“People are feeling the anxiety & uncertainty, and the fragile nature of this time. The relevance around community, sense of humanity, the third place, people are longing for human connection. Take it personal. Understand your responsibility to every customer and partner. That’s how we win.” – Howard Schultz at the Starbucks Leadership Experience The rapidly... Read Full Article
Super Proud Dad I am proud to share that my middle son, Cal, got married in Sweden this past July. It was a spectacular experience. Cal was featured in Vogue magazine for having his tuxedo made from his late mother’s wedding dress. Amazing Best Man Toast When I tell people I am not the best... Read Full Article
When Brands Chase New Customers and Lose the Ones Who Built Them Nike is trading around $35.51 as of September 21, 2026, near multi-year lows. The stock is down 39.3% year-to-date and roughly 50% below its 52-week high of $76.97. Zooming out further, Nike has fallen 79% from its 2021 high, and has lost about... Read Full Article
Three Qualities the 100 Best Companies to Work for have in common What sets this year's 100 Best Companies to Work For apart isn't simply who's deploying AI most extensively or effectively — it's who's rebuilding workplace trust, so employees feel backed, valued, and prepared as AI reshapes their jobs. Three patterns set these top... Read Full Article
Why NPS Surveys are a Poor Indicator of Customer Experience Research from Texas Tech University Studies shows that roughly 83% of customers say they intend to refer the brands that they like, but only about 29% do. Businesses that only measure Net Promoter Score (NPS) or Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) survey results are falling significantly behind.... Read Full Article
Many organizations provide lip service about the experience they provide. It is on everyone's website and listed in their core values. But few companies actually execute it and make it a reality. It has been proven repeatedly that the fastest way to ruin a brand's customer experience is rapid growth. It is easier when you... Read Full Article
Keeping Momentum After a Service Rollout Is the Hardest — and Most Important — Thing You’ll Do The Gap That Should Worry Every Leader Who Just Finished a Service Initiative Medallia’s 2026 State of Customer Experience Report contains a finding that I think about often. When asked whether their organization’s customer experience had improved, 66%... Read Full Article
A Former Intel Executive Called It a “God Complex.” Here’s How to Make Sure Your Culture Never Gets There. The Two Words That Explain One of the Biggest Collapses in Business History A former high-level executive who spent more than 20 years at Intel told Yahoo Finance exactly what destroyed one of the most dominant... Read Full Article
How a Brand Can Fix Its Balance Sheet While Losing the Trust That Built It — and What Every Leader Needs to Learn From It Two Headlines About Peloton. One Brand. Completely Different Stories. In May 2026, Peloton reported its first-ever full-year net profit in company history — $23.2 million in trailing twelve-month net income... Read Full Article
Nine in Ten Organizations Are One Key Resignation Away from a Crisis. Here’s How to Make Sure Yours Isn’t One of Them. A Number That Should Make Every Leader Uncomfortable Only 11% of organizations report having a strong leadership pipeline. That statistic comes from a 2026 leadership skills gap report that has been circulating through... Read Full Article
