Podcast
Better Experiences by Design™
Hosted by Susan Quinn · EN
Better Experiences by Design™ is a podcast series produced by circle S studio that highlights leaders across a variety of industries dedicated to delivering exceptional brand, employee, and client experiences.
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Own the Room: How Great Leaders Use Presence and Voice to Drive Organizational Growth with Eleni Kelakos
Apr 2200:30:54Tap to summarizeBetter Experiences by Design is a podcast series produced by circle S studio that highlights leaders across a variety of industries dedicated to delivering exceptional brand, employee, and client experiences. © circle S studio, 2026.
Transcribe →The Discipline Behind The Markel Style of Leadership with Tom Gayner
Mar 1900:51:32Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Better Experiences by Design, Susan Quinn speaks with Tom Gayner, CEO of Markel Group, about his perspective on what actually drives long-term success. Rather than a single bold move or a series of strategic pivots, it’s a set of principles, applied consistently over time. From learning leadership in his father’s office to helping scale a company to 22,000 people, Gayner’s approach is rooted in curiosity, discipline, and a deep belief in doing right by others.This episode is a powerful reminder that great companies aren’t defined by what they do — but by how consistently they live what they believe.Better Experiences by Design is a podcast series produced by circle S studio that highlights leaders across a variety of industries dedicated to delivering exceptional brand, employee, and client experiences. © circle S studio, 2026.
Transcribe →From $8B to $38B: The Leadership Discipline Behind Remarkable Growth with John Asbury
Feb 1800:50:35Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Better Experiences by Design, Susan Quinn sits down with John Asbury, CEO of Atlantic Union Bank, to explore what it takes to transform a regional bank into a high-performing challenger brand in a rapidly consolidating industry.When John joined the bank in 2016, it faced a defining choice: grow with intention or be acquired. Instead of playing it safe, John and his board pursued what he calls “escape velocity” — scaling strategically to compete with large national banks while preserving the responsiveness of a community institution.But strategy alone doesn’t sustain growth. Culture does.Better Experiences by Design is a podcast series produced by circle S studio that highlights leaders across a variety of industries dedicated to delivering exceptional brand, employee, and client experiences. © circle S studio, 2026.
Transcribe →Unlocking Hidden Growth Through Strategic Storytelling with Stephen Steers
Jan 2100:27:30Tap to summarizeIn this episode, we sit down with Stephen Steers, author, consultant, and keynote speaker, for a strategic conversation about growth, storytelling, and the value that’s already inside your existing client base.Stephen breaks down how organizations can find revenue growth without chasing new leads, simply by asking better questions, reframing client conversations, and making storytelling a strategic business practice rather than just a sales tool.He also explains why curiosity is one of the most underrated engines of growth, how to empower every team member to spot new opportunities, and why “selling less” often leads to more revenue and stronger client relationships.Better Experiences by Design is a podcast series produced by circle S studio that highlights leaders across a variety of industries dedicated to delivering exceptional brand, employee, and client experiences. © circle S studio, 2026.
Transcribe →2025 Leadership Insights from Better Experiences by Design
Dec 1700:25:24Tap to summarizeBetter Experiences by Design is a podcast series produced by circle S studio that highlights leaders across a variety of industries dedicated to delivering exceptional brand, employee, and client experiences. © circle S studio, 2026.
Transcribe →A Reality Check for Leaders: Are You Interpreting Data Correctly? (And AI Can't Do It For You.)
Nov 1900:30:26Tap to summarizeArtificial intelligence isn’t just reshaping marketing — it’s redefining how organizations learn, scale, and make smarter decisions. In this episode of Better Experiences by Design, Susan Quinn sits down with Jim Sterne, internationally recognized author, speaker, and founder of the Marketing Analytics Summit, to explore how generative AI, analytics, and human-centered strategy are converging to create meaningful customer experiences.Better Experiences by Design is a podcast series produced by circle S studio that highlights leaders across a variety of industries dedicated to delivering exceptional brand, employee, and client experiences. © circle S studio, 2026.
Transcribe →Is Strategic Thinking Your Comfort Zone or Danger Zone with Carla Johnson
Oct 1500:31:53Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Better Experiences by Design, keynote speaker, author, and “Innovation Architect” Carla Johnson joins us to unpack how curiosity fuels strategy—and how teams can shift from tactical comfort zones to brave, exploratory thinking. Carla shares her “Curiosity Compass” and practical pre-work you can use to disrupt default patterns, plus facilitation moves that turn “no, because…” into “yes, and…”, creating cultures where ideas compound into real outcomes. She also explores how habits, environments, and cross-industry inspiration keep innovative thinking alive long after the workshop ends.Better Experiences by Design is a podcast series produced by circle S studio that highlights leaders across a variety of industries dedicated to delivering exceptional brand, employee, and client experiences. © circle S studio, 2026.
Transcribe →Competitive Pricing Strategies for Sustainable Business Growth with Casey Brown
Sep 1700:35:04Tap to summarizePricing isn’t just numbers on a page—it’s psychology, strategy, and confidence. In this episode, Susan Quinn sits down with Casey Brown, engineer turned Six Sigma black belt turned pricing expert, to explore how organizations can stop leaving money on the table and start charging what their work is truly worth.Casey shares her journey from spreadsheets at GE to becoming one of the most sought-after voices in pricing strategy. She explains why most businesses make pricing decisions out of fear rather than confidence, and how to flip the mindset so your pricing reflects the real value you deliver.From identifying the two right times to raise prices to shifting conversations into the customer’s language of value, Casey delivers actionable insights for leaders who want to be paid like they’re excellent—because they are.Better Experiences by Design is a podcast series produced by circle S studio that highlights leaders across a variety of industries dedicated to delivering exceptional brand, employee, and client experiences. © circle S studio, 2026.
Transcribe →Beyond the Numbers: Inside the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond with Sonya Waddell
Aug 2100:42:53Tap to summarizeHow can we make complex economic data more useful and more human? In this episode of Better Experiences by Design, Sonya Waddell, Vice President and Economist of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, is revolutionizing the way economic data is presented to the public. With a focus on clarity, empathy, and accessibility, Sonya offers a fresh perspective on how economic research can better serve real people and real decision-makers.Better Experiences by Design is a podcast series produced by circle S studio that highlights leaders across a variety of industries dedicated to delivering exceptional brand, employee, and client experiences. © circle S studio, 2026.
Transcribe →How High-Performing Firms Build Creative Engines for Growth with Chris Martinez
Aug 700:38:02Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Better Experiences by Design, host Susan Quinn talks with Chris Martinez, Senior Marketing Manager at KW Landscape Architects, about how his team redefined the role of marketing inside their firm and in the AEC industry at large.Chris shares how they shifted from a traditional, reactive approach to building a creative growth engine that drives business strategy, shapes client experience, and influences pursuit outcomes. He opens up about the challenges of aligning marketing with leadership priorities and creating internal brand clarity to fuel external impact.Better Experiences by Design is a podcast series produced by circle S studio that highlights leaders across a variety of industries dedicated to delivering exceptional brand, employee, and client experiences. © circle S studio, 2026.
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