The Trusted Guide Podcast with Mark Slatin

Ok, this one is a bit different.  

I've been asked many times over for a sampling of The Trusted Guide Roadmap™ Master Class and really couldn't share a nice condensed slice of it...until now.

It was quite by accident.  

I used an AI tool that automated two virtual hosts, I'm calling them Abe (A) and Ivy (I), who took much of the material from a recent asynchronous course and with a press of a button, converted it into an 11-minute podcast episode! 

I thought, 'Wow, this is so interesting...maybe others will think so too."

The episode starts with a personal failure of mine that illustrates why the hero's trap is so easy to fall into and so devastating.  

The hosts capture the essence of the Master Class section on this topic in a fun way.

I hope you find it entertaining and insightful.  

I'd love to hear your feedback!

 

Navigating the Power Core: A Strategic Approach to Customer Experience

Join us as we dive deep into the world of customer experience with Shelly Chandler, a seasoned CX strategist with 25 years of experience across B2B and B2C industries. In this eye-opening episode, Shelly shares her journey from banking to diverse sectors, offering unique perspectives on leading CX transformation from within the product realm.

Discover why aligning with your organization's "Power Core" is crucial for CX success, and learn how to navigate C-suite expectations by connecting CX initiatives to business objectives. Shelly also addresses common pitfalls in the CX profession and provides invaluable advice for practitioners looking to make a lasting impact.

Shelly answers these questions:

• What is considered "product" in different industries, and why is it important?

• How has the role of customer experience within organizations changed in recent years, particularly in relation to the "Power Core"?

• What advice does Shelly give to CX professionals when starting in a new role or trying to drive change?

Whether you're a CX novice or a seasoned professional, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you elevate your CX game and drive meaningful change in your organization. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from one of the industry's most versatile experts!

 

Meet Shelly

Shelly Chandler is a senior customer experience strategist and leader delivering proven results that increase revenue, reduce costs and solidify customer loyalty. In the specialized profession of Customer Experience that that spans all organizational functions, her career as a customer catalyst has helped companies to drive action within organizations that are ready for customer growth.

Shelly especially enjoys transforming blue-sky visions into tangible, executable programs, creating strategic change with others to enhance customer experience. Shelly has worked in many different industries, adding strategic value and broad understanding of the CX profession over the past 25 years. Key verticals include B2B and B2C, Hospitality, Retail, Automotive, Transportation, Manufacturing, SaaS, and Financial Services, with brands such as PNC Bank, Wells Fargo, Moen, Penske, Walmart, Forsta, and American Tire.

Specialized Skills:
CX Strategy, Insights Development and Metrics, Customer Journey Mapping/Orchestration, and
Experience Design are Shelly's areas of expertise, along with public speaking, coaching and
volunteering.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelly-chandler-cxleader/
[email protected]
704-995-7939

Dr. Joseph Michelli offers invaluable insights on balancing AI and human interaction in customer experience, drawing from his extensive research and work with renowned brands like Starbucks, Ritz-Carlton, and Mercedes-Benz. His expertise in understanding the emotional drivers behind consumer decisions and the importance of self-reflection for business leaders makes this episode a must-listen for anyone interested in enhancing their customer experience strategy.

Excited to share insights from the latest episode of the Delighted Customers podcast featuring Dr. Joseph Michelli, internationally renowned speaker, author, and organizational consultant! Here are three intriguing questions addressed during our conversation:

• How should CEOs approach the incorporation of AI and its intersection with customer experience?

• What are some common missteps companies make when balancing technology and human experience?

• How can businesses effectively leverage both technology and human touch to enhance customer relationships?

Don't miss Dr. Michelli's upcoming book, All Business is Personal available now for pre-order!

 

Meet Dr. Joseph Michelli

 

Joseph A. Michelli, Ph.D., C.S.P., is an internationally sought-after speaker, author, and organizational consultant who transfers his knowledge of exceptional business practices in ways that develop joyful and productive workplaces with a focus on customer experience. His insights encourage leaders and frontline workers to grow and invest passionately in all aspects of their lives.

Dr. Michelli is a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Nielson BookScan, and New York Times' #1 bestselling author. His books include:

• Stronger Through Adversity: World-Class Leaders Share Pandemic-Tested Lessons on Thriving During the Toughest Challenges
• The Airbnb Way: 5 Leadership Lessons for Igniting Growth Through Loyalty, Community, and Belonging
• Driven to Delight: Delivering World-Class Customer Experience the Mercedes-Benz Way
• Leading The Starbucks Way: 5 Principles for Connecting
with Your Customer, Your Products, and Your People
• The Zappos Experience: 5 Principles to Inspire Engage and
WOW
• Prescription for Excellence: Leadership Lessons for Creating a World-Class Customer Experience from UCLA Health System
• The New Gold Standard: 5 Leadership Principles for Creating a Legendary Customer Experience Courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company
• The Starbucks Experience: 5 Principles for Turning Ordinary into Extraordinary
• When Fish Fly: Lessons for Creating a Vital and Energized Workplace co-authored with the owner of the "World- Famous" Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle

• Customer Magic: The Macquarie Way -How to reimagine customer experience to transform your business

Joseph:
• is a Visiting Professor of Service Excellence at Campbellsville University
• is the recipient of the Customer Experience Professional Association's – Impact on the Customer Experience Profession award
• is a Certified Customer Experience Professional (CCXP)
• has been inducted into the Customer Experience Hall of Fame
• has been named one of the Top 5 Customer Experience thought leaders for six consecutive years by Global Gurus
• is on the founders' council of CustomerExperienceOne
• has served on the editorial board member for the Beryl Institute's Patient Experience Journal
• won the Asian Brand Excellence Award
• holds the Certified Speaking Professional (CFP) designation from the National Speakers
Association
• is a member of the Authors Guild

He received his master's and doctorate from the University of Southern California.
Having journeyed with a close family member through a six-year battle with breast cancer, Dr. Michelli is committed to social causes associated with curing cancer and abating world hunger.

Ania Rodriguez was trained as an engineer.  She is Founder and CEO of JourneyTrack and a self-made entrepreneur. Ania's insights into modernizing journey mapping and reducing customer churn offer groundbreaking, actionable strategies for any organization interested in elevating customer experiences.

Ania shares how journey mapping has evolved into a powerful tool for leaders to drive business outcomes:

• Discover how Ania Rodriguez transformed the CX landscape by moving from outdated manual methods to efficient journey management and how this shift can significantly reduce customer churn.
• Learn about the surprising, low-cost quick wins Ania shares that can immediately improve customer retention and satisfaction.
• Get inspired by Ania's insightful analogy comparing journey mapping to creating a movie and how it changes your perspective on customer experience....and so many more gems!

We welcome Ania and her team at JourneyTrack as new sponsors of The Delighted Customers Podcast!  

 

Meet Ania:

Ania is a self-made entrepreneur who has made a name for herself, serving as a CX/UX advisor to Fortune 500 companies around the world for over two decades. Known for her focus on actionable results and quality, 

Ania's leadership has resulted in double-digit growth for her first company, Key Lime Interactive, over the past decade. The company has emerged to become one of the leading user experience research firms in the United States. Her work as a CX/UX strategist and researcher demonstrated to her the need for a platform that could take her journey mapping vision to the next level. JourneyTrack is the tool that meets that vision.

Ania's LinkedIn Email Ania mentioned: [email protected] Contact Sales form Book a Demo form JourneyTrack website Journey Impact feature Workshops feature Blog post: How to Get Started with Customer Journey Mapping Blog post: Understanding Journey Mapping, Orchestration, and Journey Management Blog post: How a Journey Mapping Workshop can Drive Business Growth  

 

Are you on LinkedIn?

Ever wondered how LinkedIn keeps its users engaged and loyal?

Join us for an insider's view of the platform that drives business networking.

Unpacking Value Creation:

Sam Stern delves into the importance of distinguishing between LinkedIn users—members versus customers. He explains how this differentiation impacts the value each group gets from the platform, ensuring a balance between the needs of paying customers and non-paying members.

Continuous Evolution:

LinkedIn is committed to continuous research, aiming to understand user pain points and iterating solutions based on direct feedback. This approach helps uncover underlying issues and experiment with ways to enhance user experience.

Aligning with the Power Core:

Drawing on Jeanne Bliss's Power Core concept, Sam illustrates how aligning with LinkedIn's core strength as a product-driven organization has revolutionized their ability to influence change and elevate the customer experience. This alignment underscores the importance of understanding and working within the organizational power structure.

This episode promises a deep dive into the strategies that make LinkedIn a powerful networking tool!

Meet Sam: Sam Stern is a customer experience expert with more than 20 years in the field as a speaker, community builder, practitioner, podcaster, and researcher.    Currently, he leads the Service Design team at LinkedIn, helping to design and deliver delightful experiences for the platform's 1 billion members and customers. Sam has also created three LinkedIn Learning courses on customer experience, and hosts his own weekly podcast, CX Patterns.    In past roles, he started a customer experience team for the footwear company New Balance, and worked in research and consulting roles at Forrester Research. While there, Sam helped launch Forrester's CX Certification training curriculum, and he started Forrester's popular "CX Cast" podcast.     

Do you remember the shock ending of The Sixth Sense? The film taps into that mysterious sixth sense—something beyond our usual perception.

Similarly, in the world of taste, umami goes beyond salty, sweet, bitter, and sour to create a richer, more memorable experience. But what if businesses could apply this concept to customer experience?

In this episode, Aga Szóstek, PhD—author, CX leader, and design expert—shares a powerful framework that parallels umami, helping brands forge deeper emotional connections, stand out in the market, and drive lasting loyalty. Drawing from her work with companies like Google and Philips Lighting, Aga delivers invaluable insights, including:

•  How to avoid the "syndrome of averaging out" and create a truly differentiated experience
• The core principles of an Umami Strategy that enhances emotional connection and loyalty
• How pragmatic values and emotional engagement work together to build lasting customer relationships

This conversation is packed with actionable wisdom you won't want to miss!

🎧 Subscribe to The Delighted Customers Podcast for more expert insights. 

Show Notes:
📖 The Umami Strategy: Stand Out by Mixing Business with Experience Design
📖 Leadership by Design: The Essential Guide to Transforming You as a Leader
🌐 www.catchingthenextwavepodcast.com
🌐 www.agaszostek.com
📖 Different: Escaping the Competitive Herd by Youngme Moon

MEET Aga!

Aga Szóstek, PhD is the author of "The Umami Strategy" and "Leadership by Design" and an expert in strategy and leadership.

Over the last two decades she has worked with leading companies combining design, technology and business. She has worked with brands such as Google, Philips, Samsung, Play, Allegro, EY, Santander, ING, Orange and many more, bringing a strategic experience design approach to design teams and boards.

Aga also supports her clients in leadership development based on key leadership challenges anchored in their organisational culture. She offers unique leadership programmes delivered in the form of an unforgettable experience.

-------------------------------------

• Website: https://www.delightedcustomers.com
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-delighted-customers-podcast-with-mark-slatin/id1635863804
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/67hea1Hnu0fFjMA6ZSKTkX

 

 

Are you a customer experience leader facing roadblocks when trying to get your initiatives approved?   In this episode, Mark delves into the power of trust with Charlie Green, co-author of "The Trusted Advisor," to uncover strategies for breaking through bureaucratic walls and fostering buy-in.   Key discussion points include:

• The importance of building strong relationships with your leaders and understanding their priorities.
• Why expediency can backfire and how taking the time to connect with stakeholders can save you time in the long run.
• The Three Levels of Listening: Learn to listen beyond the facts to uncover the context and emotional meaning behind what others say.
• The Trust Equation: Discover how credibility, reliability, intimacy, and self-orientation impact your trustworthiness and how to identify areas for improvement.
• Practical tips for building intimacy and creating a safe space for open communication.
• The significance of role-modeling trustworthiness as a leader.

Tune in to gain valuable insights on cultivating trust, overcoming resistance, and driving meaningful change within your organization.   Bonus: Charlie shares a link to a trust assessment tool that can help you identify opportunities to deepen trustworthiness.

• Link to TQ Assessment: https://trustsuite.trustedadvisor.com/

Other resources:

1. Building Trust with Key Stakeholders, The Delighted Customers Podcast with Charles H. Green - https://www.empoweredcx.com/podcast/episode/28000408/building-trust-with-key-stakeholders-author-charles-h-green

2. The Trusted Advisor (book) - https://qrcd.org/5RkY

3. The Four Trust Factors (book) - https://qrcd.org/5Rkc

4. The Trust Equation explained - Trust Matters Blog - https://qrcd.org/5Rkn

 

Meet Charlie:

Charles H. Green is an author, speaker and world expert on trust-based relationships and sales in complex businesses. Founder and CEO of Trusted Advisor Associates, he is author of Trust-based Selling, and co-author of The Trusted Advisor and the Trusted Advisor Fieldbook.  He has worked with a wide range of industries and functions globally. 

Charles works with complex organizations to improve trust in sales, internal trust between organizations, and trusted advisor relationships with external clients and customers. 

Charles spent 20 years in management consulting. He majored in philosophy (Columbia), and has an MBA (Harvard).  

A widely sought-after speaker, he has published articles in Harvard Business Review, Directorship Magazine, Management Consulting News, CPA Journal, American Lawyer, Investments and Wealth Monitor, and Commercial Lending Review.

 

More about Charlie: https://trustedadvisor.com/consultants/charles-h-green

 

How can leaders support their teams effectively without falling into the trap of fixing everything themselves?

Leah Marone is a psychotherapist with expertise in treating anxiety and mood disorders. She also works with athletes on performance anxiety issues, demonstrating her ability to understand and manage high-stress situations.

If you can relate, there are a ton of gems in this show, including:

1. What are some of the problems or ways that leaders lead that is the opposite of creating authentic spaces and solving?
2. How can leaders balance the need to control and deliver results with the approach of validating and empowering their employees?
3. What are the steps involved in transitioning from being a solver to a supporter as a leader, and how can these steps be applied in real-world scenarios?
4. How can leaders effectively inquire and motivate their employees while ensuring that they maintain ownership of their tasks?

And hey, did you catch our role-play experiment? That was like a masterclass in what not to do—Leah's advice saved the day by turning a "Ron-ian disaster" into a pathway to peace. 

Meet Leah

Leah Marone, MSW, LCSW, is a seasoned psychotherapist and corporate mental wellness consultant based in Charlotte, NC, with over 20 years of extensive experience. Leah received her Master's degree in clinical social work from the University of Texas at Austin, a top-ranked institution in social work education. She has conducted over 20,000 therapy sessions and contributed articles to reputable publications such as Psychology Today, The Atlantic, and Newsweek, earning recognition for her expertise in mental health.

Leah's personal journey as a former anxiety-ridden Division 1 basketball player fuels her passion for working with high-achieving individuals, often described as type A go-getters. She specializes in addressing internal pressures, imposter syndrome, perfectionism, and performance anxiety.

In her dual role as a mental wellness consultant and board member, Leah collaborates with both companies and nonprofits. Her areas of focus include anxiety and stress management, burnout prevention, boundary setting, mindfulness practices, effective communication, and emotional intelligence. Leah's holistic approach involves a thorough assessment of company culture to tailor her services, meeting organizations where they are and addressing their specific needs.

 Leah's innovative 5-step initiative underscores the significance of mental wellness organization-wide, identifying areas for growth and connection. This initiative aims to prevent high turnover, address burnout, and enhance overall collaboration and productivity.

 Leah has facilitated dozens wellness workshops for educators, leaders, and healthcare providers and has presented her acclaimed "Support, Don't Solve" framework on prominent stages. Her inspirational keynotes provide practical tools for self-awareness that can be seamlessly integrated into busy schedules. Renowned for her expertise in boundary setting and resilience, Leah is a sought-after speaker for leadership groups. She addresses individuals navigating perpetual burnout, often fueled by relentless inner critics and the challenges of people-pleasing. Her insights offer a transformative guide for cultivating resilience and establishing healthy boundaries in demanding professional environments.

Beyond her professional commitments, Leah enjoys traveling, hiking, exercising, and working on her upcoming book slated for publication early next year. Additionally, she actively contributes as a coach for her daughter's club soccer team, showcasing her dedication to both personal and community well-being.

https://www.leahmarone.com/

 

 

Brad Smith, CCXP, who brings his extensive experience from working with major companies like Symantec, Yahoo, and Sage. Mark and Brad delve into the future of customer experience (CX) management and explore a variety of valuable tools that can be applied to enhance CX.

Brad shares actionable insights on hidden value, value realization versus value erosion, and introduces the concept of value mapping. He also discusses the importance of having a clear brand promise and how it plays a crucial role in delivering a cohesive customer experience.

Key topics covered in this episode include:

• The importance of leveraging a comprehensive CX toolkit, including techniques like empathy maps, journey maps, and value mapping.

• A detailed discussion on identifying and unlocking hidden value within a company by examining areas with high customer traffic, and differentiating between value realization and value erosion.

• A fascinating case study on Brad's work with AARP, showcasing how to diagnose and rectify systemic issues that lead to customer churn and operational inefficiencies.

• The concept of value mapping, its significance, and how it helps in uncovering friction points in customer experiences.

• The critical role of brand promises and how they should guide every interaction to ensure consistency and memorability.

• Insights into the symbiotic relationship between marketing and CX in delivering on the brand promise.

Meet Brad

Brad has had the privilege of leading organizations in their
customer-centric transformation at Symantec, Yahoo!, and Sage as
their CCO/CMO. Across his 30+ years of leadership, Brad has led
global support and service functions for Oracle, Openwave, and
Verisign as well as small start-ups. Leveraging decades of experience
and insights gained from over 50 client engagements, he knows how to
quickly identify, unlock and realize the trapped value concealed across
any organization.

Currently, Brad is the President & Chairman of the Board of the
Consortium for Service Innovation and through the work of the
Consortium, has helped 100's of customer service organizations
innovate better business models to deliver deep value to their
customers while better engaging their employees to grow their
businesses. He is also one of their recognized Innovators.

Brad is also a Co-Founder and Tribal Advisor at TribeCX Ltd, an alumni
member of the Forrester Chief Customer Executive Council, and the
Chief Customer Officer (CCO) council, and a alumni Board Member
(2018-2021) & recognized Innovator of Customer Experience
Professional Association (CXPA). He is also a Certified Customer
Experience Professional (CCXP).

He is a recognized thought leader in the Customer Experience and
Service Innovation space and has published dozens of articles for
various online publications including Forbes, New York Times, Fox
Business, and Entrepreneur. He is a frequent keynote speaker across
the CX and Customer Service industries.

Brad is home based in Irvine CA and is the Founder/President of Vector
Business Navigation, Inc. – A customer experience/customer success
transformation consulting provider - committed to mentoring inspired
leaders to successfully navigate their CX ecosystems since 2015.

You can learn more about Brad here:

All things CX Considered Podcast with Bob Azman

The Conversational Podcast with Julie Roehm

Reasoned Podcast with Sabrina Meditz

I'm thrilled to host Dr. Maxie Schmidt, a principal analyst at Forrester's Customer Experience Practice. Maxie is a global thought leader in CX measurement and value for customers, and she dives into the significance of customer value metrics. From how companies can effectively measure what their customers truly value, to the intricacies of trust and co-creation, Maxie offers unparalleled insights that are sure to challenge conventional thinking and provide actionable strategies for CX leaders.

This conversation stands to be invaluable for anyone eager to foster stronger customer relationships and drive business success through customer-centric strategies.

Why You Should Listen:

• Learn about innovative approaches to measuring customer value.

• Understand how to build trust and maintain customer loyalty.

• Discover ways to co-create value with your customers.

• Gain actionable insights from a leading expert to elevate your customer experience strategies.

Key Questions:

1. What are customer value metrics, and why has measuring them been a challenge for companies?

   • Maxie provides a foundational understanding of customer value metrics and sheds light on common misconceptions in current measurement practices.

2. Can you explain the concept of co-creation of value with customers and provide practical examples?

   • Maxie explores the co-creation of value by using real-world scenarios, emphasizing the importance of customer engagement and mutual value generation.

3. What specific steps can companies take to better measure the value that customers perceive they are getting?

   • She discusses methodologies and strategies businesses can implement to accurately gauge the perceived value from the customer's perspective.

4. Why is it crucial for companies to understand their role in the customer's value network, and how can they identify where they should play?

   • Maxie elaborates on the need for companies to identify the right touchpoints in the customer journey, backed by examples like DBS and AARP, to ensure they are adding genuine value.

Tune in to this episode for a transformative conversation that promises to enhance your approach to customer experience and business growth.

Forrester Articles on Value:

• How we define value:
• https://www.forrester.com/blogs/value-for-customers-a-60-second-look-at-the-top-11-driver-categories/
• https://www.forrester.com/blogs/three-truths-about-value-for-customers-hint-you-cannot-deliver-it/
• Deeper dive into why companies cant "deliver" value: https://www.forrester.com/blogs/the-customer-is-neo-not-you/
• And here a recent piece on journeys and value: https://www.forrester.com/blogs/energize-your-journey-portfolio-optimize-journey-value-for-customers-and-the-business/

Meet Maxie!

Maxie Schmidt

VP, Principal Analyst

Forrester

Dr. Maxie Schmidt is a principal analyst in Forrester's customer experience (CX) practice. She leads Forrester's research on CX measurement and value for customer. In her role, she advises leaders on how to build effective CX measurement programs, make the case for CX, and cocreate value with customers. Maxie is a frequent keynote speaker at conferences and leads CX workshops at events.

Previous Work Experience

Before joining Forrester, Dr. Schmidt was a management consultant at Simon-Kucher & Partners. She led global engagements with firms across industries to improve products and pricing and to design pricing processes and governance. Prior to that, Maxie was an assistant professor of services management at the School of Business in Ingolstadt, Germany.

Education

Maxie earned her doctorate and taught as the chair of service management at the School of Business in Ingolstadt, Germany. She was awarded an Emerald Literati Best Paper Award for research on the frustration that customers experience in loyalty programs. She also published a book on optimizing the quality of customer interactions in contact centers.