Experience Strategy Podcast with Stone Mantel

In this episode, experience strategists Dave Norton and Aransas Savas speak with Blake Morgan, the “Queen of CX” and a leading futurist in customer experience, about her latest book and insights on the future of customer service. Blake explains why customer service levels are at historic lows despite post-COVID digital transformations and emphasizes the need for companies to remain customer-centric during economic uncertainty. She introduces her WAYS framework for building effective CX strategies and discusses the critical role of empathy and human connection in an AI-driven world. Additionally, Blake highlights the essential connection between employee experience and customer loyalty, showcasing how businesses like Trader Joe’s thrive by investing in their people. This episode offers invaluable insights for CX leaders and anyone passionate about fostering customer-centric cultures that endure.

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In this episode of The Experience Strategy Podcast, we’re joined by George Barnett, strategy expert and author of The Strategy Toolkit, a newsletter that includes excerpts from his books on strategy, plus insights, analysis and strategy for the 21st century. We look at how business strategy has changed over the last 20 years and why customer experience is now so important for success. George shares stories from his work, showing how focusing on customer experience can help businesses grow and attract investors. Tune in to the episode as we discuss: 

• Why some common ways of measuring customer happiness might not work well

• How to use CX to attract investors 

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in making customer experiences better and ways to have a bigger impact on their company’s decision. 

For access to the transcripts to this episode, click here.

In this episode of the Experience Strategy Podcast, podcast hosts, Dave Norton and Aransas Savas explore the rapidly evolving landscape of enterprise community building with Rich Millington, founder of FeverBee and a leading expert in community strategy. With nearly two decades of experience helping organizations build thriving communities for members, customers, and employees, Richard brings a wealth of knowledge from working with industry giants like Google, Facebook, Oracle, and Wikipedia. His insights challenge traditional notions of community management, advocating for supporting existing ecosystems rather than controlled forums, and offering practical strategies for mapping community landscapes and measuring real outcomes. Tune in to this episode for a fresh perspective on creating meaningful, collaborative experiences that drive genuine value for businesses and their stakeholders.

For access to the transcripts of this episode, click here. 

In this episode of the Experience Strategy Podcast, Sarah Dusek, an entrepreneur, venture capitalist and author, takes listeners on a journey through her remarkable career in experience-driven business. From founding the pioneering glamping company Under Canvas to her current venture in global regenerative travel, Sarah demonstrates how aligning personal passion with customer needs can create industry-shaping innovations. She shares valuable insights on the power of businesses to mold culture and drive positive change, emphasizing the importance of sustainability and community impact in experience design. Sarah's discussion of her upcoming book, "Thinking Bigger," offers a compelling perspective on women's empowerment in business and the significance of dreaming big when it comes to making an impact. Throughout the conversation, she provides experience strategists with practical advice on developing strong points of view, building conviction, and creating internal advocates for successful implementation. This episode is a masterclass in experience strategy, offering lessons on scaling innovative concepts, incorporating regenerative practices, and bridging the gap between visionary ideas and real-world execution.

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In this episode, Experience Strategy Podcast hosts Aransas Savas and Dave Norton sit down with Brian Anderson, Director of National Outings at the legendary Sierra Club. With over 130 years of advocating for people, places, and the planet, Sierra Club has mastered the art of crafting transformational travel experiences that drive personal growth and global impact. Packed with insights on experience design, engagement strategy, and impact measurement, this episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to harness the power of transformational experiences. Tune in now and discover how Sierra Club is pioneering a new era of meaningful, impactful travel.

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In the latest episode of The Experience Strategy Podcast, we’re dismantling traditional market segmentation and rebuilding it with the revolutionary concept of situational markets. Dave Norton, our experience futurist, gives us a sneak peak into his upcoming book that’s set to redefine how we create value. Joined by industry veteran John Gusiff, we discuss the power of jobs-to-be-done research, the limitations of demographic-based personas, and the critical importance of understanding evolving customer needs. From leveraging qualitative data to scale situational strategies, to anticipating your customers’ future selves, this episode is packed with game-changing ideas for forward-thinking experience strategists.

For access to the transcripts for the episode, click here.

In this episode of The Experience Strategy Podcast, hosts Dave Norton and Aransas Savas sit down with AR/VR trailblazers Spencer Cook from Continuum, and Bryan Searing of Stone Mantel to explore the transformative power of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality in crafting captivating customer experiences. Fresh off the Experience Strategy Collaboratives program, where cutting-edge AR/VP concepts were tested with real customers, Spender and Bryan share exclusive insights ad real-world case studies that demonstrate the immense potential of these technologies in driving business growth.

Tune in and gain:

• Actionable strategies for leveraging AR/VR to create immersive, memorable customer experiences

• A deep understanding of how AR/VR are reshaping the future of experience design and marketing

• Practical takeaways and best practices for successfully integrating AR/VR into your organization’s strategy.

To access the transcripts to this episode, click here.

In this episode of the Experience Strategy Podcast, we are joined by special guest Steve Usher, founder and host of The Experience Designers Podcast. We go deep into the core principles that drive success in experience strategy across both customer and employee offers. We challenge the status quo, pushing beyond played-out persona-based segmentation to explore the untapped potential of situational markets and context. Tune into this episode. It’s time to zoom out, see the big picture, and take full responsibility for executing on the complete job to be done.

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In this episode, we jam with Neely Adkins and Kailey Savona from the RecogNATION Podcast. As fellow experience nerds focused on the employee side, we discuss the importance of celebrating milestones and micro-moments in the employee journey, emphasizing how vital it is to make every employee feel valued, connected, and heard. The key takeaway? In a world of increasing AI and automation, empathy and human connection will be true differentiators, and as experience strategists, our role is to champion and scale those human-centric cultures. 

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In this episode of the Experience Strategy Podcast, we’re joined by Dr. David Willows and Suzette Parlevliet, co-founders of [YELLOW CAR], the world’s leading experience strategy and consultancy firm for schools. David and Suzette share their insights on transforming education through the lens of experience strategy, discussing the unique challenges and opportunities in the international school landscape. They introduce the Felt Experience Indicator, a tool developed by [YELLOW CAR] to help schools measure and understand the experience of their community members, fostering a culture of listening, feedback, and continuous improvement. With their diverse backgrounds and dedication to making experience strategy accessible to schools worldwide, David and Suzette are committed to helping educational institutions align mission, experience, and impact, ultimately redefining success and creating meaningful value propositions that resonate with their target audiences. 

For access to the transcripts of this episode, click here.