My pastor said something last week. "If you're staying in a phase of life, you're likely stuck in a phase of life." Infants become toddlers. Toddlers become teenagers. Empty nesters ... I'm one of those now. Every phase gives way to the next. That's how it works.

CX Passport is coming to the end of a phase.

In this week's CX Passport, The One With The Last One? E262, I sat down solo to talk about what comes next ... and what the last five years actually made possible. Because of you.

It started in 2021. A co-working space with no one else co-working. A microphone sitting on a stack of borrowed books. No monetization goals. No download goals. I wanted interesting conversations with interesting people ... and I wanted those people to come from everywhere, not just the Western business culture voices that dominate many CX conversations.

​Santhakumaran Atmalingam said yes first. Episode one. Malaysia. Before I knew what I was doing, before there was any reason to say yes, he showed up and kicked off what became a five year run across every continent except Antarctica. I tried. I really tried to get Antarctica.

Guests from over 50 countries. Listeners from over 90. Conversations with the head of CX for a Ugandan power company. A woman in Ukraine talking about customer experience in the middle of conflict. Senior executives from the most visible brands in aviation, hospitality, transportation. None of it was the plan. All of it happened. All of it happened because you showed up.

And none of what came after exists without CX Passport. Not The Loud Quiet. Not the book. Not the conference appearances or the TV spots or the relationships that now span the globe. None of it without the guests who said yes. None of it without you tuning in, week after week, from over 90 countries around the world.

One more credit long overdue. You've heard that voice dropping in through the middle of episodes ... "This is your Captain speaking." That's Nicholas Zeisler. He shows up in most episodes. I'm so grateful that he was willing to share his voice for CX Passport.

I am genuinely grateful. More than I know how to say in a newsletter. You gave this show a reason to exist and kept giving it one for five years. That means more to me than any download number or sponsorship deal ever could.

So where does that leave things?

Three paths.

A hiatus... Ross and Rachel took a break and eventually figured it out.

A full shutdown... every season has an end and there's no shame in a real finale.

Or a sale... to the right buyer who wants to carry a global CX conversation forward with the energy it deserves. I'm open to that conversation. If you know someone, I'd welcome that introduction.

And then there's the Janice Clause. If you know Friends, you know Janice. She'd disappear for months, sometimes years, then pop back up out of nowhere. I'm not ruling that out either.

I'm not going anywhere though. I'm already over at The Loud Quiet, the podcast and community I co-host with my wife Clancy. If you're an empty nester, approaching that season, or you've just liked hanging out with me these last five years ... come find us. That's where I am now. https://www.theloudquiet.com​

And to you ... the person reading this right now. You are the reason any of this existed. Every episode, every guest, every conversation that never should have happened and did anyway ... none of it means anything without someone on the other end listening. You were that person. Thank you. Genuinely, deeply, thank you.

I'm Rick Denton and I believe the best meals are served outside and require a passport.

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 The Last One? - E262 Listen on any Pod app

---