The Honest Ghost Podcast: Recent Episodes
Honest Ghost
Welcome to the Honest Ghost Podcast, a show examining the insights, strategies, and values of real businesspeople doing customer service the right way.
Honest Ghost’s goal is to tell the stories of great clients. This podcast is designed to introduce the other side of that equation. We hope you pick up a few new tricks to help convert your customers and clients into raving fans.
Guest: Mary Chin, owner/founder, My Oven's Meals (MOM)
Mary learned she had to eliminate compromises to deliver the best quality food she could to the customers truly in need of her food. The payoff has been a stellar reputation as a local leader in meal pickup and delivery.
Shout out to Matt Ray, who is now doing our intro. It's better this way.
The intro is "Blank Page" by Surrogate. Buy their music anywhere you do that.
Client service takes many forms for the versatile A.J. Kirsch! As an actor, wrestler, promoter or voice actor, he's got to please audiences and casting directors alike. How he does it? A lot of effort (and a lot of Nickelback).
This one's probably deserving of a PG rating, so heads up.
Shout out to Matt Ray, who is now doing our intro. It's better this way.
The intro is "Blank Page" by Surrogate. Buy their music anywhere you do that.
More work is being done on lining up new guests. In the meantime, I want to replay this episode from September with Laurel Tennant and Heather Wysong, co-owners/founders of North State Ballet. They both were massively affected by the Camp Fire in Northern California and I'd be extra appreciative if you'd lend them your support.
What we said about NSB back when we first recorded: Some businesses adapt to their clientele along the way, but Laurel and Heather always had the experience and knowledge to trust themselves and their vision of client service from the beginning. It's turned their comprehensive dance school into a smash success in Northern California.
Shout out to Matt Ray, who is now doing our intro. It's better this way.
The intro is "Blank Page" by Surrogate. Buy their music anywhere you do that.
Back in August of 2018, I was stoked to talk to Brandon and Mishawn of Custom Made CrossFit in Paradise. Just three and a half months later, their box—a refuge and daily fitness temple for many in the Paradise community—was gone, like so much of the town, in the wake of the Camp Fire.
Brandon and Mishawn are doing their best to rebuild however they can, and this particular episode is a great reminder of what the stakes are for them.
REPLAY - Guest: Ben Lucas, Eye of Jade Tattoo
Fresh ink for Travis is cause for a replay of Episode 003, which aired July 26, 2018. Ben Lucas owns Eye of Jade Tattoo in Chico, Calif., and talks about the responsibility that comes with providing a product that should last a lifetime.
Shout out to Matt Ray, who does our intro.
The intro is "Blank Page" by Surrogate. Buy their music anywhere you do that.
Guest: Richie Morgan, President/CEO - Holiday Quality Foods
For HG, Holiday is the OG of customer service! We go back to our roots to Holiday Market, where Travis learned the ropes of customer service at his first real job. Refreshingly, "The Vision" has stayed the same, and it all revolves around treating people right.
You'll wish you had a Holiday in your town.
Shout out to Matt Ray, who does our intro.
The intro is "Blank Page" by Surrogate. Buy their music anywhere you do that.
Guest: Alex Realmuto, Leesa Sleep/Soul Socks/Anyday Rosé
What a blast on this episode! Our first time talking client service with a serial entrepreneur went all over the e-commerce map, from mattresses to wine. It was kind of like being at Costco, minus the samples. Alex was a great guest and opened up on how the same approach to caring for others has aided him across a range of endeavors.
Businesses discussed: leesa.com soul-socks.com anydayrose.com
One more note - please support victims of the Camp Fire: nvcf.org
Shout out to Matt Ray, who does our intro.
The intro is "Blank Page" by Surrogate. Buy their music anywhere you do that.
Guest: Philip Levi, Philip Levi Fitness/The Collective
Philip applies two key attributes to the way he operates any endeavor: caring and listening. They make a difference!
Phil has his own podcast, and I highly recommend adding it (and spending your time on his site): philiplevi.com
One more note - please support victims of the Camp Fire: nvcf.org
Shout out to Matt Ray, who does our intro.
The intro is "Blank Page" by Surrogate. Buy their music anywhere you do that.
Guest: Nolan Walsh, CEO/Co-Founder of Thursday Boot Co.
Nolan explains how he and his college roommate got the idea to make their own good-looking quality boots, and how his approach to customer service evolved along the way.
By the way: Thursday boots are damn fine! I have mine and I'll never let them go. So, maybe get your own: thursdayboots.com
One more note - please support victims of the Camp Fire: nvcf.org
Shout out to Matt Ray, who does our intro.
The intro is "Blank Page" by Surrogate. Buy their music anywhere you do that.
Guests: Me! Kind of.
Honest Ghost was the guest on Coffee With Hustlers on YouTube, and Yudi asked us about our inspiration, our view on the concept of hard work, and, yes, how we came up with "Honest Ghost" as our name. Basically, it's an Honest Ghost Podcast about ourselves. Thanks to Yudi for playing interviewer!
Check him out: goo.gl/b8R598
Shout out to Matt Ray, who does our intro.
The intro is "Blank Page" by Surrogate. Buy their music anywhere you do that.
Guests: Me! Kind of.
Honest Ghost was the guest on Coffee With Hustlers on YouTube, and we got to talk all about our "why" - how we got started, what our values were at the beginning, and how we dealt with any rejection we came across early on. Basically, it's an Honest Ghost Podcast about ourselves. Thanks to Yudi for playing interviewer!
Check him out: https://goo.gl/b8R598
Shout out to Matt Ray, who does our intro.
The intro is "Blank Page" by Surrogate. Buy their music anywhere you do that.
Guests: Kelley Sexton and Shannon Rowley, Chico Princess Parties
These sisters have gone all-in on their dream: making dreams come true for little kids, by bringing princess and superhero experiences to their own parties. Kelley and Shannon detail the challenges of not only making the day for the children, but also leaving parents satisfied. Spoiler alert: They do it by caring!
Check them out: ChicoPrincessPartiesLLC.com
Shout out to Matt Ray, who does our intro.
The intro is "Blank Page" by Surrogate. Buy their music anywhere you do that.
Guest: Kevin Tabor, ModMyMods
Kevin tells why a startup PC hobbyist shop decided its focus should be on treating its customers like friends and educating about the world of PC modding, and why those values beat out dollar-snatching every time.
Check them out: ModMyMods.com
Shout out to Matt Ray, who is now doing our intro. It's better this way.
The intro is "Blank Page" by Surrogate. Buy their music anywhere you do that.
Guest: Philip Levi, owner, Burlingame Fitness
"Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence." - Vince Lombardi
Philip lives and operates his fitness studio with this mantra, and delivers on a highly personal training business as a result.
Check out Phil's hustle: philiplevi.com
(This is Episode 013, which means we were bound for some spooky misfortune. Some technical snafus meant a phone-recorded show was in the cards for us originally. Full disclosure: Phil was awesome enough to re-record this show! So many thanks to him for his legendary patience.)
Shout out to Matt Ray, who is now doing our intro. It's better this way.
The intro is "Blank Page" by Surrogate. Buy their music anywhere you do that.
Guest: Laurel Tennant/Heather Wysong, co-owners/founders, North State Ballet
Some businesses adapt to their clientele along the way, but Laurel and Heather always had the experience and knowledge to trust themselves and their vision of client service from the beginning. It's turned their comprehensive dance school into a smash success in Northern California.
Shout out to Matt Ray, who is now doing our intro. It's better this way.
The intro is "Blank Page" by Surrogate. Buy their music anywhere you do that.
Guest: Abby Colabove, Platinum Salon
Abby breaks down the stylist-client dynamic, which often seems like it demands a touch of psychiatry on top of color and cutting skill—and she likes it that way.
Shout out to Matt Ray, who is now doing our intro. It's better this way.
The intro is "Blank Page" by Surrogate. Buy their music anywhere you do that.
Guest: Jason Andrew, Evergreen Home Loans - Chico, CA
Jason explains why the transition from a popular photography business to home loans has gone so smoothly for him — it's all about being transparent and doing what's right by the client.
Check out Evergreen: https://www.evergreenhomeloans.com/offices/chico
Shout out to Matt Ray, who is now doing our intro. It's better this way.
The intro is "Blank Page" by Surrogate. Buy their music anywhere you do that.
Guest: Josh Hanosh, Founder - Dedicated Designs
Josh explains why he decided to deviate from the "faceless online" world of web design and go with what he knew he liked: personal, relationship-based service.
Check it out: dedicatedwebdesigns.com
Shout out to Matt Ray, who is now doing our intro. It's better this way.
The intro is "Blank Page" by Surrogate. Buy their music anywhere you do that.
Guest: Lindsay Ashcraft - owner, Northern Daisy Creative
Lindsay provides outstanding custom social media and creative services for businesses, on top of operating the travel/lifestyle blog northerndaisy.com. On this show, she breaks down the importance of doing her homework and truly getting to know her clients, and why that's critical for creatives in her industry.
Shout out to Matt Ray, who is now doing our intro. It's better this way.
The intro is "Blank Page" by Surrogate. Buy their music anywhere you do that.
Guest: Dan Richardson, Dutch Bros. Coffee (Chico, CA)
Dan tells the story of the small, blue pop-tent startup in Oregon that changed his life and how customer care has always been at the heart of his success.
Shout out to Matt Ray, who is now doing our intro. It's better this way.
The intro is "Blank Page" by Surrogate. Buy their music anywhere you do that.
Other music drops, including the outro song, are Creative Commons via freemusicarchive.org.
Guest: It's a solo flight! Podcast host Travis Souders tells the story of his first job, and the customer service experience and values he learned that, 17 years later, inspire this show and Honest Ghost, the client feature-writing service.
Shout out to Matt Ray, who is now doing our intro. It's better this way.
The intro is "Blank Page" by Surrogate. Buy their music anywhere you do that.
Music drops are Creative Commons: Comfort Fit, Jahzzar and Broke For Free via freemusicarchive.org.
Guest: Brandon and Mishawn Delgado, Custom Made CrossFit Owners
Brandon and Mishawn tell Travis how they successfully battle feelings of client intimidation and unfamiliarity by operating their CrossFit box in the most welcoming, friendly way they know how.
Shout out to Matt Ray, who is now doing our intro. It's better this way.
The intro is "Blank Page" by Surrogate. Buy their music anywhere you do that.
Guest: Scott Amick, Youth Programs Director
Deep dive today! Scott explains the core values of Odyssey Inc. and Odyssey for Youth - empathy, emotional intelligence, and delivering on the promise to teach them both to their audiences.
Shout out to Matt Ray, who is now doing our intro. It's better this way.
The intro is "Blank Page" by Surrogate. Buy their music anywhere you do that.
Guest: Ben Lucas, owner and artist at Eye of Jade Tattoo.
Ben tells Travis about the challenges of hitting multiple tiers of customer service in the tattoo industry, and the responsibility he feels for a product designed to be permanent.
*Please be advised of some brief adult language.
The intro is "Blank Page" by Surrogate. Buy their music anywhere you do that.
The outro is Creative Commons and available here: freesound.org/people/k2tr/sounds/265995/
Guest: Bethany Mercer, franchise owner of Fit4Mom Chico.
Bethany tells Travis a few of the keys to delighting her clients, including an intense focus on caring for an inclusive and dedicated community group.
The intro is "Blank Page" by Surrogate. Buy their music anywhere you do that.
The outro is Creative Commons and available here: freesound.org/people/k2tr/sounds/265995/
Guest: Nadja Moeller, Operations Consultant - Nutrishop USA and owner/operator - Nutrishop South Austin and Nutrishop San Marcos.
Nadja tells Travis how she gets the drop on bigger-name competitors by focusing on client connections and remembering to be a person first.
The intro is "Blank Page" by Surrogate. Buy their music anywhere you do that. The outro is Creative Commons and available here: freesound.org/people/k2tr/sounds/265995/