Customer Experience University - Winning Loyalty & Engagement One Customer at a Time
New York Times #1 bestselling author, Joseph Michelli, Ph.D., shares customer experience, leadership, and business insights from Mercedes-Benz, Starbucks, Ritz-Carlton, Zappos, Pike Place Fish, and many more. At The Michelli Experience, we help front-line employees, managers, and senior leaders deliver relevant and engaging service experiences. To that end, we provide keynote and workshop presentations, short-term and extended consulting services, and bestselling books to meet your needs.
New York Times #1 bestselling author, Joseph Michelli, Ph.D., shares customer experience, leadership, and business insights from Mercedes-Benz, Starbucks, Ritz-Carlton, Zappos, Pike Place Fish, and many more. At The Michelli Experience, we help front-line employees, managers, and senior leaders deliver relevant and engaging service experiences. To that end, we provide keynote and workshop presentations, short-term and extended consulting services, and bestselling books to meet your needs.
Episodes

4 days ago
Leading From the Trenches
4 days ago
4 days ago
In a technology-aided world, when you delegate your understanding of the tools, you delegate your ability to innovate. In this episode, we explore the power of the participatory leader. Learn why getting your hands dirty with your own technology and "building in public" is the only way to generate authentic trust and steadiness within your team. Shift from being a distant overseer to a leader who understands the reality of the trenches.
To learn more about my keynote and training services, please contact me at josephmichelli.com/contact.

Thursday May 21, 2026
The Biological Edge
Thursday May 21, 2026
Thursday May 21, 2026
Chronic exhaustion is a liability, not a badge of honor. In this episode, we explore how "regulated leaders" use data to identify stress patterns and protect the integrity of their most important decisions. Discover why managing your own biological edge is essential for maintaining the empathy and clarity required to lead a human-centered brand in 2026.
To learn more about my keynote and training services, please contact me at josephmichelli.com/contact.

Thursday May 14, 2026
The Experience Gap Myth
Thursday May 14, 2026
Thursday May 14, 2026
We are entering a period of capability meritocracy, where the ability to execute in real-time is the most valuable credential a leader can possess. In this episode, we explore how the gap between a great idea and a market-dominating product has closed, and why leaders must shift from valuing "years of service" to valuing real-time results. Discover how to lead for capability by hiring for hustle, prototyping quickly, and acting as a vision-focused architect for your team.
To learn more about my keynote and training services, please contact me at josephmichelli.com/contact.

Thursday May 07, 2026
The Hidden Cost of Friction
Thursday May 07, 2026
Thursday May 07, 2026
Customer effort is the strongest predictor of brand loyalty, but we often look for friction in the wrong places. In this episode, we explore how internal siloes and fragmented tools create "drag" that kills emotional connection. Discover why the most successful leaders in 2026 focus on removing friction for their employees first, knowing it's the only way to deliver a seamless experience to the customer.
To learn more about my keynote and training services, please contact me at josephmichelli.com/contact.

Thursday Apr 30, 2026
The Architecture of Care
Thursday Apr 30, 2026
Thursday Apr 30, 2026
Great service used to mean being fast when a customer reached out; today, it means solving the problem before the customer even knows it exists. In this episode, we explore the concept of "Predictive Care" and the delicate line between being thoughtful and being intrusive. Discover how your Architecture of Care can signal to customers that you are truly looking out for them, while still empowering the critical human override in nuanced moments.
To learn more about my keynote and training services, please contact me at josephmichelli.com/contact.

Thursday Apr 23, 2026
The Privacy Paradox
Thursday Apr 23, 2026
Thursday Apr 23, 2026
Trust is a delicate balance in the technology-aided world. When brands know too much but seem to care too little, a "Trust Gap" emerges. In this episode, we explore the Privacy Paradox: why reliability and predictability are the modern equivalents of looking a customer in the eye. Learn how to use data to be helpful rather than haunting, and why consistency is your most valuable leadership asset in 2026.
To learn more about my keynote and training services, please contact me at josephmichelli.com/contact.

Thursday Apr 16, 2026
The End of the Bot Era
Thursday Apr 16, 2026
Thursday Apr 16, 2026
In this episode, we tackle one of the biggest misconceptions in business today: that AI is here to replace human judgment. We are moving from the "Bot Era" of passive conversation to an "Agentic Era" of autonomous action. While AI contributes speed and scale, humans must bring the interpretation, values, and empathy that machines cannot replicate. Discover why the most successful organizations in 2026 won't be the most automated—they'll be the most augmented.
To learn more about my keynote and training services, please contact me at josephmichelli.com/contact.

Thursday Apr 09, 2026
The Millisecond Brand
Thursday Apr 09, 2026
Thursday Apr 09, 2026
In a technology-aided world, the buyer's journey has compressed into a single moment. Learn how to design for the "Buyer’s Blink" by projecting warmth and competence in the first few milliseconds of any interaction.
To learn more about Joseph's keynote and training services, please contact him at josephmichelli.com/contact.

Thursday Apr 02, 2026
Your CX Differentiator in 2026: Precision AND Warmth
Thursday Apr 02, 2026
Thursday Apr 02, 2026
As we close out the first quarter of 2026, one insight stands out in experience research: customers remain loyal to brands that combine precision with warmth.
Precision—driven by AI—anticipates needs, reduces friction, and ensures accuracy. Warmth—driven by people—builds trust, belonging, and emotional connection. Precision without warmth feels cold; warmth without precision feels inconsistent.
In this episode, we explore how blending both creates experiences that feel effortless and human—the true differentiator for 2026.

Thursday Mar 26, 2026
The Best CX Leaders Are Pattern - Spotters
Thursday Mar 26, 2026
Thursday Mar 26, 2026
High-performing customer experience organizations excel at spotting patterns before they turn into problems. From recurring friction and repeated customer questions to communication gaps and emotional cues of confusion, recognizing these signals is key.
In this episode, we explore how AI can surface what’s happening, while humans provide the context and insight to explain why. Great leaders don’t wait for issues to escalate—they act as soon as patterns become visible, creating smoother, more proactive experiences for their customers. To learn more about Joseph, please contact him at josephmichelli.com/contact.

Retain Customers & Gain Referrals
If you are a customer experience professional, business leader, or entrepreneur with limited time for podcasts, Customer Experience University is for you! These 3 to 5-minute weekly episodes are designed to help you think and act in ways increase customer loyalty and drive word-of-mouth business.

