CX Leadership Talks

Imposter syndrome does not destroy your competence.  It erodes your authority. 

In this episode of CX Leadership Talks, Nienke Bloem dives into the psychology behind imposter syndrome and connects it directly to the three authority dimensions every CX leader needs: Personal, Positional and Relational Authority. 

Drawing on research and the widely known model of Dr. Valerie Young, Nienke explores the five competence types – The Per...

CX leaders are great at content. But CX rarely scales because the message doesn’t.

In this episode of CX Leadership Talks, Nienke Bloem dives into why communication is not a soft skill, but a core CX leadership capability. She explores how CX leaders can move from one-off presentations and workshops to a repeatable, multi-channel communication rhythm that creates real organisational impact.

This episode is about turning your CX st...

In this episode of CX Leadership Talks, Nienke Bloem is joined by James O’Connor, one of the early architects of customer experience as a professional discipline. 

James brings more than 20 years of experience working at the intersection of customer experience, strategy, operations and technology. He was one of the first CX advisors at Forrester, where he worked closely with CX leaders and executive teams across global organisation...

This first episode of 2026 is an invitation for CX leaders to pause, reflect and look ahead. 

In this episode, Nienke Bloem CCXP explores why CX leadership is entering a new phase and why 2026 asks something different from those leading customer experience in complex organizations. Instead of jumping to tools or quick fixes, she starts with the real challenges CX leaders face today, from lacking strategic mandate and strugglin...

How do you want to lead in 2026? 

In this episode of CX Leadership Talks, Nienke Bloem helps CX leaders move from intention to direction. Not by creating a long to-do list, but by making conscious, strategic choices about where to focus. 

With 2026 themed as Strategizing CX, this episode is an invitation to slow down, zoom out, and design your year with clarity. Nienke guides you through five must-win battles every CX leader should...

Welcome to a brand new episode of the CX Leadership Talks podcast, hosted by Nienke Bloem! In this very special "Reflection edition for 2025”, Nienke Bloem invites you to slow down, look back, and take stock of your year as a CX leader. She guides you through a thoughtful self-audit, encouraging you to pause, journal, and dig deep into five essential areas: impact and results, strategy and vision, engagement and cultural change, pe...

Welcome to a new episode of CX Leadership Talks! The podcast for CX leaders who want to spice up their leadership. 

In this episode, your host Nienke Bloem CCXP connects with Cairo Marsh, founder of Relativ, an experience agency based in Tokyo. Together, they explore why branding alone isn’t enough in today’s world and introduce the powerful concept of “brand being”: how a brand shows up in every experience, online and offline. 

Ca...

Welcome to a new episode of CX Leadership Talks!

In this episode, Nienke Bloem CCXP takes you to the International CX Awards in London, where she hosted an evening with more than 450 CX professionals from over 50 countries. Across all those conversations, one theme stood out: the real challenge in CX is leadership engagement.

Not tools. Not dashboards. But leadership behavior.

Nienke shares why so many leaders believe they are cu...

Welcome to a brand new episode of CX Leadership Talks! 

In this episode, Nienke Bloem CCXP shares a personal story from her time at KPN that completely changed how she looked at leadership. A Valentine’s Day blog, a bold email to the CEO, and one big aha moment led her to realise that real CX leadership starts when we stop judging and start joining. 

Too often, CX leaders complain that management “doesn’...

Welcome to a brand new episode of CX Leadership Talks! 

What if CX leadership was more about heart than KPIs? In this fresh, feel-good episode, your host Nienke Bloem CCXP explores what happens when we swap frameworks and dashboards for belief, curiosity and connection, inspired by none other than Ted Lasso. 

From her sunny spot in the south of France, Nienke shares how a cheerful TV coach can teach us five timeless lesso...

Welcome to a brand new episode of CX Leadership Talks!

Too many CX leaders are hired to create change… yet end up playing it safe. Organizations reward dashboards, quick wins, and staying in the background. But as your host: Nienke Bloem reminds her listeners, CX is not about management, it is about leadership. 

In this episode of CX Leadership Talks, Nienke shares the five areas where CX leaders play it too safe, and the bold lead...

In this episode of CX Leadership Talks, Nienke Bloem CCXP MBA explores the fascinating concept of thin slicing,  the psychological phenomenon that shows how just a few seconds of behavior can reveal the bigger truth.

From leaders canceling contact center visits to technicians arriving late, from the reviews customers leave online to the culture that lives inside organizations, thin slices are everywhere. And they matter.

Drawing on...

The future of customer experience isn’t 10 years away, it’s happening right now. In this episode of CX Leadership Talks, your host Nienke Bloem CCXP sits down with Bart Verouden, CCXP, Senior Manager Innovation & Business Development at Accenture, Lean Black Belt, and lifelong learner.

Bart is part of the team behind Accenture Song’s Life Trends Report, a yearly study that combines global research, expert insights, and real hu...

Too many CX strategies are either far too complex… or don’t exist at all. That’s why in this episode, your host Nienke Bloem, CX educator and speaker, takes you on a journey into one of the most powerful tools you can have as a CX leader: your Strategy on a Page (SOAP).

Your Strategy on a Page is the bridge between vision and execution. Without it, your CX story risks staying a dream. With it, you have a clear, shareable, actionabl...

In this final episode before summer, Nienke shares her Power of ONE, a refreshing take on CX leadership that skips the frameworks and dives into behavior, trust, and real connection. 

You’ll get: 

• 3 CX micro-missions
• 9 practical actions (yes, totally doable!)
• A summer challenge: pick one each week and go for it 

Backed by insights from Harvard Business on how trust is built through small, authentic actions, this episode...

This episode is in Dutch 🇳🇱

Hey there! Normally, this podcast is in English – but for this special episode, we’re switching to Dutch. Why? Because the conversation needed to be raw, real and relevant for the Dutch-speaking women in CX and customer service leadership roles. Of course I am helping you out, this is the link to a blog with the insights in English

In deze aflevering spreek ik met Elisa de Groot, expert op het gebied v...

Ever felt your brilliant CX roadmap hit a brick wall of internal resistance? In this solo episode, your host Nienke Bloem reveals why influence inside your organization depends on two human signals - warmth and competence - and how you can dial up both to become the Lovable Star colleagues trust and senior leaders follow.  

Inspired by a mountain-top holiday encounter with a servant-hearted hotel owner and a candid leadership lesso...

Welcome back to CX Leadership Talks! In a refreshing role reversal, today Nienke Bloem - your host - takes the guest seat, joining host Adam Dorrell for a conversation you don’t want to miss. Known for her infectious energy and practical approach to driving real change, Nienke opens up about what it really means to “spice up” customer experience - hint: it starts with leadership. 

Together, Adam and Nienke cut through CX industry j...

Welcome to a fresh episode of CX Leadership Talks, hosted by Nienke Bloem - the international customer experience expert known for her practical wisdom and signature blue dress! In this special “back to basics” episode, Nienke dives deep into the essentials of making your customers come back for more. You’ll get an insider’s look at her new CX Boomerang model - a simple yet powerful framework designed to help you create experiences...