CX Passport

What's on your mind? Let CX Passport know...Welcome to part 2 of the annual CX Passport First Class Lounge Holiday Special. As the year wraps up and I look ahead with excitement to 2026, I’m sharing even more of my favorite First Class Lounge moments from earlier this year.This round features Doug Rabold, Irina Mateeva, Michel Stevens, and Tori Signorelli. Travel surprises, food loves, childhood “no thanks” dishes, and the must-have items they keep in their travel kits… it’s a fun way to ease out of the holidays and step into the new year.I hope you’ve had a wonderful holiday season… and I wish you a very happy New Year. Here’s to an amazing 2026 ahead.CHAPTERS00:00 Welcome to the second week of the 1st Class Lounge Holiday Special 00:47 Doug Rabold enters the First Class Lounge 05:15 Irina Mateeva enters the First Class Lounge 09:06 Michel Stevens enters the First Class Lounge 13:55 Tori Signorelli enters the First Class LoungeListen: https://www.cxpassport.com Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@cxpassport Newsletter: https://cxpassport.kit.com/signupI'm Rick Denton and I believe the best meals are served outside and require a passport.Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests and should not be taken as legal, financial, or professional advice. Always consult with a qualified attorney, financial advisor, or other professional regarding your specific situation. The opinions expressed by guests are solely theirs and do not necessarily represent the views or positions of the host(s).

What's on your mind? Let CX Passport know...Welcome to part 1 of the annual CX Passport holiday tradition… the 1st Class Lounge Holiday Special. I take a little break during the holidays, and while I do, I love sharing some of the most fun First Class Lounge moments from earlier in the year.This episode brings back lively lounge moments from Michelle Pascoe, Sean Cherry, Rachel Sheriff, and Vinay Parmar. Travel dreams, favorite foods, quirky dislikes, and simple joys… it’s a festive, easy listen for your own downtime.Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and a fantastic New Year. Enjoy part 1… part 2 arrives next week.CHAPTERS00:00 Welcome to the 2025 1st Class Lounge Holiday Special 00:47 Michelle Pascoe enters the First Class Lounge 04:46 Sean Cherry enters the First Class Lounge 09:20 Rachel Sheriff enters the First Class Lounge 14:32 Vinay Parmar enters the First Class LoungeListen: https://www.cxpassport.com Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@cxpassport Newsletter: https://cxpassport.kit.com/signupI'm Rick Denton and I believe the best meals are served outside and require a passport.Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests and should not be taken as legal, financial, or professional advice. Always consult with a qualified attorney, financial advisor, or other professional regarding your specific situation. The opinions expressed by guests are solely theirs and do not necessarily represent the views or positions of the host(s).

What's on your mind? Let CX Passport know...When you think “endowment foundation,” customer experience probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. Yet Dr. Liz Okuma, Director of Client Experience at the American Endowment Foundation, is reshaping how donor advised funds deliver trust, responsiveness, and ease… even when nearly all interactions happen without ever seeing a client face to face. This conversation reveals how listening, collaboration, and design thinking translate into real business impact.5 Insights From the Episode-DAFs are booming… and CX is becoming a differentiator-Two customer groups, one experience mission-Internal listening is gold-Journey mapping unlocked cross-functional momentum-Culture changes when employees own CXCHAPTERS00:00 What is a donor advised fund… and why CX matters02:50 Serving donors vs. serving financial advisors05:30 Looking out the window… not the mirror07:54 Listening to frontline teams09:33 Making best in class tangible11:05 Journey mapping and quick wins13:24 Cutting a process from 3.5 months to six weeks15:58 Measuring what matters17:10 First Class Lounge21:56 Getting non-client-facing teams invested in CX24:29 The power of stories and internal visibility26:53 Cross-functional influence in action29:33 Where to find LizGuest LinksAEF Website: https://www.aef.org/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-okuma/Mentioned in the EpisodeBose QuietComfort Headphones https://amzn.to/44e3hCT Affiliate LinkYour Next StepsListen: https://www.cxpassport.comWatch: https://www.youtube.com/@cxpassportNewsletter: https://cxpassport.kit.com/signupI'm Rick Denton and I believe the best meals are served outside and require a passport.Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests and should not be taken as legal, financial, or professional advice. Always consult with a qualified attorney, financial advisor, or other professional regarding your specific situation. The opinions expressed by guests are solely theirs and do not necessarily represent the views or positions of the host(s).

What's on your mind? Let CX Passport know...Jon Deragon brings a global lens to AI product design as the Head of Design at FPT, the sponsor for today’s episode. Thank you FPT for collaborating with CX Passport.Jon guides a 140+ person design org building everything from mobile apps to automotive interfaces while navigating the rapid shift into AI and multimodal experiences. This conversation gets into what modern design teams truly need to succeed and how respect transforms the design and development partnership.Here are five insights you’ll hear in this episode: • How multimodal input changes the entire UX landscape • Why design literacy helps… but “everyone is a designer” does not • The real fix for design and development friction • Why centralizing design creates more meaningful output • How AI learning happens in layers and why that mattersCHAPTERS00:00 Welcome00:16 Jon’s global path and design focus01:52 Designing for AI03:38 Multimodal input05:17 Keeping pace with AI11:12 Should everyone be a designer14:44 First Class Lounge21:01 Structuring a large design org24:15 Making design and development collaboration healthy28:03 Respect as a design principle29:04 Where to learn more about Jon and FPTGUEST LINKSFPT: https://fpt.com/ Jon’s website: https://jonderagon.com/THREE WAYS TO KEEP EXPLORING CX PASSPORTListen: https://www.cxpassport.com Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@cxpassport Newsletter: https://cxpassport.kit.com/signupI'm Rick Denton and I believe the best meals are served outside and require a passport.Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests and should not be taken as legal, financial, or professional advice. Always consult with a qualified attorney, financial advisor, or other professional regarding your specific situation. The opinions expressed by guests are solely theirs and do not necessarily represent the views or positions of the host(s).

What's on your mind? Let CX Passport know...Charging more… and growing because of it? Dom Hodgson shows exactly how that works. Recorded in person as a CX Passport Live episode at The Alliance Mastermind hosted by Vance Morris, Dom brings a fresh pet-industry lens to universal business truths. He gets practical… pricing, differentiation, customer magic, and how to run a business that doesn’t steal your weekends. Dog adventures, Disney-fied touches, and straight-talk guidance make this conversation fun and genuinely useful for any business.5 Insights From This EpisodeWhy most businesses… including pet businesses… undercharge and how to confidently raise pricesHow a simple language shift created a premium service categoryWhy sending physical newsletters still drives retentionA low cost way to Disney-fy your customer experienceHow the right butts in the right seats transforms family-run operationsCHAPTERS0:00 Welcome to CX Passport Live with Dom Hodgson 1:25 Dom’s background and how he entered the pet world 2:21 The fastest place he spots money leaks 3:30 Why owners fear raising prices 5:51 The power of physical newsletters 7:33 How the dog adventure business started 9:03 Differentiating through language and experience 10:31 First Class Lounge 13:08 A practical Disney-fy move any business can use 15:03 Simple automation that boosts retention 17:46 Running a family business without chaos 20:41 How to reach DomGuest LinksDom Website: https://www.petbusinessmarketing.com/How to Disnify Your Pet Business book: https://www.petbusinessmarketing.com/magicbookBring CX Passport Live to your event: https://www.cxpassportlive.com/ Listen: https://www.cxpassport.com Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@cxpassport Newsletter: https://cxpassport.kit.com/signupI'm Rick Denton and I believe the best meals are served outside and require a passport.Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests and should not be taken as legal, financial, or professional advice. Always consult with a qualified attorney, financial advisor, or other professional regarding your specific situation. The opinions expressed by guests are solely theirs and do not necessarily represent the views or positions of the host(s).

What's on your mind? Let CX Passport know...What happens when you build a workplace so strong, your talent never quits? CX Passport Live sits down with Metropolis Resort GM Sara Abbott to unpack how a clear hiring philosophy and intentional talent development fuel consistent quality and operational success.Recorded live at The Alliance Mastermind Event… packed with lessons every service leader can use.5 insights from Sara • Why hiring kind people creates a foundation for quality and consistency • How Metropolis turns first time workers into reliable, long term contributors • The business value of Metropolis University and its life skill approach • Why human hospitality still wins even when digital efficiency is tempting • How leadership behaviors shape a culture that strengthens retentionCHAPTERS 0:00 Welcome to CX Passport Live 0:36 Meet Sara Abbott and Metropolis Resort 1:50 What Sara notices first in any resort 3:43 How Metropolis University began 6:53 Life skills that strengthen retention 7:55 Hiring young workers who stay 10:59 Building a culture of kindness 12:28 Growing leaders from within 15:56 First Class Lounge 23:42 Keeping hospitality human in a digital worldGUEST LINKSMetropolis Resort https://metropolisresort.com/MORE CX Passport...Bring CX Passport Live to your event: https://www.cxpassportlive.com/Listen: https://www.cxpassport.comWatch: https://www.youtube.com/@cxpassportNewsletter: https://cxpassport.kit.com/signup I'm Rick Denton and I believe the best meals are served outside and require a passport.Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests and should not be taken as legal, financial, or professional advice. Always consult with a qualified attorney, financial advisor, or other professional regarding your specific situation. The opinions expressed by guests are solely theirs and do not necessarily represent the views or positions of the host(s).

What's on your mind? Let CX Passport know...Curiosity from the lab. Creativity from marketing. Transformation across a global pharma giant. Trina Di Giusto brings a scientist’s discipline and a storyteller’s instinct to CX. She explains how decentralized teams can still create harmony, why AI is tempting but rarely the fix, and what it takes for change to stick in a complex organization.5 Insights From This Episode • Scientific thinking becomes a CX advantage… methodical meets imaginative • Pharma customers span patients, providers, payers, and regulators • Delegation without orchestration leads to fragmentation • AI only works when the underlying process is healthy • Real change lasts when vision, skills, incentives, resources, and action alignCHAPTERS 00:00 Meet Trina from Basel 01:27 When science meets storytelling 03:47 Logic in a creative world 05:50 Blurring science and marketing 08:29 Defining CX in pharma 11:18 Delegation versus orchestration 13:57 First Class Lounge 18:01 Why tech is not the fix 22:51 What change management really requires 25:56 Lessons across six transformation cycles 28:06 Final takeaways and how to reach TrinaGuest Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trinadigiusto/Listen, Watch, Newsletter Listen: https://www.cxpassport.com Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@cxpassport Newsletter: https://cxpassport.kit.com/signupI'm Rick Denton and I believe the best meals are served outside and require a passport.Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests and should not be taken as legal, financial, or professional advice. Always consult with a qualified attorney, financial advisor, or other professional regarding your specific situation. The opinions expressed by guests are solely theirs and do not necessarily represent the views or positions of the host(s).

What's on your mind? Let CX Passport know...Pharma and CX… not exactly two words you hear together often. But what happens when customer experience thinking meets healthcare? Silvi Haldipur has lived it. From personal experience to transforming patient, provider, and payer experiences at GSK and Merck, she’s proving that empathy and data can coexist to truly save lives.5 Insights from This Episode • CX in pharma isn’t impossible… it’s essential. Silvi shares how she turned a deeply personal healthcare experience into her mission for better patient outcomes. • Beyond ads and emails… why support, not slogans, is what patients really need. • What pharma can learn from design thinking, ethnography, and on-the-ground empathy. • How “wraparound programs” simplify post-prescription chaos and actually improve outcomes. • The rise of the Chief Customer Experience Officer in pharma… and why it’s long overdue.🕒 CHAPTERS 00:00 Welcome and Silvi’s path from advertising to pharma 03:00 A personal story that reshaped her view of healthcare 06:00 Seeing patients, providers, and payers as customers 09:00 Ethnography and field visits to get inside the experience 12:00 Fixing the “after the prescription” experience 16:00 Brand promise meets patient promise 19:30 First Class Lounge 23:00 Data vs. insight and the pit bull story 26:00 Why pharma needs CXOs 28:30 What Silvi would change about her healthcare experience 31:00 Closing thoughtsGuest Link LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/silvihaldipur/Listen / Watch / Subscribe Listen: https://www.cxpassport.com Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@cxpassport Newsletter: https://cxpassport.kit.com/signupI'm Rick Denton and I believe the best meals are served outside and require a passport.Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests and should not be taken as legal, financial, or professional advice. Always consult with a qualified attorney, financial advisor, or other professional regarding your specific situation. The opinions expressed by guests are solely theirs and do not necessarily represent the views or positions of the host(s).

What's on your mind? Let CX Passport know...How do you deliver empathy at scale when the stakes are life-changing?In this *Greatest Hits* episode of CX Passport, recorded live in Austin as a CX Passport Live, Candy Kothmann shares what it means to lead a customer experience operation inside a government agency...the Texas Workforce Commission. Originally aired as Episode 207, this conversation opened eyes to the human side of CX in crisis situations. Candy’s team supports Texans during unemployment... moments filled with fear, frustration, and uncertainty...and does it with respect, empathy, and a behavior-based performance model that drives real connection.CHAPTERS  00:00  Respect, compassion, and courtesy  03:50  Building empathy into every call  05:48  Balancing efficiency and humanity  07:47  Turning emotional calls into positive experiences  09:03  Crisis response and wellness checks  11:09  Supporting agents after difficult calls  12:37  First Class Lounge  16:32  Managing complaints in a regulated environment  19:18  Improving what you can control  If you like CX Passport, I have 3 quick requests:✅ Subscribe to the CX Passport YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@cxpassport  ✅ Join other “CX travelers” with the weekly CX Passport newsletter https://cxpassport.kit.com/signup  ✅ Bring 🎙️🎬 CX Passport Live to your event https://www.cxpassportlive.comI'm Rick Denton and I believe the best meals are served outside and require a passport.

What's on your mind? Let CX Passport know...Why do so many companies chase new customers when the math clearly proves that retention wins every time? Daniel Granja Baltazar joins from Rotterdam to unpack the “retention revelation”... how conversion rate optimization (CRO) is really about experience, not just clicks. Daniel’s global lens from the Netherlands to Brazil gives a fresh take on blending sales, marketing, and CX into one connected journey.✈️ 5 First-Class InsightsConversion is the outcome, not the goal. Real CRO success starts with understanding the customer’s experience.Retention beats acquisition. Companies still pour money into getting new customers, while neglecting why current ones leave.Listen before assuming. Numbers reveal what’s happening... but only talking to customers reveals why.Bridge the silos. Sales, marketing, and customer service thrive when united by shared goals and active communication.Empathy drives everything. The best in sales, marketing, and CX are curious first, persuasive second.🕓 CHAPTERS00:00 Welcome to Rotterdam1:40 CRO vs CX: What’s the real difference?4:24 The retention revelation7:08 Why companies ignore their data’s advice10:27 Rewarding existing customers12:33 Global differences in customer culture15:08 First Class Lounge18:09 The watchmaker side hustle19:34 The Wolf of Wall Street myth of sales21:27 Empathy as the CX superpower22:56 Breaking the silos25:44 How qualitative insights drive smarter decisions28:33 Talk to your customers... or you’re doing it wrong🔗 Guest LinksLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dgbaltazar/ Watch store: https://uniqwatchmods.nl/🎧 Listen / Watch / SubscribeListen: https://www.cxpassport.com Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@cxpassport Subscribe to the newsletter for CX insights... your weekly excuse to ghost Slack for 10 minutes: https://cxpassport.kit.com/signupI'm Rick Denton and I believe the best meals are served outside and require a passport.Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests and should not be taken as legal, financial, or professional advice. Always consult with a qualified attorney, financial advisor, or other professional regarding your specific situation. The opinions expressed by guests are solely theirs and do not necessarily represent the views or positions of the host(s).