CX Leadership Talks

Most CX leaders don’t have a CX problem. They have a leadership problem.

Welcome to a new episode of CX Leadership Talks! The podcast for CX leaders who want to spice up their leadership. In this episode, your host Nienke Bloem CCXP connects with Cairo Marsh, founder of Relativ, an experience agency based in Tokyo. Together, they explore why branding alone isn’t enough in today’s world and introduce the powerful concept of “brand being”: how a brand shows up in every experience, online and offline. Cairo Marsh shares practical strategies for aligning different departments around shared customer goals, the importance of employee incentives and culture, and how CX leaders can leverage moments of belonging to drive loyalty and connection. You’ll also hear insights on balancing quantitative and qualitative research, the necessity of customer experience strategy, and lessons from global and Japanese brands. Grab your favorite drink and get ready for inspiration and actionable tips to elevate your CX leadership! Timestamped overview: 00:00 Brand being and belonging 05:33 Branding agencies and broken promises 06:57 Marketing for today and tomorrow 10:57 Thin slicing customer experience 13:47 Overcoming Fragmentation in Teams 18:37 Unified customer engagement platform design 21:58 Prioritizing customers to align goals 25:47 Balancing data and insight 30:00 Defining strategy to stand out 33:47 Authentic leadership and expectations 36:16 Japan's experience design challenge 39:08 Belonging over basic needs 40:50 Building belonging through connection 45:38 Unreasonable hospitality insights Extra information: Connect with Cairo on LinkedIn You can find the information about relativ* here You can find Cairo's book recommendation here About Nienke: Nienke Bloem is often called the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress. She's a global CX thought leader, educator and a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She leads a speaking practice, a CX game company and a training business; she breathes Customer Experiences and is author of two CX books. Her two-day Customer Experience Masterclass is known as the best program to prepare for your CCXP and she is the go-to person for CX leaders who want to advance their leadership and bring direct results from their Customer Experience transformation programs. Since 2020, she hosts a CX Leadership Masterminds program and helps leaders spice up their leadership and deliver an engaging CX Story including a solid CX Strategy. Besides, she is a modern-day pilgrim and found the parallel with leading customer centric transformations. With her over 20 years of corporate experience, she speaks the business language. Her keynotes and education programs in Customer Experience are inspiring and hands-on. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. Subscribe to her weekly CX Greetz to stay tuned.

What happens when CX leaders stop judging and start joining? In this episode, Nienke Bloem shares a personal story and a powerful mindset shift that turns frustration into true CX leadership.

Welcome to a brand new episode of CX Leadership Talks! Too many CX leaders are hired to create change… yet end up playing it safe. Organizations reward dashboards, quick wins, and staying in the background. But as your host: Nienke Bloem reminds her listeners, CX is not about management, it is about leadership. In this episode of CX Leadership Talks, Nienke shares the five areas where CX leaders play it too safe, and the bold leadership shifts they need to make instead. She explains how leaders can move from being reporters to becoming strategic business partners, from project explainers to storytellers with one strong CX narrative, from short-term fixers to transformational leaders, from the soft zone to technology-driven impact, and from being invisible to becoming visible strategic connectors. This episode is about stepping out of the slippers of the expert or manager and into the shoes of a true CX leader. Nienke invites her audience to spice up their leadership, follow their joy, and ride the wave of awesomeness. In this episode you will learn: Why playing it safe is the biggest trap for CX leaders The 5 safe zones that keep leaders small What it looks like to shift from management to true leadership Why joy, courage and visibility matter more than ever Nienke makes it clear: CX is too important to play it safe. It is time to stop limiting yourself, step into your leadership shoes, and lead like you mean it. 🎧 Listen now and discover which of the five areas resonates most with you. Timestamped overview: 00:00 CX Leadership podcast challenges 05:06 Step out of safe leadership 08:40 From reporter to strategic partner 12:41 From projects to transformation 14:05 Tech-driven impact with AI & data 18:02 Becoming a strategic connector 21:18 Join secret email list About Nienke: Nienke Bloem is often called the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress. She's a global CX thought leader, educator and a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She leads a speaking practice, a CX game company and a training business; she breathes Customer Experiences and is author of two CX books. Her two-day Customer Experience Masterclass is known as the best program to prepare for your CCXP and she is the go-to person for CX leaders who want to advance their leadership and bring direct results from their Customer Experience transformation programs. Since 2020, she hosts a CX Leadership Masterminds program and helps leaders spice up their leadership and deliver an engaging CX Story including a solid CX Strategy. Besides, she is a modern-day pilgrim and found the parallel with leading customer centric transformations. With her over 20 years of corporate experience, she speaks the business language. Her keynotes and education programs in Customer Experience are inspiring and hands-on. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. Subscribe to her weekly CX Greetz to stay tuned.

The future of customer experience isn’t 10 years away, it’s happening right now.In this episode of CX Leadership Talks, your host Nienke Bloem CCXP sits down with Bart Verouden, CCXP, Senior Manager Innovation & Business Development at Accenture, Lean Black Belt, and lifelong learner. Bart is part of the team behind Accenture Song’s Life Trends Report, a yearly study that combines global research, expert insights, and real human stories. Normally, Nienke is a little skeptical of “trend reports,” but when she first saw Bart present this one, she was blown away. It’s sharp, relevant, and deeply practical for CX leaders. Together, we dive into the five Life Trends for 2025: The cost of hesitation – how online mistrust is shaping customer behavior The parent trap – why raising kids in a digital world is now a shared responsibility The impatience economy – speed, trust, and the rise of bite-sized influence The dignity of work – why employee experience directly defines customer experience Social media rewilding – finding balance between digital convenience and real-life connection What you’ll learn in this episode: Why these trends matter for CX leaders right now How to recognize them inside your own organization Practical examples of companies getting it right (and wrong) The simple but powerful role of empathy and trust in staying relevant If you want to understand how customer expectations are shifting, and what you can do as a leader to prepare, this episode is for you. Timestamped overview: 00:00 Future of CX & Employee Experience06:04 Career journey in Customer Experience07:43 Dutch CX professional collaboration12:57 Online hesitation due to misinformation17:04 Ecosystem collaboration for digital trust17:41 Dutch lab cyber hack exposes data23:27 Limited access for young users24:08 Gaming ethics vs. Functionality30:24 Importance of speed in service delivery34:16 Restaurant choice and experience35:44 Empowering employee autonomy39:50 Blending digital and in-store experiences42:50 Building a chatbot: A personal journey44:25 DIY multilingual chatbot success47:57 Global trends insights Extra information: Connect with Bart on LinkedIn You can find the five life trends of Accenture Song here. Book recommendation: Beyond Employee Engagement by Kristina G. Vaneva About Nienke: Nienke Bloem is often called the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress. She's a global CX thought leader, educator and a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She leads a speaking practice, a CX game company and a training business; she breathes Customer Experiences and is author of two CX books. Her two-day Customer Experience Masterclass is known as the best program to prepare for your CCXP and she is the go-to person for CX leaders who want to advance their leadership and bring direct results from their Customer Experience transformation programs. Since 2020, she hosts a CX Leadership Masterminds program and helps leaders spice up their leadership and deliver an engaging CX Story including a solid CX Strategy. Besides, she is a modern-day pilgrim and found the parallel with leading customer centric transformations. With her over 20 years of corporate experience, she speaks the business language. Her keynotes and education programs in Customer Experience are inspiring and hands-on. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. Subscribe to her weekly CX Greetz to stay tuned.

In this final episode before summer, Nienke shares her Power of ONE, a refreshing take on CX leadership that skips the frameworks and dives into behavior, trust, and real connection. You’ll get: 3 CX micro-missions 9 practical actions (yes, totally doable!) A summer challenge: pick one each week and go for it Backed by insights from Harvard Business on how trust is built through small, authentic actions, this episode is a must-listen for CX leaders who want to lead with heart and make real impact through the little things. No budget required. No approval needed. Just action. Whether you’re still working or already easing into the holiday spirit, this episode will inspire you to keep CX human, purposeful, and powerful - one small step at a time. Listen now and start your summer ripple. Time-stamped overview: 00:00 Summer CX Leadership episode 05:34 Engage one customer directly 08:15 Encouraging recognition and openness 10:48 Start meetings with Customer stories 13:43 Micro actions: Power of one Mentioned in this episode: Harvard Business Insight: Good Leadership Starts with Trust About Nienke Nienke Bloem is often called the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress. She's a global CX thought leader, educator and a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She leads a speaking practice, a CX game company and a training business; she breathes Customer Experiences and is author of two CX books. Her two-day Customer Experience Masterclass is known as the best program to prepare for your CCXP and she is the go-to person for CX leaders who want to advance their leadership and bring direct results from their Customer Experience transformation programs. Since 2020, she hosts a CX Leadership Masterminds program and helps leaders spice up their leadership and deliver an engaging CX Story including a solid CX Strategy. Besides, she is a modern-day pilgrim and found the parallel with leading customer centric transformations. With her over 20 years of corporate experience, she speaks the business language. Her keynotes and education programs in Customer Experience are inspiring and hands-on. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. Subscribe to her weekly CX Greetz to stay tuned. Enjoyed the episode? Leave a quick rating or review in your favorite podcast app and share this episode with a fellow CX leader who’s ready to spice up their influence! Nienke will be back with fresh CX energy on Monday, August 25. Until then, keep it simple, keep it human, and start small.

Ever felt your brilliant CX roadmap hit a brick wall of internal resistance? In this solo episode, your host Nienke Bloem reveals why influence inside your organization depends on two human signals - warmth and competence - and how you can dial up both to become the Lovable Star colleagues trust and senior leaders follow. Inspired by a mountain-top holiday encounter with a servant-hearted hotel owner and a candid leadership lesson from HEMA CEO Saskia Egas Reparaz, Nienke distills the science into 9 practical tips (3 for warmth, 3 for competence, 3 for everyone). In this episode you’ll learn: Why warmth beats raw skill as the first gateway to trust - and how the warmth/ competence matrix works (Fiske & Cuddy) The four leadership quadrants and the trap of being a “Competent Jerk” How a sommelier-turned-hotel-owner models visible, servant leadership - plus a real-world boardroom example from the CEO of HEMA 3 ways to ramp up warmth when you’re seen as distant 3 ways to boost competence when you’re liked but not taken seriously 3 universal moves every CX leader can start this week to spice up influence across silos A simple self-audit to locate yourself on the matrix and pick the right next habit Time-stamped overview [00:00:00] - [00:01:32] Introduction: Why warmth beats competence [00:01:32] - [00:02:54] About the podcast & host [00:02:54] - [00:05:11] The science of warmth and competence [00:05:11] - [00:07:30] The warmth & competence model [00:07:30] - [00:09:34] Four leadership quadrants [00:09:34] - [00:11:47] Why the Matrix matters for CX leaders [00:11:47] - [00:14:32] Real-world example: The Dolomite hotel [00:14:32] - [00:15:56] Leadership reflection & practical application [00:15:56] - [00:19:07] Tips to grow warmth [00:19:07] - [00:24:43] Learning from warm leaders: Hema’s CEO [00:24:43] - [00:28:23] Tips to grow competence [00:28:23] - [00:29:50] Recap of action steps [00:29:50] - [00:31:19] Three universal tips for all leaders [00:31:19] - [00:32:48] Conclusion & invitation [00:32:48] - End credits Resources & links Warmth–Competence research: Fiske, Cuddy, & Glick (2007); Cuddy, Kohut & Neffinger (2013) Nienke wrote a blog about this topic with an interesting model, you can read it here. About Nienke Nienke Bloem is often called the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress. She's a global CX thought leader, educator and a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She leads a speaking practice, a CX game company and a training business; she breathes Customer Experiences and is author of two CX books. Her two-day Customer Experience Masterclass is known as the best program to prepare for your CCXP and she is the go-to person for CX leaders who want to advance their leadership and bring direct results from their Customer Experience transformation programs. Since 2020, she hosts a CX Leadership Masterminds program and helps leaders spice up their leadership and deliver an engaging CX Story including a solid CX Strategy. Besides, she is a modern-day pilgrim and found the parallel with leading customer centric transformations. With her over 20 years of corporate experience, she speaks the business language. Her keynotes and education programs in Customer Experience are inspiring and hands-on. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. Subscribe to her weekly CX Greetz to stay tuned. Enjoyed the episode? Leave a quick rating or review in your favorite podcast app and share this episode with a fellow CX leader who’s ready to spice up their influence!