I create really cool things and talk to exceptionally talented people. Before Covid-19, I helped Zendesk design large-scale event experiences–from our global user conference Relate, to our multi-country Showcase series.Now I build something different - virtual, digital, hybrid - we're creating experiences to keep attendees engaged and customer experience leaders learning. As a team, we're transforming the unknown, the unexpected, and the yet-to-be-tested. It's great fun to take some risk and watch the rewards. The best part about what I do? It's the opportunity to talk to customers about how they are handling the changes and challenges of the customer experience evolution. From startups to large organizations, our customers are tackling their drastic issues with speed, empathy, and grace. And my job is to get them to talk about it and for CX leaders to be proud of the work that they do and the impact they have.

Relationships are complicated. At Zendesk, we simplify those customer-company relationships by providing a simple, intuitive, and powerful customer service platform. With Relate, relationships take on a new discussion. While the customer is still center, Relate helps people navigate through the other complicated and important relationships in their lives—whether it be with colleagues, loved ones, or in the world around them. We explore those relationships through thought-provoking writing, educational resources, and exciting live events.As the Editor of Relate, I'm responsible for the balance of content at our events and within our online magazine, ensuring that no relationship gets left behind. I keep my passion for writing, speaking, and teaching alive by staying active with customer experience groups. While my heart remains within the contact center, I ensure that the customer-agent relationship always has a voice.

The CallCenter within Deloitte Services LP assists the over 100,000 internal professionals with myriad technical, business, facilities, and talent challenges. From three contact centers in Tennessee, California, and Hyderabad, India, the firm's support analysts answered over a million customer contacts each year. As a Leader for the CallCenter, I focused on identifying efficiency gains and process improvements, while strategizing innovative ways to provide solutions. The CallCenter is widely referred to as a strategic value to the firm and its professionals.As an industry thought leader, I was still able to frequently write, speak, and socially post while at Deloitte— on all things customer and the contact center. My forte is multichannel support, emerging channels, WFO, contact center operations, and customer experience. In 2015 I came in at #29 on ICMI's list of Most Influential Twitter Posters, #62 on the HuffPost's Top 100 Most Social Customer Service Pros, and #99 on Call Centre's #CustomerService100 as one of the top influencers in the customer service arena.I was an active member of the ICMI Advisory Board, part of the judging panel for the ICMI Global Contact Center Awards, a member of the Social Media Club of Nashville, and the VP of Programs for the Nashville Music City chapter of HDI.

As the Content and Event Director for ICMI, I was responsible for the editorial content, research direction, and community strategy for icmi.com. I provided contact center consulting and advice to the ICMI audience and often participated in technology summits and user groups as an advocate for the customer experience. I was a frequent panel moderator and speaker on customer support and emerging channels at national events and through online webinars. In 2013, I was busy speaking at ICMI's ACCE, Ventana's Business Technology Leadership Summit, ICMI's Call Center Demo, the Call Centre Conference in the UK, inContact's ICUC Customer Conference, and Salesforce's Dreamforce. In early 2014, you could find me speaking at: the Execs in the Know Customer Response Summit, HDI's Conference & Expo, inContact's ICUC conference, QATC's annual event, and ICMI's Contact Center Expo and Conference.

For years I served on the Advisory Board for ICMI, and when they needed an interim Editor-at-Large, I stepped in... while still holding down my full-time job! I was responsible for the editorial content and community strategy for icmi.com and provided subject matter expertise for the organization and its vast community of contact center leaders. Later, when the position became open, I moved into the role as a permanent employee.

In early 2012, iContact was acquired by Vocus (NASDAQ: VOCS), a provider of cloud-based marketing and PR software. I was the sole member of the executive team to stay on past the transition. Needless to say, I loved the role, but didn't love the new company.I maintained responsibility for all SMB and enterprise support services for iContact customers and our products. My teams included Strategic Account Management, Customer/Technical Support, and Business Intelligence.

iContact is a leader in the SaaS email marketing and social media services space with a focus on the SMB and non-profit markets. iContact was acquired by Vocus in 2012.I was a core member of the eight-person executive team reporting directly to the CEO to develop the strategic direction of the organization and execute simultaneously towards the board-approved plan and company vision and values. During my tenure, the customer support team grew from a small operation in North Carolina to over 200 agents, to include two outsourced partners in the Philippines and India. We created a Customer Insight team and refocused all agent goals around CSAT, DSAT, and WOWME, restructured our CSAT survey to correlate customer experience with company values, and maintained >86% CSAT scores.I was responsible for all planning aspects of the internal Support department, including expense control, volume forecasting, and headcount projections.I was accountable for complete operational performance of the department through continuous development and management of six direct reports. I introduced quality measurements, performance goals, positive and empowering stack rankings, and WFM concepts into the organization, which contributed to our overall customer success, ultimately awarding us the ICMI Small-Mid-Size Call Center of the Year in 2011.

PeopleSupport was a large BPO/Call Center with operations in three Philippine cities and in Costa Rica that was acquired by Aegis in 2008, and later by Teleperformance.I was originally employed by PeopleSupport from 1998 – 2001 and recruited back by Executive Management in 2003 to create the Direct Response division. I assumed responsibility for the Client Services department in 2004 and was promoted to Vice President in 2006. In 2007, I was again promoted as one of four Managing Directors, responsible for all aspects of business operations under a restructured vertical alignment.The organization was divided into four verticals, wherein I managed all client relationships and internal directors/VPs under Technology and Telecom. Our vertical focus was on business within telecom/ISPs, software/hardware, consumer electronics and emerging technologies. I was responsible for all P&L, strategy, and operations for the vertical.

I provided overall leadership and full-cycle management (recruitment, performance management, training and development, retention) of our 20-person global Client Services organization. My team acted as the liaison between client and operations and was responsible for billing, QBRs, change orders and site visits.While at PeopleSupport/Aegis/Teleperformance, my primary responsibility was to take at-risk major clients and turn their accounts and the overall relationship around. This meant having tight communication with executives internally and externally and understanding all aspects of call center operations and the client's objectives.

I call these my "gap years," as I needed a break from excessive traveling and the crazy hours of the dot-com boom and bust. I was a senior member of the Southwest customer relationship team focused on building and expanding regional opportunities. My expertise was turning around at-risk premier accounts.

I was the eighth employee and a member of the original management team for PeopleSupport—a start-up specializing in chat and voice-related outsourced customer service. Within the first 3 years, I helped grow the company from ten employees to over 700, revenues from zero to $27 million and a build-out of customer care centers in Manila, Philippines, St. Louis, MO and Los Angeles, CA.We were ultimately acquired by Aegis and then Teleperformance.

At MGM, I managed all functions of the direct marketing department which generated over $5 million in annual revenue through Internet Sales, Infomercial/Spot Continuity Programs, Video/Interactive Inserts and Mail-Order Merchandise Flyers. I was responsible for our outsourced contact center, our fulfillment, and our internal escalation teams.

Here's where I learned to love the contact center. I started out in PR, and then built the vendor management program for a small, but industry influential direct marketing media agency. I sold vendor management services into our existing infomercial and short-form client base through ROI analysis, trade shows, and on-site presentations. My little department became a profit-center within 3 months after inception and I was responsible for $1.5 million in revenue that first year.I instituted all department protocols and was responsible for the set-up and overall relationship of all account vendors including contact centers, fulfillment houses, and credit card processors and merchant banks.