Converge Coffee

Learn from Experts Like They Were Right Across a Coffee Table

About the show

Converge Coffee connects you with business experts who have succeeded by constantly pivoting and staying motivated from lessons they learned. You get each speaker's actionable insights and feel their passion like you were sitting right across the coffee table.

This podcast is about building a strong customer experience (CX) community. Each episode will be packed with information at your fingertips. Think of this podcast as talking to the speaker right across the table and walk away with content to actually use. No more list posts because most people struggle with implementation. This is about proving CX through small, simple actionable ideas that make huge impacts.

We dive deeper in the 4 marketing success cores to achieve and prove customer experience: Messaging, Design, Tech, and Experience. These 4 essentials don't only apply to marketing. Guests have marketing, sales, customer service, recruiting, and product development backgrounds. Today, each business operation grows either through customers or employees converging back to those 4 success cores.

Episodes

  • Poster Image

    Episode 143: How to Bridge the Sophistication Gap in Marketing to Create Better Customer Experiences and Achieve Revenue Growth

    September 8th, 2023  |  Season 6  |  24 mins 36 secs
    customer experience, marketing, shake marketing group, sophistication gap, stacey danheiser

    In this episode, Sean sits down with Stacey Danheiser, founder of Shake Marketing Group. They dive into why Stacey started Shake Marketing Group. They go deeper into her marketing experience in B2B and B2C and how to bridge the sophistication. Stacey gives some great insights on moving from being a marketing specialist to leader - know 3 things, your role, customer, and company. Her tone gives off an astute knowledge on creating great marketing to enhance customer experiences. Stacey gets deep on her love of writing, yoga, and cooking.
    More About Stacey. https://www.linkedin.com/in/staceydanheiser/

  • Poster Image

    Episode 142: How Building Journey Orchestrations Creates Better Customer Experiences

    August 18th, 2023  |  Season 6  |  25 mins 7 secs
    annette franz, customer experience, cx, cx journey

    In this episode, Sean sits down with Annette Franz, founder and CEO of CX Journey Inc. They dive into why Annette started CX Journey and her +30 years of CX experience. They go deeper into her thoughts on customer expansion and retention. Annette gives some great insights on journey orchestration and how marketers can leverage this. Her tone gives off a jovial, astute knowledge on creating great customer experiences. Annette gets deep on why loves routines, her 90s bodybuilding days, any why/how she gets out of the office to recharge.
    More About Annette. https://www.linkedin.com/in/annette-franz/

  • Poster Image

    Episode 141: How Effective Thought Leadership Creates Better Content and Deeper Customer Experiences

    August 4th, 2023  |  Season 6  |  26 mins 30 secs
    ashley faus, atlassian, customer experience, marketing, product marketing, thought leadership

    In this episode, Sean sits down with Ashley Faus, marketer, writer, and speaker by day, and a singer, actor, and fitness fiend by night. Oh, she is also the director of integrated product marketing at Atlassian. They dive into why Ashley is so passionate about the four pillars of thought leadership (credibility, profile, prolific, and depth of ideas). They go deeper into her thought about why C-suite or founders aren not the best built thought leaders. Ashley gives some great insights and examples of what her team does at Atlassian. Her tone gives off helpful, astute knowledge on creating great customer experiences through leadership. Ashley gets deep on why loves work integration through her love of theater and fitness in he work.
    More About Ashley. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyfaus/

  • Poster Image

    Episode 140: Why Taking a Buyer's Journey Perspective Enhances Customer Experiences and Decreases Churn

    June 16th, 2023  |  Season 6  |  21 mins 12 secs
    buyers journey, customer experience, cx, farzad rashidi, product led, respona, revenue, visme

    In this episode, Sean sits down with Farzad Rashidi, lead innovator at Respona, the link-building outreach platform that helps businesses increase their organic traffic from Google. They dive into why Farzad started Respona from his work at Visma. They go deeper into his process to build an in house software. Farzad gives some great insights on how to develop great customer experiences from understanding your buyer's journey. His constant approach to test and reiterate helped Respona figure out effective product led motions and adoptions. His tone gives off a helpful, fun tone on creating great customer experiences. Farzad gets deep on why he does digital detoxes and hikes to help bring better creativity.
    More About Farzad. https://www.linkedin.com/in/farzadrashidi/

  • Poster Image

    Episode 139: What Can a Bunch of Guys in Togas Teach Us about Leadership

    June 9th, 2023  |  Season 6  |  14 mins 7 secs
    communications, customer experience, cx, leadership, scott monty

    In this episode, Erik Deckers sits down with his friend, Scott Monty, a strategic communications and leadership coach who works with C-suite executives. They discuss the problems leaders are having today, and what they're doing right. They also talk about how Scott's degree in Classics help him train better leaders. And he gives insights on how history has carried the same lessons throughout history to leader after leader.
    More about Scott. https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottmonty/

  • Poster Image

    Episode 138: Why Enabling Your Team to be Subject Matter Experts Creates Great Customer Experiences

    April 28th, 2023  |  Season 6  |  24 mins 41 secs
    customer experience, cx, patti mara, upsolutions

    In this episode, Sean sits down with Patti Mara, author of UpSolutions and business coach. They dive into why Patti wrote UpSolutions and her passion for locally owned businesses. They go deeper into her years of experience. Patti gives some great insights on aspects of great customer experience. Her experience in pharma lays out why customer experience is so vital to company's success. Her tone gives off a helpful, fun tone on creating great customer experiences. Patti gets deep on why she local communities. She even sheds light on how she recoups spending time with her family, friends, and animals (horses).
    More About Patti. https://www.linkedin.com/in/pattimara

  • Poster Image

    Episode 137: Why Influencer Marketing is More than Just Getting Likes and Views

    April 21st, 2023  |  Season 6  |  18 mins 38 secs
    cipio, cipio.ai, cipioai, customer experience, influencer marketing, jason falls, messaging

    In this episode, Erik Deckers sits down with his co-author Jason Falls, Executive Vice President, Marketing at Cipio.ai. They discuss how Jason pivoted from social media marketing to influencer marketing. Jason also explains what's so great about influencers and why they work for big brands and small companies. He also explains how analytics and metrics has transformed influencer marketing. And he gives insights on how companies can best use influencers in their own marketing efforts.
    More about Jason. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonfalls/

  • Poster Image

    Episode 136: How to Remove Bias to get Good, Actionable Customer Experience Data

    April 14th, 2023  |  Season 6  |  22 mins 23 secs
    customer experience, cx, data, evan klein, satrix solutions

    In this episode, Sean sits down with Evan Klein, founder and president of Satrix Solutions. They dive into why Evan started Satrix Solutions and why he was obsessed with customer experience (CX). They go deeper into his years experience facilitating customer expansion and retention. Evan gives some great insights his approach with culture, good data, and acting on feedback. His company's differentiator removes confirmation bias allowing companies capturing reliable data. His tone gives off a helpful, humble tone on creating great customer experiences. Evan gets deep on how was hard wired from birth on his obsession with great CX. He even gives insight on personal view and how he recharges to sustain his CX passion.
    More About Evan. https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanbklein/

  • Poster Image

    Episode 135: How Packaging Gratitude with a Sale Creates Customer Experiences

    March 31st, 2023  |  Season 6  |  17 mins 30 secs
    appreciation advocate, customer experience, steve buzogany

    In this episode, Sean sits down with Steve Buzogany, founder of Appreciation Advocate. He is a realtor and small business owner. They dive into why Steve started Appreciation Advocate. They go deeper into his experience creating great customer experiences by honing in on appreciation. Steve gives some great insights his methodology and the returns. His tone gives off a helpful, direct tone on creating great customer experiences around appreciation. Steve gets deep on how he takes time decompress and recharges. He even gives insight how he systematized gratitude and relates well to business.

    More About Steve. https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-buzogany/

  • Poster Image

    Episode 134: How Solving Problems with Podcasts Created Great Customer Experiences

    March 31st, 2023  |  Season 6  |  26 mins 5 secs
    brand, customer experience, jar audio, podcasts, roger nairn

    In this episode, Sean sits down with Roger Nairn is the Co-Founder and CEO of JAR Audio. He is a brand podcaster whose has over 20 years experience. They dive into why Roger co-founded JAR Audio. They go deeper into his experience creating podcasts and how to measure impact. Roger gives some great insights how podcasting helps with brand, customer experience, sales, and more. His tone gives off a helpful, astute tone on creating podcasts to delight companies and listeners alike. Roger gets deep on how he takes time to learn and work on his mental health.

    More About Roger. https://www.linkedin.com/in/rogernairn604

  • Poster Image

    Episode 133: How to Build Great Customer Experiences with Product Led Growth

    March 31st, 2023  |  Season 6  |  28 mins 18 secs
    brain bump, customer experience, demand generation, mark herschberg, product led growth

    In this episode, Sean sits down with Mark Herschberg, creator of Brain Bump and author of The Career Toolkit, Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You. He is a wonderful demand creator whose background is a CTO. They dive into why Mark started Brain Bump. They go deeper into his tech experiences and how creates demand that focuses on customer experiences. Mark gives some great insights how create demand rather than forcing it. His tone gives off a helpful, astute, and to the point tone on creating demand and customer experiences. Mark gets deep on how he has helped his alma mater (MIT), was a competitive dancer, and why Brain Bump has become his passion.
    More About Mark. https://www.linkedin.com/in/hershey/

  • Poster Image

    Episode 132: Why Demand Creation Resonates Better with B2B Customers

    March 17th, 2023  |  Season 6  |  29 mins 12 secs
    b2b marketing, customer experience, demand creation, funky marketing, nemanja zivkovic

    In this episode, Sean sits down with Nemanja Zivkovic, founder & CEO of Funky Marketing. He is a wonderful demand creator who constantly makes a real connection. They dive into why Nemanja started Funky Marketing. They go deeper into his experiences and how Funky Marketing has evolved over the last 3 years. Nemanja gives some great insights how create demand rather than forcing it. He even gives more insight on his own experiences and actual results from his efforts. His tone gives off a helpful, yet focused tone on creates demand as a human (no systems in this conversation). Nemanja gets deep on how he loves to learn and tries different outlets for his overall health.
    More About Nemanja. https://www.linkedin.com/in/zivkovicnemanja/

  • Poster Image

    Episode 131: How Great Customer Experience Comes from Great Human Writers and Not AI

    March 17th, 2023  |  Season 6  |  30 mins 30 secs
    chatgpt, customer experience, erik deckers, messaging, pro blog service, writing

    In this episode, Sean sits down with Erik Deckers, president of Pro Blog Service. He is a content writer and editor with over 30 years experience. They dive into why Erik thinks ChatGPT won't take away entry level jobs soon. They go deeper into his experiences and how he tested out ChatGPT with this own writing process. Erik gives some great insights how the AI writer is linear in thought. It doesn't think like a writer. He even gives more insight on his own experiences over the years and how this has caused confusion on good writing. His tone gives off a helpful, yet wonderful storytelling ability. Erik gets deep on some lifestyle changes, enjoying the wonderful Orland weather, and spending time with his new grandson.
    More About Erik. https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikdeckers/

  • Poster Image

    Episode 130: How Living through the Remote Work Experience Creates Better Journeys to Coach Clients

    March 17th, 2023  |  Season 6  |  28 mins 25 secs
    customer experience, customer journeys, parasocial worker, remote work, tim hickle, your remote work coach

    In this episode, Sean sits down with Tim Hickle, a management coach who helps remote and hybrid teams move faster, get more done, and feel less busy. They dive into why Tim started Your Remote Work Coach. They go deeper into his experiences with remote work and why he is focused on directors and managers. Tim gives some great insights how he used his own experiences to facilitate better communication and tools to help. He even gives more insight how he uses his eNewsletter, Parasocial Worker, and feedback to create better experiences. Tim loves serving people. His tone gives off a helpful and very knowledgeable on remote work pain points. Tim gets deep on how he loves a work challenges. He opens up about his own work burnout and what he is doing today to recharge.
    More About Tim. https://www.linkedin.com/in/timhickle/

  • Poster Image

    Episode 129: How Breaking Down the Fear of Being Judged Creates Wonderful Customer Experiences

    March 10th, 2023  |  Season 6  |  28 mins 17 secs
    customer experience, sean tyler foley, storytelling, total buy in, tyler foley

    In this episode, Sean sits down with Sean Tyler Foley managing director of Total Buy In, where he works with executives and CEOs, helping them show up powerfully behind the mic to gain the exposure they need. He is an accomplished film and stage performer who has been acting in film and television since he was 6 years old. They dive into why Tyler started Total Buy In. They go deeper into his acting experience and how that helped shape how he helps his clients share their stories. Tyler breaks down that its not fear of public speaking. The fear comes from being judged which we create a narrative in our own head to psych us out. He even gives more insight how he helps his clients through the fear of being judged and some wonderful success stories. Tyler loves helping people share their stories. His tone gives off a helpful, lively tone creates an uplifting atmosphere. Tyler gets deep on how he found his superpower and how he leverages that to help others. Tyler does give a great examples of how he decompresses but also how he lives his truth in his work, hobbies, and health
    More About Josh. https://www.linkedin.com/in/seantylerfoley/

  • Poster Image

    Episode 128: Why Great Customer Experience Starts with Leadership Caring about Their Employees

    March 10th, 2023  |  Season 6  |  19 mins 52 secs
    customer experience, leadership, marketing, robin bowling

    In this episode, Sean sits down with Robin Bowling, SaaS Growth Marketing Leader. She is an awesome facilitator bringing a centralized focus for demand generation and product teams. They dive into when should customer experience be the central focus in marketing specifically demand generation. They go deeper into her experiences and how she approaches from how to lead internal teams. Robin gives some great insights how feedback loops are important for growth. She even gives more insight how to create these loops and the process. Robin loves helping people grow in their careers and as people. Her tone gives off a helpful, yet open minded leadership quality. Robin gets deep on how she got to where she is today with awesome mentors and acting on the advice they gave.
    More About Robin. https://www.linkedin.com/in/robinbowling/