Podcast Summary: The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström®

Episode: #661: Creating a World-Class Student Experience with Mike Milliron, IMG Academy
Release Date: April 9, 2025
Host: Greg Kihlström®
Guest: Mike Milliron, Chief Operating Officer, IMG Academy Campus
Location: Qualtrics X4, Salt Lake City

Introduction

In episode #661 of The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström®, host Greg Kihlström engages with Mike Milliron, the Chief Operating Officer at IMG Academy Campus in Bradenton, Florida. Recorded live at the Qualtrics X4 conference, the discussion centers around transforming the student experience into a world-class offering by integrating customer experience (CX) and employee experience (EX).

Guest Background and Role at IMG Academy

Mike Milliron provides an insightful overview of his role and journey within IMG Academy:

"I've been at the academy for basically 13 years and have had the opportunity to really start from an entry-level type role and work my way up to where I am today as a Chief Operating Officer."
(02:55)

As COO, Mike oversees over 1,100 staff members, catering to 1,500 student-athletes and welcoming approximately 10,000 campers annually. His deep understanding of the organization, having risen through its ranks, has been instrumental in driving comprehensive improvements in both student and employee experiences.

Integrating Customer and Employee Experiences

Mike emphasizes the critical need to unify CX and EX to foster an unrivaled campus environment:

"Happy customers equal happy employees. Happy employees equal customers."
(05:59)

He explains that at IMG Academy, every individual on campus—be it staff, teachers, students, or parents—deserves an exceptional experience. This holistic approach ensures that improvements in employee satisfaction directly enhance the student experience.

Enhancing Employee Experience (EX)

Mike details the initiatives implemented to uplift the EX, which in turn positively impacts the CX:

1. Mission UCX Program:

   • Purpose: Deliver unparalleled campus experiences by making it “cool to care” for employees.
   • Strategies:
     • Celebrating employee achievements.
     • Providing platforms for staff to voice their ideas and contribute to improvements.
     • Encouraging peer recognition through gestures like high fives.

   "Let's celebrate all the great things our employees are doing... because you get a high five from a colleague, it just means something different."
   (06:10)

2. Employee NPS (Net Promoter Score):

   • Continuous monitoring to gauge employee satisfaction and engagement.
   • Ongoing efforts to enhance EX based on feedback.

Fostering a Culture of Care and Purpose

Mike discusses the intrinsic motivation of IMG Academy’s staff:

"Our staff is so purpose-driven. The purpose of empowering student-athletes to win their future literally resides in the chest and the heart of a lot of our staff."
(08:00)

This strong sense of purpose makes it easier for employees to engage with initiatives aimed at improving their work environment, fostering a culture of collaboration and enthusiasm.

Leadership and Modeling Behavior

Effective culture change is anchored in leadership. Mike outlines how IMG Academy's leaders embody the desired behaviors:

1. Commitment from the Top:

   • Both Mike and CEO Brent Richard are dedicated to prioritizing experience.

2. Accountability Measures:

   • Customer Callbacks: Executives personally follow up on customer feedback to understand pain points.
   • Executive Shadow Program: Leaders spend time in various departments to gain first-hand insights into staff challenges and customer interactions.

   "Our executive team would go and spend a half a day in various departments... to actually feel and understand the pain points."
   (09:09)

3. Executive Huddles:

   • Regular meetings to ensure ongoing alignment and accountability.

These initiatives ensure that leadership not only supports but actively participates in shaping and sustaining a culture centered on experience.

Breaking Down Silos for Enhanced Collaboration

One of the significant challenges discussed is overcoming departmental silos to enhance cross-functional collaboration:

"We started an experience team led by Lauren Burkle... that brought everyone together and started getting people used to working together."
(12:18)

Strategies Employed:

1. Experience Team:

   • Acts as a central hub to facilitate collaboration across academics, athletics, operations, and other departments.
   • Utilizes journey design and workgroups to align goals and processes.

2. Muscle Building for Collaboration:

   • Encouraging staff to engage with broader audiences and integrate efforts across departments, transforming "one plus one" into "three."

These efforts have led to more synchronized initiatives, such as the implementation of individualized development plans (IDPs) for student-athletes, which synergize inputs from various departments to create personalized growth trajectories.

Leveraging Technology and Data

Mike highlights the pivotal role of technology in democratizing information and driving real-time action:

"Through new technology, a new listening platform, we were able to train nearly 100 staff on campus to be able to access that information in real-time."
(16:25)

Key Initiatives:

1. Listening Platform:

   • Enables staff to access customer feedback instantly, reducing the need for manual report generation.
   • Empowers employees to respond swiftly to issues, enhancing both EX and CX.

2. Mission UCX System:

   • Integrates CX and EX data into a cohesive framework, creating a feedback loop that drives continuous improvement.

This technological integration allows for efficient data-driven decision-making, aligning staff efforts with organizational goals to enhance overall experiences.

Measuring Success

Success is evaluated through a combination of qualitative and quantitative metrics:

1. Net Promoter Score (NPS):

   • Assessing both employee and customer satisfaction.

2. Business Metrics:

   • Tracking referrals, customer retention, and revenue gains.

3. Operational Efficiency:

   • Monitoring reductions in redundant work and improvements in process alignment, leading to cost savings and enhanced productivity.

4. Employee Metrics:

   • Employee retention and satisfaction as indicators of a positive work environment.

"There’s savings and revenue gains, right?"
(19:17)

Additionally, Mike mentions the potential for unlocking further efficiencies by reallocating staff bandwidth to areas they are passionate about, driving continued engagement and innovation.

Staying Agile

In response to Greg’s final question, Mike shares his personal strategies for maintaining agility in his role:

"I try to be super intentional of having conversations with various staff members... to listen and learn and talk and maybe provoke some conversations to see what the reaction is."
(20:33)

Approaches Include:

1. Regular Staff Engagement:

   • Scheduled interactions with team members across the organization to gather diverse perspectives.

2. Continuous Learning:

   • Staying informed about staff insights and industry trends to adapt strategies proactively.

3. Flexibility:

   • Being open to new ideas and adjusting plans based on feedback and evolving needs.

These practices ensure that Mike remains responsive to changes, fostering an environment where agility is ingrained in daily operations.

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Greg wraps up the episode by thanking Mike for his insightful contributions and highlighting the importance of integrating CX and EX to build a resilient and agile organization. Listeners are encouraged to explore more about Mike, IMG Academy, and the discussed initiatives through the show notes.

Mike shares his enthusiasm for the Qualtrics X4 conference, noting the inspiring energy and forward-thinking sessions as personal highlights.

Notable Quotes:

• "Happy customers equal happy employees. Happy employees equal customers." — Mike Milliron (05:59)

• "Our executive team would go and spend a half a day in various departments... to actually feel and understand the pain points." — Mike Milliron (09:09)

• "Through new technology, a new listening platform, we were able to train nearly 100 staff on campus to be able to access that information in real-time." — Mike Milliron (16:25)

• "I try to be super intentional of having conversations with various staff members... to listen and learn and talk and maybe provoke some conversations to see what the reaction is." — Mike Milliron (20:33)

Resources Mentioned:

• IMG Academy: imgacademy.com
• Qualtrics X4 Conference: qualtrics.com/x4
• The Agile Brand Guide: www.agilebrandguide.com

This summary captures the essence of episode #661, focusing on the transformative journey of IMG Academy under Mike Milliron’s leadership. By intertwining customer and employee experiences, leveraging technology, and fostering a collaborative culture, IMG Academy exemplifies what it means to build an agile brand in today’s dynamic environment.