com/in/toddunger1/) Podcast: https://www.ama-assn.org/about/publications-newsletters/ama-podcasts (ama-assn.org/about/publications-newsletters/ama-podcasts)
In this episode, we take a deep dive into the value of community with a leader who is on a mission to bring together courageous women in customer experience from across the globe. Clare Muscutt is the founder and CEO of Women in CX, a growing community spanned over 20+ countries that focus on providing a platform for women in the customer experience discipline to build deep connections and friendships, share ideas and collaborate. [01:44] Clare’s Journey – We start the conversation with a brief look at Clare’s career journey and how customer experience became her area of focus. [06:30] Moving on from the Corporate World – Clare shares with us what inspired her to leave the corporate environment and start her own practice and some of the challenges that came with it. [10:16] Effects of the Pandemic – Clare shares her thoughts on how the pandemic and its ripple effects have shaped the customer experience arena. [15:14] Community – The events that led to the beginning of Women in CX, the purpose behind it, and how the community grew into its current level. [25:45] Advice for Growth – Clare shares four key pieces of advice for those who aspire to grow their profession to the next level. [31:00] Power of Mentoring – How being engaged in mentoring with people from different backgrounds can be beneficial to mentees and mentors alike. Resources Connect with Clare: LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/clare-muscutt (linkedin.com/in/clare-muscutt) Website: http://womenincx.community/ (womenincx.community) Podcast: https://youtube.com/c/WomeninCX (https://youtube.com/c/WomeninCX)
In today’s episode, we explore the significance of customer experience, product, and community with https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuelbright/ (Sam Bright), Chief Product and Experience Officer at https://www.upwork.com/ (Upwork). Sam oversees a global team of over 800 individuals working in product design, user experience, user research, and community management. This incredible individual joins us today to discuss the significance, benefits, and challenges of merging customer experience, product, and community. [01:07] Sam’s Journey – Sam shares his career journey at several positions related to entrepreneurship and technology and how all that experience has prepared him for his current role at Upwork. [05:40] Understanding the Customer and the Product – Learnings from Sam’s career that helps him understand and connect with his customers as well as the products and strategies to make the customer win big. [10:14] Responding to Change – Sam shares with us why our business strategies should be adjusted according to evolving conditions of the market and what we learn through our experiences, and the benefits of adapting to change. [14:20] Operating Models – Sam explains what an ideal operating model for customer experience looks like and how companies can effectively implement it. [18:00] Upwork’s Customer-Centric Approach – What drives Upwork’s approach to customer experience and how the process of implementing customer centricity has helped Upwork thrive. [24:50] Challenges – Upwork has a far wider range of stakeholders than a typical business. We talk about some of the customer experience challenges that emerge with this nature of business and how the Upwork team is working to overcome them. [29:00] Redefining CX for the Future – Sam shares his perspective on how the customer experience landscape may evolve in the next few years. Resources: Connect with Sam: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuelbright/ (linkedin.com/in/samuelbright) Twitter: https://twitter.com/SamuelRBright (twitter.com/SamuelRBright)
The culture of a business is one of the factors that heavily influence its success. And concepts related to customer experience can be utilized to improve the culture of an organization. Our guest today is a business leader who possesses a wealth of knowledge and experience on the role CX plays in developing the culture of an organization. https://www.linkedin.com/in/beckygetzcreativeleader/ (Becky Getz), Head of Customer Experience, Operations at https://aws.amazon.com/ (Amazon Web Services) (AWS), joins us today to share her wisdom on what CX really means, how CX connects with employee experience, and how CX can contribute to culture change. [01:22] Becky's Story – Becky reflects on her career journey of working for quite a few well-known brands and how that experience prepared her for the current role. [06:12] What CX Means – Becky shares what customer experience means to her and how she approaches CX in her role at AWS. [08:17] Employee Experience – Why customer experience and employee experience is very similar and why companies should care about employee experience as much as they care about customer experience. [12:00] CX and Culture – Becky shares her perspective on the role customer experience teams can play in shaping the culture of an organization. [] Design Thinking – How organizations can utilize design thinking to create an environment of shared thinking and collaboration between teams and people that are typically siloed. [20:05] From Banking to Cloud Infrastructure – Becky shares with us some of the learnings from her process of shifting to an entirely different industry. [23:15] Future of CX – Becky shares her perspective on how the CX arena may evolve in the next few years.
Resources: Connect with Becky LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beckygetzcreativeleader/ (linkedin.com/in/beckygetzcreativeleader)
Jobs to Be Done, aka JTBD, is a concept of consumer action that describes the mechanisms that cause a consumer to adopt innovation. Our guest today has done some fascinating innovations based on this concept, developing his own framework to make this concept more clear and straightforward. https://www.linkedin.com/in/eckhartboehme/ (Eckhart Boehme), the founder and managing director of https://unipro-solutions.com/ (Unipro Solutions), joins us today to talk about what this concept is all about and how organizations can improve themselves using this concept. [01:00] Career Journey – Eckhart shares with us his professional journey in several roles, including his long tenure at Microsoft as well as starting his own company. [02:29] Jobs To Be Done – Eckhart explains what the JTBD concept is about and how his framework makes this concept clear and straightforward. [06:20] Solving Problems – We dive into the tools that come with Eckhart’s framework and the problems these tools were able to solve for his clients. [07:57] Customer Progress Design – The five steps of customer progress design and what’s involved in implementing each step. [12:15] Customer Interviews – Eckhart shares with us some of the interesting learnings from interviewing customers and what they think of the process. [15:00] Selecting the Right Team – How to select the ideal people to have the most impact and to be able to create the best outcome. [20:15] Customer Experience and Strategy – How businesses can connect the customer experience to their business strategy. [25:39] Inspiration – We asked Eckhart about what inspires him, and he shares numerous streams of inspiration he has in his life that our listeners can make use of as well. Resources: Connect with Eckhart: Website: https://unipro-solutions.com/ (unipro-solutions.com) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eckhartboehme/ (linkedin.com/in/eckhartboehme)
The way consumers engage with brands has been rapidly evolving over the last few years. And one of the communication technologies that have shown widespread acceptance from consumers and brands alike is conversational AI applications. In today's episode, we take a deep dive into the future of conversational AI with an expert in the field. https://www.linkedin.com/in/amber-armstrong-marketing/ (Amber Armstrong), Chief Marketing Officer at https://www.liveperson.com/ (LivePerson), joins us today to talk about how conversational AI has been evolving over the past few years, how brands can implement it in various B2B and B2C use cases, and what the future of conversational AI may look like. [01:09] Amber's Story – Amber's background in marketing and how the learnings from several roles in companies of all sizes prepared her for her current role as the chief marketing officer at LivePerson. [03:20] Conversational AI – How conversational AI technologies have evolved over the last few years to improve the way brands engage and interact with consumers. [07:00] Effects of the Pandemic – Amber shares her thoughts on the role the pandemic played in accelerating the growth of digital communication solutions. [11:45] Privacy – Amber shares her thoughts on how brands marketers should approach engaging with audiences while preserving privacy. [13:45] Conversation AI for B2B Marketing – The value proposition of conversational AI for the B2B market and some use cases for B2B related scenarios. [17:59] Future of Conversational AI – Amber shares her take on how conversational AI may evolve over the next few years. Resources: Connect with Amber: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amber-armstrong-marketing/ (linkedin.com/in/amber-armstrong-marketing) Twitter: https://twitter.com/ambarmstrong (twitter.com/ambarmstrong)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanibova/ (Tiffani Bova), Global Growth and Innovation Evangelist at https://Salesforce.com (Salesforce), Tiffani talks to Be Customer Led about the future of work and the impact on customer and employee experience. In this episode, Tiffani and I get into: Best practices for 'return to work' and its impact on the future of work How innovation has been impacted, for the better, and what we need to change to innovate again in an optimal way What new skills should people be focused on to be successful over the next decade?\ What companies should be doing now to shore up technical debt, and continue to engage their customers and deliver digital convenience Her book, GrowthIQ, its relevance today and what she might change about it in the future (including a new book!)
An amazing conversation with someone who is incredibly connected to so many businesses, sharing her expertise insights on the show.
Trying to find deep insight into the future of work and its impact on leadership? Look no further. Be Customer Led recently interviewed https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielleharlan/ (Danielle Harlan) who is Founder & CEO of https://www.leadershipandhumanpotential.com/ (The Center for Advancing Leadership and Human Potential). Our conversation goes deep, it's interactive, and it explores so much around leadership you will have to bring your notepad for this one. Danielle and I cover a lot of ground here, including: Her perspective on return to work and how that's impacting the future of work How the classical leadership model has fundamentally changed, why leaders need to show more empathy, and how leaders can recognize that Her book, The New Alpha, and it's premise around creating inspiring leaders (and how she might want to change the book's name to Killing Alpha) The work she is doing through the Center and the impact her organization is having to transform leadership for the modern world
An amazing, interactive conversation. So lucky to have had Danielle on the show and can't wait to (hopefully) have her back some time in the near future.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-petty-hold-25017a/ (Karen Hold) and I talk about her new book, https://www.amazon.com/Experiencing-Design-Innovators-Jeanne-Liedtka/dp/0231194269 (Experience Design - The Innovator's Journey). This is the podcast version of the live episode recorded in October 29th. Karen and I get into the specifics of her book from why she wrote it, critical components of the book, plus tools and capabilities she offers within the book to assess Design Thinking acumen. A great conversation with an incredible thought leader on design thinking. One of the best books I've read this year, and definitely one of the best books on Design Thinking that I have had the pleasure of reading. A must listen to episode if you're a designer, in customer experience, or interested in this space. You can buy Karen's book on https://becustomerled.com/wp-admin/amazon.com (Amazon) https://www.amazon.com/Experiencing-Design-Innovators-Jeanne-Liedtka/dp/0231194269 (here) and you can find out more about Karen and her company, at https://www.experiencelabs.org/ (Experience Labs).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexmead/ (Alex Mead) is no stranger to the Customer Experience community as many "thought leaders" have faced his challenges over the past few years, and rightfully so. He is a consistent voice on how customer experience needs to improve, and even thinks the term should be removed altogether. On this episode of Be Customer Led, Alex and I get into it, talking about: Where customer experience has gone wrong over the last few years The 3-5 things Alex feels companies need to focus on to deliver great experiences How COVID has changed experiences (forever) How Alex is approaching customer service experience for the start-up he's working on in the GCC Technology's role in customer experience and its impact
Really interesting show with someone who brings a new and interesting perspective to customer experience, and is in the CX trenches every. single. day.
Want to know how to connect CX and Strategy in a way that creates value for your company? https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-garcia-dorminey/ (Michelle Garcia Dorminey) is Vice President of Consumer Experience Strategy at TrueCar, Inc., a company dedicated to making shopping for a car uplifting. Michelle's role is unique, however, I am seeing a lot more companies combine experience and strategy, and Michelle's perspective was fascinating; too many lessons to list for the classical CX Leader to take away (or the smart-minded CEO). In this episode, Michelle and I cover: Her role focused on Consumer Experience Strategy and how that differs from other CX Strategy functions How Michelle approaches strategy and her advice for newcomers to strategy development How she is using https://www.strategyzer.com/ (Strategyzer), Lean Startup and Design Thinking methods to achieve success for the business Michelle's perspective on connecting strategy with tactics and partnering with stakeholders across TrueCar Her view on the future of CX and how the CX leader's role might evolve
Not only is this already one of my favorite episodes, I stated as much on the show! Super interesting and grateful to have had Michelle join us on the podcast!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimtincher/ (Jim Tincher) is Founder, CEO and Journey Mapper-in-Chief at Heart of the Customer, a consultancy he started over eight years ago. Jim and I first met in the lobby at Chase Bank's HQ in NYC many moons ago, and boy is he an impressive guy. Jim is my go-to for anything to do with customer journeys or the journey tech-stack; there is nobody out there more knowledgeable on these topics! On this episode of Be Customer Led, Jim and I cover: The importance of journey mapping as part of a broader Customer Experience agenda Journey best practices, and worst practices How he is seeing leading companies organize around the customer journey vs. the product or function The Journey Tech Stack including Journey Analytics and Journey Orchestration
An awesome show with an industry veteran, a class act, and hands-down the world's leading authority on customer journeys (IMHO).
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ACoAAAAKD8gBgjnxO4yrZQ24L8oPyTjLYmaUm0s (Lou (Lewis) Carbone) has continuously been at the forefront of studying, exploring and developing value creation through experience management - he started when I was in CX-diapers! In this episode of https://www.linkedin.com/company/becustomerled/ (Be Customer Led), Lou and I cover the past, present, and future of customer experience. You can download or listen here: Interestingly, Lou is focused on Latent Acuity: understanding the deep, unconscious metaphors that become the powerhouse in identifying clues and signals that drive emotional feelings about brands. We talk about this in depth and how it's used in practice. Lou and I also cover the future of customer experience, and concepts he calls "digimanity" or the combination of digital and humanity, and his practice of fusion-omics, or the combination of departments, practices, or disciplines and it's impact on CX. Really insightful conversation with someone who has seen and worked on everything there is to see and work on in customer experience. I'm lucky to call Lou a mentor and, more importantly, a friend. I learn more every time I talk to him. I know our listeners will too.
No matter how long you've worked in customer experience, every once in a while, someone comes along with a simple and powerful view that can change your own thinking. https://www.linkedin.com/in/milliegillon/ (Millie Gillon), a Senior MD and Head of CX, Innovation & Transformation at https://www.sc.com/en/ (Standard Chartered Bank), is one of these people. While we may have passed each other in the halls of JPMorgan or even American Express, I was grateful to have her on the show and cover some deep topics and learn from her in this episode. We cover: How she leads her team toward bringing together customer experience metrics and business metrics Her approach to metrics and her Five Voices of CX framework (you'll want steal this one for sure) Tips on influencing the C-Suite and the firm more broadly Advice for CX practitioners and peers to support each other to grow and learn
A fantastic show with an innovator and leader in financial services. I walked away from this episode not only with new learning, but feeling like I was speaking with someone who truly wanted to make a difference in the world (not just financial services). A must listen-to show!
Lauren Harding knows how to navigate the complexities of customer experience in a complex industry like financial services. As the Head of Customer Experience for Spring, a UK-based part-exchange, or home buying service, she is dealing with insights, analytics, design and culture. In this show, Lauren and I chat about 🎙 CX's evolution in the UK and Europe more broadly 🎙 The core tenets of CX and some of the hurdles she faces in the UK part-exchange business 🎙 How she engages the business to help drive a customer-led culture 🎙 The CX Tech stack and how Spring is harnessing tech to better engage their customers Really interesting show with a boots-on-the-ground practitioner in a very complicated business. Love Lauren's authenticity and passion for the work.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/garymagenta/ (Gary Magenta) is my first two-time guest and it's because his perspective on all-things business is not only different from the mainstream, it's always spot on. Gary recently left a 21-year career at https://www.rootinc.com/ (Root Inc.) to start his own company, https://themagentamix.com/ (The Magenta Mix) to focus on helping companies cut through the clutter to develop a clear view of the current state and desired future state, leadership and team coaching from discovery through execution, and conducting workshops in specific areas. Gary and I cover a host of topics, including: 🎙 The future of work and how companies are approaching return to work 🎙 How fully remote is impacting innovation and how it's accelerating the workforces' role in driving greater innovation 🎙 The shift from company-centric to employee-centric and what that means for companies across industry 🎙 The pandemic's role in forcing leaders to adopt a completely different skillset, where listening now has to be on surround sound 🎙 The rush to digitalization, the resulting technical debt it has created, and the need for next-level experts, or "NextPerts" to solve complex problems. Gary and I also cover what he is doing with his new company and they the services being provided are right time, right place. An amazing show with a friend, coach and mentor!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-sherwood-72195748/ (Michael Sherwood) is Head of Digital Experience at https://www.atombank.co.uk/ (Atom Bank), the UK's first app-only bank. So to say that Michael is an expert on leading with experience through technology is an understatement. Fascinating conversation with an industry veteran on a range of topics: 🎙 His view on the core tenets of experience, particularly through the lens of a tech-forward company 🎙 How he's thinking about CX / Design from the journey perspective vs. the product perspective at Atom Bank 🎙 How he brought Insights and Design together in his team and the benefits of this move 🎙 How he and his team are changing culture at Atom Bank in the face of COVID 🎙 Michael's views on the future of the CX Tech stack Loved this conversation. Michael is so knowledgeable and has done it all - even starting looking at feedback in spreadsheets before ramping up on tech to drive scale in customer listening.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/carineroman/ (Carine Roman) is the Chief Customer Officer at Mailchimp, and now a full year in the role after a successful career at other leading brands including LinkedIn, 33 Across, and Ziff Davis to name a few. Carine is one of the most thoughtful leaders we've had on the show, hands down. Truly impressed by her perspective and intentional approach to create an environment for Mailchimp that is safe and energizing. Carine and I focus on a number of areas, including: 🎙 Differentiating factors that mean success for the CCO vs. other roles 🎙 How she approaches influencing the C-Suite and the organization overall - it starts with trust, having a transparent agenda, and a little humor (a French accent doesn't hurt either 😉) 🎙 How leaders can change an organization to be a culture of Inclusion and put the employee at the center of everything they do 🎙 Advice for listeners who want to achieve CCO at some point, and for allies to support women and people of color at these levels. Amazing show and I was so impressed with Carine. So glad that Be Customer Led is a customer, and it's clear the impact she's having on the company! A must listen if you're a Chief HR Officer, Chief Experience or Customer Officer, or aspiring to be some day.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-conyers-5b6b8818/ (Samantha Conyers), Co-Founder and Chief Experience Officer at https://www.excott.com/ (EXCO), is a bad-a$$ (and that is an understatement). Samantha and her partners started EXCO over 3 years ago to bring new and fresh thinking to the Caribbean around customer experience - the first company in the Caribbean to do that. She was also the first person in the region with the title Customer Experience Manager, in a region with other 7,000 CX professionals...so Samantha knows a thing or two about being first. Samantha and I have such a great conversation about: How she and her partners started EXCO and it being an all-female executive team The challenges with starting a company and what, looking back, wasn't as much of an issue as they expected The State of Customer Experience in the Caribbean today Her perspective on why companies still aren't investing in CX enough Her advice to other females in CX, and allies to elevate more females in the discipline
I am grateful that I am able to call someone like Samantha a friend. She and her team are doing amazing things to help advance the discipline!
A multi-award-winning executive coach, https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuen-chuen-yeo/ (Chuen Chuen Yeo) is the author of 'https://www.amazon.com/Paradoxes-Leadership-Agility-Inspire-World-ebook/dp/B0893JQ6YH/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=8+Paradoxes+of+Leadership+Agility&qid=1632101978&sr=8-1 (8 Paradoxes of Leadership Agility)’ and creator of the Five Inner VoicesTM, a framework for Leadership Agility. She was named 'Best Agile Leadership Development Coach – Singapore ' by https://www.corporatevision-news.com/ (Corporate Vision Magazine) in 2020/21. Chuen Chuen and I talked about leadership agility, and how she helps leaders achieve it through an easy, four-step process: Reconstruct the Map: Taking to an unbiased, courageous reality check Refresh the Lens: Dropping the legacy mindset and driving toward a new mindset Renew the Identity: Where the transformation starts and leaders take on a new persona Rebuild the Capabilities: Learning and acting on that new learning
A really interesting and fresh approach to adapting to new environments, new ways of working, and ever-changing business dynamics. Loved this show and her book for its simplicity, examples used throughout the four steps, and that Chuen Chuen is one of the most approachable people you will ever meet!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mchalesiobhan/ (Siobhan McHale) is the Executive GM at https://www.duluxgroup.com.au/ (DuluxGroup), and an expert on activating culture change in an organization. Not only has she written an amazing book on the topic, https://www.amazon.com/Insiders-Guide-Culture-Change-Workplace-ebook/dp/B07T8S4TGY/ref=sr_1_1?crid=G18LW8W98KQK&dchild=1&keywords=the+insider%27s+guide+to+culture+change&qid=1631222265&sprefix=the+insider%27s+guide+to+cu%2Caps%2C230&sr=8-1 (The Insider's Guide to Culture Change); but, she also helped drive it first-hand during her tenure at https://www.anz.com.au/personal/ (ANZ) and her years consulting companies on the topic. Siobhan and I sat down to talk about: 🎙 Identifying "patterns" in the workplace 🎙 Her four-step process to "activate the culture disruptor" in your business. The steps are Diagnose, Reframe, Break, and Consolidate. 🎙 The best way to 'diagnose' patterns in the culture that are driving the wrong behavior, and the output of this step in her process 🎙 What she means by reframing Roles, why is this important to organizational change, and why is reframing important before you get to the next stage 🎙 How companies can break out of deeply embedded patterns and how you know when you've broken those patterns 🎙 How to consolidate wins with the culture disruptor and timing before you start to see change in your workplace An amazing show with a truly amazing thought leader on culture change. Siobhan's book is a must read whether you're in HR, a people leader, executive, or in customer experience!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenvanbelleghem/ (Steven Van Belleghem) is an international keynote speaker, author of four best-selling books, and entrepreneur, co-founder of Nexxworks and Partner of https://www.intracto.com/nl-nl (Intracto). He is a globally renowned expert on customer experience in a digital world. So what did Steven and I talk about? 😉 🎙 Steven's view on 2020 being the largest digital training example of our time 🎙 His perspective on companies that have put digital out there as a solution to the pandemic vs. really creating a human-centric solution 🎙 Companies moving away from a "customer" journey focus to a "life" journey focus, and how companies can make the shift 🎙 Why companies need to shift from "authenticity" marketing to one of "responsibility" instead 🎙 How all of the above is changing the customer and employee experience disciplines An incredibly deep thinker with an amazing view on digital, it's impact on customer and employee experience, and how companies need to pivot now in order to meet employee and customer needs.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulteshima/ (Paul Teshima) is the Chief Client Experience Officer and Head of Wealthsimple Invest. https://www.wealthsimple.com/en-ca/ (Wealthsimple) is a financial technology company that gives their clients powerful financial tools and human advice to help them grow and manage their money. Paul and I sat down to talk about: 🎙 His journey through Product and Strategy roles into Experience 🎙 The evolution of Customer Experience from his lens 🎙 The evolution of the Chief Experience Officer role and its proliferation across industry 🎙 Advice for people on the Product side looking to move over to Experience 🎙 How he influences culture from his seat An amazing conversation with significant product and operational perspective, who is bringing all of that to bear to create great experiences for Wealthsimple's customers.
I had to burn my mic after this show. Seriously. https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-watkinson/ (Matt Watkinson), CEO & Co-Founder of https://www.methodical.io/ (Methodical), an experience design agency, is just awesome. There are three books that I've read on customer experience (CX) over the last +20 years that have shifted my view on the discipline: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joepine/ (Joe Pine)'s 'https://www.amazon.com/Experience-Economy-New-Preface-Authors/dp/1633697975/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+experience+economy&qid=1629292651&sr=8-1 (The Experience Economy)', https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukewilliamscx/ (Luke Williams)' 'https://www.amazon.com/Wallet-Allocation-Rule-Winning-Battle/dp/B00ZAM9HFM/ref=sr_1_1?crid=29T6HTRU0H6DU&dchild=1&keywords=wallet+allocation+rule&qid=1629292705&sprefix=the+wallet+allocation+%2Caps%2C165&sr=8-1 (The Wallet Allocation Rule)', and Matt Watkinson's 'https://www.amazon.com/Grid-Decision-making-Every-Business-Including-ebook/dp/B01M01HPWC/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+grid%2C+matt+watkinson&qid=1629292748&s=audible&sr=1-1-catcorr (The Grid)'. (And this is Matt's second book). On this show, we cover a range of topics, including: 🎙 How the best designers are designing to elicit emotion 🎙 A principle from his first book, 'Not Leaving Anything to Chance' 🎙 The importance and use of systems thinking in customer experience 🎙 Why CX, as a discipline, is failing today 🎙 The 'Law of Double Jeopardy' in CX 🎙 Why many CX practitioners are tying their work to real business outcomes I learn from Matt all the time, and he's on my personal Top 10 CX Leaders list. If you're not familiar with him, I would hit up his LinkedIn profile today and check out Methodical's work. {insert burning mic emoji here}
https://www.linkedin.com/in/picciano/ (Skip Picciano) is the Managing Partner of https://www.team-ecx.com/ (Effortless CX Consulting), a business focused on contact center leadership teams helping them identify technology requirements and discover practical industry solutions. Skip and I first met in California pre-pandemic, so it was great to catch up and talk about a topic we're both passionate about - contact centers. I know it's geeky, but it's an important topic and it's a great conversation. Skip and I cover a ton in our 30 mins together: 🎙 Why you need to start viewing your Contact Center like a profit center 🎙 The evolving role of tech in customer support 🎙 Skip's view on where the Contact Center tech stack is going in the next 3-5 years 🎙 Agent tools and how that's helping employees be better at their jobs 🎙 Skips advice to Contact Center leads on how to assess and select the right tech partner An awesome show with a contact center veteran dedicating his professional career to helping businesses make better, more informed decisions around a key function in the business. This is a must listen!
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattmanners/ (Matt Manners) is the CEO & Founder of https://www.inspiring-workplaces.com/ (Inspiring Workplaces), an organization dedicated to changing the world through the world of work. How do they do this? Matt and his team are building a community of individuals and companies dedicated to inspire, hold regular https://www.inspiring-workplaces.com/our-events/ (events) and https://www.inspiring-workplaces.com/awards/ (awards) to shine a light on those inspiring, and have developed an https://www.inspiring-workplaces.com/academy/ (Academy) around the work. In this episode, Matt speaks with Be Customer Led about: 🎙 What differentiates those organizations that get it and are creating winning cultures vs. those that don't 🎙 What differentiates the individual vs. the broader environment in contributing to engagement 🎙 How we can move away from the jargon and stop conflating employee experience, employee engagement, and culture 🎙 We wrap up with what Inspiring Workplaces is trying to achieve in the marketplace A great interview with a truly inspiring individual dedicated to making every company a place where employees are engaged, motivated, and bringing their whole selves to work.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/marc-brackett-10a563/ (Marc Brackett) is the Founding Director for the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence (EI), and Professor at the Child Study Center at Yale's School of Medicine. Marc is also the author of https://www.amazon.com/s?k=permission+to+feel+marc+brackett&gclid=CjwKCAjwgISIBhBfEiwALE19SULJVp9rZ4th8RFuutLJ4QvO4fsua64dPmO6UcU7QGk-Z-gA_GWY_hoCtj8QAvD_BwE&hvadid=323489388229&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9002094&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=5506376428573208186&hvtargid=kwd-678212132142&hydadcr=20176_10155513&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_5zw48lbv0t_e (Permission to Feel), which is one of the best books of read in the past year. Marc and I talked about EI, why he's dedicated his life's work to the topic and how we can develop this skill as people and professionals. Specifically, I wanted to understand if there is EI at the team level and company level, and how that affects team or company performance. Marc and I also discuss how technology is impacting our ability to exhibit higher levels of EI. Given the rapid digitalization due to COVID, this is a topic that has fascinated me for a while now. Finally, Marc puts me "in the chair" and I share some personal stories - something that has happened on the show before, but definitely gets me thinking and wondering about where I can improve. Such a pleasure to have Marc on the show and an incredible amount of learning during out time together!
Sonia Mooney worked for major brands like https://www.rolls-royce.com/ (Rolls Royce) and Aviva in senior-level HR and Talent roles before blazing her own path and starting Signature Solutions. Sonia is also a Contributor for UNLEASH, an interesting platform for HR professionals. I am a huge fan of Sonia's and her thought leadership around the future of HR and the need for Agile, Tech Transformation, and Data for the function to be successful over the long-term. When it comes to Employee Experience and HR's role, there is no better thought leader out there. Sonia and I cover some super important topics that many organizations are trying to tackle as we speak: 🎙 How the global pandemic has sharpened focus on Employee Experience broadly and why 🎙 Where HR is or is not having an impact on Employee Experience 🎙 Why technology is the question, and not the answer 🎙 How the future of HR is Agile 🎙 How Agile & Digital Transformation plays a role in bringing together Employee & Customer Experience 🎙 The importance of data in accelerating your Employee Experience efforts 🎙 Why HR is still relevant An amazing show with someone who not only has deep domain expertise in HR, but is truly leading new thinking in this space. A must listen!
The traditional questionnaire survey is dead. Don't think so? Read and listen on... https://www.linkedin.com/in/davecarruthers/ (Dave Carruthers) is Founder & CEO of https://site.voxpopme.com/video-surveys/ (Voxpopme), a video survey platform that enables you to uncover powerful human insights that inspire and engage, to drive smart decisions, and company growth. Oh, did I mention it also includes advanced analytical capabilities? We cover super important topics today, including: Why video is better and how it's scalable Why companies need to get over the fear of video Benefits of video in driving empathy and awareness Where the medium is headed in 3-5 years How you can marry video through the customer journey Using video on the employee experience (EX) side too
Such a cool conversation. If you're not capturing feedback via video today, you should really consider revisiting your insight strategy today.
Carolene Méli worked for major brands including https://shop.lululemon.com/ (lululemon) and https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/ (Cirque du Soleil) before blazing her own path and creating a platform called https://carolenemeli.com/ (The Experience Creators). A world traveller, she saw first-hand the importance of leadership when it comes to developing memorable experiences. And to develop memorable experiences, you must first master yourself, before you can truly lead. In this episode, Carolene gives us a sneak peak into The Experience Creators learning journey she created, including insight into the four modules: Understanding Your Experience Leading Yourself, incl. creating a leadership vision statement! Leading Your Team, and a new take on leading the team Leading Your Guest, and the six stages
Carolene's perspective is completely new, refreshing, and starts with the individual and the impact they can have as part of the team. Recommend checking out this show if you are thinking about leadership's impact in your organization and where to start.
Dr. BehNaz Gholami is Executive Director at Dizen, an organization that focuses on research, design & innovation to transform organizational culture by enhancing the human experience. Dr. Gholami is one of the only people I've met that brings together Change Management with Human Centered Design (HCD) - a truly powerful combination. In this episode, Dr. Gholami and I cover: Her definition of Human Experience (HX) and how that fits in with Customer (CX) and Employee Experience (EX) Creating culture in a remote or hybrid environment How Human Resources departments are leveraging HCD and how CX teams can help How she brings together the two disciplines of Change Management and HCD in her work with clients
Super interesting guest, and a very thought-provoking episode. A must listen!
Amy Shore is EVP, Chief Customer Officer for Nationwide, a large financial services company based in the US. Nationwide is focused on personal and commercial insurance, investment & retirement products, and banking. Amy's background is super interesting: leading Sales, Operations, and Product functions before taking on the Chief Customer Officer (CCO) role. I personally love to see someone with varied experience across an organization before taking on a CCO/CXO role; it gives them a deeper appreciation for the customer, the product, and sets the business up for greater success. Amy and I cover a number of topics, including: Her favorite CX metrics and how to connect it with Business metrics Culture change and change management as part of her role Influencing across Nationwide and achieving Office of the Customer goals and objectives What differentiates success in the seat and how being a CCO is different from other roles Advice for other female leaders who aspire to become a CCO in the future Advice for allies and those who promote female leadership in CX
This was originally recorded and streamed live over LinkedIn and Twitter, but just recently turned into a podcast for those who may have missed the livestream. An excellent show with a seasoned and respected leader!
Adrian Swinscoe wears many hats. How many do you ask? Well... He's the author of three books (https://www.amazon.com/Punk-CX-Adrian-Swinscoe/dp/1095272012 (Punk CX), https://www.amazon.com/How-Wow-Effortless-Customer-Experience/dp/1292116897 (How to Wow), and https://www.amazon.com/Rare-Business-Relationships-Customers-Sustainable/dp/0956673503 (RARE Business)), He's been blogging and podcasting for 10 years, so way before it was cool (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/punk-cx-with-adrian-swinscoe/id575552097 (Punk CX)), He runs a https://www.adrianswinscoe.com/ (consulting company), He writes for Forbes (check out his work https://www.forbes.com/sites/adrianswinscoe/?sh=3c97a1194af2 (here)), He's a Fellow at the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacturing, and Commerce, And an Ambassador for the European Customer Experience Organization (https://ecxo.org/ (EXCO)).
What did we talk about you might ask? Well, plenty! This is one of the longer shows at 45 mins, but you will want to listen to the end. Adrian and I cover: How CX has evolved over the past 5 - 10 years, and boy does he have perspective What differentiates the best CX leaders from the laggards The Core tenets of CX The 2-3 traits that differentiate the best CX leaders from others in the discipline How CX teams can drive culture change The CX Tech Stack and how it adds value Where CX should sit in an organization
This show is just jam-packed with goodness. If you're a new CX practitioner, a new CX leader, or a seasoned CX leader, there is plenty to take away here.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chingvaldezco/ (Ching Valdezco) is one of my favorite people when it comes to learning about influence and negotiation! Ching works for a company called https://www.exec-comm.com/ (Exec|Comm), and they focus on training, coaching and whole host of other services. I saw Ching give a talk on negotiation that was posted to YouTube and was blown away by her practical approach and framework to not make it so intimidating. In this episode, Ching and I cover: Negotiation and advice on how to influence, and how to make negotiation less intimidating Influencing across an organization, and how to create influence when you're new in an organization Is executive presence becoming more or less important in a remote environment Advice on how to build those negotiating muscles for when you really need them Salary negotiation and how to approach it
We wrap up the call with where Ching gets her inspiration from. Hint: her dad was an amazing photographer. A special episode that will get you honing your influence skills the second the show is over. And who doesn't need to be better at that?
You know you have a special guest when you're finally nervous about who is on the show. It's not often you get to speak with your heroes one-on-one, let alone the person who's work set you on a course for the next +20 years of your professional career. When I read 'The Experience Economy' in 1999, a book https://www.linkedin.com/in/joepine/ (Joe Pine) authored with James Gilmore, I left my job at JPMorgan as a fixed income analyst to get into customer experience. I realized when I read the last page that this is what I needed to focus on for the rest of my life. Joe Pine is an internationally acclaimed author, speaker, and management advisor. He is also the co-Founder of https://strategichorizons.com/ (Strategic Horizons, LLP) along with James Gilmore. I had the honor and privilege to sit down with Joe and talk: His 1999 book, with the re-release in 2020, and the five core adjectives around the experience: robust, cohesive, personal, dramatic, and transformative. His recent article, Embracing the Employee Experience, and what he means by HR being brokers of time. Whether we need separate teams focused on employee (EX) and customer experience (CX). Should companies focus on EX or CX first? And an article he wrote on his site, https://strategichorizons.com/the-model-for-hybrid-experiences/ (Strategic Horizons), about the importance of hybrid experiences post-COVID (something that is coming about as we speak).
I am grateful for the time with Joe and the opportunity to continue learning from someone who I hold with such incredibly high regard. Amazing episode. Mic. Dropped.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprilshprintz/ (April Shprintz) the Founder of https://drivenoutcomes.com/ (Driven Outcomes) and creator of The Generosity Culture® talks about generosity as a philosophy toward personal and professional fulfillment. Many people keep count of the things they give, whether physical items or otherwise, and expect something in return at some point. As someone who stopped doing this years ago, I can tell you my own life turned for the better once I did. April and I talk about: Her work and program, The Generosity Culture® The roadblocks put up, even for themselves, to be more generous The power of giving without the need for reciprocity The paradox to generosity, and why some hold on to what they have vs. giving it away The most powerful form of generosity
April and I wrap up by talking about where she gets her inspiration from. Personally, this entire episode was inspiring for me, and I know it will be for you as well. On April's website, you can find https://drivenoutcomes.com/#!/resources (tools/resources) that have helped me, and can help you too on a path to generosity. Click here to access them. Also, check out here podcast, https://drivenoutcomes.com/podcast/ (Pouring into Your Business), for excellent interviews and "Mindset Minutes" which are quick bites of learning you will love!
Dennis Geelen is the founder of a https://www.zero-in.ca/ (Zero In), a boutique consulting firm based in Ontario, Canada whose mission is to help as many businesses and organizations CONQUER INDIFFERENCE! (How cool is that mission!) Dennis is also the author of https://www.amazon.com/ZERO-FORMULA-Definitive-Sustainable-Customer-Centric-ebook/dp/B08GYF4FK7/ref=sr_1_1?crid=9CZUQZ9QWKHF&dchild=1&keywords=the+zero+in+formula&qid=1621434148&sprefix=the+zero+in+for%2Caps%2C127&sr=8-1 (The Zero In Formula), a book that delivers a framework to deliver customer-centric innovation in a clear, and easily implemented way. It's a must read for any business leader, not just those in customer (CX) or employee experience (EX). In this episode, Dennis and I cover: Why he wrote and book and started his consulting company His framework behind the Zero In Formula The 9 most expensive words in business, "Because this is the way we always do it" and how to change that Dennis' five principles of innovation His view on the four core skills that bring together CX & EX, plus other skills like data or tech that play into the equation
This episode is chock-full of insights and take-aways that you can start to implement right after listening to the show. And while this is not an ad for Dennis' book, it's a great read and I recommend it.
Angela Howard is an Organizational Culture Strategist running her own business, Angela R. Howard Consulting; Anthony Vaughan is the Co-Founder of The E1B2 Collective, and the Co-/Founder of other businesses. I had them both on the show as they are individually and collectively bringing fresh, new perspective to people leadership, DE&I, culture, and the employee experience (EX).
In this episode, Angela, Anthony and I cover some heavy topics and we go deep:
- The renewed focus on EX and what's happening in this space
- The cultural transformation of organizations due to the Black Lives Matter movement
- Diversity, Equity & Inclusion's impact on the workforce
- Re-thinking HR and what's wrong with it today that needs to change
- How Angela and Anthony are collaborating on a new Chief People Officer platform
Angela's podcast, Humanly Possible: Future of Work Conversations, is timely and one of my favorite pods to listen to and the topics and guests are amazing (I can only aspire!). Anthony's podcasts, Project 2030 and E1B2, are equally amazing and focus on developing new leaders and improving the employee experience, respectively.
I highly encourage you to hit them up and listen to their podcasts. You will come away smarter and more informed.
I LOVE talking to practitioners who are in the trenches every day!!
Jamie Swalgin is the Head of Customer Experience Strategy Enablement for T. Rowe Price; a practitioner that has come up the CX ranks via research and understanding customer needs.
Jamie and I talk about:
- Her journey and transition from healthcare into financial services
- CX Strategy development
- Capturing CX ROI
- Customer journeys
- The CX Tech Stack
- Her view on where CX is headed next
This is an awesome show with a true practitioner who is doing CX right. I was truly impressed with Jamie's passion for the work, her understanding of the discipline and how to use it to create value for the business. I personally walked away with new ideas and learning, and I know you will too.
Jo Boswell started a consulting practice in 2018, Sentio-B, after spending 27 years with British Airways where she grew up in the business before leading Customer Value Management. So she knows a thing or two about the importance of Return on Investment (ROI).
This is a show with a practitioner, who shares her views on:
- Why it's challenging to uncover ROI within the confines of Customer Experience
- The 5 steps to identifying ROI that she takes her clients through
- A few "trap doors" to look out for in this work
- Her perspective on who the primary partners are in identifying ROI and how to engage them
Great episode with someone who's been in the trenches, and has now taken that learning to help others companies via Sentio-B.
Jo also shares her inspiration for naming her business Sentio-B (I mean, how cool is that name!?!?) and where she gets inspiration from too (it's from a group, but you'll have to listen to hear more!).
If you're in Financial Services, you know who Brett King is. Aside from being the Founder and Executive Chairman of Moven, an innovative platform that blends predictive analytics and behavioral science to help banks and non-banks better serve customers, Brett is a futurist and and speaker, an International Bestselling Author, and media personality.
Brett sat down with us to talk about technology's impact on the customer experience in financial services, where the tech is today & where it's going 10-20 years out, and why first-principle thinking is helping new entrants change the game. You'll also learn about financial services and tech in Asia, and how far ahead they are relative to the U.S.
Brett's book, Banking 4.0, is an amazing read for anyone inside or outside of Financial Services, and his radio show and podcast, Breaking Banks, is the #1 show on FinTech with 7 million listeners across 180 countries (a boy can dream).
Brett has been a hero of mine for a long time, and I've stolen more ideas from him than I can remember. It was truly an honor to have him on the show!
If Alan Pennington was in the CX & EX Army, he would be a Field Marshall. A true CX/EX veteran, Alan was leading new thinking and work when most of us were still trying to figure out what CX & EX even was.
Alan does freelance consulting in the CX & EX space, is Deputy Chairman of SuiteCX a leader in the CX Tech Stack space, and a strategic partner at gloo group which is an interesting online marketplace for growth solutions (GaaS - Growth as a Service).
In this episode, Alan and I talk about his journey into and through the CX & EX space, the core tenets of CX from his perspective, how to influence in an organization at senior levels and across the business, connecting Employee and Customer Experience, and the CX Tech Stack.
Given Alan's tenure in the CX & EX space, this show is choc-full of take-aways that you can bring into your own CX practice after listening to the show.
Liam Delap is a thought leader in the digital automation space, and is the Director of Enterprise Sales at Pypestream. We talk about Conversational Artificial Intelligence (AI), its history, business application today and where we think it's going.
Many of us are using conversational AI in our homes, but not many businesses are using it with their clients today. The use cases for B2C are clear, but still have room for improvement in B2B.
We talk about Conversational AI benefits for industry, uses cases with a focus on B2B, and what's on the horizon in this space, including how the AI will integrate empathy into the conversation and use cases for where it can be proactive without being creepy.
Liam and I explore a world in the future where Conversational AI is part of our every day, in the background, and we, as consumers, are giving companies the right to use our data because they're the companies that are enriching our lives by using it wisely.
Great episode where we geek out on tech that exists today, and that will grow exponentially in the next 1 - 2 years.
Derek Wang is Founder and CEO of Stratifyd. Derek and I cover a host of topics, including the commoditization and democratization of Artificial Intelligence, some interesting use cases around Customer Experience Analytics, and where Derek thinks the technology is going forward.
Super interesting discussion if you're curious about analytics in customer experience, or you are deep into the topic.
Jeff Sheehan is an expat in Dublin helping companies operationalize Customer Experience (CX). Jeff has an incredible background working for big tech including NCR Corp and Motorola, including other tech icons; maybe you've heard of one them - they're called Apple.
Jeff and I talk about his five predictions for CX in 2021, including:
- Buzzwords replaced by operational definitions
- Transformation is replaced by Evolution
- CX shifts from being a project to being a proper business function
- CX strategic plans are aligned to business strategy
- Companies will define their CX "Why" this year
Jeff is also a founding board member of the European Customer Experience Organization, including being the Ireland Ambassador (now that's a cool role!).
Finally, we talk a little bit about Jeff's upcoming book: Customer Experience Management Field Manual - A Practical Guide for Getting the Job Done.
I really enjoyed this conversation because Jeff first takes a common sense approach to CX and then puts a simple business wrapper around it. There are few like Jeff in our discipline, but he delivers an incredibly sensible and refreshing view of the work.
Marc Havercroft is the Global Chief Customer Officer at SAP SuccessFactors, and a force in the Human Experience Management space; he and his team are not only breaking all of the rules, they're defining new ones altogether.
Marc and I cover the launch of Human Experience Management (HXM) at SAP SuccessFactors, how HXM technology connects to the customer experience management (CXM) today, and how it will connect to CX and come together to shape the human experience in the future.
The speed of HXM and CXM is coming together quickly and will be here in the next year or so. And it's not for a lack of the technology existing, Marc believes it's about the market catching up to the technology and the use cases coming to life.
Marc envisions an ever increasing agile workforce and work structure, and a future where you can plug in to your company, your experience blockchain certified, and be productive on Day 1. Companies and their leaders need to be prepared for this and need to start changing now.
Finally, Marc has a memorable answer to the question of where he gets his inspiration from. Put simply, he's inspired by "rule breakers" - and is energized by individuals who believe the past doesn't define the future; it's the power of what you put in your mind that matters.
I was inspired by this conversation and am excited to see what SAP brings to market next.
Be Customer Led had the privilege of speaking with Antonia Hock, Global Head – The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center. If you're wondering how to set up and design your service experience and your service recovery experience, this is a must-listen-to show.
In this episode, Antonia and I cover:
- The core tenets of a great service experience that she has in her playbook
- How your customers should feel when the service experience is working well
- Why wowing your customer doesn't have to be expensive to have impact (my personal favorite)
- Putting out the fires and why service recovery can be more important that the service experience itself
- Service experience in digital vs. analog
- How companies can start bringing together employee and customer experience
This truly is an amazing conversation with an industry leader and service veteran. If you want immediate take-aways that you can apply to your practice within minutes of listening to the show, this one is for you!
Download the episode where ever you listen to pods, or here: linktr.ee/becustomerled
Grateful for Antonia and can't wait to visit the Ritz-Carlton in Bali soon!
It's not often you get to interview one of your heroes and an absolute legend in the customer experience space.
I have been a Shep Hyken apostle since I was in CX Diapers many moons ago. So much learning from Shep over the years, whether through his books, his social media content, and speaking engagements.
Shep talks about his journey to where he is today and what set him off to focus in this space.
Shep and I cover Moments of Truth, his "Truth Gap" and why employee engagement is critical in the overall equation of success.
We also cover how technology might be impacting our ability to stay close to the customer and where it's adding value.
Such a great episode and we are grateful for Shep's time with us!
Jill Raff is CEO and Founder of the Jill Raff Group. Jill focuses on helping companies deliver best-in-class employee experiences through her Inside-Out Framework™ EX to CX.
In this episode, Jill and I cover a lot of deep topics, including:
- Culture and it's impact on her and her work
- Traditional silos of EX & CX and how they're coming together
- Jill's EX2CX Framework
- The 3 E's Formula: Educate, Engage and Entrust
Great episode where we both also share a lot of personal stories that helped shape who we both are today.
Love this one!
Bill Schimikowski is the US Customer Experience Lead for Biogen, and a long-time leader in the customer experience space. Bill recently went to Biogen from Fidelity, and was in Financial Services his entire career before moving over to the BioTech.
Bill is one of those practical leaders that is so thoughtful in his approach it leaves you with, "Huh, why didn't I think of it that way?"
And this is one of those shows where we cover a lot of ground, including:
- Starting up a new CX Team in a new company and Bill's approach to that
- The emotion behind the experience and the importance of understanding it before you can fix something
- Bill's transition from Financial Services to BioTech/Pharma
- How Bill influences culture change from his seat
- Using employees as a source of innovation and recognizing them the right way
- the CX Tech Stack
So much rich conversation and advice in this episode. So grateful to have someone of Bill's caliber on the show...a can't miss episode!
Anne Witherspoon is the Chief Client Experience Officer (CCXO) at Texas Capital Bank and one of the best leaders in this space I have had the good fortune to connect with.
Anne and I talk about her role at the Bank, the skills needed to be a successful CCXO vs. other roles she has held in financial services, and how her background in Operations makes her a better CX leader.
Anne shares insights and advice on how to influence culture from the CCXO seat, and where she feels the customer experience (CX) function, overall, is evolving toward.
Anne also shares her philosophy on metrics and why she's passionate about moving away from surveys as the primary mechanism for feedback.
Finally, Anne shares advice for other female CX practitioners who aspire to move up to a CCXO level role, and advice for allies on how to support female leadership in their organization.
I love this episode because of Anne's passion and commitment to CX as a discipline, her leadership, and her ability to describe and talk about her work in simple terms any CEO can relate to.
I'm grateful for Anne's time and highly recommend this show to any CX practitioner; but particularly to females working in, or looking to break into, customer experience.