Experience-Focused Leaders

Introducing Alex Shevelenko, CEO and founder of RELAYTO and the host of the Experienced-Focused Leaders Podcast. With a mission to empower seasoned business owners who recognize the critical role of customer experience in achieving success, Alex brings together a community of discerning listeners eager to explore new perspectives and strategies for enhancing their experience-centric approach. In our thought-provoking podcast episodes, we dive deep into the stories and insights of accomplished business owners who have honed their expertise in delivering exceptional customer experiences. These industry veterans possess a wealth of knowledge and practical experience, making them valuable resources for our audience of seasoned professionals who are passionate about creating meaningful connections with their customers. Our podcast serves as a platform for exchanging ideas, sharing best practices, and exploring innovative approaches to customer experience. We understand that our audience is composed of discerning individuals who have already achieved considerable success and are constantly seeking new ways to elevate their customer-centric strategies. If you are a seasoned business owner with a profound understanding of the significance of customer experience in driving business growth, we invite you to join us as a guest on our podcast. Share your unique insights, success stories, and the strategies that have set you apart in your industry.

Experience-Focused Leaders is a business podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 0 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts Experience-Focused Leaders, a business show with 0 episodes published.

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  Episode #48

  48 – Don’t Take It So Seriously: How to Engineer Fun at Work

  Aug 14, 20261h 4mS2

  Your host Alex Shevelenko welcomes Andrew Tarvin, CEO of Humor That Works, the world’s first "humor engineer," author of 501 Ways to Use Humor at Work , and former Procter & Gamble computer scientist. In this episode, Andrew shares his counterintuitive, systematic take on why conventional workplace communication frequently feels stiff and dry, especially in professional environments where employees hold back their sense of humor out of a fear that colleagues or leadership won't approve. Andrew discusses the evolution of his career from balancing a tech job at P&G with late-night stand-up comedy to training over 35,000 professionals across organizations like IBM, P&G, and the FBI on bringing levity to work. He explains why workplace humor is fundamentally different from stand-up comedy—emphasizing that the goal is not to be edgy or perform a Netflix-level routine, but simply to make work slightly more fun and engaging. He introduces his "Humor MAP" framework—breaking down how Medium, Audience, and Purpose dictate how levity should be applied—and shares practical techniques like the "comic triple," extended metaphors, and the 5x5 List method to create pattern interrupts that reduce stress, reset perspective, and boost productivity. The conversation also touches on the practicalities of go-to-market communication and corporate culture, including Andrew's advice on using curated humor (like the $1 million "porpoise" follow-up meme) to re-engage ghosted sales leads without trying too hard. He shares insights on using self-deprecating humor and "straw man" profiles to inspire behavioral change without making clients or team members feel stupid, as well as how AI can serve as a creative partner for brainstorming setups. This episode serves as a masterclass for any leader, marketer, or executive looking to move beyond dry corporate pitches and build a communication engine that drives real workplace engagement. To connect with Andrew, find him on LinkedIn or visit his website at humorthatworks.com . You can also find his book, 501 Ways to Use Humor at Work , on Audible and Amazon. Want to be a guest on the show? Contact us here . To learn more about RELAYTO, visit relayto.com .

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  Episode #47

  47 – Why Customers Don't Buy Pain Points or ROI

  Aug 7, 202643 minS2

  Your host Alex Shevelenko welcomes Rob Snyder, an author, startup advisor, Harvard Business School MBA, and former McKinsey consultant. In this episode, Rob shares his counterintuitive, physics-based take on why conventional startup wisdom and traditional sales playbooks frequently fail, especially in a B2B landscape where founders are taught to push product features and showcase ROI over understanding genuine customer behavior. Rob discusses the evolution of his thinking from getting "punched in the face" by early startup failures to scaling a business to $104 million in revenue in two years without understanding why it finally clicked. He explains why modern B2B discovery often feels like an interrogation, with founders hollowing out buyer trust by clinging to rigid qualification frameworks like BANT or MEDDIC and running lengthy, non-aerodynamic product demos. He introduces his "Pull Framework"—breaking down how active Projects, Unavoidable needs, Limited options, and inherent Limitations dictate whether a customer will truly buy—providing a blueprint for eliminating up to 100% of unnecessary demos and pilots to compress 18-month sales cycles down to weeks. As the conversation explores enterprise friction, Rob highlights why inbound interest doesn't guarantee a sale, and why the most resilient founders will be those who hunt for internal "change agents" rather than relying on superficial pain points. The conversation also touches on the practicalities of enterprise sales physics and the psychology of buyer motivation, including Rob's advice on how to uncover a prospect's personal "so that" drivers without creating artificial urgency. He shares insights from advising hundreds of near-death startups, explaining how analyzing real customer data—specifically fast buyers and resurrected leads—can reveal the exact triggers that cause a customer to pull a product out of a founder's hands. This episode serves as a masterclass for any founder, revenue leader, or growth executive looking to move beyond "answer-obsessed" pitches and build a go-to-market engine that is operationally equipped to drive real velocity. To connect with Rob, find him on LinkedIn or visit his website at RobSnyder.org . You can also find his book, The Power of Pull , on Audible and Amazon. Want to be a guest on the show? Contact us here . To learn more about RELAYTO, visit: relayto.com .

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  Episode #46

  46 – How to Build Your "Uncertainty Muscle" When the Stakes Are High

  Jul 23, 202652 minS2

  Your host Alex Shevelenko welcomes Elizabeth Weingarten, a journalist, applied behavioral scientist, and author of How to Fall in Love with Questions . In this episode, Elizabeth shares her visionary take on why active curiosity and emotional regulation are critical to cutting through modern friction, especially in a world where AI tools and corporate pressure push us toward fast, easy answers over genuine understanding. Elizabeth discusses the evolution of her thinking from navigating personal and professional turning points during the pandemic to studying the cognitive science behind how we handle ambiguity. She explains why modern business communication often feels like a misunderstood struggle, with leaders hollowing out team trust by romanticizing curiosity in theory while demanding rigid certainty in high-stakes meetings. She introduces her "Tree Framework" for categorizing questions—distinguishing short-term "Peach" queries from long-term "Pawpaw" challenges and core "Heartwood" values—providing a blueprint for letting go of ruminative "Dead Leaf" thoughts and focusing on the inquiries that actually drive growth. As the conversation explores the future of AI, Elizabeth highlights why instant digital answers risk atrophying our "uncertainty muscles," and why the most resilient leaders will be those who prioritize intentional, open-ended inquiry over knee-jerk solutions. The conversation also touches on the practicalities of leadership and the psychology of team trust, including Elizabeth's advice on how to move beyond defensive management by taking a strategic pause—a simple "Hmm" —to regulate emotions under pressure. She shares insights from years spent analyzing how people and teams process fear and ambiguity, explaining how reframing binary choices into expansive questions can protect a company's operational clarity and even heal interpersonal relationships. This episode serves as a masterclass for any tech, operations, or personal growth leader looking to move beyond "answer-obsessed" culture and build an environment that is philosophically and mentally equipped to stay curious in an era of unprecedented digital uncertainty. To connect with Elizabeth, find her on LinkedIn or visit her website at elizabethweingarten.com . You can also read her leadership and behavioral science thoughts on her Substack, Time Travel for Beginners . Want to be a guest on the show? Contact us HERE . To learn more about RELAYTO, visit: relayto.com .

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  Episode #45

  45 – The 1,000-Yard Stare: How Near-Death Rewrites Success

  Jul 10, 202655 minS2

  Your host Alex Shevelenko welcomes Ted Elliott, CEO of Copado and experienced tech entrepreneur. In this episode, Ted shares his visionary take on why operational alignment and deep empathy are critical to cutting through modern business friction, especially in a world where corporate complexity and generative AI are rapidly rewriting the rules of leadership and enterprise communication. Ted discusses the evolution of his thinking from serving on the frontlines as a first-time founder navigating the heavy "burden of foundership" to stepping into global leadership roles across high-growth startups and tech unicorns. He explains why modern business communication often feels like a misunderstood struggle, with executive teams hollowing out their alignment by misinterpreting their own goals and operational data. He introduces the concept of navigating "the thousand-yard stare" of veteran leadership—a blueprint for balancing highly ambitious growth targets with the narrow, disciplined focus required to solve an organization’s or a customer’s most urgent distribution needs. As the conversation explores the future of AI, Ted highlights why the speed of automated tools cannot replace the clear, intentional connection of a trusted message, and why the most resilient enterprise organizations will be those that prioritize verified internal communication tools over unguided data sprawl. The conversation also touches on the practicalities of leadership and the psychology of team trust, including Ted’s advice on how to move beyond defensive, reactionary management by adopting an empathetic, open-minded approach to feedback. He shares insights from his decades spent analyzing how information and software spread across global, multicultural markets, explaining how practicing radical transparency and strategic simplicity can protect a company’s operational speed and even save a leader's organizational trust. This episode serves as a masterclass for any tech or operations leader looking to move beyond "innovation theater" and build a corporate ecosystem that is philosophically and technically equipped to stay aligned in an era of unprecedented digital uncertainty. To connect with Ted, find him on LinkedIn or view his leadership thoughts on the Forbes Technology Council. You can also visit copado.com to see his vision for high-integrity DevOps and automated software delivery in action. Don't just build a product—build the trust to solve the world's problems! Want to be a guest on the show? Contact us at info@relayto.com. To learn more about RELAYTO, visit: relayto.com .

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  Episode #44

  44 – How to Turn "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" of Pharma Data into a Trusted Asset

  Jul 3, 20261h 5mS2

  Your host Alex Shevelenko welcomes Michelle Bridenbaker, Global Head of Medical Excellence and Communications at Recordati, Vice President of MILE, and CEO of Unbiased Science . In this episode, Michelle shares her visionary take on why scientific transparency and human empathy are critical to cutting through the modern "attention economy," especially in a world where social media algorithms and generative AI are rapidly rewriting the rules of healthcare communication. Michelle discusses the evolution of her thinking from serving on the frontlines as a critical care nurse to stepping into global leadership roles across drug safety and medical affairs. She explains why modern medical communication often feels like a misunderstood struggle, with clinicians hollowing out their limited patient time to meet heavy administrative demands. She introduces the concept of navigating "the good, the bad, and the ugly" of data—a blueprint for balancing highly regulated information with the narrow, disciplined focus required to solve a patient's or clinician's most urgent health literacy needs. As the conversation explores the future of AI, Michelle highlights why the speed of generative tools cannot replace the "human connection" of a trusted messenger, and why the most resilient healthcare organizations will be those that prioritize verified, guardrailed data environments over generic internet content. The conversation also touches on the practicalities of leadership and the psychology of public trust, including Michelle’s advice on how to move beyond defensive, judgmental communication by adopting an empathetic, open-ended approach to patient inquiries. She shares insights from her decades spent analyzing how information spreads across global, multicultural markets, explaining how practicing radical transparency and data literacy can protect a company’s compliance and even save a clinician's professional trust. This episode serves as a masterclass for any life sciences leader looking to move beyond "innovation theater" and build an communication ecosystem that is philosophically and technically equipped to stay trusted in an era of unprecedented digital uncertainty. To connect with Michelle, find her on LinkedIn or follow her insights at unbiasedscipod.com. You can also visit mile-association.org to see her vision for high-integrity medical information leadership in action. Don't just build a product—build the trust to solve the world's problems! Want to be a guest on the show? Contact us HERE . To learn more about RELAYTO, visit: relayto.com.

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