SIMPLE brand With Matt Lyles

Register to attend the 2026 CX Day Celebration in-person or virtually.In this SIMPLE brand episode, I talk with CX leader and CX Accelerator co-founder Nate Brown about his concept of Servant Challenger Leadership - combining the service, humility, and trust-building of servant leadership with the courage to challenge old systems, assumptions, and ways of working.We explore how CX leaders can create psychological safety without creating complacency and create an environment where people can challenge ideas, collaborate, and move through change together.What You’ll Learn* Why challenging the status quo isn’t enough to lead meaningful organizational change* How Servant Challenger Leadership combines service, trust, and productive challenge* Why psychological safety shouldn’t mean avoiding disagreement, discomfort, or change* How “creative abrasion” helps teams collaborate, innovate, and develop better ideas together* Why CX leaders need cross-functional allies to create lasting customer experience change* How leaders can create an environment where great ideas emerge instead of trying to have all the answers themselves* The attributes needed to lead people through change* How to help employees participate in customer-centric change Chapters00:00 Introduction to Servant Challenger Leadership03:19 The Servant Challenger Leadership Model12:47 How to Manage Psychological Safety and Creative Tension17:53 Leaders Need Desire, Confidence, and Capabilities22:39 Leading Change With a Change Management Coalition29:09 Examples of Brands Demonstrating Customer Curiosity33:35 Learn All About the CX Accelerator Community38:10 The 2026 CX Day Celebration39:40 Nate's 5-Song Playlist44:08 2026 CX Day Celebration DetailsAbout Nate BrownNate Brown helps organizations better understand and serve their customers. As a CX practitioner, consultant, and leader, he’s built contact centers from scratch, led complex CX functions, and helped organizations create stronger connections between employees and customers across multiple industries.Nate is also the co-founder of CX Accelerator, a global community of over 5,000 customer experience professionals helping one another grow throughout their careers. Connect With Nate BrownRegister for the 2026 CX Day CelebrationNate’s Website CX Accelerator Nate on LinkedIn Connect with Matt LylesCheck Matt's speaking availability Subscribe on YouTube Matt on LinkedIn Matt on Instagram Subscribe to the SIMPLE brand newsletter Subscribe to the SIMPLE brand show

In this episode, I sit down with brand strategist and behavioral science expert Kevin Perlmutter, founder of Limbic Brand Evolution and author of Brand Desire, to explore how understanding your customers' emotional motivations can change the way you attract and retain them.Kevin explains why traditional brand strategy often leaves out one important person - the customer. We explore why asking “What do we want our customers to feel?” is the wrong question, what brands can learn by actually talking with their customers, and how customer insight can become one of your greatest competitive advantages.What You’ll LearnWhy brands often misunderstand what their customers actually care aboutThe difference between how you want customers to feel and how customers want to feelWhy focusing on your brand's “why” without understanding your “who” can lead you in the wrong directionWhy emotions influence customer decisions more than most brands realizeWhy repeat customers aren't necessarily loyal customers - and how habit can disguise itself as loyaltyHow customer insight can align your entire organization around what matters most to customersChapters0:00 Introduction to Brand Desire03:13 Advertising and Neuroscience06:43 The Importance of Emotional Insight in Branding10:34 Focus On Your WHO as Much as Your WHY15:11 Finding Shared Emotional Motivation Between the Customer and Your Brand16:28 When Brands Are Surprised by Customers' Motivations23:21 Differentiating Customer Habit from True Loyalty27:22 The Focus, Connect, Evolve Framework31:28 How to Ensure Consistency Across All Interactions33:59 Kevin's 5-Song PlaylistAbout Kevin PerlmutterKevin Perlmutter is a brand strategist, behavioral science expert, and author of Brand Desire: Spark Customer Interest Using Emotional Insights. He's the founder and chief strategist of Limbic Brand Evolution and creator of Limbic Sparks® Brand Strategy, an approach that helps brands better understand the emotional motivations that drive customer behavior.Connect With Kevin PerlmutterKevin’s Website Kevin on LinkedIn Kevin’s book - Brand Desire: Spark Customer Interest Using Emotional Insights Connect with Matt LylesCheck Matt's speaking availability Subscribe on YouTube Matt on LinkedIn Matt on Instagram Subscribe to the SIMPLE brand newsletter Subscribe to the SIMPLE brand show

In this episode, I sit down with Joe Pine, co-author of the book The Experience Economy and author of The Transformation Economy, to explore why even a great customer experience may no longer be enough.We explore what it means to move from creating experiences to guiding transformations, how to understand your customers' aspirations, and what brands can do to intentionally help customers become who they want to become.What You’ll LearnWhy memorable customer experiences are no longer enough—and what customers increasingly want insteadHow to shift from asking what your customers want to understanding who they want to becomeWhy your customers’ transformation journey is different from the traditional customer journeyWhy transformation requires understanding customers as individuals—and creating experiences around their unique starting points and aspirationsHow “time well invested” creates greater value than simply saving customers time or giving them time well spentHow helping customers, employees, and communities flourish can become a higher purpose for your businessChapters00:00 Introduction to the Transformation Economy03:16 27 Years of The Experience Economy05:48 Today Customers Want a Transformative Experiences11:15 What Customers Are Looking For in Transformative Experiences16:52 You Need to Understand Individuals to Give a Personalized Experience22:46 The Influence of Time in Transformative Customer Experiences25:32 Designing Your Customer Experience As Time Well Invested28:32 How to Help Your Customers Flourish31:59 Convincing Your C-Suite to Buy Into Helping Customers Flourish34:49 How to Help Your Employees to Flourish37:02 Joe's 5-Song PlaylistAbout Joe PineJoe Pine is an internationally acclaimed author, speaker, and advisor who helps businesses design new ways of creating value for their customers. He is the co-author of the groundbreaking book The Experience Economy and author of The Transformation Economy: Guiding Customers to Achieve Their Aspirations.Connect With Joe PineJoe’s Website Joe on LinkedIn Joe’s Book - The Transformation Economy  Connect with Matt LylesCheck Matt's speaking availability Subscribe on YouTube Matt on LinkedIn Matt on Instagram Subscribe to the SIMPLE brand newsletter Subscribe to the SIMPLE brand show

Have you ever wondered why some relationships naturally grow stronger while others slowly drift apart—even when you have the best intentions?Your strongest relationships won't be built through grand gestures. They'll be built through simple, intentional habits.In this episode, I sit down with relationship strategist, keynote speaker, and author of The Relationship Advantage, Barb Betts, to discuss what it really takes to build, strengthen, and nurture meaningful relationships.What You’ll LearnWhy your most important relationship may be the one you neglect the mostWhat self-doubt and imposter syndrome may actually tell youThe three ingredients every meaningful relationship needsWhy knowing a lot of people isn’t the same as making people feel knownA better method than asking for referrals for your businessWhy treating everyone the same is actually harmfulA simple system for keeping your most important relationships from driftingThe five-minute daily habit that will transform your customer, professional, and personal relationshipsChapters0:00 Introduction to Relationships and Their Importance03:14 Are Business Relationships Limited to Sales Relationships?08:30 Your Most Important Relationship14:01 Managing Self-Doubt and Imposter Syndrome17:17 The Right Way to Show Vulnerability in Relationships21:33 The Difference Between Knowing People and Making People Feel Known24:39 The Right Way to Ask For Referrals30:05 A System For Managing Your Relationships35:52 Barb's 5-Song PlaylistAbout Barb BettsBarb Betts is a keynote speaker, CEO, relationship strategist, and author of The Relationship Advantage. For more than 23 years, she has helped leaders, sales professionals, and business owners build stronger customer and professional relationships that drive growth, trust, and long-term success. After building and sustaining a seven-figure business for more than a decade with no ad spend or cold outreach, Barb now teaches strategies for building authentic relationships that fuel both business and life.Connect With Barb BettsBarb’s WebsiteBarb’s Book - The Relationship AdvantageBarb on LinkedIn Barb on YouTube Connect with Matt LylesCheck Matt's speaking availability Subscribe on YouTube Matt on LinkedIn Matt on Instagram Subscribe to the SIMPLE brand newsletter Subscribe to the SIMPLE brand show

In this episode, I sit down with marketing professor, consultant, and keynote speaker Jim Karrh, author of The Science of Customer Connections: Manage Your Message to Grow Your Business.Together, we explore why so many brands unintentionally confuse customers, why sales teams are often far more confident in what they sell than in how they talk about it, and how clear, customer-focused messaging can transform everyone—from marketing and sales to customer experience and frontline employees—into stronger ambassadors for your brand.What You'll LearnWhy brands with great products still struggle to communicate their value.How your customers compare you on price when your messaging sounds like everyone else's.The three biggest warning signs your messaging isn't working.How to create messaging that's consistent without turning your employees into scripted robots.Why talking about your customer's world is more persuasive than talking about your own.The three components every brand needs to create clear, consistent messaging.How expertise and empathy work together to build trust with customers.Why your employees may be your most overlooked brand messengers.Chapters00:00 Introduction to The Science of Customer Connections03:37 Understanding Messaging Gaps in Organizations04:28 What Holds Brands Back With Their Messaging05:24 The Confidence Gap Every Sales Team Faces10:01 The 3 Big Symptoms of Poor Messaging18:45 The Importance of Consistency and Cohesiveness in Messaging19:52 The 3-Point Strategy for Effective Messaging23:59 How to Ensure Your Message Is Trustworthy29:03 The Role of Messengers in Communication33:23 Using Word of Mouth to Spread Your Message35:50 How AI Can Help or Hinder Our Messaging Efforts39:38 Jim's 5-Song PlaylistAbout Jim KarrhDr. Jim Karrh is a marketing professor at The University of Alabama's Culverhouse College of Business. Roll Tide Roll! He’s also a keynote speaker, consultant, and author of The Science of Customer Connections: Manage Your Message to Grow Your Business. Drawing from experience as a chief marketing officer, researcher, entrepreneur, and consultant, Jim helps B2B sales and marketing teams develop clearer, more customer-focused messaging that drives growth. He also hosts The Manage Your Message Podcast and is a frequent contributor to leading business and marketing publications.Connect with Jim KarrhJim on LinkedIn Jim’s Book - The Science of Customer Connections: Manage Your Message to Grow Your BusinessConnect with Matt LylesCheck Matt's speaking availability Subscribe on YouTube Matt on LinkedIn Matt on Instagram Subscribe to the SIMPLE brand newsletter Subscribe to the SIMPLE brand show