Want customers to talk about your brand without being asked? In this CX Pulse Check, we bring on Brooke Sellas, founder of B Squared Media and a leader in social customer care, to unpack how emotion—not content volume—creates durable connection, retention, and revenue. Together we push past vanity metrics and dig into signals that actually matter: the unsolicited thank-yous, the screenshots, the stitches, and the small moments of care customers can’t help but share.

Our conversation moves from principle to practice. We map out how to define success for customers and for the business, then build joy loops that reward participation and make advocacy feel like a feature. We talk candidly about creator care—how high-velocity social teams face relentless expectations and why, in the age of AI, creative risk is the differentiator. We also look inside modern support: when bots deflect FAQs, humans inherit the complex, emotional problems.

We also break down Salesforce’s decision to replace a lightly used help search with AI and the community backlash that followed. The lesson is clear: internal metrics don’t equal external sentiment. Listening publicly, restoring a dedicated search capability, and co-creating with power users can turn friction into fuel.

If you care about customer experience, social strategy, or contact center leadership, you’ll leave with insights for measuring emotion, protecting the people who power your brand, and taking smart risks that cut through AI’s sea of sameness.

If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a teammate, and leave a quick review.

About Brooke Sellas:
Brooke Sellas is shaping the future of digital marketing one conversation at a time. As an award-winning CEO, she leads B Squared Media, a boutique agency redefining 'social care' for brands like Brother International, Miele, and BCU. You can dive into her insights through her book Conversations That Connect, her thought leadership on CMSWire, or her expert-led courses—among them, three digital marketing courses at the University of California, Irvine (one focused on AI & Marketing) and a LinkedIn Learning course on Social Care.

Learn More About B Squared Media at https://bsquared.media/

Follow Brooke on...
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brookebsellas/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HelloBSquared/podcasts


Articles Mentioned:
- To Set Your Brand Apart, Create Moments of Shareable Joy (Harvard Business Review) -- https://hbr.org/2025/09/to-set-your-brand-apart-create-moments-of-shareable-joy
- Duolingo’s Departing Social Media Manager Talks Virality, Anxiety and Mental Health (The Wall Street Journal) -- https://www.wsj.com/articles/duolingos-departing-social-media-manager-talks-virality-anxiety-and-mental-health-63d36f40
- Salesforce Responds to User Backlash Over Replacing Help Search with Agentforce (CX Today) -- https://www.cxtoday.com/crm/salesforce-responds-to-user-backlash-over-replacing-help-search-with-agentforce/

Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)

Personalization in B2B shouldn’t feel invasive—it should feel helpful, timely, and trustworthy. In this episode, we share a practical framework for getting personal the right way: focus on professional goals, public signals, and clear boundaries. Skip the birthday messages and small talk; instead, pay attention to milestones that matter—team expansions, product launches, and regulatory shifts that shape your clients’ priorities.

We dive into tactics for adding warmth to cold communications, from simple follow-ups to plain-language summaries that turn compliance into clarity. You’ll learn how to time outreach, tailor messages by maturity level, and link value to outcomes leaders care about—adoption, risk reduction, and ROI.

Finally, we explore the guardrails that protect trust: respect boundaries, avoid private data, and apply the “leadership test” for tone. Rethink your B2B playbook and build personalization that scales—with relevance, respect, and humanity.

If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a teammate, and leave a quick review so others can find it.

Don’t forget to register for our upcoming webinar, From Assessment to Action: Building Your CX Roadmap, on November 4th via bit.ly/CXAction

Resources Mentioned:
Experience Investigators Website -- https://experienceinvestigators.com

Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)

Why do leaders hesitate to green-light customer interviews even when everyone agrees they matter? In this episode, we share a fast path to buy-in: lead with business outcomes, start with a small pilot, and turn qualitative insights into measurable ROI. Instead of pitching interviews as an activity, we frame them as a strategic move to reduce churn, fix onboarding friction, and prioritize work that grows loyalty and revenue.

Most importantly, we show how to speak leadership’s language — tying interviews to metrics like time-to-value, adoption, cancellations, and expansion revenue — and how to keep executives engaged with quick updates and short video clips that make customer emotion impossible to ignore. Clear ask, clear scope, clear outcomes. Then scale once the foundation is in place.

Liked what you heard? Subscribe, share with a teammate who needs a pilot plan, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. Got a question for a future episode? Leave a voicemail at askjeannie.vip.

Resources Mentioned:
Get our Customer Interview Guidebook -- bit.ly/ciguidebook
Experience Investigators Website -- experienceinvestigators.com

Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)

Customers don’t just want answers. They want action! That’s why agentic AI, the kind that doesn’t just recommend but actually does the work, is reshaping how teams analyze experiences, resolve issues, and connect systems.

In this CX Pulse Check, Jeannie talks with Medallia’s Chief Strategy Officer, Sid Banerjee, about today’s clearest CX use cases and the pitfalls leaders should avoid as agentic AI adoption accelerates across industries like banking, healthcare, retail, and hospitality.

We explore three big patterns:

• AI that speeds up insight generation across calls, chats, and surveys
• Assistive tools that help agents find and deliver answers in real time
• Orchestration that lets AI schedule, submit, and update without piling on handoffs

Voice is making a comeback too, from car dealerships booking recall appointments to restaurants taking phone orders with flawless recall. The key isn’t “more bots,” but better design, continuous coaching, and a balance of speed with trust.

We also cover empathy, accountability, and practical guardrails (like building feedback loops, retraining models, and giving customers clear choices so they never feel trapped by tech).
If you’re evaluating where to deploy AI next or whether your pilots are effective, this conversation provides examples, cautions, and a pragmatic perspective.


About Sid Banerjee, Chief Strategy Officer, Medallia:
Over a nearly 30-year career, Sid has amassed deep skills building companies and solutions based on customer experience, business intelligence, and AI-powered technologies. Sid was the Founder and served as CEO, Chairman, and Chief Strategy Officer at Clarabridge. He most recently served as Chief XM Strategy Officer at Qualtrics. He presently serves as Chairman at Prolific, a high-growth technology company that provides a platform for high-quality, human-derived AI and research models. He was a founding employee of MicroStrategy and founder/CEO of Claraview. He also held executive and management positions at Ernst & Young and Sprint. He holds a BS/MS in Electrical Engineering from MIT.

Learn More About Medallia at https://www.medallia.com/

Follow Sid on...
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sidbanerjeewdc/


Articles Mentioned:
- Marriott checks out AI agents amid technology transformation (CIO Dive) -- https://www.ciodive.com/news/marriott-international-AI-strategy-agentic-cloud-cybersecurity/758922/
- Red Lobster Turns to AI to Power Phone Ordering (Hospitality Technology) -- https://hospitalitytech.com/news-briefs/2025-09-22?article=red-lobster-turns-ai-power-phone-ordering
- Long Island pizzeria goes viral with saucy videos giving bad diners a taste of their own medicine: ‘Go sit down’ (New York Post) -- https://nypost.com/2025/09/22/us-news/long-island-pizzeria-goes-viral-with-saucy-videos-giving-bad-diners-a-taste-of-their-own-medicine-go-sit-down/

Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)

Complacency can creep into even the strongest B2B partnerships. This episode shares practical ways to keep long-term relationships fresh, valuable, and resilient—without changing your core product. From proactive reviews and co-created thought leadership to milestone moments and small human gestures, you’ll learn how to spark momentum your clients can feel and measure.

We also explore a “Disruptor Day” exercise to out-innovate yourself, reduce friction, and design micro-surprises that remind clients they’re seen and valued. Through the lenses of goals, fears, and energy, you’ll see how to turn satisfaction into advocacy.

Press play to protect key accounts and strengthen partnerships—and don’t forget to subscribe, share with your team, and leave a review with one change you’ll try this quarter.

Resources Mentioned:
Experience Investigators Website -- https://experienceinvestigators.com

Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)

Where do you start with customer experience strategy?

As a CX leader, you’ve probably faced the overwhelming question: Where do I start? In this episode, Jeannie Walters explores this challenge and shares how to find clarity when building a customer experience strategy.

Drawing from real conversations with CX leaders, Jeannie introduces the CXI Navigator Framework, which highlights four essential parts of an effective strategy:

• Intentional Success – Defining what success really looks like.
• Customer Collaboration – Listening to and engaging with customers meaningfully.
• Cultural Commitment – Building a culture where everyone plays a role in CX.
• Experiential Innovation – Looking ahead to disrupt and improve through the customer experience.

You’ll also hear how the CXI Compass can help you pinpoint where to begin, whether it’s strengthening culture, refreshing a Voice of the Customer program, or sparking innovation.

If you’ve ever struggled to know the right starting point, this episode offers practical guidance to help you prioritize, define success, and create momentum in your customer experience journey.

Resources Mentioned:
Take the CXI Compass® assessment -- https://CXICompass.com
Experience Investigators Website -- https://experienceinvestigators.com

Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)

Navigating today’s uncertain business landscape means balancing what’s behind us with what’s ahead. In this episode, we explore how CX leaders can use leading indicators to predict satisfaction while relying on lagging metrics to evaluate performance.

Rather than collecting more data, it’s about collecting the right data—spotting early signals in engagement patterns, service inquiries, and employee feedback before they show up in CSAT or NPS. We also look beyond internal data to market trends, competitor activity, and global behavior shifts to understand evolving customer expectations.

As technology—and customer access to AI—advances, the information gap is shrinking. CX leaders must rethink how they deliver value in this new reality. By blending historical insights with forward-looking indicators, we can move from reporting what happened to shaping what happens next.

What signals are you watching for in your business?

Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)

What does luxury really mean in today's experience economy? The answer might surprise you.

Joining us on this eye-opening CX Pulse Check episode is luxury experience expert Neen James, who shares groundbreaking research revealing that luxury isn't about price tags—it's a mindset with four distinct profiles. Yet regardless of which luxury mindset we embody, we all agree on five essential characteristics: high quality, long-lasting, authentic, unique, and indulgent.

"You don't have to have a luxury product to provide a luxury level of service," Neen explains, unlocking possibilities for businesses across every industry and price point. Her research definitively proves what many have suspected: luxury is increasingly about experiences rather than possessions, and about feeling genuinely seen, heard, and valued.

We explore fascinating real-world applications, from wealthy travelers choosing cooking lessons with Italian grandmothers over five-star hotels to Louis Vuitton's theatrical ship-shaped flagship store in China.

Perhaps most applicable for everyday business is our discussion of Starbucks' ambitious four-minute service goal. As Neen advises, we must "think like a concierge, not a bellhop," transforming transactional relationships into meaningful connections through what she calls "systemized thoughtfulness."

The insights from this conversation apply whether you're running a coffee shop or a luxury retailer.

Don't miss Neen's upcoming book, Exceptional Experiences, launching October 14th with pre-orders available now.

About Neen James:
Neen James (neenjames.com) is a leadership strategist, dynamic keynote speaker, and the author of Folding Time, Attention Pays, and the upcoming Exceptional Experiences. With boundless energy, quick wit, and actionable insights, she serves as a confidante to C-suite leaders to help them elevate experiences and achieve greater focus, communication, and influence. Recently appointed to the board of the World Luxury Chamber of Commerce, James has been named one of the Top 30 Leadership Speakers by Global Gurus multiple years in a row for her work with some of the world’s most prestigious brands, including Viacom, Comcast, Virtuoso Travel, Four Seasons, and the FBI. She empowers individuals to prioritize what matters most so they can create exceptional experiences that drive results and foster lasting connections. Originally from Australia, James is living her best life in Tampa, Florida.

Follow Neen on...
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/neenjames/
Instagram: instagram.com/neenjames
YouTube: youtube.com/user/AussieNeen

Articles Mentioned:
Luxury Travelers Prefer Spending Thousands on Authentic Nonna's Kitchen Over Lavish Hotel Suites (Investopedia)
A luxury experience in China: Global high-end brands bet on conceptual stores to revive sales (Reuters)
Brian Niccol wants your Starbucks drink to be made within 4 minutes of ordering (Yahoo! Finance)

Want to ask a question? Visit askjeannie.vip to leave Jeannie a voicemail! (And don't forget to follow Jeannie on LinkedIn! www.linkedin.com/in/jeanniewalters/)