Double Take with Mike and Max

"Don't let the scars stop you from thinking that anything is possible," and other insights from Part 2 of this special edition of Double Take with Mike & Max come to life as the founder of a 100,000-person CX company reflects on nearly three decades of growth while looking ahead to the next generation of AI-powered customer experience. Alorica Founder and Executive Chairman and Crescendo CEO Andy Lee joins Alorica Co-CEOs Max Schwendner and Michael Clifton to share his vision for a future powered by agentic AI, human ingenuity and endless possibility. From reimagining CX to creating more meaningful career opportunities, the conversation explores why the future isn't about replacing people. It's about empowering them to do more interesting, impactful work. Along the way, Andy shares why Alorica will always be his "first child," what he's learned after 27 years of building the business and why the people behind the company remain its greatest success story.

After nearly three decades in CX, Alorica's Founder and Executive Chairman Andy Lee believes that companies have spent too much time and resources layering new tools onto an already fragmented tech stack.

Now, as Crescendo’s newly appointed CEO, he joins Double Take with Mike & Max to explain why agentic is the future, what it could mean for CX employees and their customers, and how the Alorica + Crescendo partnership will change the customer experience for good.

Being digital-first doesn’t mean becoming less human. It means giving people better tools, helping clients solve more complex problems and moving faster in an industry that isn’t slowing down.

In the latest episode of Double Take with Mike & Max, Alorica Co-CEOs talk about the tech investments that matter, why they’re already making an impact and how people remain at the center of making it all work.

Mike & Max explore how emotional intelligence shows up in real team dynamics—and why it matters more than ever when navigating performance, communication, and change today.

You hit the goal. You earned the promotion. But purpose? That’s something only you can define.

In this episode, Mike and Max talk candidly about ambition, growth and the pressure people feel to “find their why.” They share lessons from their own journeys and what working alongside global teams has taught them about balance, leadership and fulfillment.

Because purpose is personal. And it’s yours to discover.

To wrap up Season One of Double Take, we’re revisiting the conversations that stayed with us most—the moments that shaped how we think about leadership, growth, and showing up at work and in life.

In this episode, each clip is paired with a song that captures the feeling behind it...like chapter titles that help frame the ideas you’ll hear.

Check out our full Spotify playlists links below, offering a deeper look at the music that inspired us all season long.

The CEO Soundtrack (Max's Version): https://bit.ly/4qkmICV

The CEO Soundtrack (Mike's Version): https://bit.ly/49iP9v4

Alorica transformed corporate giving by creating MLBA—an employee-led nonprofit where teams decide how to support their communities. Joyce Lee joins Co-CEOs Mike Clifton and Max Schwendner to share how grassroots leadership, local decision-making, and employee empowerment strengthened culture and impact across the globe.

Join learn more about MLBA visit livesbetter.org

Growth takes effort, but it shouldn't be all-consuming. In this episode, Mike and Max reveal how prioritization and a balanced approach to challenges are essential to avoid the burnout that often accompanies overachieving on the path to success.

Even CEOs fail. In this episode, Mike and Max share how setbacks shaped their success, and why failure isn’t the end of the story, it’s part of the process.

What does it take to build strong relationships—at work and beyond? In this episode, Mike & Max open up about the role of trust, empathy, humor, and consistency in leadership. From navigating tough decisions to staying grounded and authentic, hear how they keep showing up for the people who matter most.