Welcome to a brand new episode of CX Leadership Talks!

What if CX leadership was more about heart than KPIs? In this fresh, feel-good episode, your host Nienke Bloem CCXP explores what happens when we swap frameworks and dashboards for belief, curiosity and connection, inspired by none other than Ted Lasso.

From her sunny spot in the south of France, Nienke shares how a cheerful TV coach can teach us five timeless lessons about leadership, culture and courage. Because let’s be honest, too many CX leaders focus on metrics when what really moves people is meaning.

In this episode of CX Leadership Talks, Nienke breaks down five Ted Lasso leadership lessons that every CX leader can use to bring more heart into their work:

1. Be a goldfish, let go faster and lead lighter.
2. Believe in your team, courage grows from trust.
3. Be curious, not judgmental, curiosity opens doors.
4. Find your biscuits, build connection through consistency and care.
5. Laugh at yourself, authenticity beats perfection every time.

This episode is about leading with heart, humour and humanity. Nienke invites you to bring a little more Lasso energy into your CX leadership, to believe before you measure, to connect before you control, and to make customer experience work with joy.

🎧 Listen now and discover which of the five Ted Lasso lessons will spice up your leadership next.

Timestamped overview:

00:00 Ted Lasso leadership insights 05:42 Customer Experience lessons from Ted 08:13 Be a goldfish 11:34 Believe in your team 14:30 Be curious, not judgmental 18:05 Building loyalty through gestures 20:54 Learn from mistakes 23:39 Building Customer-Centric leadership

About Nienke:

Nienke Bloem is often called the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress.

She's a global CX thought leader, educator and a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She leads a speaking practice, a CX game company and a training business; she breathes Customer Experiences and is author of two CX books.

Her two-day Customer Experience Masterclass is known as the best program to prepare for your CCXP and she is the go-to person for CX leaders who want to advance their leadership and bring direct results from their Customer Experience transformation programs. Since 2020, she hosts a CX Leadership Masterminds program and helps leaders spice up their leadership and deliver an engaging CX Story including a solid CX Strategy. Besides, she is a modern-day pilgrim and found the parallel with leading customer centric transformations.

With her over 20 years of corporate experience, she speaks the business language. Her keynotes and education programs in Customer Experience are inspiring and hands-on. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. Subscribe to her weekly CX Greetz to stay tuned.

Welcome to a brand new episode of CX Leadership Talks!

Too many CX leaders are hired to create change… yet end up playing it safe. Organizations reward dashboards, quick wins, and staying in the background. But as your host: Nienke Bloem reminds her listeners, CX is not about management, it is about leadership.

In this episode of CX Leadership Talks, Nienke shares the five areas where CX leaders play it too safe, and the bold leadership shifts they need to make instead. She explains how leaders can move from being reporters to becoming strategic business partners, from project explainers to storytellers with one strong CX narrative, from short-term fixers to transformational leaders, from the soft zone to technology-driven impact, and from being invisible to becoming visible strategic connectors.

This episode is about stepping out of the slippers of the expert or manager and into the shoes of a true CX leader. Nienke invites her audience to spice up their leadership, follow their joy, and ride the wave of awesomeness.

In this episode you will learn:

• Why playing it safe is the biggest trap for CX leaders

• The 5 safe zones that keep leaders small

• What it looks like to shift from management to true leadership

• Why joy, courage and visibility matter more than ever

Nienke makes it clear: CX is too important to play it safe. It is time to stop limiting yourself, step into your leadership shoes, and lead like you mean it.

🎧 Listen now and discover which of the five areas resonates most with you.

Timestamped overview: 00:00 CX Leadership podcast challenges 05:06 Step out of safe leadership 08:40 From reporter to strategic partner 12:41 From projects to transformation 14:05 Tech-driven impact with AI & data 18:02 Becoming a strategic connector 21:18 Join secret email list

About Nienke:

Nienke Bloem is often called the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress.

She's a global CX thought leader, educator and a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She leads a speaking practice, a CX game company and a training business; she breathes Customer Experiences and is author of two CX books.

Her two-day Customer Experience Masterclass is known as the best program to prepare for your CCXP and she is the go-to person for CX leaders who want to advance their leadership and bring direct results from their Customer Experience transformation programs. Since 2020, she hosts a CX Leadership Masterminds program and helps leaders spice up their leadership and deliver an engaging CX Story including a solid CX Strategy. Besides, she is a modern-day pilgrim and found the parallel with leading customer centric transformations.

With her over 20 years of corporate experience, she speaks the business language. Her keynotes and education programs in Customer Experience are inspiring and hands-on. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. Subscribe to her weekly CX Greetz to stay tuned.

In this episode of CX Leadership Talks, Nienke Bloem CCXP MBA explores the fascinating concept of thin slicing, the psychological phenomenon that shows how just a few seconds of behavior can reveal the bigger truth.

From leaders canceling contact center visits to technicians arriving late, from the reviews customers leave online to the culture that lives inside organizations, thin slices are everywhere. And they matter.

Drawing on research by Nalini Ambady, Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink, and her own stories from corporate life, Nienke shows how thin slicing can be used in two powerful ways:

1. Driving culture change and leadership interventions, making behavior visible and discussable.
2. Understanding customer feedback and VOC data, treating reviews and complaints as slices of the bigger customer experience.

You’ll learn:

• Why behavior is the real evidence of your strategy.
• How small slices of action build or break trust.
• Practical tips for using thin slicing as a CX leader.

Because in the end, behavior is the evidence. Every thin slice reveals what’s really important, far louder than any strategy document or polished story.

🎧 Tune in for stories, science, and practical actions you can take to grow your CX leadership.

Timestamped overview:

00:00 Thin slicing and tech issues

05:51 Accuracy of thin-slice judgments

09:25 Unseen importance: Plankton effect

11:38 Thin slicing: Judging whole from parts

13:50 Customers are evaluating companies

18:24 Aligning internal culture with CX

21:02 Leadership by example in CX

25:13 Cultural reflection in Customer feedback

27:06 Distrust and control realization

31:03 Strategy webinar dates correction

Free learning opportunity: Join one of Nienke’s upcoming Strategy on a Page webinars:

• English: Friday, October 3 at 10:00 AM (Amsterdam time)
• Dutch: Monday, October 6 at 12:00 noon (Amsterdam time)

Both sessions will be recorded, but attending live gives you the chance to ask your own questions and interact. Plus, if you attend live, you’ll get a practical AI prompt so you can start building your SOAP right away.

Register here

About Nienke:

Nienke Bloem is often called the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress.

She's a global CX thought leader, educator and a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She leads a speaking practice, a CX game company and a training business; she breathes Customer Experiences and is author of two CX books.

Her two-day Customer Experience Masterclass is known as the best program to prepare for your CCXP and she is the go-to person for CX leaders who want to advance their leadership and bring direct results from their Customer Experience transformation programs. Since 2020, she hosts a CX Leadership Masterminds program and helps leaders spice up their leadership and deliver an engaging CX Story including a solid CX Strategy. Besides, she is a modern-day pilgrim and found the parallel with leading customer centric transformations.

With her over 20 years of corporate experience, she speaks the business language. Her keynotes and education programs in Customer Experience are inspiring and hands-on. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. Subscribe to her weekly CX Greetz to stay tuned.

The future of customer experience isn’t 10 years away, it’s happening right now. In this episode of CX Leadership Talks, your host Nienke Bloem CCXP sits down with Bart Verouden, CCXP, Senior Manager Innovation & Business Development at Accenture, Lean Black Belt, and lifelong learner.

Bart is part of the team behind Accenture Song’s Life Trends Report, a yearly study that combines global research, expert insights, and real human stories. Normally, Nienke is a little skeptical of “trend reports,” but when she first saw Bart present this one, she was blown away. It’s sharp, relevant, and deeply practical for CX leaders.

Together, we dive into the five Life Trends for 2025:

1. The cost of hesitation – how online mistrust is shaping customer behavior
2. The parent trap – why raising kids in a digital world is now a shared responsibility
3. The impatience economy – speed, trust, and the rise of bite-sized influence
4. The dignity of work – why employee experience directly defines customer experience
5. Social media rewilding – finding balance between digital convenience and real-life connection

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why these trends matter for CX leaders right now
• How to recognize them inside your own organization
• Practical examples of companies getting it right (and wrong)
• The simple but powerful role of empathy and trust in staying relevant

If you want to understand how customer expectations are shifting, and what you can do as a leader to prepare, this episode is for you.

Timestamped overview:

00:00 Future of CX & Employee Experience 06:04 Career journey in Customer Experience 07:43 Dutch CX professional collaboration 12:57 Online hesitation due to misinformation 17:04 Ecosystem collaboration for digital trust 17:41 Dutch lab cyber hack exposes data 23:27 Limited access for young users 24:08 Gaming ethics vs. Functionality 30:24 Importance of speed in service delivery 34:16 Restaurant choice and experience 35:44 Empowering employee autonomy 39:50 Blending digital and in-store experiences 42:50 Building a chatbot: A personal journey 44:25 DIY multilingual chatbot success 47:57 Global trends insights

Extra information: 

Connect with Bart on LinkedIn You can find the five life trends of Accenture Song here. Book recommendation: Beyond Employee Engagement by Kristina G. Vaneva

About Nienke: 

Nienke Bloem is often called the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress.  

She's a global CX thought leader, educator and a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She leads a speaking practice, a CX game company and a training business; she breathes Customer Experiences and is author of two CX books. 

Her two-day Customer Experience Masterclass is known as the best program to prepare for your CCXP and she is the go-to person for CX leaders who want to advance their leadership and bring direct results from their Customer Experience transformation programs. Since 2020, she hosts a CX Leadership Masterminds program and helps leaders spice up their leadership and deliver an engaging CX Story including a solid CX Strategy. Besides, she is a modern-day pilgrim and found the parallel with leading customer centric transformations.  

With her over 20 years of corporate experience, she speaks the business language. Her keynotes and education programs in Customer Experience are inspiring and hands-on. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. Subscribe to her weekly CX Greetz to stay tuned.

Too many CX strategies are either far too complex… or don’t exist at all. That’s why in this episode, your host Nienke Bloem, CX educator and speaker, takes you on a journey into one of the most powerful tools you can have as a CX leader: your Strategy on a Page (SOAP).

Your Strategy on a Page is the bridge between vision and execution. Without it, your CX story risks staying a dream. With it, you have a clear, shareable, actionable plan that guides your team and inspires your organization.

In this episode, you’ll learn: ✅ Why SOAP is the third essential element of your CX Story. ✅ The 5 research-backed advantages of having a one-page strategy. ✅ Real examples of SOAP setups, from 2 pillars to 5 must-win battles. ✅ 10 possible elements you can include in your own SOAP. ✅ A challenge: how to make sure your strategy drives direct customer impact, not just internal alignment.

You’ll also hear stories from Nienke’s own leadership journey and client cases that bring SOAP to life, plus practical tips to make your strategy visual, memorable, and usable every single day.

Timestamped overview: 00:00 Podcast introduction 05:05 Webinar announcement 09:39 Executive strategy and CX alignment 13:19 Strategic execution through visual simplicity 16:02 Clarity drives action 20:04 DIY CX Story framework 22:36 Building customer-centric mindsets 27:20 Strategic vision through self-thinking 30:17 Visualize your strategic path 31:20 Strategy as bridge to success Free learning opportunity: Want to create your own Strategy on a Page? Join one of Nienke’s upcoming Strategy on a Page webinars:

• English: Friday, October 3 at 10:00 AM (Amsterdam time)
• Dutch: Monday, October 6 at 12:00 noon (Amsterdam time)

Both sessions will be recorded, but attending live gives you the chance to ask your own questions and interact. Plus, if you attend live, you’ll get a practical AI prompt so you can start building your SOAP right away.

👉 Register here

About Nienke: 

Nienke Bloem is often called the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress.  

She's a global CX thought leader, educator and a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She leads a speaking practice, a CX game company and a training business; she breathes Customer Experiences and is author of two CX books. 

Her two-day Customer Experience Masterclass is known as the best program to prepare for your CCXP and she is the go-to person for CX leaders who want to advance their leadership and bring direct results from their Customer Experience transformation programs. Since 2020, she hosts a CX Leadership Masterminds program and helps leaders spice up their leadership and deliver an engaging CX Story including a solid CX Strategy. Besides, she is a modern-day pilgrim and found the parallel with leading customer centric transformations.  

With her over 20 years of corporate experience, she speaks the business language. Her keynotes and education programs in Customer Experience are inspiring and hands-on. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. Subscribe to her weekly CX Greetz to stay tuned.

In this final episode before summer, Nienke shares her Power of ONE, a refreshing take on CX leadership that skips the frameworks and dives into behavior, trust, and real connection.

You’ll get:

• 3 CX micro-missions
• 9 practical actions (yes, totally doable!)
• A summer challenge: pick one each week and go for it

Backed by insights from Harvard Business on how trust is built through small, authentic actions, this episode is a must-listen for CX leaders who want to lead with heart and make real impact through the little things.

No budget required. No approval needed. Just action.

Whether you’re still working or already easing into the holiday spirit, this episode will inspire you to keep CX human, purposeful, and powerful - one small step at a time.

Listen now and start your summer ripple.

Time-stamped overview:

00:00 Summer CX Leadership episode 05:34 Engage one customer directly 08:15 Encouraging recognition and openness 10:48 Start meetings with Customer stories 13:43 Micro actions: Power of one

Mentioned in this episode:

• Harvard Business Insight: Good Leadership Starts with Trust

About Nienke 

Nienke Bloem is often called the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress.    

She's a global CX thought leader, educator and a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She leads a speaking practice, a CX game company and a training business; she breathes Customer Experiences and is author of two CX books.   

Her two-day Customer Experience Masterclass is known as the best program to prepare for your CCXP and she is the go-to person for CX leaders who want to advance their leadership and bring direct results from their Customer Experience transformation programs. Since 2020, she hosts a CX Leadership Masterminds program and helps leaders spice up their leadership and deliver an engaging CX Story including a solid CX Strategy. Besides, she is a modern-day pilgrim and found the parallel with leading customer centric transformations.    

With her over 20 years of corporate experience, she speaks the business language. Her keynotes and education programs in Customer Experience are inspiring and hands-on. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. Subscribe to her weekly CX Greetz to stay tuned. 

Enjoyed the episode? 

Leave a quick rating or review in your favorite podcast app and share this episode with a fellow CX leader who’s ready to spice up their influence! 

Nienke will be back with fresh CX energy on Monday, August 25. Until then, keep it simple, keep it human, and start small.

This episode is in Dutch 🇳🇱

Hey there! Normally, this podcast is in English – but for this special episode, we’re switching to Dutch. Why? Because the conversation needed to be raw, real and relevant for the Dutch-speaking women in CX and customer service leadership roles. Of course I am helping you out, this is the link to a blog with the insights in English

In deze aflevering spreek ik met Elisa de Groot, expert op het gebied van vrouwelijk leiderschap en mede-oprichter van InTouch Female Leadership & Career Academy. Samen duiken we in een onderwerp dat zó belangrijk is: hoe speel je als vrouw het spel in organisaties slim? Zodat je meer invloed hebt, meer plezier ervaart én de erkenning krijgt die je verdient.

We hebben het over:

• de ongeschreven spelregels in organisaties
• hoe je je ambitie uitspreekt zonder arrogant over te komen
• wat je kunt doen als je collega wél promotie maakt en jij niet
• én waarom het tijd is voor jouw Tadaaa-schrift

En natuurlijk hoor je alles over de bijzondere masterclass Stratego voor Vrouwen, die we samen organiseren op 18 november. Dit is hét programma voor vrouwelijke CX- en serviceleiders die strategischer willen leren handelen – op een manier die bij ze past.

🎧 Dus: zet je koptelefoon op, laat je inspireren en ontdek hoe jij je eigen spel slimmer kunt gaan spelen.

Tijdlijnoverzicht:

[00:00:00] – Welkom & introductie [00:00:42] – Opmerking voor de Engelse luisteraar [00:03:06] – Start van het gesprek met Elisa [00:03:26] – Achtergrond van Elisa [00:05:15] – Betrokkenheid bij diversiteit & masterclasses [00:06:42] – Vrouwen in CX [00:07:41] – Frustraties en uitdagingen [00:10:35] – Het masculiene spel [00:11:30] – Het spel veranderen [00:13:15] – De behoefte aan authenticiteit [00:13:56] – Slimmer werken, niet harder [00:16:25] – Problemen in het vakgebied aanpakken [00:19:22] – Persoonlijke verhalen en inzichten [00:20:42] – Purpose-driven CX [00:27:56] – Leiderschapsmodellen in CX [00:29:27] – Masculiene en feminiene leiderschapsstijlen [00:31:19] – Vaardigheden en denkwijzen [00:35:02] – Empowerment en potentieel [00:35:45] – Persoonlijk succesverhaal (Elisa) [00:38:51] – Klassieke fouten en groei [00:40:02] – Imposter syndroom in CX [00:43:24] – Zelfacceptatie en authenticiteit [00:45:15] – Inclusieve blik [00:46:40] – Afsluiting

Bronnen & links:

Stratego voor CX Vrouwen

Linkedin Elisa de Groot

Boekentip: Jacinda Ardern, de Nieuwe Macht

Over Nienke:

Nienke Bloem wordt vaak de Customer Experience spreker in de blauwe jurk genoemd. Ze is een wereldwijde CX thought leader, opleider en keynote spreker die haar publiek inspireert met best practices en bewezen methode; Customer Experience is haar tweede natuur. Ze schreef twee boeken over het vak.

Haar tweedaagse Customer Experience Masterclass staat bekend als hét programma om je voor te bereiden op je CCXP-certificering. Ze is dé expert waar CX-leiders naartoe gaan als ze hun leiderschap willen versterken en concrete resultaten willen behalen met hun Customer Experience-transformatie. Sinds 2020 host ze het CX Leadership Masterminds-programma, waarin ze leiders helpt hun leiderschap te verrijken en een boeiend CX-verhaal neer te zetten, inclusief een sterke CX-strategie.

Met meer dan twintig jaar ervaring in het bedrijfsleven spreekt ze de taal van de organisatie. Haar keynotes en CX-opleidingen zijn inspirerend én praktisch toepasbaar. Ze is een van de weinige Recognized Training Partners van de CXPA en haar missie is helder: Customer Experience laten werken en helpen bij het behalen van concrete bedrijfsresultaten. Abonneer je op haar wekelijkse CX Greetz om up-to-date te blijven.

Vond je deze aflevering waardevol? Laat een korte review of beoordeling achter in je favoriete podcast-app en deel de aflevering met een CX-leider die zijn of haar invloed een flinke boost wil geven!

Ever felt your brilliant CX roadmap hit a brick wall of internal resistance? In this solo episode, your host Nienke Bloem reveals why influence inside your organization depends on two human signals - warmth and competence - and how you can dial up both to become the Lovable Star colleagues trust and senior leaders follow.

Inspired by a mountain-top holiday encounter with a servant-hearted hotel owner and a candid leadership lesson from HEMA CEO Saskia Egas Reparaz, Nienke distills the science into 9 practical tips (3 for warmth, 3 for competence, 3 for everyone).

In this episode you’ll learn:

• Why warmth beats raw skill as the first gateway to trust - and how the warmth/ competence matrix works (Fiske & Cuddy)

• The four leadership quadrants and the trap of being a “Competent Jerk”

• How a sommelier-turned-hotel-owner models visible, servant leadership - plus a real-world boardroom example from the CEO of HEMA

• 3 ways to ramp up warmth when you’re seen as distant

• 3 ways to boost competence when you’re liked but not taken seriously

• 3 universal moves every CX leader can start this week to spice up influence across silos

• A simple self-audit to locate yourself on the matrix and pick the right next habit

Time-stamped overview

[00:00:00] - [00:01:32] Introduction: Why warmth beats competence

[00:01:32] - [00:02:54] About the podcast & host

[00:02:54] - [00:05:11] The science of warmth and competence

[00:05:11] - [00:07:30] The warmth & competence model

[00:07:30] - [00:09:34] Four leadership quadrants

[00:09:34] - [00:11:47] Why the Matrix matters for CX leaders

[00:11:47] - [00:14:32] Real-world example: The Dolomite hotel

[00:14:32] - [00:15:56] Leadership reflection & practical application

[00:15:56] - [00:19:07] Tips to grow warmth

[00:19:07] - [00:24:43] Learning from warm leaders: Hema’s CEO

[00:24:43] - [00:28:23] Tips to grow competence

[00:28:23] - [00:29:50] Recap of action steps

[00:29:50] - [00:31:19] Three universal tips for all leaders

[00:31:19] - [00:32:48] Conclusion & invitation

[00:32:48] - End credits

Resources & links

• Warmth–Competence research: Fiske, Cuddy, & Glick (2007); Cuddy, Kohut & Neffinger (2013)

• Nienke wrote a blog about this topic with an interesting model, you can read it here.

About Nienke

Nienke Bloem is often called the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress.   

She's a global CX thought leader, educator and a global keynote speaker who inspires audiences with best practices and proven methodologies. She leads a speaking practice, a CX game company and a training business; she breathes Customer Experiences and is author of two CX books.  

Her two-day Customer Experience Masterclass is known as the best program to prepare for your CCXP and she is the go-to person for CX leaders who want to advance their leadership and bring direct results from their Customer Experience transformation programs. Since 2020, she hosts a CX Leadership Masterminds program and helps leaders spice up their leadership and deliver an engaging CX Story including a solid CX Strategy. Besides, she is a modern-day pilgrim and found the parallel with leading customer centric transformations.   

With her over 20 years of corporate experience, she speaks the business language. Her keynotes and education programs in Customer Experience are inspiring and hands-on. She is one of the few Recognized Training Partners of the CXPA and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. Subscribe to her weekly CX Greetz to stay tuned.

Enjoyed the episode?

Leave a quick rating or review in your favorite podcast app and share this episode with a fellow CX leader who’s ready to spice up their influence!