CX Leadership Talks

Hosted by Nienke Bloem CCXP

Business Management

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Aug 2026

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This is THE podcast for you as a Customer Experience Leader. To learn where to spice up your CX leadership. Listen to CX colleague’s, thoughtleaders and of course your host Nienke Bloem. She has educated and spoken with CX Leaders all around the globe, is a Recognized Training provider with the CXPA and knows how to make CX work! Honest, fun and always with a practical twist to help you become an even better CX leader.

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August 10, 2026Episode 124 min

#83 Design Love In: Have we taken Love out of business?

What if we spend too much time in CX fixing what is broken? In this episode of CX Leadership Talks, Nienke Bloem shares three insights from Marcus Buckingham’s book Design Love In and explores what they mean for Customer Experience leaders. This is not just a book review. It is about what the book made her rethink about positive customer moments, purpose in business and the role CX leaders can play in bringing more Love into organizations. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why you should study the 5s We are trained to analyze complaints, detractors and low scores. But what can we learn from the moments customers and employees truly love? And how can we create more of them? Why purpose and emotion belong in business strategy Beyond targets, KPIs and ROI: what do you actually want customers and employees to experience because your organization exists? Why love is a CX leadership topic CX leaders can bring this conversation into the organization through stories, leadership conversations, book clubs or even a small secret movement. Timestamped overview: 00:00 Importance of purpose in business 06:30 Focusing on positive customer moments 10:24 Adding emotion to business strategy 12:31 Personal motivations for pilgrimage 17:48 Advocating CX within organizations 19:56 Organizing a company book club 23:22 Gratitude for book recommendations Extra information: The book discussed in this episode is Design Love In: How to Unleash the Most Powerful Force in Business by Marcus Buckingham. Your challenge after listening: find one 5 in your organization. A moment customers or employees genuinely love. Study why it works — and see what you can make bigger. About Nienke: Nienke Bloem is often called the Customer Experience speaker in the blue dress. She's a global CX thought leader, educator and keynote speaker who helps CX leaders strengthen their leadership, create more impact and make Customer Experience work. With over 20 years of corporate experience, she speaks the business language. She is an author, host of CX Leadership Talks, a Recognized Training Partner of the CXPA and creator of CX leadership programs including the CX Masterclass and CX Leadership Masterminds. For more info: go to www.nienkebloem.com or send her an email at nienke@nienkebloem.nl to spice up your CX Leadership.

July 13, 2026Episode 8221 min

#82 Would they miss you? The CX budget cut test

Welcome to a new episode of CX Leadership Talks with Nienke Bloem! Today, we dive into a thought-provoking challenge every CX leader must face: Would they miss you if your CX team disappeared tomorrow? Drawing inspiration from a recent Qualtrics event, Nienke Bloem explores the true business impact of CX teams and introduces the crucial "budget cut test." Are you and your team seen as a must-have driving results, or just a nice-to-have delivering activities? With real-world examples and actionable self-assessment questions, this episode will empower you to prove your value, connect your CX work directly to business outcomes and ensure your seat at the table - even when tough budget decisions loom. Join Nienke Bloem for a candid, energizing conversation to help you sharpen your CX leadership and make your impact truly indispensable! Want to get more information about the ANI model? You can take a sneak peek here or listen to this episode in which Nienke takes a deep dive into this model. Timestamped overview: 00:00 The budget cut test and CX leadership 06:05 Importance of context in CX data 06:53 Evolving CX teams beyond sentiment 11:55 Measuring impact from workshops 13:54 Assessing Customer Experience impact 17:30 Discussing business leadership challenges 20:24 Seasonal farewell from the southern hemisphere 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 Customer Experience Professionals Association and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. Subscribe to her weekly CX Newsletter to stay tuned.

June 29, 2026Episode 126 min

#81 Why some CX Leaders create impact and others don't – ANI deepdive

Welcome to a new episode of CX Leadership Talks, recorded from the sun-soaked island of Texel during an intense European heatwave. In this special solo episode, Nienke Bloem CCXP dives deep into the ANI model — her new CX leadership philosophy that will transform the way you look at customer experience leadership. 🤩 Discover the three layers of the ANI model and learn how to grow your CX leadership from the inside out. Three key takeaways for CX leaders: Authority starts with you: Building both internal confidence and external credibility is foundational for driving CX transformation. It's not just how you see yourself, but how others perceive your influence and expertise. Lead with a clear narrative: Having the right leadership instruments - like a compelling change story, a strategic roadmap, and a business case - helps translate insight into organizational influence and direction. Impact means delivering measurable value: True CX leadership delivers results for both customers and the business. Embedding CX in culture, tracking outcomes, and holding yourself accountable are essential steps to driving sustainable success. Packed with practical insights, personal stories, and actionable strategies, this episode is perfect for anyone ready to become the captain of their own CX ship. Curious about the full ANI model, I created a visual overview for you here . Timestamped overview: 00:00 Masterminds cohort for leadership growth 04:44 Building internal and external authority 07:41 Authority and personal growth program 13:16 Guiding CX with leadership skills 17:22 Scaling Customer Experience (CX) methods 19:19 Strategizing for company impact 23:47 Sharing my big idea journey 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 Customer Experience Professionals Association and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. Subscribe to her weekly CX Newsletter to stay tuned.

June 15, 2026Episode 8017 min

#80 ANI - The future of CX Leadership

Welcome to a new episode of CX Leadership Talks with Nienke Bloem. In this episode, Nienke introduces ANI: her new CX leadership philosophy built around three elements every CX leader needs to thrive: Authority, Narrative and Impact. After spending months interviewing CX leaders and reflecting on the future of the profession, she discovered a surprising pattern. Most CX leaders do not struggle with customer experience. They struggle with leadership. The conversations were not about journey mapping, Voice of the Customer or CX strategy. They were about stakeholder buy-in, budget, urgency, visibility and impact. In this episode, Nienke shares the story behind ANI, the surprising inspiration that led to the model, and why she believes leadership may become the most important differentiator in the future of customer experience. This episode is personal, reflective and an invitation to think differently about your role as a CX leader. In this episode, you'll learn: Why many CX challenges are actually leadership challenges • The story behind ANI and its three elements: Authority, Narrative and Impact • Why trust, influence and movement matter more than ever for CX leaders • How the best CX leaders turn ideas into organizational impact • Why leadership may be the future of customer experience Timestamped overview: 00:00 Reflecting on personal and career future 05:34 Exploring the future of CX leadership 10:52 Leadership and CX strategy development 12:17 Aligning leadership with impact 16:02 CX Leadership Bootcamp launch Extra information: Curious about the ANI model and the future of CX leadership? Click here for the visual of the model . Take a look at the ANI model and learn more about the upcoming CX Leadership Masterminds Bootcamp, click here to plan a half hour exploration call . 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 Customer Experience Professionals Association and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. Subscribe to her weekly CX Newsletter to stay tuned.

June 1, 2026Episode 7921 min

#79 Executives don’t buy CX activities. They buy confidence.

Welcome to a new episode of CX Leadership Talks with Nienke Bloem. In this episode, we tackle one of the biggest blind spots in CX leadership: stakeholder management. Because most CX leaders are strong in CX management. They know journey mapping, VoC, dashboards and improvement projects. But influencing senior stakeholders strategically? Building alliances? Creating organizational movement? That is where many CX leaders still play far too operational. Nienke shares personal stories from her own leadership journey, including a painful lesson from her time at KPN, and explains why executives do not buy activities… they buy confidence. This episode is practical, honest and packed with ideas to help you become more strategic in how you build influence, authority and momentum for Customer Experience inside your organization. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why many CX leaders unintentionally operate too tactically in stakeholder management Why executives buy confidence instead of activities How to use the Mendelow Matrix more strategically Why relational authority is critical for CX leadership Practical ways to engage stakeholders with more impact Timestamped overview: 00:00 Customer experience leadership insights 05:43 Reflecting on CX leadership challenges 08:07 Focusing on relational authority 10:09 Planning effective leadership discussions 13:53 Engaging with stakeholders 19:10 Developing strategic CX leadership 20:21 Wrapping up and goodbyes Extra information: Download the free Strategic Stakeholder Management Playbook for CX Leaders 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 Customer Experience Professionals Association and it is her mission to Make Customer Experience Work and help you deliver business results. Subscribe to her weekly CX Newsletter to stay tuned.

May 18, 2026Episode 139 min

#78 The Maxima moment: How one meeting multiplied my visibility

Welcome to a new episode of CX Leadership Talks! The podcast for CX leaders who want to spice up their leadership. In this personal and inspiring solo episode, your host Nienke Bloem CCXP dives into one of the most defining visibility lessons of her career, sparked by an unforgettable encounter with Queen Máxima. Discover how one highly visible moment unexpectedly changed the trajectory of Nienke’s CX leadership journey and why visibility plays such a crucial role in building authority, influence and impact inside organizations. Together, we explore why so many brilliant CX leaders stay invisible for too long, how visibility strengthens leadership and why remembered leadership matters when driving customer centric change. Get ready for Five practical tips, fresh leadership insights and honest reflections on visibility, authority and impact in the world of CX leadership. Timestamped overview: 00:00 Reflecting on a career-defining moment04:37 Starting Women in Financial Services06:47 Meeting royalty at the event11:43 Women in financial services conference15:18 Highlighting invisible leaders in CX16:25 Discussing CX leadership insights19:45 Exploring Herminia Ibarra’s leadership insights23:35 Navigating strategic conversations26:43 Discussing the ANI model32:21 Volunteering for speaking opportunities35:37 Attending a Harvard live event37:14 Becoming a CX authority Extra information: If you are a Dutch-speaking woman in the Netherlands and want to strengthen your strategic visibility, stakeholder influence and authority, have a look at Stratego for CX Women. This fall, Nienke launches the renewed CX Leadership Bootcamp in the Netherlands, focused on Authority, Narrative and Impact for CX leaders who want to increase their influence and business impact. And yes… next year it goes global 😊. To make your appointment, click here ! Connect with Nienke on LinkedIn or visit her website for more information and upcoming programs. www.nienkebloem.com About Nienke: Nienke Bloem is a global Customer Experience (CX) thought leader, keynote speaker and educator. She helps CX leaders move from doing customer experience to leading it by building strong CX strategies, crafting compelling CX Stories and driving measurable business impact. Spicing up CX Leadership 😊 Nienke is a Certified Customer Experience Professional (CCXP), Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) and a Recognized Training Provider of the Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA). With over 20 years of corporate experience, she combines business strategy, leadership and customer experience to help organizations turn CX into real results. Subscribe to her weekly CX Greetz to stay tuned or visit her website for more information! Her mission is simple: Make Customer Experience Work. And yes, she always wears her signature blue dress 😊

May 4, 2026Episode 7745 min

#77 Leading from the middle: Sally Foley-Lewis on empowering CX Leaders to drive change

Welcome to a new episode of CX Leadership Talks! The podcast for CX leaders who want to spice up their leadership. In this inspiring episode, your host Nienke Bloem dives into an incredibly valuable conversation with global keynote speaker, educator, and "burger lady" Sally Foley-Lewis. Together, they explore the true power - and challenges - of leading from the middle. Discover why the best is in the middle, how to influence without formal authority, and how to proceed until apprehended. Get ready for practical tips, fresh insights, and a healthy dose of CX leadership inspiration! Timestamped overview: 00:00 Introducing Sally Foley-Lewis 06:15 Food as a universal concept 09:46 Discussing AI impact on organizations 14:16 Empowering middle managers 18:01 Importance of creating CX strategy 19:45 Navigating stakeholder management and authority 23:09 Importance of clear communication 26:15 Leading from the middle 30:15 Thinking strategically as a leader 32:32 Building strong internal networks 37:26 Importance of receiving feedback 40:20 Building professional networks 44:52 Connecting and collaborating with others 45:35 Show closing and contact info Extra information: Connect with Sally on LinkedIn or visit her website . Sally's book recommendations: The Best is in the Middle by Sally Foley-Lewis Managing oneself by Peter F. Drucker Here you can find the survey Sally invites you to fill in. About Nienke: Nienke Bloem is a global Customer Experience (CX) thought leader, keynote speaker, and educator. She helps CX leaders move from doing customer experience to leading it by building strong CX strategies, crafting compelling CX Stories, and driving measurable business impact. Spicing up CX Leadership Nienke is a Certified Customer Experience Professional (CCXP), Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), and a Recognized Training Provider of the Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA). With over 20 years of corporate experience, she combines business strategy, leadership, and customer experience to help organizations turn CX into real results. Subscribe to her weekly CX Greetz to stay tuned or visit her website for more information! Her mission is simple: Make Customer Experience Work. And yes, she always wears her signature blue dress 😊

April 20, 2026Episode 7626 min

#76 How to turn every presentation into a CX Leadership Moment

Do you know how to use every presentation to actually move people? Not just inform them or update them, but make them remember, feel something, and take action. Because every time you step into a room, you have that opportunity as a CX leader. To create clarity, build energy, and influence decisions and direction. And yet, most presentations don’t land. They don’t change anything. Not because the content is wrong, but because the design is. We start with slides, data, and content instead of starting with intent. In this episode of #CXLeadershipTalks, Nienke Bloem CCXP takes you into one of the most underestimated leadership skills in customer experience: how to prepare your presentations so they create real impact. The good news? It doesn’t have to be complicated. It starts by answering four simple, powerful questions! Grounded in research on memory, decision-making, and behavior, and built on her experience working with hundreds of CX professionals, this episode shows you a simple but powerful shift. From intention to presenting information and creating movement. So you don’t just share CX. You strategize CX and Lead it. Timestamped overview: 00:00 Do you know how to move people with your presentation 02:00 Why most presentations don’t create impact 04:00 Presentations as a CX leadership moment 06:00 The shift from content to intent 08:00 The four questions that change everything 10:00 Question 1: Who is your audience 13:00 Question 2: What do you want them to remember 16:00 Question 3: What do you want them to feel 19:00 Question 4: What do you want them to do 22:00 Why “any questions?” kills your impact 24:00 Closing: From presenting CX to leading CX Extra information: Want to receive the CX Presentation Playbook with the four questions and a practical checklist? You can download it here . You’ll receive the playbook and will also receive Nienke’s weekly CX Leadership updates. And of course, never end your presentation with a Thank You Slide, watch her incredible valuable Youtube Video here . About Nienke Nienke Bloem is a global Customer Experience (CX) thought leader, keynote speaker, and educator. She helps CX leaders move from doing customer experience to leading it by building strong CX strategies, crafting compelling CX Stories, and driving measurable business impact. Spicing up CX Leadership Nienke is a Certified Customer Experience Professional (CCXP), Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), and a Recognized Training Provider of the Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA). With over 20 years of corporate experience, she combines business strategy, leadership, and customer experience to help organizations turn CX into real results. Subscribe to her weekly CX Greetz to stay tuned or visit www.nienkebloem.com for more information! Her mission is simple: Make Customer Experience Work. And yes, she always wears her signature blue dress 😊

April 6, 2026Episode 7349 min

#75 What it really takes to win four International CX Awards | CX leadership insights with Irene van Hoorn, CCXP

What does it really take to win four International CX Awards, amongst which three GOLD? In this episode of CX Leadership Talks, Nienke Bloem sits down with Irene van Hoorn, CX Leader of the Year and Brand Experience Transformation Lead at Eneco. Irene shares how she moved from marketing and product roles to building and professionalizing CX as a discipline, and ultimately winning three Gold and one Bronze at the International CX Awards. This is not a trophy story. It’s a leadership story. About building authority without formal power. About scaling CX in a complex organization. About trusting the process. And about daring to say: “Screw it. Let’s do it.” If you are wondering whether you are “ready” to step up, take visibility, or go for recognition? This episode is for you. Because imposter thinking is common. But leadership is personal, not positional. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to build authority before you have formal power What it really takes to professionalize CX at scale Why external recognition strengthens internal credibility How to approach awards strategically and win The mindset shift that separates hesitation from momentum Trust the process. Choose wisely. And if you’re in it — be in it to win it. Timestamped overview: 00:00 Welcome Irene – introducing the CX Leader of the Year 03:00 From marketing to professionalizing CX at Eneco 08:00 Managing CX vs. truly leading CX 12:00 Building authority without formal power 18:30 Trust the process in complex transformations 24:00 Why go for international awards in the first place? 29:00 The internal shift once the team decided to compete 33:00 Behind the scenes of the awards application process 41:00 Winning Bronze and three Gold awards 48:00 What changed internally after winning 52:00 Advice for CX leaders doubting themselves Extra information: Connect with Irene on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irenevanhoorn/ Interested in the International CX Awards? After we taped the episode, the date changed to November 5th. Visit: https://internationalcxaward.com/home Recommended by Irene: Watch the award finalist presentations via the Awards International platform and review the detailed jury feedback report if you participate. 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.

March 22, 2026Episode 124 min

#74 The Secret to Leading in CX (and yes, it has everything to do with you)

In this episode, Nienke Bloem takes you behind the scenes of one of the biggest moments in her speaking career. Standing backstage at the Global Speaker Summit, about to deliver the closing keynote. A moment filled with excitement and doubt. And it led to a powerful realization. Because that exact same feeling shows up for CX leaders every single day. Not on a stage. But in leadership meetings, boardrooms, and stakeholder conversations. That moment where you think: Should I say something? In this episode, Nienke combines her personal experience with insights from psychology, including Identity Theory from Peter Burke and Self Efficacy Theory from Albert Bandura, to explain what is really happening in that moment. This is not just about confidence. This is about identity. And about how you step into your role as a CX leader before you fully feel ready. This episode will help you move from doing CX to truly leading CX. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN Why the Should I moment is not doubt, but a signal of leadership How Identity Theory explains the internal picture you already have of yourself as a CX leader Why the gap between your identity and your behavior creates tension and how to use How Self Efficacy Theory shows that confidence is built through action, not before it Three practical ways to start acting like the CX leader you already know you can be TIMESTAMPED OVERVIEW 00:00 "From Hesitation to Leadership" 05:49 "Leadership and Doubt Moments" 09:22 "Crafting Your Leadership Identity" 10:37 "ANI Model for Strategic Leadership" 13:49 "Identifying Ideal Self Moments" 19:13 "Transforming Doubts Into Impact" 21:26 "Free CX Strategy Webinar" 24:37 "Global Leadership Greetings" READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP? Nienke is hosting a series of free webinars in April on CX Story and CX Strategy. Book it HERE: https://www.nienkebloem.nl/en/cx-educatie/webinar-create-your-best-cx-story-ever/ In these sessions, you will Define your CX Story and what you stand for as a leader Shape your CX Strategy and turn that into direction and action Receive a practical AI prompt to create two draft CX strategies when you join live ABOUT NIENKE Nienke Bloem CCXP is often called the Customer Experience expert in the blue dress. She is a global CX thought leader, educator and keynote speaker who inspires leaders and organizations to spice up their customer experience leadership and create real business impact. With over 20 years of corporate experience, Nienke speaks the business language of CX transformation. Through her keynotes, education programs and mentoring she helps CX leaders become more strategic, influential and effective in driving customer-centric change. She is the host of the CX Leadership Talks podcast, creator of the CX Story Blueprint, and a Recognized Training Partner of the Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA). Her programs, including the CX Masterclass, CX Leadership Masterminds, and CX Story Sprint, help CX professionals strengthen their authority, align strategy and turn customer experience into measurable business results. Feel free to reach out nienke@nienkebloem.nl and more on www.nienkebloem.com