Today’s conversation is for educational and informational purposes only. Our guest insights are based on their professional experience and do not constitute legal, tax, or investment advice. Because everyone’s financial situation is unique, please consult with your own licensed advisors before making any investment decisions.

In Episode 48, Gary welcomes Ian Noble, founder of Run Steady Investments, for a conversation on passive real estate investing through the lens of a former operator. Before shifting into this work, Ian spent 14 years building and operating a 14-location dry cleaning business in Austin, Texas, before exiting in 2023.

Ian explains how that experience changed the way he thinks about wealth outside the business, why many entrepreneurs delay building income beyond the company they run, and why passive investing is often less about the asset itself and more about trust, vetting, and the people operating the deal. The conversation also covers risk, underwriting discipline, red flags, private lending, mobile home parks, and why so many founders struggle to hand over control even when they know they need to diversify.

This is a practical episode for business owners, founders, and operators thinking more intentionally about income, time, and long-term stability beyond the business.

Chapters

01:43 Introduction

03:35 From Business Exit to a New Wealth Mindset

05:01 Active vs. Passive: What Real Estate Ownership Really Looks Like

07:10 Why Founders Delay Building Income Beyond the Business

09:37 Why the Operator Matters More Than the Asset

11:55 Reading the Numbers Without Getting Burned

15:18 Red Flags That Smart Investors Watch For

17:40 Trust as the Real Investment Strategy

19:34 Why Private Lending and Mobile Home Parks

22:21 Why Passive Investing Feels Hard for Entrepreneurs

24:49 The First Step Toward Passive Income

26:11 Does It Hold Water?

29:23 Chip Shots

Book Recommendation

Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

Connect with Ian:

Website: https://runsteadyinvestments.com

• Free Passive Investing in Real Estate Cheat Sheet:
• https://go.runsteadyinvestments.com/your-customer-your-success-podcast
• Join Our Passive Investor Mailing List:
• https://runsteadyinvestments.com/investor-club
• LinkedIn:
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/iannoble1/
• Instagram:
• @ian_invests

🔗 Connect with Gary Marra

· LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-marra/

· Marra CX Hub: https://marracxhub.com/

· YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yourcustomeryoursuccesspodcast

📣 🎧 Please Listen & Subscribe

💡 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode.

👉 Follow Your Customer, Your Success for more insights on customer experience, leadership, and business strategy.

Want to be a guest on Your Customer, Your Success?

Send Gary Marra a message on PodMatch here:

https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1726154102094403cb5558fc4

Looking for Fractional Support? Go Fractional!

https://www.gofractional.com/r/gary-marra

ABOUT YOUR CUSTOMER, YOUR SUCCESS

Your Customer, Your Success is a leadership and business growth podcast focused on the idea that client focus is not just a service philosophy — it is a growth strategy. Hosted by Gary Marra, the show sits at the intersection of customer experience, employee experience, leadership, and operational discipline. Each episode features practical conversations with executives, advisors, and business leaders on how better experiences drive loyalty, trust, retention, and sustainable business growth.

ABOUT GARY MARRA

Gary Marra is a business advisor, customer experience leader, and host of Your Customer, Your Success. Drawing on deep experience in financial services, client management, operations, and cross-functional leadership, Gary helps organizations think more clearly about how service, trust, and execution shape growth. His perspective combines customer-centric strategy with practical business discipline, making the show especially relevant for founders, operators, and leaders responsible for long-term client relationships.

#Leadership #BusinessGrowth #Founders #Entrepreneurship #PassiveIncome #RealEstateInvesting #RiskManagement #Trust #OperationalDiscipline #Podcast

Episode Overview

In this episode of Your Customer, Your Success, Gary Marra sits down with Ali Raymer, Senior Travel Advisor at Picture This Travel, for a conversation that goes well beyond travel logistics. Ali came into the industry in a nontraditional way, built her business through the disruption of COVID, and then had to scale quickly when demand came roaring back.

What emerges from this conversation is not a travel-tips episode. It is a business conversation about experience creation, trust, personalization, and operational discipline in a high-touch service business.

At the center of this episode is a simple but important idea:

Great experiences do not scale through effort alone.

They scale through expectation-setting, personalization, process, communication, and trust. Ali explains why so much of the travel experience is created before a traveler ever leaves home, how reducing anxiety is part of the service itself, and why clients often need guidance more than they need booking help.

Ali also breaks down how she uses systems and automation without losing the human touch, why specialization has helped her business grow, and how repeat and referral business come from creating experiences people remember and talk about. From Europe and river cruises to post-trip follow-up and relationship maintenance, this episode is a strong example of how thoughtful service becomes business value.

This episode reinforces a core principle of the show:

Client experience starts before delivery.

Personalization earns loyalty.

Operational discipline protects the human touch.

If you are a founder, advisor, operator, or service leader trying to grow without becoming generic, this conversation will sharpen your thinking around experience design, trust-based growth, and what it really takes to scale a relationship business.

What You Will Learn

• Why Ali believes most of the client experience is created before the trip even begins

• How expectation-setting helps clients get the experience they actually want

• Why a travel advisor’s role is guidance, not just booking

• How automation can support personalization instead of replacing it

• Why repeat and referral growth depend on memorable service

• How specialization in Europe and river cruising helped Ali grow her business

• Why river cruises create a more immersive and authentic travel experience

• How Ali maintains long-term relationships even when clients do not travel every year

Chapters

01:11 Introduction

03:12 From teaching to travel and surviving the COVID collapse

06:15 What broke first when demand came roaring back

08:10 What clients are really buying

10:30 Where the travel experience really begins

15:46 Personalization and process in a high-touch business

17:58 Repeat business, referrals, and long-term relationship building

22:35 Europe, specialization, and river cruising

23:32 Why river cruises create a different kind of experience

27:03 Mompreneur lessons, confidence, and entrepreneurship

31:11 Does It Hold Water?

36:28 Chip Shots

Book Mentioned:

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Connect with Ali

Website:

https://www.alipicturethistravel.com/

Picture This Travel Profile:

https://www.picturethistravel.com/picture-this-travel-about-us/ali-raymer/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/alipicturethistravel/

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alipicturethistravel/

Connect with Gary Marra

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-marra/

Marra CX Hub:

https://marracxhub.com/

Podcast Home:

https://marracxhub.com/podcasts/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJeoEKY3n0cOwlJWl4AdWhBkXzLTEikqq

Please Listen & Subscribe

Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!

Follow Your Customer, Your Success for more insights on customer experience, leadership, and business growth.

Want to be a guest on Your Customer, Your Success?

PodMatch:

https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1726154102094403cb5558fc4

Looking for Fractional Support? Go Fractional!

https://www.gofractional.com/r/gary-marra

#YourCustomerYourSuccess #ClientExperience #CustomerExperience #ExperienceDesign #Personalization #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #OperationalDiscipline #TravelAdvisor #Entrepreneurship #podmatch

Episode Overview

In this solo episode of Your Customer, Your Success, Gary Marra breaks down a pattern many leaders recognize before they can fully explain it: the moment when complexity starts to outpace structure, and client trust begins to weaken.

The numbers may still look fine. Revenue may still be holding. KPIs may not yet be flashing red. But underneath the surface, something has shifted. Escalations multiply. Ownership gets blurry. Communication becomes inconsistent. Teams work harder, yet the business feels less steady.

Gary explores why this is not a soft issue. It is a business risk. When client trust starts to erode, the impact eventually shows up in retention, referrals, expansion, executive attention, and sales momentum. By the time the damage is obvious in the numbers, the instability has usually been building for a while.

This episode is a practical look at what founders, operators, and client-facing leaders should watch for during periods of growth, restructuring, transition, or operational change and why stronger structure, clearer ownership, and steadier communication often matter more than more pressure, more meetings, or more reporting.

What You’ll Learn

• Why client trust often weakens before the financial impact becomes obvious
• How complexity quietly creates friction inside growing organizations
• The early warning signs of relationship instability
• Why unclear ownership and weak handoffs put retention at risk
• What leaders should ask when things start to feel harder than they should
• Why clients do not need perfection, but they do need steadiness
• How stronger client-facing leadership protects revenue, retention, and trust

Chapters

00:26 Introduction

05:13 What are leaders missing?

08:07 How does trust erosion show up?

15:41 When does this tend to happen?

18:04 What can leaders do about it?

22:28 So what does this all mean?

24:46 Why client leaders matter

🔗 Connect with Gary Marra

• LinkedIn: Gary Marra
• Marra CX Hub: Marra CX Hub
• Apple Podcasts: Your Customer, Your Success on Apple Podcasts
• Spotify: Your Customer, Your Success on Spotify
• YouTube: YCYS YouTube Page

📣 🎧 Please Listen & Subscribe

💡 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode.

👉 Follow Your Customer, Your Success for more insights on customer experience, leadership, and business strategy.

Want to be a guest on Your Customer, Your Success?

Send Gary Marra a message on PodMatch

Looking for fractional support?

Go Fractional

About Your Customer, Your Success

Your Customer, Your Success is a leadership and business growth podcast focused on the idea that client focus is not just a service philosophy. It is a growth strategy.

Hosted by Gary Marra, the show sits at the intersection of customer experience, employee experience, leadership, and operational discipline. Each episode features practical conversations and insights on how better experiences drive loyalty, trust, retention, and sustainable business growth.

#ClientTrust #CustomerExperience #CustomerSuccess #Leadership #GrowthStrategy #ClientExperience #OperationalExcellence #BusinessGrowth #FractionalLeadership #Podcast

This conversation explores a foundational leadership reality:

Executive conversations do not succeed because you know the product best.

They succeed because you know how to connect the product to business value.

And the professionals who can translate customer success into ROI, risk reduction, and measurable outcomes are the ones who earn trust at the highest levels.

Eleni breaks down why customer success managers often miss the mark when speaking with senior executives, why too much focus on features weakens the conversation, and why business outcomes have to lead. She explains how CSMs can build confidence, establish authority regardless of title, and prepare for executive business reviews in a way that creates credibility instead of wasting time.

Gary and Eleni also explore what founders often misunderstand about churn, retention, and customer fit, and why alignment between sales, product, and customer success so often breaks down. The conversation reinforces that strong customer relationships are not maintained through activity alone. They are built through clarity, preparation, communication, and operational discipline.

They also discuss empathy in leadership, how it helps and where it can go too far, the importance of understanding what matters most to executive stakeholders, and what customer-facing leaders can learn from failure, feedback, and better cross-functional collaboration.

This episode reinforces a core principle of the show:

Client focus must be expressed in business language.

Retention is a growth strategy.

Executive trust is earned through preparation, clarity, and outcomes.

If you’re a founder, operator, customer success leader, or advisor trying to strengthen executive communication and turn customer relationships into long-term business value, this conversation will sharpen your thinking around leadership, retention, and strategic customer growth.

What You’ll Learn

Why Eleni says CSMs often focus on the wrong things with executives

Why ROI, risk, and outcomes matter more than product features

How customer success professionals can build confidence with the C-suite

What makes an executive value review effective instead of performative

Why preparation, role clarity, and time management shape executive meetings

How founders often misunderstand churn, retention, and customer fit

Why alignment breaks down between sales, product, and customer success

How empathy helps leaders and where it can become counterproductive

What early-career failure can teach about leadership and fit

How stronger executive communication can deepen customer trust

Chapters

01:14 Introduction

02:07 The NE February 2026 Blizzard Chat

03:59 The biggest mistake CSMs make with executives

06:38 How often executive meetings should happen

08:14 Coaching CSMs to speak with confidence

11:33 How to run an executive value review that works

22:10 A client meeting that changed the relationship

28:48 What founders misunderstand about retention and churn

34:11 Where sales, product, and customer success lose alignment

38:36 Does It Hold Water?

44:07 Chip Shots

Books Mentioned

Ego Free Leadership - Brandon Black and Shane Hughes

Connect with Eleni

LinkedIn: [Insert Eleni Vorvis LinkedIn URL]

🔗 Connect with Gary Marra

· LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-marra/

· Marra CX Hub: https://marracxhub.com/

· YouTube: YCYS YouTube

📣 🎧 Please Listen & Subscribe

💡 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!

👉 Follow Your Customer, Your Success for more insights on customer experience, leadership, and business strategy.

Want to be a guest on Your Customer, Your Success?

Send Gary Marra a message on PodMatch here:

https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1726154102094403cb5558fc4

Looking for Fractional Support? Go Fractional!

https://www.gofractional.com/r/gary-marra

ABOUT YOUR CUSTOMER, YOUR SUCCESS

Your Customer, Your Success is a leadership and business growth podcast focused on the idea that client focus is not just a service philosophy — it is a growth strategy. Hosted by Gary Marra, the show sits at the intersection of customer experience, employee experience, leadership, and operational discipline. Each episode features practical conversations with executives, advisors, and business leaders on how better experiences drive loyalty, trust, retention, and sustainable business growth.

ABOUT GARY MARRA

Gary Marra is a business advisor, customer experience leader, and host of Your Customer, Your Success. Drawing on deep experience in financial services, client management, operations, and cross-functional leadership, Gary helps organizations think more clearly about how service, trust, and execution shape growth. His perspective combines customer-centric strategy with practical business discipline, making the show especially relevant for founders, operators, and leaders responsible for long-term client relationships.

#CustomerSuccess #Leadership #ExecutiveCommunication #ClientRetention #BusinessGrowth #SMBGrowth #OperationalDiscipline #Founders #Podcast #podmatch

This conversation explores a foundational growth reality:

Sustainable growth does not come from tracking more metrics.

It comes from focusing on the few numbers that actually matter, building the discipline to act on them, and getting really good at the unglamorous work that makes a business stronger over time.

Jon breaks down why revenue growth alone can be misleading, why cash is more than a safety net, and how simplifying performance measurement can help leaders make better decisions. He explains why most founders overcomplicate their dashboards, how churn quietly erodes growth, and why the businesses that scale well are often the ones that get “awesome at boring.”

Gary and Jon also connect financial discipline to customer experience — from onboarding and offboarding to billing accuracy, retention, and service design. The conversation reinforces that customer trust is not separate from business performance. It is part of it.

They also explore what holds leaders back from getting help, why embarrassment can delay needed decisions, and what founders should understand about building — and eventually exiting — a company.

This episode reinforces a core principle of the show:

Client retention is a growth strategy.

Operational discipline protects margin.

Sustainable businesses are built through consistent execution.

If you’re a founder, operator, or advisor trying to simplify growth and build a stronger business without adding noise, this conversation will sharpen your thinking around metrics, discipline, and long-term value creation.

What You’ll Learn

Why Jon believes most leaders track too many KPIs

The three numbers he says matter most: growth, profit, and cash

Why cash reserves create both protection and strategic opportunity

How churn and poor retention quietly undermine growth

Why onboarding and offboarding both shape the client experience

What “being awesome at boring” really means in business

Why many founders wait too long to get financial help

How to think about exiting a business before the decline begins

Chapters

01:03 Introduction

01:56 How Jon turned a $10,000 business plan prize into a $40M company

03:10 Why long-term thinking matters when building a business

05:36 Why customer experience matters even from a CFO perspective

07:03 The four goals every annual business plan should include

09:08 The three KPIs leaders should actually focus on

11:54 Why cash matters more than most leaders think

13:24 Why too many metrics create confusion, not clarity

15:16 The CPR Score and simplifying business health into one number

17:43 Why logic and emotion often collide in leadership decisions

20:27 How service complexity can hurt the customer experience

21:57 Investing in onboarding, offboarding, and operational process improvement

25:27 Why founders often wait too long to seek financial help

27:07 How the income statement reveals why a business is stuck

30:04 What “being awesome at boring” looks like in practice

33:26 What founders should know about exiting a business

36:32 Does It Hold Water?

40:40 Chip Shots

Books Mentioned

Product-Led Onboarding - Ramli John and Wes Bush

The Checklist Manifesto – Atul Gawande

Connect with Jon

Website: https://fiscaladvocate.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonmorrisramsayinnovations/

🔗 Connect with Gary Marra

· LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-marra/

· Marra CX Hub: https://marracxhub.com/

· YouTube: YCYS YouTube

📣 🎧 Please Listen & Subscribe

💡 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!

👉 Follow Your Customer, Your Success for more insights on customer experience, leadership, and business strategy.

Want to be a guest on Your Customer, Your Success?

Send Gary Marra a message on PodMatch here:

https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1726154102094403cb5558fc4

Looking for Fractional Support? Go Fractional!

https://www.gofractional.com/r/gary-marra

ABOUT YOUR CUSTOMER, YOUR SUCCESS

Your Customer, Your Success is a leadership and business growth podcast focused on the idea that client focus is not just a service philosophy — it is a growth strategy. Hosted by Gary Marra, the show sits at the intersection of customer experience, employee experience, leadership, and operational discipline. Each episode features practical conversations with executives, advisors, and business leaders on how better experiences drive loyalty, trust, retention, and sustainable business growth.

ABOUT GARY MARRA

Gary Marra is a business advisor, customer experience leader, and host of Your Customer, Your Success. Drawing on deep experience in financial services, client management, operations, and cross-functional leadership, Gary helps organizations think more clearly about how service, trust, and execution shape growth. His perspective combines customer-centric strategy with practical business discipline, making the show especially relevant for founders, operators, and leaders responsible for long-term client relationships.

#GrowthStrategy #Leadership #CustomerExperience #ClientRetention #BusinessGrowth #SMBGrowth #OperationalDiscipline #FractionalCFO #Founders #Podcast

In this episode of Your Customer, Your Success, Gary sits down with Sid Meadows — fractional advisor, founder of Embark CCT, co-founder of The Collaborative Network, and host of The Trend Report.

This conversation explores a foundational growth reality:

Small businesses don’t win by acting big.

They win by going deeper with customers, staying strategically focused, and empowering their people.

Sid breaks down why competing on price is a reflex — not a strategy. He explains how shiny object syndrome quietly derails growth, why most SMB challenges are leadership or communication failures, and how “being the easy button” can become a real competitive advantage — even in manufacturing.

They also explore what leaders can learn from Taylor Swift. Not celebrity — loyalty. The kind of loyalty that compounds over time and creates community.

This episode reinforces a core principle of the show:

Customer depth is a growth strategy.

Strategic focus protects margin.

Empowered leadership drives scale.

If you’re a founder, operator, or fractional leader trying to grow without adding complexity, this conversation will sharpen your thinking around discipline, trust, and retention.

What You’ll Learn

• Why small businesses shouldn’t default to price competition
• How to identify the real problem you solve for customers
• The danger of expanding offerings too quickly
• Why depth with existing customers beats constant prospecting
• The difference between command-and-control and trust-and-inspire leadership
• Three no-cost actions you can take in the next 30 days to improve growth and retention

Chapters

01:03 Introduction

02:44 How can small businesses compete with big giants?

04:27 Why is competing on price the default instinct?

09:16 Where do small businesses misdiagnose the real problem?

11:33 How does community accelerate leadership growth?

12:30 Customer Depth vs Width

13:33 The Collaborative Network

21:26 Ensuring a Seamless Transition Post-Sale

30:07 Trust-and-inspire vs. command-and-control leadership

34:36 Three no-cost moves to improve growth and retention

38:52 Does It Hold Water?

44:44 Chip Shots

Book Mentioned

Unreasonable Hospitality – Will Guidara

Connect with Sid

Website: https://sidmeadows.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sidmeadows/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachsidmeadows/

Podcast: The Trend Report

🔗 Connect with Gary Marra

· LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-marra/

· Marra CX Hub: https://marracxhub.com/

· YouTube: YCYS YouTube Page

📣 🎧 Please Listen & Subscribe

💡 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!

👉 Follow Your Customer, Your Success for more insights on customer experience, leadership, and business strategy.

Want to be a guest on Your Customer, Your Success?

Send Gary Marra a message on PodMatch here:

https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1726154102094403cb5558fc4

Looking for Fractional Support? Go Fractional!

https://www.gofractional.com/r/gary-marra

#CX #CustomerSuccess #Leadership #SmallBusiness #SMBGrowth #FractionalLeadership #ClientExperience #GrowthStrategy #TeamLeadership #Podcast

In this episode of Your Customer, Your Success, Gary sits down with Tim Hines — fractional CMO, four-time founder, keynote speaker, and author of The Marketing Starter.

This conversation explores a critical leadership reality:

Marketing does not stop at lead generation.

Customer success does not begin at onboarding.

Alignment between the two is what protects retention and enables growth.

They discuss churn as a marketing metric, customer success enablement, intrapreneurship inside larger organizations, and how leaders can build innovation without breaking operational discipline.

This episode reinforces a core principle of the show:

Client focus is a growth strategy.

Alignment drives retention.

Retention drives scale.

If you lead a team, manage client relationships, or are building something of your own, this conversation will challenge how you think about ownership, accountability, and growth. The question isn’t who owns the customer. The question is whether your organization is aligned enough to keep them.

CHAPTERS

CHAPTERS

01:10 Introduction

02:38 What’s the first sign that marketing and customer reality are misaligned?

06:32 Where does marketing trip up and increase customer effort?

11:55 What does it mean to think like an entrepreneur inside a company?

14:19 The Entrepreneurial Garage and creating space to innovate

20:43 Do leaders hit a wall on implementation?

23:29 Delivering hard truths to leadership and letting the data prove it

26:28 Which metrics should marketing obsess over to support Customer Success?

29:20 One operating principle that would save founders frustration

31:52 Does It Hold Water?

38:10 Chip Shots

Tim's Book

The Marketing Starter

Tim’s Books Mentioned

The Referable Speaker (Michael Port)

Start With Why (Simon Sinek)

Connect with Tim:

tnhines.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tnhines/

🔗 Connect with Gary Marra:

· LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-marra/

· Marra CX Hub: https://marracxhub.com/

· YouTube: YCYS YouTube Page

📣 🎧 Please Listen & Subscribe

💡 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!

👉 Follow Your Customer, Your Success for more insights on customer experience, leadership, and business strategy.

Want to be a guest on Your Customer, Your Success?

Send Gary Marra a message on PodMatch here:

https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1726154102094403cb5558fc4

Looking for Fractional Support? Go Fractional!

https://www.gofractional.com/r/gary-marra

#CX #CustomerSuccess #ClientExperience #Leadership #FractionalLeadership #GrowthStrategy #TeamAlignment #Podcast #BusinessLeadership #CustomerExperience

In this return visit to Your Customer, Your Success, Kris Wauters joins Gary Marra to explore the deeper truth behind CX, EX, and leadership through the lens of his new book, The Human Experience: Dancing with the Dragon, Climbing Beyond the Tower.

This conversation moves beyond slogans and frameworks and into the real work of leading humans. Kris draws from more than 30 years of leadership experience to explain why customer centricity isn’t a goal you achieve, why most CX programs collapse when leadership changes, and why incompetence, not malice, is often the real enemy inside organizations.

Gary and Kris dig into practical CX discipline, including why too many metrics destroy accountability, how listening to the Voice of Customer, Voice of Employee, and Voice of Process together changes everything, and why the most mature organizations stop apologizing for problems and start preventing them.

The episode then shifts into leadership and culture, where Kris challenges the idea that culture can be “reinvented,” explains the difference between managing and truly leading, and makes a simple but powerful case for care, trust, and accountability as the foundation of sustainable performance.

This is not a conversation about quick wins or transformation theater. It’s about building organizations where CX and EX are outcomes of conscious leadership, not side projects owned by a department.

If you lead people, serve customers, or are responsible for experience, trust, and performance at scale, this episode will challenge how you think about all three.

CHAPTERS

00:54 Introduction

04:23 What breaks the human experience loop inside organizations?

07:18 Why customer centricity is not a goal

09:59 Incompetence vs malice in leadership

10:16 Learning to be a Leader

14:27 How leaders create trust and real feedback cultures

21:13 VOC, VOE, and VOP explained

27:42 Why too many CX metrics kill progress

34:04 The Museum of Retired Apologies

36:47 When culture works against the customer

40:22 Leadership vs management and “show me you care”

42:12 Does It Hold Water?

47:21 Chip Shots

Kris's Book

https://a.co/d/0cmLbvD2

Connect with Guest

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kwauters/

🔗 Connect with Gary Marra:

· LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-marra/

· Marra CX Hub: https://marracxhub.com/

· YouTube: YCYS YouTube Page

📣 🎧 Please Listen & Subscribe

💡 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!

👉 Follow Your Customer, Your Success for more insights on customer experience, leadership, and business strategy.

Want to be a guest on Your Customer, Your Success?

Send Gary Marra a message on PodMatch here:

https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1726154102094403cb5558fc4

Looking for Fractional Support? Go Fractional!

https://www.gofractional.com/r/gary-marra

#CX #CustomerSuccess #ClientExperience #Leadership #FractionalLeadership #GrowthStrategy #TeamAlignment #Podcast #BusinessLeadership #CustomerExperience

We explore why onboarding has improved while support continues to fail customers, how health scores should guide curiosity rather than dictate decisions, and why legacy customers demand real relationships, not automation. We also talk candidly about short CS leadership tenures, layoffs in tech, and the resilience required to keep building when the rules keep changing.

This is a practical, human-first look at what actually drives retention and expansion when tools, dashboards, and AI can only take you so far.

Episode Chapters

01:08 — Introduction

03:35 — Where post-sales promises meet reality

05:46 — Telecom lessons and the disappearing human

07:34 — The reality of AI, Automation, and the human element

13:37 — Where we really are with AI, is it a "toddler?"

17:56 — Dashboards, health scores, and seeing risk sooner

29:21 — Customer Success under CROs and what gets undervalued

35:59 — The avocado rotary phone and technology that still works!

39:54 — Career myth debunking

41:31 — Does It Hold Water?

45:54 — Chip Shots

Book Recommendation

Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It―Unlock Your Persuasion Potential in Professional and Personal Life by Chris Voss

Connect with Guest

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannahvaughan/

Website: https://rebelsofSaaS.com

Also mentioned on the show:

Podcast: Rebels of SaaS

🔗 Connect with Gary Marra:

· LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-marra/

· Marra CX Hub: https://marracxhub.com/

· YouTube: YCYS YouTube Page

📣 🎧 Please Listen & Subscribe

💡 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!

👉 Follow Your Customer, Your Success for more insights on customer experience, leadership, and business strategy.

Want to be a guest on Your Customer, Your Success?

Send Gary Marra a message on PodMatch here:

https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1726154102094403cb5558fc4

#CX #CustomerSuccess #ClientExperience #Leadership #FractionalLeadership #GrowthStrategy #TeamAlignment #Podcast #BusinessLeadership #CustomerExperience

Chelsey Reynolds joins Your Customer, Your Success for a practical conversation about what it really takes to build growth that lasts.

Drawing on her experience leading sales, marketing, and customer success teams through rapid scale, Chelsey breaks down why growth stalls when teams operate in silos, how fear-based leadership quietly undermines execution, and where sales handoffs most often go wrong. We talk candidly about fractional leadership, setting expectations that survive the sale, capturing why customers actually buy, and why alignment matters more than any single metric or tool.

This episode is for founders and leaders who want clarity instead of chaos and results that don’t come at the expense of their teams or their customers.

Episode Timestamps

01:11 — Intro and welcome to the show

03:07 — What it’s really like leaving a W2 role to go fractional

04:45 — Why sales, marketing, and customer success struggle to work together

05:54 — Growth targets, alignment, and what leaders overlook

07:17 — How Sales (unintentionally) can make Customer Success harder

08:50 — When customer success should be pulled into the sales process

12:38 — Setting expectations that survive the handoff

16:49 — Why teams struggle with basic handoff discipline

18:13 — Capturing why customers buy and why it gets lost post-sale

19:53 — CRM realities and why tools don’t solve misalignment

21:28 — The real danger of organizational silos

23:58 — Fear-based leadership and internal competition

29:15 — How leaders unintentionally spread fear during change

31:58 — Recognizing fear-based leadership in yourself and change management

33:15 — Burnout as the wake-up call

35:01 —Where do you look first when growth feels harder than it should?

38:17 — Does It Hold Water?

41:36 — Chip Shots

Book Recommendation:

The Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control by Katherine Morgan Schafler

Connect with Chelsey

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelsey-reynolds-growth-expert/

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/heychelseyhere/

TikTok:   https://www.tiktok.com/@heychelseyhere

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@heychelseyhere

Substack:  https://chelseyreynolds.substack.com/

Website:  https://growthdepartment.com

🔗 Connect with Gary Marra:

·       LinkedIn:                    https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-marra/

·       Marra CX Hub:           https://marracxhub.com/

·       YouTube:                    YCYS YouTube Page

📣 🎧 Please Listen & Subscribe

💡 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!

👉 Follow Your Customer, Your Success for more insights on customer experience, leadership, and business strategy.

Want to be a guest on Your Customer, Your Success? 

Send Gary Marra a message on PodMatch here: 

https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1726154102094403cb5558fc4

#CX #CustomerSuccess #ClientExperience #Leadership #FractionalLeadership #GrowthStrategy #TeamAlignment #Podcast #BusinessLeadership #CustomerExperience

Part 1 focused on the fun, signature segments of the show. This episode highlights the best conversations and lessonsfrom year one — featuring Customer Experience leaders, Customer Success leaders, and leadership experts who shared thoughtful, practical perspectives.

It’s a reflective, easy listen designed for the holiday break — and a look ahead to year two.

⏱️ What You’ll Hear in This Episode

🎧 Best of Customer Experience (CX)

Highlights and perspectives from CX leaders on trust, metrics, storytelling, technology, and where CX is headed next.

Featured guests:

1. Rick Denton
2. Sean Albertson
3. Katie Stabler
4. Stacy Sherman
5. Dave Seaton
6. Natasha Evans
7. Andrew Carothers
8. Chris Hood
9. Jean Pierre Dumas

🎧 Best of Customer Success

Practical lessons from Customer Success leaders on customer behavior, health scores, expansion, internal alignment, and supporting CSMs.

Featured guests:

1. Kristi Faltorusso
2. Alon Ahronberg
3. Amber Munroe
4. Rachel Provan
5. Josh Nutter
6. Alison Dixon
7. Alyssa Nolte

🎧 Best of Leadership

Leadership reflections on change, culture, decision-making, accountability, balance, and what effective leadership looks like today.

Featured guests:

1. Tim McCleary
2. Caroline Baird
3. Matt Feiner
4. Chris Gillen
5. Shruti Joshi
6. Bill Kasko
7. Samanda Morales
8. Francie Jain
9. Kelly Schucknecht
10. Mark Stern
11. Simona Costantini

🙏 Thank You

Thank you to every guest who shared their perspective and every listener who supported the show this past year.

If this episode made you pause, smile, or rethink something, consider sharing it with someone who might appreciate it too!

🔗 Connect with Gary Marra:

·       LinkedIn:                    https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-marra/

·       Marra CX Hub:           https://marracxhub.com/

·       YouTube:                    YCYS YouTube Page

📣 🎧 Please Listen & Subscribe

💡 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!

👉 Follow Your Customer, Your Success for more insights on customer experience, leadership, and business strategy.

Want to be a guest on Your Customer, Your Success? 

Send Gary Marra a message on PodMatch here: 

https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1726154102094403cb5558fc4

#CX #CustomerSuccess #ClientExperience #Leadership #AI #ArtificialIntelligence

This episode is Part 1 of our 1-Year Anniversary Retrospective for Your Customer, Your Success.

Designed as a lighter, holiday-friendly listen, this episode highlights two of the show’s most popular and revealing segments: Chip Shots and Does It Hold Water?

While informal by design, these segments consistently delivered some of the most honest, thoughtful, and memorable moments of the past year.

This episode is about reflection, clarity, and having a little fun while looking back.

⭐ Best of Chip Shots

We kick off the retrospective with highlights from Chip Shots, where quick questions led to some of the most revealing insights of the year.

Featured moments include:

• Early career failures that still shape leadership today
• Unconventional lessons learned the hard way
• A standout answer to “Which leader would you shadow?”
• Two memorable “call an audible” moments that paid off
• A clear winner from the book recommendation question that sparked one of the show’s most popular resources

Guests featured in this segment include:

Kristi Faltorusso, Katie Stabler, Alyssa Nolte, Tim McCleary, Chris Gillen, Matt Feiner, Andrew Carothers, Jean Pierre Dumas, Rick Denton, and Kris Wauters.

⭐ Best of Does It Hold Water?

Inspired by the famous courtroom scene in My Cousin Vinny, Does It Hold Water? became the show’s way of slowing down and pressure-testing ideas that sound good but deserve a closer look.

In this retrospective:

• We revisit the strongest runner-up answers that helped define the segment
• Then crown two co-winners, whose responses were head and shoulders above the rest!

Featured voices include:

Rick Denton, Kristi Faltorusso, Kris Wauters, Andrew Carothers, Dave Seaton, Chris Hood, Alyssa Nolte and Simona Costantini.

Why This Episode Matters

This episode captures what made the first year of the show special:

• Honest conversations
• Willingness to challenge assumptions
• Humor, humility, and clarity
• And ideas that don’t just sound good...they hold water :)

🔜 Coming Up Next

In Part 2 of the retrospective, we revisit highlights from the traditional interview portions of the show, with:

• CX leaders
• Customer Success leaders
• Leadership experts

🙏 Thank You

Thank you to every guest who shared their perspective and every listener who supported the show this past year.

If this episode made you pause, smile, or rethink something, consider sharing it with someone who might appreciate it too!

🔗 Connect with Gary Marra:

·       LinkedIn:                    https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-marra/

·       Marra CX Hub:           https://marracxhub.com/

·       YouTube:                    YCYS YouTube Page

📣 🎧 Please Listen & Subscribe

💡 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!

👉 Follow Your Customer, Your Success for more insights on customer experience, leadership, and business strategy.

Want to be a guest on Your Customer, Your Success? 

Send Gary Marra a message on PodMatch here: 

https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1726154102094403cb5558fc4

#CX #CustomerSuccess #ClientExperience #Leadership #AI #ArtificialIntelligence

For years, job seekers were told the same story: big companies are safe, startups are risky, and loyalty will protect you. That story no longer holds up.

In this episode of Your Customer, Your Success, I’m joined by Justin Dixon, founder of Hire Tomorrow and host of the Growth Capital Podcast, to talk about what’s really happening in today’s job market. We break down why layoffs at large corporations are happening with little warning, why smaller companies and PE-backed firms can actually offer more visibility and career stability, and how candidates need to rethink job security in 2026.

We discuss the realities of modern job search strategy, including how applicant tracking systems (ATS) filter resumes, why most resumes never reach a hiring manager, and how to build an ATS-friendly resume that still tells your story. Justin shares why every candidate should have two resumes — one for online applications and one for networking and interviews — and how recruiters actually scan resumes in seconds, not minutes.

We also get into how AI in recruiting is reshaping hiring, from resume screening and candidate scoring to AI-driven interviews and automated applications. We talk honestly about what AI is really doing in hiring, where it helps, where it creates friction, and why candidates need to focus more on networking, referrals, and direct outreach than mass-applying online.

If you’re preparing for job interviews, navigating a layoff, considering a move from a large company to a startup, or trying to understand how private equity, return-to-office mandates, and AI are changing the hiring landscape, this episode is a practical guide. No hype. No shortcuts. Just clear thinking about how to search for a job smarter, position yourself better, and avoid the black hole of modern hiring.

Topics Covered:

• Job search strategy in today’s market
• Corporate layoffs vs startups and job security
• ATS resumes and applicant tracking systems
• AI in recruiting and AI interviews
• Networking vs mass applying
• Hiring manager mistakes and candidate experience
• Job searching through the holidays

Audio Chapters

01:21 – Who Is Justin Dixon

03:23 – Why Big Companies Are No Longer “Safe”

05:44 – Are Layoffs Really Because of AI

07:36 – Is AI Actually Replacing Jobs

09:24 – Return to Office and Shrinking the Talent Pool

12:43 – Why Smaller Companies Can Be Safer

17:43 – How Job Search Has Changed

18:52 – The ATS Resume Reality

21:51 – How Recruiters Really Read Resumes

23:58 – Bots, Fake Applicants, and Resume Flooding

25:41 – Why Networking Beats Applying Online

29:29 – Building Visibility Without Forcing It

32:48 – What Hiring Managers Get Wrong

38:25 – AI Interviews and Candidate Experience

40:22 – Job Searching Through the Holidays

42:06 – Does It Hold Water?

45:44 – Chip Shots

Book Recommendation

Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki

Connect with Justin

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmdixon15/

Email: jdixon@hiretomorrow.com

Website www.HireTomorrow.com

🔗 Connect with Gary Marra:

·       LinkedIn:                    https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-marra/

·       Marra CX Hub:           https://marracxhub.com/

·       YouTube:                    YCYS YouTube Page

📣 🎧 Please Listen & Subscribe

💡 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!

👉 Follow Your Customer, Your Success for more insights on customer experience, leadership, and business strategy.

Want to be a guest on Your Customer, Your Success? 

Send Gary Marra a message on PodMatch here: 

https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1726154102094403cb5558fc4

#CX #CustomerSuccess #ClientExperience #Leadership #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #JobSearch #Recruiting #TalentAcquistion #JobSearchTips

Suzanne is the founder and CEO of Social Impact Architects, creator of the Social Trendspotter blog, a TEDx speaker, and a professor of social entrepreneurship, CSR, and ethical leadership at UT Austin and Duke. Her world lives at the intersection of government, policy, and business, and she spends her days helping organizations design solutions that balance purpose and performance.

Gary and Suzanne breakdown:

• Why CSR isn’t just a big-company game
• How small businesses can start with low-cost, high-impact community initiatives
• The evolution from “checkbook philanthropy” to embedded, strategy-level CSR
• What happens when brands get CSR spectacularly wrong 
• How CSR ties directly to customer loyalty, employee engagement, and talent attraction
• Why Gen Z is forcing companies to move from “pretty words” to “receipts”

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• A practical 4C framework for CSR
• How a franchise oil-change shop turned in-kind support for an after-school van into:
• Why silence on key issues can be as damaging as tone-deaf campaigns
• How CSR is increasingly being owned by HR and impact leaders, not just marketing
• Why Gen Z will sometimes trade a bit of pay for purpose and what that tells us about employer brand

They wrap with Gary’s classic “Does It Hold Water?” segment on whether CSR is “too risky” in today’s polarized climate, plus Chip Shots on behavioral psychology, Oprah, LinkedIn vs. Facebook, and the professional risks that pay off! Check it out!

Chapters

01:15 Intro

03:01 Why Small Businesses Misunderstand CSR

04:31 A Great Small Business Story That Changed Everything

09:36 Suzanne's Four C's

12:32 CSR Across Every Size of Organization

14:52 Where CSR Initiatives Start to Go Wrong

19:58 How CSR Shapes Customer and Employee Experience

22:14 CSR and Employee Retention

24:48 Why Gen Z employee say they will take a pay cut

26:58 Consistency and CSR

30:32 How Any Business Can Start Small and Make an Impact

33:04 Does It Hold Water?

35:45 Chip Shots

🔗 Connect with Suzanne:

Website: www.meetsuzanne.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SocialImpactArchitects

X: https://x.com/socialtrendspot

Substack: https://socialtrendspot.substack.com

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/social-impact-architects and https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzannesmithtx

TEDx “Everyone is a Changemaker”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJOonQUXL0E

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/socialtrendspot

🏷️ Tags

Social Customer Care, Social Media ROI, CX Strategy, Customer Experience, Social Listening, Tagging & Labeling, AI in CX, Emotional Marketing, B2B Voice, Brooke Sellas, PodMatch

🔗 Connect with Gary Marra:

·       LinkedIn:                     https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-marra/

·       Marra CX Hub:           https://marracxhub.com/

·       YouTube:                     YCYS YouTube Page

📣 🎧 Please Listen & Subscribe

💡 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!

👉 Follow Your Customer, Your Success for more insights on customer experience, leadership, and business strategy.

Want to be a guest on Your Customer, Your Success? 

Send Gary Marra a message on PodMatch here: 

https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1726154102094403cb5558fc4

#CX #CustomerExperience #CustomerSuccess #ContactCenter #EX #Leadership #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #EmployeeExperience #SocialMediaCustomerCare

Using stories from busy kitchens, real-world onboarding challenges, and decades of experience working with complex institutional clients, Gary explores why:

• preparation is a key to CX strategy
• inconsistency comes from lack of readiness
• teams are overwhelmed because processes are underprepared
• customers can feel your chaos even if they never see it

Whether you’re a CX leader, a founder, a client-facing professional, or simply trying to bring more order to the chaos in your work, this episode gives you a practical and memorable framework.

🍽️ What You’ll Learn

• Why mise en place is a key CX discipline

How a restaurant’s prep work translates directly to onboarding, handoffs, and client communication.

• The real causes of inconsistent customer experience

It’s (almost) never talent. It’s almost always preparation.

• Why great CX is built before the customer ever shows up

Preparation reduces chaos, risk, and escalations as it multiplies trust.

🔗 Connect with Gary

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garymarra

Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7pTZksMmQPwZJSeryfK5Xm

Guest: Brooke B. Sellas — Founder & CEO of B Squared Media, author of Conversations That Connect, LinkedIn Learning instructor, adjunct lecturer, keynote speaker, and host of the Social Media CX Podcast.

Episode Summary

In this episode, Gary sits down with Brooke B. Sellas to discuss how conversation-led social media customer care drives real CX outcomes—retention, loyalty, and revenue.

Brooke explains why most brands are stuck in “content factory mode,” how to shift toward talk-worthy content that evokes emotion, and how social conversations can uncover frustration, intent, and purchase signals long before customers enter a sales funnel.

You’ll learn why silence is the true churn indicator, what brands get wrong about AI and automation, and how B Squared Media uses social listening, tagging, labeling, and promo codes to attribute real dollars to social customer care.

💬 What We Cover

• Why content is the vehicle but emotion is the destination
• Conversation-led social care vs. reactive contact center support
• How enterprise brands use social listening to catch “in the wild” buying signals
• Tagging & labeling: gain/retain, sentiment, product issues, and intent
• How promo codes tie sales directly to social care
• Why silence—not complaints—is the biggest churn risk
• Where AI actually helps (sorting, tagging, FAQs) vs. where it hurts (EQ moments)
• Why personality in B2B is a differentiator, not unprofessional
• The metrics that matter most: response time, response rate, and conversation volume

📈 Three Practical Takeaways

1. Start tagging all conversations as acquisition (gain) or retention (retain).
2. Shift content strategy from posting to sparking emotional, talk-worthy reactions.
3. Use AI for IQ tasks (sorting, workflows) but keep humans front and center for real connection.

CHAPTERS:

00:50 Intro

03:12 Conversations > Content

04:30 Feeding The Content Monster

05:55 Content is the Vehicle, Emotion is the Destination

07:42 Being Heard

10:36 What B-Squared Media Actually Does

11:54. Why Contact Centers Struggle with Social

14:48 Social Listening in the Wild

17:03 Tools: Tagging, Labeling & Intent Signals

20:58 The "ROI Question"

24:07 Fixing KPIs & Conversation Metrics

28:52 How AI Fits into Social Media Customer Care

32:26 Automation Fails & Hype Cycles

38:48 Main Segment Closer: How to be more Conversational

39:43 Does It Hold Water?

43:42 Chip Shots

🔗 Connect with Brooke

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brookebsellas/
• B Squared Media: https://bsquared.media
• Book: Conversations That Connect
• Social Media CX Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/social-media-cx-podcast

🏷️ Tags

Social Customer Care, Social Media ROI, CX Strategy, Customer Experience, Social Listening, Tagging & Labeling, AI in CX, Emotional Marketing, B2B Voice, Brooke Sellas, PodMatch

🔗 Connect with Gary Marra:

·       LinkedIn:                    https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-marra/

·       Marra CX Hub:           https://marracxhub.com/

·       YouTube:                    YCYS YouTube Page

📣 🎧 Please Listen & Subscribe

💡 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!

👉 Follow Your Customer, Your Success for more insights on customer experience, leadership, and business strategy.

Want to be a guest on Your Customer, Your Success? 

Send Gary Marra a message on PodMatch here: 

https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1726154102094403cb5558fc4

#CX #CustomerExperience #CustomerSuccess #ContactCenter #EX #Leadership #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #EmployeeExperience #SocialMediaCustomerCare

Pulling CX Off the Rocks: Fixes, Fundies, and the Future

Guest: JP Dumas, CX & Retention Strategist, Founder of CX & Growth Strategies LLC, and Partner at CX on the Rocks

Most companies don’t lose customers in one big splash...they lose them in many small, inconsistent ones. In this episode of Your Customer, Your Success, Gary Marra sits down with JP Dumas to talk about what’s really broken in customer experience and how to fix it without turning your business upside down.

From AI hype vs. human truth to retention as a day-one discipline, this is a straight-up, practical conversation about making CX a real economic engine for your business and your success!

🧩 In This Episode

• Why CX isn’t just support—it’s your brand’s reputation when you’re not in the room.
• The true role of the contact center as the front porch and dashboard of your company.
• How pragmatic AI can help—but not replace—the human connection.
• Why retention starts on day one, not at renewal.
• What happens when you chase metrics instead of meaning (hello, NPS addiction).
• How employee enthusiasm sets the ceiling for customer experience.
• Why “fine” customers are more dangerous than the haters.
• What happens when companies actually make it right—and how that drives loyalty.
• The power of culture, pride, and authenticity in the customer journey.
• The future of CX: predictive analytics, sentiment, and simplicity that serves people first.

🧠 JP’s 10 Fixes for Pulling CX Off the Rocks

1. Defining CX correctly
2. Valuing the Contact Center
3. Balancing AI and Humanity
4. Retention as a Continuous Process
5. From Vanity Metrics to Business Outcomes
6. EX Before CX
7. Handoffs and Context
8. Survey Overreliance
9. Owning Issues (and Using Them Well)
10. Culture as Brand
11. BONUS: It's Gotta Be The Shoes

🎧 Episode Chapters

01:06 – 🎬 Intro: Welcome to Your Customer, Your Success with JP Dumas

02:18 – 💡 Why does CX matter?

03:47 – ☎️ Why do contact centers still matter in the age of AI?

09:47 – 💰 Viewing CX as an economic engine, not a soft skill

11:51 – 🔁 What retention really means

14:15 – 👥 Why is the employee experience so critical to customer experience?

18:44 – 🧭 What distinguishes a CX-minded company from one that’s just customer- friendly?

20:17 Metrics Myopia, Virtuos Flywheel

21:34 – 🧠 What are you and the CX on the Rocks collective doing to help fix these issues?

33:54 - Do They Really Get CX?

34:23 – ⚖️ Segment: Does It Hold Water?

38:16 – 👟 Segment: Chip Shots

👟 Chip Shots

Book: Failing Forward by John C. Maxwell

Leader to Shadow: Nike CEO Elliot Hill — “Sometimes your manager gives you the title, but the people give you the leadership.”

Sneaker Rotation: 

• Air Jordan 1 “Chicago”
• Air Jordan 3 “Black Cement”
• Air Jordan 3 “White Cement” 
• Air Jordan 4 “Bred/Black Cement” 
• Air Jordan 11 

Presentation-day / suit picks:

• Air Jordan 11 “72–10”
• Air Jordan 11 “Bred”
• Air Jordan 11 “Jubilee”
• Air Jordan 11 “Cap and Gown”

JP’s CONTACT INFORMATION:

EMAIL: jdumas@cxgrowthstrategies.com                       

WEBSITE: www.cxgrowthstrategies.com      

LINKEDIN: www.linkedin.com/in/jpdumas1  

SOCIAL MEDIA: https://www.instagram.com/j.p.dumas?igsh=MTJ3NmJpMDd3dW5wdg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

🔗 Connect with Gary Marra:

·       LinkedIn:                    https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-marra/

·       Marra CX Hub:           https://marracxhub.com/

·       YouTube:                    YCYS YouTube Page

📣 🎧 Please Listen & Subscribe

💡 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!

👉 Follow Your Customer, Your Success for more insights on customer experience, leadership, and business strategy.

Want to be a guest on Your Customer, Your Success? 

Send Gary Marra a message on PodMatch here: 

https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1726154102094403cb5558fc4

#CX #CustomerExperience #CustomerSuccess #ContactCenter #EX #Leadership #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #EmployeeExperience

Guest: Alon Ahronberg, Vice President of Customer Success at Atera

In this episode, Gary Marra talks with Alon Ahronberg about how he is applying artificial intelligence to help reshape Customer Success at Atera. Alon explains why his team treats AI not as a cost-cutting tool but as a way to create time for deeper client work. He outlines a six-pillar framework for applying AI across efficiency, data, adoption, and personalization, and describes the operational and security challenges of building what he calls the “CSM cockpit.”

The discussion covers practical ways to measure efficiency gains, avoid automating for its own sake, and use AI to strengthen, not replace, human judgment. They also examine health-score complexity, the balance between automation and empathy, and how to define clear goals before implementing AI projects.

Takeaways

• AI should not be implemented without a clear vision.
• Customer success teams must focus on efficiency and strategic planning.
• Improvisation is a key skill for customer success managers.
• AI can free up time for CSMs to focus on client relationships.
• Measuring customer relationships is crucial for success.

🎧 Episode Chapters – The Human Side of AI in Customer Success

00:00 Introduction

10:59 Building a Customer Success Team That Works

15:21 What Does a Clear AI Vision Look Like for CS Leaders?

18:16 How AI Is Changing the CSM Role

21:55 The Six-Pillar Framework for AI in Customer Success

30:06 The CSM Cockpit Challenge

32:22 Measuring Efficiency and Time Savings

35:06 The Health Score Debate

39:07 Balancing Short-Term Wins and Long-Term Strategy

41:01 Measuring AI’s Impact on Customer Relationships

42:33 Advice for CS Leaders Starting Their AI Journey

43:56 Does It Hold Water?

46:23 Chip Shots

51:52 Wrap-Up

📚 Book Recommendation:

Alon’s Pick:   Infinite Game, by Simon Sinek

🔗 Connect with Alon:

LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/alon-ahronberg/

website:  https://www.atera.com/

🔗 Connect with Gary Marra:

·       LinkedIn:                    https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-marra/

·       Marra CX Hub:           https://marracxhub.com/

·       YouTube:                    YCYS YouTube Page

📣 🎧 Please Listen & Subscribe

💡 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!

👉 Follow Your Customer, Your Success for more insights on customer experience, leadership, and business strategy.

Want to be a guest on Your Customer, Your Success? 

Send Gary Marra a message on PodMatch here: 

https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1726154102094403cb5558fc4

#CX #CustomerSuccess #ClientExperience #Leadership #AI #ArtificialIntelligence

Gary walks you through the OCEAN personality model (also known as the Big Five) and compares it to the more widely used DISC framework. Why is DISC so common in corporate training? Why is OCEAN more powerful for long-term leadership success? And how can understanding these traits make you better at reading the room, adapting your approach, and building trust?

You'll walk away with a modern, practical lens to assess personalities and a call to lead with the Platinum Rule — treating people how they want to be treated.

🔑 In This Episode:

• Why relationship management = behavior management
• The difference between DISC and OCEAN models — and how to apply both
• Full breakdown of the OCEAN traits:
• Openness – Visionaries vs. Stabilizers
• Conscientiousness – Planners vs. Flexers
• Extraversion – Drop-in Energizers vs. Prep-First Thinkers
• Agreeableness – People-Pleasers vs. Analytical Challengers
• Neuroticism – Worriers vs. Rock-Steady Resolvers
• How to spot these traits in clients, coworkers, and even yourself
• Why you should lead with the Platinum Rule, not the Golden Rule
• Tips for managing high-stress situations with different personality types and how to deal with difficult people and situations.

🛠️ Frameworks Mentioned:

• OCEAN / Big Five Personality Model
• DISC Personality Model
• The Platinum Rule – Treat others how they want to be treated

🎯 Action Challenge:

Pick a difficult interaction from this week.

1. Guess the other person’s dominant OCEAN trait(s).
2. Adjust your approach using what you learned.
3. Reflect on what changed — and how it impacted the outcome.

🧠 Ideal For:

• CS & CX Managers
• People Leaders
• ICs managing complex stakeholder relationships
• Anyone trying to decode human behavior in high-stakes environments

📌 Resources:

• Want to learn more about OCEAN? Check out Science of People by Vanessa Van Edwards. Big hat tip to Vanessa and her work which helped inspire me and my approach!
• DISC Personality Overview: DISCprofile.com

📣 Stay Connected:

Like this episode? Subscribe, share it with your team, and leave a review.

Follow Gary on LinkedIn and check out the Your Customer, Your Success YouTube channel for full interviews.

🔗 Connect with Gary Marra:

·       LinkedIn:                    https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-marra/

·       Marra CX Hub:           https://marracxhub.com/

·       YouTube:                    YCYS YouTube Page

Want to be a guest on Your Customer, Your Success? 

Send Gary Marra a message on PodMatch here: 

https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1726154102094403cb5558fc4

#CX #CustomerSuccess #leadership #corporateculture

#CustomerExperience #CustomerSuccess #CXLeadership #Podmatch #CX

Alison shares how she built Portnox’s CX organization from the ground up, why time-to-value matters more than ticket counts, and how to keep customers engaged when your product works best in silence. From building health scores that actually mean something to fostering multi-year loyalty, Alison explains how she’s redefining customer experience for a “set it and forget it” world.

It’s a conversation about mindset, measurement, and making the invisible value visible — a must-listen for CX and CS leaders navigating complex, technical spaces.

🔑 Key Takeaways

1. Cyber CX Is High Stakes – In cybersecurity, silence often means success. The challenge is showing ongoing value when customers only notice you if something breaks.
2. Mindset Shapes Outcomes – Alison believes your “brain creates reality before you see it.” Approach every customer interaction with the expectation of partnership, not conflict.
3. Health Scores Need Heart – Metrics only matter if they drive action. Portnox ties health scores to multi-year contracts, relationships, and proactive outreach.
4. Time-to-Value Over Tickets – Don’t obsess over support volumes; focus on how quickly customers feel protected, confident, and empowered.
5. Executive Buy-In Is Everything – Get leadership involved early, not just when churn risk surfaces. True CX success is a company-wide sport.
6. Visit First, Build Second – Processes and dashboards evolve forever; customer connection must come first. Face-to-face insight beats any CRM metric.

Timestamps:

01:22 – Intro – Gary opens the show (Manifesting Better CX) with Alison Dixon, CCO at Portnox

01:50 – From Cybersecurity to CX – What customer experience means when the stakes are high

03:15 – Building CX From the Ground Up – How Alison built Portnox’s CX function from scratch

05:38 – Metrics That Matter – Time-to-value, renewals, and why multi-year deals tell the real story

08:00 – The Umpire Problem – CX in cybersecurity: customers only notice when something breaks

11:32 – The “Aha” Moment – A customer story that defines Portnox’s value

14:15– Health Scores That Hold Water – Turning data into meaningful action

18:50 – Executive Buy-In – Connecting leadership to CX and customer outcomes

21:52 – Hiring for the right reasons – Why traditional or conventional hiring might not work

25:51 – Lessons in Leadership – What Alison would tell her past self

29:22 – Does It Hold Water?

34:21 – Chip Shots

📚 Book Recommendation:

Alison's Picks: Anything by Cal Newport!

Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World ... and more!

🔗 Connect with Alison:

LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-dixon-msod/

Website : https://www.portnox.com/

🔗 Connect with Gary Marra:

·       LinkedIn:                    https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-marra/

·       Marra CX Hub:           https://marracxhub.com/

·       YouTube:                    YCYS YouTube Page

Want to be a guest on Your Customer, Your Success? 

Send Gary Marra a message on PodMatch here: 

https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1726154102094403cb5558fc4

#CustomerExperience #CustomerSuccess #Cybersecurity #CXLeadership #Podmatch #CX

In this episode, Gary Marra and Chris Hood delve into the concept of Agentic AI, exploring its definitions, misconceptions, and the reality versus the hype surrounding it. They discuss the importance of prompts in AI functionality, the distinction between agentic AI and automation, and the current state of AI applications. The conversation emphasizes the need for realistic expectations regarding AI's capabilities and the future of technology in this space.

Takeaways

• Agentic AI is often misunderstood and misrepresented.
• Claims about agentic AI are often exaggerated.
• Agentic AI is more about facilitating actions than true intelligence.
• Current AI applications are largely automation, not agentic AI.
• The hype surrounding agentic AI is ahead of its actual capabilities.
• AI should not replace human empathy in customer interactions.
• Real-world applications of agentic AI are still in development.
• The future of agentic AI is promising but requires technological advancements.
• Understanding the difference between automation and agentic AI is crucial.

Chapters

01:07 Introduction to Chris Hood and Agentic AI

03:52 Basic Background and seeing through the hype

05:31 Definitions and Confusions Agentic AI vs. Automation vs Autonomy

11:02 Agentic AI vs. Automation vs Autonomy: Prompts & What's the Difference?

11:21 Debating the usefulness of Real-World Applications of Agentic AI

20:39 Customer First, Technology Last, AI Maybe

25:10 Current Real World Examples, Do they exist?

28:38 The Difference Between Automation, Agents, and Agentic

31:45 Current State and The Outlook for the near future

🔗 Connect with Chris Hood

• 📖 Book: Infailible: Harnessing the Power of Failure in Digital Business
• 🌐 Website: https://chrishood.com/
• 📱 LinkedIn: chrishood
• 🐦 Twitter: @ChrisHood

🔗 Connect with Gary Marra:

·       LinkedIn:                    https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-marra/

·       Marra CX Hub:           https://marracxhub.com/

·       YouTube:                    YCYS YouTube Page

Want to be a guest on Your Customer, Your Success? 

Send Gary Marra a message on PodMatch here: 

https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1726154102094403cb5558fc4

#CX #customerexperience #AI #AgenticAI #CustomerSuccess #Podmatch

In this episode of Your Customer, Your Success, Gary Marra sits down with Amber Monroe, Senior Vice President of Customer Experience at Paradigm Senior Services. With two decades of leadership in healthcare, Amber has mastered the art of turning complex systems into meaningful relationships that deliver measurable impact.

From revenue cycle management and compliance to building high-performing teams, Amber shares what makes healthcare customer success fundamentally different from SaaS — and why trust may be the most important business driver of all. She also highlights success stories that show how great customer experience can literally keep small businesses afloat while expanding care for veterans and communities across the country.

Whether you work in healthcare, SaaS, or any customer-facing industry, Amber’s perspective offers fresh lessons on strategy, empathy, and building customer partnerships that last.

Chapters

01:08 Introduction to Amber Monroe and Paradigm Senior Services

03:49 Understanding the Role of Customer Success in Healthcare beyond SaaS

06:58 Defining Success in Healthcare Customer Experience

10:05 Communication Strategies for Client Engagement

12:40 Anticipating Customer’s Needs

15:00 Measuring Success: Metrics in Healthcare Customer Success

20:44 The Role of Account Managers vs. Customer Success Managers

27:14 Success Story – Servicing Veterans

28:26 Collecting Outstanding Claims for Clients

30:54 Advice for New Healthcare Customer Success Leaders

31:25 “Does it Hold Water?”

35:49 Chip Shots

📚 Book Recommendation:

Amber’s Pick:

Reality-Based Leadership: Ditch the Drama, Restore Sanity to the Workplace, and Turn Excuses into Results, by Cy Wakeman

🔗 Connect with Amber:

LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/ambermonroe/

E-mail :  info@ambermonroecx.com

🔗 Connect with Gary Marra:

·       LinkedIn:                    https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-marra/

·       Marra CX Hub:           https://marracxhub.com/

·       YouTube:                    YCYS YouTube Page

📣 🎧 Please Listen & Subscribe

💡 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!

👉 Follow Your Customer, Your Success for more insights on customer experience, leadership, and business strategy.

Want to be a guest on Your Customer, Your Success? 

Send Gary Marra a message on PodMatch here: 

https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1726154102094403cb5558fc4

#CX #CustomerSuccess #ClientExperience #Leadership #HealthcareAdministration

Why real change starts with people, not technology — and how leaders can bring everyone on board.

In this episode of Your Customer, Your Success, Gary Marra speaks with Kris Wauters, founder and Managing Director of Gung-Ho Management, about the real drivers of transformation: people, culture, and leadership. With over 30 years of senior leadership experience at global companies and deep expertise in Customer & Employee Experience, Kris shares powerful stories and frameworks for creating lasting change.

From “everybody on the bus” to coaching leaders with horses, Kris brings practical wisdom and surprising analogies that highlight why CX and EX must go hand-in-hand. Kris shares his insights on customer experience, employee experience, and leadership development. He emphasizes the importance of people in transformation, the need to connect CX goals to business objectives, and the common misconceptions leaders have about change. Kris discusses strategies for overcoming change fatigue, coaching leaders, and delivering tough truths. He also touches on the impact of AI on jobs and shares valuable book recommendations and personal growth habits.

Takeaways

Transformation starts with understanding the maturity level of the organization.

People are at the center of any successful transformation.

CX and EX strategies must be integrated for effectiveness.

Leaders often overlook the importance of connecting CX goals to business objectives.

Change fatigue arises from poorly implemented changes.

Effective coaching involves bridging the gap between leaders and their teams.

Listening without the intent to answer is a crucial skill for leaders.

AI will impact jobs, but it will also create new opportunities.

Understanding the 'why' behind change is essential for buy-in.

Failure is not an option; it's about learning and adapting.

Chapters 

01:13 Introduction to Transformation and Change 

02:52 People First: The Core of Transformation 

04:39 Building Integrated CX and EX Strategies 

09:50 Aha Moments in Customer Experience Transformation 

13:45 Common Misconceptions in Experience Transformation 

16:55 Overcoming Change Fatigue in Organizations 

26:00 Coaching Leaders in Customer Experience 

33:21 Delivering Tough Truths to Leadership 

41:08 “Does it Hold Water?” 

45:23 Chip Shots

📚 Book Recommendation:

Kris’s Picks:

Gung Ho!, by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles : working as a team towards a common goal

Start with Why, by Simon Sinek : What and How subsequent to the purpose of your business

Find Your Why, by Simon Sinek : find your own purpose in life

JUNG, Four Archetypes brought by Routledge publishing : the basic starting point of what founded modern psychology

Surrounded by Idiots, by dr. Thomas Erikson : inventor of the Insights model, who am I and how can I recognize others and adapt my communication to have impact

Maps of Meaning, by dr. Jordan B. Peterson : the connection between modern neuropsychology and ancient stories, insight into human motivation and emotion throughout the millennia. 

🔗 Connect with Kris:

LinkedIn : www.linkedin.com/in/kwauters

Website : https://www.gung-ho.be 

E-mail : info@gung-ho.be

Or just call him, which he prefers! : + 32 495 55 95 75

🔗 Connect with Gary Marra:

LinkedIn:                    https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-marra/

Marra CX Hub:         https://marracxhub.com/

YouTube:                   YCYS YouTube Page

📣 🎧 Please Listen & Subscribe

💡 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!

👉 Follow Your Customer, Your Success for more insights on customer experience, leadership, and business strategy.

Want to be a guest on Your Customer, Your Success? 

Send Gary Marra a message on PodMatch here: 

https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1726154102094403cb5558fc4

In this conversation, Matt Feiner, a transformational CEO with over 30 years of experience, shares insights on leadership, corporate culture, and the importance of listening to employees during times of change. He discusses his journey of taking over a company after a long-standing CEO, the challenges of evolving corporate culture, and the significance of hiring for cultural fit. Matt emphasizes the role of a strong culture in enhancing customer experience and the necessity of fostering an environment where healthy debate is encouraged. He also provides valuable advice for new CEOs on navigating culture transformation and the importance of psychological safety in the workplace.

Takeaways

• Matt emphasizes the importance of listening to employees during leadership transitions.
• Cultural transformation requires involving key employees in the process.
• A strong corporate culture can significantly enhance customer experience.
• Healthy debate among team members is a sign of a strong culture.
• Hiring for cultural fit is crucial, but diversity in skills is also important.
• Psychological safety allows employees to provide honest feedback.
• Change management involves addressing fears and resistance from employees.
• Leaders should create a safe space for open discussions.
• Silence can be a powerful tool in meetings to encourage deeper insights.

Chapters

01:11 Introduction to Matt Feiner and His Journey

03:00 Navigating a Huge Leadership Transition

06:04 Cultural Evolution and Employee Empowerment

07:39 Understanding the Business and Its Clients

10:49 Addressing Change and Resistance

14:29 Hiring for Cultural Fit

17:32 The Impact of Culture on Customer Experience

20:50 Lessons on Healthy Debate in Culture

25:55 Advice for New CEOs on Culture Transformation

28:01 Does It Hold Water?

31:15 Chip Shots: Quickfire Questions

📚 Book Recommendation:

Matt’s Pick:

The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business, by Patrick Lencioni

🔗 Connect with Matt:

·       LinkedIn:      https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-feiner-8b243b4/

🔗 Connect with Gary Marra:

·       LinkedIn:                    https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-marra/

·       Marra CX Hub:           https://marracxhub.com/

·       YouTube:                    YCYS YouTube Page

📣 🎧 Please Listen & Subscribe

💡 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!

👉 Follow Your Customer, Your Success for more insights on customer experience, leadership, and business strategy.

Want to be a guest on Your Customer, Your Success? 

Send Gary Marra a message on PodMatch here: 

https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1726154102094403cb5558fc4

#CX #CustomerSuccess #leadership #corporateculture #podmatch

In this conversation, Gary Marra speaks with Francie Jain, the founder and CEO of Terrawatt, about the critical role of coaching in organizations. They discuss how Terrawatt operates as a B2B coaching marketplace, emphasizing the importance of psychological safety in fostering employee engagement and reducing turnover. Francie shares insights on the measurable outcomes of coaching programs, the necessity of a culture of learning, and practical starting points for organizations looking to implement coaching. The conversation highlights the interconnectedness of employee experience and customer experience, and the need for consistent client experiences across coaching networks.

Takeaways

• Psychological safety is essential for team success.
• Coaching should be viewed as a business necessity, not a perk.
• High turnover rates can be significantly reduced through effective coaching.
• Customization in coaching programs enhances their effectiveness.
• Measuring the impact of coaching is crucial for understanding ROI.
• A culture of learning fosters growth and innovation.
• Leadership should prioritize psychological safety to encourage open communication.
• Having a clear North Star simplifies decision-making in organizations.

Chapters

01:00 Introduction to Terrawatt and Coaching Marketplace

02:24 Understanding the Terrawatt Model

04:43 Under-investing in Coaching

07:20 The Costs of Low Psychological Safety

10:42 Reframing Coaching as a Business Necessity

13:12 Measurable Outcomes of Coaching-$32MM Example!

21:12 Starting with Coaching in Organizations

22:40 Understanding Client Needs and Feedback

26:00 Making the Case for Coaching to the C-Suite 

27:20 “Does it Hold Water?”

31:42 Chip Shots

🔗 Connect with Francie:

·       LinkedIn:      https://www.linkedin.com/in/franciejain/

·       Website:      https://terawatt.co/

🔗 Connect with Gary Marra:

·       LinkedIn:                    https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-marra/

·       Marra CX Hub:           https://marracxhub.com/

·       YouTube:                    YCYS YouTube Page

📣 🎧 Please Listen & Subscribe

💡 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!

👉 Follow Your Customer, Your Success for more insights on customer experience, leadership, and business strategy.

Want to be a guest on Your Customer, Your Success? 

Send Gary Marra a message on PodMatch here: 

https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1726154102094403cb5558fc4

In this solo episode of Your Customer, Your Success, Gary Marra discusses various topics, including the misconceptions surrounding agentic AI, the innovative customer experience strategies of the Savannah Bananas, and a unique approach to golf course management. He emphasizes the importance of understanding AI's limitations, the need for engaging customer experiences, and how to turn potential negative situations into positive outcomes.

Takeaways

• AI is a hot topic, but many projects are overhyped and may fail.
• The Savannah Bananas provide a unique customer experience that keeps fans engaged.
• Customer experience should be prioritized over simply adopting new technologies.
• Golf courses can enhance customer satisfaction by offering creative solutions during maintenance periods.
• Emotional connections with fans are crucial for sports teams.
• It's important to define problems clearly before seeking technological solutions.
• The concept of agentic AI is often misunderstood and misapplied.
• Successful customer experiences often involve a triple win for all parties involved.

Chapters

00:43 Introduction to YOLO Gary Goes Solo

03:27 Recap of Recent Guest Episodes, check 'em out!!!

07:43 Trying to Understand AI and Agentic AI

14:51 How the Savannah Bananas Create an AMAZING experience!

22:26 Wow or No Wow: Creative Solution involing Golf Course Maintenance

🔗 Connect with Gary Marra:

·       LinkedIn:                     https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-marra/

·       Marra CX Hub:           https://marracxhub.com/

·       YouTube:                    YCYS YouTube Page

📣 🎧 Please Listen & Subscribe

💡 Don’t forget

to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!

👉 Follow Your Customer,

Your Success for more insights on customer experience,

leadership, and business strategy.

Want to be a

guest on Your Customer, Your Success?

Send Gary Marra a message on PodMatch here: 

https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1726154102094403cb5558fc4

In this conversation, Chris Gillen, CEO of Caller Base AI and author of The Villain Trap, discusses the dynamics of leadership accountability, the impact of blame culture on organizations, and the importance of employee experience in delivering great customer experience. He introduces the concept of the 'Villain Trap,' where leaders often blame others for failures instead of taking accountability. Chris emphasizes the need for leaders to foster a positive work environment and to embrace AI as a tool for enhancement rather than replacement. The discussion also touches on personal growth, the importance of self-reflection, and the need for servant leadership in today's world.

Takeaways

• Victims often need villains to avoid accountability.
• Blame culture can be addictive and detrimental to leadership.
• Great customer experience starts with a positive employee experience.
• The villain trap can silently erode trust within organizations.
• Leaders must take ownership of their role in employee success.
• AI should be viewed as a tool for enhancement, not replacement.
• Self-reflection is crucial for personal and professional growth.
• Worrying about trivial matters can hinder effective leadership.
• Servant leadership is essential for fostering a supportive work environment.
• Building trust is key to maintaining healthy relationships in business.

Chapters

01:00   Introduction

02:00   Understanding the Villain Trap

06:25   The Allure of Blame in Leadership

11:48   Impact of Blame on Trust and Employee Experience

18:03   Breaking Free from the Villain Trap

25:21   Empowering Employees for Success

28:54   The Essence of Servant Leadership

29:14   Navigating the AI Landscape

34:39   The Impact of Blame on Change

35:36   Key Takeaways from The Villain Trap

40:43   Personal Routines for Success

45:40   Lessons from Worrying Less

📚 Book Recommendation:

Chris’s Pick: TBD

🔗 Connect with Chris:

·       LinkedIn:     https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgillen/

       Website:      https://www.thevillaintrap.com

https://callerbaseai.com

🔗 Connect with Gary Marra:

·       LinkedIn:                     https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-marra/

·       Marra CX Hub:           https://marracxhub.com/

·       YouTube:                    YCYS YouTube Page

📣 🎧 Please Listen & Subscribe

💡 Don’t forget

to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!

👉 Follow Your Customer,

Your Success for more insights on customer experience,

leadership, and business strategy.

Want to be a

guest on Your Customer, Your Success?

Send Gary Marra a message on PodMatch here: 

https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1726154102094403cb5558fc4

In this conversation, Gary Marra speaks with Bill Kasko, President and CEO of Frontline Source Group, about the current state of the job market, the impact of technology on employment, and effective job search strategies. Bill shares insights on the importance of a strong professional network, the unique People.Process.Service. ™ framework his company employs, and the innovative five-year placement guarantee that sets them apart in the staffing industry. They also discuss the evolving nature of work, including the balance between remote and in-office environments, and the necessity for job seekers to adapt their strategies in a rapidly changing landscape.

Takeaways

·      The job market is currently chaotic but still vibrant.

·      Technology, especially AI, is reshaping employment dynamics.

·      Job seekers need to adapt their strategies to the changing landscape.

·      A simple, scannable resume is crucial for job applications.

·      LinkedIn is an essential tool for networking and job searching.

·      Communication and follow-up are key in the job search process.

·      The People Process Service framework emphasizes treating candidates with respect.

·      The five-year placement guarantee offers clients peace of mind.

·      Flexibility in work arrangements is becoming increasingly important.

·      Building a strong professional network is vital for career success.

Chapters

01:20 Introduction

02:26 Bill’s Take on the Current Job Market

09:40 The Evolution of Job Search & Current Tips

17:25 The People.Process.Service. ™ Framework

25:44 Innovative Hiring Solutions and the Five-Year Warranty

35:44 Creating Positive Customer Experiences

39:23 The Future of Work: Remote vs. In-Office

45:54 “Does It Hold Water?”

48:39 Chip Shots

📚 Book Recommendations:

Bill’s Pick:

·       In Search of Excellence, by Tom Peters

🔗 Connect with Bill:

·       LinkedIn:        https://www.linkedin.com/in/billkasko/

·       Website:          https://www.frontlinesourcegroup.com

🔗 Connect with Gary Marra:

·       LinkedIn:                    https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-marra/

·       Marra CX Hub:           https://marracxhub.com/

·       YouTube:                    YCYS YouTube Page

📣 🎧 Please Listen & Subscribe

💡 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!

👉 Follow Your Customer, Your Success for more insights on customer experience, leadership, and business strategy.

Want to be a guest on Your Customer, Your Success?

Send Gary Marra a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1726154102094403cb5558fc4

In this conversation, Shruti Joshi, President and COO of Facet Wealth, discusses the transformative approach to financial planning that focuses on accessibility and member-centricity. She highlights the challenges faced by millions of Americans who lack access to quality financial services and explains how Facet Wealth's flat fee model builds trust and encourages meaningful client relationships. The discussion also delves into the importance of customer-centric practices in business, the role of transparency in pricing, and the metrics that matter for success. In this conversation, Shruti and Gary discuss the importance of metrics in customer experience, emphasizing retention and feedback mechanisms. Shruti highlights common mistakes companies make when trying to be customer-centric and the significance of understanding customer needs deeply. The discussion also covers the connection between employee and customer experiences, the evaluation of subscription models in financial services, and valuable lessons learned from career experiences.

Takeaways

•  Money is a leading cause of stress in America.

•  50 to 70 million Americans lack access to quality financial planning.

•  Facet Wealth offers a transparent flat fee model for financial planning.

•  The traditional AUM model excludes many potential clients.

•  Financial planning should address all aspects of a person's life, not just retirement.

•  Building trust starts with transparency in pricing and services.

•  Customer-centric companies prioritize hiring individuals with a customer-first mentality.

•  Processes should involve customer feedback in problem-solving.

•  Metrics should balance revenue and customer retention. 

•  Retention is a key metric in subscription models.

•  Subscription models should focus on holistic value, not just investments.

•  Mistakes often stem from not knowing the true customer problem.

•  Choosing the right challenges to tackle is important for growth.

Chapters

01:05 Introduction 

02:27 The Need for Accessible Financial Planning

07:03 Building Trust Through a Flat Fee Model

08:16 The Impact of Pricing on Client Behavior

10:40 Defining Customer-Centricity in Business

14:59 Leading Change in Customer Experience

19:04 Making Decisions with Member Trust in Mind

22:03 Understanding Metrics in Customer Experience

24:33 Common Mistakes in Customer-Centric Approaches

27:32 Connecting Employee and Customer Experiences

31:19 “Does it Hold Water?”

35:18 Chip Shots 

📚 Book Recommendations:

Shruti’s Pick:

·       Catchter in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

🔗 Connect with Shruti:

·       LinkedIn:        https://www.linkedin.com/in/shruti-joshi1/

·       Website:        http://www.facet.com/

🔗 Connect with Gary Marra:

·       LinkedIn:                    https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-marra/

·       Marra CX Hub:         https://marracxhub.com/

·       YouTube:                   YCYS YouTube Page

📣 🎧 Please Listen & Subscribe

💡 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!

👉 Follow Your Customer, Your Success for more insights on customer experience, leadership, and business strategy.

SUMMARY

In this episode of Your Customer, Your Success, Gary Marra sits down with Rachel Provan, founder of Provan Success and host of The Psychology of Customer Success. Rachel shares her journey from a high-performing individual contributor to an overwhelmed first-time manager—and how she leveraged the power of leadership psychology to transform herself and now coach others.

In this conversation, Gary Marra and Rachel Provan delve into the intricacies of customer success and leadership. They discuss the importance of human-first, emotionally intelligent leadership, the evolution of customer success, and the need for effective coaching in the field. Rachel emphasizes the significance of understanding human psychology in leadership and the detrimental effects of toxic work environments. The conversation also touches on the challenges of selling the value of customer success and the necessity of continuous value delivery to clients. In this engaging conversation, Rachel Provan shares her insights on management, customer success, and the importance of authenticity in leadership. She emphasizes the need for managers to be themselves and care for their teams, while also discussing the challenges faced by customer success teams in aligning with revenue goals. The conversation touches on mental health issues within the industry, the value of influential books, and the benefits of coaching. Rachel also shares her thoughts on podcasting and the importance of being authentic in communication.

Takeaways:

·      Rachel Provan emphasizes the importance of understanding human psychology in leadership.

·      New managers often struggle with imposter syndrome and lack of training.

·      Leadership can be learned and is not solely based on natural ability.

·      Toxic work environments stem from poor leadership and fear-based management.

·      Customer success is often undervalued and requires ongoing effort to demonstrate its importance.

·      Effective coaching can help bridge the gap in leadership training.

·      Human-first leadership leads to higher employee engagement and better business outcomes.

·      Rachel's coaching business was born out of a need for structured leadership training

·      Customer success should focus on customer goals, not just revenue.

Timeline:

01:24 Introduction 

02:37 Rachel's Initial Management Journey

09:27 Transitioning to Coaching and Business Ownership

20:20 Philosophy of Human-First, Emotionally Intelligent Leadership

24:54 Breaking the Cycle of Toxic Leadership

28:58 The Challenges of Understanding Customer Success

35:35 “Does it Hold Water?” 

42:33 Chip Shots

📚 Book Recommendations:

Rachel’s Picks:

·       Dare to Lead by Brené Brown

·       The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle

·       Crucial Conversations by Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, and Switzler

🔗 Connect with Rachel:

·       LinkedIn:        https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelhprovan/

·       Website:          https://provansuccess.com/

·       Podcast:          The Psychology of Customer Success: https://www.psychologyofcustomersuccess.com/

🔗 Connect with Gary Marra:

·       LinkedIn:                    https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-marra/

·       Marra CX Hub:           https://marracxhub.com/

·       YouTube:                    YCYS YouTube Page

📣 🎧 Please Listen & Subscribe

💡 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!

👉 Follow Your Customer, Your Success for more insights on customer experience, leadership, and business strategy.

• Takeaways:
• Understanding customer psychology is crucial for effective marketing and retention strategies.
• Companies often design products based on their own perspectives rather than their customers'.
• The customer journey should extend beyond the sale to include renewals and ongoing relationships.
• Building trust with customers is essential for long-term loyalty and retention.
• Customer relationship management should be a collaborative effort across teams.
• Effective communication is key to successful change management in organizations.
• Leaders must earn the right to lead by fostering trust and collaboration.
• Podcasting should focus on delivering value rather than vanity metrics.

CHAPTERS

• 01:12 Introduction to Alyssa Nolte
• 02:41 Alyssa's Career Journey and Early Choices
• 06:19 Common Mistakes Companies Make
• 09:00 Brain Processing and Cognitive Analysis
• 14:11 Reimagining the Funnel
• 15:34 Building Trust and Retention with Customers
• 19:23 Team Dynamics in Customer Relationship Management
• 22:00 Current Projects and Future Aspirations
• 23:42 Does It Hold Water?
• 27:50 Chip Shots

Book Recommendation:

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by Patrick Lencioni

Connect with Alyssa:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssanolte/

https://truvuex.com/

🎧 Please Listen & Subscribe

💡 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!

👉 Follow Your Customer, Your Success for more insights on CX, AI, and business strategy.

Marra CX Hub

YouTube

They discuss real-world examples of how understanding customer journeys can significantly reduce churn and improve onboarding experiences. The dialogue also touches on the relevance of CX maturity assessments and the necessity for independent consultants to specialize in their fields. Dave shares personal anecdotes about his career growth and the lessons learned from failures, emphasizing the importance of taking risks and finding one's niche in the consulting world.

Takeaways:

• Effective journey mapping requires customer insights, not just internal opinions.
• Half of journey maps created fail to drive change.
• Align journey mapping projects with strategic business goals.
• The DARMA method ™ consists of five steps: Define, Analyze, Research, Map, Act.
• Stakeholder engagement is crucial throughout the journey mapping process.
• Data analysis should include customer behavior, operational, financial, and sentiment data.
• Develop a journey hypothesis to test against real customer experiences.
• Journey mapping is not a quick exercise; it requires thorough analysis and research.
• Change management is an essential component of journey mapping. 
• Journey mapping reveals critical moments that impact customer behavior.
• Maturity assessments may not resonate with business leaders.
• Specialization in consulting leads to greater clarity and success.
• Taking risks can lead to significant career advancements.

Chapters

01:22 Introduction

02:53 Understanding Journey Mapping

07:16 The DARMA Method™ Overview

13:43 Analyzing the Current State

22:52 Journey Mapping Done Right, Analyzing Customer Churn

29:00 Another Example: Onboarding Challenges 

32:11 “Does it Hold Water?”

35:53 Chip Shots

For more on Dave's approach to Journey Mapping, please check out our friend Rick Denton's CX Passport episode with Dave!

Audio: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1736603/episodes/17423417

Video: https://youtu.be/jCLFa_tZj1A?si=0U1_wP_vESoZ7NjB

Reply 

Book Recommendation:

Primal Leadership by Daniel Goldman et al

Connect with Dave:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveseaton/

https://www.seatoncx.com

🎧 Please Listen & Subscribe

💡 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!

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Marra CX Hub

YouTube

Chapters

Introduction to YOLO: Gary Goes Solo

02:00 The Importance of Client Experience

11:37 B2B vs B2C: Relationships Over Transactions

24:55 Transforming Transactions into Relationships

26:04 AI vs Human Interaction: A Growing Concern

26:47 The AI Hiring Controversy

30:27 Podcast Segments: Engaging Formats

37:04 Introducing New Segments: Wow or No Wow

45:42 Customer Experience Highlights: Urban Grape vs. Dick's Sporting Goods

🎧 Please Listen & Subscribe

💡 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!

👉 Follow Your Customer, Your Success for more insights on CX, AI, and business strategy.

Marra CX Hub

Takeaways:

• Storytelling is a powerful skill across all professions, not just creative fields
• Effective communication requires understanding your purpose: informing versus influencing
• Building a clear, structured argument forms the foundation of compelling storytelling
• Emotional appeal dramatically increases your ability to influence and connect with audiences
• Research your audience thoroughly to tailor your message effectively
• Visual elements and storyboarding enhance comprehension and impact
• Personal stories and experiences create authentic connections with listeners
• Digital customer experience relies on narrative elements that resonate emotionally
• Great storytellers appear in diverse fields - from comedy and politics to education
• Well-crafted stories create lasting impressions that persist after the presentation ends

Chapters

1:23    Introduction

2:15    Andrew’s storytelling background

6:51   Define your purpose

11:00 Next Level of Purpose-Think, Feel, or Do

19:15 Framing the house, storyboard

28:00 Great Storytellers

31:00 Gary talks “Cheers!”

33:52 Does it Hold Water?

36:13 Chip Shots

Book Recommendation:

Digital Hesitation by Thomas Lah and JB Wood

Honorable Mention: Frankenstein, Mary Shelley

Connect with Andrew:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-carothers/

🎧 Please Listen & Subscribe

💡 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!

👉 Follow Your Customer, Your Success for more insights on CX, AI, and business strategy.

Marra CX Hub

YouTube

He shares insights on ROI, customer retention, and his personal journey from corporate life to entrepreneurship, offering amazing advice for aspiring business owners. In this conversation, Mark Stern and Gary Marra explore innovative strategies for enhancing customer experiences, the importance of niching down in business, and the interconnectedness of personal health and professional success. They discuss gamification in client onboarding, the dangers of customer indifference, and the value of learning from industry leaders. Mark shares insights on how focusing on the right partnerships and personal well-being can lead to significant business growth.

Takeaways:

·       How custom boxes serve as a vehicle for optimizing customer journeys.

·       Defining success for customers is crucial for business growth.

·       Gamification & collection can enhance customer engagement and retention.

·       Physical experiences create a lasting impact in a digital world.

·       Replayability in experiences encourages customer loyalty.

·       Businesses often overlook the importance of clear success markers.

·       Mark's keys on his transition from corporate to entrepreneurship 

·       Understanding the rules of entrepreneurship is key to success.

·       Physical products can significantly improve customer retention rates.

·       Niching down allows for deeper focus and greater success.

·       The 'who' in business is more important than the 'how'.

Chapters

01:33 Introduction 

02:40 Optimizing Customer Journeys

04:35 Gamification in Customer Experience

08:40 The Power of Physical Experiences

14:18 What’s Old is New Again?

16:20 ROI and Retention

21:32 Defining Success in Customer Journeys

23:24 Mark's Entrepreneurial Journey

26:58 Advice for Budding Entrepreneurs

28:55 Gamifying the Client Experience

31:57 Does It Hold Water?

37:25 Chip Shots

Book Recommendation:

Who Not How, The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork

by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy

Honorable Mention: Never Lose a Customer Again: Turn Any Sale into Lifelong Loyalty in 100 Days by Joey Coleman

🔗 Connect with Mark

📱 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marustern/

🌐 Website: https://customboxagency.com

🎧 Please Listen & Subscribe

💡 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!

👉 Follow Your Customer, Your Success for more insights on CX, AI, and business strategy.

Marra CX Hub

VIDEOS ON THE PODCAST AND CLIPS CAN BE FOUND HERE! 

YouTube

In this episode of 'Your Customer Your Success', host Gary Marra speaks with Josh Nutter, Vice President of Business Development at OP360. They discuss the mission of OP360 in enhancing customer experience through outsourcing, the challenges faced in the industry, and the importance of training and managing outsourced teams. Josh shares insights on the role of AI in customer service, the metrics used to measure performance, and the significance of communication between sales and operations. The conversation also highlights success stories in outsourcing, the importance of customer feedback, and personal insights from Josh on professional growth and outreach.

About OP360

·       Global business process outsourcing (BPO) company

·       Focus on world-class customer experience through people, technology, and thought leadership

·       Operates as an extension of clients' in-house teams in locations including the Philippines and Colombia

·       Specializes in both customer support and back-office operations

Outsourcing Misconceptions

·       Outsourcing has evolved significantly over the past five years with increased investment in employee experience

·       OP360's philosophy: they won't work with organizations that aren't as passionate about their customers as OP360 is about their employees

·       Outsourcing benefits extend beyond cost savings to include scalability, increased service levels, and 24/7 operations

Managing Exceptional Service Levels

·       OP360 boasts an impressive attrition rate of less than 4%

·       Complete managed service offering: recruiting, training, and managing to SLA outcomes

·       Each team is built specifically to client needs rather than fitting clients into a standardized approach

·       Training process includes certifying trainers on client culture, values, and product knowledge

AI Integration in Contact Centers

·       Strategic partnerships with multiple AI technologies

·       Client-focused approach: OP360 doesn't drive AI investment for direct consumer interactions

·       AI applications in recruitment (better talent matching), training (sandbox environment with realistic scenarios), and performance management

·       30% increase in ramp to proficiency using AI-enhanced training

Performance Metrics

·       Core metrics typically include quality metrics (NPS, CSAT) and productivity measures

·       Analysis of survey feedback categorized as "controllable" vs. "non-controllable" factors

·       Internal client satisfaction monitoring through ENPS scoring twice yearly

Success Stories

·       Legal sector: Started with a 10 FTE pilot, now supports 28 different lines of business with 500+ FTEs

·       Healthcare: Improved patient experience for a multi-location clinic with 60+ offices by centralizing patient engagement functions

Audio Chapters

01:17  Introduction to OP360 and Its Mission

03:59 Addressing Customer Experience Challenges

05:24 Misconceptions About Outsourcing and how it can help

07:30 Training and Managing Outsourced Teams

10:32 The Role of AI in the Organization

12:46 Metrics and Performance Management

15:06 Ensuring Communication Between Sales and Operations

17:28 Success Stories in Outsourcing

22:25 Gathering and Acting on Customer Feedback

24:14 “Does It Hold Water?”

30: 35 Chip Shots 

🔗 Connect with Josh

📱 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshnutter/

🌐 Website: https://www.op360.com

Email: josh@op360.com

🎧 Please Listen & Subscribe

💡 Don’t forget

to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!

👉 Follow Your Customer,

Your Success for more insights on CX, AI, and business

strategy.

Marra CX Hub

VIDEOS ON THE

PODCAST AND CLIPS CAN BE FOUND HERE!

YouTube

In this episode, Gary Marra welcomes Stacy Sherman, a renowned Customer Experience (CX) leader, speaker, and author, to explore how businesses can create impactful customer journeys by aligning CX with business goals. Stacy shares her thoughts on what it means to 'do CX right’, emphasizing the importance of understanding the customer journey, empowering employees, and maintaining consistency across all touchpoints. The discussion also highlights the challenges of breaking down silos within organizations and creating a culture that encourages feedback. Stacy introduces her journey management framework, which focuses on the entire ecosystem of customer interactions, and discusses effective metrics for measuring success. Stacy shares insights from her new book, Transformative Experience Journey Management, and breaks down the critical components of humanizing businesses, emotional intelligence in CX, employee experience, and the role of AI in shaping the future of CX.

Takeaways

·      “Doing CX Right” is about the managing entire customer journey.

·      Empowerment of staff leads to exceptional customer service.

·      Consistency is key in delivering a reliable customer experience.

·      Breaking down silos enhances collaboration and improves CX.

·      Creating a safe environment for feedback is essential for growth.

·      Journey Management is more than mapping; it's about the entire ecosystem.

·      Feedback from customers should be celebrated and shared.

·      Starting a podcast doesn't require fancy tech, so take the mic outta the box!

·      Another Seinfeld Reference :)

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction 

02:40 What is “Doing CX Right”?

03:40 Who’s Doing it Right?

07:02 The Importance of Consistency

09:10 Designing Journey Management

11:05 Breaking Down Silos for Better CX

16:04 Creating a Safe Environment for Feedback

18:33 Journey Management Framework in Action

24:30 Measuring Customer Experience Success

27:03 Does It Hold Water? 

30:47 Chip Shots

🔗 Connect with Stacy

🌐 Website: https://doingcxright.com

📱 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacysherman/

📕Book: Transformative Experience Journey Management

🎧 Please Listen & Subscribe

💡 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!

👉 Follow Your Customer, Your Success for more insights on CX, AI, and business strategy.

Marra CX Hub

VIDEOS ON THE PODCAST AND CLIPS CAN BE FOUND HERE!

YouTube

In this conversation, Tim McCleary discusses the critical role of company culture and employee engagement in driving organizational success. He introduces the concept of 'involvement culture,' which emphasizes trust, empowerment, and connection among employees. Tim highlights the alarming statistics of employee disengagement and the importance of building high-trust environments to enhance productivity. The discussion also delves into the significance of human connection in customer experiences and the challenges organizations face in navigating change. Tim shares insights on the "7 Stages of Change" and how they relate to the emotional responses employees experience during transitions. In this conversation, Tim and Gary also explore the dynamics of change management within organizations, emphasizing the importance of trust, creativity, and employee involvement. They discuss the challenges of downsizing, the need for a cultural shift, and the innovative methods used at GE to foster creativity and simplify operations. The conversation also delves into measuring the ROI of trust in organizations and the significance of effective communication in leadership. Tim shares personal insights on influential books and the lessons learned from his career, culminating in practical advice for leaders seeking to initiate change.

Takeaways

• Companies with an involvement culture grow 3x faster.
• 68% of employees are disengaged, with 17% actively disengaged.
• High trust cultures lead to 50% more productivity.
• Organizations should slow down change to allow employees to adapt.
• "Freedom within a framework" empowers employees while maintaining consistency.
• Understanding the essence of company values is crucial for engagement.
• Authenticity and vulnerability foster trust in the workplace.
• Customer experience is impacted by employee engagement and trust.
• Resistance to change is a natural human response that needs to be managed. Activation is an invitation to change, not just management.
• Downsizing creates a trust gap among employees.
• Involvement of employees leads to better change outcomes.

AUDIO Chapters

01:08 Introduction

02:15 Understanding Involvement Culture and Its Impact

08:44 The Trust Gap & Importance of Trust in Organizations

12:20 Confirmation of the Nordstrom Tire Story

15:25 Human Connection and Customer Experience

19:48 Navigating Resistance to Change

24:00 The 7 Stages of Change and the 5 Stages of Grief

28:00 Creativity and Culture Shift at GE

32:35 Measuring ROI: The Importance of Trust Using…Science!

35:15 Does It Hold Water? 

43:04 Chip Shots

🔗 Connect with Tim McCleary

• 🌐 Website: The Involvement Practice
• 📱 LinkedIn:  Tim McCleary

🎧 Please Listen & Subscribe

💡 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!

👉 Follow Your Customer, Your Success for more insights on CX, AI, and business strategy.

Marra CX Hub

VIDEOS ON THE PODCAST AND CLIPS CAN BE FOUND HERE!

YouTube

Takeaways

• AI is often overhyped, creating unrealistic expectations.
• Critical thinking is becoming a lost art and skill
• Customer needs should drive technology adoption, not the other way around.
• There is a significant gap between AI's perceived and actual capabilities.
• Education about AI is crucial for both consumers and leaders.
• The risks of relying on AI without understanding its limitations are high.
• Historical context shows that AI is not a new concept but has evolved.
• Mindful use of AI can enhance customer experience if done correctly.
• Healthcare applications of AI show promise but require careful consideration.
• Leaders must ask customers how they want to engage with technology.

00:00 Introduction 

03:00 The Hype vs. Reality of AI

07:12 Critical Thinking in the Age of AI

09:49 Customer Obsession vs. Technology

13:08 The Risks of Blindly Following AI Trends

19:05 The Gap Between AI Expectations and Reality

22:20 Mindful Uses of AI in Business

25:40 Does It Hold Water? AI in Medicine/Healthcare

31:30 Chip Shots

🔗 Connect with Chris Hood

• 📖 Book: Infailible - The Artificial Intelligence Ideology Reshaping Consumer Behavior
• 🌐 Website: https://chrishood.com/
• 📱 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrishood
• 🐦 Twitter: @ChrisHood1

🎧 Please Listen & Subscribe

💡 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode!

👉 Follow Your Customer, Your Success for more insights on CX, AI, and business strategy.

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In this conversation, Sean Albertson, Founder and CEO of CX4Rocks Consulting, Speaker, and Author, discusses the evolving landscape of customer experience (CX) and the challenges organizations face today. He emphasizes the growing expectations of customers, the decentralization of CX roles, and the importance of integrating technology effectively. Sean discusses the concept of combining personalization and customization to enhance customer service. He also shares insights on the future of contact centers with AI, the value of diverse experiences in career development, and lessons learned from past failures. In the "Does it Hold Water?" Gary challenges Sean with a quote about the impact of AI in 2025.

Takeaways

• Decentralization in CX can lead to a lack of accountability and silos within organizations.
• Technology should enhance human capabilities, not replace them.
• AI can significantly improve efficiency in contact centers by assisting agents.
• Situationalization allows for real-time, personalized customer support.
• Diverse experiences across departments enhance understanding and effectiveness in CX roles.
• High effort in customer interactions leads to disloyalty.

Episode Timestamps

00:03 - Introduction and welcome

00:53 - Guest introduction and background

01:24 - Discussion on why "being a customer today sucks"

03:21 - Analysis of decentralized CX approach challenges

05:07 - Discussion of silos in financial services

06:09 - Solutions and technology's role in improving CX

13:49 - Deep dive into effective technology use and "situationalization"

26:31 - "Does it Hold Water" segment: 2025 CX predictions

30:05 - "Chip Shots" segment: Book recommendations and career insights

🔗 Connect with Sean Albertson:

• LinkedIn: Sean Albertson
• Website: Sean’s Website

📌 Stay Connected with Gary Marra & Your Customer, Your Success

• Blog: Marra CX Hub
• Podcast: Your Customer, Your Success
• LinkedIn: Gary Marra
• YouTube: Your Customer, Your Success YouTube

Episode Title: Cultivating a CX Movement with Katie Stabler

Host: Gary Marra

Guest: Katie Stabler, Founder of Cultivate Customer Experience by Design

In this episode of Your Customer, Your Success, Gary Marra sits down with Katie Stabler, a passionate CX consultant, speaker, and author, to explore the power of customer experience and the principles behind building meaningful customer-driven relationships. Katie shares her unique journey from the non-profit sector to leading CX initiatives, emphasizing the importance of empathy, trust, and effective communication in enhancing customer satisfaction. They discuss the barriers companies face in improving CX, the critical role of leadership, and the necessity of fostering a culture that prioritizes customer-centricity. Katie also introduces her upcoming book, “CX-ism” which encapsulates her insights and strategies for transforming customer experiences across various industries. Additionally, Katie and Gary Marra discuss the transformative power of customer journey mapping in organizations, the evolving role of AI in customer experience, and Katie’s sensational 3 S’s of Customer Experience! 

This is such a great episode, I can’t wait to share it and hear your feedback! Such a great lively discussion with wall to wall insights, takeaways, and inspiration for customer focused professionals at any level! 

Key Topics Discussed:

✅ Human-Centered CX: Katie explains how companies can cultivate strong customer relationships by prioritizing empathy, communication, and experience design.

✅ Customer Experience vs. Customer Success: The importance of distinguishing and aligning both disciplines for long-term business impact.

✅ CX Innovation & Experimentation: Why trying new approaches—just like trying new recipes—can elevate a brand’s customer experience.

✅ Metrics & Measurement: How businesses should approach CX measurement without losing sight of real customer needs.

✅ Katie’s Upcoming Book: A sneak peek into her latest work on customer experience strategy, “CX-ism”:

Where to Find Katie Stabler:

🔗 Website: cultivatecustomerexperience.com

🔗 LinkedIn: Katie Stabler on LinkedIn

🔗 Instagram: @customer_experience_cultivator

🚀 COMING SOON: Join Katie’s book waitlist and stay updated on her latest insights in CX:

https://www.cultivatecustomerexperience.com/cx-ism-the-philosophy-of-customer-experience

Connect with Gary Marra & Your Customer, Your Success

📌 Podcast Website: Marra CX Hub or any of your Favorite Platforms!

📌 LinkedIn: Gary Marra

Here is the YouTube link to Your Customer, Your Success Podcasts:

🔗 Your Customer, Your Success YouTube Channel

📌 YouTube: gforce41 (This is my YouTube Golf & Gaming Channel)

💡 Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with your network!

In this episode of Your Customer, Your Success, host Gary Marra sits down with Kristi Faltorusso, Chief Customer Officer at ClientSuccess and a Top 25 thought leader in the customer success industry. With over 13 years of experience, Kristi has built and transformed world-class customer success teams. She shares her expert insights into the evolving role of CS, the recent challenges in the industry, and thoughts on moving forward.

From leveraging AI and data to designing scalable strategies, Kristi explains how organizations can position themselves for success in 2025 and beyond. Whether you're a CS leader, a curious professional, or someone looking to refine your customer management approach, this episode is oozing with actionable advice and great discussion. Gary challenges Kristi during "Does it Hold Water?" with a conflicting opinion from Sales Teams, and Chip Shots features great advice and suggestions from Kristi.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

- The Fundamentals of Customer Success: What it is, why it matters, and how it differs from customer support.

- The Role of the Customer Success Manager (CSM): Insights into their responsibilities as orchestrators of customer success.

- Kristi’s Fitness Analogy for Customer Success: How achieving customer goals is like working with a personal trainer at the gym.

- Key Challenges in 2024 and How to Tackle 2025: Kristi’s analysis of market shifts, innovation, and customer expectations.

- The Importance of Ideal Customer Profiles (ICP): How to design an ICP that ensures customer success and minimizes effort.

- Metrics That Matter: Kristi’s approach to avoiding “metrics myopia” and focusing on what truly impacts customer outcomes.

- Success Probability Score: A framework Kristi developed to predict and improve customer outcomes.

Additional Resources:

- Connect with Kristi on LinkedIn: [Kristi Faltorusso](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristifaltorusso)

- Visit Kristi’s website: [KristiFaltorusso.com](https://www.kristifaltorusso.com)

- Check out Kristi’s podcasts: She’s So Suite, CS and BS Unchurned, and Customer Success Hotline

- Book Mentioned: Atomic Habits by James Clear

Subscribe & Follow:

Don’t miss an episode of Your Customer, Your Success! Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and follow Gary Marra for more expert insights into customer success, customer experience, and leadership.

**Join the Conversation:**

What strategies are you using to improve customer success in 2025? Share your thoughts and connect with us on social media!

Simona shares her insights on the importance of values in communication, building relationships, and the role of leadership in fostering a positive environment. The discussion also touches on the balance between listener feedback and creative direction, as well as personal growth and the challenges of leadership. Simona emphasizes the significance of self-awareness and empathy in leadership, and the impact of personal experiences on professional development.

Chapters/Timeline

Introduction to Simona Costantini (0:00)

• Meet Simona and learn about her podcasting and entrepreneurial journey.

The Parallels Between Podcasting and Customer Experience (6:00)

• How values, empathy, and connection create meaningful experiences.

From Corporate to Entrepreneur: Simona’s Story (12:00)

• Simona shares her transition from a corporate career to starting Volt Productions.

The Role of Leadership in Business Growth (18:30)

• Lessons in managing clients, leading a team, and staying aligned with your values.

Balancing Listener Feedback and Creative Direction (24:00)

• Strategies for creating content that resonates while staying true to your vision.

Practical Tips for Mindfulness and Success (31:15)

• Simona’s habits and routines for staying grounded and maintaining clarity.

"Does It Hold Water?" Segment with Simona (36:30)

• A thought-provoking discussion on Marcus Aurelius’s quote: “Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself.”

Rapid-Fire Insights and Recommendations (42:00)

• Simona shares her favorite book, lessons learned from failure, and daily habits for success.

Closing Thoughts and Where to Find Simona (47:00)

• Simona shares her parting advice and invites listeners to connect with her.

You can find Simona here:

Website:

https://www.voltproductions.co

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/simona-costantini-25653a30/

YouTube:

www.youtube.com/@happinesshappenswithsimona

Stay Connected with Your Customer, Your Success

• Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite platform!
• Follow Gary Marra on LinkedIn and check out www.marracxhub.com for more insights into customer experience and success.

Upcoming Episodes

Stay tuned for future episodes featuring guests from the world of customer experience, customer success management, and career coaching. Exciting conversations are ahead to help you thrive in your professional journey.

Episode Summary

In this episode of Your Customer, Your Success, host Gary Marra chats with Kelly Schuknecht, Chief Elevation Officer of Two Mile High Marketing and host of the Beyond the Bestseller podcast. They explore the intersection of thought leadership, personal branding, and career success. Kelly shares actionable strategies to help listeners elevate their professional presence, attract ideal audiences, and overcome the challenges of getting started.

Episode Timeline

00:32   Meet Kelly Schuknecht

• Kelly shares her professional background and journey to starting her marketing agency, Two Mile High Marketing, insights into her podcast, Beyond the Bestseller, and her mission to elevate professional women thought leaders.

02:49 The Power of Thought Leadership

• Kelly explains how she leveraged thought leadership strategies in her corporate roles and for her clients.

05:53 Overcoming Barriers to Personal Branding

• Kelly shares her initial discomfort with creating content and how she overcame imposter syndrome.

10:20   Identifying Your Ideal Audience

• The importance of knowing your audience and tailoring your message to their needs.

13:02   Personas and Targeted Messaging

• Discussion on building personas and why narrowing your focus can lead to greater success with an example of a client (a virtual CFO for law firms) who refined their audience and saw significant results.

18:34  Thought Leadership in Practice

• Why writing a book or producing content isn’t the end goal—it’s about reaching and connecting with the right audience.

23:39   “Does It Hold Water?” Segment

25:49   Chips Shots Questions 

• Kelly shares two game-changing resources:
• Getting Things Done by David Allen for organizing tasks and reducing stress.
• Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod for setting a positive tone through morning routines. 

Resources Mentioned

• Getting Things Done by David Allen
• Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod

Connect with Kelly Schuknecht

• LinkedIn: Kelly Schuknecht
• Website: kellyschuknecht.com
• Agency: Two Mile High Marketing
• Podcast: Beyond The Bestseller Podcast

Stay Connected with Your Customer, Your Success

• Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite platform!
• Follow Gary Marra on LinkedIn and check out Marra CX Hub for more insights into customer experience and success.

Upcoming Episodes

Stay tuned for future episodes featuring guests from the world of customer experience, customer success management, and career coaching. Exciting conversations are ahead to help you thrive in your professional journey.

With over 30 years of experience, including a decade as the Director of Human Resources at PetSmart, Caroline shares her insights into leading with authenticity, navigating change, and empowering employees to thrive. Her career journey is a testament to the power of adaptability and reinvention, making this episode a must-listen for leaders, HR professionals, and anyone looking to elevate their personal and professional success.

Chapters:

[00:00:01] Welcome and Introduction

[00:02:12] The Importance of Employee Engagement

[00:05:31] A PetSmart Success Story

[00:10:06] Adaptive Leadership: What It Is and Why It Matters

[00:17:34] Managing Stress and Overwhelm in the Workplace

[00:21:20] The Courage to Reinvent Yourself

[00:26:12] Leadership Lessons: From Confidence to Listening

[00:28:40] Unconventional Career Lessons

[00:29:44] Habits for Success: Gratitude and Mindfulness

Connect with Caroline Baird:

• Website:            carolinebaird.com
• LinkedIn:           Caroline Baird on LinkedIn
• Instagram:       Caroline Baird on Instagram
• YouTube:          Caroline Baird on YouTube
• Podcast:            Today's Balance Leader (available on major platforms)

Caroline also offers free 30-minute clarity calls to help you tackle a leadership challenge or find clarity on your path. Visit her website for more details and resources.

About Your Host:

Gary Marra is a customer-centric executive with over 25 years of experience in customer success and leadership. He is the creator of the Your Customer, Your Success podcast and founder of Marra CX Hub, where he explores the intersections of business, customer experience, and leadership.

Stay Connected with the Podcast:

• Subscribe to Your Customer, Your Success on your favorite platform.
• Follow Gary on LinkedIn:  Gary Marra on LinkedIn
• Check out Gary’s website and blog:  Marra CX Hub

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share it with your network!

In this episode, we explore the intersection of financial planning, customer focus, and personal empowerment with special guest Samanda Morales. Samanda is the founder and owner of WellFin 360, an independent, fee-only financial planning and investment advisory firm. With over 20 years of experience in financial services, she’s passionate about helping first-time wealth builders and small business owners establish a solid financial foundation.

Samanda shares her personal journey from limited financial resources to becoming a financial coach and planner, emphasizing the need for financial literacy, especially for early career professionals and first-time wealth builders. They discuss barriers to seeking financial advice, the importance of customized financial solutions, and the impact of financial compatibility in relationships. The conversation also highlights the significance of instilling good financial habits and the differences between financial coaching and planning.

Takeaways

• WellFin 360 focuses on empowering first-time wealth builders.
• Samantha's personal story shaped her perspective on finance.
• Many Americans lack basic financial literacy and resources.
• Financial planning is essential for long-term success.
• People often believe they need wealth to seek financial advice.
• Financial compatibility is crucial in relationships.
• Small, consistent savings can lead to significant growth.
• Financial coaching emphasizes behavioral change and education.
• Understanding the difference between coaching and planning

Chapters

01:31 Samantha's Financial Journey

06:53 The Importance of Financial Planning

10:00 Barriers to Seeking Financial Advice

14:52 Customizing Financial Solutions

19:14 Financial Compatibility in Relationships

21:51 Lessons from Financial Habits

27:55 The Need for Financial Literacy - Education

30:32 Financial Coaching vs. Financial Planning

Your Customer, Your Success on YouTube, check us out!

https://www.youtube.com/@YourCustomerYourSuccessPodcast

Marra CX Hub:

https://marracxhub.com/

Samanda Morales Contact Links:

https://wellfin360.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanda-morales-afc%C2%AE-cpfwc-cfei-91579030/

Key Takeaways:

• Customer experience in charities is about building trust and satisfaction.
• Loyalty in the charity sector is driven by commitment, satisfaction, and trust.
• Technology is transforming the charity sector's approach to CX.
• Understanding donor motivations is key to improving experiences.
• Buy-in for CX programs requires enthusiasm backed by evidence.
• The power of moments framework can enhance supporter experiences.
• Celebrating achievements is crucial for morale and motivation.
• Tailoring support to individuals can lead to better outcomes.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Donor Experience

03:02 Natasha's Journey in Customer Experience

05:58 Unique Aspects of Charity Customer Experience

09:06 Building Loyalty in the Charity Sector

11:59 The Challenge of Buy-In for CX Programs

18:10 "Short Game-Chip Shots" Questions

21:51 Lessons from Early Career Experiences

24:47 Building Relationships for Success

27:11 Final Advice and Closing Thoughts

Natasha on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/natasha-evans-b0895732/

In this exciting inaugural episode of Your Customer, Your Success, host Gary Marra welcomes Rick Denton, host of CX Passport and CX Passport Live, and managing principal of EX4CX. Together, they dive into the currently in flux world of customer experience (CX) with a thought-provoking discussion about live podcasting, the evolution of CX in business, and actionable strategies for creating impactful customer experiences. Rick shares his "listen and act" methodology and reflects on key lessons learned from his work experiences, consulting engagements, and podcasting discussions.

The conversation explores:

• The future of CX and the "Great CX Reckoning of 2023"
• The ROI of customer experience initiatives and how retention plays a critical role.
• Why conventional surveys often fall short and how to go beyond “survey and score.”
• The critical importance of frontline employees as a rich source of customer insights.
• Emerging trends, including the cautious adoption of AI in CX.

Gary also introduces his new segment, “Does It Hold Water?” where Rick evaluates bold claims about the future of CX, offering his nuanced perspective.

To close, Rick answers fun and insightful questions about lessons learned from Seinfeld, the book that shaped his global perspective, and his advice for building a personal brand in an ever-evolving workplace.

Guest Bio:

Rick Denton is the host of the acclaimed CX Passport podcast and CX Passport Live. He’s a seasoned CX professional and the managing principal of https://www.ex4cx.com/, a firm that helps companies revolutionize their customer experience strategies with the "listen and act" methodology. Connect with Rick on LinkedIn or explore his podcasts at CXPassport.com and TheLoudQuiet.com.

Episode Highlights:

• [0:01] Introduction to Rick Denton and his CX journey.
• [2:14] Behind the scenes of CX Passport Live and live podcasting events.
• [4:43] What CX means and why Rick is “a CX learner, not an expert.”
• [8:29] Emerging CX trends: the 2023 reckoning and AI hype vs. reality.
• [13:23] Measuring ROI in CX: Retention, clarity, and operational improvements.
• [20:03] Moving beyond surveys: “Stop survey and score, start listen and act.”
• [25:22] Leveraging frontline employees as a treasure trove of customer insights.
• [30:45] Does CX as a discipline die by 2030? Rick weighs in.
• [34:39] Lessons from Seinfeld and a book that shaped Rick’s perspective.
• [38:46] Building a personal brand: Key lessons from career setbacks.
• [41:49] Fun closing thoughts on travel, family, and the future of CX.
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Rick Denton's Links:

The CX Passport YouTube channel: youtube.com/@cxpassport

The weekly CX Passport newsletter: www.ex4cx.com/signup

CX Passport Live to your event: www.cxpassportlive.com

Your Customer, Your Success on YouTube:

https://youtube.com/@yourcustomeryoursuccesspodcast?si=mgbYDgZ6laruqbN2

Marra CX Hub

https://marracxhub.com/