Experts of Experience

Is your customer experience too easy? According to Dr. Joseph Michelli — psychologist, author of 13 books, and consultant to brands like Starbucks, Mercedes-Benz, and Ritz-Carlton — that could actually be the problem. Dr. Joseph Michelli joins Lacey to dismantle the myth of “effortless” CX and make the bold claim: CX might not survive unless we get a lot more human… and a little more emotional.Want your customers to care? They need to struggle (just a little). Want your team to win with AI? Teach your bots emotional intelligence. Deep, funny, a little existential — this conversation is for CX pros, tech optimists, and anyone who’s ever asked, "Wait… did that chatbot just gaslight me?"Tune in to hear why Joseph says, “All business is personal,” and what brands must do now to build human connection at scale.Key Moments: 00:00 Customer Effort vs. Ease, AI in CX, & Introducing Dr. Joseph Michelli05:10 From Psychology to Business Consulting10:59 The Art and Science of Customer Experience24:04 The Balance Between Effort and Ease39:35 The Service Recovery Paradox40:03 Handling Friction in Customer Relationships42:34 Generational Differences in Technology Adoption46:41 Emotional Intelligence in AI Interactions01:11:32 Impressive CX & Key Advice for CX Leaders –Are your teams facing growing demands? Join CX leaders transforming their AI strategy with Agentforce. Start achieving your ambitious goals. Visit salesforce.com/agentforce Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org

“Brand is the promise, the experience is the reality.” This week, Lacey Peace sits down with Abhii Parakh, Head of Customer Experience at Prudential Financial, to unpack exactly how the 150 year old legacy brand created a scalable culture of empathy, innovation, and action. From defining what CX really means to implementing belief-driven rituals and artifacts, Abhii shares a behind-the-scenes look at Prudential’s remarkable shift.You’ll hear how Prudential turned feedback from a single paper-fatigued customer into a multi-year digital transformation, why they built a champion network of 100+ internal customer advocates, and how they're blending human insight with emerging AI technologies to drive predictive customer experiences. This isn’t about generic platitudes — it’s about measurable change, internal momentum, and leadership buy-in.If you're leading CX at scale, battling organizational silos, or just wondering how to make customer experience more than a department, this is the episode you’ve been waiting for. Subscribe for more insider conversations with the most customer-obsessed minds in business. Key Moments:  00:00 Who is Abhii Parakh, CSM at Prudential?04:56 Building a Customer-Centric Culture10:19 Scaling Customer Experience Globally13:58 Three Elements of Culture: Artifacts, Rituals & Beliefs28:05 Impact of Predictive Analytics & Debunking NPS35:22 Adopting AI at Prudential: Challenges, Success & Predictions45:23 The Difference Between Generative AI & Agentic AI 50:27 Future of AI and Ethical Considerations –Are your teams facing growing demands? Join CX leaders transforming their AI strategy with Agentforce. Start achieving your ambitious goals. Visit salesforce.com/agentforce Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org

What happens when a marketing leader decides to halt 90% of content output? For Ben Taylor, Director of Revenue Marketing and Customer Journeys at Cisco, it wasn’t a gamble—it was a strategy. In this refreshingly candid episode, Ben makes the case that content marketing is (and should be) dead and explains how empathy mapping, design thinking, and intentional "awkward silence" amongst his marketing & CX teams have become his new north star. We dive into how Ben transformed Cisco’s approach to customer experience by prioritizing deep understanding over high-volume output — and saw 5x pipeline growth as a result. From redefining how marketing supports sales to slowing down in order to speed up, this episode challenges everything you thought you knew about B2B engagement. If you’re tired of creating content for content’s sake, this one’s your permission slip to stop, rethink, and rebuild. Key Moments: 00:00 How Cisco's Ben Taylor Is Redefining Customer Experience03:17 Why Marketing Is Core to the Entire Customer Journey07:23 Content Marketing Is Dead: Here’s What Works Instead13:25 How Design Thinking Transformed Cisco’s Marketing29:36 Can AI Be Empathetic? The Real Challenge in CX Automation36:23 Using Empathy Mapping to Build Better B2B Campaigns38:19 Agile Marketing: Faster Cycles, Smarter Strategy45:34 Hiring for Fit: Why Empathy Matters More Than Pedigree52:15 The Emotional Core of Customer Experience Strategy01:01:56 Breaking Silos: Aligning Marketing, Sales & Success –Are your teams facing growing demands? Join CX leaders transforming their AI strategy with Agentforce. Start achieving your ambitious goals. Visit salesforce.com/agentforce Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org

What does it really take to build an AI-powered customer experience from the ground up?Lacey Peace sits down with Katie Bianchi, Chief Customer Officer at Palo Alto Networks, to unpack how her team rebuilt support systems for the AI era — eliminating handoffs, reducing resolution time by over 40%, and transforming how their teams work.Katie walks through their phased AI implementation strategy, from data unification and process re-architecture to training internal copilots capable of diagnosing the most complex cases. She shares why tight alignment between product, IT, and customer success is now a non-negotiable, and how empowering frontline employees to lead experimentation created real transformation.Plus, Katie gets candid about what she would’ve done differently, why NPS might be obsolete, and how AI is becoming the operating system for work itself. Whether you're navigating digital transformation or trying to unite siloed teams, this episode offers a clear, tactical, and deeply human roadmap to scaling customer experience in the age of AI. Key Moments:00:00 Meet AI-Expert Katie Bianchi, CCO at Palo Alto Networks01:31 Why Dirty Data Is Killing Your AI Strategy02:46 AI Adoption Starts with Empowered Employees06:49 Joining a Cybersecurity Giant During Peak Disruption08:41 Step-by-Step: How Palo Alto Networks Rolled Out AI14:17 Building a Culture of Rapid Experimentation21:50 What AI Agents Can Do in Tech Support Right Now23:12 What We’d Do Differently: Lessons from the Frontlines of AI25:47 End-to-End Automation: Connecting Pre- and Post-Sales27:38 Smarter CX: Turning Data Into Actionable Insights36:41 Rethinking Metrics: How to Measure AI’s Real Impact39:17 From Reactive to Proactive: Real AI Customer Wins41:26 AI as Your New Operating System: What’s Next  –Are your teams facing growing demands? Join CX leaders transforming their AI strategy with Agentforce. Start achieving your ambitious goals. Visit salesforce.com/agentforce Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org

This episode’s a little different — and kind of emotional. Lauren Wood, our incredible host since day one, is passing the mic to the amazing Lacey Peace. Before she signs off, Lauren reflects on the wild ride: 75+ episodes, millions of downloads, and countless insights about CX, AI, and leadership. Lacey, who’s helped produce over 35 shows and reach 45+ million listeners as part of the Mission.org team, shares what drew her to the show (hint: she’s a storytelling nerd in the best way) and what she’s excited to explore next — from small business CX wins to how AI is quietly reshaping the employee experience. It’s a thoughtful, fun, and inspiring handoff that sets the stage for a bold new chapter. Tune in to discover the incoming shifts in the show’s guests, topics, segments, and more. Key Moments: 00:00: Passing the Mic to a New Host00:42: Lessons from 75+ CX Interviews: Lauren Wood’s Farewell Insights01:42: Meet Lacey Peace: New Host with 45M+ Podcast Listener Reach02:41: Building Brand Trust Through Storytelling and Customer Journey Mapping03:47: Why Customer Experience Strategy Belongs to Every Business Function07:32: The Role of AI in Scaling B2B Customer Experience and Success Operations14:54: Empowering Teams: How Leadership and Employee Experience Drive CX18:46: B2B Lightning Round: Actionable CX Takeaways for Marketing, Product, and IT –Are your teams facing growing demands? Join CX leaders transforming their AI strategy with Agentforce. Start achieving your ambitious goals. Visit salesforce.com/agentforce Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org

Another Agentforce Guinea Pig has joined the show… She’s here to tell you if you think rolling out AI is as easy as flipping a switch, think again.From early mistakes to surprising wins, Laura Meschi, Customer Experience Manager at Secret Escapes, walks us through what it actually takes to train an AI agent that can truly support customers.We dive into why ROI isn't the best measure of AI success, how customer effort scores skyrocketed after launching Agent Force, and why CX leaders need to start simple and think long-term. Laura also pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to train an AI agent — and why you absolutely shouldn’t DIY your rollout.If you’re a B2B leader wondering how AI agents fit into the future of customer success, this conversation will hit home. Key Moments: 00:00: Laura Meschi’s AI Agent Rollout at Secret Escapes02:45: Secret Escapes’ Agentforce: Lessons from a First-Mover11:14: Surprise Wins and the Underrated Power of Human QA16:41: How Agentforce Reshaped the CX Team (Without Cutting Headcount)22:26: Guardrails, Limits, and Finding the Sweet Spot for AI Use Cases26:30: Why Clean, Centralized Data Is the Real AI Superpower27:18: Don’t DIY Your AI: The Case for Bringing in Experts29:58: How AI Improved CES and Transformed Customer Perception34:50: What’s Next: Future AI Strategies and Upcoming Salesforce Tools37:21: Reimagining CX: Using AI to Build Relationships, Not Just Efficiency40:37: Start Simple, Prioritize Data, and Train for the Long Game  –Are your teams facing growing demands? Join CX leaders transforming their AI strategy with Agentforce. Start achieving your ambitious goals. Visit salesforce.com/agentforce Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org

Agentic AI isn’t coming — it’s here and already changing everything.Irina Gutman, Global Leader of AI Professional Services at Salesforce, breaks down what agentic AI really is and why it’s a huge leap beyond predictive and generative AI. We get into why your first AI agent should be boring (and repeatable), and why building the tech is easy compared to rewiring your people, processes, and leadership models.Irina shares why businesses need strong guardrails, real operating models, and why AI adoption without organizational readiness is a recipe for disaster. We also talk about the skills humans actually need to stay relevant, how to spot hidden risks, and why the future belongs to companies who rethink their structure — not just their tools. Key Moments: 00:00:  Irina Gutman Explains Salesforce’s AI Agents03:03: Predictive, Generative, and Agentic AI — What's the Difference?05:20: How Agentic AI Thinks and Acts08:32: Chatbots vs. AI Agents: Why It Matters14:22: The 5 Building Blocks of an AI Agent18:13: Organizational Readiness: New Skills, New Roles22:26: The Right Way to Start with AI Agents26:27: Future-Proof Your AI Strategy29:53: Rethinking the Operating Model for AI32:45: Upskilling is Non-Negotiable35:14: Vendors Can Help You Be AI-Ready36:25: Rethinking Change Management for Agentic AI42:38: What’s Next: Multi-Agent Collaboration48:09: Building AI Responsibly: Guardrails and Risk51:39: Real-World AI: A Standout Customer Experience  –Are your teams facing growing demands? Join CX leaders transforming their AI strategy with Agentforce. Start achieving your ambitious goals. Visit salesforce.com/agentforce Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org

Consequence scanning. Data organization. Tech translation… Oh my! This week, Kerry Bodine — CX consultant to name brand fortune 500 companies, founder of Bodine & Co. and co-author of Outside In — joins us to explore the seismic shifts AI is bringing to the world of CS. Forget what you think you know about customer service; Kerry reveals why it's all about understanding customer emotions, perceptions, and the entire customer journey. We tackle the tough questions: How do we balance innovation with ethical considerations? How do we prepare our data for the AI revolution? And how do we design experiences that are both human and AI-powered? This is a must-listen for any leader navigating the uncharted territory of AI-driven customer experience.  Key Moments:  00:00 Who is Kerry Bodine, Founder of Bodine & Co.?03:19 The Biggest CS Mistake06:22 Perception vs. Reality: Bridging the Expectation Gap13:07 Consequence Scanning: Your AI Framework18:00 AI Risk Assessment & Navigating Ethical Gray Areas20:00 Leadership in the Age of AI25:05 Data Readiness for AI Implementation32:36 Human-Centered Design & Confronting Your Silos37:18 Key Advice for CS Leaders  –Are your teams facing growing demands? Join CX leaders transforming their AI strategy with Agentforce. Start achieving your ambitious goals. Visit salesforce.com/agentforce Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org

In this special panel-style episode, Agentforce expert and Senior Vice President of Digital Success at Salesforce, Bernard Slowey, is interviewed by Lauren Wood and guest host Stephanie Postles. This is your inside look at Salesforce’s rapid deployment of its revolutionary AI agent, what this means for the digital workforce revolution, and how ANY company can create a customizable, empathetic digital employee. (With no code, just natural-language prompting.) Bernard shares firsthand accounts of the launch, including navigating real-time customer feedback and the crucial lessons learned about data hygiene and prompt engineering. He also discusses the delicate balance between AI automation and human support, emphasizing the importance of empathy training for these digital agents. Plus, they explore the challenges and opportunities for businesses of all sizes, from SMBs to enterprises, as they grapple with the evolving landscape of AI-driven customer experience, sales, and marketing.Press play and discover how Salesforce is shaping the future of AI in service, and what contrarian views Bernard Slowey holds about the role of data in decision-making.Key Moments: 00:00 Who is Bernard Slowey, SVP of Digital Success at Salesforce?04:18 The Evolution of Customer Service06:28 The Power and Potential of AI Agents18:06 Implementing Agentforce at Salesforce22:07 Challenges and Learnings From AI Agent Deployment33:29 Measuring Success and Future Prospects39:58 Escalation Rate and Customer Experience41:21 The Importance of Human Interaction in Support42:51 Digital Success and Customer Onboarding45:28 AI in Customer Success: Real-World Examples47:24 Data Hygiene and Internal Content Auditing 53:04 Cross-Functional Collaboration in CX01:00:28 The Human-AI Partnership 01:08:36 The Future of AI in Business01:12:51 Customer Obsession in Practice –Are your teams facing growing demands? Join CX leaders transforming their AI strategy with Agentforce. Start achieving your ambitious goals. Visit salesforce.com/agentforce Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org

Customer success is at a crossroads. Is it a revenue engine or just post-sales support? Is it a strategic function or a catch-all for everything customer-related? Lauren sits down with Marybeth D’Souza, Principal at Deloitte Consulting, to tackle the identity crisis facing customer success today. With years of experience leading CS at Salesforce and now shaping its future at Deloitte, Marybeth shares groundbreaking insights from research with 35 top companies on where the best teams are investing.They break down the five biggest trends shaping customer success in 2025, including the shift from CS as a team to CS as a mindset, the increasing reliance on AI and digital automation, and why failing to align with sales and product is holding teams back. Marybeth also reveals why B2B companies need to start thinking more like B2C, how customer expectations have changed, and what CS leaders must do to prove their impact and secure their place at the table. If you’re in customer success (or trying to define its future in your organization) this conversation is a must-listen.Key Moments: 00:00: Who is Marybeth D’Souza, Principal at Deloitte Consulting?03:52: The 5 Key Trends Shaping Customer Success09:25: Proving the ROI of Customer Success15:04: B2B Needs to Think Like B2C22:53: AI in Customer Success: Hype or Game-Changer?36:00: Breaking Down Silos Between CS, Sales, and Product44:00: What’s Next for Customer Success? –Are your teams facing growing demands? Join CX leaders transforming their AI strategy with Agentforce. Start achieving your ambitious goals. Visit salesforce.com/agentforce Mission.org is a media studio producing content alongside world-class clients. Learn more at mission.org