Podcasts about customer journey

This Summer SEO Rewind episode is one you may have missed, but it is worth coming back to in 2026 ...especially if you're trying to create content that actually helps your audience instead of just adding more noise to the internet.In this conversation, I'm joined by Christine McLean Lewis to talk about how content and expertise work together, why your content should be built around the customer experience, and how different types of content assets:blog posts, videos, case studies, podcasts, social content, and more ...can support your audience at different points in their journey. Christine explains that a content asset is anything you create to solve a specific problem or answer a customer's question, which is such a helpful way to think beyond “just write another blog post.”This episode also digs into linkable assets, original research, social proof, user-generated content, and why case studies matter so much when you want your content to build trust. Not just traffic.And honestly? In 2026, this message matters even more. With AI-generated content everywhere, the brands that stand out are the ones willing to bring real expertise, real examples, real customer insight, and real proof into their content. Christine's best advice still hits: don't follow the crowd. Instead, showcase your expertise.So if you're a solopreneur, small business owner, ecommerce seller, or content creator wondering how to make your content more useful, more strategic, and more connected to your actual customers, this rewind episode is a perfect listen. Think of it as a reminder that better SEO starts with better service to the person on the other side of the screen.Text me your questions or comments!Hey, Shopify store owners! (Especially if you're selling on Etsy, too!)Here's a quick question: Are people actually finding your products on Google?If SEO feels confusing, overwhelming, or like something you'll "get to later", this is for you.I'm hosting a free, seven day Shopify SEO challenge that breaks it down into simple, doable steps.No tech headaches, no fluff. Join us at  Hey, Shopify store owners! (Especially if you're selling on Etsy, too!)Here's a quick question: Are people actually finding your products on Google?If SEO feels confusing, overwhelming, or like something you'll "get to later", this is for you.I'm hosting a free, seven day Shopify SEO challenge that breaks it down into simple, doable steps.No tech headaches, no fluff. Join us at aise  Hey, Shopify store owners! (Especially if you're selling on Etsy, too!)Here's a quick question: Are people actually finding your products on Google?If SEO feels confusing, overwhelming, or like something you'll "get to later", this is for you.I'm hosting a free, seven day Shopify SEO challenge that breaks it down into simple, doable steps.No tech headaches, no fluff. Join us atSupport the showBook a Shopify Store Strategy Call With Crystal!Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast!AFFILIATE LINKS:Start your Shopify Store!Get SurferSEO!Metricool (to be everywhere online, you NEED a social media scheduler!)Grid and PixelNote: If you make a purchase using some of my links, I make a little money. But I only ever share products, people, & offers I trust & use myself!

Online-Kurse, Communities, Newsletter, Podcasts, Mini-Produkte, Mentoring – der Markt für digitale Produkte verändert sich gerade rasant. Doch was funktioniert wirklich noch? Und welche Geschäftsmodelle werden in den nächsten Jahren gewinnen? In dieser ersten Folge meiner neuen Sommerreihe schauen wir auf aktuelle Entwicklungen aus den USA und darauf, welche Trends bereits heute bei Solopreneuren sichtbar werden. Du erfährst, warum klassische Wissenskurse zunehmend unter Druck geraten, weshalb Communitys zum Produkt werden, wie kostenpflichtige Newsletter und Podcast-Abos funktionieren und warum Mini-Produkte wichtiger denn je für die Customer Journey sind. Außerdem sprechen wir darüber, warum der Markt digitale Produkte nicht abschafft, sondern konsequent aussortiert – und weshalb Kunden heute weniger Informationen kaufen, sondern vielmehr Systeme, Orientierung und Begleitung suchen. Wenn Du digitale Produkte verkaufst oder gerade überlegst, welches Angebot Du als Nächstes entwickeln solltest, dann ist diese Folge ein spannender Blick in die Zukunft des Expertenmarktes.

If you've ever shouted “just let me talk to a person” at a chatbot, this one's for you. Jeannie Walters is joined by special cohost Brandon McGovern, Senior Director of Customer Experience at HP, to pressure-test the biggest question in AI customer service right now: how do we automate without breaking trust?We start with a headline that feels like a warning label. Norse Atlantic Airways offers dirt-cheap tickets, but customers say there's a catch: customer support is so locked behind tech that getting help can become impossible. We unpack why this isn't simply a “tech problem,” but a governance and leadership problem. When companies remove phone numbers, skip the escape hatch, and ignore high-emotion journeys like refunds and disruptions, they don't just frustrate people, they create financial harm and open the door to fraud.Then we zoom out to the enterprise reality. Cisco's line that adopting AI is “like surgery without the drugs” is painfully honest, and it frames the messy middle many CX teams are living through. We talk about why rushing to automate tasks can amplify mistakes, how to redesign workflows around outcomes, and why “faster” is the wrong North Star compared to what's now possible. Along the way, we dig into authenticity, rising customer expectations, and why AI is killing the illusion of fine print as customers use their own tools to read policies and push back.If you're leading CX, contact centers, or digital support, you'll leave with practical guardrails for pilots, measurement, and intent selection. Subscribe, share this with a teammate, and leave a review with the biggest AI question you're wrestling with right now.About Brandon McGovernSenior Director of Customer Experience at HPUnderstanding your customers isn't enough. I build the systems that turn that understanding into outcomes.I'm a Senior Director of Customer Experience at HP, leading enterprise-wide measurement, analytics, and operations that enable the company to understand and act on customer sentiment in real time. I oversee a global Voice of the Customer ecosystem capturing tens of millions of signals annually, translating them into product, service, digital, and brand strategy decisions across the business.My work has delivered double-digit NPS improvements and material revenue impact by shifting CX from a reporting function to an operational and strategic capability - powered by data, automation, and applied AI.Beyond enterprise implementation, I build with AI hands-on - personal projects in game design, product prototyping, and workflow automation using Claude, Lovable, and other tools. Building outside my domain teaches me where AI actually breaks down, which makes me a better architect of AI-powered operating models at work.I bring engineering depth coupled with business leadership (MBA, MS in Electrical Engineering, Stanford executive education), and I specialize in building scalable CX platforms, driving cultural change, and aligning executives around customer-led transformation. Follow Brandon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonmcgovern/Articles Mentioned:- Norse Atlantic Airways Offers Dirt-Cheap Tickets. There's a Catch (Wired) -- https://www.wired.com/story/norse-airlines-ftc-complaints-ai-scams/- Cisco exec says adopting AI is like 'surgery without the drugs' (Business Insider) -- https://www.businessinsider.com/cisco-ai-adoption-customer-service-2026-5- Dissatisfied: Three-fourths of AI customer service rollouts are a letdown (The Register) -- https://www.theregister.com/ai-ml/2026/05/13/ai-customer-service-bots-get-rolled-back-at-74-of-firms/5239800Enjoyed the show? Subscribe, share with your team, and leave a quick review to help others find us. Leave your review at ratethispodcast.com/xact.Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie Walters, CCXP, CSP on LinkedIn!)

Welcome to a new chapter.In this short episode, Cassandra shares the thinking behind the evolution of the podcast, the move to The Abundant Practitioner, and what listeners can expect moving forward.As the practitioner landscape continues to shift, so too do the conversations we need to be having. This podcast is returning to its roots — practical, grounded discussions designed to help practitioners build successful practices without burning themselves out in the process.In this episode, Cassandra discusses: Why the podcast has been renamed The Abundant Practitioner The connection between the podcast and The Abundant Healer book  How the practitioner market has changed in 2026  Why practical business conversations matter more than ever  What listeners have been asking for  The shift back towards actionable, practitioner-focused content  The launch of the new monthly Practitioner Pulse series  Introducing Practitioner Pulse Live, a new quarterly live session for practitioners Whether you've been listening since the beginning or you've just discovered the podcast, this episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at where things are heading next.Coming Next

Jeff Dudan's free digital copy of his book What if you could give every customer a luxury experience - without a luxury budget? In this episode of the Unemployable Podcast, Jeff Dudan sits down with Neen James, global keynote speaker, luxury experience strategist, and author of *Exceptional Experiences*, to reveal the exact systems and mindsets that separate transactional businesses from unforgettable ones. Neen breaks down why satisfied customers are your biggest risk (not your biggest asset), how a $6 magazine subscription won a six-figure contract, why every business should think like a hotel concierge instead of a bellhop, and the five luxury levers any company - home services, franchise, B2B, or retail - can apply immediately to create advocates, not just clients. You'll learn: • The difference between a transactional and transformational customer experience • How to systemize thoughtfulness so personalization scales across your team • What luxury brands like Chanel, Delta, and private aviation do differently - and how you can borrow it • Why storytelling and metaphor are free tools that make your business impossible to forget • The Experience Elevation Model: Entice → Invite → Excite → Delight → Ignite • How to create "champagne moments" that turn ordinary service into word-of-mouth marketing • The hidden cost of not paying attention - in business, relationships, and life • Why your satisfied customers are already being poached by your competitors Whether you're a franchisee, franchise brand, home services business, or entrepreneur looking to build a legacy brand, this episode is packed with actionable systems you can start implementing today.  Homefront Brands: https://www.homefrontbrands.com Jeff Dudan: https://www.jeffdudan.com Guest: Neen James Guest YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/AussieNeen  Guest Website: https://neenjames.com/  Guest Socials: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neenjames/  #CustomerExperience #LuxuryBusiness #SmallBusinessGrowth #FranchiseBusiness #WordOfMouth #BusinessStrategy #UnemployablePodcast #Neen James #ClientRetention #EntrepreneurMindset Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Du machst gute Musik und trotzdem verkauft sie sich nicht. Liegt es an deinem Talent? Nein. Und genau darum geht es in dieser Folge. Wenn du als Musikerin* deine Songs veröffentlichst, begegnet dir ständig dieser eine Satz, laut oder leise, von anderen oder aus deinem eigenen Kopf: »Wenn es wirklich gut ist, verkauft es sich schon.« Dieser Satz kostet Musikerinnen* Zeit und Geld. Denn er schneidet genau das ab, was eigentlich passieren müsste: den Umsatzkreislauf schließen. In dieser Folge erkläre ich dir, warum so viele Musikerinnen* nach dem Release in Stille verschwinden statt in Umsatz, warum »Wenn es gut ist, verkauft es sich« der teuerste Glaubenssatz in der Musikbranche ist und welche vier Stationen du durchlaufen musst, damit aus deiner Musik tatsächlich Geld wird. Am Beispiel einer Record Release Kampagne zeige ich, was vor dem Durchbruch wirklich passiert (und warum niemand darüber spricht). Das sind deine 3 Learnings aus der Folge: ✓ Nicht dein Talent fehlt — der Kreislauf fehlt → die meisten Musikerinnen* hören nach dem Angebot auf und jagen der nächsten Idee hinterher, statt bestehende Projekte zu Ende zu bringen. ✓ Expertise zeigen ist nicht Sichtbarkeit → es bedeutet, deine Zielgruppe zu kennen, ihre Customer Journey zu verstehen und strategisch auf jede Station einzuzahlen — nicht »irgendwas posten«. ✓ Erfolg beginnt nicht beim Durchbruch → er beginnt in den stillen Runden davor, in denen Zahlen ausgewertet und Bestehendes iteriert wird. Genau darüber redet niemand. Willst du mit deiner Musik Geld verdienen und bist bereit, in deine Karriere zu investieren? Dann schreib mir eine E-Mail an imke@raketerei.com. Ich lade dich zu einem kostenfreien Kennenlerncall ein und wir gucken gemeinsam, wie ich dich unterstützen kann, deinen Umsatzkreislauf zu schließen.

Most brands underestimate how much personalized retention strategies can transform their growth — Zach Fromson, Co-Founder at Lilo Social, uncovers the overlooked levers brands must pull now to supercharge customer lifetime value and build a sustainable business.In this eye-opening episode, Zach, a top Klaviyo Elite partner and co-founder of the full-funnel agency Lilo Social, reveals how brands are leaving money on the table by sticking with linear, one-size-fits-all retention approaches. Instead, he dives into the nuanced science of journey mapping, channel-specific insights, and the strategic use of data — showing exactly how to craft experiences that foster loyalty, increase LTV, and outsmart rising CACs.You'll discover the real reasons most brands aren't fully leveraging their retention potential — from capacity gaps to a lack of education around journey mapping and automation. Zach shares concrete frameworks for understanding customer behavior across subscription, durable, and one-time purchase spaces, and how to build customized, context-driven workflows that move beyond generic promos. Learn how to measure success through metrics like time to repurchase, AOV, and cohort analysis, proving that a granular, tailored approach isn't just smart — it's essential in today's competitive landscape.We also break down emerging channels like SMS and innovative tools such as Google's RCS — and how early adoption can give you a crucial edge before saturation. Zach reveals how the most forward-thinking brands are integrating these new modalities to deepen engagement, gather richer data, and create immersive shopping experiences. Plus, get his take on the broad impact of AI on agency workflows and how to future-proof your team.If you're a founder, marketer, or e-commerce owner tired of playing it safe with generic strategies, this episode is your blueprint to unlocking exponential growth through smarter retention. Don't be the brand left behind in the noise; adapt, innovate, and thrive — Zach shows you exactly how.Want to learn how to make your retention efforts more personalized, simple, and surprisingly effective? This episode is your first step toward conversion mastery. Reach out to Zach at LiloSocial.com or connect on LinkedIn — your next big move starts here.

Eine gute Customer Journey passiert nicht einfach nebenbei. Sie entsteht durch klare Prozesse, bewusst gestaltete Kontaktpunkte und die Fähigkeit, Probleme frühzeitig zu erkennen. In dieser Folge geht es darum, wie Praxen die Reise ihrer Patienten aktiv steuern können, statt nur auf Probleme zu reagieren. Dabei wird deutlich, warum kleine Details oft den größten Unterschied machen und weshalb gutes Customer Journey Management weit mehr ist als Marketing. Eine Folge über Strukturen, Feedback, Prozessdenken und die Frage, wie aus einzelnen Kontaktpunkten ein stimmiges Gesamterlebnis wird. -- Hi, buche hier Dein Strategiegespräch und wir besprechen wie Du einfach und zügig mehr aus Deiner Praxis machst: www.dr-martin-baxmann.de - Zu meinen Büchern, Kursen, Fanartikeln und zu meinem Laborshop geht es hier: https://www.myortholab.de/shop/ Ich freue mich auf Deinen Besuch! - Schau Dir auch mal die Webseite an: www.leanorthodontics.com Dort kannst Du dann auch meinen Blog lesen, falls Du Dich immer noch nicht traust, mir endlich im Kurs gegenüberzutreten. Ich würde Dich so gerne kennenlernen! - Aber wenn Dir unsere Art zu denken und zu arbeiten so richtig gut gefällt und Du das Gefühl hast "da muss ich hin", dann komm an Bord! Genau so sind schon einige unserer tollen Teammitglieder zu uns gekommen. Schau Dir hier Deine Karrieremöglichkeiten an und lade Deine Bewerbung hoch: https://www.orthodentix.de/stellenausschreibungen/ Dein Dr. Dr. Martin Baxmann

Understanding the Customer Journey in Real Organisations
 - How customer journeys work in practice, and how marketers can connect touch-points, experience and performance
Why this matters - Customer journeys are rarely tidy in real organisations
; People move across channels, devices, departments and moments of need
; McKinsey notes that customer experience is about everything an organisation does to put customers first, managing journeys and serving needs across interactions; Marketing is not just communication placed along a funnel. It is part of a wider lived experience. 
Session aimsBy the end of this session, you should be able to:Understand what a customer journey is in practice
Map a simple journey using real touch-points
Recognise where marketing influences customer experience
Identify pain points and moments that matter
Link journey insight to better marketing decisionsMore content like this at Cambridge Marketing College http://marketingcollege.com/events

Bestes Hello E-Mail Angebot über diesen Link: https://hello-email.com/?r=berend ZYBR: Sag, dass du von Berend kommst = 60 € Startguthaben: https://zybr.ai/?via=berend In der zweiten Folge unserer KI-Deep-Dive-Serie mit Florian wird es extrem praxisnah. Wir klären auf, warum die KI ein „professioneller Lügner“ ist, der dir nach dem Mund redet. Erfahre, warum du Sprachmodellen niemals blind deine Datenanalyse anvertrauen solltest und wieso sie selbst bei simpelsten Kopfrechenaufgaben spektakulär scheitern. Viel wichtiger aber: Wir verraten dir die konkreten Use Cases, die heute schon bares Geld und hunderte Arbeitsstunden sparen. Du lernst, wie du teure Fotoshootings komplett ersetzt , Shopify-Codeänderungen in Minuten ohne teure Entwickler umsetzt und deinen Kundensupport beinahe vollständig automatisierst. Außerdem packen wir einen genialen Prompting-Trick aus, mit dem du die KI beim Brainstorming dazu zwingst, dir knallhartes, kritisches Feedback zu geben, statt dir nur schmeichelhaft zuzustimmen. Viel Spaß beim Anhören! Dein Berend. __________ Mache den ersten Schritt und buche dir eine kostenlose SHOPANALYSE: https://www.berend-heins.de/termin __________

In dieser Folge des Onlineshop Geflüster Podcasts sprechen wir über das Ende teurer und zeitaufwendiger Produkt-Fotoshootings. Viele Gründer verbrennen unnötig Zeit und Geld für Fotografen oder scheitern bei ersten eigenen KI-Versuchen an unlogischen Proportionen, falschen Texturen und verzerrten Models. Ich zeige dir, warum das Thema KI-Bildgenerierung im E-Commerce heute tatsächlich gelöst ist. Du erfährst, an welchen entscheidenden Details in deinem Workflow es bisher scheitert und mit welchen smarten Tricks du der KI die nötigen Informationen fütterst, um makellose Produktbilder zu erschaffen. Außerdem gibt es einen kurzen Reality-Check, wo wir aktuell beim Thema KI-Videogenerierung stehen. Viel Spaß beim Anhören! Dein Berend. __________ Mache den ersten Schritt und buche dir eine kostenlose SHOPANALYSE: https://www.berend-heins.de/termin __________

Recorded at Adobe Summit 2026, this episode of The CMO Show features Yasmin Spencer, Director of Marketing at Western Sydney University, unpacking the research-led reset reshaping one of marketing's most complex paths to purchase – choosing a uni.  After extensive domestic and international research, Yasmin and her team uncovered a clear shift in how students choose where to study. More than half of the top 15 decision drivers now centre on outcomes, specifically how likely a university is to help them land a job. The degree is no longer the product. The destination is.  But the defining insight wasn't just about employability, it was the experience gap. Students are benchmarking universities against the best consumer brands they use every day. As Yasmin puts it, they can order from The Iconic and receive delivery in three hours, yet wait months for a university offer. From application to enrolment, the journey has become more complex than getting a home loan and that disconnect is no longer acceptable.  This episode reframes higher education as a customer experience problem, not communications one. Yasmin breaks down what it takes to meet modern expectations for speed, simplicity and service, and what real customer-centricity looks like when it's tied to outcomes, not activity.  You'll hear how Western Sydney University is responding in practice, from launching ODIE, an AI-powered Open Day concierge designed to remove real friction, to simultaneously leading a major marketing team restructure. By simplifying the operating model, rebuilding capability and focusing the team on experience, execution and impact, they've created the conditions to fix a journey that has historically been too complex to convert.    This episode is brought to you by impact advisory, communications and events agency, ImpactInstitute in partnership with Adobe.  www.impactinstitute.com.au | https://business.adobe.com/au

Behind the Brand bei JACKS: Miriam holt zwei Frauen aus ihrem Team ins Glowcast Studio, die sonst nie zu hören sind. Annalena Remy leitet die Produktentwicklung seit über drei Jahren und erzählt, wie ein Produkt vom Briefing bis ins Regal kommt, warum bei JACKS jeder Inhaltsstoff über eine Blacklist läuft und was Wellaging in der Praxis bedeutet. Danach setzt sich Barbara Lindert dazu, Head of Growth & Commerce, früher selbst Make-up-Artistin. Sie nimmt dich mit hinter den Webshop, erklärt was eine Customer Journey ist und warum JACKS bewusst auf Dringlichkeitstricks verzichtet. Dazwischen erzählt Miriam, wie die Love Your Glow Kampagne entstanden ist und worum es ihr dabei wirklich geht. Die Aktion läuft vom 17. bis 24. Mai. Über Annalena Remy: Annalena ist seit über drei Jahren Head of Product bei JACKS beauty line. Sie verantwortet die Formulierungen, arbeitet eng mit den Laboren und Lieferanten und hat die gesamte Skincare-Linie mitentwickelt. Ihre Handschrift findet sich in fast jedem aktuellen JACKS-Produkt. Über Barbara Lindert: Barbara ist seit 2022 bei JACKS und hat sich von der eCommerce-Managerin zur Head of Growth & Commerce entwickelt. Sie hat den Webshop maßgeblich aufgebaut, A/B-Testing eingeführt und arbeitet an Themen wie Customer Journey, SEO und Newsletter. Das nimmst du mit: Wie ein Beauty-Produkt von der ersten Idee bis ins Regal entsteht, manchmal über drei Jahre Warum JACKS bewusst gegen Markttrends entscheidet und was Bauchgefühl im Brand Building bedeutet Was eine Customer Journey im Webshop ist und wie viel Detailarbeit hinter einem "einfachen" Button steckt Wie JACKS Authentizität und Community-Bindung im JACKS Club lebt, mit über 42.000 Mitgliedern Zur Love Your Glow Kampagne: Am 17. Mai ab 8 Uhr startet der Presale exklusiv für JACKS-Club-Mitglieder und Newsletter-Abonnentinnen, 24 Stunden lang mit 20 Prozent Rabatt. Vom 18. bis 24. Mai gibt es 15 Prozent für alle. Ab 75 Euro Bestellwert legen wir die Mini Day Cream SPF 30 als Geschenk dazu. Ausgenommen sind Pinsel der Artist Collection, der #20 Kabuki Pinsel, digitale Gutscheine und Sets. Am 20. Mai um 20:30 Uhr gibt es zusätzlich eine kostenfreie Live-Masterclass mit Miriam. Anmeldung über den Newsletter oder den JACKS Club.

What does customer centricity really look like in fast-growing emerging markets? In this episode, we answer a listener question from a fintech support professional in the Gambia navigating rapid growth, limited resources, and constantly evolving customer expectations. We explore how organizations can build trust at scale by creating a customer-centric culture rooted in leadership, listening systems, and daily operational discipline. We also discuss why frontline support teams are critical in emerging-market fintech, serving as the real-time voice of the customer and a powerful driver of business insight and loyalty. If this helps you lead customer experience, subscribe, share the episode with a teammate, and leave a rating or review so more CX leaders can find it.Resources Mentioned:Order your copy of Experience Is Everything -- http://experienceiseverythingbook.comLearn more about CXI Membership™ and apply -- http://CXIMembership.comExperience Investigators -- https://experienceinvestigators.comEnjoyed the show? Subscribe, share with your team, and leave a quick review to help others find us. Leave your review at ratethispodcast.com/xact.Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie Walters, CCXP, CSP on LinkedIn!)

Mit Philipp Baumanns (telli) Staffel #13 Folge #3 | #Marketing_021 Der Podcast über Marketing, Vertrieb, Entrepreneurship und Startups *** www.telli.com/ www.linkedin.com/in/philippbaumanns/ *** Im Podcast „Marketing From Zero To One“ erzählt Philipp Baumanns, Co-Founder von telli.com, über den Aufbau seines KI-Startups für automatisierte Telefonie im Vertrieb und Kundenservice. Telli entwickelt Voice Agents, die eigenständig mit Kunden telefonieren, Leads qualifizieren und Prozesse entlang der gesamten Customer Journey skalieren. Zentrale Themen sind die schnelle Entwicklung seit der Gründung 2024, die Teilnahme am Y Combinator, ihre Zeit im Silicon Valley sowie der Fokus auf skalierbare B2C-Use-Cases mit hohem Anrufvolumen. Darüber hinaus gibt Philipp spannende Einblicke in ihre Go-to-Market-Strategien, den Einsatz von KI im eigenen Startup und die langfristige Vision für telli. *** 2:37 – Live-Demo des telli Voice Agents "Emma" 4:01 – Hintergrund & Weg zur Gründung 4:51 – Ursprungsidee kam von Enpal (Callcenter-Probleme) 6:01 – Automatisierungspotenzial in Telefonie 6:09 – Studium & unternehmerische Motivation 7:20 – Praktika & Hardskills (Finance & Analytics) 8:25 – Co-Founder-Team & Entstehung 10:02 – Marktsetup & bestehende Lösungen 12:29 – Bewerbung & Aufnahme bei Y Combinator 15:27 – YC-Erfahrung & Arbeit in den USA 16:48 – Wachstum & Produktentwicklung im Accelerator 18:36 – Demo Day & Investorennetzwerk 19:28 – Erste Kunden & Go-to-Market 20:29 – Lead-Qualifizierung als zentraler Use Case 21:33 – Skalierung über Industrien hinweg 22:47 – Einsatz bei großen Kunden (z. B. Sky) 24:47 – Produktlogik & Agentensteuerung 25:28 – Akzeptanz von Voice AI bei Endkunden 27:39 – Personalisierung & Multilingualität 29:52 – Pricing-Modell (usage-based) 31:17 – Zielkunden & ideale Use Cases 32:39 – Kundengewinnung (Inbound & Outbound) 35:13 – Rollenverteilung im Gründerteam 36:10 – Social Media & virale Use Cases 38:25 – Internationalisierung (USA vs. Europa) 39:30 – Wettbewerb & Positionierung 41:53 – Vision: AI-first CRM & Engagement-Plattform 44:31 – Abhängigkeit von LLM-Providern 46:35 – Neue Business-Chancen durch Voice AI 48:40 – Multilingualität & neue Use Cases 49:42 – KI im eigenen Unternehmen 51:04 – Hiring & AI-first Mindset 52:25 – KI als Growth-Enabler (Sales & Marketing) 53:54 – Namensfindung (Telli vs. Sprich.ai) 55:15 – Start-Initiative & Engagement 56:10 – Studium vs. Startup-Realität

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Yanique Grant sits down with Jimi Gibson, VP of Brand Communication at Thrive Internet Marketing Agency, to explore how AI is fundamentally changing business visibility online.Jimi shares insights from 20+ years in digital marketing and 70+ podcast appearances, discussing the critical shift from traditional SEO to AI Search Optimization (Answer Engine Optimization and Generative Engine Optimization).Learn why 60% of Google searches don't click through anymore, how to become visible to large language models like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, and why personal branding is now mandatory for business growth in 2026. Discover what the future holds for AI agents, autonomous task management, and how to ensure your business doesn't get left behind.Key Topics:• From Magician to Marketing Strategist: Jimi's unexpected career path• The 60% Google search shift and what it means for your business• Traditional SEO vs. AI Search Optimization (AEO/GEO)• How to become visible to large language models• The future of AI agents and autonomous helpers• Why YouTube and LinkedIn are critical for AI visibility• The personal branding revolution: Why it's mandatory now• Featured books: Jonathan Livingston Seagull & I'm PossibleResources:Thrive Internet Marketing Agency: thrive-agency.comJimi on LinkedIn: Connect with Jimi for daily AI insights (posts Mon-Fri)Follow Navigating the Customer Experience:X (Twitter): @NavigatingCXFacebook: Navigating the Customer Experience CommunityWebsite: yaniquegrant.com

In this episode of How to Run a Successful Business and Still Have a Life, Stacey Morgan dives deep into customer retention and why it’s a game-changer for your business. She shares practical strategies to keep your customers coming back, from mapping the customer journey, creating milestones, and ensuring consistent touchpoints, to surprising and delighting your clients. Stacey explains how understanding your customer’s needs, communicating your vision, mission, and values, and making them feel part of your community turns first-time buyers into loyal, lifelong customers. This episode is packed with actionable insights for small business owners who want to focus on retention, build meaningful relationships, and reduce the cost of constantly acquiring new customers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AI is loud right now, but the real question is quieter: how do we use it to create a better customer experience without losing the human at the center? From the floor of CXPA CX Leaders Advance, Jeannie Walters grabbed a few brilliant minds and asked one simple prompt: What's the one thing we should be thinking about for the future of CX?The answers go far beyond any single trend. From evolving skill sets and smarter measurement to human-centered design and change management, this episode brings together a range of perspectives on where CX is heading next.You'll hear insights on blending technical and human skills, capturing and acting on customer emotion, grounding strategy in real value, and ensuring teams can actually adopt the changes we design.If you're shaping experiences, building journeys, or leading CX transformation, this is a quick hit of perspective to help you focus on what matters most.Subscribe, share this with a CX leader on your team, and leave a review so more people can find the show.Episode Guests:Sasha Fard, MBA, CCXPDirector, Omnichannel Analytics, AssurantFollow Sasha on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sashafard/Heidi Taylor, PMP, CCXPSenior Global CX Project Manager, LenovoFollow Heidi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidimtaylor/Emma Winstead, CCXPCustomer Experience Business Partner, Delaware NorthFollow Emma on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-winstead-ccxp-90b815172/Nicole Aguilera, CCXPBusiness System Consultant III, Mutual of OmahaFollow Nicole on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoleaguilera/Scott Lee Holloway, CCXPHead of Customer Experience, APS BankFollow Scott on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottleeholloway/Lauren WierCustomer Experience Business Partner, Delaware NorthFollow Lauren on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-wier-17448430/Resources Mentioned:Order your copy of Experience Is Everything -- experienceiseverythingbook.comLearn more about CXI Membership™ and apply -- CXIMembership.comExperience Investigators -- experienceinvestigators.comEnjoyed the show? Subscribe, share with your team, and leave a quick review to help others find us. Leave your review at ratethispodcast.com/xact.Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie Walters, CCXP, CSP on LinkedIn!)

Andy Povey is joined by Andy Zimmerman, CEO of Journey, the global design and innovation agency behind some of the world's most innovative immersive experiences. Andy shares how Journey blends storytelling, technology, and multidisciplinary creativity to transform everything from theme parks and observation decks to healthcare and live entertainment. They discuss the shift from digital to real-world experiences, the importance of designing every touchpoint in the guest journey, and why the most memorable moments often happen before the main event even begins.   Topics Discussed How Journey creates world-class immersive experiences across multiple industries Why storytelling is the foundation of every successful project Designing experiences beyond entertainment, including healthcare and hospitality The transformation of the Empire State Building visitor experience Lessons from Disney's MagicBand and pre-arrival guest engagement The growing demand for real-life, technology-enabled experiences How Journey combines diverse creative disciplines under one roof The future of immersive experiences and opportunities with influencer-led attractions Why every part of the guest journey, including queues, matters The shift from the experience economy to the transformation economy   Show references: Andy Zimmerman, CEO of Journey https://journey.world/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/journeydotworld/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewzimmerman1/   Skip the Queue is brought to you by Merac. We provide attractions with the tools and expertise to create world-class digital interactions. Very simply, we're here to rehumanise commerce. Your host is Andy Povey. If you like what you hear, you can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all the usual channels by searching Skip the Queue or visit our website SkiptheQueue.fm. If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review, it really helps others find us. And remember to follow us on LinkedIn. Credits: Written by Emily Burrows (Plaster) Edited by Steve Folland Produced by Emily Burrows and Sami Entwistle (Plaster) Download The Visitor Attractions Website Survey Report - https://www.merac.co.uk/download-the-visitor-attractions-survey We have launched our brand-new playbook: ‘The Retail Ready Guide to Going Beyond the Gift Shop' — your go-to resource for building a successful e-commerce strategy that connects with your audience and drives sustainable growth. Download your FREE copy here

This Podcast is sponsored by Team Simmer Go to TeamSimmer and use the coupon code DEVIATE for 10% on individual course purchases. The Technical Marketing Handbook provides a comprehensive journey through technical marketing principles. (Getting an update soon) Sign up to the Simmer Newsletter for the latest news in Technical Marketing. NEW SIMMER COURSE ALERT!  - Data Analysis with R - taught by Arben Kqiku Latest content from Simo Ahava Add IPv6 Support To Your Server-side GTM Load Balancer Latest content from Juliana Jackson Your Ad Platforms have a definition of “New Customer”...and it's not yours (subscribe to the newsletter for more amazing content) Article is written in collaboration with Stape.io Mentioned in the episode: Stape Emotional Targeting Book by Talia Wolf Emotional Grader tool early access Slobodan Manic from No Hacks Connect with Talia Wolf Linkedin Her website This podcast is brought to you by Juliana Jackson and Simo Ahava.

Florian Lörsch von Annerton erklärt, was die CCD2 konkret für BNPL, Rechnungskauf und den Checkout bedeutet – entlang der gesamten Customer Journey.

Personalization at scale gets pitched like a switch you flip, but the reality is messier and way more human. From Adobe Summit, Jeannie Walters' sits down with IBM leaders to unpack what it takes to deliver customer experience that feels consistent, connected, and genuinely helpful across digital touchpoints even when different teams, tools, and timelines are involved.First, Betsy Rohtbart, VP, Digital Experience & IBM.com, shares a simple reframing with big implications: start with the task your visitor is trying to complete, then design the experience to make that “pay off” every time. We talk about why customers often feel the gaps instead of the beautiful moments we intended, how secret shopping your own trial and onboarding flow exposes breakpoints fast, and why chasing problems like a “toddler soccer game” creates more friction. The standard is brutal but fair: customers compare you to their last best experience anywhere.Then Jay Trestain, EMEA Marketing Transformation Lead & Client Partner, breaks down agentic orchestration in plain terms: AI agents that act as domain experts and work together across an enterprise workflow. We dig into what leaders miss when they rush to deploy AI, how a clear North Star vision sharpens decisions about martech, process redesign, and KPIs, and why agentic technology is changing digital discovery by bypassing traditional web real estate. The punchline: governance is not red tape, it's the engine for rapid, high-quality decisions that help good pilots scale into real value.Subscribe for more practical customer experience strategy, share this with a teammate leading transformation, and leave a review.Follow Betsy Rohtbart on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/betsymorserohtbart/Follow Jay Trestain on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jay-trestain/Resources Mentioned:Order your copy of Experience Is Everything -- experienceiseverythingbook.comLearn more about CXI Membership™ and apply -- CXIMembership.comExperience Investigators -- experienceinvestigators.comEnjoyed the show? Subscribe, share with your team, and leave a quick review to help others find us. Leave your review at ratethispodcast.com/xact.Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie Walters, CCXP, CSP on LinkedIn!)

Send us Fan MailOne of the challenges that brands can often face when implementing a loyalty program is getting key stakeholders on the same page about the value of the initiative. More specifically, a chief financial officer and a chief marketing officer might have very different views of the program, with the former seeing it as a cost center while the latter sees it as a growth engine.  A CFO could focus on economics over perks by looking to add expiration policies or increasing redemption thresholds, whereas a CMO is focused on things like personalization, brand engagement, and customer acquisition and retention.  According to David Glantz, Director of Business Development for Germany's Loyalty Partner Solutions (LPS), one of the key ways a CMO can bridge the divide with a CFO is by having the right KPIs in place to effectively argue the value of the program for not just customers, but also the company. KPIs are just one aspect of the program design that LPS helps its partners create.  

Some product manufacturers treat launch as the end of the journey. It isn't. In episode 325 of China Manufacturing Decoded, Adrian and Renaud break down a powerful idea from Tony Fadell: “Builders build, ship, then solve what breaks.” They explore what really happens after a product hits the market, and why chasing perfection before launch can actually kill your chances of success. You'll learn: Why over-engineering delays launches (and increases risk) How Version 1 should really be defined: simple, lovable, and complete What real-world users reveal that prototypes never can How to collect meaningful feedback without damaging your reputation Why early adopters are critical for innovative products How smart teams build Version 2 while Version 1 is still launching Developing a new product in 2026? You'll have food for thought from this one!   Sections 00:13 — Episode overview 00:37 — Tony Fadell's quote 01:37 — Why perfection is a trap 04:28 — Engineering vs speed trade-off 06:30 — Launch early vs over-engineering 07:46 — De-risking with Version 1 10:30 — “Simple, lovable, complete” 13:43 — Launch isn't the finish line 15:04 — Real-world user behaviour 17:06 — Nest example (unexpected insights) 19:36 — Managing reviews & early releases 21:27 — Choosing the right early users 24:02 — Misinterpreting “ship early” 25:47 — Lessons from product reliability 26:56 — Why post-launch work matters 28:28 — Continuous product development 30:25 — Key takeaways Related content Tony Fadell's LinkedIn post How to Manufacture a New Product with the Customer Journey in Mind Buy the book: Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making A Logical Development Roadmap for New Hardware Products   Get in touch with us Connect with us on LinkedIn Contact us via Sofeast's contact page Subscribe to our YouTube channel Prefer Facebook? Check us out on FB

Customer experience can feel complicated fast, especially when you're working across completely different industries.In this episode, we answer a listener question about navigating CX in both insurance and luxury retail. Two worlds that seem totally opposite… until you realize the real challenge isn't the industry—it's staying clear on who you are to your customers and the experience you're actually delivering. Because when you lose that clarity, everything starts to feel fragmented.We break down what customers really need in each space. In insurance, the best experience is often invisible until something goes wrong. That's when reassurance becomes everything: clear coverage, confidence in what's been submitted, and knowing progress is happening without having to chase it. In luxury retail, it's about high-touch, thoughtful personalization that makes customers feel known and valued. Different context, same underlying goal.And that's the big takeaway: great customer experience isn't about the industry, it's about how well you deliver on your promise. We'll walk through what actually carries across both worlds: setting the right expectations, giving customers real choice, and using personalization to make them feel seen, heard, and valued.If you've ever felt pulled in too many directions with your CX strategy, this episode will help you refocus on what matters most.Subscribe, share with a fellow CX leader, and leave a review to help more people find the show.Resources Mentioned:Order your copy of Experience Is Everything -- http://experienceiseverythingbook.comLearn more about CXI Membership™ and apply -- http://CXIMembership.comExperience Investigators -- https://experienceinvestigators.comEnjoyed the show? Subscribe, share with your team, and leave a quick review to help others find us. Leave your review at ratethispodcast.com/xact.Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie Walters, CCXP, CSP on LinkedIn!)

After someone downloads your lead magnet, you cannot just cross your fingers and eyes and toes, and *hope* they magically decide to buy.In this episode, Allison breaks down exactly what to send next so your Nurture Sequence actually leads somewhere instead of becoming a random pile of “nice to have” emails. You'll hear how to guide subscribers step by step, build real buyer readiness, and make your offer feel like the natural next move. TAKEAWAYS:Your Nurture Sequence should bridge the gap between the lead magnet and the pitch, not leave subscribers hanging with content that feels good but goes nowhere.Each email should solve one pain point while naturally revealing the next one, so your audience keeps moving forward instead of stalling out.The Nurture Sequence is where you sell people on the ideas, methodology, and transformation behind your program before you ever ask them to buy.Simple, actionable content like templates or quick wins helps subscribers experience your process, trust your expertise, and start seeing results before they become clientsLINKS YOU MIGHT FIND HELPFUL: Check out the blog post that accompanies this podcast episode for more details and resources.Get access to the singular email (and a fill-in-the-blank template) that was directly responsible for selling over $80,000 worth of courses, memberships, and digital products in 2025 by clicking here.Watch the recordings of the Funnel Fix Sessions! Over the course of 3 sessions, Allison will help you to dig into your existing email funnel, understand where why it's not producing sales of your course or membership like it should be, and exactly what to fix to increase sales. Click here to get accesss.Haven't listened to Session 1 yet? Do that first! Click here to listen.CONNECT WITH ALLISON:Follow Allison on InstagramDID YOU HAVE AN 'AH-HA MOMENT' WHILE LISTENING TO THIS EPISODE?If you are ready to take action from listening to this episode, head to Apple Podcasts and help us reach new audiences by giving the podcast a rating and a review. Music by: www.bensound.comLicense code: 8G1GJZZDCLKGU9NRArtist: : Benjamin Tissot

As AI rapidly reshapes how customers discover, evaluate, and engage with brands, marketers are being forced to rethink the fundamentals of the customer journey. In this episode of The Digital Marketing Podcast, Daniel Rowles speaks with Rachel Thornton, CMO of Adobe Enterprise, to explore what this shift really means in practice. Recorded just ahead of Adobe Summit, Rachel shares exclusive insights into Adobe's latest thinking, product direction, and how enterprise marketers should adapt to an increasingly AI-driven landscape. From evolving user expectations to the rise of AI as the primary interface, this conversation goes beyond the hype to examine the real implications for strategy, data, and customer experience. In This Episode How AI is transforming the traditional linear customer journey into something far more dynamic and unpredictable Why discovery and consideration are being reshaped by AI-powered interfaces and assistants What Adobe is announcing at Summit and how it reflects broader industry shifts How CMOs should rethink customer engagement in an environment where AI intermediates interactions The growing importance of first-party data and real-time personalisation How enterprise organisations are adapting their tech stacks to support AI-led experiences The challenges of maintaining brand consistency when AI is part of the customer interface What marketers often misunderstand about AI and where to focus instead How internal teams and workflows need to evolve to keep pace with change Key Takeaways The customer journey is no longer linear. It is fluid, fragmented, and increasingly influenced by AI-driven touchpoints AI is becoming the primary interface between brands and customers, which changes how influence and trust are built Marketers need to prioritise high-quality, structured data to enable effective AI-driven personalisation Speed and adaptability are now critical competitive advantages in digital marketing Organisations must rethink not just tools, but also teams, processes, and skills There is a growing need to balance automation with authentic brand voice and human oversight Experimentation is essential. Waiting for certainty in AI adoption is likely to result in falling behind

In the ever-evolving world of digital banking, understanding the shifts and trends is crucial for industry practitioners and innovators. In this episode of One Vision, Theodora Lau hosts Dharmesh Mistry and Dave Wallace to explore the transformative moments in banking and fintech over the past decade, the impact of technology on the financial services industry, and the future of work. They discuss the rise of 5G, smartphones, digital banking, and the need for industry revaluation to adapt to rapid technological convergence.00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome02:20 The Game Changers and Misreads11:57 The Role of Fintechs and Neobanks21:24 The Future of Banking: A New Paradigm32:16 Rethinking Banking for the Future34:09 AI Native Banking37:03 Jobs and the Human Contribution 

In the ever-evolving world of digital banking, understanding the shifts and trends is crucial for industry practitioners and innovators. In this episode of One Vision, Theodora Lau hosts Dharmesh Mistry and Dave Wallace to explore the transformative moments in banking and fintech over the past decade, the impact of technology on the financial services industry, and the future of work. They discuss the rise of 5G, smartphones, digital banking, and the need for industry revaluation to adapt to rapid technological convergence.00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome02:20 The Game Changers and Misreads11:57 The Role of Fintechs and Neobanks21:24 The Future of Banking: A New Paradigm32:16 Rethinking Banking for the Future34:09 AI Native Banking37:03 Jobs and the Human Contribution

Hey CX Nation,In this week's episode of The CXChronicles Podcast #279, we welcomed Jack Siney, Co-Founder & Chief Revenue Officer at FrontRace. FrontRace brings together your team's real activity data and connects it across systems, and apply powerful AI to reveal what's working, what's not, and what to do next.This is the future of AI transformation: grounded in truth, built on your data, and tailored to how your company actually works.In this episode, Jack and Adrian chat through the Four CX Pillars: Team, Tools, Process & Feedback. Plus share some of the ideas that his team think through on a daily basis to build world class customer experiences.**Episode #279 Highlight Reel:**1. Leveraging & configuring your data to drive growth 2. Connecting your customer data across the whole journey 3. Understanding which metrics matter most 4. Ensuring your team understands what drives the business 5. Always be learning & course correcting Click here to learn more about Jack SineyClick here to learn more about FrontRaceHuge thanks to Jack for coming on The CXChronicles Podcast and featuring his work and efforts in pushing the customer experience & data configuration space into the future. For all of our Apple & Spotify podcast listener friends, make sure you are following CXC & please leave a 5 star review so we can find new members of the "CX Nation". You know what would be even better?Go tell your friends or teammates about CXC's custom content, strategic partner solutions (Hubspot, Intercom, & Freshworks) & On-Demand services & invite them to join the CX Nation, a community of 15K+ customer focused business leaders!Want to see how your customer experience compares to the world's top-performing customer focused companies? Thanks to all of you for being apart of the "CX Nation" and helping customer focused business leaders across the world make happiness a habit!Reach Out To CXC Today!Support the showContact CXChronicles TodayTweet us @cxchroniclesCheck out our Instagram @cxchroniclesClick here to checkout the CXC websiteEmail us at info@cxchronicles.com Remember To Make Happiness A Habit!!

Customer experience isn't failing because people don't care, it fails because teams confuse slogans with systems. Jeannie Walters is joined by Larissa Salazar from Brand Builders Group for a special CX Pulse Check to celebrate the launch of Jeannie's book, Experience Is Everything: Making Every Moment Count In The Age Of Customer Expectations, and to talk about what it really takes for a message to break through in a noisy world. We get practical about the shift that changes everything: customer service is reactive, but customer experience must be proactive. If you only show up when something goes wrong, you're already behind. We talk about designing the end-to-end customer journey with intention, choosing how you want customers to feel, and connecting experience design to the outcomes leaders care about. Along the way, we call out a common trap in CX leadership: treating Net Promoter Score like a strategy instead of a measurement you influence through real changes. Jeannie also shares the mindset strategy discipline framework from the book, including how a clear customer experience mission statement becomes a usable North Star across teams. Larissa pulls back the curtain on what she sees with experts and first-time authors, why your best knowledge is often the “small steps” you forget to write down, and how templates and frameworks help customer experience change agents take action fast. If you're trying to operationalize customer-centricity, build a real CX strategy, and move from reactivity to discipline, this conversation is your push to start. If it helps, subscribe, share this with a change agent on your team, and leave a review so more leaders can find the show.About Larissa Salazar, Team Lead & Personal Brand Strategist | Brand Builders GroupSalazar is a highly respected personal brand strategist and speaker at Brand Builders Group, an international personal branding firm and an Inc. 5000 fastest-growing company. As one of the youngest and fastest-rising strategists in the organization, she has quickly built a reputation for helping authors and thought leaders clarify their expertise, define their message, and build brands that create lasting influence.With a strategic mindset and a deep appreciation for storytelling, Larissa has a unique ability to distill complex ideas into clear, compelling messaging. She doesn't just help clients communicate their insights—she guides them in developing proprietary intellectual property and signature frameworks that make their teachings memorable, shareable, and scalable. Her approach ensures that thought leaders don't just teach for the moment, but create content and concepts that spread, endure, and position them as industry authorities.Follow Larissa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larissa-ann-salazar/Book a meeting with Larissa: https://freebrandcall.com/lsResources Mentioned:Order your copy of Experience Is Everything -- http://experienceiseverythingbook.comExperience Investigators Website -- https://experienceinvestigators.cEnjoyed the show? Subscribe, share with your team, and leave a quick review to help others find us. Leave your review at ratethispodcast.com/xact.Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie Walters, CCXP, CSP on LinkedIn!)

For years, growth has been built around a simple idea. Drive traffic into a funnel, move people through stages, convert, repeat. But that model was built for a different time. A time when brands controlled information and buyers followed predictable paths. That is no longer the reality. Today, people explore, pause, research, ask communities, trust creators, and make decisions on their own terms. They don't move in straight lines. They move in networks. That shift is exactly why funnels and pipelines are no longer enough on their own. In this episode, we break down what changed, where traditional models still work, and where they fall short. More importantly, we introduce a new way to think about growth through Conscious Growth Pathways™. Instead of forcing people through linear systems, this approach focuses on building environments, ecosystems, and connections that people naturally move through. It's about awareness, trust, culture, and community driving momentum. We also unpack a six-phase growth cycle that helps identify where your growth is actually breaking and how to fix it, from investigation and initiation to innovation and introspection. If your marketing feels heavy, inconsistent, or stuck, this will reframe how you think about growth and what it actually takes to win today. Beyond The Episode Gems: Buy My Book, Strategize Up: The Blueprint To Scale Your Business: StrategizeUpBook.com Discover All Podcasts On The HubSpot Podcast Network Get Free HubSpot Marketing Tools To Help You Grow Your Business Grow Your Business Faster Using HubSpot's CRM Platform Support The Podcast & Connect With Troy:  Rate & Review iDigress: iDigress.fm/Reviews Follow Troy's Socials @FindTroy: LinkedIn, Instagram, Threads, TikTok Subscribe to Troy's YouTube Channel For Strategy Videos & See Masterclass Episodes Need Growth Strategy, A Keynote Speaker, Or Want To Sponsor The Podcast? Go To FindTroy.com

In this episode of The Voice of Retail, host Michael LeBlanc sits down with Rohit Sriram, Senior Vice-President eCommerce at Loblaw Companies Limited, for an exclusive preview of the ideas, strategies, and thought leadership he'll be bringing to the stage at the Retail Council of Canada's highly anticipated STORE Conference this June in Toronto. For retail leaders planning to attend STORE—or those tracking the future of AI in commerce—this conversation offers an early look at how one of Canada's most sophisticated retailers is operationalizing artificial intelligence at scale. Sriram leads one of the most expansive digital ecosystems in the country, spanning eCommerce across Loblaw's grocery banners, Shoppers Drug Mart, Joe Fresh, and the PC Optimum loyalty program. At the core of his approach is a disciplined focus on solving real customer problems—not chasing technology trends. In this discussion, he breaks down how Loblaw cuts through the noise around AI by anchoring every investment in two critical questions: what problem are we solving, and is this solution materially better than what exists today? This pragmatic lens has enabled the company to move beyond traditional personalization toward real-time, context-aware customer experiences powered by advanced data and AI capabilities. Listeners will gain early insight into the themes shaping Sriram's upcoming STORE panel, including the rise of “agentic commerce,” the growing influence of AI-powered discovery platforms, and the evolution of conversational interfaces across both third-party ecosystems and owned retail channels. A key takeaway is the shift from static segmentation to dynamic personalization—where customers are no longer defined by a single identity, but understood across multiple, evolving contexts. This capability is unlocking more relevant engagement, stronger loyalty, and improved conversion across Loblaw's platforms. Sriram also shares how Loblaw's culture of experimentation—grounded in OKRs, rapid testing, and scalable architecture—allows the organization to validate and deploy innovation quickly while maintaining operational discipline. For those attending STORE, this episode serves as a strategic primer. For those unable to attend, it delivers a front-row perspective on the ideas that will shape the conversation on stage. Whether you're a retailer, brand leader, or technologist, this is your opportunity to hear directly from one of the industry's leading voices—before he takes the spotlight. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025 and 2026. Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

Are you drowning in feedback and still struggling for progress? In this bonus episode, we're bringing you more conversations from the Qualtrics X4 Summit 2026 in Seattle. These conversations tackle the same problem from different angles: how to turn customer and patient feedback into real operational change, and how to protect trust as AI becomes part of the workflow. If you collect surveys, run a CX program, or lead a healthcare team, this one is about what happens after you hit “export.” First, we talk with leaders from Trillium Health Partners about redesigning their patient experience measurement: Kerry Kuluski, Research Chair in Patient and Family-Centered Care, and Adam Gdyczynski, Senior Corporate Lead, Patient Experience Measurement and Planning. They share how moving from paper and call-center methods to modern digital surveying helped drive an 880% increase in survey responses, plus what they did next to avoid being buried by the volume. We dig into practical tactics like shorter surveys, QR codes on after visit summaries, and using iPads to improve access in areas with lower electronic response rates. We also get into why equitable care depends on knowing who is responding, and how demographic and cultural insights can inform smarter decisions while supporting patient and family centered care. Then we shift to the trust layer with Qualtrics Chief Security Officer Assaf Keren. We unpack why trust is more than security, why shortcuts create incidents, and why transparency matters when things go wrong. We also get specific about AI governance: third-party risk, building guardrails, managing data access, and keeping a human in the loop when risk is high or confidence is low. If you want to turn insights into action without losing the human side, listen now. After you finish, subscribe, share this with a teammate, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.Follow Kerry Kuluski on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerry-kuluski-a9791b227/Follow Adam Gdyczynski on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-gdyczynski-mba-che-83100635/Follow Assaf Keren on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/assafkeren/Resources Mentioned:Qualtrics -- https://www.qualtrics.com/Order your copy of Experience Is Everything -- http://experienceiseverythingbook.comLearn more about CXI Membership™ and apply -- http://CXIMembership.comExperience Investigators -- https://experienceinvestigators.comEnjoyed the show? Subscribe, share with your team, and leave a quick review to help others find us. Leave your review at ratethispodcast.com/xact.Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie Walters, CCXP, CSP on LinkedIn!)

AI is moving fast, but most customer experience programs still get stuck in the same place: teams chase tools, dashboards, and “shiny” promises while the real work and the real problem stay fuzzy. We wanted a grounded conversation about customer experience strategy that actually holds up inside complex organizations, especially when trust, risk, and regulation are part of daily life.Jeannie Walters is joined by Dr. Elizabeth ErkenBrack, Head of Strategy in the Office of the CEO at Qualtrics. They sat down at the Qualtrics X4 Summit 2026 in Seattle to talk about starting with the outcome you're trying to achieve, defining who you're designing for, and mapping the work that needs to change before you ever “plug in” AI. They get specific about where automation helps and where the human touch still matters most, particularly in vulnerable moments like healthcare, financial services, and other deeply personal journeys.They also dig into the ROI side of experience management: how to shift from CX as a cost center to CX as an investment, how to connect NPS and CSAT to action, and how to tie experience improvements to attributable revenue through churn, retention, conversion, and operational changes. A key takeaway is governance: measurement and execution often sit in different silos, and bringing them into lockstep is an executive decision. If you're trying to make CX “count” in the C-suite, this gives you language and structure that leaders can align around.If this helped you rethink how you're framing your next CX initiative, subscribe, share this episode with a teammate, and leave a review so more people can find it.Follow Elizabeth ErkenBrack on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-erkenbrack-phd-380b5b30/Resources Mentioned:Qualtrics -- https://www.qualtrics.com/Order your copy of Experience Is Everything -- http://experienceiseverythingbook.comLearn more about CXI Membership™ and apply -- http://CXIMembership.comExperience Investigators -- https://experienceinvestigators.comEnjoyed the show? Subscribe, share with your team, and leave a quick review to help others find us. Leave your review at ratethispodcast.com/xact.Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie Walters, CCXP, CSP on LinkedIn!)

Final chapter. In Chapter 6 of this CoralTree Customer Journey series, we take everything from the last five weeks and put it at the property level. Customer journey work only matters when a hotel team can execute it in real time. This chapter shows what that looks like on the ground. I talk with Curtis Bova, General Manager of Hotel Polaris, about how he turns guest journey strategy into real moments on property - from reading context clues at arrival to training teams for perceptive hospitality and building experiences guests can only get there. Here is what we cover: ·        How the team looks for the purpose and intent behind each stay ·        Perceptive hospitality and using context clues at arrival ·        QR-based itineraries built around guest motivations ·        Hotel Polaris-specific moments (paper airplanes, Flights at Five, themed details) ·        Small touches that also create ancillary revenue opportunities ·        Hiring for personality, onboarding, and empowering prepared people ·        Why training + freedom creates better guest moments Missed earlier chapters? Go back to Chapter 1 and watch the full series in order - strategy, people, framework, implementation, touchpoints, then property execution. Want to keep up with series like this and catch any parts you miss? Subscribe to the #NoVacancyNews newsletter by texting HOTEL to 66866. Thanks to Unifocus for supporting this series. Unifocus, technology that drives value. Visit Unifocus.com.

If you want more local clients to find and choose your practice, this one's for you. I'm chatting with Doula Darcy about optimizing your Google Business Profile, understanding customer journeys, and simple ways to turn local searches into actual bookings.Review full show notes and resources at mollycahill.com/podcastConnect with Darcy:Website: douladarcy.comInstagram: instagram.com/thedouladarcyPodcast: douladarcy.com/podcastConnect with Molly:Holistic Marketing Hub holisticmarketinghub.com/enrollWebsite: mollycahill.comInstagram: instagram.com/mollyacahill

Some of the biggest CX breakthroughs don't come from bigger budgets, they come from sharper thinking about trust, value, and what people actually feel in the moment. We're sharing a special Women's History Month collection of insights from Dr. Amy Climer, Ovetta Sampson, Camille Kremer, Neen James, and Brooke Sellas, each bringing a different lens on customer experience leadership, innovation, and connection.We start with a future-facing question: when AI shows up on the screens inside our cars, is it there to help the driver or to sell to them? Amy challenges us to treat creativity as “novelty that is valuable,” and to judge value from the customer's perspective, not the company's. From there, Ovetta gets candid about generative AI, chatbot hallucinations, and why “set it and forget it” is a fast track to broken customer trust. If you're building AI into customer support, you'll hear why rigorous testing and ongoing oversight are now core CX operations.Camille breaks down expectation setting as the hidden equation behind loyalty: customers invest, brands deliver or don't, and trust is the outcome. Neen reframes luxury as a mindset where experiences matter more than things, anchored in making people feel seen, heard, and valued. Brooke closes the loop for social media and content marketing: content is the vehicle, emotion is the destination, and connection beats chasing a single “big win.”If this sparked new ideas for your CX strategy, subscribe, share this with a CX leader on your team, and leave a review so more people can find the show.Experience Action Episodes Mentioned:CX Pulse Check – February 2025CX Pulse Check – May 2025CX Pulse Check – August 2025CX Pulse Check – September 2025CX Pulse Check – November 2025Resources Mentioned:Order your copy of Experience Is Everything -- http://experienceiseverythingbook.comLearn more about CXI Membership™ and apply -- http://CXIMembership.comExperience Investigators Website -- https://experienceinvestigators.comEnjoyed the show? Subscribe, share with your team, and leave a quick review to help others find us. Leave your review at ratethispodcast.com/xact.Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie Walters, CCXP, CSP on LinkedIn!)

Text us your thoughts on the episode or the show!What happens when an Ops leader thinks like a marketer?In this episode of Ops Cast, Michael Hartmann sits down with Julie Hamada, Chief Operating Officer at Monarch Dentistry, to explore the connection between marketing, operations, and customer experience.Julie's path from marketing into operations shapes how she leads today. She views marketing as promise-making and operations as promise-keeping, and she focuses heavily on retention, customer psychology, and the full journey from first touch to long-term loyalty.This conversation challenges the way many organizations think about growth. It looks at why retention is often overlooked, how operational design directly impacts customer experience, and why some of the most valuable insights come from conversations rather than dashboards.Topics covered include:• The transition from marketing into operations and executive leadership• Why the gap between marketing promises and operational delivery matters• Retention vs acquisition and why most companies get the balance wrong• Designing operations around the full customer or patient journey• How understanding human behavior improves internal leadership• The limits of dashboards and why conversation-driven leadership matters• Practical ways to break down silos between marketing, ops, and frontline teamsIf you're leading or working in Marketing Ops, RevOps, or business operations, this episode offers a different lens on growth. One that starts with the customer experience and works backward into systems and execution.Be sure to like, share, and subscribe to Ops Cast, and join the conversation at MarketingOps.com.Episode Brought to You By MO Pros The #1 Community for Marketing Operations Professionals MarketingOps.com is curating the GTM Ops Track at Demand & Expand (May 19-20, San Francisco) - the premier B2B marketing event featuring 600+ practitioners sharing real solutions to real problems. Use code MOPS20 for 20% off tickets, or get 35-50% off as a MarketingOps.com member. Learn more at demandandexpand.com.Support the show

Chapter 5 of this 6-part CoralTree Customer Journey series gets into the guest-facing side: how the strategy shows up in communication and touchpoints across the stay. A strong customer journey does not come from slogans. It comes from leadership decisions, team training, and operational discipline - and now you can see it in the guest-facing moments. I talk with Angela Berkey, VP of Customer Engagement at CoralTree Hospitality, about using guest preferences, local context, and property-level ideas to shape pre-arrival messages, arrivals, in-stay surprises, and post-stay rebooking moments. Here is what we cover: ·        How they use guest preferences to shape communication before arrival ·        Arrival moments like a personalized welcome beverage ·        In-stay surprises and delights that feel intentional ·        Departure touchpoints that support loyalty and return visits ·        Post-stay messages tied to what the guest actually did (like spa visits) ·        Why the experience still changes by property and destination If you are jumping in here, watch Chapters 1-4 first - this guest-facing work comes from the strategy and workshop process. Next week (final chapter): property-level execution with a GM making it real on the ground. Want to follow the full series and catch any chapters you miss? Subscribe to the #NoVacancyNews newsletter by texting HOTEL to 66866. Thanks to Unifocus for supporting this series. Unifocus, technology that drives value. Visit Unifocus.com.

In this episode, we chat with Bri Williams, author of The Williams Behaviour Book and managing director at People Patterns. We explore how to change behaviour inside companies, and cover a range of principles, such as the Zorro technique, the “But You Are Free” principle and “Arming Your Advocate” model.

AI can give you every answer. Every framework. Every strategy. So why are so many entrepreneurs still stuck? Because knowing was never the problem. In this solo episode, George shares a real-time download of what he's seeing across industries, clients, and markets and why the rise of AI is not eliminating the need for human connection, but amplifying it. While access to information has never been easier, execution has never been harder. Entrepreneurs are overwhelmed with options, stuck in analysis, and missing the one thing that actually drives results: guided implementation with real human support. George breaks down what's working now, what's no longer working, and why customer journey is becoming the defining factor between businesses that grow and businesses that stall. What You'll Learn In This Episode: Why AI is increasing demand for human connection, not replacing it The real reason entrepreneurs feel stuck despite having more tools than ever What's actually working in marketing, sales, and customer acquisition right now Why customer journey is more important than ever in 2026 How personalization, accountability, and implementation drive results The shift from automation → guided human experience Why investment cycles are getting longer and how to adapt   Key Takeaways: ✔️AI gives answers, but it can't create transformation. ✔️Information isn't the problem, lack of implementation is. ✔️People still buy based on connection, trust, and emotion. ✔️Automation without personalization is losing effectiveness fast. ✔️Customers are taking longer to decide, requiring more touchpoints. ✔️The businesses that win will prioritize experience over efficiency. ✔️Customer journey is no longer optional, it's the competitive advantage. ✔️Human-to-human interaction is becoming the most valuable asset in business.   Timestamps & Highlights: [00:00] – AI, dopamine, and why people are still stuck [03:00] – AI vs human connection: what AI can't replace [05:30] – The rise of personalization, accountability, and implementation [07:30] – What's working now: doubling down on what already converts [09:00] – Why human-to-human interaction is making a comeback [12:00] – What customer journey really means (and what most people miss) [13:30] – Why 2026–2027 will separate businesses that win vs lose Your Challenge This Week: If this episode challenged how you're thinking about your business… Share it with one entrepreneur who's trying to automate everything DM @itsgeorgebryant with your biggest takeaway Ask yourself: Where in my business do I need more human connection—not more automation? And don't forget to leave a review if this show has helped you, it means more than you know. Join The Alliance: The Relationship Beats Algorithms™ community for entrepreneurs who scale through trust, connection, and real relationships. Apply for 1:1 Coaching: Ready to build a business rooted in clarity, alignment, and sustainable growth?  Retreats: Get in the room where long-term success is built. Join us April 23–25, with an exclusive VIP Day on April 26. Grab your ticket now at mindofgeorge.com/retreat

Mike Myer, CEO of Quiq, spoke with Moshe Beauford of Technology Reseller News during the Enterprise Connect conference about how artificial intelligence is transforming customer engagement across voice and digital channels. Myer explained that organizations increasingly need to manage conversations across the entire customer journey, whether those interactions are handled by human agents or AI-powered automation. Quiq focuses on enabling businesses to orchestrate these conversations across messaging, voice, and digital channels while ensuring a consistent and personalized experience. “Customers expect seamless conversations regardless of the channel they use, and AI is helping organizations deliver that at scale,” Myer said. Quiq's platform allows enterprises to combine automation with human support, enabling AI systems to handle routine inquiries while escalating more complex issues to human agents. This hybrid approach helps organizations improve efficiency while maintaining high-quality customer experiences. The discussion also highlighted how enterprises are moving toward omnichannel engagement models where conversations flow naturally between channels such as SMS, messaging apps, and voice interactions. AI-driven orchestration enables companies to manage these interactions more intelligently and respond to customers faster. As conversations at Enterprise Connect continue to focus on AI and customer experience innovation, Quiq is positioning its platform as a way for enterprises to manage and optimize conversations across the entire customer lifecycle. Learn more about Quiq: https://quiq.com/

Amitha Pulijala, Chief Product Officer at Cyara, spoke with Moshe Beauford of Technology Reseller News during the Enterprise Connect conference about the growing importance of assuring customer experiences across increasingly complex digital and voice engagement channels. Pulijala explained that as organizations deploy more advanced customer engagement technologies—including AI-driven chatbots, voice assistants, and automated workflows—they must ensure that every step of the customer journey works reliably. Cyara focuses on providing tools for testing, monitoring, and optimizing these experiences so enterprises can quickly identify issues before they impact customers. “Enterprises are deploying more automated and AI-powered interactions, and they need assurance that those journeys are working exactly as intended,” Pulijala said. Cyara's platform allows organizations to simulate and continuously test customer interactions across voice and digital channels. These capabilities help companies identify broken workflows, performance bottlenecks, and other issues that could disrupt the customer experience. The discussion also highlighted how customer journey assurance is becoming more critical as AI-driven engagement expands across industries. Enterprises need visibility into how automated systems interact with customers and how those experiences perform over time. As organizations gathered at Enterprise Connect to explore the next generation of customer engagement technologies, Cyara emphasized the importance of ensuring that AI-powered customer journeys remain reliable, efficient, and optimized for positive customer outcomes. Learn more about Cyara: https://cyara.com/

Chapter 4 of this 6-part CoralTree Customer Journey series focuses on implementation - specifically, how you get property teams to build ideas they actually believe in and want to own. Hotels do not improve the customer journey by accident. They build it through strategy, systems, and execution. This chapter shows what the build process looks like. I talk with Kaitlin Broumpton, Director of Quality and Guest Experience Strategy at CoralTree Hospitality, about workshops, property-level ideation, and how CoralTree helps teams shape locally authentic moments instead of pushing top-down scripts. Here is what we cover: ·        How CoralTree runs workshops to bring the soul of a property to life ·        Why buy-in improves when teams have a seat at the table ·        How they refine ideas without forcing corporate templates ·        How local culture and brand pillars shape guest moments ·        Why the process works across property and regional teams ·        A Seaport Boston example: arrival cards + QR codes by travel motivation Catch up on Chapters 1-3 if you have not yet - this is where the strategy starts turning into property-level plans. Next week: how the guest actually experiences this through real touchpoints. Want to follow the full series and catch any chapters you miss while you're busy? Subscribe to the #NoVacancyNews newsletter by texting HOTEL to 66866. Thanks to Unifocus for supporting this series. Unifocus, technology that drives value. Visit Unifocus.com.

Chapter 3 of this 6-part CoralTree Customer Journey series moves into the framework itself: how you create consistency across very different hotels without turning everything into cookie-cutter service. Customer journey work only matters if it improves operations, guest loyalty, and results. This chapter gets into the structure behind that. I talk with Andre Fournier, Chief Commercial Officer at CoralTree Hospitality, about Standards of Care, touchpoints from booking to departure, and how service rankings can influence ADR and consideration. Here is what we cover: ·        How CoralTree builds one service framework across different asset types ·        Why the goal is consistency of care, not identical experiences ·        Touchpoints from website/reservations to arrival, stay, and departure ·        Why each property still needs to feel authentic and of the place ·        Andre's filter: true, meaningful, and distinctive ·        How guest service rankings can support ADR and consideration set If you missed Chapters 1 and 2, go back first - this framework makes more sense once you've heard the strategy and people side. Next week: how CoralTree workshops these ideas with property teams. Want to follow the full series and catch any chapters you miss while it rolls out? Subscribe to the #NoVacancyNews newsletter by texting HOTEL to 66866. Thanks to Unifocus for supporting this series. Unifocus, technology that drives value. Visit Unifocus.com.

Chapter 2 of this 6-part CoralTree Customer Journey series gets into the part a lot of companies talk about and then struggle to execute: team empowerment. Customer journey work sounds soft until you tie it to labor, service consistency, guest loyalty, and revenue. This chapter gets into the people side that makes the strategy work. I talk with Sean Beucler, SVP of Operations at CoralTree Hospitality, about trust, recognition, decision-making, and how leaders build a culture where teams can act with confidence. Here is what we cover: ·        Why Sean says the biggest focus now is the team, not just the process ·        What real empowerment looks like in hotel operations ·        Why recognition drives repeated behavior ·        How leaders handle mistakes without killing trust ·        How guest experience connects to occupancy, ADR, and owner results ·        Why the best ideas often come from line-level teams Missed Chapter 1? Start there first - it sets up the leadership strategy behind this week's operations conversation. Next week: we move into the standards/framework and the commercial impact. Want to follow the full series and catch any chapters you miss along the way? Subscribe to the #NoVacancyNews newsletter by texting HOTEL to 66866. Thanks to Unifocus for supporting this series. Unifocus, technology that drives value. Visit Unifocus.com.

We're exploring maximizing hashtag#hotel Customer Journey opportunity!!!! To kick off this 6-part Customer Journey series, I wanted to start at the top: why this matters now and how leadership turns better service into an actual company-wide plan. We'll be focusing on how CoralTree Hospitality is leveraging tech to connect with customers. In Chapter 1, I talk with Tom Luersen, President of CoralTree Hospitality, about why CoralTree spent a year building this strategy and how they are thinking about customized guest experiences at scale. Here is what we cover: ·       Why CoralTree made the guest journey a priority now ·       Why they spent a full year building buy-in instead of rushing rollout ·       How they built a real plan (not a one-time initiative) ·       Standards of Care vs. standard procedures ·       How they balance technology with high-touch service ·       Why continuous improvement matters as guest behavior changes Next week: we get into the operational backbone - empowerment, trust, and team culture. Want to follow the full series week by week (and catch any chapters you miss)? Subscribe to the hashtag#NoVacancyNews newsletter by texting HOTEL to 66866. Thanks to Unifocus for supporting this series. Unifocus, technology that drives value. Visit Unifocus.com.

The hosts take open a sweeping look at the week's most consequential retail developments before heading live to the Narvar Podcast Studio at the NRF Big Show for a deep dive into AI, agentic commerce, and the evolving post-purchase customer journey.The news segment explores Saks Global's decision to close nine full-line stores, underscoring ongoing consolidation in the luxury industry and challenges in multi-line retail. The hosts examine luxury's continued bifurcation, with Kering struggling while Hermès thrives, reinforcing that luxe positioning alone isn't enough — execution matters.In specialty retail, the “collapse of the unremarkable middle” continues as Toys “R” Us Canada, Francesca's, and Eddie Bauer face significant retrenchment if not extinction, while Tractor Supply and Aritzia aggressively expand. Kroger appoints its first external CEO, Greg Boren, signaling operational rigor ahead, while Costco once again posts remarkable sales growth  Meanwhile, Target begins meaningful leadership restructuring — a foundational step in what is likely a multi-year turnaround. On the radar: AI-powered retail crime prevention at Bunnings and the imminent opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, a major infrastructure development for North American trade.The featured interview brings Henry Spear, SVP Digital North America, JD Sports, and David Morin, VP Customer Strategy for Narvar, to the mic for a timely discussion on agentic commerce and how leveraging product returns can create competitive differentiation. About UsSteve Dennis is a strategic advisor and keynote speaker focused on growth and innovation, who has also been named one of the world's top retail influencers. He is the bestselling author of two books: Leaders Leap: Transforming Your Company at the Speed of Disruption and Remarkable Retail: How To Win & Keep Customers in the Age of Disruption. Steve regularly shares his insights in his role as a Forbes senior retail contributor and on social media.Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the NRF as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025 and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

Customer experience doesn't happen by accident. It's designed. In this episode, I sit down with Kristen Kiley from Leanscaper to break down how to intentionally map the customer experience from first contact through long-term retention. Recorded at Leanscaper, we walk through the key customer touchpoints most contractors overlook, how small gaps create big problems, and how designing the journey on purpose leads to better retention, referrals, and long-term growth. Lawntrapreneur Academy (The #1 Resource for Starting, Growing and Scaling a Successful Lawn & Landscaping Company). - https://www.lawntrepreneuracademy.com/  Granum Academy Bootcamp Tour (use BRIAN25 to save!): https://granum.com/academy-bootcamp/  GROW 2026 - February 10-12 Dallas, TX: https://hubs.li/Q03Ybxs10 LMN & Coffee - https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89495679453?pwd=m0wKa6prJWrARKClJKolBaJjl00OYn.1 Coast Pay Fuel Card: www.CoastPay.com/Brian