The first season of Simply CX was full of insights from creating emotional loyalty and building organizational culture to AI-driven innovation and omnichannel experiences. In this episode, Nicole shares the themes and stories that shaped the season—and the conversations that stood out.  

You'll walk away with: 

• Why culture is the foundation for CX innovation 

• How aligning on metrics creates accountability and impact 

• The role of AI and creativity in scaling personalized experiences 

Whether you're a CX pro, team leader, or brand builder, this episode will inspire you to see customer experience through a more human—and more powerful—lens. 

Mentioned in this Episode 

• Emotional loyalty  

• Metric alignment at e& UAE 

• AI-powered oncology breakthroughs and inclusion in education 

🎧 Produced by Larj Media 

📩 For more CX insights, follow Nicole on LinkedIn 

If you have questions or comments about CX email us: [email protected] 

Additional Resources 

• Connect with Nicole McKinley on https://www.linkedin.com 

• Learn more about Larj Media at https://larjmedia.com 

Episode Summary: 

In this episode of Simply CX, Nicole talks with Nasim Eftekhari from City of Hope about how customer experience innovation is reshaping cancer care. Discover how AI-driven tools like their Hope LLM are reducing clinician burnout, improving patient outcomes, and even saving lives through smarter clinical trial matching—all by putting human needs at the center of change. 

You'll walk away with: 

• How building with end users creates adoption and trust 

• The role of AI in scaling personalized care and improving patient experiences  

• Why CX innovation in healthcare is about real human impact 

Whether you're a CX pro, team leader, or brand builder, this episode will inspire you to see customer experience through a more human—and more powerful—lens. 

Mentioned in this Episode 

• Hope LLM: AI-powered oncology assistant 

• City of Hope’s six-dimensional impact framework 

• Clinical trial matching technology 

🎧 Produced by Larj Media 

📩 Follow Nicole McKinley for CX insights that matter.  

If you have questions or comments about CX email us: [email protected] 

Additional Resources 

Guest: Nasim Eftekhari City of Hope 

Keywords 

CX innovation, healthcare AI, patient experience, clinical trial matching, cancer care 

In this episode of Simply CX, host Nicole McKinley sits down with Chris Holt, Supervisor of Technology Training at Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS), to explore how one of the largest school districts in the U.S. transformed its classroom experience. From interactive flat panels to AI-powered learning accelerators, Chris shares how HCPS built a human-centric, scalable change management strategy that empowered teachers and elevated student engagement. 

You'll walk away with: 

• How HCPS reimagined classroom instruction and experience 

• The design and impact of the Hillsborough Influencer Academy to drive adoption and value 

• Strategies for implementing AI-powered experiences in education while keeping human connection at the center 

Whether you're a CX pro, team leader, or brand builder, this episode will inspire you to see customer experience through a more human—and more powerful—lens. 

Mentioned in this Episode 

• Reading Progress & Learning Accelerators 

• Hillsborough Influencer Academy 

• AI Governance Council 

• University of South Florida Credentialing Partnership  

🎧 Produced by Larj Media 

📩 For more CX insights, follow Nicole on Linkedin 

If you have questions or comments about CX email us: [email protected] 

Additional Resources 

Guest: Chris Holt, Supervisor of Technology Training, Hillsborough County Public Schools 

Partners: Microsoft K-12 Team, PowerUp EDU, Connection, University of South Florida 

In this episode of Simply CX, Nicole talks with Brian Hodel from T-Mobile about how his team tackled a manual employee experience and transformed it into a streamlined, AI-powered solution for customers. They dive into how AI, customer feedback, and frontline employee insights shaped a tool that personalizes promotions, simplifies decision-making, and enhances both customer and employee experiences. They didn’t start with AI, they started with empathy, and how things went tell you everything about the power of human-centered design. 

You'll walk away with: 

• How human-centered design drives better CX outcomes 

• Why simplicity and speed can matter more than flashy features 

• What it takes to build scalable solutions that actually drive customer value 

Mentioned in this Episode 

• Promo Genius 

• Microsoft Copilot 

• Office 365 and Netflix promotions 

🎧 Produced by Larj Media 

📩 For more CX insights, follow Nicole on Linkedin 

If you have questions or comments about CX email us: [email protected] 

Additional Resources 

Guest: Brian Hodel, Principal Engineer at T-Mobile 

Role: Developer of Promo Genius and Orbit go-to-market system 

Focus: AI-powered customer experience innovation 

In part two of our conversation with Chris Lipman, Chief Customer Experience Officer at e&, we dive deeper into how immersive leadership -- like spending a day in the call center -- can spark real change. Chris shares how AI is reshaping customer experience, the risks of voice bots, and the importance of keeping customer expectations at the center of innovation.  

You'll walk away with: 

• Why “Beyond the Desk” is more than a leadership exercise—it's a CX game-changer 

• How AI can predict and proactively improve customer satisfaction 

• Why customer acceptance is the ultimate test for any new technology 

Whether you're a CX pro, team leader, or brand builder, this episode will inspire you to see customer experience through a more human—and more powerful—lens. 

Mentioned in this Episode 

• Beyond the Desk initiative 

• Net Promoter Score (NPS) 

• Gartner Hype Curve 

• Virtual Assistants and IVR systems 

🎧 Produced by Larj Media 

📩 For more CX insights, follow Nicole on Linkedin 

If you have questions or comments about CX email us: [email protected] 

“CX is not an exact science—it’s a puzzle.” In the first part of this 2-part series, Chris Lipman, an award-winning CX expert and Chief Customer Experience Officer at e& UAE, shares how his obsession with solving puzzles fuels his approach to customer experience. e& identifies and prioritizes CX issues, rapidly prototypes solutions, and measures their impact on both customer satisfaction and business outcomes. This approach not only elevates customer experience but also ensures a clear return on investment by aligning CX improvements with measurable business value. From decoding NPS verbatims to sending execs into the call center trenches, Chris reveals how e& is solving for happy—by turning data into differentiated CX design. #CustomerExperience #CXLeadership #NPS #e& #SimplyCX #Microsoft 

You'll walk away with: 

• How to use NPS as a diagnostic tool—not just a score 

• Why data and insights are not enough, clear business value is imperative 

• Why CX transformation is a slow, deliberate puzzle-solving process 

• How executive immersion and AI are reshaping customer journeys 

Mentioned in the Episode 

• Net Promoter Score (NPS) by Fred Reichheld 

• Forrester’s Customer Obsessed Enterprise Award 

🎧 Produced by Larj Media 

📩 For more CX insights, follow Nicole on Linkedin 

If you have questions or comments about CX email us: [email protected] 

Additional Resources 

Guest: Chris Lipman, Chief Customer Experience Officer at e& UAE

Company: e& (formerly Etisalat Group), serving 198M+ customers across 38 countries 

Award: Forrester’s Customer Obsessed Enterprise Award 

In this episode of Simply CX, Nicole McKinley talks with Erica Baird, Executive Director of Global Sales and Service at Cummins, about how customer experience is deeply embedded across every facet of the company—from engineering and field service to sales and product development.  

You'll walk away with: 

• How Cummins uses AI to predict and prevent mechanical issues before they happen 

• Why customer empathy is more powerful than ever in delivering positive CX 

• How CX data drives training, product design, and competitive intelligence 

Whether you're a CX pro, team leader, or brand builder, this episode will inspire you to see customer experience through a more human—and more powerful—lens. 

Produced by Larj Media 

For more CX insights, follow Nicole on Linkedin 

If you have questions or comments about CX email us: [email protected] 

Erika Baird on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-k-baird/ 

We’re breaking the mold in this episode, as Nicole sits down with two of her peers who are helping bring the CX vision for Microsoft to life. How do you embed customer experience into the DNA of a global organization? Learn from Mike Friday GM of Global Customer Experience Engagement and Diana Parker; GM of Enterprises Sales & Operations who share how Microsoft moved from reactive surveys to predictive, AI-powered insights—making CX a natural part of everyone’s day. Culture, accountability, and agility are the game changers. 

You'll walk away with: 

• Why culture—not tools—was the starting point for CX transformation 

• How real-time feedback and AI are driving proactive customer engagement 

• The power of shared accountability and personalized insights in CX strategy 

Whether you're a CX pro, team leader, or brand builder, this episode will inspire you to see customer experience through a more human—and more powerful—lens. 

Mentioned in this Episode 

• CX Council at Microsoft 

• AI-powered Sales Copilot and Sales Chat 

• Champions Cup CX Awards 

• Always-on listening mechanisms 

🎧 Produced by Larj Media 

📩 For more CX insights, follow Nicole on Linkedin 

If you have questions or comments about CX email us: [email protected] 

Buying a car should feel like a joyride, not a chore—and CarMax is investing to make it easy, exciting, and even fun. In this episode of Simply CX, Nicole sits down with Shamim Mohammad, EVP and Chief Information and Technology Officer at CarMax, to explore how the company is redefining the car buying experience. From omnichannel innovation to AI-powered tools like Sky 2.0, Shamim shares how CarMax puts customers at the center of every decision, creating multi-channel, personalized, and empowering journeys. 

You'll walk away with: 

• How CarMax’s omnichannel strategy is transforming customer experience 

• The role of AI and experimentation in driving innovation 

• Why startup culture and empowered teams fuel CX success 

Whether you're a CX pro, team leader, or brand builder, this episode will inspire you to see customer experience through a more human—and more powerful—lens. 

Mentioned in this Episode 

• Sky 1.0 and Sky 2.0 AI assistants 

• CarMax’s Instant Offer (IO) program 

• Cross-functional product teams and startup culture 

• Net Promoter Score (NPS) as a CX metric 

• GenAI for customer review optimization 

🎧 Produced by Larj Media 

📩 For more CX insights, follow Nicole on Linkedin 

If you have questions or comments about CX email us: [email protected] 

Additional Resources 

Guest: Shamim Mohammad, EVP & Chief Information and Technology Officer, CarMax 

CarMax: https://www.carmax.com 

In this episode of Simply CX, Nicole sits down with Imran Khan, Head of Innovation and Design at TD Bank, to explore what it means to stay human-centered in a world of rapid AI transformation and generational change. 

Imran shares how TD Bank is designing intuitive, intelligent experiences that serve both customers and employees—from real-time AI support for call center agents to the groundbreaking Roblox game “Treat Island Tycoon,” which teaches kids money skills through play. They also discuss accessibility innovation, cross-generational loyalty, and how CX teams can stay focused while experimenting in an overwhelming tech landscape. 

Whether you’re building with Gen Alpha or Gen X in mind, or navigating how AI reshapes your employee experience, this conversation offers a practical, inspiring look at what it means to innovate with people—not just platforms—in mind. 

You’ll walk away with: 

• How to balance personalization and scale in the AI era 
• Why gamification and financial literacy matter for CX 
• What TD’s accessibility adapter can teach us about inclusion 
• The importance of triangulating data, design, and emotional insight 



🎧 Produced by Larj Media 

📩 For more CX insights, follow Nicole on LinkedIn 

If you have questions or comments about CX email us: [email protected] 

Mentioned in this episode: 

• Treat Island Tycoon – TD Bank’s financial literacy game on Roblox 
• Accessibility Adapter – Free, customizable web experience tool from TD