As the year winds down and the holiday rush kicks into high gear, leaders face a critical question: Are you coasting… or closing?

In this Thanksgiving-themed leadership check-in, I break down how to keep your team sharp, energized, and aligned during the toughest stretch of the year while positioning your organization to win in 2026.

Whether you lead a frontline team, a regional operation, or an entire organization, this conversation gives you the tools to finish 2025 strong and start 2026 with purpose. You could be a CEO, VP, Owner, or Entrepreneur - there is something in here for everyone who leads teams or serves customers.

In this episode, you'll learn: • Why the "last mile" of the year exposes the strengths and cracks in every organization • How to keep your team sharp, rested, and focused through the holiday crunch • How to deliver consistent customer experience when demand, emotions, and fatigue are highest • What leaders must prioritize to win customer experience, employee experience, and loyalty in the new year • Why execution, empathy, and presence will define the leaders who succeed in 2026 • How to leverage AI and technology to support planning and performance without losing the human touch

Perfect for: hospitality leaders, business owners, CEOS, COOs, CX/EX professionals, operational managers, retail and service teams, training and development leaders, and anyone responsible for people and performance during the busiest season of the year.

If you're ready to close the year with intention and launch into 2026 with clarity, confidence, and momentum, this episode is your Thanksgiving checkpoint.

Book time with me to learn about our speaking, training, and consulting services: https://calendly.com/thetonyjohnson/strategy

Links & Resources:

📌 Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-johnson-ccxp/

📌 Order my book Together We Serve: https://amzn.to/4pwGvPL

📌 Book hospitality training for your team today: https://www.igniteyourservice.com/summits

📌 Order my book Proof Positive: https://amzn.to/3LWtP5l

Tony Johnson is a Customer Experience + Hospitality Consultant, Keynote Speaker, Trainer, and Author with a wide background including higher education, restaurants, retail, travel, city government, chambers of commerse, and leisure. He regularly speaks and coaches organizations to IGNITE THEIR SERVICE using his common sense approach to Customer engagement and retentions. Tony has spoken to government agencies, airlines, universities, and many Fortune 500 companies to unlock their amazing capacity for excellence.

Check out my FREE Resources and Training Tools:

Web: https://www.igniteyourservice.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheTonyJohnson

Twitter: https://twitter.com/The_TonyJohnson

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

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@igniteyourservice

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

Artificial Intelligence is changing everything about customer service and leadership, but only if we use it wisely. In this episode, I sit down with Kevin Dean, Founder and CEO of ManoByte, who's been leading AI-driven business transformation since 2007.

Kevin and I dig into what it really means to combine AI and humanity to create better experiences, not just faster ones. We explore how organizations can audit their data, prepare their people, and adapt their leadership playbooks to keep up with the accelerating rate of change.

You'll walk away with practical ideas to strengthen your data foundation, keep humans in the loop, and lead your team through the AI revolution with confidence.

Key Takeaways:

• Great customer experiences balance needs, wants, and emotions. AI can't replace empathy.

• Good data is the foundation of any AI solution. Start by auditing what you have and where the gaps are.

• Always keep humans in the loop. AI should enable connection, not eliminate it.

• The real opportunity is using AI to solve problems faster, scale knowledge, and free up teams for deeper service.

• Leaders must reskill, adapt, and rewrite the playbook for a new era of service and speed.

• The pace of change isn't slowing down and those who adjust quickly will thrive.

If you want to understand how to balance human empathy with AI efficiency and set your business up for consistent, scalable service, this episode will give you the playbook.

🎧 Tune in and discover how to align your people and process to serve customers with excellence.

Book time with me to learn about our speaking, training, and consulting services: https://calendly.com/thetonyjohnson/strategy

Links & Resources:

📌 Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-johnson-ccxp/

📌 Order my book Together We Serve: https://amzn.to/4pwGvPL

📌 Book hospitality training for your team today: https://www.igniteyourservice.com/summits

📌 Learn more about Kevin and ManoByte: https://kevinjdean.com/ + https://www.manobyte.com/

Tony Johnson is a Customer Experience + Hospitality Consultant, Keynote Speaker, Trainer, and Author with a wide background including higher education, restaurants, retail, travel, city government, chambers of commerse, and leisure. He regularly speaks and coaches organizations to IGNITE THEIR SERVICE using his common sense approach to Customer engagement and retentions. Tony has spoken to government agencies, airlines, universities, and many Fortune 500 companies to unlock their amazing capacity for excellence.

Check out my FREE Resources and Training Tools:

Web: https://www.igniteyourservice.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheTonyJohnson

Twitter: https://twitter.com/The_TonyJohnson

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

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@igniteyourservice

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

Some hospitality experiences are so bad, they could star in their own horror movie. In this Halloween special, we pull back the cobwebs on the five scariest mistakes that haunt businesses everywhere - from ghosted guests and zombie employees to haunted processes and cursed consistency.

Discover how to bring your hospitality back from the dead by re-engaging your team, simplifying your service, and designing customer journeys that delight instead of frighten. Whether you lead a restaurant, event venue, university department, call center, small business, or front-line service team, these lessons will help you keep your experiences alive - and your guests coming back for more.

Key Takeaways:

• How to spot (and fix) "ghosted guest" moments in your business

• The real cost of zombie-level employee engagement

• Why friction is the true monster haunting your processes

• How to create consistency that builds trust

• Ways to redesign the customer journey from hell into something better

Don't let your service become a horror story - tune in and learn how to keep your hospitality far from haunted.

Subscribe, drop 5 stars, and share this episode to help more leaders bring passion and purpose to their organizations.

Links & Resources:

📌 Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-johnson-ccxp/

📌 Book hospitality training for your team today: https://www.igniteyourservice.com/summits

Tony Johnson is a Customer Experience Expert, Keynote Speaker, and Author with a wide background including decades in retail and restaurants. He regularly speaks and coaches organizations to IGNITE THEIR SERVICE using his common sense approach to Customer engagement. Tony has spoken to government agencies and Fortune 500 companies to unlock their amazing capacity for excellence.

Check out my FREE Resources and Training Tools:

Web: https://www.igniteyourservice.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheTonyJohnson

Twitter: https://twitter.com/The_TonyJohnson

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

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@igniteyourservice

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

Great customer service should be helpful, proactive, and built to solve problems, not create new ones. In this episode, I sit down with John Kim, Co-Founder and CEO of Sendbird, the customer communications platform powering more than 4,000 of the world's most popular digital applications and connecting over 320 million people every month.

John shares his perspective as both a successful entrepreneur and Korea's former number one pro gamer to unpack how AI, testing, and consistency are changing the techn-enabled service game.

We dive into:

• Why great customer service is proactive, problem-solving, and built around the customer's needs
• How omnichannel experiences create consistency across platforms with seamless handoffs
• Why customers now default to AI, expecting instant responses, quick solutions, and personalized follow-ups
• The mindset shift businesses need to overcome fear of AI and start small with simple solutions like FAQs and password resets
• The critical role of testing technology, pushing systems until they break before launch to ensure smooth, reliable customer experiences
• How the future of AI agents will feel as personal as your local business, remembering preferences and following up on purchases

If you want to understand how to balance human empathy with AI efficiency and set your business up for consistent, scalable service, this episode will give you the playbook.

🎧 Tune in and discover how to align your people and process to serve customers with excellence.

Book time with me to learn about our speaking, training, and consulting services: https://calendly.com/thetonyjohnson/strategy

Links & Resources:

📌 Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-johnson-ccxp/

📌 Order my book Together We Serve: https://amzn.to/4pwGvPL

📌 Book hospitality training for your team today: https://www.igniteyourservice.com/summits

📌 Learn more about John and Sendbird: https://sendbird.com/ + [email protected]

Tony Johnson is a Customer Experience + Hospitality Consultant, Keynote Speaker, Trainer, and Author with a wide background including higher education, restaurants, retail, travel, city government, chambers of commerse, and leisure. He regularly speaks and coaches organizations to IGNITE THEIR SERVICE using his common sense approach to Customer engagement and retentions. Tony has spoken to government agencies, airlines, universities, and many Fortune 500 companies to unlock their amazing capacity for excellence.

Check out my FREE Resources and Training Tools:

Web: https://www.igniteyourservice.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheTonyJohnson

Twitter: https://twitter.com/The_TonyJohnson

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

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@igniteyourservice

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

This leadership wake up call will help you create your workplace of the future - where people want to be, not where they have to be.

Labor Day isn't just a long weekend. It's an annual celebration of American workers. In this episode of the Customer Service Academy, I take a closer look at the history of Labor Day and the lessons it still holds for leaders today.

From the 10,000 workers who marched in the very first Labor Day parade in 1882 to the diverse workforce powering today's experience economy, this holiday reminds us to honor the people behind the progress. I'll unpack five leadership lessons that resonate across generations:

• Why respect must always be the foundation.

• How recognition fuels engagement and retention.

• The importance of investing in growth, development, and safety.

• "Why" communication - and sharing the "why" behind the work to build trust.

Backed by fresh stats and practical examples, this episode challenges leaders to go beyond a single holiday and live the principles of Labor Day every day.

If you want to lead with purpose, elevate your team, and deliver better experiences for customers, this episode is your blueprint.

Subscribe, drop 5 stars, and share this episode to help more leaders bring passion and purpose to their organizations.

Links & Resources:

📌 Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-johnson-ccxp/

📌 Book hospitality training for your team today: https://www.igniteyourservice.com/summits

Tony Johnson is a Customer Experience Expert, Keynote Speaker, and Author with a wide background including decades in retail and restaurants. He regularly speaks and coaches organizations to IGNITE THEIR SERVICE using his common sense approach to Customer engagement. Tony has spoken to government agencies and Fortune 500 companies to unlock their amazing capacity for excellence.

Check out my FREE Resources and Training Tools:

Web: https://www.igniteyourservice.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheTonyJohnson

Twitter: https://twitter.com/The_TonyJohnson

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

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@igniteyourservice

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

Technology enabled, people-focused Customer Service With Matt Whitmer.

In today's episode, we're thrilled to welcome Matt Whitmer into the studio. Matt is the Chief Revenue Officer and SVP of Marketing at Mosaicx, a conversational AI provider. He has over 15 years of experience in senior leadership focused on CX and enterprise client relationships.

What we cover in this episode:

• It's all about meeting customers where they are in their journey.

• Customers want to trust the brands they work with.

• Customers want to feel like they are being helped, not "sold."

• Build conduits within your organization to ensure open communication and to bust silos.

• The best customer experience is enabled by technology and AI but driven by people.

Subscribe, review, and share this episode to help more leaders bring passion and purpose to their organizations.

Links & Resources:

📌 Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-johnson-ccxp/

📌 Book hospitality training for your team today: https://www.igniteyourservice.com/summits

📌 Connect with Matt: [email protected] or at www.mosaicx.com

Tony Johnson is a Customer Experience Expert, Keynote Speaker, and Author with a wide background including decades in retail and restaurants. He regularly speaks and coaches organizations to IGNITE THEIR SERVICE using his common sense approach to Customer engagement. Tony has spoken to government agencies and Fortune 500 companies to unlock their amazing capacity for excellence.

Check out my FREE Resources and Training Tools:

Web: https://www.igniteyourservice.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheTonyJohnson

Twitter: https://twitter.com/The_TonyJohnson

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

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@igniteyourservice

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

In this episode, we will discuss the power of your customer experience blueprint as well as the best techniques and tactics to craft a culture of hospitality. Customer Experience (CX) has the power to create a true competitive advtantage as well as generate revenue from customer loyalty and word of mouth marketing.

We'll explore:

• The power of a strong Customer Experience Framework

• Getting your organization on the same page to avoid siloes and duplication

• Creating a space where employees can do their best work and drive repeatable, engaging customer service

• Developing a team with a heart for hospitality

• Deploying your customer experience and hospitality strategy

• Reinforcing, measuring, and coaching your hospitality and CX strategy for success now and into the future

Whether you're a business owner, CX leader, C-Suite Executive, or growth-focused professional, this episode will challenge your thinking and offer practical strategies you can implement today.

🎧 Tune in and learn how you can prioritize a hospitality culture within your organization as a part of a cohesive and intentional CX strategy.

Links & Resources:

📌 Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-johnson-ccxp/

📌 Book hospitality training for your team today: https://www.igniteyourservice.com/summits

📌 Learn more about Tony: https://www.igniteyourservice.com/

Tony Johnson is a Customer Experience Expert, Keynote Speaker, and Author with a wide background including decades in retail and restaurants. He regularly speaks and coaches organizations to IGNITE THEIR SERVICE using his common sense approach to Customer engagement. Tony has spoken to government agencies and Fortune 500 companies to unlock their amazing capacity for excellence.

Check out my FREE Resources and Training Tools:

Web: https://www.igniteyourservice.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheTonyJohnson

Twitter: https://twitter.com/The_TonyJohnson

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

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@igniteyourservice

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

In this episode, we're diving deep into the art of connection with Doug Brown from CEO Sales Strategies. He is an expert at driving results, uniting teams, and delivering unforgettable customer experiences.

You'll learn why today's customers are clamoring for connection, and how your business can meet that need by aligning your teams, sharpening your message, and understanding your buyers better than ever.

We'll explore:

• Why great teams move in the same direction (and how to get yours there)

• How leaders set the tone for performance and culture by setting the example

• The power of understanding client objections before they derail your sale

• The secret to identifying your right-fit buyer and fine-tuning your messaging and marketing

• Why follow-up is the most overlooked part of both the sales and service cycle

• How to eliminate silos between sales, marketing, and customer service to create a seamless, connected experience

Whether you're a business owner, CX leader, or growth-focused professional, this episode will challenge your thinking and offer practical strategies you can implement today.

🎧 Tune in and discover how to align your people and process to serve customers with excellence.

Links & Resources:

📌 Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-johnson-ccxp/

📌 Book hospitality training for your team today: https://www.igniteyourservice.com/summits

📌 Learn more about Diabolocom: https://www.diabolocom.com/

Tony Johnson is a Customer Experience Expert, Keynote Speaker, and Author with a wide background including decades in retail and restaurants. He regularly speaks and coaches organizations to IGNITE THEIR SERVICE using his common sense approach to Customer engagement. Tony has spoken to government agencies and Fortune 500 companies to unlock their amazing capacity for excellence.

Check out my FREE Resources and Training Tools:

Web: https://www.igniteyourservice.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheTonyJohnson

Twitter: https://twitter.com/The_TonyJohnson

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

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@igniteyourservice

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

Balancing AI and Humanity in CX with Frederic Durand, CEO of Diabolocom

In today's episode, we're thrilled to welcome Frederic Durand, Founder and CEO of Diabolocom, a global leader in customer experience solutions powered by proprietary AI. With over two decades of experience transforming customer service for brands like Mitsubishi Electric, Nikon, and Brinks, Frederic brings a practical, global perspective to the evolving world of CX.

What we cover in this episode:

• Why great customer experiences are effortless by design

• How AI can automate repetitive tasks, freeing your team for high-value conversations

• The critical need to balance AI automation with authentic human connection

• Why AI integration leads to more WOW moments and stronger customer loyalty

• How Ignoring AI today is like ignoring computers in the 1980s

• How AI enables 24/7 service without burnout

• Why solving problems quickly and easily is the foundation of trust and advocacy

Subscribe, review, and share this episode to help more leaders bring passion and purpose to their organizations.

Links & Resources:

📌 Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-johnson-ccxp/

📌 Book hospitality training for your team today: https://www.igniteyourservice.com/summits

📌 Learn more about Diabolocom: https://www.diabolocom.com/

Tony Johnson is a Customer Experience Expert, Keynote Speaker, and Author with a wide background including decades in retail and restaurants. He regularly speaks and coaches organizations to IGNITE THEIR SERVICE using his common sense approach to Customer engagement. Tony has spoken to government agencies and Fortune 500 companies to unlock their amazing capacity for excellence.

Check out my FREE Resources and Training Tools:

Web: https://www.igniteyourservice.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheTonyJohnson

Twitter: https://twitter.com/The_TonyJohnson

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

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@igniteyourservice

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

In this high-flying episode, we sit down with Gene Conrad, President and CEO of the Aerospace Center for Excellence and Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland Florida. Sun 'n Fun is one of the largest aviation events in the country and welcomes over 200,000 visitors annually.

Key Takeaways:

• ✈️ Safety First – Safety is the primary focus for the airshow, and should be for your business as well.
• 👥 People Over Planes – The aircraft might draw a crowd, but it's the human connection that creates return guests.
• 🏘️ Build Community – How Sun 'n Fun creates a sense of belonging that drives long-term success.
• 💪 Perfect Effort – Gene's powerful philosophy: it's not about being perfect, it's about putting in perfect effort.
• 📋 Debrief and Do Something – Why post-event reviews matter only when action follows based on what you learn.

Whether you're in the sky or on the ground, this episode is packed with insights on leadership, culture, and delivering remarkable experiences.

Subscribe, review, and share this episode to help more leaders bring passion and purpose to their organizations.

Links & Resources:

📌 Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-johnson-ccxp/

📌 Book hospitality training for your team today: https://www.igniteyourservice.com/summits

📌 Learn more about Sun 'n Fun: https://flysnf.org/

📌 Learn more about the Aerospace Center for Excellence: https://aceedu.org/

Tony Johnson is a Customer Experience Expert, Keynote Speaker, and Author with a wide background including decades in retail and restaurants. He regularly speaks and coaches organizations to IGNITE THEIR SERVICE using his common sense approach to Customer engagement. Tony has spoken to government agencies and Fortune 500 companies to unlock their amazing capacity for excellence.

Check out my FREE Resources and Training Tools:

Web: https://www.igniteyourservice.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheTonyJohnson

Twitter: https://twitter.com/The_TonyJohnson

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

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@igniteyourservice

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