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Episodes

100

Latest episode

Oct 2026

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About the show

Employee engagement, customer experience and more from two business coaches. Mike and Mark turn business trends, research and theory into practical actions you can apply at work.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

October 27, 2026Episode 32931 min

No AI at Chick-fil-A?

Mike and Mark share their experiences using Chick-fil-A training materials, and interviewing owner-operators and employees, to shed light on CNBC's interview with the company CEO . Tune in to hear how the company so consistently beats the short-term thinking, lack of fundamentals and personnel issues that plague other companies. Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark .

October 15, 2026Episode 32825 min

Kelly Clarkson: A (Customer Experience) Moment Like This

We recorded this right as Kelly Clarkson went viral. But the Internet happens so fast, we are dropping this episode early because it went Mega Viral®. Is your team ready for YOUR Kelly Clarkson moment? (The latest news on X, as of this episode dropping, can be found here .) Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark .

October 13, 2026Episode 32738 min

Dealing with employees who ... R.I.P. (Regrettable Retention)

Ever had an employee quit ... and forget to leave? How to identify the mentally checked out ... how to "re-recruit" ... how to avoid the Longevity Trap ... all this and more in this episode. Shout-out to Mike Judge's "Office Space:" worth a watch if you can handle a few naughty bits. Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark .

October 6, 2026Episode 32630 min

Accountability is a 2-way street (... but who's driving?)

An episode recorded for some of our clients: If you want accountability in your workplace, you need these three elements ... and then you must add the fourth element. At the risk of sounding like clickbait, it may surprise you. Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark .

September 29, 2026Episode 32527 min

"That's just how I am." Authenticity is not a hall pass!

One of the earliest examples of DISC? Shakespeare's'' "Julius Caesar!" Personality preferences are not an excuse for a lack of integrity. Brutus, Shakespeare's noble assassin, points the way. Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark .

September 22, 2026Episode 32434 min

The 2 things that make you the obvious choice for promotion

What is the best way to get promoted in any organization? There are two answers. Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark .

September 15, 2026Episode 32349 min

Past your prime? Nope, you can go "strength to strength."

Professional decline can begin earlier than most people expect. But the real danger is not decline itself. The danger is failing to recognize that we need to change how we create value. (Thanks to Arthur C. Brooks for the excellent content .) Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark .

September 8, 2026Episode 32241 min

"There is no limit" to this behavior--but there are ways to guard against it

What do the Watergate Scandal, the Bible, two modern business books and the International Coaching Federation have in common? They can all help you defeat the behavior that tempts us all. (Shout-out to Josh Wink for our acid house tangent toward the start.) Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark .

September 1, 2026Episode 32126 min

Gen Z wants you to help them make friends

You can teach five conversational habits that give your Gen Z employees what they want: more chances to connect with people. They need friends. You need a great customer and coworker experience. Get both. The Harris Poll we mention Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark .

August 25, 2026Episode 32025 min

Woke 1, Woke 2? What's next after cancel culture?

They Might Be Giants are the USA's greatest rock band. (Mark said so.) An early lyric of the band gives us a window into hipsters, millennials and cancel culture. But the UK's best comedy mind (Mark said so) David Mitchell points to a different path. Can our workplaces use his insight before it's too late? Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark .