Radically Personal

On this special episode of Radically Personal, we sit down with not one but two amazing guests, Nari Sitaraman and Hernan Giraldo of BARK. Together we dig into how BARK's mission to make all dogs happy starts with the people who love them, and how a strong partnership between IT and customer service ensures no dog — or dog parent — is left behind.

On this episode of Radically Personal, we hear from Brian Kershon, Director of Global Customer Service at Zenni Optical. He discusses the work he and his team are doing that has landed the company a place on Newsweek's list of top customer service companies five years in a row. 

In this Gladly podcast episode, hear from Founder & CEO of Farmgirl Flowers, Christina Stembel, on the brands' success in powering customer acquisition through customer service, on how prioritizing loyalty is the future of commerce, and more. 

During this episode, President & Integrator of KURU Footwear, Sean McGinnis and I talk about how they provide world-class anticipatory experiences for their customers, what it means to serve with empathy and so much more.

With the slogan "Seriously Nice", Breeze Airways is reimagining customer service for brands and businesses to be the best part of a customer's day. So, what does it look like to be Seriously Nice? In this episode, Vice President of Guest Experiences, Danny Cox shares what it means to be Seriously Nice, how they raise the bar for guest experiences, and why they decided to omit voice as a primary channel for customer service.

Ulta Beauty has redefined beauty shopping for nearly three decades with the promise, "all things beauty, all in one place."    On this episode of Radically Personal, I speak with my friend Adam Seede, Director of Guest Services at Ulta Beauty. Adam reveals the visionary grit of this retail powerhouse. Hear how Ulta Beauty weathers retail closures during the pandemic, turn guest services into a revenue driver, and continue to remain customer-focused during an accelerated shift to digital. 

You might know TUMI best for introducing their stylish, ultra-functional, black-on-black ballistic nylon travel bag that you see on the streets and in airports worldwide, but they are known for much more than that. TUMI anchors superior quality and functionality to technical innovation and design excellence. They also provide world-class customer experiences that inspire the industry. According to Victor Sanz, Creative Director for the brand, if your question starts with, "Can you help? The answer is always yes.” TUMI relishes the opportunity to offer customers unparalleled support when things go wrong. That mindset is deeply attractive to customers and makes a brand powerful. During this episode, Victor & I chat about what it means to understand the customer, what drives brand loyalty, and how to provide the same level of service and experiences no matter where in the world you are.

Chubbies, the brand that's all about building that Friday at 5pm feeling, is not only known for their bright colored, retro-style shorts, but more importantly, their close-knit community of advocates and loyal fans.  According to Tom Montgomery, Co-Founder & Chief Digital Officer, "if you think about community, we really think about community and our customers as the 5th co-founder of the business. We could not have gotten anywhere without them."   During this episode, Tom & I talked about the power of building community amongst your customer base, how text message is becoming the channel of choice, and so much more.  

What happens when you, and the rest of the world, are forced to shut the doors to all your retail shops with a day’s notice? According to Kate Showalter, Senior Director of Customer Service at Crate & Barrel Holdings, “when you take away what you have deemed impossible, you realize what you can really do.”  In this episode, my conversation with Kate spanned across tons of interesting and though-provoking topics—from turning your contact center into a revenue center, customer service innovation and most notably, how COVID-19 has impacted their business and accelerated their digital transformation.    "We believe that if you focus really strongly on the top three pillars, if you really focus on the customer, and the associate, and the brand, that the financial strength pillar will take care of itself."– Kate Showalter, Senior Director of Customer Service, Crate & Barrel

We’ve got a treat for you! Allbirds is back with bonus episode and this time Joey Zwillinger, Co-Founder and CEO of Allbirds is spilling the beans on their greater mission to combat climate change and why Joey himself got where he is today. Hear Joey’s thoughts on entrepreneurship and why he became an entrepreneur himself, Allbird's approach to promoting sustainability while still making more great products and so much more.  

What does it mean to be more like a tree than a business? According to Allbirds CEO, Joey Zwillinger, it’s all about giving back more to the environment than you take from it. And that is the premise that drives a lot of the decision-making behind what the sustainable, eco-conscious brand creates, from the sugar cane-based shoe soles to t-shirts made from discarded crab shells. In this episode, Joey shares the principles and driving force behind Allbirds, and the investments the brand makes into ensuring their customers have the best experience no matter the medium they use to meet the brand."To make better things in a better way. That sums up what we do as a company. We try and aspire, first of all, to be more like a tree than a company, giving back more than we extract. Secondly, we want to do that by making great products"– Joey Zwillinger, Co-founder and Co-CEO of Allbirds

Julie Bornstein is passionate about creating the ultimate personalized shopping experience. It’s been her focus at iconic brands like Nordstrom and Sephora—and now at her new venture The Yes. Julie joins us to share the details behind how the disruptive e-commerce brand creates the best recommendation engine in fashion. She talks about how customer service fits into her mission to make the answer “yes” and how she gives her support team tools instead of rules.  “It's all about how you get to the yes and make the customer happy.  That is a deep belief of mine”  – Julie Bornstein, Co-founder and CEO of The Yes

Periods of transformation often result in some of the most exciting leaps forward for a brand. That’s been especially true for animal-free footwear brand Native Shoes who have made it their mission to ‘Live Lightly’, designing shoes that make for a happier and healthier world. Listen in to hear from Bec Boxall, Native’s VP of Marketing, Channels, and Customer Experience, on how Native has been putting that mission at the center of their expansion into the direct to consumer (D2C) space and creating a Radically Personal experience for their customers.“When your work is aligned with your values, it's a happier place to be working from." -- Bec Boxall, VP of Marketing, Channels and Customer Experience at Native Shoes

The evolution of fabric and craft retailer JOANN is a masterclass in putting the customer first.  JOANN reimagined their in-store experience and embraced digital innovation to become a destination for their customers. Director of Operations and Customer Experiences, Drew Chamberlain joins us to share how JOANN turned its retail outlets and digital platforms into a “creative happy place” for curious creatives and makers.  Drew talks about how the entire customer experience begins with their approach to customer service team member recruitment and ends with dedicated, engaged, lifelong fans.“We’re always looking at how we can make the experience better for the retail customer and how we can make it better for our team members, too.” – Drew Chamberlain, Director of Operations and Customer Experience at JOANN

For many women, buying a swimsuit has always been an uncomfortable experience. Andie Founder and CEO Melanie Travis knew it was time to change the swimwear shopping experience forever. On this episode, Melanie shares how the Andie team has created a thriving brand and a team of Fit Experts that connect with their customers like a trusted friend. And how, as a result, Andie has increased repeat business, created a deeply engaged social community, and is growing more than 600% year over year.“When a customer reaches out to customer support, that’s such an opportunity to create an evangelist, not just make a sale.” - Melanie Travishttps://www.gladly.com/

Porsche has been an aspirational brand for decades not only because of its iconic cars, but also due to its innovative customer service. Customer Care Manager Jeff Newman will give you an inside look at their “Excite” program and how it drives a company-wide commitment to fostering intense brand loyalty. You’ll also learn how improv comedy could be the best management training tool you never knew about."I'm talking about the whole buying cycle. How do you make that whole experience something customers want to go and tell people about?" - Jeff Newman

JetBlue Co-Founder Frankie Littleford has been in the airline industry her entire career, and has reinvented the way an airline treats its customers. In this episode, Frankie explains how the “crazy” idea of establishing 100% remote call centers changed everything for the company, and how empowering agents is more important than managing them. “Our mission is to inspire humanity, and what we’ve really recognized and focused on is that it starts with your people.” - Frankie Littleford

In each episode of Radically Personal, Gladly CEO Joseph Ansanelli connects with radically personal customer service leaders at the world’s most beloved brands. If you’re in the business of customers and curious to learn how these change agents built a radically personal service culture that drives their company’s growth, this podcast is for you. Visit radicallypersonal.com for more.