Are you measuring client experience (CX) in a way that actually reflects reality, or just relying on outdated metrics?

In this episode, Tim Asimos, Head of Growth at Client Savvy, explores what professional service firms get wrong about CX and how to build a client-centric culture that actually drives growth.

From keynote insights at CXPS 2025 to new research with SMPS Foundation, Tim shares:

• How CX is gaining traction across AEC, especially through culture and leadership. (01:00)
• The difference between CX as a tactic vs. a firm-wide cultural mindset. (05:30)
• Why top-down buy-in is critical for sustainable CX success. (08:30)
• Shifting from technical delivery to differentiated client experience. (12:00)
• Creating internal alignment and empathy to improve client delivery. (16:30)
• Innovation as a leadership mindset and the barriers that hold firms back. (21:00)
• Embedding CX through dedicated roles, pilot programs, and empowered teams. (26:00)
• Connecting brand, employee experience, and client experience through culture. (30:30)
• Why journey-based client feedback outperforms single-point surveys. (35:00)
• How to get started: small steps for launching a CX practice. (40:00)
  
  

Guest Bio: Tim Asimos leads growth and marketing at Client Savvy, a consulting firm that helps organizations elevate client experience through culture, process, and feedback.

Connect with Tim

Resources Mentioned:
🔗 Client Savvy

🔗 Podcast Recommendation

How do you lead a total brand transformation without losing what makes your firm… your firm?

In this episode, Jeffrey Taub, FSMPS, CPSM, and SVP of Corporate Marketing at AKRF, shares the inside story of rebranding a legacy company. From internal alignment to messaging strategy, Jeff walks us through the belief systems and processes that enabled a values-driven rebrand.

You’ll hear:

• Leading a full rebrand of AKRF to unify messaging and identity. (01:00)
• Using internal research and discovery to drive authenticity. (05:30)
• Building buy-in through senior leadership and a focused brand committee. (10:15)
• Launching a brand that employees rallied around — and still champion. (13:30)
• Centering the brand on “originality” and what that means day to day. (17:00)
• Applying originality to client work and internal innovation (e.g. AI adoption). (21:00)
• Aligning the rebrand with AKRF’s long-term strategic planning. (26:00)
• Advice for firms: prioritize alignment over consensus in branding work. (30:00)
• The role of physical space (like AKRF’s “Pin Drop” room) in expressing brand. (33:30)
• Final takeaway (39:00)

Guest Bio: Jeffrey Taub is a seasoned marketing strategist with deep expertise in AEC branding. He is known for leading brand transformation initiatives that unite legacy values with modern positioning.

Connect with Jeff

Resources Mentioned:

🔗 AKRF

🔗 Book Recommendation

What’s the difference between a logo and a brand? In this episode, The Intangible Brand co-host Jerry Gennaria, President of TOKY, unpacks nearly 30 years of helping firms uncover and articulate their true brand identity.

Carl interviews Jerry about:

• Jerry’s path from aspiring artist and self-taught designer to brand strategist. (01:00)
• How brand evolved from visual identity to holistic experience. (05:00)
• Why “brand is people” across industries and firm types. (09:00)
• The experience gap: why branding is often misjudged internally. (12:00)
• What brands like Disney teach us about expectation and friction. (15:00)
• Why defining your “why” is harder (and more personal) than it seems. (19:30)
• The value of outside perspective when uncovering brand truth. (22:00)
• Why this podcast exists as both platform and learning tool. (25:00)
• What Jerry believes most firms still miss: true differentiation. (28:30)
• Aligning values, behaviors, and experience to build lasting brand. (31:00)

Guest Bio: Jerry Gennaria is President of TOKY, a brand consultancy for professional service firms. His work focuses on aligning internal culture with external brand perception to create trust and clarity.

🔗Connect with Jerry

Resources Mentioned:
🔗 TOKY

Welcome to the premiere episode of The Intangible Brand—a podcast exploring how internal culture and employee experience shape the brands people trust, remember, and return to.

We’re starting with co-host Carl Winstead, Partner and Chief Experience Officer at Cline Design Associates. With a background in architecture and a passion for experience design, Carl has dedicated his career to shaping not just spaces, but how people experience professional service firms from the inside out.

In this episode, Carl discusses:

• Launching the podcast and introducing Carl Winstead, CXO at Cline. (00:00)
• Carl’s early inspiration: how architecture created emotional impact. (02:00)
• Career shift from running a firm to leading experience strategy. (05:30)
• Creating the CXO role in a traditionally design-focused industry. (09:00)
• Why experience is central to both client and employee success. (12:15)
• Rethinking “corporate” culture in creative workplaces. (15:20)
• The brand is the experience, not just the portfolio. (19:00)
• Happy teams create happy clients, and vice versa. (22:30)
• The podcast as a tool for community and shared learning. (24:00)
• Carl’s core belief: grow people to grow impact. (27:00)

Guest Bio: Carl Winstead is Partner and Chief Experience Officer at Cline Design Associates. His work bridges physical space, leadership, and brand—helping firms design experiences that align with values and drive long-term growth.

🔗 Connect with Carl

Resources Mentioned:
🔗 Cline Design Associates