This week, I sat down with my good friend Michael Bair, founder of Bair Consulting, to unpack what really separates good CX in B2B from the DTC playbook, and why both worlds have a lot to learn from each other.

We cover B2B SaaS, enterprise customer success, DTC retention, and why too many brands still treat CX like an afterthought. Michael gets real about why B2B companies ignore brand at their own risk, what DTC can steal from SaaS (hint: product obsession), how subscription churn compares to six-figure SaaS contracts, the rise and overhype of AI in CX, and why empathy and product knowledge will always be the secret sauce of customer success.

If you’re leading a CX team, building SaaS, or trying to scale a consumer brand, this episode is packed with hard-won insights from two people who’ve lived on both sides of the table.

Listen now for the truth about B2B vs DTC CX, retention that actually works, and what “fractional” really means when you’re in the trenches with founders.

📲 Follow Michael:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeljbair/

📲 Check out Bair Consulting:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bairconsulting/

Website: bairconsulting.co

👋 Enjoying Above the Fold?

Keep the insights coming by subscribing to my newsletter, Sunday Postcards. Each week, I share tips, stories, and strategies that help you unlock the secrets to brand success. Written from my experience in the marketing world, it’s your go-to source for staying ahead of the curve. Subscribe at www.sundaypostcards.co and join the community!

Connect with Jess on:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jess-cervellon

Twitter: x.com/jesscervellon

Instagram: instagram.com/jess.cervellon

This week, I sat down with my mentee, Mackenzie Lukas, to talk about what it really means to put people first in customer experience. 💬✨

We get into her unexpected career pivot from commercial real estate to CX, what she’s learned as Sr. Director of Customer & People Experience at Hormbles Chormbles 🍫, and why empathy will always beat efficiency 💛.

Mackenzie shares how her team is building trust with customers through human interactions, why sampling is more than just a marketing play 🎁, and the lessons she’s carried from workplace culture into CX. We also talk about what it’s like to launch a brand in CPG without any prior industry experience, and why that can actually be a superpower 🚀.

If you’re building a brand, leading a CX team, or just curious about what makes people feel truly cared for, this episode is packed with insights you can use right away. 🔑

🎧 Listen now for takeaways on empathy, brand trust, and why CX deserves a seat at the table.

📲 Follow Mackenzie:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mackenzielukas/

📲 Check out Hormbles Chormbles:

Instagram: @hormbles

Website: hormbles.com

👋 Enjoying Above the Fold?

Keep the insights coming by subscribing to my newsletter, Sunday Postcards. Each week, I share tips, stories, and strategies that help you unlock the secrets to brand success. Written from my experience in the marketing world, it’s your go-to source for staying ahead of the curve. Subscribe at www.sundaypostcards.co and join the community!

Connect with Jess on:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jess-cervellon

Twitter: x.com/jesscervellon

Instagram: instagram.com/jess.cervellon

This week on Above the Fold, I sat down with Max Wallace, Director of CX at Tommy John, and Kara Randle, CX manager, to talk about what it really takes to scale a customer experience team without losing the human touch.

We get into career pivots, building long-term team culture, and why “first response time” is not the CX metric you should be obsessing over. Max shares how he has kept Tommy John’s CX standards high through outsourcing and team growth, while Kara talks about the ongoing training and empowerment strategies that keep agents confident and customers loyal.

We also cover the role of automation (and when it goes too far), how to make customer feedback actually influence product and marketing, and the hot take both of them have on CX as a driver of retention, not a cost center.

If you lead a team, work in customer experience, or want to understand how brands keep customers coming back, this episode is full of insights you can use right now.

🎧 Listen now for real talk on CX metrics, team building, and why great service is about more than speed.

📲 Follow Max:

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/max-wallace

📲 Follow Kara:

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/kara-randle

📲 Check out Tommy John:

Instagram: @tommyjohnwear

Website: tommyjohn.com

👋 Enjoying Above the Fold?

Keep the insights coming by subscribing to my newsletter, Sunday Postcards. Each week, I share tips, stories, and strategies that help you unlock the secrets to brand success. Written from my experience in the marketing world, it’s your go-to source for staying ahead of the curve. Subscribe at www.sundaypostcards.co and join the community!

Connect with Jess on:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jess-cervellon

Twitter: x.com/jesscervellon

Instagram: instagram.com/jess.cervellon