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Experience Builders

Experience Builders

By: Khalil Benalioulhaj
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 Exhibitors and experiential design agencies just want to put on amazing events for their clients. We know that events always present challenges, but one many of us didn’t see coming was the pandemic. We started this podcast to share processes and systems to help you bounce back and future-proof your business against storms we may face down the road. We cover topics like how to access capital and funding, why and how to outsource, why and how to build a brand, creating a strong company culture, and much more. With more knowledge at your fingertips, you’ll be able to put on powerful events and build a strong business that can weather any storm.Khalil Benalioulhaj Economics Leadership Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • 067 - The Growth Formula: Why Working Harder Keeps You Stuck

    067 - The Growth Formula: Why Working Harder Keeps You Stuck
    Feb 26 2026
    You're operating at 200% capacity. Revenue is up. And somehow you're falling behind on everything that matters.Chris and Khalil tackle the uncomfortable truth that high-performing business owners avoid: if you're not building reflection into your rhythm, you're not growing — you're going backwards. The formula is simple: challenge + reflection = growth. Skip the reflection, and all that effort just wears you down.This episode gets practical fast. Khalil walks through the mind sweep technique from David Allen's Getting Things Done, explains why your brain is terrible at storing ideas (and why that's the source of your anxiety), and shows how AI tools can finally give you a trusted system that actually works. Chris confesses to carrying around legal documents for three months and admits he doesn't like his own answers when Khalil runs him through the trigger list exercise.If you've ever told someone "I'm slammed" and watched them mentally file you as unreliable, this one's for you.Timestamps00:50 - Busy vs Out of Capacity02:38 - Events Season and EuroShop04:53 - The Growth Formula Explained15:16 - Mind Sweep and Trusted Systems29:46 - AI as Trusted System30:46 - Trigger List Voice Dump37:02 - Cadence Challenge Reflect42:54 - Use AI for Pain ReliefMemorable Quotes"Your brain is really good at having ideas, and it's terrible at storing them. That's the entire book in a nutshell." — Khalil"I don't think better of you because you tell me how busy you are. I just think you don't have time for me." — Chris"If you're not resting, you're only going backwards. You're not growing." — Khalil"For most of us, we have so much going on and we never take time to think about what's going on. We just do." — KhalilKey TakeawaysChallenge + reflection = growth — skip the reflection and you regress, no matter how hard you work.Your brain stores ideas poorly, which is why you need a trusted external system to capture "open loops."A mind sweep using a trigger list is more targeted than a random brain dump and surfaces things you'd otherwise forget.AI can serve as your trusted system if you give it the context. Record a voice memo, paste the transcript into Claude, and let it organize your thoughts.The three AI tools every knowledge worker needs: an LLM (Claude), a transcription tool (Granola), and a dictation tool (Whisper Flow).Start with the paid version of AI tools. The free versions will frustrate you into quitting. Use AI to solve painful problems, not generate novelty, that's how you'll actually stick with it.ResourcesGetting Things Done by David AllenClaude Granola WisprFlow David Allen's Incompletion Trigger ListNeed Help With An Event? Get in touch with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CrewXP⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Watch On ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Us On Social: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Have Questions? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠More from Chris⁠⁠⁠CrewXP⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Chris⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠More from Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠benali.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect With UsReady to future-proof your experiential business? Subscribe to Experience Builders for more strategic insights that help agency owners build bulletproof businesses. Share this episode with fellow industry leaders who are planning their next growth phase.
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    59 mins
  • 066 - Evaluating the Unexpected Job Offer: Strategic Career Decisions in the Trade Show Industry

    066 - Evaluating the Unexpected Job Offer: Strategic Career Decisions in the Trade Show Industry
    Jan 29 2026
    Industry veterans Chris Griffin and Khalil Benalioulhaj tackle the timely challenge of evaluating unexpected job offers during peak business season. With talent shortages driving aggressive recruiting and stress levels at their annual high, they break down how to make strategic career decisions rather than reactive ones, whether you're the employee considering a move or the employer competing for talent.What You’ll LearnHow to evaluate job offers strategically vs. reactively during busy seasonsWhy unclear expectations matter more than compensation in job satisfactionEssential questions to ask about remote work culture and support systemsRed flags to watch for when "incredible talent" becomes availableHow to build hiring strategies that attract quality candidates without breaking company cultureTime Stamps00:53 - Episode Intro02:16 - Navigating Job Offers in a Busy Industry05:03 - Evaluating Job Offers: Employee Perspective06:36 - The Role of Compensation and Expectations11:11 - Balancing Career and Personal Life22:04 - Remote Work Opportunities24:48 - Challenges of Remote Work25:21 - Questions to Ask About Remote Work25:45 - Importance of Communication Tools26:49 - Defining Company Culture28:31 - Onboarding and Employee Expectations30:33 - Hiring Motivations and Strategies37:56 - Balancing Talent and Company Needs45:37 - Concluding Thoughts on Job OffersSnippets from the Episode"People don't leave companies, they leave people. It's typically their direct report or who they're having to interact with regularly." - Chris Griffin"Fishing for whales, you only need to catch one to feed everybody. But if you have a 20-foot Jon boat, you can't get 'em in the boat." - Chris Griffin on Hiring and Talent"Is there a remote culture? That's the phrase. Don't just ask if they allow remote work - ask if they've built a culture around it." - Chris Griffin"If you're chasing a big project that you've never done before, it's gonna kill your business." - Khalil Benalioulhaj"Difficult conversations accrue interest when delayed." - Khalil BenalioulhajKey TakeawaysStrategic vs. Reactive Decision MakingClear Expectations Trump CompensationRemote Culture Assessment is CriticalValues Alignment Over MoneyPlan Hiring Before You Need ItRight-Size Talent for Your CompanyHonest Communication Prevents Future ProblemsResourcesNeed Help With An Event? Get in touch with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CrewXP⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Watch On ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Us On Social: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Have Questions? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠More from Chris⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CrewXP⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Chris⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠More from Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠benali.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect With UsReady to future-proof your experiential business? Subscribe to Experience Builders for more strategic insights that help agency owners build bulletproof businesses. Share this episode with fellow industry leaders who are planning their next growth phase.
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    48 mins
  • 065 - Peak Season Leadership: What Your Team Needs From You Right Now

    065 - Peak Season Leadership: What Your Team Needs From You Right Now
    Jan 15 2026
    Chris Griffin calls in from the trenches of CES week in Las Vegas, where his team is shipping 43 projects in 28 days while operating at 150-200% capacity. This raw, real-time conversation reveals what peak season leadership actually looks like, from getting your boots on the ground to temporarily suspending normal protocols when your team is maxed out.What You’ll LearnHow to support teams operating at 150-200% normal capacity during peak seasonWhy leaders need to get out of the glass office and join the front linesStrategies for managing client expectations during high-volume trade show installsWhen to suspend regular meetings and protocols to focus on paying jobsTime Stamps00:52 - Episode Intro03:35 - Managing High Workload05:58 - Supporting the Team on the Ground10:01 - Handling Client Expectations11:58 - Adapting to High Volume16:24 - Balancing Immediate and Future Tasks18:58 - Visibility and Team Morale21:12 - Field Operations and Logistics22:52 - Reflecting on Team Efforts24:08 - Progression Photos and Project Documentation25:35 - Roles and Responsibilities on the Field26:02 - Handling Client Interactions27:28 - Planning and Reacting to Challenges29:45 - Implementing New Software and Tools32:07 - Managing High-Pressure Situations33:13 - Episode Takeaways34:06 - Union Labor and Staffing36:55 - Supporting Remote Workers37:44 - Celebrating Victories and Team SupportSnippets from the Episode"When you leave the glass office above the treetops and come down to play at ground level with your team, it's a completely different view."- Chris Griffin"Your perspective changes when your boots are on the ground. The support you can offer becomes evident when you do that."- Chris Griffin"It's okay to suspend some of your monthly or weekly protocols in these moments of extraordinary volume."- Chris Griffin"Our motto: paying jobs come first. We'll catch up on the administrative stuff when we get a breather."- Chris GriffinKey TakeawaysGet boots on the ground during peak seasonAcknowledge extraordinary working conditions publiclySuspend non-essential meetings and protocols temporarilyFocus on being helpful without getting in the wayManage client expectations to protect team productivityCelebrate small victories throughout the processCheck on remote workers who feel disconnectedResourcesNeed Help With An Event? Get in touch with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CrewXP⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Watch On ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Us On Social: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Have Questions? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠More from Chris⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CrewXP⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Chris⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠More from Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠benali.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect With UsReady to future-proof your experiential business? Subscribe to Experience Builders for more strategic insights that help agency owners build bulletproof businesses. Share this episode with fellow industry leaders who are planning their next growth phase.
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    44 mins
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