Register to attend the 2026 CX Day Celebration in-person or virtually.

In this SIMPLE brand episode, I talk with CX leader and CX Accelerator co-founder Nate Brown about his concept of Servant Challenger Leadership - combining the service, humility, and trust-building of servant leadership with the courage to challenge old systems, assumptions, and ways of working.

We explore how CX leaders can create psychological safety without creating complacency and create an environment where people can challenge ideas, collaborate, and move through change together.

What You’ll Learn

* Why challenging the status quo isn’t enough to lead meaningful organizational change

* How Servant Challenger Leadership combines service, trust, and productive challenge

* Why psychological safety shouldn’t mean avoiding disagreement, discomfort, or change

* How “creative abrasion” helps teams collaborate, innovate, and develop better ideas together

* Why CX leaders need cross-functional allies to create lasting customer experience change

* How leaders can create an environment where great ideas emerge instead of trying to have all the answers themselves

* The attributes needed to lead people through change

* How to help employees participate in customer-centric change

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Servant Challenger Leadership

03:19 The Servant Challenger Leadership Model

12:47 How to Manage Psychological Safety and Creative Tension

17:53 Leaders Need Desire, Confidence, and Capabilities

22:39 Leading Change With a Change Management Coalition

29:09 Examples of Brands Demonstrating Customer Curiosity

33:35 Learn All About the CX Accelerator Community

38:10 The 2026 CX Day Celebration

39:40 Nate's 5-Song Playlist

44:08 2026 CX Day Celebration Details

About Nate Brown
Nate Brown helps organizations better understand and serve their customers. As a CX practitioner, consultant, and leader, he’s built contact centers from scratch, led complex CX functions, and helped organizations create stronger connections between employees and customers across multiple industries.

Nate is also the co-founder of CX Accelerator, a global community of over 5,000 customer experience professionals helping one another grow throughout their careers. 

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Register for the 2026 CX Day Celebration

Nate’s Website 

CX Accelerator 

Nate on LinkedIn 

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In this episode, I sit down with brand strategist and behavioral science expert Kevin Perlmutter, founder of Limbic Brand Evolution and author of Brand Desire, to explore how understanding your customers' emotional motivations can change the way you attract and retain them.

Kevin explains why traditional brand strategy often leaves out one important person - the customer. We explore why asking “What do we want our customers to feel?” is the wrong question, what brands can learn by actually talking with their customers, and how customer insight can become one of your greatest competitive advantages.

What You’ll Learn

• Why brands often misunderstand what their customers actually care about
• The difference between how you want customers to feel and how customers want to feel
• Why focusing on your brand's “why” without understanding your “who” can lead you in the wrong direction
• Why emotions influence customer decisions more than most brands realize
• Why repeat customers aren't necessarily loyal customers - and how habit can disguise itself as loyalty
• How customer insight can align your entire organization around what matters most to customers

Chapters

0:00 Introduction to Brand Desire

03:13 Advertising and Neuroscience

06:43 The Importance of Emotional Insight in Branding

10:34 Focus On Your WHO as Much as Your WHY

15:11 Finding Shared Emotional Motivation Between the Customer and Your Brand

16:28 When Brands Are Surprised by Customers' Motivations

23:21 Differentiating Customer Habit from True Loyalty

27:22 The Focus, Connect, Evolve Framework

31:28 How to Ensure Consistency Across All Interactions

33:59 Kevin's 5-Song Playlist

About Kevin Perlmutter
Kevin Perlmutter is a brand strategist, behavioral science expert, and author of Brand Desire: Spark Customer Interest Using Emotional Insights. He's the founder and chief strategist of Limbic Brand Evolution and creator of Limbic Sparks® Brand Strategy, an approach that helps brands better understand the emotional motivations that drive customer behavior.

Connect With Kevin Perlmutter

Kevin’s Website 

Kevin on LinkedIn 

Kevin’s book - Brand Desire: Spark Customer Interest Using Emotional Insights 

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In this episode, I sit down with Joe Pine, co-author of the book The Experience Economy and author of The Transformation Economy, to explore why even a great customer experience may no longer be enough.

We explore what it means to move from creating experiences to guiding transformations, how to understand your customers' aspirations, and what brands can do to intentionally help customers become who they want to become.

What You’ll Learn

• Why memorable customer experiences are no longer enough—and what customers increasingly want instead
• How to shift from asking what your customers want to understanding who they want to become
• Why your customers’ transformation journey is different from the traditional customer journey
• Why transformation requires understanding customers as individuals—and creating experiences around their unique starting points and aspirations
• How “time well invested” creates greater value than simply saving customers time or giving them time well spent
• How helping customers, employees, and communities flourish can become a higher purpose for your business

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Transformation Economy

03:16 27 Years of The Experience Economy

05:48 Today Customers Want a Transformative Experiences

11:15 What Customers Are Looking For in Transformative Experiences

16:52 You Need to Understand Individuals to Give a Personalized Experience

22:46 The Influence of Time in Transformative Customer Experiences

25:32 Designing Your Customer Experience As Time Well Invested

28:32 How to Help Your Customers Flourish

31:59 Convincing Your C-Suite to Buy Into Helping Customers Flourish

34:49 How to Help Your Employees to Flourish

37:02 Joe's 5-Song Playlist

About Joe Pine
Joe Pine is an internationally acclaimed author, speaker, and advisor who helps businesses design new ways of creating value for their customers. He is the co-author of the groundbreaking book The Experience Economy and author of The Transformation Economy: Guiding Customers to Achieve Their Aspirations.

Connect With Joe Pine

Joe’s Website 

Joe on LinkedIn 

Joe’s Book - The Transformation Economy  

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Have you ever wondered why some relationships naturally grow stronger while others slowly drift apart—even when you have the best intentions?

Your strongest relationships won't be built through grand gestures. They'll be built through simple, intentional habits.

In this episode, I sit down with relationship strategist, keynote speaker, and author of The Relationship Advantage, Barb Betts, to discuss what it really takes to build, strengthen, and nurture meaningful relationships.

What You’ll Learn

• Why your most important relationship may be the one you neglect the most
• What self-doubt and imposter syndrome may actually tell you
• The three ingredients every meaningful relationship needs
• Why knowing a lot of people isn’t the same as making people feel known
• A better method than asking for referrals for your business
• Why treating everyone the same is actually harmful
• A simple system for keeping your most important relationships from drifting
• The five-minute daily habit that will transform your customer, professional, and personal relationships

Chapters

0:00 Introduction to Relationships and Their Importance

03:14 Are Business Relationships Limited to Sales Relationships?

08:30 Your Most Important Relationship

14:01 Managing Self-Doubt and Imposter Syndrome

17:17 The Right Way to Show Vulnerability in Relationships

21:33 The Difference Between Knowing People and Making People Feel Known

24:39 The Right Way to Ask For Referrals

30:05 A System For Managing Your Relationships

35:52 Barb's 5-Song Playlist

About Barb Betts

Barb Betts is a keynote speaker, CEO, relationship strategist, and author of The Relationship Advantage. For more than 23 years, she has helped leaders, sales professionals, and business owners build stronger customer and professional relationships that drive growth, trust, and long-term success. After building and sustaining a seven-figure business for more than a decade with no ad spend or cold outreach, Barb now teaches strategies for building authentic relationships that fuel both business and life.

Connect With Barb Betts

Barb’s Website

Barb’s Book - The Relationship Advantage

Barb on LinkedIn
Barb on YouTube

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In this episode, I sit down with marketing professor, consultant, and keynote speaker Jim Karrh, author of The Science of Customer Connections: Manage Your Message to Grow Your Business.

Together, we explore why so many brands unintentionally confuse customers, why sales teams are often far more confident in what they sell than in how they talk about it, and how clear, customer-focused messaging can transform everyone—from marketing and sales to customer experience and frontline employees—into stronger ambassadors for your brand.

What You'll Learn

• Why brands with great products still struggle to communicate their value.
• How your customers compare you on price when your messaging sounds like everyone else's.
• The three biggest warning signs your messaging isn't working.
• How to create messaging that's consistent without turning your employees into scripted robots.
• Why talking about your customer's world is more persuasive than talking about your own.
• The three components every brand needs to create clear, consistent messaging.
• How expertise and empathy work together to build trust with customers.
• Why your employees may be your most overlooked brand messengers.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to The Science of Customer Connections

03:37 Understanding Messaging Gaps in Organizations

04:28 What Holds Brands Back With Their Messaging

05:24 The Confidence Gap Every Sales Team Faces

10:01 The 3 Big Symptoms of Poor Messaging

18:45 The Importance of Consistency and Cohesiveness in Messaging

19:52 The 3-Point Strategy for Effective Messaging

23:59 How to Ensure Your Message Is Trustworthy

29:03 The Role of Messengers in Communication

33:23 Using Word of Mouth to Spread Your Message

35:50 How AI Can Help or Hinder Our Messaging Efforts

39:38 Jim's 5-Song Playlist

About Jim Karrh

Dr. Jim Karrh is a marketing professor at The University of Alabama's Culverhouse College of Business. Roll Tide Roll! He’s also a keynote speaker, consultant, and author of The Science of Customer Connections: Manage Your Message to Grow Your Business. Drawing from experience as a chief marketing officer, researcher, entrepreneur, and consultant, Jim helps B2B sales and marketing teams develop clearer, more customer-focused messaging that drives growth. He also hosts The Manage Your Message Podcast and is a frequent contributor to leading business and marketing publications.

Connect with Jim Karrh

Jim on LinkedIn 

Jim’s Book - The Science of Customer Connections: Manage Your Message to Grow Your Business

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In this episode, I sit down with leadership expert, keynote speaker, and author Stephen Baer to discuss his latest book, Stickology: How to Build Unbreakable Connections with Employees and Customers for Life.

We discuss why emotional connection has become one of the greatest leadership opportunities organizations face today.

From customer experience and employee engagement to leadership and organizational culture, we explore what it takes to create environments where people feel seen and valued—and why the organizations that earn lasting customer and employee loyalty use meaningful connection to create lasting engagement.

What You'll Learn

• Why communication alone doesn't create lasting customer and employee loyalty
• The difference between connection and true engagement - and why that matters
• Stephen's Velcro vs. Glue analogy for understanding why some relationships stick while others don't
• How the Greet. Know. Grow. framework helps leaders build stronger relationships with employees
• Why helping people feel seen, valued, and understood creates better customer experiences, stronger cultures, and more engaged employees
• What makes Trader Joe's customer experience so different - and why it starts with employee empowerment

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Stickology

02:50 Why Employees Are Emotionally Disconnected to Work Today

04:46 The Difference Between Employee Connection and Engagement

05:56 The Financial Impact of Employee Engagement

08:25 Case Study: Shein vs. Life is Good

10:49 Trader Joe's: A Model for Employee Engagement

14:20 The 3 Requirements For Creating Employee Engagement

17:17 The Secret Mindset to Valuing Your Employees

19:01 How to Know If Your Employees Are Engaged

24:04 The Need to Protect Your Employees

28:00 Balancing Between Good and Bad Friction

33:30 How Leaders Can Create Engagement in the Next 30-60-90 Days

37:33 Stephen's 5-song Playlist

About Stephen Baer

Stephen Baer is a leadership expert, entrepreneur, investor, and author of the #1 best-selling book Stickology: How to Build Unbreakable Connections with Employees and Customers for Life. For more than 30 years, he has helped organizations build stronger leaders, healthier cultures, and more meaningful connections with customers and employees. He also hosts the Stickology podcast.

Connect with Stephen Baer

Stephen’s Website 

Stephen on LinkedIn 

Stephen’s Book - Stickology: How to Build Unbreakable Connections with Employees and Customers for Life

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What makes luxury hospitality feel different?

Most people assume it's the beautiful hotels, premium amenities, and five-star service.

But the real secret is much simpler.

It's making customers feel like they're the only customer.

In this episode, I sit down with customer experience strategist, former Five Diamond concierge, and author Jamie Cooperstein to discuss her book, True Hospitality: Lessons Learned from Behind the Concierge Desk.

Drawing from more than a decade serving luxury guests face-to-face, Jamie shares the lessons she learned about creating emotional connections, anticipating customer needs, empowering employees, and delivering experiences people never forget.

Whether you work in hospitality or not, the principles Jamie shares can help you create more personalized, memorable customer experiences.

What You'll Learn

• The difference between service and hospitality - and why hospitality creates emotional connections
• How luxury brands make customers feel like they're the only customer
• The five keys to service excellence
• How to anticipate customer needs before they ask
• The right way to handle service recovery
• Why supportive leadership creates better customer experiences
• How to empower employees to make decisions in gray areas

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to True Hospitality

00:42 The Unique Perspective of a Concierge

04:19 Defining True Hospitality

10:34 The 5 Keys to Service Excellence

21:47 How to Ensure Effective Service Recovery

23:43 Navigating High Customer Emotions

26:50 The Power of Supportive Leadership

32:05 How to Empower Employees in Gray Areas

39:26 Jamie's 5-Song Playlist

About Jamie Cooperstein

Jamie Cooperstein is a customer experience strategist, speaker, and former Five Diamond concierge. Drawing on more than a decade of experience serving luxury hotel guests, she helps organizations create exceptional customer experiences through hospitality, personalized service, employee empowerment, and leadership. Jamie is the author of True Hospitality: Lessons Learned from Behind the Concierge Desk, a memoir that shares the stories and lessons she learned while serving guests at some of Philadelphia's most prestigious properties.

Connect with Jamie Cooperstein

Jamie’s Website 

Jamie on LinkedIn 

Jamie’s Book - True Hospitality: Lessons Learned from Behind the Concierge Desk

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Why do some brands create repeat customers, while other brands create loyal customers—and the very best brands create loyal brand fans?

The answer isn't just a better product. It isn't a bigger marketing budget. And it isn't a loyalty program. It's about creating an emotional connection that makes customers feel like they belong.

In this episode, I sit down with customer experience strategist, Fractional Chief Customer Officer, and author Christina Garnett to discuss her book, Transforming Customer-Brand Relationships.

We explore why customers don't want to feel like transactions, how brands create genuine community, what drives long-term loyalty, and what it takes to turn customers into loyal brand fans.

What You'll Learn

• How treating customers like transactions kills long-term loyalty
• The best ways to truly understand your customers and their needs
• Why organizational silos create friction in the customer experience
• The right - and wrong - ways to build a brand community
• How to move customers from repeat purchases to loyalty to true brand fandom
• Why surprise and delight often fails to create lasting customer loyalty
• How game theory can transform the way you think about customer relationships

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Transforming Customer Brand Relationships

01:28 Defining Customer Experience

03:34 How Brands Treat Customers Like Transactions

07:24 The Ideal Methods For Understanding Your Customers

10:17 Breaking Down Silos for Better CX

13:03 The Right and Wrong Ways to Create a Brand Community

16:33 Repeat Customers to Loyal Customers to Brand Fans

20:44 Hierarchy of Customer Delight

22:51 The Importance of Genuine Customer Engagement

24:48 Creating Memorable Customer Experiences

27:06 The Gap Between Customer Perception and Leadership Assumption

29:13 The Little Things Matter in Customer Experience

31:38 Applying Game Theory in Customer Experience

35:45 Connecting Employee Experience to Customer Experience

37:50 Christina's 5-song Playlist

About Christina Garnett

Christina Garnett is a customer experience strategist, Fractional Chief Customer Officer, founder of Pocket CCO, and author of Transforming Customer-Brand Relationships. She helps organizations strengthen customer relationships, improve retention, build meaningful communities, and create experiences that inspire loyalty. 

Connect with Christina Garnett

Christina’s Website 

Christina’s Book - Transforming Customer-Brand Relationships

Christina on LinkedIn 

Connect with Matt Lyles

Check Matt's speaking availability 

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The SIMPLE brand newsletter 

Customer service leaders are under increasing pressure to use AI and automate more of the customer experience.

But how do you know what should be automated—and what should stay human?

It turns out, automation for automation’s sake isn’t your goal. Creating a better customer experience is.

In this episode, I sit down with customer service expert, trainer, and author Jeff Toister to discuss his latest book, Human Service: The Skills AI Can't Replace.

We explore where AI can improve the customer experience, where it often falls short, and why the organizations that win won't be the ones that automate everything—they'll be the ones that know when human service matters most.

What You'll Learn

• Why customers don't mind AI when it works—but hate it when it doesn't
• Jeff's simple framework for deciding what should and shouldn't be automated
• The three human service skills AI can't replace
• Why connection still matters in a world filled with automation
• How understanding a customer's true needs leads to better outcomes
• The critical role advocacy plays in creating better customer experiences
• What Chick-fil-A gets right about balancing technology and hospitality
• How AI can amplify both great and terrible customer experiences
• The iceberg exercise that helps uncover hidden customer experience problems

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Human-Centric AI

05:07 Customers' Biggest Frustrations with AI

09:03 How to Decide What to Automate vs Humanize

12:55 The Value of Genuine Human Interaction

20:47 How Chick-fil-A Excels by Prioritizing Human Service

24:03 In-N-Out Burger Prioritizes Quality Over Automation

27:52 Drawbacks to Relying Solely on AI

32:25 How to Use AI to be More Proactive in Customer Service

35:04 The Iceberg Approach to Finding Hidden Issues in Customer Experience

37:00 One Change to Make to Instill Human Service Into Your CX

About Jeff Toister

Jeff Toister is a customer service consultant, trainer, speaker, and bestselling author who helps organizations build stronger customer-focused cultures. He is the author of multiple customer service books, including Human Service: The Skills AI Can't Replace, and has worked with organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses and government agencies. 

Connect with Jeff Toister

Jeff’s Website 

Jeff’s Book - Human Service Book 

Jeff on LinkedIn 

Jeff’s Customer Service Tip of the Week 

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Why does customer loyalty seem harder to earn than ever before?

Customers have more choices, higher expectations, and less patience than ever. At the same time, many organizations are struggling to understand why customers aren't as loyal as they once were.

In this episode, I sit down with customer experience expert, keynote speaker, and author Jeannie Walters to discuss her new book, Experience Is Everything: Making Every Moment Count in the Age of Customer Expectations, and why customer loyalty has become so fragile.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• Why customer loyalty is becoming more fragile than ever before
• The exercise that helps align an entire organization around customer experience
• The difference between reactive customer service and proactive customer experience
• Why emotions play a bigger role in customer loyalty than many organizations realize
• Why small moments often have a bigger impact than big moments
• The role intentional leadership plays in creating a better customer experience

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Experience Is Everything

05:10 Creating a Customer Experience Mission Statement

11:13 The Importance of Internal Alignment

15:03 Bridging the Gap in Customer Loyalty and Customer Expectations

18:57 Proactive vs. Reactive Customer Experience

21:03 Managing Negative Emotions in Customer Experience

25:25 The Power of Small Moments

32:23 Jeannie's Experience Is Everything 5-Song Playlist

About Jeannie Walters

Jeannie Walters is an award-winning customer experience expert, keynote speaker, founder of Experience Investigators, and author of Experience Is Everything: Making Every Moment Count in the Age of Customer Expectations. Through her consulting and speaking, she helps organizations improve customer loyalty, increase retention, and create more customer-centric experiences.

Connect with Jeannie Walters

Jeannie’s Website 

Experience Investigators 

Jeannie’s Book - Experience Is Everything: Making Every Moment Count in the Age of Customer Expectations 

Jeannie on LinkedIn 

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