“Don’t fake it ‘til you make it. Work it ‘til you make it.”

We close our Global Xperience Women’s Month series with Katalina Dawson, EVP at Branding Arc and Board Member of Women of Debt Relief.

Her journey reflects modern leadership - adaptive, resilient, and built on real experience.

In this episode:
• How she addressed bias early in her career and established credibility
• A failed project that built lasting confidence
• The role of mentorship in accelerating growth
• How Women of Debt Relief is creating industry support networks

Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction
0:32 - From entertainment to executive leadership
2:30 - Working in male-dominated environments
3:13 - Challenging assumptions
6:03 - Mentorship that drives growth
9:14 - Women of Debt Relief
11:15 - Learning through failure
14:35 - Why “fake it ‘til you make it” doesn’t work

“Comparison is the thief of joy. Benchmark yourself against your own goals.”

This week, we sit down with Rebecca Howat, Chief Operating Officer at Charles Tyrwhitt, on what it looks like to grow beyond your job title, and why the next step often comes before you feel fully prepared.

In this episode:

• The “100% vs 60%” application insight, and what it means in real life

• Why Rebecca took on Warehouse Operations with zero prior experience

• How her leadership style evolved into building collective team success

• The importance of non-negotiables, and the confidence to say “no”

Upcoming episodes:

Subscribe and turn on notifications to catch Part 4 next week.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

0:50 12-year journey: Merchandising to COO

2:30 Moving into Warehousing

4:47 Asking questions as a growth strategy

6:51 The confidence gap: 100% vs 60%

8:31 Leadership evolution

10:04 The power of “no”

11:27 Commercial outcomes with a people-first culture

14:38 Advice for young women

In Part 2 of our Global Xperience Women’s Month series, we speak with Heather Shoemaker, CEO and Founder of Language.io.

Heather shares insights from more than twenty years in technology and entrepreneurship. She discusses the moment every founder eventually faces: deciding whether to remain fully independent or raise capital to accelerate growth.

Her experience highlights the leadership challenges behind scaling a company while maintaining purpose, values, and personal resilience.

In this episode:
• Why Heather left corporate technology to build her own company
• The decision between organic growth and venture capital
• Maintaining leadership agency under pressure
• The realities of leading a company while raising a family

Subscribe to follow the full Women’s Month series. New episodes are released each week.

Summary:

In this conversation, Wanda Mills shares her inspiring journey from a chat agent to a senior director, emphasizing the importance of knowledge, confidence, and mentorship in achieving career success. She reflects on her evolving leadership style, the significance of community, and her desire to empower the next generation of women in the workforce.

Key Takeaways:

• Wanda's journey began as a chat agent and evolved into senior leadership roles.
• Knowledge is a key driver of confidence and career advancement.
• Mentorship from women has been crucial in Wanda's career.
• Leadership styles can evolve significantly over time.
• Building a supportive community is essential for success.
• Wanda emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and upskilling.
• Women today face fewer barriers than in the past.
• It's important to invest time in young talent eager to learn.
• Wanda encourages young women to seek advice and be curious.
• The community around you should evolve as you grow.

Chapters:

• 00:00 Celebrating Women's Leadership
• 06:00 The Journey to Leadership
• 11:59 Evolving Leadership Styles
• 15:58 Empowering the Next Generation

Summary:

In this episode of The Global Xperience, Bryce Cressy sits down with Mikkel Andreassen, Director of Solutions & CX Advisory at Dixa, to explore the shift from ticket-based customer service to conversation-led, relationship-driven CX. Mikkel shares his journey from agent to BPO leader to software provider, and how that “other side of the fence” perspective reshaped his understanding of service technology.

The conversation dives into Dixa's philosophy of “customer friendship” — building platforms around the user, not the ticket ID — and why omnichannel context is critical to loyalty and CSAT. They unpack the architectural differences between legacy systems and user-centric design, the growing role of agentic AI in workflow orchestration, and why customer service still struggles to prove ROI compared to marketing.

Using examples like Charles Tyrwhitt, they explore what premium service at scale really requires: context, orchestration, and AI working in the engine room — not just deflecting simple queries. The episode closes with reflections on retention vs acquisition, frontline data as a strategic asset, and what it truly takes to move service from cost center to retention engine.

00:00 AI focus in the engine room: where Dixa is investing
00:22 Welcome & episode framing
01:23 Mikkel’s background: from agent to CX advisory
02:30 Switching from operator to software provider
04:20 BPO perspective & understanding tech friction
05:20 Dixa origin & “customer friendship” philosophy
07:01 Ticket ID vs user ID: architectural differences
09:33 Relationship-driven service & scaling context
11:47 The three data pillars agents need (channel, purchase, knowledge)
12:51 Omnichannel frustration & repetition killing CSAT
14:24 Retention vs acquisition: reality vs theory
16:16 Can service become a revenue center?
18:37 Unlocking product feedback & frontline data
20:38 What makes Dixa “agentic”
23:06 AI focus: workflows, insights & orchestration
23:48 Charles Tyrwhitt case & premium CX alignment
26:01 CSAT lift through contextual enablement
28:06 Rapid-fire with Mikkel (NFL, Sherlock, role model)
30:00 Innovation Lab & why Dixa needs to be experienced
31:39 Confidence in platform differentiation
32:08 Closing reflections & partnership outlook

Links:
LinkedIn (Mikkel Andreasen): https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikkel-andreassen-4603b74a/
Dixa: https://www.dixa.com/

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Episode Summary:
In this episode, we chat with Dan Gingiss, a customer experience expert and keynote speaker, about the pivotal role of social media in customer service. Dan shares his journey from corporate America to becoming a thought leader in customer experience, emphasizing the importance of engaging with customers on social media platforms. We delve into the value of creating memorable "wow" moments versus maintaining consistent service, and Dan provides actionable insights for brands to improve their customer interactions. Additionally, Dan shares some personal anecdotes, including his surprising stint as a singer at major league baseball games and his connection to famous 80s movies.

Key Highlights:

1. The Evolution of Social Media in Customer Service: Dan discusses how social media has transformed customer service by giving customers a powerful voice and brands a direct channel for engagement.
2. Importance of Omnichannel Approach: The need for brands to be present on various social media platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger to meet customers where they are.
3. Creating 'Wow' Moments: Balancing between consistently good service and delivering unexpected, memorable experiences that turn customers into advocates.
4. Fixing Pain Points: The significance of addressing common customer complaints and issues to improve overall satisfaction, as exemplified by Dan's experience at Discover.
5. Inspiration Beyond Industry: Encouraging brands to look outside their industry for innovative ideas to enhance their customer experience.
6. Personal Touch: Dan’s unique tactic of singing during his keynotes engages and surprises his audience, demonstrating the power of unexpected positive experiences.
7. South African Trivia: See how well Dan knows South Africa.

Extra links or connect with guests:

• Website: https://dangingiss.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dangingiss/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dgingiss?igsh=cXZrbzJ6cWszbjZy

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Summary:

In this episode, we sit down with Jeff Janzen, VP of Strategic Growth & Partnerships at Laivly, to get past the keynote glitter and into the messy reality of AI in the contact center. Jeff traces Laivly’s evolution from an internal BPO tech team to a standalone platform and explains why the post-GPT era flipped the script from “Do we need AI?” to “Which AI actually works?” We dig into AI-washing, how to vet vendors, and why adoption—not algorithms—is the real bottleneck. Jeff shares how Laivly’s desktop overlay (“Sidd”) avoids heavy integrations, speeds time-to-floor, and frees agents to focus on customers—lifting CSAT, FCR, and cutting handle time. We talk playbooks, leadership buy-in, training for tenure, and the danger of over-planning instead of launching and iterating. The conversation wraps with pragmatic advice on buying AI: get strategic, start small, and prioritize operationalization.

00:00 Why AI isn’t a hard sell anymore
01:13 Welcome & episode framing
02:31 Laivly origin: from BPO team to platform
05:39 The GPT moment & market shift
08:01 AI-washing and how to vet vendors
10:17 Many pilots, few wins—what’s going wrong
11:26 Implementation fears, security, and integration-light deployment
15:32 Adoption phases & top-down leadership buy-in
18:37 Do agents really benefit? Metrics and realities
22:27 Pilot results: AHT down, CSAT/FCR up; agent sentiment
23:23 “Sidd” gets personified: training anecdotes
24:15 Tuning for tenure: Sidd Studio & configurable guidance
27:03 Rapid-fire with Jeff (superpower, snacks, theme song)
29:26 What Laivly wants agents to feel
30:00 Buying AI: common mistakes (strategy vs. over-planning)
32:57 Start now, iterate: avoiding 12–18 month paralysis
34:04 Overlay advantage across mixed CRMs/CCaaS
35:58 Partnership notes & gratitude
36:04 Conclusion and key takeaways

Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffjanzen/
Website: https://www.laivly.com/

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Episode Summary:
In this episode, we welcome Dennis Wakabayashi, a renowned customer experience journalist, MC, keynote speaker, consultant, and podcast host. Join us as we dive into an insightful conversation about the world of customer experience (CX), Dennis' journey in the field, and his unique perspectives gained from global experiences.

Key Highlights:

1. Introduction to Dennis Wakabayashi: Dennis shares his background, including his roles as a customer experience consultant and podcast host of 'CX in the Wild' and 'The CX Tea Show'.
2. Dennis' Journey to CX: Discover how Dennis' early life experiences shaped his interest in customer experience and human interactions in business.
3. Insights on South African Call Centers: Dennis discusses his views on the unique aspects of call centers in South Africa, emphasizing their empathy, resilience, and impact on the global economy.
4. Gratitude and Ubuntu in CX: Explore how gratitude and the concept of Ubuntu play a crucial role in the effectiveness of South African call center agents.
5. CX Predictions for 2024: Dennis shares his predictions for the future of CX, including the standardization of CX business practices and certifications.
6. Dennis' Podcasts: Learn about the spontaneous and unscripted nature of 'CX in the Wild' and the innovative approach of 'The CX Tea Show'.
7. Trivia and Fun Facts: Dennis participates in a South African trivia quiz and shares interesting facts about his birthplace - Denver, Colorado.

Connect with Dennis:

· LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/denniswakabayashi

· YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cxcreator

· Website: denniswakabayashi.com

· Instagram: instagram.com/whatisdennisdoing

· Twitter: twitter.com/cxcreator