In this episode, Dr. Sharon Spano speaks with entrepreneur and experience strategist Vinay Raval, who walked away from corporate life to answer a deceptively simple question: How do businesses grow by inspiring happiness in their customers? His journey led him across continents, from mountain markets to high-touch tourism in Peru, culminating in the development of his customer-first philosophy called “Bring the Extra.”
Vinay dives deep into the human side of business, explaining how emotion—not just logic—drives customer loyalty, brand power, and employee retention. He also shares practical steps for making customer-centric strategy a tangible, impactful part of everyday operations.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- Why customer connection is no longer optional—it’s your differentiator.
- How Vinay’s global journey shaped his “Bring the Extra” philosophy.
- What it takes to create sensory, emotional, and lasting customer experiences.
- The real definition of “inspiring happiness” (Hint: It’s not fluff).
- How customer emotions differ by culture and context, and why that matters.
- What brand essence is and how to embed it into every touchpoint.
- Why tactics (not just strategy) drive real customer loyalty.
- How small businesses can thrive in a post-COVID world with human-centric service.
- Why employee experience matters just as much as customer experience.
- Simple ways to improve your tech, digital presence, and in-person service to reduce friction.
Transcript: Here
Connect with Vinay Raval:
LinkedIn: Vinay Raval – Growth Walla
Website: Vinay Raval
Sharon Spano:
Website: sharonspano.com
Facebook: facebook.com/SharonSpanoPHD
Instagram: instagram.com/drsharonspano/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sharonspano/
Book: thetimemoneybook.com
Contact: sharon@sharonspano.com
Substack: substack.com/@drsharon
The Other Side of Potential Podcast: sharonspano.com/podcast/
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.