What does it take to build a brand that resonates across cultures… not just across markets?  

In this special dual-guest episode, Lacey Peace sits down with Nataly Kelly, Chief Marketing Officer at Zappi, and Katherine Melchior Ray, UC Berkeley lecturer and former executive at brands like Nike, Hyatt, and Louis Vuitton. Together, they co-authored the new book Brand Global, Adapt Local: How to Build Brand Value Across Cultures and they’re here to share the lessons learned from decades of global brand-building.

Nataly and Katherine dive deep into why cultural intelligence is the most under-leveraged skill in modern CX, why brands that ignore cultural context are building in globalization debt, and how something as simple as a melon can repair — or ruin — customer trust. They explain the importance of shared values, the risks of applying the same CX metrics globally (spoiler: NPS doesn’t mean the same thing in every country), and how AI is both accelerating and complicating cross-cultural brand connection.

From real stories about Kit Kat’s flavor strategy in Japan to awkward CX blunders in global grocery stores, this episode is packed with tangible takeaways and perspective shifts for any business looking to scale with humanity and intention.

Get your copy of Brand Global, Adapt Local: How to Build Brand Value Across Cultures now!  

https://www.amazon.com/Brand-Global-Adapt-Local-Cultures/dp/139861971X

Key Moments:  

00:00 Do Customer Service Expectations Differ Across Cultures?

06:03 Why Cultural Intelligence Is Crucial for Global Business

07:04 Co-Authors’ Nataly Kelly & Katherine Melchior Ray’s Meet cute  

15:18 Real-Life Cultural Missteps and Surprising Service Norms

24:13 Can AI Replace Cultural Insight? Why Human Context Still Matters

34:38 What’s at Stake When You Ignore Cultural Differences

38:23 Globalization Strategy: Why Flexibility Beats Uniformity

39:09 How Cultural Agility Builds Better Customer Experiences

40:34 Style Switching & Cultural Intelligence in Leadership

42:18 Kit Kat’s Local Flavors & HubSpot’s Global CX

51:01 How Tech Adoption Varies by Country (And Why It Matters)

55:12 Daily Habits That Boost Strategic Thinking & Creativity

01:00:24 How AI Is Changing Global Marketing and Customer Experience

01:15:46 Final Leadership Lessons on Trust, Culture & Global Growth

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Are your teams facing growing demands? Join CX leaders transforming their AI strategy with Agentforce. Start achieving your ambitious goals. Visit salesforce.com/agentforce

Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. 
Learn more at mission.org

2025 is the last year of human-only teams. Are you ready to lead both people and AI?

Usman Nasir, VP of Agentforce Acceleration at Salesforce, joins us to explore a future that's already here: digital labor working hand-in-hand with humans.  

Usman explains why 2025 marks the end of the human-only workforce and dives deep into how AI agents are transforming the workplace — from automating customer support to driving internal productivity. He shares practical advice on starting your agentic journey, debunks common myths, and explains why trust, data quality, and modular agent design are the pillars of successful implementation. Whether you’re leading a Fortune 500 company or bootstrapping a startup, this episode will shift how you think about work, leadership, and the AI-enabled future.

Key Moments:  

00:00 Introducing Usman Nasir, VP of Agentforce Acceleration at Salesforce

03:13 The Future of Human and Digital Labor

06:32 Salesforce's Agentforce (Chatbot vs. AI Agents)

19:41 Real-World Use Cases and Misconceptions

34:16 Exploring AI in Operations Management

37:12 Identifying AI-Ready Use Cases

41:44 Change Management for AI Adoption

45:35 Lessons from Early AI Adoption

01:04:29 Future of AI Agents and Predictions

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Are your teams facing growing demands? Join CX leaders transforming their AI strategy with Agentforce. Start achieving your ambitious goals. Visit salesforce.com/agentforce

Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. 
Learn more at mission.org

Lauren Pufpaf, COO and Co-Founder of Feed Media, joins us to explore how music is far more than just background noise — it’s a potent driver of customer emotion, behavior, and loyalty. Lauren reveals how brands like American Eagle and fitness platforms are using curated music to create “sticky” digital experiences that boost engagement and conversions. The conversation dives into the neuroscience behind why music works so effectively in CX and how the right sound strategy can elevate everything from retail apps to telehealth waiting rooms. Hit play and discover how your brand might be missing out on a powerful emotional trigger.

🎧 Listen to the full episode now and learn how to tune your brand into what your customers are really feeling.

• 00:00 Music’s Role in the Digital Customer Journey
• 07:32 Inside Feed Media Group with COO Lauren Pufpaf
• 11:29 How Music Hacks the Brain: Science Meets CX
• 20:55 Music Licensing Explained (And Why It’s So Complicated)
• 24:31 From Stores to Screens: Music in Retail and E-Commerce
• 34:31 AI in Music: Smarter Curation, Deeper Connections
• 40:12 Creating a Music Strategy That Fits Your Brand
• 57:30 How Music is Transforming Healthcare Settings
• 59:10 Lightening Round: Customer Experience that Sticks

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Are your teams facing growing demands? Join CX leaders transforming their AI strategy with Agentforce. Start achieving your ambitious goals. Visit salesforce.com/agentforce

Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. 
Learn more at mission.org

How do you lead organizational transformation when AI is moving faster than your roadmap can keep up?  

Carlie Bissler, a product leader at McKesson, breaks down what it takes to guide large enterprises through change in the age of AI. From building trust and authenticity as a leader to shifting from "change management" to "change leadership," Carlie shares pragmatic advice for preparing your teams — and yourself — for the unknown.  

She also gets real about fear in the workplace, the shame some still feel about using AI tools, and why the best CX transformations start on the inside. If you're navigating the messy middle of enterprise innovation, this episode is your blueprint for embracing agility, empowering your people, and staying human in an increasingly automated world.

Key Moments:  

00:00 Change Leadership, Innovation, and AI

04:46 Who is Carlie Bislser of McKesson?

06:13 The Role of Psychology in Leadership

14:20 Navigating Organizational Transformation

18:33 Embracing AI and Building Trust

29:12 The Growing Fear of AI in the Workplace

34:32 The Shift from AI as a Cost Center to an Asset

38:03 Mentorship and Community

43:13 Preparing for AI-Driven Transformation

45:43 The Human Touch in Customer Experience

50:57 Lightning Round: Quick Insights & Advice

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Are your teams facing growing demands? Join CX leaders transforming their AI strategy with Agentforce. Start achieving your ambitious goals. Visit salesforce.com/agentforce

Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. 
Learn more at mission.org

What do a superhero named Captain Rochester, a bold business trip to Brazil, and AI-powered sales have in common?  

Lacey sits down with Colin Strother, Executive Vice President at Rochester Electronics, to explore how a human-first approach is transforming digital transformation. Colin shares his leadership philosophy around shifting from traditional B2B to P2P — person-to-person — emphasizing the power of authentic customer relationships in a global, tech-driven landscape.  

From AI agents and guided selling to hyper-personalization and seamless cross-functional collaboration, Colin details how Rochester is building scalable, trust-centered systems that keep people at the core. Tune in to hear how decades of leadership, a global outlook, and a bold trip to Brazil helped shape Rochester’s future… and why the real key to innovation might be as simple as staying human in a high-tech world.

Key Moments:  

00:00: P2P, Global CX, and Hyper-Personalization at Scale

05:55 Introducing Colin Strother, EVP at Rochester Electronics

09:55 Keys to Global Customer Engagement

14:07 Implementing P2P and Unified Commerce

19:47 AI and Digital Transformation at Rochester

36:34 Building Trust in Change Management

39:41 Adopting Slack for Business Efficiency

45:48 Navigating Data Integration  

53:14 Hyper-Personalization at Scale

01:01:26 Leadership and Authenticity at Rochester Electronics

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Are your teams facing growing demands? Join CX leaders transforming their AI strategy with Agentforce. Start achieving your ambitious goals. Visit salesforce.com/agentforce

Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. 
Learn more at mission.org

CitizenM’s CXO, CDO, and CPO (yes… all three!), Casper Overbeek, joins Lacey to reveal how one of the world’s most innovative hotel brands uses technology to empower people — not replace them. From launching a wildly successful paid loyalty program to redesigning customer journeys with AI and real-time feedback, Casper shares how CitizenM is redefining modern hospitality. Plus, he talks about their recent acquisition by Marriott, how a Slack-integrated feedback loop transformed their ops, and the loyalty that lives beyond points: the subscription model that works.

Hit that like, subscribe, and tap the bell to stay up to date on visionary customer experience leaders.

Key Moments:  

00:00 Introduction to Casper Overbeek, citizenM Hotels

03:46 Citizen M's Unique Approach to Customer Experience

04:20 A Unique Loyalty Program and Digital Experience

12:52 Marriott Acquisition and Future Plans

34:27 The Importance of Human Connection in Hospitality

37:58 The Role of Feedback in Improving Services

41:22 Integrating AI in Hospitality

45:48 The Future of Customer Experience with AI

51:57 Balancing Technology and Human Touch

53:29 What's Next for citizenM?

55:42 Lightning Round and Experiences as a Customer

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Are your teams facing growing demands? Join CX leaders transforming their AI strategy with Agentforce. Start achieving your ambitious goals. Visit salesforce.com/agentforce

Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. 
Learn more at mission.org

What happens to marketing when AI controls the entire purchase funnel?

Steven Van Belleghem, global CX thought leader, keynote speaker, and author, joins us to unpack how AI isn’t just changing workflows, it’s rapidly  transforming customer decision-making itself.

Uncover how customer expectations are shifting, how brands can prepare for AI-powered shopping assistants, and why the brands of the future must be search-visible, review-backed, and emotionally resonant. Steven warns that most companies are only focused on internal AI efficiencies… while ignoring how customer journeys are being upended in real time.

We also explore his framework for “The Offer You Can’t Refuse,” why authenticity is overrated, and what a 1% human experience should look like when everything else is automated. If you're a CX leader, marketer, or executive wondering what to do when the funnel disappears and your customers outsource their decisions to algorithms—this is the conversation you can't afford to miss.

Key Moments:

00:00 The Rise of LLMs in Search and Their Impact

04:29 Introducing Steven Van Belleghem, CX Expert, Author, and Keynote Speaker

07:22 Steven's Journey: From Family Business to AI Expert

13:22 The Future of AI in Customer Experience and Branding

34:55 Steven’s Four Pillars of Success

37:26 Examples of European Companies Excelling in Customer Experience

40:12 The Power of Small Changes in Customer Experience

46:51 Authenticity vs. Artificial Experiences

51:49 The Impact of AI on Customer Experience

55:10 Leadership's Role in Customer-Centric Culture

01:02:06 Lightning Round: Steven’s Personal Inspirations and Advice

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Are your teams facing growing demands? Join CX leaders transforming their AI strategy with Agentforce. Start achieving your ambitious goals. Visit salesforce.com/agentforce

Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. 
Learn more at mission.org

Think cybersecurity is just an IT issue? Think again. Eden Data founder & CEO, Taylor Hersom, joins us to expose how security is no longer just about avoiding breaches — it's a powerful tool for building customer trust, boosting sales, and standing out in a crowded market.

He shares why smart companies are making cybersecurity part of the brand conversation and how marketing and CX leaders can leverage security to win hearts (and wallets). We also dig into the uncomfortable truth that most data breaches aren’t the work of sophisticated hackers — they’re caused by everyday human mistakes.

From the surprising details behind the Coinbase breach to the silent risks of AI misuse, Taylor pulls back the curtain on what’s really threatening your customer experience. If you think your team is in the clear, this episode might change your mind.

Key Moments:

00:00 Who is Taylor Hersom, Founder & CEO of Eden Data?

04:39 Taylor's Journey to Cybersecurity

07:49 Building & Scaling Eden Data

29:53 Current Cybersecurity Threats

39:20 Client Engagement and Cybersecurity as a Sales Strategy

45:56 Cybersecurity Training and Human Error

47:54 Leveraging AI in Cybersecurity

50:32 Future Threats and Everyday Security Tips

57:43 Recovering Trust After a Data Breach

59:35 Building a Culture of Cybersecurity

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Are your teams facing growing demands? Join CX leaders transforming their AI strategy with Agentforce. Start achieving your ambitious goals. Visit salesforce.com/agentforce

Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. 
Learn more at mission.org

What if the secret to standout marketing wasn’t found in a campaign, but in a customer service moment?

Lacey Peace sits down with Geoff Ramm — international keynote speaker and author of Celebrity Service — to explore how the best marketing tomorrow starts with exceptional service today.

From Jedi-costumed taxi drivers to viral hospitality wins, Geoff shares real-world stories that reveal how unexpected, personalized touches can elevate a brand beyond "five-star service" into unforgettable.

But Geoff doesn’t just inspire — he equips. Learn his five-word strategy for creating a culture of “celebrity service,” how a spontaneous question on stage sparked a 20-year philosophy, and why AI should handle the mundane so your team can deliver the magical.

Key Moments:

01:19: How Marriott Turned a Lost Toy Into a Viral CX Win

05:15: Meet Geoff Ramm: The Mind Behind “Celebrity Service”

14:48: Where “Celebrity Service” Began: A Moment That Changed Everything

27:47: How to Implement Celebrity-Level Customer Experience

29:22: Why Most CX Fails: The Time Commitment Gap

30:18: Designing a Visual Space That Fuels CX Innovation

32:44: The 120-Second Challenge: A Proven Method for Fresh CX Ideas

37:16: From Brainstorm to Buy-In: Turning Ideas Into Action

38:12: Driving Team Engagement Through Recognition & Ownership

40:03: CX That Converts: Case Studies from Avon, IHG & More

54:25: Personalized CX That Sticks: Geoff’s Most Powerful Stories

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Are your teams facing growing demands? Join CX leaders transforming their AI strategy with Agentforce. Start achieving your ambitious goals. Visit salesforce.com/agentforce

Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. 
Learn more at mission.org

Is your customer experience too easy? According to Dr. Joseph Michelli — psychologist, author of 13 books, and consultant to brands like Starbucks, Mercedes-Benz, and Ritz-Carlton — that could actually be the problem. 

Dr. Joseph Michelli joins Lacey to dismantle the myth of “effortless” CX and make the bold claim: CX might not survive unless we get a lot more human… and a little more emotional.

Want your customers to care? They need to struggle (just a little). Want your team to win with AI? Teach your bots emotional intelligence. Deep, funny, a little existential — this conversation is for CX pros, tech optimists, and anyone who’s ever asked, "Wait… did that chatbot just gaslight me?"

Tune in to hear why Joseph says, “All business is personal,” and what brands must do now to build human connection at scale.

• 00:00 Customer Effort vs. Ease, AI in CX, & Introducing Dr. Joseph Michelli
• 05:10 From Psychology to Business Consulting
• 10:59 The Art and Science of Customer Experience
• 24:04 The Balance Between Effort and Ease
• 39:35 The Service Recovery Paradox
• 40:03 Handling Friction in Customer Relationships
• 42:34 Generational Differences in Technology Adoption
• 46:41 Emotional Intelligence in AI Interactions
• 01:11:32 Impressive CX & Key Advice for CX Leaders

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Are your teams facing growing demands? Join CX leaders transforming their AI strategy with Agentforce. Start achieving your ambitious goals. Visit salesforce.com/agentforce

Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. 
Learn more at mission.org