The Trusted Guide Podcast with Mark Slatin
The Trusted Guide Podcast (formerly The Delighted Customers Podcast) explores what it takes to lead change when you don’t have formal authority. Hosted by Mark Slatin, the show examines how trust, credibility, and relationships determine whether ideas move forward—or quietly stall—in complex organizations. Through conversations with experienced leaders, practitioners, and researchers, each episode offers practical insight on influence, alignment, and leading meaningful change without the power to mandate it.
Episodes
Most change efforts don't fail because of bad strategy. They fail because the people leading them are asking the wrong question.
Seth Godin has written 21 bestselling books. He's built movements, challenged industries, and spent decades studying why some ideas spread and others die quietly in conference rooms.
In this conversation, Seth cuts straight to what most change leaders get wrong — and what to do instead.
You'll walk awa...
What if the real goal of customer experience isn't delivering better experiences at all?
In this episode of The Trusted Guide Podcast, Mark Slatin sits down with Joe Pine, co-author of The Experience Economy and one of the most influential thinkers in customer experience and business strategy.
Joe argues that we're entering the next stage of economic value creation—one where organizations create value not merely through product...
After more than 160 episodes of The Delighted Customers Podcast, this episode marks an intentional shift.Over the past decade, I’ve had the privilege of learning from leading thinkers, practitioners, and authors in customer experience, leadership, and trust. Again and again, a pattern emerged:Even when everyone agrees on what needs to change… nothing changes.In this episode, I explain why I’m evolving the show in...
What if just 40 seconds of genuine compassion could tangibly lower a cancer patient's anxiety—and what if this "wonder drug" holds the key not just for healthcare, but for every leader who wants to create more fulfilling workplaces and customer experiences?
The impact of this question is profound. On this episode of the Delighted Customers podcast, I sat down with Dr. Stephen Trzeciak ("Dr. T"), whose groundbreaking research ...
Is it really possible to build trust with customers in a business landscape overflowing with misinformation and emotional volatility?
That burning question is at the heart of my conversation with Michael Forsberg, Dire...
What if the financial metrics you rely on to measure your company's success are actually steering you away from long-term customer loyalty and sustainable growth?
In our latest episode of the Delighted Customers podcas...
Are you unknowingly sabotaging your own well-being at work—and at home—by trying to fix everyone else's problems?
So many of us find purpose and validation in helping, supporting, and "solving" for others. But what happens when ...
Is it possible to deliver life-changing news—with compassion—without sacrificing precious time or the physician's own well-being?
It's a burning question for healthcare professionals everywhere, and the imp...
What happens to innovation, team dynamics, and trust in organizations when a significant portion of employees are emotionally fragile, risk-averse, and struggle with interpersonal interactions?
In this episode of the D...
What's stopping CX leaders from turning mountains of customer data into executive-ready stories that prompt real change?
In this episode, we dig deep into one of the most urgent—and often overlooked—challen...
What happens when a profession built on human insight faces a tidal wave of change—from evolving business demands to the rise of AI? How do CX leaders stay relevant and drive meaningful results in this new landscape?
This episode digs deep into the shifting world of customer experience (CX) with Greg Melia, CEO of the Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA). I bring Greg back to the show...
What drives customers to cling fiercely to a brand, even when it means paying more or overlooking problems others wouldn't forgive? Is our political identity quietly fueling a new kind of "super loyalty" that's transforming customer behavior, for better or worse?
In this episode of the Delighted Customers podcast, I dive into these burning questions with my returning guest, Dr. Forrest Morgeson, associate ...
What happens when your company's reputation—and your customers' trust—hangs by a thread? Are you ready for a moment when a crisis isn't just possible, but inevitable?
In this episode, I dive deep into one o...
What if the real secret to customer loyalty and transformation isn't just about great ideas, but about how you build consensus within your organization—before you make a single move?
Too often, even the smartest strategies can get derailed by resistance, misalignment, or simple miscommunication inside a company. That's why I was eager to dig into the Japanese concept of "Nemawashi," a systematic appr...
What if the real secret to exceptional leadership isn't control, charisma, or even performance—but generosity? Could the "soft stuff" like listening, empathy, and vulnerability truly drive the hardest results in ...
Is AI-powered personalized pricing the next frontier—or the next fiasco—for customer loyalty and corporate reputation?
That's the burning question I dive into with my guest, Dr. Peter Fader, on this episode of the Delighted Customers podcast. With Delta Air Lines rolling out AI-driven pricing and the world watching closely, the conversation takes a provocative turn: Should the C-suite pursue ev...
What really makes customer service stick—not just as a business function, but as a transformative and human-centered experience—even in an era dominated by AI and automation?
That's the burning question I dig into with my guest ...
Is your business rushing into AI without really understanding how it fits into your strategy—or worse, letting "FOMO" drive your next big tech investment?
On this episode of the Delighted Customers podcast, I challenge leaders to think beyond the hype and get real about the transformational (and sometimes risky) power of AI in delivering great customer experiences. With renowned customer experience innovator Bill Staikos as my...
What makes change so difficult—even for organizations that know change is inevitable and even necessary for growth? If we all agree that staying in our comfort zones holds us back, why do we continue to resist change—and what can leaders do to help teams navigate it better?
In this episode of the Delighted Customers podcast, I sit down with Dennis Geelen, an accomplished author and consultant, to decode the human side o...
Is your organization fully realizing the value of your contact center, or is it being limited by a narrow focus on efficiency and cost control?
In this episode of the Delighted Customers podcast, I sit down with renowned Canadian contact center consultant and trainer Mike Aoki to examine how contact centers serve as the real-time pulse of customer experience. Together, we explore the evolution of the conta...
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