Customer Connect: A Customer Experience Podcast for Small Business Owners

The 2025 Wrap Up!

08 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This final episode of the year is a chance to stop, take a breath and look at what actually shaped 2025 for independent retailers and service provider...

Becoming the Leader Your Small Business Needs

01 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Stepping into the role of “leader” isn’t something most independent retailers plan for. It usually happens because the business grows, you hire ...

Stop Wasting Time on the Wrong Tech: What Small Businesses Really Need

24 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

These days, small business owners have access to all the same types of tech that big brands use — but that doesn’t mean every tool is worth your t...

Quick Fixes to Prepare for Christmas Trade

17 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Christmas is coming fast, and for most small business owners it’s exciting — and a bit chaotic.In this episode of The Customer Connect Podcast, I’...

Email Pop-Ups: The Right Way vs the Wrong Way

10 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Customer Connect, Nicole walks through two real website pop-ups targeting email sign-ups. One brand makes it simple and wins the sa...

The Seasonal Operator Episode 3: Turning a One-Day Event into 46 Years of Loyalty

06 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this Seasonal Business Operator bonus episode of the Customer Connect Podcast, Nicole dives into one of the smartest—and sweetest—seasonal mark...

Breaking the Busy Cycle: Why Retailers Avoid What Matters Most - Interview with Krista Williamson

03 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Customer Connect Podcast, Nicole sits down with business and mindset coach Krista Williamson—a former retailer turned coach—...

How Friction Costs You Sales (and How to Stop It)

27 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Customers don’t stop shopping with you because your products aren’t good — they stop because something in the process makes it too hard.In this ...

The Smart Retailer’s Guide to Black Friday

20 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Customer Connect Podcast, Nicole Keleher breaks down how to win Black Friday without losing your margins or your sanity. With e...

How Personal Video Messages Can Boost Customer Experience & Sales

13 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Standing out from the competition isn’t about louder ads or fancier packaging — it’s about building real connections with your customers. In thi...

Experience Wins: Turning Customers into Loyal Fans

06 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Experience Wins is all about simple but powerful customer experience ideas that any retail, hospitality, or service business can put into practice. I...

Seasonal Operator Ep. 2: Why Adding a Second Business Might Cost You More Than It Makes

02 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Customer Connect Podcast, I dive into one of the most common questions seasonal business owners face: should you add a compleme...

Stop Wasting Emails: How to Send the Ones Customers Open

29 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Email is more than a sales tool—it’s a customer experience strategy. In this episode of the Customer Connect Podcast, Nicole Keleher shares how to...

Why Email Beats Socials Every Time

22 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Email isn’t just another marketing tool—it’s the most reliable way to connect with your customers. In this episode of the Customer Connect Podca...

The Website Audit Every Retailer Needs Before Peak Season

15 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The busiest quarter of the year is here, and before you spend money on ads or boosted posts, it’s worth asking: is your website actually ready to co...

House2Home Moorebank: How Customer Experience Builds a Destination Store

08 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Customer Connect, I’m joined by Victoria Christofa from House2Home Moorebank, a family-run homewares store in Sydney that has bui...

The Hidden Challenges of Seasonal Businesses

04 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Customer Connect Podcast now includes an extra monthly episode designed just for seasonal business operators. These episodes focus on the unique c...

Experience Wins Ep.1: Small Touches, Big Impact

01 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to the first episode of Experience Wins, a new monthly series on the Customer Connect podcast. In each instalment, Nicole shares practical cus...

How to use Christmas Store Displays Boost Customer Spending

25 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know 84% of customers say they’re more likely to shop somewhere that “feels festive” rather than one that doesn’t (NRF 2023)? Creating...

The Disney Approach to Customer Experience Every Small Business Can Use: Interview with Vance Morris

18 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What can small business owners really learn from Disney about customer experience? In this episode of Customer Connect, I’m joined by Vance Morris —...

Customer Experience is the Future – And Your Biggest Competitive Advantage

14 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We’ve reached 100 episodes, and it feels like the perfect time to refine the focus of the Retail Success Series. In this episode, I’m sharing why...

Retail Wins: 5 Episodes I keep coming back too.

11 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this 99th episode of the Retail Success Series, I'm sharing five of my favourite episodes so far — and why I think they’re worth revisitin...

Seeing Your Business Through the Customer’s Eyes

07 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As business owners, we often get caught up in the day‑to‑day — marketing, buying, admin — and forget what it feels like to be on the other sid...

Scaling Retail with Purpose: Sally Oulton’s Secrets to Lasting Growth

04 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of The Retail Success Series, we’re joined by Sally Oulton, a multi-brand retail entrepreneur and founder of Coastal Vintage, Coast ...

Top 5 Tips for Easy Social Media Management

31 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Independent retailers often feel overwhelmed by social media—but it doesn’t have to be so hard. In this episode of the Retail Success Series, Nico...

From Social Media Stuck to Showing Up: How to Get Found in 2025

28 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Struggling to keep up with social media in 2025? You’re not alone. In this episode of The Retail Success Series, I chat with Catherine Russo, founde...

Uber Express Pickup: Add It to Your Store’s Click & Collect in Minutes

24 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Uber has just launched in-store pickup in Australia, which has been available to overseas markets for a little while.  It’s a move that could benef...

Retail Personalisation Made Simple: Tactics That Keep Customers Coming Back

21 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Retail Success Series, I’m diving into one of the most powerful and underrated tools for growing your business: personalisati...

Make your Store Earn More (Without Selling More)

17 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I was reading The Age when I came across an article about a café that rents out its space in the evenings to a taco pop-up — same location, new bus...

In-Store or Online, The First 10 Seconds Matter

14 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of The Retail Success Series, I'm looking at the most crucial moment in any customer journey: the first 10 seconds. Whether you&a...

The Return of Paid Returns - What this means for Small Retailers

10 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Big retailers are scaling back their free returns — and it might be the best news small businesses have heard in a while.In this episode, Nicole bre...

Escape Without the Guilt: Normalising Holidays for Business Owners

07 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ever feel guilty stepping away from your business, even for a weekend? In this episode, we’re unpacking a topic most business owners rarely talk ab...

Customer Service Creates Loyal Customers

03 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode of the Retail Success Series, I’m sharing a real-life experience that completely shifted how I think—and feel—about custome...

Market Research for Small Business: A Chat with Alex Fulton

30 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When you're running a small business, it's easy to rely on intuition and passion but are they enough to make the right decisions? In this e...

Can Retailers Compete with Shein & Temu? What France’s New Law Means for Us

26 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

France is cracking down on ultra-fast fashion—and retailers around the world are watching closely. In this episode of the Retail Success Series, Nic...

Is Trust the Key to Selling?

23 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If your customers don’t trust you, they won’t buy — no matter how beautiful your products are or how perfect your store looks.In this episode o...

Avoid Misleading Promotions: Lessons from Recent Retailer Fines

19 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Think “sitewide” means every product is on sale? So does your customer — and the ACCC.In this episode, Nicole Keleher discusses the recent fines...

More Than Discounts: Loyalty Strategies That Drive Real Growth

16 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Loyalty Programs aren’t just for e-commerce giants. When done right, they can be a powerful tool for brick-and-mortar retailers too. In this episode...

Maximise EOFY Opportunities Without Discounting Everything

12 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

EOFY is here, and the Australian Retailers Association is predicting $10.5 billion in sales. But with online shopping tipped to drop 11% from last yea...

Retail Revival: Why Your Next Sales Event Should Be at Home

09 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Retail is coming home — literally. In this episode, we dive into the surprising resurgence of in-home shopping events. Once the domain of Tupperware...

The Backup Plan: What Every Solo Business Owner Needs

05 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If you had to step away from your business tomorrow—would it survive without you? In this Retail Success Series episode from our KISS – Keep It Si...

Turn Customer Experience Into Your Best Marketing Tool – a Retail Chat with Dan Gingiss

02 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dan Gingiss is an international keynote speaker, customer experience coach, and author who believes that remarkable customer experiences are the best ...

A Retail Merchandising Strategy That Makes Customers Buy

29 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If your customers seem overwhelmed by options—or default to the cheapest item—this episode is for you. Nicole Keleher shares a practical, proven m...

The Hero Product Play: A Retail Strategy That Sells Smarter, Not Cheaper

26 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Want to increase your average order value without devaluing your brand? In this episode of the Retail Success Series, Nicole Keleher unpacks a powerfu...

Why Your Bestsellers Deserve More Love: The 80/20 Focus that Grows Retail Sales

22 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Want faster growth, higher profits, and less wasted effort in your retail business? This episode dives into one of the simplest and most powerful stra...

Makeup, Meaning & Marketing: What Holme Beauty Gets So Right

19 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we explore how a beauty brand built during uncertain times became a masterclass in customer connection and values-driven retail. Join...

The Easy Marketing Wins You Might Be Missing: Bundle for Bigger Sales

15 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Feeling like your customers are hesitating, overwhelmed, or walking away without buying? This episode dives into one of the smartest tools in your ret...

Make Content Without the Stress: Go-To Tools & Easy Tips

12 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Creating content for your small business doesn’t have to be stressful and Nicole Keleher is here to show you how easy it can be. In this episode, N...

The New Power Shopper: Rethinking Retail for a Stylish, Social Generation

08 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today, we’re challenging outdated ideas about what aging looks like — and why it’s time retail caught up.There’s a vibrant, stylish, and switc...

New Chapters & Bold Moves: Rosie Wauchope’s Journey into Boutique Business

05 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this inspiring episode, Nicole Keleher sits down with Rosie Wauchope, the passionate owner of Mallalieu Lifestyle — a boutique fashion and lifest...

Style It, Use It: The Simple Content Series That Builds Loyalty and Boosts Sales

01 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If you want customers to buy, love, and keep what they buy, you need more than great products—you need to show them how to use them. In this episod...

The Little Things: How Personal Service Makes a Big Impact!

28 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What if the most powerful retail lessons weren’t found in a store, but on a spontaneous holiday in tropical Far North Queensland?In this episode of ...

Brava Lingerie: The Gold Standard in Customer Experience

24 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For Australian retail business owners, creating an exceptional customer experience is key to long-term success—and Brava Lingerie is leading the way...

Customer Experience: Building Trust, Consistency, and Wow Moments with Mat Unwin

21 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Retail Success Series, I sat with the brilliant and ever-insightful Mathew Unwin—a customer experience strategist whose journ...

The Secret to Customer Loyalty: Lessons from Taking Shape

17 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What makes a retail brand truly stand out and keep customers coming back? For me, Taking Shape (TS) has been that brand for years. From their rewardin...

Creativity Meets Strategy: Behind the Brand with inSync Design’s Iris Saar Isaacs

14 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week on the Retail Success Series, I’m joined by the incredibly talented Iris Saar Isaacs – the designer and founder behind inSync Design. Ir...

Retail Raves: How Evidence Skin Care Turns Customers into Raving Fans

10 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this Retail Rave episode, I’m spotlighting Evidence Skin Care (ESK)—a brand that’s setting the standard for customer experience in the skinca...

Mastering Facebook & Instagram Live: Connect, Engage & Sell with Confidence

07 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Going live on Facebook or Instagram is one of the best ways to engage with your audience, showcase your products, and boost sales in real time. But if...

How Your Personal Social Media Affects Your Business

03 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever thought about how much your personal social media profile impacts your business? Whether you’re oversharing, forgetting to mention you...

Let’s Talk Retail Sales Strategy: Interview with Trinity Merwyn

31 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Retail Success Series, I’m joined by Trinity Merwyn from Bellwether, a company dedicated to helping bricks-and-mortar retaile...

The Secret to High-Converting Product Pages: How to Turn Browsers into Buyers

27 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

 Your product pages are the heart of your online store—they can either convince customers to hit "Add to Cart" or drive them away. But ar...

How to Optimise Your Retail Business for Voice Search in 2 Simple Steps!

24 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

"Hey Siri, where can I buy this?" More and more customers are using voice assistants to shop and find local businesses—is your retail stor...

7 Essential Tips to Optimise Your Social Media Profile for More Customers

20 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Your social media profile is your digital storefront—it’s often the first impression potential customers get of your business. So, are you making ...

Unlocking UGC for Retail Success: A Chat with Tegan Hawes

17 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

User-generated content (UGC) is something I’ve always been curious about—how to find the right creators, what it costs, and how it actually works ...

How Birdsnest Creates an Unforgettable Customer Experience

13 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For this first episode of Retail Raves, I’m kicking off a brand-new segment where I highlight retailers who are absolutely killing it in different ...

The Secret to Effortless Content? Let Your Customers Create It!

10 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Struggling to keep up with content creation? Feel like you're always scrambling for fresh ideas? What if I told you there’s a way to make your ...

Expert Insights with Karen Thrussell Part 2: Pricing Strategies & Maximising Retail Profit

06 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In part two of my chat with Karen Thrussell from remarketable.com.au, we continue our deep dive into the world of retail, focusing on one of the bigge...

Expert Insights with Karen Thrussell Part 1: Mastering Stock Management & Retail Success

02 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, I sit down with retail industry expert Karen Thrussell from remarketable.com.au, who brings over 30 years of experience working with ...

Customer Service vs. Customer Experience: The Retail Game-Changer

27 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today I'm tackling a topic that can transform your business: the difference between customer service and customer experience. If you think they’...

Are Your Loyal Customers Cheating on You?

24 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ever had a customer gush about how much they love your store, only to catch them raving about a competitor?I have. And at first, I took it personally....

Enhance Your Retail Space with these Sensory Marketing Tips

20 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sensory Marketing is all about creating an immersive, memorable experience for customers by engaging their senses—sight, sound, touch, smell, and ev...

Easter Retail Success: Creative Strategies to Boost Sales & Customer Engagement

17 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Easter isn't just about chocolate eggs and festive decorations—it’s a prime opportunity to drive sales, engage customers, and create experien...

Smell Sells: Creating an Unforgettable In-Store Experience

13 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know that customers decide how they feel about your store before they even make a purchase? Sensory marketing isn't just for big brands—...

Should You Add a Subscription Box? Lessons from My Experience

10 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Thinking about adding a subscription box to your retail business? In this episode, I’m sharing my experience running a subscription model for over 1...

Want More Email Subscribers? Try This Genius Pop-Up!

06 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Email marketing is one of the most powerful tools for retailers—but are you using it effectively? In this episode, I break down a simple but genius ...

Maximising Email Sign-Ups: The Power of Website Pop-Ups

03 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Pop-ups often get a bad rap—many people find them irritating or disruptive, and as a result, business owners either avoid them entirely or don’t u...

Happy Kids = More Sales: The Secret to Family-Friendly Retail

30 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Shopping with young children can be stressful for parents, but as a retailer, you have the power to make their experience smoother—and more profitab...

5 Revenue Boosters That Don’t Require New Stock

28 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to growing your retail business, it’s easy to focus solely on selling more products. But what if you could increase your revenue witho...

Social Media: The Ultimate Equaliser for Small Business

23 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Social media has transformed the way small businesses connect with their audience, levelling the playing field between big brands and small enterprise...

How to Manage your Stock Space Needs

20 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In Episode 41 of the Retail Success Series, we tackle a common challenge for product-based business owners: running out of space. Whether you're ...

Strategies for Retail Success: The Power of Connection

16 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Retail Success Series, we’re diving into why connection is the key to unlocking growth for independent retail businesses in 2...

Making 2025 Your Best Retail Year Yet: Connection, Growth & Success

13 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome back to the Retail Success Series, and Happy New Year! I’m Nicole, and I’m thrilled to kick off 2025 with fresh energy and focus. Whether ...

2025 Business Growth Blueprint - Part 2 of 2

19 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As we hit the final week of the Christmas trade, many of us are busy with last-minute sales, helping customers, and wrapping up what has been a whirlw...

2025 Business Growth Blueprint: Part 1 of 2

16 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ready to make 2025 your most successful year yet? 🚀 Whether you’re excited about planning or feeling a little overwhelmed, this episode is packed...

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly Planning Sessions

12 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Are you ready to make 2025 your most successful year yet? In this episode of the Retail Success Series, host Nicole Keleher shares a powerful strategy...

Thinking of outsourcing order fulfillment? Here’s what to know!

09 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In Episode 35 of the Retail Success Series Podcast, we dive into one of the biggest decisions product-based businesses face—how to manage order fulf...

Defining your Business for Success

05 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode Nicole shares her thoughts on how we can define our retail business to ensure a Customer First thinking.  Stop thinking about...

Are Loyalty Programs Worth It?

02 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Are Loyalty Programs Worth It? Learn How to Make Them Work for Your Business!Loyalty programs are one of the most effective tools for independent reta...

Marketing Lessons from Black Friday

28 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There is so much we can learn from Black Friday sales to help us with planning for future special events such as Boxing Day sales or other major event...

Focus on What Works: How to Break ‘Shiny Object Syndrome’ in Your Retail Biz

25 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It's easy to get sucked into spending too much time on the next "big thing" when we have a business that needs our support and concentr...

Why Retailers Must Ignore Boredom—and Keep Selling What Sells

21 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In retail we can get tired of seeing the same items in our store, and assume our clients feel the same way.  In this episode Nicole looks at why we n...

Turning an Idea into a Bestselling Product: Knobez Creator’s Story

18 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Morgan Uhl had an idea for a Christmas decoration for her home, and when she couldn't buy it anywhere she decided to invent it.The result is the ...

Returns Done Right: How Refund Policy Tweaks Can Boost Retail Profits.

14 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There is one aspect of your e-commerce site that often gets neglected but is critical to the customer experience.  This is your returns and exchange ...

How to Get Bank Loans for Your Retail Business: Tips that Secure ‘Yes’

11 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this insightful podcast episode, Nicole welcomes back Jo Attard, director of Hart Financial, to share expert advice on securing bank loans for busi...

5 Ways to Source Exclusive Products Locally (Without Bulk Imports)

07 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Carrying a range of exclusive products is one of the keys to success for any retail store.  Many people assume exclusive products means importing con...

Leadership Essentials for Retail Owners: Insights from Shelley Flett

04 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Shelley Flett is passionate about leadership development and team performance and has built a successful business centred around supporting leaders at...

How Strong Supplier Relationships Can Boost Your Retail Margins

31 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this KISS (Keep it Simple Series) episode Nicole looks at why you should work to create strong relationships with your key suppliers and the benefi...

Want to Crush Black Friday Goals?

28 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode Nicole looks at a number of techniques you can use to tease and entice your customers to spend with you during your Black Frid...

Competing with the Big Guys

24 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this KISS (Keep it Simple Series) episode of the Retail Success Series, Nicole addresses a common challenge many small retail business owners face:...

How Virtual Assistants can help you and your business.

22 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

If you are over-worked and overwhelmed then you probably need support.  One option is a virtual assistant.  In today's podcast Nicole interview...