The Customer Wins

Hosted by Richard Walker

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195

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Oct 2026

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About the show

This is The Customer Wins podcast where business leaders discuss their secrets and techniques for helping their customers succeed and in turn grow their company.

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60 recent

November 9, 202638 min

[Emerging Tech] Cutting AI Costs Without Sacrificing Quality With Max Schuman

Max Schuman is the President and Co-Founder of Trimio, an AI FinOps platform that helps businesses control and optimize their AI spending. Trimio provides cost visibility, financial guardrails, and intelligent model routing to reduce AI expenses while maintaining quality. Max leads the company's revenue and go-to-market strategy, drawing on extensive experience in AI sales, strategic partnerships, and technology channel leadership. He brings a strong track record of helping businesses accelerate AI adoption, develop infrastructure strategies, and navigate complex technology decisions. In this episode… As businesses rapidly adopt AI, many struggle to understand what they are spending, whether their tools are delivering sufficient value, and how to prevent runaway costs. With models constantly changing in price, capabilities, and performance, choosing the most expensive or powerful option does not necessarily deliver the best results. How can businesses control AI spending while maintaining quality and maximizing ROI? Max Schuman, an expert in AI FinOps, governance, and model optimization, recommends giving businesses greater visibility into AI usage and establishing financial guardrails such as budgets and off switches. He explains that companies should evaluate models according to specific workflows, comparing cost, speed, quality, consistency, and token usage rather than automatically choosing the most powerful model. Max also discusses testing alternative models on a portion of workloads and using intelligent routing to direct tasks toward the most economical model capable of delivering the required quality. In this episode of The Customer Wins , Richard Walker interviews Max Schuman, President and Co-Founder of Trimio, about controlling AI costs while improving performance and ROI. Max discusses AI governance, model evaluation, and intelligent model routing.

October 26, 202635 min

Turning AI FOMO Into Real Business Growth With Peter Kornberg

Peter Kornberg is the Managing Partner of CypherWorks, an AI-first business performance company that helps organizations use AI to drive revenue, profitability, and efficiency. As an entrepreneur and executive with over 15 years of experience driving revenue growth and business transformation, Peter specializes in helping companies apply AI strategically to solve specific business challenges and improve customer experiences. His approach combines AI, customer experience, and business strategy to deliver measurable results. In this episode… Businesses are under pressure to adopt AI, but many struggle to determine where it can deliver meaningful value. Without a clear strategy, companies risk spending money on AI tools without improving revenue, profitability, productivity, or customer experience. How can leaders move beyond AI experimentation and use the technology to solve real business problems? Peter Kornberg, an AI strategy, revenue growth, and business transformation expert, recommends starting with specific business pain points rather than implementing AI to keep up with the trend. He suggests identifying measurable problems, determining which functions affect those metrics, and then developing an AI strategy and implementation plan around them. Peter also emphasizes incorporating customer feedback, establishing systematic feedback loops, measuring ROI through specific use cases, and making incremental AI investments rather than trying to transform everything at once. In this episode of The Customer Wins , Richard Walker interviews Peter Kornberg, Managing Partner of CypherWorks, about using AI strategically to improve business performance. Peter discusses measuring AI ROI, creating customer feedback loops, and preparing businesses for an AI-first future.

October 12, 202637 min

[Emerging Tech] Mastering AI Harnesses and Guardrails With Unmukt Raizada

Unmukt Raizada is the Founder and CEO of TrustEvals, an AI company that helps organizations build and deploy reliable AI with built-in governance, audit, and evaluation. He has 16 years of experience working at the intersection of data and AI. Before TrustEvals, Unmukt held senior data and AI roles at Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase and co-founded the AI software company Thena. He now helps organizations move AI into production with stronger evaluation, traceability, and governance. In this episode… As AI systems become more powerful and autonomous, businesses face a growing challenge of ensuring agents behave reliably once deployed in real-world environments. Traditional software testing and basic monitoring may not catch unexpected AI behavior before it creates problems, particularly in sensitive or regulated workflows. How can organizations capture AI's benefits while maintaining the evaluations, guardrails, and human oversight needed for reliable performance? Unmukt Raizada, an AI systems and evaluation expert, recommends continuously evaluating AI agents instead of assuming successful testing at launch guarantees future performance. He emphasizes combining probabilistic AI with deterministic engineering where mistakes cannot be tolerated, establishing guardrails around agent behavior, and maintaining human intervention at critical points. Unmukt also encourages subject matter experts to apply their workflow knowledge and intuition when designing AI systems, while avoiding unnecessary complexity from excessive numbers of specialized agents. In this episode of The Customer Wins , Richard Walker interviews Unmukt Raizada, Founder and CEO of TrustEvals, about building reliable AI systems. Unmukt discusses AI harnesses, continuous evaluations, and the role of human expertise in keeping AI agents effective and controlled.

October 5, 202635 min

How AI Is Transforming the Customer Experience With Marisa Murgatroyd

Marisa Murgatroyd is the Founder and CEO of The Experience Group, a company that uses behavioral science to design how people engage with technology, products, and organizations. She is also the Founder of Live Your Message, a business coaching and training company that helps entrepreneurs create engaging, experiential products and customer journeys. Marisa helps organizations close the gap between their AI and digital investments and the experiences their customers actually have. Her work focuses on experience design, customer engagement, retention, and helping businesses deliver better customer outcomes. In this episode… As AI and automation reshape business, many companies are prioritizing cost reduction and customer acquisition while overlooking the customers they already have. Poorly designed automation, fragmented customer journeys, and impersonal experiences can increase churn and weaken trust. How can businesses use AI while creating experiences that keep customers engaged, loyal, and successful? Marisa Murgatroyd, an expert in customer experience, behavioral science, and experience design, recommends making customer success a North Star metric and mapping the entire customer journey around the transformation customers want. She explains that businesses can fight commoditization by creating personalized experiences, improving retention, and designing every touchpoint around customer needs rather than internal cost savings. Marisa also recommends using AI for mass customization, applying behavioral design and gamification to encourage engagement, and building trust through consistency, competency, authenticity, and genuine care. In this episode of The Customer Wins , Richard Walker interviews Marisa Murgatroyd, Founder and CEO of The Experience Group, about creating customer-centered experiences in the age of AI. Marisa discusses the transformation economy, customer retention, and using behavioral design and gamification to increase engagement.

September 28, 202636 min

[Perspective Series] The Power of Joyful Leadership With Greg De Koker

Greg De Koker is the Founder and Chief Joy Officer of JOY², a leadership and culture ecosystem that helps organizations use joy as a strategic advantage to build trust, connection, and performance. He is a brand and culture transformation strategist, speaker, and executive coach with decades of experience helping leaders build high-functioning, high-performing cultures. Greg is also the host of the JOY² — Live With Joy podcast and author of the upcoming book JOY² — The Hidden Power of Joy in Leadership . His work encourages leaders to create workplaces where employees thrive, and customers win intentionally. In this episode… Many organizations struggle with employee disengagement, weak workplace cultures, and a disconnect between the promises they make to customers and the experiences they actually deliver. When employees do not feel heard, valued, or safe providing feedback, those internal problems can ultimately affect customer relationships and business performance. How can leaders intentionally build a culture where employees thrive and customers win? Greg De Koker, a brand and culture transformation strategist and executive coach, recommends treating joy as a foundation for success rather than a reward that comes after hitting performance goals. He encourages leaders to gather candid feedback from employees, customers, partners, and suppliers to understand their current culture, then define where they want the organization to go and close the gap. Greg also emphasizes creating emotional safety, asking employees directly for feedback, setting clear expectations, and addressing performance issues before they damage the broader culture. In this episode of The Customer Wins , Richard Walker interviews Greg De Koker, Founder and Chief Joy Officer of JOY², about building a joyful, high-performing workplace culture. Greg discusses employee engagement, emotional safety and feedback, and aligning company culture with customer experience.

September 21, 202637 min

[Emerging Tech] Building AI-First CRM for Advisors With Mitchell Bratina

Mitchell Bratina is the Founder and CEO of FinTurk, an AI-native CRM built specifically for financial advisors to automate workflows and deliver more personalized client experiences. A former wealth advisor, he previously helped manage more than 300 client relationships and over $1.1 billion in assets. Mitchell is a CFA charterholder and holds a bachelor's degree in computer engineering from Iowa State University. He combines his financial advisory experience with software engineering expertise to build technology that reduces administrative work and gives advisors more time to serve clients. In this episode… Advisors are under growing pressure to deliver personalized service while managing time-consuming data entry, meeting preparation, follow-up, and disconnected technology. At the same time, clients increasingly use AI to research financial questions and expect faster, more informed responses. How can advisors use AI to become more efficient without sacrificing judgment, compliance, and meaningful client relationships? Mitchell Bratina, a financial advisor turned technology entrepreneur specializing in AI-powered advisory software, recommends using AI to support rather than replace human judgment. He explains how AI-native systems can automate routine tasks, translate natural language into deterministic workflows, and help advisors customize technology around their individual practices. Mitchell also encourages advisors to respond quickly to AI-generated client questions, uncover the underlying concerns behind those questions, and use conversations to reinforce their value as trusted teachers and advisors. In this episode of The Customer Wins , Richard Walker interviews Mitchell Bratina, Founder and CEO of FinTurk, about the future of AI-native technology for financial advisors. Mitchell discusses AI guardrails and compliance, systems design and vibe coding, and the use of AI to strengthen advisor-client relationships.

September 14, 202639 min

[Perspective Series] How Personality Coding Helps Businesses Increase Sales With Esther Wildenberg

Esther Wildenberg is the Co-founder and President of Codebreaker Technologies, a global leader in personality coding technology that helps businesses improve sales, communication, and relationships. She is an accomplished consultant, coach, advisor, and speaker with more than two decades of international executive experience. By age 33, Esther had become CEO of a European consulting company, where she led more than 800 employees. She is also the author of The Undermined Soul and is passionate about empowering leaders to reach their potential and create lasting impact. In this episode… Businesses often struggle to understand why customers buy, how they prefer to communicate, and what ultimately motivates them to say yes. Traditional personality assessments may offer insights, but translating those insights into better sales conversations and stronger relationships can remain difficult. How can businesses quickly understand buying behavior and communicate with customers in ways that truly resonate? Esther Wildenberg, an expert in personality coding, buying behavior, and communication, recommends identifying customers' values and personality types to tailor sales conversations to how they naturally think and make decisions. She explains that understanding the full B.A.N.K sequence — Blueprint, Action, Nurture, and Knowledge — can help salespeople communicate, negotiate, and close more effectively. Esther also emphasizes strengthening authentic human connection, developing people skills as AI becomes more prevalent, seeking mentorship, and joining trusted communities where entrepreneurs can learn and grow together. In this episode of The Customer Wins , Richard Walker interviews Esther Wildenberg, Co-founder and President of CodeBreaker Technologies, about using personality coding to improve sales and communication. Esther discusses overcoming adversity, preserving human connection in the age of AI, and the value of mentorship and masterminds.

September 7, 202638 min

Building Startup Success on Fundamentals With Brian Herr

Brian Herr is the Founder and CEO of StartingBlocks and Managing Partner at HHI Advisory Group, where he helps startups, scale-ups, and portfolio companies accelerate growth, particularly in cybersecurity and regulated industries. With over 30 years of experience, he has guided companies through successful scaling, advised organizations from scrappy startups to $1.5 billion scale-ups, and is a sought-after keynote speaker. Brian is known for a hands-on, no-nonsense approach, bringing founders, executives, and technologists together to strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystems, especially in underserved regions like the Midwest. In this episode… Building a technology product has never been easier, but turning that product into a sustainable business remains difficult. Entrepreneurs still need to understand their customers, create an effective customer experience, earn trust, and determine when outside capital will actually help them grow. How can founders cut through the noise and build businesses that customers genuinely value? Brian Herr, a technology and cybersecurity veteran with expertise in startup growth, customer success, and secure AI adoption, recommends getting back to fundamental business principles. He emphasizes treating the entire customer journey — including onboarding, feedback, service, and relationships — as part of the product, while actively seeking candid customer feedback and learning from mistakes. Brian also advises founders to validate ideas with paying customers, explore non-dilutive funding, and delay outside investment until they have a viable business and are ready to use capital to accelerate growth. In this episode of The Customer Wins , Richard Walker interviews Brian Herr, Founder and CEO of StartingBlocks and Managing Partner at HHI Advisory Group, about building successful startups in the AI era. Brian discusses customer feedback, raising capital, and building trust through transparency.

August 31, 202633 min

Empowering Customers and Innovating Forms With Richard Walker

Richard Walker is the CEO of Quik!, a provider of forms automation and management solutions for companies looking to maximize efficiency and productivity. He started Quik! in 2002 to help people spend less time on paperwork and more time on what they do best. Before Quik!, Richard was a business consultant with Arthur Andersen. He is also a published author of two books and a father of three boys. In this episode… Inefficient paperwork, fragmented data collection, and the difficulty of implementing AI without compromising accuracy, security, or compliance are common challenges for many businesses. With AI accelerating software development, organizations also face unpredictable behavior, rising maintenance needs, and concerns about trust. How can businesses harness AI while keeping their systems reliable, controlled, and focused on better customer experiences? Richard Walker, an entrepreneur and AI-focused software leader, advocates using AI in a focused, controlled way rather than expecting it to handle everything independently. He recommends giving AI only the context it needs, using software to constrain its judgment, and designing systems that minimize hallucinations and behavioral deviations. Richard also explores transforming forms into flexible data streams that can power web-based and conversational experiences while streamlining and standardizing data collection. In this episode of The Customer Wins , Richard Walker shares his perspective as CEO of Quik! on entrepreneurship, AI, and the future of forms. Richard discusses empowering people to do their best work, controlling AI behavior, and building laser-focused AI solutions.

August 24, 202636 min

Demystifying AI Adoption in Financial Services With Geoff Moore

Geoff Moore is the CIO of Valmark Financial Group, a financial services agency working exclusively with entrepreneurial wealth management firms to meet its clients' unique and ever-changing needs. He leads a team of experts who use technology to solve business challenges and manage the cybersecurity of Valmark and its member firms. Geoff has over 20 years of experience in technology and financial services and was selected to the Surge Ventures Industry Council for his expertise in cybersecurity for financial service firms in 2022. In this episode… AI is rapidly transforming financial services, but many advisors and organizations still struggle to move beyond basic tools and experiments into reliable, secure automation. With questions around compliance, human judgment, technical complexity, and whether to build or buy AI solutions, how can firms turn AI's potential into practical business value? Geoff Moore, an expert in financial services technology, cybersecurity, and AI implementation, recommends focusing on practical use cases that increase capacity rather than on replacing human expertise. He emphasizes keeping humans involved when judgment matters, validating AI outputs, establishing safety and compliance guardrails, and getting technical assistance to move promising automations across the 15-yard line to completion. Geoff also suggests treating organization-wide AI skills like software, using practices such as source control, while exploring advanced tools, connectors, and workflows to deliver greater productivity. In this episode of The Customer Wins , Richard Walker interviews Geoff Moore, Chief Information Officer at Valmark Financial Group, about practical AI adoption in financial services. Geoff also discusses the 15-yard line problem, AI compliance and security, and the future of connected AI-powered systems.