Inspiring Women In CX

“I think my piece of advice would be to take a real honest, hard look at…either yourself or your business. If you are communicating that you want to be a customer-centric company or organisation, then take a real honest hard look at, are we actually that?”

In episode #804 of the Inspiring Women in CX podcast, Clare is joined by CX Consultant Joanna Carr for a candid and insightful discussion on customer experience strategy, the pitfalls of “CX-washing”, and the reality of delivering on brand promises. 

Joanna shares her career journey, from beginning behind the tills in Tesco to shaping CX at retail giants including Estee Lauder, Selfridges and Rituals. She also reflects on the community's pivotal role in her transition to CX consulting, proving the power of connection and support.

Clare and Joanna unpack real-world CX failures, from frustrating self-service checkouts to rigid corporate policies that hinder customer satisfaction. They discuss the critical importance of aligning operating models with CX strategy and ensuring that technology is a tool to enhance, not replace human connection.

This conversation serves as a powerful reminder that creating a seamless customer experience isn’t by accident—it takes intention, investment, and a genuine commitment to turning brand promises into reality.

The episode wraps up with a compelling call to action: businesses must take an honest, reflective look at their customer-centricity and ensure they don't make promises they can't keep.

🎧 Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation on building CX strategies that make a real impact and truly deliver for your customers!

“I wanted to leave to almost grow. I was part of the furniture… I didn’t like the feeling of being that. I wanted to have the confidence to step out of the shadows… and believe more in myself.”

In episode #801 of the Inspiring Women in CX podcast, Clare is joined by Chief Operating Officer Katie Costello for a heartfelt discussion on navigating career transitions, facing redundancy, and turning uncertainty into a powerful opportunity for growth. 💪

Katie shares her personal story of stepping out of her comfort zone after leaving her long-term role at Waitrose. She opens up about the emotional highs and lows of job searching, the importance of self-belief, and how she found clarity by taking things one step at a time.

With practical tips on updating your CV, preparing for interviews, and embracing expert support, Katie offers listeners a roadmap for navigating career changes with patience and self-compassion.

Clare and Katie also explore the power of community and connection - how networking and leaning into professional communities can offer not just practical guidance but also emotional support. Katie’s message is clear: be kind to yourself, seek support, and remember your worth.

This episode is packed with insight, inspiration, and actionable advice for anyone facing change in their career. Don't miss it! 🎧

Melissa Moore, Founder of The Retail Advisor, joins Clare Muscutt on the Inspiring Women in CX podcast to talk about the moment she realised she’d been in CX all along, putting on her “brave pants” and launching her own podcast, ‘The Retail Tea Break’, the disjunct that exists between those in the “ivory tower” and our frontline workers, and how we must engage, empower, and listen to our frontline workers if we wish to ensure long-term success in business.

Listen in to the full episode as Melissa talks about…

👣 Her route into CX and realising she’s put the customer at the heart all along

🛒 Starting out on the shop floor and how this ‘operational grounding’ informs her role today

🚧 The disjunct between the ‘ivory tower’ and those working on the frontline (and how the pandemic accentuated the sense of ‘us versus them’)

💥 Experiencing bullying within the workplace and how she channelled this pain into power

🤝 Why we need more “joined-up” thinking to engage and empower our employees long-term

✍️ The importance of focusing upon qualitative and quantitative research, and service KPIs, as opposed to ‘productivity measures’

For more information on joining the world’s first online community for women in Customer Experience, head over to www.womenincx.community/membership

Ellie Sutton, the Senior Customer Experience Lead at Waitrose & Partners, joins Clare Muscutt on the Inspiring Women in CX podcast to talk about Anthropology as a route into CX, realising that she had a different way of doing things, knitting together customers and operations, being her own advocate in a male-dominated environment and how she used this to her advantage, the importance of brand as a key differentiator, how digital and retail are no longer distinct business units and how we must harness digital to enhance our propositions.

Listen in as Ellie talks about…

🧠 Studying Anthropology – why people think the way that they do – before moving into food retail as a graduate trainee

 🤔 How she approached things differently, listening to customer feedback and “knitting” this together with operations

 🙋‍♀️ Being her own advocate and viewing CX in supermarket retail through a female lens

 🛍️ Post-pandemic shopping habits and the acceleration of digital – using this to enhance propositions

 📈 CX, service and proposition design, cherry-picking experiential elements and integrating these into a mass-market

For more information on joining the world’s first online community for women in Customer Experience, head over to www.womenincx.community/membership

Sarah Curran-Usher MBE joins Women in CX Founder and podcast host Clare Muscutt to discuss the evolution of retail customer experience from bricks-and-mortar to pure-play online stores over her 20 years working in the fashion industry. From the importance of getting the basics right to the opportunities presented by the latest data and technology advances, this podcast highlights what it takes to 'sell' CX to senior leaders by balancing the emotional and commercial aspects of CX initiatives, and vitally discusses the need for more women at board level who appreciate the balance required to support decisions that value people as much as numbers.

Tune in to hear more about:
- The moments that shaped Sarah's career
- How she embraced her 'disruptive' nature
- Using her different thinking to fuel success as an entrepreneur
- The highs and lows of starting, scaling, and selling her own business
- Becoming an 'entrepreneur in residence'
- The dangers of CX 'gimmicks'
- Acquisition vs retention in retail
- How to get C-suite onboard
- The differences in female leadership
- Balancing customer, brand, and commercial priorities
- Using behavioural customer data to drive better decisions
- Developing your own resilience 
- Sarah's advice for women in CX

You can find out how to join the world's first online membership community for women interested in CX by visiting www.womenincx.community