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The Goldfish Chronicles

Sharing insights on customer experience, employee engagement, and brand strategy.

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The Godfather

All you need to know about business, you can learn from the movie, “The Godfather”

All you need to know about business, you can learn from the movie, “The Godfather.” Here are two things the iconic 50-year-old film got right and wrong about business.

For background, next week the original in the trilogy turns 50. The adaptation of the Mario Puzo novel, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, debuted in theaters on March 15, 1972.

If you’ve lived under a rock and haven’t seen one of the greatest movies of all time, let me give you a primer:

The original movie chronicles the late life of Sicilian immigrant Vito Corleone (played by Marlon Brando) and his family. The Corleone’s are one of five major mafia families in New York City during the 1940s. The arc of the movie follows the ascension of Michael Corleone (played by Al Pacino) to replace Vito and become the new head of the Corleone family.

[If you haven’t seen the original, know that “Godfather II” is the best sequel ever made. It’s soo good, it is the only time two actors (Brando and DeNiro) have ever won an Oscar for playing the same character in separate movies]

Back to the two business lessons:

What did “The Godfather” get right? The movie begins at the wedding of Connie (Vito’s daughter) on the Corleone estate. Various scenes show Vito extending favors to business colleagues and members of the community. You realize Vito’s power as the head of the family comes from his ability to give. He gains status by giving without any explicit agreement for immediate or future rewards.

In the words of author Lewis Hyde, “There are two types of economies. In a commodity (or exchange) economy, status is accorded to those who have the most. In a gift economy, status is accorded to those who give the most to others.”

Purple Goldfish Lesson: Don’t think just about the transactional nature of business. Go beyond. Do the “little things” to leverage the power of the gift to build status and relationship capital.

What did “The Godfather” get wrong?

There is a powerful pivotal scene where Michael, Sonny, and Tom talk about how to avenge the attempt on the life of Vito Corleone. The takeaway is that you shouldn’t take business personally. It’s just business.

This is a lesson that falls short in business in my view. Business is always personal.

Diamond Goldfish Lesson – Business is not just about money. The game of business is for “identity.” Think about the most successful people you know who create, establish, grow, and manage their identity over time. Those are the ones who create strong relationships and win more often in business. They manage themselves under pressure and help build the identity of others. It’s never just business, it’s always personal.

What’s your favorite lesson from “The Godfather?”

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Stan Phelps

Stan Phelps walks the walk. He stands out in the sea of sameness by modeling his own Differentiated Experience (DX) message: Differentiation isn’t just about what you say, it’s about what you do and, more importantly, how and why you do it. Stan leverages his unique collection of 5,000+ case studies on customer, employee, and brand experience to engage audiences with informative learning-based experiences. He believes purposeful DX wins the hearts of employees and customers, and differentiation ultimately boosts loyalty, retention, referrals, and results.

Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

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Covid

The new “Test to Treat” policy is designed to help fight Covid

The new “Test to Treat” policy is designed to help fight Covid. Here’s how it will work. Going forward you will be able to walk into a CVS, Walgreen’s, or Walmart to get rapid tested. You’ll receive results on the spot. And if positive, you’ll walk out with a free regimen of antiviral pills.

A key element of improving customer experience involves reducing friction. Five of the 10 types of Purple Goldfish focus on effort and how to make things easier for customers.

Two of these types are convenience and waiting. These two elements are at play with the new “TEST to TREAT” Covid initiative.

The first part is convenience. The concept of “Walk-in” is a literal reference here. Over 8 out of 10 Americans live within 3 miles of a CVS, Walgreens, or a Walmart. You can walk in without an appointment and get tested.

The second part is waiting. Once you get your results, you have the ability to walk away will a course of treatment. And these antivirals are effective. Pfizer‘s Paxlovid antiviral pill reduces the chances of being hospitalized with Covid by 90 percent. Test and treat is important because it’s critical to take to begin the antiviral regimen soon after contracting Covid.

This one-stop COVID-19 response will be another important tool in managing life after the pandemic. Especially for those people who can’t get the vaccine (organ recipient, chemo patient, immunocompromised, religious, or allergic) or for those who have chosen to remain unvaccinated.

What are your thoughts on this new policy? Game changer?

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Stan Phelps

Stan Phelps walks the walk. He stands out in the sea of sameness by modeling his own Differentiated Experience (DX) message: Differentiation isn’t just about what you say, it’s about what you do and, more importantly, how and why you do it. Stan leverages his unique collection of 5,000+ case studies on customer, employee, and brand experience to engage audiences with informative learning-based experiences. He believes purposeful DX wins the hearts of employees and customers, and differentiation ultimately boosts loyalty, retention, referrals, and results.

Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

Read on...
McDonald's

McDonald’s announces that it will stop doing business in Russia

McClosed. McDonald’s announces that it will stop doing business in Russia. Yesterday, the Golden Arches was joined by one of its biggest partners, The Coca-Cola Company, in ceasing its operations after the invasion of Ukraine.

Starbucks and PepsiCo announced similar moves. They join a Who’s, Who list of global brands such as Delta Air Lines (who cut ties with Aeroflot – Russian Airlines), adidas (cutting ties with the Russia Soccer Federation), Toyota Motor Corporation (stop production at its St. Petersburg plant), Visa, Mastercard, Netflix, Google, Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp), FedEx, UPS, The HEINEKEN Company, The Walt Disney Company, IKEA, Microsoft, Apple, IBM, Airbnb, American Express, bp, Procter & Gamble, and dozens of other companies.

It’s not a small gesture by McDonald’s. The chain has 850 stores in Russia. Nearly 85% of those are company-owned. It has also temporarily closed its restaurants in Ukraine. Those two countries account for nearly 10% of global revenues at the Golden Arches.

The move is also hugely symbolic. The Iron Curtain was lifted back in 1989. I was studying overseas at the time. I vividly remember seeing the amazing images of the Berlin Wall coming down that November.

Just months later, McDonald’s would open in Pushkin Square in Moscow. On January 31, 1990, over 30,000 Soviets lined up for hours to taste the Big Mac and wash it down with a Coke. During the next 30+ years, a new McDonald’s would open in Russia every two weeks on average.

In 2002, I made my first trip to Moscow for work. While visiting, I made a special field trip to have dinner at the McD’s in Pushkin Square. I can remember taking the subway and navigating my way to the restaurant. It would begin my quirky move to eat at McDonald’s when visiting a new country.

You can stand out in business in two ways. One way is by doing more of something. Here we see a demonstration of the other approach. Doing less and withholding from the norm. McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski stated the reason behind the move, “Our values mean we cannot ignore the needless human suffering unfolding in Ukraine.”

In a classy move, McDonald’s will continue paying its 62,000 employees in Russia. Kempczinski shared they will continue to support those, “who have poured their heart and soul into our McDonald’s brand.”

Postscript: In 2013 and 2014, I made a series of three trips to Russia for speaking engagements with the telecom Beeline Business. One was to the Russian city of Rostov on Don. It is located near the border with Ukraine. I was in the city shortly after fighting broke between Ukraine and Russian Separatists. The event organizer advised that I shouldn’t leave the hotel. I remember the tension and I was over 30 miles from the shelling and fighting. My heart goes out to the Ukrainians who have now experienced this for the last fortnight. Stay strong.

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Stan Phelps

Stan Phelps walks the walk. He stands out in the sea of sameness by modeling his own Differentiated Experience (DX) message: Differentiation isn’t just about what you say, it’s about what you do and, more importantly, how and why you do it. Stan leverages his unique collection of 5,000+ case studies on customer, employee, and brand experience to engage audiences with informative learning-based experiences. He believes purposeful DX wins the hearts of employees and customers, and differentiation ultimately boosts loyalty, retention, referrals, and results.

Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

Read on...
introduction

Black Goldfish Introduction

It all started back in 2009. It was a summer evening and I was in New York City with a work colleague. Brad Bossow and I were at a trendy rooftop bar in midtown. One of those places where a bottle of beer is $15. We were waiting to meet a few people before heading over to a networking event.

This year was a pivotal one for me. I was turning 40 and I was getting introspective about work and my career. Earlier in the year, I’d created a blog called 9 INCH Marketing. Why 9 inches? Nine inches (23cm) is the average distance between the stem of your brain and the top of your heart. Given the goal of winning the hearts of your customers, I call that distance the longest and hardest nine inches in marketing. Each week I would write one or two posts exploring all facets of marketing. At the time marketing was changing rapidly. I was looking for something that could be a game-changer.

For background, I had been working for five years at Synergy. Synergy is an experiential marketing agency that created mobile tours, product launches, PR stunts, and sponsorship activations. It was the type of marketing focused on creating buzz and earned media. We’d do crazy insane activations. How crazy?

Let me share some examples:

I once helped create the World’s Largest Logo for KFC. We built it near Area 51 in Nevada. The program was called The Face from Space. The logo was so big you could see it from space. And I know that because we shot it with the Google satellite. The program created 650 million media impressions and won awards.

I erected a 70-foot tall M&M dressed as the Statue of Liberty and floated it on a barge into the New York harbor. Right in front of Lady Liberty herself. This program was to launch a new website where you could create an avatar of yourself as an M&M.

I also once put a 40-foot Viking Ship into Times Square. This program launched all of the exclusive branded merchandise for the movie How to Train Your Dragon at Walmart.

At that point, I thought it couldn’t get more ridiculous. But then I did the following program. I once gave away a Mediterranean Island for the brand I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S NOT BUTTER, with none other than, wait for it … Fabio.

These programs were successful and some even won awards. But this type of marketing wasn’t scalable or sustainable.

I knew that marketing was changing…But I didn’t know the way forward. Then I had an interaction at a rooftop bar that changed the direction of my life… [Read that story below]

https://www.slideshare.net/9INCHMARKETING/black-goldfish-introduction

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Stan Phelps

Stan Phelps walks the walk. He stands out in the sea of sameness by modeling his own Differentiated Experience (DX) message: Differentiation isn’t just about what you say, it’s about what you do and, more importantly, how and why you do it. Stan leverages his unique collection of 5,000+ case studies on customer, employee, and brand experience to engage audiences with informative learning-based experiences. He believes purposeful DX wins the hearts of employees and customers, and differentiation ultimately boosts loyalty, retention, referrals, and results.

Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

Read on...
Black

What’s black and white and red all over?

What’s black and white and red all over? There are three responses to this question.

1. The set-up to the old corny joke. A newspaper.

2. The set-up for a joke by Rebecca in “Ted Lasso.” Rebecca offers it as support for her position on picking a lion over a panda. She says, “What’s black and white and red all over?… A panda that gets anywhere close to a f*ing lion. The answer is lion.”

3. The name of a set of “impossible” puzzles by Blue Kazoo. According to their website, the puzzle company has created, “Three of the hardest, impossible jigsaw puzzles…[ominous announcer voice] …OF ALL TIME.”

Big thanks to Keith Herrmann for sharing the company as an example of a Pink Goldfish.

Aren’t puzzles supposed to be hard? But, what if you lopsided that and made them almost unsolvable? Throw in some antagonizing for good measure. Then some withholding to rounds things out.

LOPSIDING – from their website, “If you thought ‘Squid Game’ had hard games to solve, wait until you find out about our Impossible Series. A solid black, a solid white, and a solid red. Like the old joke about newspapers, but without the newspapers. Or the punchline. A thousand pieces each of impossible. In total, 3,000 pieces of relentless torment and anguish. You know. Unless you’re into that sort of thing.”

ANTAGONIZING – Blue Kazoo realizes this is going to tweak some puzzle fans, “We can safely say that this is the most difficult, most challenging, impossible puzzle series that has ever been contrived. We’re sorry.*
(*Not even a little sorry.)”

To rub it in, the company says it includes a colored poster for reference with the following emoji 😆. As if a solid color of paper will help with solving.

WiTHHOLDING – Blue Kazoo made them a limited series, “Whatever your reasons for being interested, you’d better do it fast, because we’re only making 1,000 of them. Each meticulously crafted torture device will look amazing on a shelf even if you don’t spend hours and hours putting them together.
Which you will.
Again: we are sorry.*
(*Nope, still not sorry.)

Is the Impossible series a success? Yes – White and Red are currently sold out. Black is still available. Customers have reacted positively. Adam C. says, “Yeah this one is crazy! 😂 But I wasn’t letting this puzzle get the best of me.” Princess K. says, “Challenging? Yes! But definitely not impossible. After all, it includes a poster for reference. 😂”

Takeaway – In the words of Harvard Business School professor Youngme Moon, “True differentiation is rarely a function of well-roundedness; it is typically a function of lopsidedness.”

PS – Back to “Ted Lasso” and the panda vs. lion debate. My favorite part of the scene involves Jamie Tartt.  When Ted asks the star player to choose between the two animals. Jamie gives a classic Pink Goldfish response, “I’m me. Why would I want to be anything else?”

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Stan Phelps

Stan Phelps walks the walk. He stands out in the sea of sameness by modeling his own Differentiated Experience (DX) message: Differentiation isn’t just about what you say, it’s about what you do and, more importantly, how and why you do it. Stan leverages his unique collection of 5,000+ case studies on customer, employee, and brand experience to engage audiences with informative learning-based experiences. He believes purposeful DX wins the hearts of employees and customers, and differentiation ultimately boosts loyalty, retention, referrals, and results.

Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

Read on...
McDonald's

Would you try McDonald’s China’s Cilantro Sundae?

Move over Shamrock Shake, would you try a Cilantro Sundae?

Last week McDonald’s China had the Cilantro Sundae on offer. The limited-edition dessert came with vanilla ice cream and neon green cilantro sauce. It is topped with cilantro flakes.

Would you try this?

For upwards of 20% of the US population, this herb is revolting. The dislike has to do with genetics. If you have OR6A2, an olfactory receptor, it picks up the scent of aldehyde chemicals. Aldehyde chemicals are in both cilantro and soap. Hence, you will think it tastes like soap.

@AdamKoffler commented on Twitter, “Might as well just eat a bar of soap.” I’m guessing that Adam might be one of 280,000 who are part of the “I Hate Coriander” Facebook page. Last week the page decried February 24th as International “I Hate Coriander” Day.

The timing of this antagonizing sundae is no coincidence.

Not everybody is in the hate camp though. @SuperSpacedad was on Team Cilantro, “Anyone who hasn’t tried it should – spicy + sweet/creamy does amazing things on your tastebuds.”

Big thanks to Keith Green, APR who shared a tweet from J.W. Cannon that included J.W.’s take, “I’m both intrigued and horrified at the same time.”

Part of the reason Keith shared this with me was based on my practice of visiting a McDonald’s in every country I visit. I’ve now visited McD’s in over 30 countries. I’m also intrigued by the regionalized versions of its menu. And sometimes that menu can be different in the same country. For example, did you know Spam is on the menu in Hawaii?

Speaking of the portmanteau of spiced ham from Hormel Foods, how about this Frankenburger that McDonald’s China launched for one-day last December? The Spam-Oreo Burger included two slices of Spam, topped with Oreo crumbs, and the chain’s signature burger sauce.

Stay tuned. The Cilantro Sundae is part of the year-long members-only “creative” menu in China. Last month was the Spicy Chili Oil Sundae.

Where are you on the Cilantro Sundae debate? McWrong or McRight?

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Stan Phelps

Stan Phelps walks the walk. He stands out in the sea of sameness by modeling his own Differentiated Experience (DX) message: Differentiation isn’t just about what you say, it’s about what you do and, more importantly, how and why you do it. Stan leverages his unique collection of 5,000+ case studies on customer, employee, and brand experience to engage audiences with informative learning-based experiences. He believes purposeful DX wins the hearts of employees and customers, and differentiation ultimately boosts loyalty, retention, referrals, and results.

Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

Read on...
Airbnb

Airbnb is offering temporary free accommodations to 100,000 Ukrainians

Airbnb is offering temporary free accommodations to 100,000 Ukrainians in Poland, Germany, Hungary, and Romania.

The initiative is part of its efforts to support refugees through the company’s nonprofit, Airbnb[dot]org.

In the book “Red Goldfish,” Graeme Newell and I profiled the company as part of the Liberator purpose archetype.

The purpose of The Liberator archetype is rooted in Maslow’s concept of safety. The goal is to liberate and help others. Doing so by reinventing a broken system and striving to help others break away from bondage. 

You can see this in the Airbnb purpose statement:

“To open up the world, a world where people belong, anywhere.”

How did Airbnb come by this purpose? As with most companies, it goes back to the founding.

Here is the backstory. In October of 2007, Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia were living in a San Francisco apartment. They couldn’t afford rent. That weekend, an international design conference was coming to town, and all of the hotels were sold out.

The pair had an idea. In Chesky’s words, “Why not turn our place into a bed and breakfast for the conference?”

They inflated airbeds and called it AirBed & Breakfast. From that first airbed, airBNB grew person-to-person, block-by-block, city-by-city. Today, the community is in 100,000 cities. This idea is about much more than just making ends meet. At Airbnb, they are creating a door to an open world. A world where everyone’s at home and can belong, anywhere.

It’s not enough to just have a strong purpose. Red Goldfish are the little things you do to bring that purpose to life.

Airbnb’s Red Goldfish is its Disaster Response Program.

The program helps house disaster victims for free. The program was launched in 2012 after Hurricane Sandy struck. It was inspired by the 1,400 Airbnb hosts who provided Sandy victims with meals and roofs over their heads in New York. Airbnb decided to create an official tool that enables Airbnb hosts around the world to help those in need during times of crisis. Through this tool, the Disaster Response Program connects those in need with hosts who have opened their doors to evacuees, providing safe places to stay in affected areas. Airbnb’s Nick Shapiro said, “We are hopeful that Airbnb can help play a small part in making the evacuation process easier for residents and their families.”

Airbnb Disaster Response Program exemplifies using technology to connect a world where people belong, anywhere, including when disaster has struck, by allowing the Airbnb community to connect with those in need — whether it be business or pleasure accommodations or shelter after an invasion or natural disaster. 

Liberator is one of eight purpose archetypes. The other types include Protector, Designer, Guide, Advocate, Challenger, Unifier, and Master. Other Liberator brands include the Harley-Davidson Motor Company, SAS, Southwest Airlines, CarMax, IKEA, Netflix, and Honest Tea.

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Stan Phelps

Stan Phelps walks the walk. He stands out in the sea of sameness by modeling his own Differentiated Experience (DX) message: Differentiation isn’t just about what you say, it’s about what you do and, more importantly, how and why you do it. Stan leverages his unique collection of 5,000+ case studies on customer, employee, and brand experience to engage audiences with informative learning-based experiences. He believes purposeful DX wins the hearts of employees and customers, and differentiation ultimately boosts loyalty, retention, referrals, and results.

Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

Read on...
Dollar General

It all started in Springfield. Not “The Simpsons” but Dollar General

It all started in Springfield. Not “The Simpsons” but Dollar General.

The retailer opened its doors in Kentucky back in 1955, the same year Disneyland began operating.

Just one year after the grand opening, strange things were afoot in the small town. Every man in Springfield seemed to be wearing bright pink corduroy pants.

The colorful mystery was soon unraveled. Those pants cost just $1.

It turns out a Nashville manufacturing company was unable to sell a large quantity of pink fabric. So Dollar General founder Cal Turner Sr. scored a deal by having the corduroy turned into men’s pants.

Those pink flawsome pants would have made my Pink Goldfish 2.0 co-author David Rendall and Duckie Dale very proud.

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Stan Phelps

Stan Phelps walks the walk. He stands out in the sea of sameness by modeling his own Differentiated Experience (DX) message: Differentiation isn’t just about what you say, it’s about what you do and, more importantly, how and why you do it. Stan leverages his unique collection of 5,000+ case studies on customer, employee, and brand experience to engage audiences with informative learning-based experiences. He believes purposeful DX wins the hearts of employees and customers, and differentiation ultimately boosts loyalty, retention, referrals, and results.

Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

Read on...
Super Bowl

A QR Code and a pong-like DVD screensaver bounce their way into a Super Bowl Ad

A QR Code and a pong-like DVD screensaver bounce their way into a Super Bowl Ad.

The commercial from Coinbase created buzz and now some beef.

In response to the buzz, CEO Brian Amstrong took to Twitter on Sunday to share how the ad came about. What resulted was a 12-tweet thread. Here is the unabridged version:

“Some folks asked for details of how our super bowl ad came to be, here is the quick back story…

– we bought it not knowing what we would do

– initially an outside agency pitched us a bunch of standard super bowl ad ideas

– I didn’t like any of them (standard super bowl ads tend to be gimmicky, celebrity cameo driven, going for a laugh etc)

– side note: it never made sense to me why I should like a product because a famous person got paid to say they like it

– so we went back and brainstormed, came up with a bunch of wild ideas (some of these we will do down the road, but didn’t have enough time to produce – think Apple 1984, some crypto native stuff, etc)

– we were running short of time (a few weeks), and one of the original ideas we had included putting a QR code at the end

– this was partially inspired by Reddit, Inc.’s superb owl commercial at previous super bowl, key insight was if you can only flash something on screen for a moment people will google it later – how do we get them from TV to phone to convert

– since we were almost out of time we decided to just make the whole ad a QR code

– team came up with the DVD screensaver theme, and commissioned a cool song from Com Truise (whose music I like)

– submitted the ad for approval and got a lot of pushback on whether we could run it at all, i won’t get into details here but it required some special meetings, indemnity etc

– they finally agreed and it turned out great – our team did an amazing job pulling this off last minute (and of course the production budget was tiny, less then $100k)

– I guess if there is a lesson here it is that constraints breed creativity, and that as founders you can empower your team to break the rules on marketing because you’re not trying to impress your peers at Adweek or wherever. No ad agency would have done this ad.

– I’m still new to marketing, but “Do things that you think are funny or awesome even if people tell you it won’t work” seems like reasonable advice so far.

– Although we didn’t work with a traditional ad agency I’d be remiss not to mention the creative firm we worked with who actually created the ad, commissioned the song, got the clearances etc etc. Honestly, felt like we were all one team so I didn’t fully realize it, thank you!”

[End of Thread]

Now, let’s talk about the beef. In response to the tweets, Kristen Cavallo, CEO of The Martin Agency called out Armstrong,

“It was actually inspired by presentations our agency showed your team on 8/18 (pages 19-24) and 10/7 (pages 11-18) with ad concepts for the Super Bowl with floating QR codes on a blank screen.”

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Stan Phelps

Stan Phelps walks the walk. He stands out in the sea of sameness by modeling his own Differentiated Experience (DX) message: Differentiation isn’t just about what you say, it’s about what you do and, more importantly, how and why you do it. Stan leverages his unique collection of 5,000+ case studies on customer, employee, and brand experience to engage audiences with informative learning-based experiences. He believes purposeful DX wins the hearts of employees and customers, and differentiation ultimately boosts loyalty, retention, referrals, and results.

Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

Read on...
CX

How to gain a competitive advantage and achieve bottom-line impact in business

Honored to be on the DOING CX RIGHT podcast with host Stacy Sherman. The title of Episode 27 is “Differentiating Experiences To Dominate Your Industry.”

We talk about how to gain a competitive advantage and achieve bottom-line impact in business.

I loved this question at the end, “What advice would you give to your 20-year-old self?”

Shoutouts on the podcast to my flawsome Pink Goldfish 2.0 co-author David Rendall, Mike Wittenstein (CX definition), Jay Baer (importance of WOM strategy), Marcey Rader (concept of outboarding), Joseph Jaffe (more bowtie, less funnel), and Seth Godin (interesting more important than perfect)

Listen/watch here: https://bit.ly/DXR_StanPhelps

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Stan Phelps

Stan Phelps walks the walk. He stands out in the sea of sameness by modeling his own Differentiated Experience (DX) message: Differentiation isn’t just about what you say, it’s about what you do and, more importantly, how and why you do it. Stan leverages his unique collection of 5,000+ case studies on customer, employee, and brand experience to engage audiences with informative learning-based experiences. He believes purposeful DX wins the hearts of employees and customers, and differentiation ultimately boosts loyalty, retention, referrals, and results.

Find Stan’s in-person and virtual keynotes, workshops, and Goldfish tank programs at StanPhelps.com.

Read on...
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A simple illustration of a purple fish facing right on a plain background.

I've had the pleasure of working with teams at:

Hallmark logo featuring cursive text with a crown above the letter "k.
Discover logo with the word "DISCOVER" in black and an orange circle representing the letter "O" on a gray background.
Hyundai logo featuring a stylized "H" in an oval above the word "HYUNDAI" in bold, uppercase letters.
IKEA logo in bold black letters on a white oval background, set against a dark rectangle.
Square logo with a grey square icon and the word "Square" in grey text.
ExxonMobil logo in gray text on a dark background.
IHOP logo with the letters "IHOP" in uppercase, and a curved line below resembling a smile.
The image shows the Red Hat logo featuring a stylized red fedora hat alongside the text "Red Hat.
Logo of American Family Insurance, featuring stylized text under a roofline design.
Logo of Boston Scientific with the tagline "Advancing science for life™" below it.
Cardinal Health logo featuring stylized bird wings above the company name in dark gray.
Citrix logo with black text on a transparent background.
A gray logo with the word "kenvue" next to a stylized "K" shape.
Stylized Liberty Tax Service logo featuring the Statue of Liberty's crown alongside the company name.
MetLife logo with a stylized "M" icon on the left and the text "MetLife" on the right, all in grayscale.
SAS logo featuring the letters "sas" in lowercase with a stylized "S" design to the left.
Logo of UnitedHealthcare with icon resembling a shield on the left and the company name written in a serif font on the right.
Logo of United Way featuring stylized hand, person, and rainbow circle.
Xerox logo with grey text and a stylized sphere featuring white intersecting lines.
Sherwin-Williams logo featuring an inverted paint can pouring paint over a globe, with the company name in capital letters to the right.
Logo reading "Window World" in black script on a gray background.
American Century Investments logo featuring a stylized tree and text.
Microsoft logo with four colored squares forming a larger square on the left and the word "Microsoft" in gray text on the right.
Nintendo logo with black text inside a rounded rectangle.
The image shows the Volvo logo, a circle with an arrow pointing diagonally upwards to the right and the word "Volvo" written across the center.
Canon logo in black font on a transparent background.
CAT logo featuring bold black letters with a white and gray triangular shape underneath.
Black and white Dairy Queen logo with the letters "DQ" inside a tilted oval shape.
Fidelity Investments logo featuring a stylized sunburst design above the company name.
IBM logo in bold, gray letters with horizontal lines cutting through each letter.
Intel logo in black and white with the company name in lowercase letters encircled by an oval.
Logo of the National Association of Realtors, featuring a stylized "R" symbol and the organization's full name in bold letters.
TEDx logo in bold, uppercase black letters on a white background.
Logo of Choice Hotels featuring a stylized letter "C" composed of geometric shapes above the text "Choice Hotels.
Logo with the letters "E" and "O," and a circular shape resembling a clock or gauge with a needle pointing right. Three small stars are above the image.
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Find Your Best-Match Program

With over 18 possible keynote speaking presentations, workshops, and GOLDFISH TANK programs available to meet your ever-evolving needs, I’ve created this 2-minute, 6-question quiz to help you understand which program is best for you and your audience.

Take the Quiz

Meet Your Presenter

Through keynote speaking presentations, hands-on workshops, and GOLDFISH TANK programs, I empower you to power loyalty and growth.

Hi, I’m Stan Phelps. I work with organizations that want to increase loyalty, drive sales, and promote positive word-of-mouth by creating differentiated experiences.

As an author, keynote speaker, and workshop facilitator, my in-person and virtual programs stand out in a sea of sameness because I model my own message of differentiated experience (DX).

I leverage my unique collection of more than 5,500 case studies on customer, employee, and brand experience to engage audiences with practical ideas that inspire action.

More About Stan
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Every time we do business together, Something amazing happens in the world!

Through my partner B1G1, each program gives back to create global IMPACT

Two students in blue uniforms smile while washing their hands at an outdoor tap.

When we complete a GOLDFISH TANK, we give 1001 days of clean water to school children

Collage of three images: a person washing hands, a child drawing with colored pencils, and a group of people sitting outdoors with some raising their hands.

When we complete a GLOBAL engagement, we give 365 days of clean water access in Peru, 120 days of learning aids in Malaysia, and 50 days of business training for women in Malawi

Hand placing a brick on a surface with text: "One Book = One Brick" and an Amazon logo.

When someone downloads a GOLDFISH eBook, we give one brick toward building school facilities in Cambodia

An engaging, dynamic, and thought-provoking session

"Stan Phelps' recent keynote at TD Wealth's Annual Sales Conference was an engaging, dynamic, and thought-provoking session. Stan really challenged the group's current mindset (both personally and in relation to their clients), leaving attendees inspired to think differently."

VP, Corporate Communications Manager, Corporate and Public Affairs, TD Bank

People left, not only motivated and enthusiastic but armed with specific ideas they could put to work right away

"Stan spoke at an AENC (Association Executives of North Carolina) conference as the keynote speaker for lunch a few years ago. He held everyone's attention from start to finish and people left, not only motivated and enthusiastic but armed with specific ideas they could put to work right away. One of our members said he implemented Stan's idea of offering a lagniappe and it had an immediate positive effect on their business and bottom line. Participants are still commenting on his presentation so we had him back for our annual meeting! Stan is real and so is his message!"

Director of Operations & Events, Association Executives of North Carolina

Tremendous energy along with inspiring insights

"Stan brought tremendous energy along with inspiring insights to our first CMO Super Huddle. The attendees really appreciated his style, content, and the deft facilitation of the breakout sessions."

Founder, CMO Huddles

An extremely engaging speaker who perfectly balances entertainment with inspiration

"After reading Stan's book, Pink Goldfish: Defy Normal, Exploit Imperfection and Captivate Your Customers, I was excited to work with him to present on a Confirmit Livestream and a webinar. In the end, our audience absolutely loved the presentations! Stan's ideas on how to exploit perceived imperfections are truly innovative and his presentations were absolutely flawless. Stan is an extremely engaging speaker who perfectly balances entertainment with inspiration. His presentations are visually appealing and full of real-world examples that empower the audience with actionable ideas to differentiate their business. Without hesitation, I highly recommend Stan Phelps for any speaking engagement and I look forward to working with him again in the future."

Director of Product Marketing, Confirmit

Ideas that transcend industries

"When Stan speaks on the topic of employee engagement, he discusses ideas that transcend industries. Government, healthcare, business, or any industry you can think of will likely get a lot of out what he has to say on the topics. And the best part about Stan - besides being a great guy generally - is his focus on telling practical stories to get his message across."

Director of Marketing, Voiance

Wow, he can keep the attention of room of accountants, that's impressive

"After hearing Stan speak at a continuing education course for a group of CPA's I thought - wow, he can keep the attention of room of accountants, that's impressive. Fast forward a year and I was able to have the pleasure of scheduling Stan to speak to group of utility contractors. My point - whether it is a group of CPA's, or a group of contractors, Stan is able to provide relevant and thought-provoking presentations that allow you to better yourself and your organization. After hearing Stan, I have always kept one of his stickers on my laptop - a purple fish that reminds me to "think outside the bowl.""

President, NUCA of the Carolinas

Audience engagement and a strong takeaway of value

"Stan did a great job of prepping to address our group so that when he did, he was efficient and effective at hitting just the right points, allowing for audience engagement and a strong takeaway of value from the participants."

Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer, United Way Worldwide

Practical ideas [attendees] could take home and put to work immediately

"We were fortunate to have Stan as the keynote speaker for an industry event we sponsored in March. His practical ideas and broad perspective on customer service combined with genuine caring was more than just inspirational. He also managed to provide our audience with practical ideas they could take home and put to work immediately."

Founder and VP, Clinical Community, Clinicient

It was one of the best workshops we've had

"Stan led a fantastic virtual workshop for our marketing team on customer experience design. Stan took the time to learn about our products to ensure the workshop is tailored to our needs. He is an excellent speaker, who made the learning process interactive and fun. It felt like a great team building exercise, while we learned to develop a new way to reach our customers. It was one of the best workshops we've had. I heard many compliments from the team."

Asst Mgr, CRM & Customer Analytics, Hyundai

By far the best and most interesting speaker

"Here is feedback from the attendees in your session:  Gain a lot of insight and learned new ideas. Great speaker.  AWESOME!!! Like seriously, Awesome, no joke, he is just simply awesome.  Favorite  Best presentation today.  Best one!  Fantastic presenter! Engaging, not reading off slides, unique angle, interesting stories added depth.  Best one!  Best speaker all day. Want to see him again at PBLI.  You were so awesome & engaging. -AKPsi Bro  By far the best and most interesting speaker.  Great work!  Great.  Best Presentation!  Best presentation of PBLI!  By far my favorite! Stan is wonderful.  Great presentation. Favorite one all day!  Very engaging.  Showmanship.  Great speaker!!  Best one I went to!  Great presenter. Saw him twice.  He NEEDS to come back! Stan the man.  This was a GREAT speaker!  Favorite FANTASTIC!"

Director of Education, Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity

We look forward to having Stan back to speak again

"Stan is an extremely entertaining speaker! Our attendees walked away with a fresh approach to marketing and customer service. We look forward to having Stan back to speak again in the future, a real class act!"

Project Manager, North Carolina Automobile Dealers Association

Excellent feedback from your presentation

"It was a such a pleasure to work with you Stan. Your flexibility and approachabiility is rare in the Keynote speaker world, and makes the entire process a very valued one for the event planner. I'm already receiving excellent feedback from your presentation. Thank you so much."

Director of Franchise Development Events, Liberty Tax
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