Explore every episode of the podcast Would Recommend: Real Stories From Businesses Worth Talking About with Nikki McKnight
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What Would Mr. Rogers Do? How to Stress-Test Any Client Touchpoint | 02 Jun 2026 | 00:18:51 | |
There is a 1970s children's television show that had a more rigorous empathy standard than most businesses apply to their client communication. And the test its head writer used on every single sentence before it could air is one of the most useful frameworks Nikki has ever brought into a client engagement. What you'll hear in this episode:
If you've ever sent a policy, an email, or an out-of-office and wondered why it landed wrong, this episode is going to show you exactly why. Connect with Nikki on Instagram: instagram.com/iamnikkimck The Would Recommend Standard is a free guide to the five principles behind businesses people can't stop talking about. Grab it here: theopsshop.biz/wouldrecommend-standard A Spark Session is a 90-minute strategy session where you and Nikki dig into your client experience and figure out exactly where it's working and where it isn't. Book yours here: theopsshop.biz/sparksession | |||
| How Do You Build a Physical Product Brand That Creates Real Word of Mouth? ft. Lisa Simone Richards and Cheryl Sutherland | 02 Jun 2026 | 00:52:15 | |
What does it mean to design something a customer will hold in their hands every single day? Nikki sits down with two founders who built physical products rooted in confidence, clarity, and self-belief, and who both obsess over the experience long after the order ships. What you'll hear in this episode:
If you've ever wondered what separates a product people buy from a product people recommend, press play. About My Guests: Cheryl Sutherland is a transformational Confidence and Mindset Speaker, Entrepreneur, and Founder of PleaseNotes, a personal growth brand that creates affirmation-filled goods to inspire clarity, confidence, and creativity. Known as The Confidence Creator, Cheryl helps individuals and organizations unlock bold leadership, resilience, and personal power through the art of mindset mastery. After spending over 10,000 hours studying personal development, coaching, and mindset psychology, she discovered that true leadership begins within. Her work has been featured in Forbes, InStyle, Huffington Post, Fast Company, Thrive Global, and FOX LA. She has partnered with organizations like Salesforce, Freshbooks, CPA Canada, and Quicken Loans to deliver keynotes, panels, and workshops that challenge traditional ideas around leadership, confidence, and self-trust. Cheryl travels internationally from her home base in Toronto, Ontario. pleasenotes.com Lisa Simone Richards is the co-founder and CEO of Pearl Spark Pages, a self-belief fueled stationery brand that gives women entrepreneurs a daily dose of self-confidence so they can push past imposter syndrome. After two decades as a publicist helping women-led startups gain visibility, Lisa realized she was facing the very challenge she had coached so many founders through: imposter syndrome. Even with years of experience, she saw how inner dialogue shapes the way we show up in business and in life. Determined to change that narrative, Lisa created the Female Founders Journal to help women entrepreneurs turn self-doubt into bold self-belief. Through beautifully designed paper products, her mission is to help women see themselves the way the world already does: capable and confident. pearlsparkpages.com Connect with Nikki on Instagram: instagram.com/iamnikkimck The Would Recommend Standard is a free guide to the five principles behind businesses people can't stop talking about. Grab it here: theopsshop.biz/wouldrecommend-standard A Spark Session is a 90-minute strategy session where you and Nikki dig into your client experience and figure out exactly where it's working and where it isn't. Book yours here: theopsshop.biz/sparksession | |||
| What Is Customer Experience and Why Does It Matter for Your Business? | 02 Jun 2026 | 00:22:08 | |
This is the first episode of Would Recommend, and Nikki is starting here on purpose: because customer experience is one of the most used and least understood terms in business, and getting it wrong is quietly costing founders more than they realize. What you'll hear in this episode:
If you've ever wondered why referrals aren't coming in the way you expected, this is where to start. Resources & Research Referenced in This Episode Connect with Nikki on Instagram: instagram.com/iamnikkimck The Would Recommend Standard is a free guide to the five principles behind businesses people can't stop talking about. Grab it here: theopsshop.biz/wouldrecommend-standard A Spark Session is a 90-minute strategy session where you and Nikki dig into your client experience and figure out exactly where it's working and where it isn't. Book yours here: theopsshop.biz/sparksession | |||
| Trailer | 01 Jun 2026 | 00:01:24 | |
Some businesses get reviewed. Others get raved about. Would Recommend goes behind the five stars with the founders who earned them. I'm Nikki McKnight, CX and operations strategist and the host of this show. Every week, I sit down with founders who built something worth talking about and get into the real decisions behind it. What they designed on purpose, what broke, what they rebuilt. The thesis: you don't need more marketing. You need an experience so good your clients can't stop talking about you. Connect with Nikki on Instagram: instagram.com/iamnikkimck The Would Recommend Standard is a free guide to the five principles behind businesses people can't stop talking about. Grab it here: theopsshop.biz/wouldrecommend-standard A Spark Session is a 90-minute strategy session where you and Nikki dig into your client experience and figure out exactly where it's working and where it isn't. Book yours here: theopsshop.biz/sparksession | |||