Now appearing…

FutureForward: If thriving in Support and CX takes a village….Be the village!

In December 2024, I was invited to speak about communities in Support and CX, as part of the FutureForward LinkedIn Live series.

ElevateCX London: Change is the only Constant (in CX)

I was invited to speak at ElevateCX’s London conference on 8th November 2024. See my full talk notes on my conference page! Here’s my talk synopsis:

Sugababes; 2Pac; Bowie; Taylor Swift; Kelly and Ozzy Osbourne. What’s the link? No, not just my Spotify regular rotation. They all have songs about change!

Particularly as CX leaders, it can seem like we’re continually being fed changes from other teams, from our customers, and from our senior leadership.

Your product is always updating, sometimes without anyone bothering to tell you. Your company’s leaders are revising the overall strategy and shifting their focus. Your customers’ needs and expectations are shifting. And everyone needs it yesterday.

Through the medium of song, I’ll talk you through how to lead your team through three of the bigger changes that you might encounter.

Next in Queue: Season 4, Episode 6: Run Forest Run featuring Conor Pendergrast

When Jenny tells Forest Gump to run, well, that’s what he does. But he didn’t just run. He became an All-American kick returner for Bear Bryant’s University of Alabama football team. Later in this 1994 film, Forest runs across the country at least 4 times, inspiring a following that runs with him over the course of over 3 years, 2 months, 14 days, and 16 hours. But despite his love of running, even Forest got burnt out.

Doing the same thing for years can wear on a person. Conor Pendergrast started running years ago. But his diversification into becoming a triathlete gave him new insights into the importance of diversification, community, gamification, and more. He joins the show to explore lessons that apply to athletics as well as work.

We discuss:

• The importance of community

• A key component to achieving goals

• The critical nature of recovery

• The advantages and limits of gamification

• The role of culture in success

Growth Support: Episode 27 - Planning for 2025 with Conor Pendergrast

2025 is around the corner! Are you ready?

Conor joins me for a conversation about how to evaluate your current state of Support and how to go about planning for 2025. We dive into the key areas of focus and get into the gritty details of:

  • Evaluating your operations

  • The self-service and proactive experience

  • Defining people needs

  • Working across teams

  • Understanding business needs

  • Considering when to stop doing something

Resources mentioned in the conversations:

Epochal Growth: Episode 2 - The Parent Whisperer

Drawing from personal experiences, Sarah and Conor provide honest advice for individuals navigating these transitions and for leaders supporting their team members through similar journeys. They delve into the importance of understanding parental leave policies, documenting responsibilities, and utilizing resources like parental leave buddies to stay connected and informed while on leave.

Moreover, the discussion sheds light on cultural expectations and challenges surrounding parental leave, advocating for open conversations and robust support systems within the workplace. Conor shares his firsthand experiences as a parent and doesn't shy away from the realities for both those embarking on parental leave and managers guiding their teams through these transitions.

Tune in to discover practical strategies for managing time and energy, setting clear expectations, fostering a supportive environment, and embracing the joys and challenges of parenthood. Whether you're preparing for parental leave or supporting someone through it, this episode provides actionable tips and empathetic guidance for navigating this pivotal phase of life and career.

The Support Helpdesk Podcast: Episode 3 - Outsourcing Tier 1 Tickets

Bill and Mercer are joined by Jim Coe, formerly of The Yeomen, and Conor Pendergrast from Expensify to talk about how to consider your goals and weigh your options when exploring outsourced support.

Support Breakfast Podcast: Co-host for most of the 60ish episodes

While our Support Breakfast podcast is now retired, you can still listen to the full back catalogue on SoundCloud!