Brandon Castaneda is the Founder and CEO of EZ Bombs, a Hispanic food brand known for its seasoned meat bombs that turned traditional Mexican recipes into a viral sensation on TikTok Shop. The company achieved over $20 million in sales within its first year by leveraging creator-driven engagement and viral social strategy. Brandon scaled operations rapidly — transitioning from fulfillment out of his mom’s kitchen to co-packing and outsourcing logistics to 3PL partner ShipBob — saving around 1,600 labor hours per month. His leadership reflects a family-first ethos and keen digital growth acumen that transformed a homegrown idea into a breakout CPG success.

Cooking traditional meals at home can feel overwhelming for busy families. Many lack the time, skills, or even access to the right ingredients, leading them to rely on fast food or packaged options instead. How can people reconnect with authentic flavors while keeping meal preparation simple and enjoyable?

Brandon Castaneda, a seasoned entrepreneur and business leader, shares how his family transformed cultural recipes into convenient seasoning bombs that make cooking easy and flavorful. He explains the trial-and-error process of developing a product that dissolves seamlessly, the viral strategy that turned a kitchen experiment into a social media phenomenon, and the importance of building a brand rooted in authenticity. Brandon also highlights how customer feedback, international demand, and smart use of AI have guided decisions, showing that rapid growth is possible when innovation meets customer experience.

In this episode of The Customer Wins, Richard Walker interviews Brandon Castaneda, Founder and CEO of EZ Bombs, about creating a viral food brand from family recipes. Brandon discusses building trust with customers, scaling into thousands of retail stores, and expanding into international markets. He also explores lessons in customer satisfaction, the role of AI in operations, and future plans to diversify flavors and reach new audiences.

Richard Walker is the CEO of Quik!, a provider of forms automation and management solutions for companies looking to maximize efficiency and productivity. He started Quik! in 2002 to help people spend less time on paperwork and more time on what they do best. Before Quik!, Richard was a business consultant with Arthur Andersen. He is also a published author of two books and a father of three boys.

Many businesses struggle to consistently deliver exceptional customer experiences, often missing the subtle but crucial elements that foster lasting loyalty. From poor listening to unclear expectations, these gaps erode trust and satisfaction. How can companies build experiences that not only meet but exceed customer expectations every time?

Rocky Chugani, a custom clothing expert, stresses the importance of genuinely loving your customer and tailoring services to their unique needs. Building on the theme of empathy, David Steele, a hospitality and financial services leader, advises becoming your own first customer to anticipate pain points better. Golf pro Bobby Steiner offers a different perspective, highlighting the value of joining your customer’s team, focusing fully on their goals. Shelli Taylor, a cinema executive, emphasizes the importance of setting clear boundaries to protect the experience, proving that well-defined rules can significantly enhance satisfaction.

In this episode of The Customer Wins, Richard Walker reviews previous episodes on building meaningful customer relationships. These guests share insights on valuing your customer, being your own first customer, joining your customer’s team, and setting boundaries. They also explore tailoring details, hospitality best practices, and creating distraction-free experiences.

Matt Goebel is the Founder and CEO of Woven, an all‑in‑one workplace management platform created in 2017 to help multiunit franchises streamline operations, manage people, facilities, and locations from a single system. With over 15 years of experience as a franchisor, consultant, and multiunit franchisee, Matt has gained firsthand insight into the operational gaps that challenge modern operators. Before Woven, he founded several tech ventures, including a wedding‑planning startup and a software agency specializing in franchising needs. A 2005 Purdue University graduate in computer information technology, Matt also holds Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD) credentials.

Managing a business with multiple locations and frontline employees comes with a unique set of challenges. Communication silos, inconsistent operations, and disengaged deskless workers can quickly erode a brand’s consistency and customer experience. How can business leaders create streamlined systems that keep all teams aligned while supporting long-term growth?

Matt Goebel, a seasoned expert in franchising and operations strategy, shares actionable insights for solving these common pain points. He emphasizes the importance of consolidating tools and systems so that frontline teams — especially those without corporate emails or consistent access to technology — can stay informed and engaged. He advocates for designing mobile-first solutions that are simple, intuitive, and tailored to support workers. Matt also highlights the power of listening to feedback from multiple user groups and iteratively improving systems to reduce burnout and increase accountability, particularly for frontline leadership.

In this episode of The Customer Wins, Richard Walker interviews Matt Goebel, Founder and CEO of Woven, about streamlining operations for multilocation businesses. Matt shares how simplifying technology for deskless teams improves consistency and scalability. He also discusses prioritizing product features, balancing innovation with real needs, and why proactive customer listening is a key part of long-term success.

Jeffrey Rusin is the Co‑founder and CMO of Advisor Tech Partners, where he specializes in helping financial advisors optimize their operations through CRM tools, email marketing, and social media strategies. He grew up in Massachusetts, attending Wilbraham & Monson Academy, and earned a business degree from Whittier College, where mentors like Dr. Gary Gold shaped his professional drive. Jeffrey’s early career included hands-on work with residents of retirement homes, which helped him develop empathy and a deep understanding of client relationships. A lifelong Nickelback and Boston Celtics fan, he balances his tech and marketing expertise with a love for hiking, weightlifting, and binge‑watching shows.

Many financial advisory firms struggle with inefficient workflows, disorganized CRMs, and a lack of accountability across teams. Without the right systems in place, tasks get missed, client experiences suffer, and firm growth stalls. How can firms transform their operations to streamline processes, improve data reporting, and enhance client engagement — all without overwhelming their teams?

Jeffrey Rusin, a CRM automation expert for advisory firms, shares how he helps streamline operations by customizing and automating workflows inside platforms like Redtail and Wealthbox. He emphasizes the importance of properly configuring foundational CRM elements, such as contact sources, event types, and user-defined fields, before layering in automation. Additionally, Jeffrey explains how workflows can be designed by observing team dynamics, identifying process bottlenecks, and automating task assignments based on meeting types. He also offers tips on using Zapier to automate common actions, such as drafting follow-up emails, and advocates for using the simplest tech stack possible to avoid unnecessary complexity.

In this episode of The Customer Wins, Richard Walker interviews Jeffrey Rusin, Co-founder of Advisor Tech Partners, about automation and workflow design for financial advisory firms. Jeffrey shares how to optimize CRMs to improve reporting and accountability. He also discusses the benefits of Zapier, tips for teaching clients automation, and his thoughts on the future of AI notetakers.

David Steele is the Co‑founder and CEO of One Wealth Advisors, a San Francisco–based, fee‑only RIA managing over $1 billion in assets that helps clients simplify their financial lives through comprehensive planning. He brings nearly 30 years of experience in finance and entrepreneurship, having launched his career at JP Morgan before building One Wealth into a fiduciary‑driven firm focused on holistic client well‑being.

Beyond wealth management, David is the Co‑founder and Executive Chairman of Flour + Water Hospitality Group and Great Gold Hospitality, leading acclaimed restaurant brands committed to culinary excellence and sustainability. A passionate supporter of the arts and community initiatives, he serves on the boards of Playground and Zero Food Print, while also promoting cultural programs through ventures like Noise Pop Industries.

Many professionals struggle to find a balance between achieving financial success and living a peaceful, fulfilling life. In a world that often equates wealth accumulation with personal worth, how can individuals prioritize harmony without sacrificing ambition?

David Steele, a financial advisor and hospitality entrepreneur, shares how he helps clients align financial decisions with their core values. He emphasizes the importance of intentionally stepping back from relentless wealth-building in favor of a more balanced life. David also advises using money as a tool to reduce friction and enrich experiences, rather than as a measure of achievement. Drawing on his career, David explains how focusing on leadership, delegating responsibilities, and staying true to customer-centric principles can create businesses that are both successful and personally sustainable.

In this episode of The Customer Wins, Richard Walker interviews David Steele, Co-founder and CEO of One Wealth Advisors, about creating harmony in wealth and life. David discusses why dying with less money can mean living more fully, how customer-first thinking shaped his restaurant ventures, and how AI enhances — not replaces — human service. He also touches on leadership lessons from his mother, the psychology of risk, and blending tech with touch in both finance and hospitality.

Vickie Lewin is the Chief Growth Officer at Amplify, a leading wealthtech platform designed to streamline operations for RIAs and enterprise firms. With over 30 years of experience in financial services, fintech, and asset management, she previously served as Senior Vice President and Chief Success Officer at AssetMark, where she played a pivotal role in scaling the firm from a $1 billion TAMP to an industry leader managing over $100 billion in assets. At Amplify, Vickie leads sales and marketing efforts, driving strategic growth and aligning product development with market needs. She is also a passionate advocate for increasing the representation of women in the financial services industry and actively mentors the next generation of female leaders.

In a rapidly evolving financial technology ecosystem, RIAs are overwhelmed by the complexity of choosing the right tech stack to support their growth and streamline operations. With hundreds of tools on the market and many offering overlapping functionality, how can advisory firms confidently select solutions that deliver long-term value without creating more operational headaches?

Vickie Lewin, an expert in sales strategy and customer success, highlights two key inflection points that drive advisors to seek new platforms, namely breaking away to start independent firms and growing frustrated with outdated systems. She shares that the solution lies in offering flexible, all-in-one systems that integrate with existing tools while still delivering best-in-class capabilities for functions like trading and risk scoring. She emphasizes the importance of innovation, thoughtful customer experience, and a roadmap that prioritizes meaningful feedback over sheer volume. Vickie advises firms to innovate proactively, value service over product, and always stay close to client needs.

In this episode of The Customer Wins, Richard Walker interviews Vickie Lewin, Chief Growth Officer at Amplify, about how financial advisors can make smarter tech choices. Vickie discusses the challenges of technology overload, how to balance innovation with client service, and the future role of AI in the wealthtech industry. She also explores integration strategies, the power of user experience, and navigating a crowded advisor tech market.

Richard Walker is the CEO of Quik!, a provider of forms automation and management solutions for companies looking to maximize efficiency and productivity. He started Quik! in 2002 to help people spend less time on paperwork and more time on what they do best. Before Quik!, Richard was a business consultant with Arthur Andersen. He is also a published author of two books and a father of three boys.

Many businesses struggle with inefficient paperwork processes that waste time, frustrate customers, and introduce costly errors. Even as technology advances, companies often fail to streamline form handling, creating friction that can harm customer experiences and limit growth. How can businesses transform this outdated process into a seamless, value-driven customer interaction?

Richard Walker, an entrepreneur and process efficiency expert, shares how focusing on form automation can significantly improve both internal operations and customer satisfaction. He emphasizes the importance of eliminating redundant data entry by standardizing form fields across documents, reducing errors, and minimizing rework. He suggests that embracing technology, particularly digital solutions and AI, can expedite transactions and enhance the overall experience. Richard also highlights the importance of resilience, leveraging enterprise partnerships, and continuously improving solutions to meet evolving customer needs.

In this episode of The Customer Wins, Chad Franzen of Rise25 interviews Richard Walker, CEO of Quik!, about creating smoother customer experiences through form automation. Richard shares his entrepreneurial journey, the challenges of scaling a technology company, and the strategies that helped him persist. He also discusses building industry partnerships, launching his podcast, and the importance of embracing AI to stay competitive.

Tracy Lee is the Co-founder and CEO of This Dot Labs, a JavaScript consultancy that assists enterprises with digital transformation through staff augmentation and consulting services. She is recognized as a Google Developer Expert, Microsoft MVP, and GitHub Star and serves on the RxJS Core Team. Tracy is also a frequent keynote speaker at conferences, sharing her expertise in web development and open-source technologies. Her passion lies in building communities and fostering innovation within the tech industry.

Many organizations face challenges in effectively integrating external engineers into their teams, often fearing resistance, miscommunication, and disruption to internal culture. Moreover, teams can become stuck in inefficient practices and struggle to keep pace with rapidly evolving technologies, particularly in AI. How can companies embrace external expertise and emerging tools without jeopardizing their workflows or culture?

Tracy Lee, an expert in software engineering and team enablement, shares strategies for overcoming these challenges by focusing on education, collaboration, and proactive communication. She emphasizes the importance of embedding engineers who contribute technically and uplift and empower existing teams. She encourages leaders to push for clarity on business value before development begins and to leverage cutting-edge AI tools to speed up product prototyping. Tracy also highlights the critical need for engineers and teams to adopt AI tools quickly to avoid falling behind and suggests that leaders must foster a culture of continuous learning and higher-level strategic thinking.

In this episode of The Customer Wins, Richard Walker interviews Tracy Lee, CEO of This Dot Labs, about empowering engineering teams and embracing AI-driven efficiencies. Tracy discusses how embedding engineers enhances collaboration, the transformative impact of AI on software development, and how to cultivate forward-thinking team cultures. She also delves into product prototyping, overcoming resistance to team augmentation, and shifting employee mindsets to leverage time-saving technologies.