This week's episode of the Creating Superfans podcast is a special one because it's all about my book! Creating Superfans is available NOW, and to honor its publication date, we switched things up a bit! My Chief of Staff, Alix Steinberg, asked me questions about what it was really like to write Creating Superfans, including the different editing phases, the design choices, and the recording of the audiobook!

Show Notes

3:15 - How long has Brittany actually been working on her book?

4:55 - the intentional design choices Brittany made for Creating Superfans

7:25 - Why Brittany chose to work with a hybrid publisher

9:10 - Brittany’s unconventional writing journey

15:30 - How quick was the editing process once Brittany handed in her manuscript?

17:25 - When did Brittany finally start to see her book come together?

20:17 - How Brittany’s mom helped her edit the book

22:11 - The process of narrowing down the songs for each chapter tile and major heading

23:00 - What are the takeaways Brittany wants the reader to walk away with?

24:44 - Alix shares her favorite lessons from the book

25:14- Why empathy is so important in customer experience

27:45 - What it was like to record the audiobook version of Creating Superfans

32:27 - That time Brittany’s husband, Jeff, starred in a Nook commercial

34:18 - How Brittany’s son, Kadoh, inspired the book

36:20 - Brittany reads one of her favorite lines from a review of Creating Superfans

You can order Creating Superfans here.

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Episode 6 of the Creating Superfans podcast is a special one because I got to chat with the founder and CEO of Total Expert, Joe Welu. Joe transformed the company from a tiny startup developed in the basement of his real estate office to an organization with over 300 employees that powers customer engagement for 200 financial institutions, including 15 of the top 25 U.S. banks and lenders. Joe shares with us the importance of staying grounded in the tech industry and how you can balance software with the human touch to power meaningful interactions at scale.

Show Notes

3:00 - How Joe developed Total Expert from the basement of his real estate office!

3:33 - How Joe expanded on his original idea of bringing lenders and real estate agents together

5:34 - How Total Expert balances technology and the human touch at scale 

7:54 - The #1 core value of Total Expert and how it powers the infrastructure of their platform

9:00 - How Joe would respond to teams that are hesitant to implement and learn a new software 

10:12 - Why it’s important to start with the outcomes when making product decisions

11:08 - How you stay grounded in tech without going overboard with functionality and features

12:40 - For Total Expert’s customers’ customers - those that are buying homes or making financial decisions - what are the most important aspects in creating excellent client experiences?

14:53 - The mindset shift that separates Total Expert from many other businesses

16:05 - Why creating an exceptional employee experience is critical for the customer experience

17:00 - What does customer success really mean? 

19:40 - How the velocity of change for consumers is impacting businesses

21:25 - How financial services is behind eCommerce when it comes to data-driven recommendations

23:35 - Why it’s imperative, especially in financial services, to use customer data in an ethical way

27:57 - As a customer, what’s a brand that went above and beyond and really delighted Joe?

29:49 - What’s one piece of advice that Joe has for anyone that’s trying to improve their customer experience? 

Learn more about Total Expert.

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In episode 5 of the Creating Superfans podcast, I interviewed the brilliant Hilary Billings, Co-founder and CEO of Attentioneers Agency. A self-proclaimed “engineer of attention,” Hilary is a viral video expert that helps brands drive exponential growth on TikTok. She has earned over a BILLION organic views on her social platforms and sheds some light on the science behind a viral video and how YOU can replicate it. Hilary explains why brands must capture the power of short-form content in order to create superfan customers and future proof your business long-term. If you’re on the fence about joining TikTok or you’re unsure about how to get started, you won’t want to miss this episode. Hilary will reframe the way you approach your social media strategy.

Show Notes

4:44 - The average user on social media spends HOW many minutes scrolling per day?

6:30 - What Hilary would say to someone who haphazardly dabbles into social media

7:00 - Does Hilary believe you need to be on all the platforms?

9:40 - What’s the “new account advantage?” and how does it benefit new creator accounts?

11:12 - The first step in Hilary’s process for designing an intentional social media strategy with her clients

12:07 - What Hilary says to clients who say they don’t want to dance on social media

13:15 - The second step in Hilary’s process for designing an intentional social media strategy with her clients

13:33 - How you can get a copy of Hilary’s Viral Video Story Map

14:02 - A common mistake most creators are making when it comes to their social media

18:00 - Why ‘going viral’ is intentional, not accidental, and how you can replicate that success

19:49 - How does HIllary convince people that now is the time to get started on TikTok

20:34- How this brand improved it’s year-over-year market sales by 78% through user-generated content

21:47- How AARP went viral on TikTok and engaged with a younger audience

23:45 - How short-form content is providing new opportunities for brands to connect with their customers 

26:27 - Hilary explains why TikTok is that important

27:57 - Why disengaging on social media will affect you long-term

30:05 - What is the “pattern interrupt” phenomenon?

31:40 - How many seconds do you have to make an impression with your content to stop the scroll?

Learn more about Hilary's company, the Attentioneers Agency.

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In the 4th episode of the Creating Superfans podcast, I sat down with Kim Goei, Chief Operating Officer of Fexa. We talk about the under-the-radar aspects of customer experience that customers and entrepreneurs often take for granted. If you’re a fan of intentional experience design like me, you’ll be interested to learn about how Fexa technology can maintain or automate the crucial ingredients that make businesses run seamlessly. Kim began her career in operations, working with global brands like Virgin Group, Anthropologie, and Reading International, Inc., before joining Fexa in 2018. In addition to her role as COO, she’s on the Board of Directors of Connex to empower facilities to become more inclusive and accessible. 

Show Notes:

3:55 - Kim breaks down what it’s really like to work in facilities management.

5:44 - The repeatability of the Five Guys experience vs. the geographically-customized experiences of Prada and Michael Kors.

7:30 - What’s FEXA all about and what drew Kim to work there?

9:28 - How does FEXA make facilities and operations teams more efficient with less?

10:52 - Exciting news for FEXA as it scales

12:21 - How FEXA plans to help companies manage their inventory levels through technology

13:54 - Managing the internal customer experience for facilities managers 

14:33 - How you can personalize your communication strategy with FEXA

16:40 - The value of being a tech company with a human-first approach

18:00 - Kim’s favorite examples of things we’re able to predict and take care of using smart-connected devices

20:05 - How the restroom can impact a customer experience at a restaurant 

21:28 - Crate & Barrel’s stellar customer experience

23:19 - How the Crate & Barrel employee experience spills over to its customer experience

29:00 - A horrible customer experience that Kim had recently

30:30 - Brittany and Kim talk about the infamous Bucc-ee’s bathrooms

35:25 - DEI and facilities management

Follow Kim on LinkedIn
Learn more about Fexa

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In episode 3 of the Creating Superfans Podcast, I interviewed former Walt Disney World executive, Dennis Show. During his twenty years with the company, Dennis worked his way up from a front-line attractions operator to founder of the Disney Institute, the internal firm that consulted for organizations like ExxonMobil, AT&T, and Coca-Cola. Now, he’s a full-time speaker and author who trains businesses large and small on how to run world-class, service-driven organizations. Dennis shared with me some of Disney’s hiring practices and interview techniques that ensure all of their team members are customer-centric. Later in the episode, he outlines the 3 easiest things any brand can do to improve their customer experience right away. Finally, hear what a local restaurant did for Dennis and his friends that blew him away and made him a superfan for life.

Show Notes:

4:23 - Can you teach your employees to be more friendly and more customer-centric?

5:03 - How long is the training at Disney?

5:56 - A simple way to reframe your interview questions to get a better understanding of a candidate’s skillset

8:27 - A secret most people don’t know about Disney

10:45 - How do you define your Story and use it to attract the right people?

13:00 - When did the Disney theme park become intentional about its superpower?

14:33 - What are some other brands that have superior customer experience?

18:00 - What are some things that businesses can do right away to be more customer centric?

20:31 - A small thing that outstanding organizations do.

22:18 - How often should you be collecting feedback from employees?

25:23 - The parallels between customer feedback and employee feedback and how to overcome internal resistance 

28:55 - How a local restaurant went above and beyond for Dennis and made him a superfan for life.

You can find Dennis at SnowAssociates.com

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On the second episode of the Creating Superfans podcast, I interview Nashville-based photographer Fizzah Raza. I worked with Fizzah for my brand new headshots over the summer and had a WORLD CLASS customer experience. I was wowed before, during, and after our session together and immediately became her superfan. If you’re a solopreneur of any kind, this is a can’t-miss episode filled with tons of ideas that you can implement in your own business. 

Show Notes

4:00 - How Fizzah wowed me before we even met!

6:25 - Fizzah’s follow-up trick

8:11 - Why being personal is sometimes better than being professional

10:22 - What Fizzah did to exceed my expectations the night before our photoshoot

14:25 - The CRITICAL mindset shift that helped Fizzah transform her customer experience

16:15 - How Fizzah maximized the moments after our photoshoot session

19:53 - What are Fizzah’s CX non-negotiables as a customer?

21:44 - How Tiffany & Co and Nike blew Fizzah away 

25:38 - Fizzah’s #1 hack for getting more referrals and repeat business

27:37 - What’s a brand that Fizzah is a superfan of?

Fizzah Raza Photography Website

Follow Fizzah on Instagram

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Welcome to the very first episode of the Creating Superfans podcast! What better way to kick-off than with the world’s top Customer Experience and Customer Service expert, Shep Hyken!

Shep is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, and his latest book is called I’ll Be Back. He’s a hall-of-fame speaker and a HUGE mentor of mine, which is why I was thrilled when he agreed to write the foreword of my book, Creating Superfans. 

On this episode, we discuss a few critical CX lessons Shep learned as a twelve-year-old, the world’s oldest customer complaint letter, and Shep’s non-negotiables when it comes to excellent customer service. 

Show Notes:

6:39 - What Shep learned on one of his first jobs as a twelve-year-old that powered his philosophy in customer experience

9:05 - The world’s oldest customer complaint letter

11:37- Shep’s non-negotiables when it comes to customer service?

13:10 - That time Shep became texting buddies with the CAPTAIN of his flight 

14:48 - Why Shep won’t be returning to one of his favorite restaurants 

22:22 - The #1 reason airlines go under

25:26 - My 5-year-old son’s blunt perspective on CX

Shep Hyken's Website

Shep on LinkedIn

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In today's business environment, experience is everything. It’s the number-one way to differentiate yourself from your competitors and create customers for life. But, the inverse is also true. Everything is experience. Every interaction — even the small ones — can determine whether or not customers come back and what they tell their friends. The Creating Superfans podcast is a fun, entertaining crash course in turning customer experience into your superpower... no capes required! Each week, author and speaker Brittany Hodak spotlights brands she loves and interviews some of the most brilliant minds in business today. At the end of every episode, you’ll have a list of new ideas to turn your customers and employees into loyal, raving superfans.

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