Have you ever thought about how cool it would be to have one of those dinner parties with people you admire? I believe many of us dream of getting folks around a table to share what inspires them, how they are successful, and what makes them tick.
That’s essentially how I see the podcast I’ve been co-hosting with Adam Toporek for a year now, Crack The Customer Code. We interview people who inspire us and make things happen. We’ve interviewed a diverse group of customer experience professionals (and many others who don’t have “customer experience” as part of their title) and make an impact on the customer experience they offer.

It’s been quite the educational journey, not just for how to be more strategic about customer experience, but also for how to run a podcast, how to interview guests and how to listen for the nuggets of wisdom. We are forever students and still learning, but these are the standouts from some of our guests thus far.
We’ve reached our 73rd+ episodes now, and the list of great guests is too long to provide here. If I consider all the things I wasn’t expecting to learn, the list would be even longer. Here is a small selection of some the business quotes and lessons that stuck with me!
Ann Handley
“Content is everything the light touches.” – Ann Handley
Not surprisingly, Ann Handley offered tremendous insight into how communication is really a key part of the customer journey. I wonder how many experience designers forget this piece of the puzzle?
Crack the Customer Code: Episode 027: Customer Experience Fragmentation, Ann Handley, and #1 Cochran Automotive on Apple Podcasts
- Will customer experience become as fragmented as marketing
- An interview with Ann Handley, author of Everybody Writes
- And our Customer Hero is #1 Cochran Automotive
- Will Customer Experience Become as Fragmented as Marketing Jeannie and Adam discuss whether or not customer experience will beco…
Jackie Huba
“Make your customers feel like rock stars!” – Jackie Huba
We started the podcast with a superstar guest, author Jackie Huba. Jackie told us what we could learn from Lady Gaga, and there were multiple lessons to hear.
Crack the Customer Code: Episode 001: Apple Store Lady, Jackie Huba, and Heathrow Airport on Apple Podcasts
In this episode… Why customers are so frustrated An interview with Jackie Huba, author of Monster Loyalty: How Lady Gaga Turns Followers into Fanatics Customer Zero – Can you tell someone customer service is easy while giving bad customer service?
Mari Luangrath
“Social media can be a competitive advantage.” – Mari Luangrath
Mari Luangrath shared how she built a company with no storefronts, just social media! (Spoiler alert – she listened to customers!)
Crack the Customer Code: Episode 003: Crazy Customers, Mari Luangrath, and Southwest Airlines on Apple Podcasts
In this episode…
- Dealing with crazy customers Interview with Mari Luangrath, owner of Foiled Cupcakes
- How Southwest Airlines is listening to customers
- Adam and Jeannie talk about crazy customers and how to work with them.
Gini Dietrich
“The future of PR is customer experience.” – Gini Dietrich
Gini Dietrich shared her view of the future of her profession, and yes, it’s customer experience. Listen to her vision for avoiding spin and companies getting real.
Crack the Customer Code: Episode 005: Wearables, Gini Dietrich, and CEO Non-Believers on Apple Podcasts
In this episode… Wearables and the future of customer experience Interview with Gini Dietrich and what to do when your CEO does not believe in customer experience
Stan Phelps
Stan is all about the little extras.
“Lagniappes are about giving a little extra.” – Stan Phelps
I’ve often discussed this as part of customer experience, but Stan starts with marketing. It makes perfect sense when he describes it. Listen to the episode here.
Crack the Customer Code: Episode 007: Communicating Internally, Stan Phelps, and The Audience Experience on Apple Podcasts
In this episode…
- Communicating internally and its effect on customers
- Interview with Stan Phelps
- The audience experience
Mike Wittenstein
Mike Wittenstein advised us to “start where we are.”
This is wise counsel in an episode full of wisdom!
Crack the Customer Code: Episode 013: Cognitive Dissonance, Mike Wittenstein, and Meet Me at Starbucks on Apple Podcasts
In this episode…
- How Our Brains Work Against Us
- An Interview With Mike Wittenstein of Storyminers
- Meet Me at Starbucks
Jeff Toister
“Employees are not the most common reason for service failures.” – Jeff Toister
Jeff Toister enlightened us on how to approach process and training design to support service through your employees, not in spite of them! Learn more from Jeff!
Crack the Customer Code: Episode 014: Handling Pressure, Jeff Toister, and The Customer as Hero on Apple Podcasts
In this episode…
- Handling Pressure in Customer Service
- An Interview With Jeff Toister of Toister Solutions
- The Customers are the Heroes
Andy Crestodina
“Empathy is the greatest marketing skill.” – Andy Crestodina
The always-informative Andy Crestodina shared how digital content strategy is all about empathy in episode #19.
Crack the Customer Code: Episode 019: Writing for Machines, Andy Crestodina, and Personalized Robots on Apple Podcasts
In this episode you will hear:
- How writing for Google instead of your customers can start the relationship off on the wrong foot
- How Andy Crestodina, co-founder of Orbit Media, creates content designed to deliver what customers want
- How robots might be used to actually make the customer experience more personal
Tom Martin
“You should be seducing, not selling.” – Tom Martin
Tom Martin has a way with words and this interview is no exception. He is the master of social selling, and he shared a great deal of his wisdom with us!
Crack the Customer Code: Episode 020: Social Selling, Tom Martin, and Tinder on Apple Podcasts
In this episode you will hear:
- How social selling doesn’t work for Generation Z
- How Tom Martin, author of The Invisible Sale, encourages seducing instead of selling on social - How a dating app based on snap judgments is a Customer Zero, but not for the reasons you might think
Mark Schaefer
“The amount of information on the web is expected to increase 500%.” – Mark Schaefer
You read that right, and Mark Schaefer has the education we need to deal with what he calls “content shock.”
Crack the Customer Code: Episode 023: Creating Community, Mark Schaefer, and Keurig K-Cups on Apple Podcasts
In this episode:
- Does every organization need a community?
- How Mark Schaefer, marketing expert, handles the influx of content today
- Customer Zero: Keurig tries to mandate customer loyalty
Jeanne Bliss
“It’s time to kill a rule!” – Jeanne Bliss
Jeanne Bliss offers her unique perspective on leading customer experience from the inside of a large organization. Her witty and insightful discussion can help anyone lead better!
Crack the Customer Code: Episode 031: Customer Experience Managers, Jeanne Bliss, and Netflix on Apple Podcasts
In this episode:
- Do you need a customer experience manager?
- Best-selling author Jeanne Bliss
- How Netflix became a Customer Hero
Bob Burg
The original Go-Giver, Bob Burg, offered so much in his interview it was hard to keep up! One of my favorite points was about sales:
“You can’t make the sale, but you can create the environment where that person chooses to buy…” – Bob Burg
Crack the Customer Code: 038: Bob Burg, Author of The Go-Giver on Apple Podcasts
Bob Burg, Author of The Go-Giver. Bob Burg shares the principles of his seemingly counterintuitive yet surprisingly powerful new strategy for selling in today’s economy. He explains how a shift in focus from acquisition to providing as much value as possible can be the catalyst for long-term loyalty and amazing customer value.
Tom Schwab
“Inbound marketing is content that answers questions.” – Tom Schwab
This deceptively simple and incredibly useful definition was brought to us by Tom Schwab, who covered how inbound marketing is really the way to serve customers long-term in episode 46.
Crack the Customer Code: 046: Tom Schwab on Inbound Marketing on Apple Podcasts
Tom Schwab describes how business leaders can implement NPS and inbound marketing to focus on customer satisfaction and offer them the products and services they need. Tom Schwab: Inbound Expert Tom Schwab is an entrepreneur, a consultant, a writer, a Navy Vet, and an expert at inbound engineering a…
Peter Shankman
“The only thing worse than a hater is someone who used to be a lover.” – Peter Shankman
Author Peter Shankman advised creating conscious positive experiences to overcome the inevitable negative ones. Learn more!
Crack the Customer Code: 052: Peter Shankman, New Media All Star on Apple Podcasts
Inadequate customer service keeps rearing it’s ugly head. The good news is that any company of any size can do something immediate to make their service better. Enter Peter Shankman, the New York Times dubbed “PR all star”, to discuss how being super-excellent may be as easy as “being a little bette…
Jeremy Watkin
“Approach the work from a standpoint of culture.” – Jeremy Watkin
Jeremy Watkin’s recommendation is powered by people, but only if they are trained and valued!
Crack the Customer Code: 060: Jeremy Watkin, Head of Quality, FCR on Apple Podcasts
While you may think of call centers as a customer service vehicle of the past, new and improved ‘contact’ centers are alive and well. As technology trends direct customers and businesses to mobile, email, and chat platforms, how are these contact centers evolving to best suit both client and customers…
Shel Israel
“The future belongs to the millennials.” – Shel Israel
Shel Israel, best-selling author, shares how the best companies are understanding this and serving this group’s needs.
Crack the Customer Code: 062: Shel Israel, Cross-Disciplinary Communicator on Apple Podcasts
A Superstorm of Change Shel’s latest book, Lethal Generosity, borrows its name from the concept that when a company is incredibly generous to their customers, competitors’ efforts to hijack the customer are preempted. Customers have more power than ever. Technology has put customers “in their rightf…
Shep Hyken
“The amazing companies are just a little above average—all of the time.” – Shep Hyken
Customer experience expert Shep Hyken has been studying what builds loyal relationships for more than 30 years and offers insights galore in his chat with us.
Crack the Customer Code: 064: Shep Hyken, Customer Experience Expert on Apple Podcasts
Shep Hyken, the Customer Experience Expert and Chief Amazement Officer of Shepard Presentations, joins the podcast to talk about fusing disparate elements of customer service into one holistic whole. Realistic Customer Amazement Shep’s advice for a stellar customer experience? Foster moments of cust…
And of course, the list could go on and on and on…
Our guests have been incredibly generous with their wisdom and time, and our listeners have benefitted from it. Adam and I continue to be grateful for the opportunity our guests provide by hanging out with us for a few minutes.
And speaking of Adam, it’s time to give my podcast partner and co-host a high five. I don’t think either one of us had any clue what we were getting into when we started this adventure a year ago. (If you’d like to get to know Adam a bit more, be sure to listen to his interview.)
Crack the Customer Code: Episode 024: Be Your Customer’s Hero – The Interview on Apple Podcasts
Today, we have a special episode. Adam’s new book Be Your Customer’s Hero launched this week, and Jeannie turns the table on Adam and places him in the interview hot seat for the entire episode! Be Your Customer’s Hero Interview Here are some of the highlights from the interview: Why did Adam write…
“Most companies are so afraid of (employee empowerment,) they under-utilize it…” – Adam Toporek
Adam and I have weathered shifting schedules, getaway guests and timing turmoil. We do a pretty good job of showing each other patience. So thank you, Adam, for hanging in there for a year! Here’s to more fun ahead.
And our sponsors are also a huge part of what makes this podcast work. (We have new packages now and would love to add you to the list for year 2!)
Finally, thanks to our listeners for being so loyal, offering great feedback and letting us know the work we do matters. We really couldn’t do it without you!
If you have been with us for our rookie year or you are just discovering the podcast now, please know how much we appreciate you and as always, let us know your feedback! We are constant students and know there is still a lot to learn. We just have a whole lot of fun learning it!