I’ve been collecting your questions all season long for this special Q&A season three finale! In this episode, my second-in-command, Alix Steinberg, joins me to ask all your burning questions. Here’s a sneak peek at some of the topics we covered: Do you think other celebrities and musicians have started to copy Taylor Swift’s strategies?What was your favorite CX story that came out of 2024? Do you have a pre-keynote routine you follow before you go on stage?My business is in its ea...

I always say that how you exit an employee from your organization is just as important as how you onboard them. In this episode of the Creating Superfans podcast, I sit down with Robert Glazer, award-winning entrepreneur and author of Rethinking Two Weeks’ Notice, to explore a better way to handle employee transitions. Robert shares the concept of an open transition program (OTP), a collaborative approach that fosters honesty and ensures smoother exits. You’ll also hear us talk about: H...

In this episode of the Creating Superfans podcast, I sit down with Bob Kaufman, president of international at Xponential Fitness, to dive into the art of global franchising. Bob shares fascinating stories from his career, including the expansion of brands like Club Pilates, Coffe Bean & Tea Leaf, and Tower Records into international markets. We discuss how to balance brand consistency with local cultural nuances and uncover the key traits of successful franchisees. Even if franchising isn...

The holiday season is the perfect time to turn one-time shoppers into lifelong superfans, but it takes intentionality. In this episode, I’m sharing the three biggest mistakes businesses make during Black Friday and beyond—like focusing only on acquisition, bombarding customers with overwhelming marketing, and ignoring loyal superfans. I’ll give you actionable tips to avoid these pitfalls, from creating a strong retention plan to preparing your team for the holiday rush with empathy and effici...

In this episode of the Creating Superfans podcast, I dive into the third pillar of my SUPER Model framework: Personalization. I explore the powerful impact personalization has on the customer experience, emphasizing the need for a balance between high-tech and high-touch approaches. I share some heartwarming examples and innovative strategies from industry professionals that highlight how personalization can transform customer relationships. Whether through automated recommendations or though...

I’m delighted to welcome Dr. Joseph Michelli to the Creating Superfans podcast! He’s an organizational consultant, the author of nine bestselling business books, and an internationally renowned customer experience speaker and expert. You’ll hear us chat about the customer experience master's degree program he designed for Campbellsville University, the micro and macro changes that significantly improve customer experience within organizations, and Joseph's experiences working alongside ...

In this episode of the Creating Superfans podcast, I sit down with Steve Pratt, author of Earn It: Unconventional Strategies for Brave Marketers. He is also the co-founder of the world's first branded podcast agency, Pacific Content, which was named one of Entrepreneur's 100 Brilliant Companies. Steve and I discuss how brands can overpower apathy and capture attention by embracing their uniqueness and serving niche markets. We chat about the ridiculousness of traditional media norms and explo...

If you've listened to this podcast before, you know that I constantly say "If your customers aren't telling their friends about you, you're in trouble." So in today's episode, let's actually talk about HOW to get your customers to refer you to their friends. It's not enough to create an exceptional experience worth sharing - that's the barrier to entry. In this episode, I'm going to outline the four main buckets that your customers fall into: paid, reputation, repeat, and referral. I'm also g...

I’m excited to share a conversation with a truly inspiring entrepreneur. Joining us this week is Rhea Lana Riner, the founder and CEO of Rhea Lana's Children's Consignment—an award-winning franchise with over 125 locations in 26 states. Rhea Lana’s journey began with a simple consignment event in her living room, aimed at helping local families. We’ll explore how she took those humble beginnings and grew them into a thriving business, including the many challenges along the way. You'll ...

This episode is a treat for me because I get to talk to someone that I'm truly a SUPERFAN of! I’m chatting with Gary Arndt, the host and solo mastermind behind the wildly successful Everything, Everywhere, Daily podcast. Gary and I discuss his fascinating journey from an award-winning travel photographer to podcast host, the power of consistency and organic growth, and the art of creative storytelling. You’ll be surprised to hear why Gary defies all the traditional podcasting convention...

Identifying the right members to join your team is a critical part of building a SUPER brand. Whether it’s because of a desire to fill open positions quickly or just a lack of due diligence in the hiring process, too many brands take an attitude of “anyone can do this!” and hire the first person to apply. Some people aren’t wired for customer service. It might be a lack of customer-centricity, a quick temper, or a predisposition to get flustered at the first hint of conflict. Every job is imp...

I often say that, if people leave most of their interactions with you feeling better than they felt before the interaction started, you’ll build a reputation as someone people want to be around, or somebody they want to do business with. Your customers, your colleagues, your vendors, and even your acquaintances will want to spend more time with you because they quite literally feel better doing so. Today's guest, Erin King, is here to tell you how to do just that. Creator of the first s...

What’s the number one thing customers want from a business? More often than not, it’s convenience. If you want to make money, make things easy. In this episode of the Creating Superfans podcast, I’m joined by David Avrin, author of Ridiculously Easy to Do Business With, to explore how simplifying the customer experience can be your biggest competitive advantage. We cover the many ways companies unknowingly create hurdles for their customers—like the inability to reach a real person, sneaky no...

It’s been TEN years since I filmed my episode of Shark Tank! In this episode of the Creating Superfans podcast, I’m taking you on a trip down memory lane, sharing what it was like to audition for, prepare for, and film the show. I also talk about what *really* happened after our pitch, and how the airing of this episode eventually changed my career path! And because this is a customer experience podcast, I’m commemorating the anniversary with ten lessons I learned from this journey that any e...

In this episode of the Creating Superfans podcast, I’m joined by the woman that Meta has called “the queen of CX”, and I am lucky enough to get to call a friend, Blake Morgan. Blake is a CX futurist and author of three amazing books on customer experience, including her newest, The 8 Laws of Customer-Focused Leadership. Blake and I are very aligned on the way we think about customer experience, so if you enjoy listening to me, I promise you’ll enjoy this conversation! You’ll hear us cha...

Occasionally I read a book and think, "Damn! I WISH I had written this book!!" This is one of them. It’s called Give to Grow and author Mo Bunnell is the guest on this week’s episode of the Creating Superfans podcast! Mo is the founder and CEO of a global business development consulting firm, Bunnell Idea Group (BIG). Through his trademarked, science-backed system, Mo has helped tens of thousands of professionals at over 400 organizations grow their book of business efficiently and effectivel...

Superfans are created at the intersection of YOUR story and every CUSTOMER’S story. They are forged at that magical, overlapping point where it becomes obvious that you share a common purpose or passion. Your thing matters and is relevant to their thing. I’ve done several episodes of this podcast focused on crafting and sharing your story. So, in this episode, I’m sharing a five-step trick that will help you learn more about every customer’s story and accelerate the path to creating superfans...

Shama Hyder is the CEO of Zen Media, a global marketing and digital PR firm. She's an award-winning entrepreneur, having been honored by both the White House and The United Nations as one of the top 100 young entrepreneurs in the country. She's a bestselling author of two books and is widely known as the Zen Master of Marketing. Shama and I discuss the impact of generational shifts on customer loyalty and buying habits, the rise of "dark social," and the new rules of influence in market...

Dan Michaeli is the co-founder and CEO of Glia, a digital customer service platform that seamlessly integrates various modes of communication into one “channel-less” interface. In other words, customer interactions evolve as the conversations do in the digital-first world: moving easily between voice and screen, virtual AI assistance, and live humans - even securely sharing screens. I’ve been lucky enough to see this platform in action and I was SO impressed that I had to bring Dan on the pod...

Welcome back to season three of the Creating Superfans podcast! Over the hiatus, I've been busy speaking at dozens of events, and I've had the pleasure of meeting leaders from just about every industry you can imagine. One question I get all the time when I speak is, "What can I do to fix my CX that's really easy?" Everyone's always looking for low-cost, attainable strategies they can implement today to see immediate improvements in their customer experience. So, to kick off seaso...