Customer Connect: A Customer Experience Podcast for Small Business Owners

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Customer Connect: A Customer Experience Podcast for Small Business Owners

Nicole Keleher

114 episodes

2 days ago

In this episode of the Customer Connect Podcast, Nicole sits down with business and mindset coach Krista Williamson—a former retailer turned coach—to talk about the everyday habits that quietly hold business owners back. Together they unpack why so many of us avoid the tasks we know will move our business forward, and how small mindset and routine shifts can make the difference between constant overwhelm and genuine progress. Krista shares insights from her 20 years in retail and her five yea...

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Entrepreneurship

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In this episode of the Customer Connect Podcast, Nicole sits down with business and mindset coach Krista Williamson—a former retailer turned coach—to talk about the everyday habits that quietly hold business owners back. Together they unpack why so many of us avoid the tasks we know will move our business forward, and how small mindset and routine shifts can make the difference between constant overwhelm and genuine progress. Krista shares insights from her 20 years in retail and her five yea...

Show more...

Entrepreneurship

Episodes (20/114)

Customer Connect: A Customer Experience Podcast for Small Business Owners

Breaking the Busy Cycle: Why Retailers Avoid What Matters Most - Interview with Krista Williamson

In this episode of the Customer Connect Podcast, Nicole sits down with business and mindset coach Krista Williamson—a former retailer turned coach—to talk about the everyday habits that quietly hold business owners back. Together they unpack why so many of us avoid the tasks we know will move our business forward, and how small mindset and routine shifts can make the difference between constant overwhelm and genuine progress. Krista shares insights from her 20 years in retail and her five yea...

2 days ago

57 minutes

Customer Connect: A Customer Experience Podcast for Small Business Owners

How Friction Costs You Sales (and How to Stop It)

Customers don’t stop shopping with you because your products aren’t good — they stop because something in the process makes it too hard. In this episode, we look at friction — the small frustrations that quietly cost you sales. It might be a slow website, unclear pricing, a checkout that takes too long, or a customer walking in and not being greeted. These are simple problems to fix once you notice them. We’ll talk through how to spot friction in your store and online, what to do to rem...

1 week ago

18 minutes

Customer Connect: A Customer Experience Podcast for Small Business Owners

The Smart Retailer’s Guide to Black Friday

In this episode of the Customer Connect Podcast, Nicole Keleher breaks down how to win Black Friday without losing your margins or your sanity. With everyone racing to the bottom on discounts, she shares a smarter, experience-led approach that builds profit and loyalty — not just sales. Nicole walks through her Offer Ladder Framework, showing you how to plan deals that attract customers, grow your basket size, and strengthen your brand. You’ll also learn practical in-store and online tips to ...

2 weeks ago

22 minutes

Customer Connect: A Customer Experience Podcast for Small Business Owners

How Personal Video Messages Can Boost Customer Experience & Sales

Standing out from the competition isn’t about louder ads or fancier packaging — it’s about building real connections with your customers. In this episode of Customer Connect, Nicole shares how she used Bonjoro, a simple video messaging tool, to create personal moments that built trust, boosted repeat sales, and delivered standout customer experiences. This is not a sponsored episode and Nicole is not affiliated with Bonjoro. It’s simply a practical example of how personal video messages can s...

3 weeks ago

12 minutes

Customer Connect: A Customer Experience Podcast for Small Business Owners

The Seasonal Business Operator Ep 3: Turning a One-Day Event into 46 Years of Loyalty

In this Seasonal Business Operator bonus episode of the Customer Connect Podcast, Nicole dives into one of the smartest—and sweetest—seasonal marketing strategies ever created: Ben & Jerry’s Free Cone Day. What began as a small thank-you event for local customers has become a 46-year tradition that continues to attract crowds, media coverage, and customer loyalty across the globe. This episode isn’t about ice cream—it’s about strategy. Nicole unpacks how one free event became a marketing ...

3 weeks ago

10 minutes

Customer Connect: A Customer Experience Podcast for Small Business Owners

Experience Wins: Turning Customers into Loyal Fans

Experience Wins is all about simple but powerful customer experience ideas that any retail, hospitality, or service business can put into practice. In this episode of the Customer Connect Podcast, Nicole shares real-life examples designed to spark ideas you can adapt in your own business. These episodes prove that connection doesn’t need to be complicated or costly — small, thoughtful touches can strengthen loyalty, set you apart from competitors, and drive long-term growth. Insta...

1 month ago

18 minutes

Customer Connect: A Customer Experience Podcast for Small Business Owners

Seasonal Operator Ep. 2: Why Adding a Second Business Might Cost You More Than It Makes

In this episode of the Customer Connect Podcast, I dive into one of the most common questions seasonal business owners face: should you add a complementary product or even launch a second business to smooth out the quieter months? On the surface it sounds logical, but in reality it can add more complexity than profit. I share my own experience of running a Christmas retail store alongside a party supply business, the pitfalls I discovered, and the key questions you need to ask before he...

1 month ago

15 minutes

Customer Connect: A Customer Experience Podcast for Small Business Owners

Stop Wasting Emails: How to Send the Ones Customers Open

Email is more than a sales tool—it’s a customer experience strategy. In this episode of the Customer Connect Podcast, Nicole Keleher shares how to stay consistent with email marketing and why segmentation turns a simple newsletter into a powerful driver of trust and sales. You’ll hear practical tips on setting up a welcome email, batching content, resending unopened campaigns, and creating targeted messages that actually get opened. If you’ve been sending emails on and off or avoiding them al...

1 month ago

20 minutes

Customer Connect: A Customer Experience Podcast for Small Business Owners

Why Email Beats Socials Every Time

Email isn’t just another marketing tool—it’s the most reliable way to connect with your customers. In this episode of the Customer Connect Podcast, Nicole Keleher dives into why email delivers stronger results than social media, practical incentives to grow your list, and simple ways to collect signups in-store and online. If you’ve been putting email in the “too hard” basket, this is your reminder that it’s one of the most profitable customer experience strategies you can use. Follow @there...

1 month ago

15 minutes

Customer Connect: A Customer Experience Podcast for Small Business Owners

The Website Audit Every Retailer Needs Before Peak Season

The busiest quarter of the year is here, and before you spend money on ads or boosted posts, it’s worth asking: is your website actually ready to convert? In this episode of the Customer Connect Podcast, I walk you through the simple website tweaks that can dramatically improve customer experience and sales. Your website is often the first impression customers get of your business. With 76% of shoppers checking online before visiting a store, even the smallest issues—like broken links, ...

1 month ago

21 minutes

Customer Connect: A Customer Experience Podcast for Small Business Owners

House2Home Moorebank: How Customer Experience Builds a Destination Store

In this episode of Customer Connect, I’m joined by Victoria Christofa from House2Home Moorebank, a family-run homewares store in Sydney that has built its reputation on creating memorable customer experiences. Victoria shares the story of her family’s 18-year retail journey, highlighting the store’s continued evolution and growth into a destination that attracts customers from across the country—especially during their famous Easter and Christmas displays. We talk about how House2Home has tur...

1 month ago

49 minutes

Customer Connect: A Customer Experience Podcast for Small Business Owners

The Hidden Challenges of Seasonal Businesses

The Customer Connect Podcast now includes an extra monthly episode designed just for seasonal business operators. These episodes focus on the unique challenges of trading in short bursts and making the most of your peak periods. Seasonal operators include: Christmas shopsSki hire businessesTourism retailers, cafés, and accommodationEvent operatorsWedding providersGarden centres and nurseriesIce-cream shops, hot chocolate bars, eggnog makersNail salons and blow-dry bars during peak social seas...

2 months ago

16 minutes

Customer Connect: A Customer Experience Podcast for Small Business Owners

Experience Wins Ep.1: Small Touches, Big Impact

Welcome to the first episode of Experience Wins, a new monthly series on the Customer Connect podcast. In each instalment, Nicole shares practical customer experience ideas drawn from real businesses across different industries. These are not abstract theories, but examples you can adapt in your own store, service, or team. The focus is on simple touches that create stronger connections, keep customers coming back, and build long-term value for your business. For simple, light bulb ideas you ...

2 months ago

15 minutes

Customer Connect: A Customer Experience Podcast for Small Business Owners

How Christmas Store Displays Boost Customer Spending

Did you know 84% of customers say they’re more likely to shop somewhere that “feels festive” rather than one that doesn’t (NRF 2023)? Creating a Christmas display doesn’t have to be costly or complicated, yet it can make a real difference to how customers feel in your space — and how much they spend. In this episode of Customer Connect, Nicole shares practical, affordable ways to bring the festive season into your business. From fairy lights and wreaths to slimline Christmas trees, garlands, ...

2 months ago

28 minutes

Customer Connect: A Customer Experience Podcast for Small Business Owners

The Disney Approach to Customer Experience Every Small Business Can Use: Interview with Vance Morris

What can small business owners really learn from Disney about customer experience? In this episode of Customer Connect, I’m joined by Vance Morris — a former Disney leader turned entrepreneur — to explore how the systems and “wow” moments that make Disney famous can be used in any retail or service business. Vance shares how to create simple systems that free up your time, design moments that customers can’t help but talk about, and avoid the common service gap where most businesses believe t...

2 months ago

56 minutes

Customer Connect: A Customer Experience Podcast for Small Business Owners

Customer Experience is the Future – And Your Biggest Competitive Advantage

We’ve reached 100 episodes, and it feels like the perfect time to refine the focus of the Retail Success Series. In this episode, I’m sharing why customer experience is the one thing competitors can’t copy, how it drives repeat business, and why every marketing decision should tie back to it. I’ll also give you a first look at my new Retail Experience course, created to help you turn great customer experience into profit. And as a thank you for listening, there’s a little somethin...

2 months ago

12 minutes

Customer Connect: A Customer Experience Podcast for Small Business Owners

Retail Wins: 5 Episodes I keep coming back too.

In this 99th episode of the Retail Success Series, I'm sharing five of my favourite episodes so far — and why I think they’re worth revisiting. This is a curated list of episodes packed with practical conversations, useful marketing advice, and simple shifts in thinking that can make a real impact on your retail business. You’ll hear: The episode that’s had the most downloadsWhy customer experience still matters mostMarketing tactics to help grow your retail businessHow to define success on y...

2 months ago

22 minutes

Customer Connect: A Customer Experience Podcast for Small Business Owners

Seeing Your Business Through the Customer’s Eyes

As business owners, we often get caught up in the day‑to‑day — marketing, buying, admin — and forget what it feels like to be on the other side of the counter. In this short KISS (Keep It Simple Series) episode, I’m asking you to put yourself back in the role of a customer and use those experiences to improve your own business. You’ll reflect on the retailers you love buying from and pinpoint exactly what keeps you coming back — whether it’s their service, product range, ease of purchase, or ...

3 months ago

8 minutes

Customer Connect: A Customer Experience Podcast for Small Business Owners

Scaling Retail with Purpose: Sally Oulton’s Secrets to Lasting Growth

In this episode of The Retail Success Series, we’re joined by Sally Oulton, a multi-brand retail entrepreneur and founder of Coastal Vintage, Coast Imports, and SallyO.co. From humble beginnings selling vintage pieces out of her garage to running three thriving businesses including Bali sourcing tours for interior lovers—Sally shares her incredible journey of scaling with purpose. We dive into: How she built a retail brand from just $4,000The leap from online to bricks-and-mortarBuilding a wh...

3 months ago

27 minutes

Customer Connect: A Customer Experience Podcast for Small Business Owners

Top 5 Tips for Easy Social Media Management

Independent retailers often feel overwhelmed by social media—but it doesn’t have to be so hard. In this episode of the Retail Success Series, Nicole shares key takeaways from her longer conversation with social media specialist Catherine Russo (originally aired in episode 95), offering easy, low-stress ways to stay visible on Instagram. From removing the pressure of the “perfect feed” to making it easier to outsource or get help with your account, these are the practical tips retailers need t...

3 months ago

8 minutes