Be Customer Led – Details, episodes & analysis

This week’s episode of the Be Customer Led podcast features Amanda Ono, Chief Human Resources Officer at Kroll. When she was in college, her passion was the interaction between teams and leaders and how they worked together to drive results. She worked in a wide range of positions, including recruiting, training, and building leadership programs, which led her towards the specific title she holds now. In today’s conversation, we talk about migrating from customer experience to employee experience.

 [01.26] Professional Journey – Starting the conversation, Amanda shares where she ignited her passion for customer experience. 

[07.40] Outcomes – Amanda explains what outcomes they achieved at Resolver by bringing customers and employees together as a business decision. 

[13.13] Training programs - If training is the answer, what's the question? Amanda shares why training programs fail most of the time and what we need to do to get real outcomes form them. 

[19.37] Leadership and management – We discuss the distinction between change leadership and change management. 

[26.21] Training on empathy – Amanda walks us through how they train employees on building empathy in their onboarding program at Resolver. 

[32.55] Inspiration – Wrapping up the conversation, Amanda shares where she gets her inspiration in her life to keep going. 

Resources

Connect with Amanda

LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/amandaono/ 

Website - resolver.com/ 

Twitter - twitter.com/amandaono 

Book by John P. Kotter

Leading Change – 

goodreads.com/book/show/51370.Leading_Change

Today's episode of Be customer Led features Kimberly Wiefling, founding member & global consultant at Silicon Valley Alliances. Her superpower is uniting people of different nationalities, cultural backgrounds, and aesthetic preferences to accomplish a common goal. Kimberly has worked in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Also, she has visited Japan more than a hundred times to work with the culturally diverse staff of globalizing Japanese businesses. Throughout our conversation today, she imparts invaluable advice on creating an influential culture and leadership. 

[01:14] Background – Kimberly recounts the origins of her company, which she founded over two decades ago, and her professional journey. 

[04:36] Culture - Kimberly defines both corporate culture and leadership, and we talk about the relationship between the two. Also, we discuss the relationship between leaders and managers and whether one can be both, or if one must choose between being a leader or a manager.

[09:42] Disconnection -  Kimberly outlines why firms fail to give what employees want and why there seems to be a disconnect between the company, its executives and managers, and its employees.

[16:55] Culture in Japan -  What is the difference between the culture of Japan and Silicon Valley?

[19:07] Leadership - Leaders are responsible for creating and maintaining a strong organizational culture. This involves modeling the desired behavior, celebrating successes that align with the cultural values, and correcting or dismissing behavior that goes against the cultural norms.

[21:44] Culture - If you are a new leader and want to establish a company culture, Kimberly offers some suggestions on how to do so, as well as some actions you may take as an individual to alter an existing culture that is toxic or unappealing. 

[25:08] Action, Communication, and Thinking - The ACT framework is a simple and effective way for leaders to understand their roles and responsibilities.

Resources:

Connect with Kimberly:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/scrappykimberlywiefling/

Website: wiefling.com/

Website: kimberlywiefling.com/

Silicon Valley Alliances: siliconvalleyalliances.com/

This episode of Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos features Jennie Weber, Senior Vice President of Customer Experience & Insights at Best Buy. With over a thousand stores and over a hundred thousand employees in the United States and Canada, Best Buy addresses essential human needs in areas such as productivity, security, health, entertainment, and connectivity. In today's discussion, Jennie shares her insights and experience gleaned from over two decades of consumer marketing and strategy formulation.

[01:29] Jennie's Journey – Jennie mentions distinguishing aspects of her career as she recounts her path to this point. 

[06:22] Evolution - How the role of customer experience has changed in the last five years.

[09:22] Core Tenants - Jennie's standpoint on the fundamental tenets of CX

[14:30] Technology and CX - The influence of technology advancements on customer experience.

[18:58] Culture – Jennie explores her role and its potential to change the culture and make the company more customer-focused. 

[23:20] CX – Jennie's reflections on the role of chief experience officer and the customer experience team

[30:18] Inspiration – We conclude the conversation by discussing Jennie's sources of inspiration and her question for the following guest.

Resources:

Connect with Jennie:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jennie-weber-31802531/

“Customer experience isn't something that organizations control because that is ultimately how customers perceive their interactions with the company.”

On this episode of Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos, Michael Hinshaw, President of McorpCX, joins us in conversation. Michael and his group assist businesses in improving their interactions with customers by applying digital and customer-centric innovations. Prominent analysts have hailed Michael as a pioneer in digital transformation and customer experience. In today's conversation, he expresses his thoughts on the evolution of customer experience management, discussing what has been happening in the CX space, what differentiates companies in the CX space, and where it's going.

[01:07] Micheal's Background – Michael shares his journey and the work he is currently engaged in while discussing how to identify opportunities while entering a new industry 

[07:23] Customer Experience - Michael defines customer experience and where he believes it should reside from an organizational structure viewpoint.

[11:03] Qualities and Skills - What leadership styles are the most effective in the CX space, and what qualities and abilities do such leaders possess?

[13:35] Core Tenants – Michael discusses the key tenets of customer experience and the areas where he believes the most significant roadblocks exist.

[23:22] CX in Real Business Outcomes - How to link customer experience management initiatives to real business outcomes. 

[28:58] The Future - We explore where technology and customer experience are headed.

[33:48] Last Guest's Question - Which business or product have you suggested to a friend, and why?

Resources:

Connect with Michael: 

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mhinshaw/

“The entire sales process simply seeks to understand and define clearly the problem the prospect is having at this moment, the impact that it's having on their business, and then how we can be the solution and solve that gap.”

Grant Freeman is the guest on this episode of Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos. Being the Chief Customer Officer at Thryv, growing the SaaS division's income is one of Grant's primary concerns. Grant oversees the software sales and client experience teams and the retention and monetization of Thryv's software customers. Throughout our conversation today, he shares how he supports more than 40,000 local businesses across the U.S. through a fully integrated, end-to-end customer experience platform, Thryv software. 

[01:03] Background –Grant discusses the aspects that have set him apart professionally and how he has applied those learnings to assist small businesses in improving their operations. 

[03:41] Thryv - How Thryv helps organizations improve their daily operations so they can focus on what they should be doing.

[06:55] Onboarding - What Grant does at Thryv and his thoughts on why the onboarding process is so crucial

[15:50] Customer-Focused Culture- Grant outlines how they help organizations improve operationally and culturally.

[17:41] Measure the Success - What metrics are used to gauge a company's success in relation to the customer's experience?

[22:19] CX - Grant expresses his views on customer experience as a board-level topic.

[24:23] The Future - Grant describes how he envisions the CCO's obligations will evolve over time.

[27:44] Never-again Error - The one mistake Grant will never repeat. 

[31:51] Inspiration – Sources where Grant draws his motivation and inspiration.

Recourses:

Connect with Grant:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/grantfreeman/

Website: thryv.com/

“It’s your customers telling you what they think about your company, what your product about your service; it’s incredibly valuable if you can use that to your benefit.”

Etie Hertz, CEO of Loris.ai, is featured in this episode of Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos. Currently, Loris provides customer service employees with real-time coaching. When transitioning to chat and email-based customer care, firms employ Loris to assist the support team’s shift to these more current channels of client communication. In 2019, Loris transformed into a technology firm with an interaction-level impact. They developed a software solution based on natural language processing that can be integrated with existing customer service platforms to guide agents in real-time with their best practice language suggestions. In 2021, Loris emerged from stealth mode as a potent AI solution in the form of a chrome extension. Having such expertise and experience, Etie investigates the influence of conversational AI on CX in great detail throughout today’s episode. 

[01:02] Etie’s Journey – Etie shares the defining aspects of his life and career that led him to become the CEO of Loris.

[04:05] The Evolution Of Conversational AI - How conversational AI has altered over the past 15 years and how the B2B sector has adopted this technology.

[08:18] Benefits – Etie describes some advantages of customer involvement he has observed while working with his clients. 

[12:32] Rush to Digitalization - Etie explores if he sees some individuals rejecting technology due to corporations pushing more digital towards them and whether businesses need to be more thoughtful about how they engage customers across several platforms.

[15:51] B2B and B2C - When it comes to the application of conversational AI technology, how do business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) organizations differ?

[19:51] Horizon – Etie expresses his thoughts on the future of conversational AI, emphasizing real-time conversational awareness and disclosing insights. 

[22:15] Digitally Immersive Environment  - We pondered what it might be like to have an agent in a digitally immersive environment.

[24:48] The Policy - Does Etie’s company have a policy that is so customer-friendly that it causes customers to perform a double take?

[26:30] Inspiration - Etie shares what has been influential to him.

Resources:

Connect with Etie:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/etiehertz/

Website: loris.ai/

“You don't move past obsession. I guess what's beyond obsession is more obsession.”

This episode of Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos features Marbue Brown. He is the founder of The Customer Obsession Advantage, an organization devoted to assisting businesses in achieving exceptional business outcomes through customer obsession. He is an experienced executive in the field of customer experience (CX) who has proven his ability to lead by example. Also, Marbue is a well-known speaker and published author on topics such as customer experience, business strategy, and economic policy. In today's episode, he explores in great depth a wide variety of topics pertaining to Customer Obsession and contrasts it with other topics.

[01:49] Introduction – Marbue discusses the ups and downs of his professional life. Furthermore, he talks about his upcoming book and the inspirations behind penning it. 

[09:59 Three Terms – Marbue outlines the distinctions between customer focus, customer-centricity, and customer obsession.

[14:23] Maturity Path - Is there a rung on the ladder of maturity that leads to a focus on the customer?

[28:10] The Next - After Customer Obsession is More Obsession.

[31:36] Inspiration – Marbue mentions the factors that have been an inspiration to him. 

[34:21] Biggest Roadblock - In response to the previous guest's question, Marbue explains why he believes maintaining established franchises is the most prominent hurdle organizations have in delivering customer-obsessed experiences, internally or externally.

[36:41] Marbue's Question – Marbue poses a question to the subsequent guest. In addition, he specifies when he intends to release his book for sale.

Resources:

Connect with Marbue:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marbue-brown-43a8a52/

Link to Marbue’s New Book: Blueprint for Customer Obsession

“When people ask me what marketing is, I say it's the customer experience from the first time they engage with your brand to the last time they purchase and after that.”

Erik Huberman, the Founder, and CEO of HawkeMedia, the fastest growing marketing consultancy in the United States, appears on this episode of Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos. Hawke Media began operations in 2014 and has seen its valuation rise to $75 million while expanding from seven to more than 150 workers. Among the many accolades bestowed to Hawke Media include spots on the Inc. 5000's "Fastest Growing Companies" list for 2017, the "50 Best Workplaces in Southern California" list from Fortune and Forbes' "Content Marketing Companies to Check Out in 2018" list. In today's episode, Erik discusses the underpinnings of marketing and the future of the field as a whole. 

[01:00] Erik's Journey – Erik discusses the distinguishing characteristics of his career while recounting his path to this point. 

[03:34] The Hawke Method – Erik explains the impetus behind the writing of his book.

[06:27] Three Pillars - Erik outlines how he works with and advises customers by referencing the three pillars outlined in his book: awareness, nurture, and trust.

[16:49] Social Media – Erik addresses the impact of social media on marketing and how social media has altered the nature of trust.

[21:23] The Future - Erik expresses his predictions for the future of marketing over the next few years.

[2437] Impact on CX - Erik outlines the effect of marketing on the customer experience, specifically how the three pillars described would affect the customer experience.

[25.35] Inspiration – Erik shares the sources from which he draws his inspiration.

Resources:

Connect with Erik:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/erikhuberman/

Mentioned in the episode:

The Hawke Method: The Three Principles of Marketing that Made Over 3,000 Brands Soar:goodreads.com/en/book/show/60087797-the-hawke-method

This episode of Be Customer Led with Bill Staikos features Ivonne Kinser. Ivonne is the Vice President of Marketing and Innovation for "Avocados from Mexico." She is in charge of the high-performance team and the company's innovation strategy, both of which helped propel "Avocados from Mexico" to the top of the branding category on Fast Company's 2021 list of the world's most innovative companies. Throughout our discussion today, she shares her insights on whether the experience itself is the brand or the brand itself is the experience.

[01:10] Ivonne's Story - Ivonne recounts her journey while discussing her eclectic job. In addition, she describes the company for which she works, "Avocados from Mexico."

[07:31] Innovative Marketing – Ivonne discusses the reason behind combining marketing and innovation and how they function together. She also offers her opinion on whether marketing firms would benefit from incorporating more innovation-related disciplines into their teams or responsibilities. 

[11:56] Difficult Balance – Ivonne outlines her approach to marketing while serving all these partners along the value chain.

[17:15] CX – Ivonne presents her views on the customer experience concerning her role in marketing. 

[20:37] Brand vs. Experience - Some say the brand is experience. Some say experience is the brand. Ivonne expresses her opinion on whether she agrees or disagrees with a particular camp and the possibilities of connecting the two.

[22:50] The Future - Ivonne explains how she believes marketing will evolve over the next couple of years, and what she means by combining brand and performance is where marketing is headed. 

[25:04] Driving Factors - Ivonne outlines some of the ecosystems generating a great deal of change in the marketing sector. In addition, she analyzes if a marketing leader requires any new skills or resources in light of these changes. 

[29:44] Inspiration – Ivonne reveals where she finds inspiration.

Resources:

Connect with Ivonne:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ivonnekinser/

Website: ivonnekinser.com/

“You have to be careful about what dials you are changing because you do not get to learn if you are doing too much, specifically in driving customer acquisition costs down, which is something we think a lot about.”

On this week's episode of Be Customer Led podcast with Bill Staikos; the special guest is Corey Ashton Walters, the Founder, and CEO of Here. "Here" makes it possible for people all over the world to invest in holiday rentals online and receive passive income from the asset class with the most significant yield in real estate, all without lifting a finger. In today's episode, Corey takes the listeners along on his journey as an entrepreneur, sharing his experiences and the lessons he's learned along the way. 

[00:32] Corey's Journey – Presenting a concise overview of his company's business model, Corey shares how this path ultimately led him to start "Here." 

[13:57] Development Process – Corey describes how he uses client insights into his development process. 

[16:51] Advice – Corey imparts his guidance to business owners and other entrepreneurs. 

[19:30] Superfan - Corey discusses how to recognize a superfan and how he has included them into his company's growth strategy.

[24.47] Name – Corey recounts the sequence of events that led him to choose the name "Here." 

[28:54] Guest's Question - In response to the prior guest's question, Corey expresses his thoughts on reducing acquisition costs. Also, he poses a question for the following guest. 

[34:24] Inspiration – Corey mentions where he finds inspiration.

Resources:

Connect with Corey:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/coreyashtonwalters/

Mentioned in the episode:

The Practicing Stoic: goodreads.com/book/show/37886498-the-practicing-stoic?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=8KYEW83BHY&rank=1