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Stan Phelp's Blog

The Goldfish Chronicles

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

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Harry Styles

Harry Styles stands out as a Pink Goldfish

Whose house? Move over Reverend Run and Billy Joel… the World’s Most Famous Arena is Harry’s House. Harry Styles added another five sold-out shows to his Madison Square Garden residency.

That brings the total to 15 shows this August and September.

That’s more shows than Billy Joel typically does in a year. Joel started his residency back in 2014.

Most bands tour across the country. City to city. In an opposing move, Harry Styles will do 30 shows in just two cities: New York and LA. He is a destination draw.

Peel back the layers and you’ll find a core group of fans that see these shows as a collective experience. They call themselves Harries or Stylers.

Dressing up for a Harry Styles is part of the micro-weird experience. Just like the singer, fans sport bright colors, stripes, glitter, and boas. And they come wielding homemade signs and flags.

In the words of teen Kaelana Faessler, “The energy in the room was indescribable, but everyone was having the time of their lives…Styles was very engaging with the crowd between songs, occasionally taking breaks to read signs or crack jokes.”

Like when Harry reacted to a fan’s hilarious sign with a punny joke, “What do you call a sad strawberry? A blueberry!!” by saying, “That’s so good.” Or when he obliged a fan when seeing a sign that said, “Bark like a dog.”

His personality lends to the experience. The New York Post called out his charm,

“Therein lies the power of Styles, who is not the best singer, not the best musician, and certainly not the best dancer. But he can carry and own the stage with a minimal amount of the typical production bells and whistles — no backup dancers necessary — required for an arena show.”

Harry Styles stands out as a Pink Goldfish. By doing more of what makes him weird and less of what others do as “normal.”

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...
marketing

“Marketing is about being so remarkable that people can’t help but talk about you.” -Drew McLellan

“Marketing is about being so remarkable that people can’t help but talk about you. That if you absolutely delight someone—they will not only come back but they’ll bring friends. They become your salesforce.”

This quote is from Drew McLellan. He shared it in the Foreword for Purple Goldfish. Drew continues:

“Stan delivers this marketing truth over and over again in this book all wrapped in the idea of lagniappe. What’s so awesome about the whole notion of Purple Goldfish is that it not only teaches us what to do but more importantly it reminds us that it must be done from the heart.”

Lagniappe is a creole word that dates back to the 1800s. Mark Twain once called it, “a word worth traveling to New Orleans to get.” It’s a “little something extra” that’s added to honor the relationship.

Drew speaks to the spirit of lagniappe:

“True lagniappe can’t be faked or forced. We banter the word authentic around too much these days. But for lagniappe to work, it must be just that—real and offered without expectation of anything in return.
In other words—you do it because you want to, not because it’s in a marketing plan document or because your ROI calculator told you
it would generate a 42.36% return. (And no … there’s no such thing as an ROI calculator!)”

The purpose of the book is to inspire businesses to think differently.

Drew continues:

“As you read the stories that Stan has collected for this book, I think you’re going to be amazed at the creativity and generosity that many businesses have and, in the end, I suspect you’ll be inspired to let your inner spirit of lagniappe loose. You’ll probably fill up a notepad with ideas of how you could do a little something extra to enchant your customers. When you’ve turned that corner and are thinking about them rather than what’s in it for you, you’re truly ready to practice lagniappe.”

I have the honor of sharing “Purple Goldfish” today as the Closing Keynote for the Louisiana Travel Summit. As a gift to the attendees, I’ve made Purple Goldfish 2.0 eBook free today (8/25) on Amazon: https://lnkd.in/gArSKRJp

Drew finishes the Foreword:
.
“In the end, this book is Stan’s own lagniappe for all of us. A genuine gesture of sharing what he truly believes with the hope that it is of great value to us. I’m so happy for you that you’ve found Stan, his book and are about to receive a gift that could, if you let it, change how you do business forever.”

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...
sales

This skill is more important than empathy in SALES

This skill is more important than empathy in SALES.

“Empathy is often expressed as ‘walking a mile in another person’s shoes.’ While empathy is important, compassion is even more powerful. Compassion is recognizing the other person’s shoes are three sizes too small and helping them into a pair of shoes that fit them.”

This was a quote from Anthony Iannarino from the Foreword of “Diamond Goldfish.” Diamond is about managing yourself and client/prospect under pressure to excel in business.

Anthony challenges us to see thing from the client or prospect perspective. It’s a realization that they are struggling to produce the results they’re responsible for creating. They don’t really know why they can’t achieve the results that used to be possible for them, let alone the better results their company demands of them. They feel a very similar pressure to yours. 

To be successful in sales requires a shift in mindset. Selling is that it is not something you are doing TO someone, but something you are doing FOR someone and with someone. It is the act of creating value for someone, helping them to obtain a result they couldn’t easily create without your help.

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...
chipotle

How the $28 candle of Chipotle is a fun example of Pink Goldfish

Chipotle tweeted, “Hear me out: a water cup scented candle that smells like lemonade.”

The replies to this tweet back in 2019 were telling:

“I sometimes fill my water cup with lemonade, and it’s hits, so i feel you on this idea.”

“Oh sh*t, they’re on to us.”

“It’s just a touch of lemonade. Consider it lemon water.”

It took nearly three years, but the limited-edition candle is here. Chipotle launched it over the weekend in honor of National Lemonade Day.

The “Water” Cup candle pokes fun at customers who fill their free water cup with lemonade.

The $28 candle is a fun example of the Pink Goldfish of both microweirding and antagonizing.

“Social is the premier destination for us to listen to and engage with our superfans,” said CMO Chris Brandt in the press release. “When they see these lighthearted tributes to social chatter and fan behavior, they feel even more connected to Chipotle.”

The brand boasts 1.1 million followers on Twitter. Unfortunately, perhaps they didn’t calculate the demand. The candle sold out within minutes. It was a much bigger hit than the cilantro soap they launched last year.

One Chipotle fan got in the last word … or a veiled product suggestion:

“Does it smell like sprite?”

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...
pizza

Is this the biggest pizza innovation in 60 years?

Is this the biggest pizza innovation in 60 years? Or has Papa Johns lost the plot?

First, let’s provide context.

Back in 1962, late Canadian restaurateur Sam Panopoulos topped a pizza with pineapple. Ham joined the ensemble and Sam dubbed it the “Hawaiian Pizza.”

According to an article by Dan Nosowitz in Atlas Obscura,

“’People said ‘you are crazy to do this,’ Panopoulos remembers. But he liked it immediately and started advertising his crazy new pizza topping. Amazingly, it caught on.” 

Since that day at the Satellite Restaurant in Chatham, Ontario, the debate about pineapple on pizza has raged.

Is there a more divisive topping? I think not. A 2013 post on BuzzFeed by fellow Triangle resident Thomas Evans called the Hawaiian, “the most insulting and offensive pizza in the world.”

Now Papa Johns has entered a new item into the debate. Not a topping though.

They are leveraging the Pink Goldfish of Withholding to get people excited about pizza again. Withholding is doing less of what everyone else does as normal.

This new spin on the classic pizza is all toppings… and no crust.

Dubbed “Pizza Bowls,” they come in three varieties: Garden Veggie, Chicken Alfredo, and the Italian Meats Trio.

Sorry, you’ve got to be a Papa Johns loyalty member this week to try one. Everyone else will get a shot starting August 22nd. But, will anyone be rushing out? Hmmm.

Why Pizza Bowls you ask? Three reasons:

1. The chain believes this provides a healthier alternative.

2. CNN reported they want to avoid the “veto vote.” That’s when an eatery gets ruled out because it doesn’t have enough options for everyone in the dining party.

3. Because they think people have pizza fatigue.

That last reason by Scott Rodriguez has set the Twitterverse ablaze. Papa Johns was trending yesterday and it’s not pretty.

Are Pizza Bowls the next Mexican Pizza sensation? Or will they go the way of Pizza in a Cup?

According to @Stewey444 on Twitter, “The only person who wants this is Dr. Oz, so he can spend less time shopping for crudite.”

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...
waiting

How curbing waiting can make a big difference in customer experience

“You take it on faith, you take it to the heart
The waiting is the hardest part.” That’s both a lyric from the late Tom Petty and a truism when it comes to customer experience.

Curbing waiting is a little extra that can make a big difference. It’s the focus of a recent commercial by Carvana. The 30-second spot tells the story of Roger selling his car.

It highlights how:

– it only takes 2 minutes to receive a quote for your car
– that the Carvana rep arrives exactly on time to pick it up
– and that you get paid right on the spot

We spend 10% of our life waiting. I know it is true because I once read it on the Internet 😉 Seriously, Waiting is one of the 10 types of Purple Goldfish.

Waiting is inevitable for your customers, especially if you run a successful business. How you handle those moments and the little extras you offer can make a big difference.

Fundamentally, waiting can only be addressed in two ways:

1. You can work to reduce the wait time.

2. You can make the wait feel shorter.

Here Carvana is focusing on the first way. The spot ends with a voiceover, “it’s the little things that drive you happy.” I couldn’t agree more.

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...
Velveeta

WARNING: Cheesy case study

WARNING: Cheesy case study. “It takes a special breed of person to truly appreciate the never-ending opportunities for pleasure that life affords us.”

That’s the message from the makers of Velveeta. They believe that “With a bit of Velveeta and the right attitude, any day can feel like yours for the taking. That’s La Dolce Velveeta.”

Are you living a beautiful cheesy life?

For background, sales of the cheese product spiked in 2020 by 24%. Fueled by the global pandemic, Velveeta seize on the opportunity to develop a new identity. A new logo was launched with a supporting ad campaign called, “La Dolce Velveeta.”

Here is the new ethos of the brand, according to Kelsey Rice,

“Velveeta exists to make outrageous pleasure a way of life.”

Microweird marketing stunts such as cheese-scented nail polish and pricey Velveeta martinis (called a “Veltini”) have supported the new campaign.

CNN reported that this was Velveeta taking a “rare chance to reintroduce itself to new customers, and to those who hadn’t bought Velveeta in years.”

I disagree. I think this about making “heavy users” of the product feel better about themselves.

In Pink Goldfish 2.0, @David Rendall and I uncovered an interesting insight from a 2014 Harvard Business Review article entitled, “Make Your Best Customers Even Better.”

Authors Eddie Yoon, Steve Carlotti, and Dennis Moore detailed how the Velveeta brand experienced its third consecutive year of declining sales in 2012.

What could Kraft do to reverse this trend? Could they get new or lapsed customers to try the product? Could they get infrequent purchasers to buy the product more consistently?      

Instead, the brand managers studied how the brand was being consumed. Research found the top 10% of Velveeta buyers account for over 50% of all sales of the product.

And here was the insight. They found these consumers were not getting enough Velveeta in their lives. Kraft decided to focus on this key segment of 2.4 million consumers.

The results were anything but cheesy. Kraft began finding ways to put Velveeta into other products. New product spin-offs totaling over $100 million in additional sales in the next 18 months were a game changer.

It shifted a paradigm for Kraft back in 2014. According to marketing director Greg Gallagher, “The previous thinking was that the quickest, easiest path to growth was to identify light users or lapsed users. But when we talked to superconsumers, we learned that in fact they wanted to use Velveeta more— they were starving for it.”

Takeaway: All customers are not created equal. In the words of Yoon, Carlotti, and Moore, “Show the love to those that love you the most.”

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...
HOKA

How HOKA leveraged opposing and guarantees to stand out in the marketplace and fly…

Pink meets Purple. How HOKA leveraged opposing and guarantees to stand out in the marketplace and fly…

Rewind back to 2009. The trend in footwear was minimalist. Reduced cushioning, thinner soles, and lighter weights were all the rage.

Enter a new brand from Annecy, France. Former Salomon employees Nicolas Mermoud and Jean-Luc Diard created a shoe that allowed them to run downhill faster. It featured an oversized outsole that had more cushion than any other running shoe at the time.

They named the brand Hoka. Hoka is Māori word. Māori are the indigenous Polynesian people in New Zealand. The word translates loosely to “fly over the earth.”

David Rendall and I share in “Pink Goldfish 2.0” how opposing brands fly in the face of norms. When everyone heads in one direction, some brave brands will do the opposite. When thin was in, Hoka went fat.

And they lopsided it to boot. Hoka soles were two and a half times fatter. They managed to innovate a sole with 29 millimeters of cushioning, a 19-­millimeter boost over traditional shoes, without any added weight. 

Then, they leveraged the Purple Goldfish of guarantees to stand behind their shoes. Hoka has the “FLY For 30” Guarantee.

Here’s how it works:

Buy a pair and try them for 30 days. If you aren’t totally satisfied, you can send them back for a full refund or product exchange. No questions asked.

They call it the “No Matter What” Guarantee.

Takeaway: When other competitors were trying to keep runners closer to the ground, HOKA designed shoes to make you feel like you’re flying. And while you stand in their shoes, they’ll stand behind you for a month “no matter what.”

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...
Mind the gap

MIND THE GAP: A phrase that should be relevant when journey mapping your customer experience

Have you ever heard this phrase MIND THE GAP? If you’ve ever taken a ride on the London Underground, you are sure to be recalling a booming version between your ears right now. It’s also a phrase that should be relevant when journey mapping your customer experience.

Let’s take a trip across the pond before talking about gaps in CX.

The London Underground began using the “mind the gap” message back in 1969. The first voice used was that of sound engineer Peter Lodge. Over the last half century, several other voices have since been used.

One was late theatre actor Oswald Laurence. His voice was used on the northbound Northern Line. But it was phased out until only the Embankment Station used it.

When Oswald passed away, his widow would travel on the tube via Embankment. Dr. Margaret McCollum loved hearing her husband’s voice,

“Since he died I would sit and wait for the next train until I heard his voice…On November 1st he wasn’t there. I was just stunned when Oswald wasn’t there anymore.”

Progress was the culprit. The Underground implemented a new digital system and Oswald’s voice was left on the cutting room floor.

Dr. McCollum approached the system with an unusual request. She asked if she could get a copy of the iconic ‘mind the gap’ announcement her husband made back in the 1970s.

The London Underground then demonstrated both warmth and competence.

Not only did they track down a recording and give Margaret a CD of it. They went above and beyond and reinstated Oswald’s “Mind the Gap” at the Embankment Station.

How about minding the gaps in customer experience?

A gap in your customer journey is a failure or a breakdown. These are points along the journey where your business processes get in the way of the customer’s goal. Or points that fail to serve customer needs. The result is often customer frustration or additional effort.

Think of gaps as potholes. These are the parts of the customer experience you want to address and fix to smooth out the customer experience. 

But here is the deal. Our goal should not be to fill every gap in the customer journey. Instead, our goal is to address the gaps that are most damaging to your customer experience.

Those gaps where we tend to:

•lose the most customers?
•see NPS or other measures drop?
•receive the most complaints? 

Takeaway: MIND THE DAMAGING GAP

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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...
Algonquin

Sorry Algonquin

@SORRYALGONQUIN. This is the title of an Instagram account. It is a collection of real negative reviews of Algonquin Park, Ontario managed by photographers Jesse and Susan Villemaire.

Here are a few gems from the series of stunning images:

“Path should be more obvious” [So much for the road less traveled]

“We decided on this trail based on the name and thought we would see a river or two. We were wrong – just trees.” [False advertising alert]

“Not impressed with the lack of signage to get water” [H20uch]

This Pink Goldfish strategy is what David Rendall and I call Exposing. Exposing is about owning the negative about you.

Exposing challenges you to take pride in your unique characteristics. Emphasize them, expose them, and openly display them. Don’t ever apologize for them.

David and I feature @subparparks in our book “Pink Goldfish 2.0.”

Similar to @sorryalgonquin, Raleigh-based Amber Share takes real one-star reviews from parks and illustrates them.

For example, Amber illustrates a one-star review about the Grand Canyon, “A HOLE. A VERY, VERY LARGE HOLE.”

The Instagram account has over 393,000 followers. Here are a couple of our favorites:

– For Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, “DIDN’T EVEN GET TO TOUCH THE LAVA”

– For Bryce Canyon National Park, “TOO ORANGE, TOO SPIKY”

According to an interview in Midwest Living, Amber created the account as a “snarky love letter” to the National Parks System. In her words,

“When I discovered that there were 1-star reviews for every single one of the 62 national parks, I set out to illustrate each park along with a hand-lettered 1-star review as a way to put a positive, fun spin on such a negative mindset.”

“Subpar Parks” is now also a book!

Takeaway: If you try to please everyone, you please no one. Why not have a little fun with the haters by exposing them?

In the words of Gerald Weinberg, “If you can’t fix it, feature it.”

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.
Genworth Financial logo featuring a circular pattern of triangles with the company name underneath.
Black and white Johnson & Johnson logo with stylized cursive lettering.
Target logo with a red bullseye above the word "TARGET" in capital letters.
UPS logo in grayscale, featuring the letters "ups" inside a shield design.
Black ESPN logo on a transparent background.
Black and white GSK logo with bold, stylized letters on a transparent background.
MLS logo in black and white, featuring a diagonal stripe across a shield with three stars and the letters "MLS" at the top left.
Three purple fish silhouettes swimming to the right on a dark background.

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
A person wearing glasses and a gray quarter-zip sweater stands outdoors in front of a building with a triangular glass roof at dusk.

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

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

His focus on audience engagement and interactivity made the experience personal and fun

"Stan is an incredible speaker, someone who can connect with audiences both live and virtually... which is a rare and quite important skill in today's climate. His presentation on elevating your personal presentation skills connected with our audience in a virtual setting, and his focus on audience engagement and interactivity made the experience personal and fun."

President, AMA Omaha

Stan Phelps at your next event is a MUST!

"Stan is a difference maker! Who will entertain, teach, motivate and inspire you. Plus give you the tools to make a immediate impact in your business. If your serious about improving your companies bottom line then having Stan Phelps at your next event is a MUST!"

Area Developer and Franchisee, Liberty Tax

I would certainly recommend this presentation to others

"I thoroughly enjoyed the presentation by Stan Phelps on Using Technology, Data and Analytics to Drive Both Profits and Prophets at our monthly AMA Memphis luncheon. I could absolutely relate to the information as a public relations professional and have since used some of the insight shared in planning for our firms' clients. I would certainly recommend this presentation to others."

Board Member – PR Chair, AMA Memphis

He captivated us and the team's engagement with him was off the charts

"I co-lead a large professional association regional chapter and invited Stan in twice to talk to our group. Both times his talk not only held our attention, but he captivated us and the team's engagement with him was off the charts. Stan knows how to communicate with busy professionals in ways that cut through the noise, get his points understood to ultimately drive action and results. He doesn't just explain when he speaks, but rather he inspires. Not only do we learn from Stan as audience members in his talks, we leave the session feeling motivated and excited to put his ideas to use in our own companies and with our own customers."

Programming Chair, CXPA Local Networking Group

Stan's enthusiasm, content, and presentation were by far the best we've ever seen

"Stan spoke for us at the American Marketing Association Summit. We were so excited to have the opportunity to have Stan address the audience of leading marketers from across the country. Stan's enthusiasm, content, and presentation were by far the best we've ever seen. Over the years, we have had a number of high-profile presenters but no-one comes close to the engaging and thought-provoking presentation that Stan hand-crafted for the AMA. We were so pleased as an international organization, that we will continue to use him (if available) moving forward. As a co-chair for the event, I can confirm that we received emails for weeks after Stan's presentation thanking us for bringing him in. If you want to elevate your event, Stan Phelps is your guy."

Conference Co-Chair – Leadership Summit, American Marketing Association

Highly recommend him to speak to your group

"Stan Phelps participated in a virtual meeting with my VISTAGE CEO group. We've had our meetings the last few months on Zoom and have had some speakers that just weren't able to connect with the group. Stan did a great job of communicating concepts, ideas and tools to help my members be more effective CEOs. I highly recommend him to speak to your group."

Chair, Vistage Tampa Bay

An engaging speaker

"Stan is an engaging speaker and his examples really back up the concepts in his Goldfish Series!"

Co-Conference Chair, AMA Cincinnati

Stan was everything we asked for and more

"Stan was everything we asked for and more. He delivered a laughter-filled keynote address with a powerful message about successfully marketing your business. He's an authority on branding and he leads by example with his own branding which is clever and memorable."

Director of Marketing & Education, Nuimage Dental Study Club

An engaging and energetic speaker whose enthusiasm is infectious

"Stan is a marvel! Not only is he super smart and up to date with current trends, he's also an engaging and energetic speaker whose enthusiasm is infectious. Stan spoke for us at the American Marketing Association New York Capital Region and we will always welcome him back anytime because he is such a professional and talented speaker."

VP of Programming, AMA New York Capital Region

Stan did an amazing job leading our annual year-end Managers conference and workshop

"Stan did an amazing job leading our annual year-end Managers conference and workshop. He took the time to understand our business and tailored his presentation to our business and culture. He kept our managers engaged and motivated throughout the day. His workshop helped us embrace our uniqueness while delivering a signature customer experience to stand out in business. His keynote address for all employees focused on how to increase happiness to drive business growth, productivity, and prosperity."

EVP of Operations, Syufy Enterprises

A great presenter and our local audience enjoyed his presentation

"Stan was a pleasure to work with and a professional at his work. He is a great presenter and our local audience enjoyed his presentation on the Blue Goldfish very much. It was a pleasure having him in Singapore."

Event Manager, DVELS (DaVinci Executive Leadership Summit)

We loved Stan's voice, energy, and message and highly recommend him

"This past June, Stan donated his time to come and give his Pink Goldfish presentation at our HOBY NC West youth leadership conference in Winston-Salem, NC. He truly helped to inspire North Carolina's next generation of young leaders and gave them excellent advice, perspective, and guidance for moving forward with their lives and their leadership. We loved Stan's voice, energy, and message and highly recommend him to anyone looking to be inspired!"

Programs Chair, HOBY NC WEST Youth Leadership Conference
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