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Real CX Leaders Don’t Need to Wear Pink

Published 4 months ago • 2 min read

Even if it is Wednesday

Finding your voice in customer experience isn’t always easy. Especially when it feels like the industry already has a “cool kids’ table” you’re supposed to sit at.

Beth Karawan shares what it’s like to feel that way…to question the “plastics”.

She also shares what happens when you stop chasing the clique—and start building your own tribe instead.

“Slowly but surely, I found my tribe, as it were, of people who were also questioning the status quo.”​

Beth and I first connected over a newsletter I wrote a while back, comparing the tribalism of the CX industry to the movie Mean Girls.

You know the feeling: cliques, trends, gatekeeping... the sense that if you didn’t look or talk a certain way, you didn’t belong.

“On Wednesdays we wear pink” - Karen Smith

When Beth read it, she reached out immediately. Her exact quote?...

"It's like I'm Cady Heron in a world of established CX cliques"

In this episode of CX Passport, she shares what it felt like being a CX professional who didn’t always fit the mold and why the experience often felt like playing the role of the outsider, just hoping to find a place at the table.

Early on Beth felt like something just wasn’t intuitive. “We’ve always done it that way” wasn’t a satisfying answer to her. As she pushed, she felt that push back.

Staying true her thoughts meant risking being left out. It meant speaking up even when the room didn’t want to hear it.

But over time, Beth found what every authentic leader eventually does:

You don’t need the cool kids' approval.
You need your people.

Real CX leadership isn’t about fitting in with whatever the latest trend says is important.

Beth’s journey is a reminder that leadership starts the moment you stop chasing acceptance and start building authentic change.
​

It’s not glamorous at first. It’s not instant.
But eventually, it’s the only work that actually matters.

Your Turn:

When have you felt the need to push against conventional wisdom and champion something new? Tell me about it by replying directly to this email.

Put those tray tables up and buckle those seat belts. Let’s go!

-Rick

P.S. If you know someone who might benefit from this week’s newsletter, please feel free to forward this to them. Or they can sign up here.

What’s on tap this week?…

Host - Rick Denton

Rick believes the best meals are served outside and require a passport

🎤🎞️“The one with mean girls” with Beth Karawan CoFounder / EVP at Imprint CX in CX Passport Episode 216🎧

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