In this episode of The CEO Advantage Podcast, hosts Paul Edginton and Milly Albers sit down with Adriana Brusi to explore the realities of customer service, leadership, and modern marketing. Drawing on her background across hospitality, events, data systems, and digital strategy, Adriana shares how her early work experiences shaped her thinking about independence, accountability, and building businesses that prioritise people. The conversation centres on her belief that customer loyalty is earned through meaningful service and genuine human connection rather than excessive advertising spend.

Adriana reflects on her time in the music and nightclub industries, her experience managing teams at a young age, and the lessons she learned about power, behaviour, and responsibility. She discusses the commercial pressures facing restaurants and small businesses, particularly post Covid, and challenges common assumptions about events, branding, and digital marketing. The episode also unpacks the thinking behind Crowds Now, a platform she describes as a double sided marketplace designed to connect everyday people with businesses in a way that amplifies word of mouth and creates what she calls social safety around brands. Through practical examples, including hospitality scenarios and luxury retail case studies, Adriana explains how sampling at scale and community driven advocacy can provide an alternative to traditional advertising models.

In this episode:

• Early work experiences and how independence shaped Adriana’s leadership philosophy

• Lessons from hospitality about service standards, accountability, and customer loyalty

• The commercial realities of events and why many function as branding rather than profit drivers

• Rethinking digital marketing spend and the limitations of traditional advertising models

• The concept behind Crowds Now and how community driven advocacy supports small business

This episode is for business owners, operators, and leaders who want to rethink how they build loyalty, support their teams, and create sustainable growth through genuine connection rather than noise.

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