California Pizza Kitchen Co-Founder Rick Rosenfield on building a brand from the inside out

California Pizza Kitchen Co-Founder Rick Rosenfield on building a brand from the inside out

From The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström® | What CMOs Need to Know About Marketing Technology, AI & CX by The Agile Brand

July 13, 2026 · 25 min · Season 8 · Episode 888

About this episode

Rick Rosenfield discusses the importance of internal culture in shaping customer experience and brand perception.

With brands being defined by every customer interaction, who is really in charge of your customer experience: your C-suite, or your frontline employees? Agility requires more than just the right technology; it demands a culture where empowered teams can make decisions and respond to customer needs in the moment. Today, we're going to talk about building a brand from the inside out, focusing on the powerful connection between internal culture and external customer experience. We'll explore: - How a "reverse pyramid" leadership model can directly impact customer experience and brand perception. - Translating core values into an operational framework that empowers employees and fosters accountability. - The principles of scaling a culture of empowerment as a brand grows from a single location to a global presence. To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome Rick Rosenfield, Co-Founder at California Pizza Kitchen, and author of the new book, The California Pizza Kitchen Story. About Rick Rosenfield Rick Rosenfield is the co-founder of California Pizza Kitchen and a former federal prosecutor and defense attorney. He helped grow CPK to 265 restaurants and a national retail line…

People in this episode

Host: Greg Kihlström

Guest: Rick Rosenfield

Topics covered

  • customer experience
  • internal culture
  • leadership model
  • employee empowerment
  • brand perception
  • scaling culture

Keywords

  • customer interaction
  • agility
  • reverse pyramid
  • core values
  • operational framework
  • global presence
  • entrepreneurial lessons

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: California Pizza Kitchen

Books & works: The California Pizza Kitchen Story

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