In this high-flying episode, we sit down with Gene Conrad, President and CEO of the Aerospace Center for Excellence and Sun 'n Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland Florida. Sun 'n Fun is one of the largest aviation events in the country and welcomes over 200,000 visitors annually.

Key Takeaways:

• ✈️ Safety First – Safety is the primary focus for the airshow, and should be for your business as well.
• 👥 People Over Planes – The aircraft might draw a crowd, but it’s the human connection that creates return guests.
• 🏘️ Build Community – How Sun 'n Fun creates a sense of belonging that drives long-term success.
• 💪 Perfect Effort – Gene’s powerful philosophy: it’s not about being perfect, it's about putting in perfect effort.
• 📋 Debrief and Do Something – Why post-event reviews matter only when action follows based on what you learn.

Whether you're in the sky or on the ground, this episode is packed with insights on leadership, culture, and delivering remarkable experiences.

Subscribe, review, and share this episode to help more leaders bring passion and purpose to their organizations.

Links & Resources:

📌 Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-johnson-ccxp/

📌 Book hospitality training for your team today: https://www.igniteyourservice.com/summits

📌 Learn more about Sun 'n Fun: https://flysnf.org/

📌 Learn more about the Aerospace Center for Excellence: https://aceedu.org/

Tony Johnson is a Customer Experience Expert, Keynote Speaker, and Author with a wide background including decades in retail and restaurants. He regularly speaks and coaches organizations to IGNITE THEIR SERVICE using his common sense approach to Customer engagement. Tony has spoken to government agencies and Fortune 500 companies to unlock their amazing capacity for excellence.

Check out my FREE Resources and Training Tools:

Web: https://www.igniteyourservice.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheTonyJohnson

Twitter: https://twitter.com/The_TonyJohnson

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/THE_TONYJOHNSON/

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@igniteyourservice

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tonyjohnsoncx/

In this episode of the Customer Service Academy Podcast, we explore the evolving world of leadership development and the critical traits every modern leader needs to succeed—empathy, adaptability, continuous learning, time management, and effective employee engagement.

The workplace is changing—and so are the skills leaders need to thrive.

We break down how top organizations like Microsoft, Google, and Disney are transforming their leadership training programs and why soft skills are taking center stage. You’ll also get practical, ready-to-use tips for teaching empathy, coaching adaptability, building a growth mindset, and improving how leaders manage their time and recognize their teams.

You’ll Learn:

• Why emotional intelligence is now a core leadership competency

• How to create a team of leaders who are great coaches

• What great companies are doing to build resilient, agile leaders

• How to help managers manage time and prioritize like pros

• Simple ways to improve communication and boost recognition

• How to inpsire continuous learning and a growth mindset

Links & Resources:

📌 Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-johnson-ccxp/

📌 Book hospitality training for your team today: https://www.igniteyourservice.com/summits

📌 Get the Insights Report: https://issuu.com/simonelliot4xi/docs/customer_experience_cx_insights_report_2024

Visit https://thetonyjohnson.teachable.com/ to invest in yourself and your team.

Tony Johnson is a Customer Experience Expert, Keynote Speaker, and Author with a wide background including decades in retail and restaurants. He regularly speaks and coaches organizations to IGNITE THEIR SERVICE using his common sense approach to Customer engagement. Tony has spoken to government agencies and Fortune 500 companies to unlock their amazing capacity for excellence.

Check out my FREE Resources and Training Tools:

Web: https://www.igniteyourservice.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheTonyJohnson

Twitter: https://twitter.com/The_TonyJohnson

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/THE_TONYJOHNSON/

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@igniteyourservice

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tonyjohnsoncx/

In this episode of Customer Service Academy, we take a deep dive into the evolving world of theme parks, desitnations, and attractions—and how you can ensure you are delivering loyalty-building experiences for yoru guests. As customer expectations continue to change and evolve, theme parks, resorts, and destinations must innovate to remain competitive.

Whether you are running a mega theme park, local attraction, or even a community fair, you will find tips in here to help you build your sales, customer loyalty, and overall experience.

We will discuss:

✔️ The five tiers of theme park experiences—Value, Everyday, Elevated, Premium, and Luxury.

✔️ The core experience principles every park must master: Safety, Hospitality, Quality, Simplicity, and Community.

✔️ Top 10 guest expectations in theme parks and how to exceed them.

✔️ How parks are using gamification, interactivity, and immersive experiences to create emotional connections.

✔️ The best special events and seasonal experiences that drive attendance and loyalty.

✔️ How different generations engage with theme parks—from Silent Generation nostalgia to Gen Alpha’s digital-first approach.

✔️ Cutting-edge strategies to reduce wait times and enhance the in-queue experience.

💡 Whether you're a global destination or a regional park looking to compete, this episode is packed with practical insights and CX principles that can help you elevate guest experience and build lasting brand advocacy.

Links & Resources:

📌 Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-johnson-ccxp/

📌 Book hospitality training for your team today: https://www.igniteyourservice.com/training

Visit https://thetonyjohnson.teachable.com/ to invest in yourself and your team.

Tony Johnson is a Customer Experience Expert, Keynote Speaker, and Author with a wide background including decades in retail and restaurants. He regularly speaks and coaches organizations to IGNITE THEIR SERVICE using his common sense approach to Customer engagement. Tony has spoken to government agencies and Fortune 500 companies to unlock their amazing capacity for excellence.

Check out my FREE Resources and Training Tools:

Web: https://www.igniteyourservice.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheTonyJohnson

Twitter: https://twitter.com/The_TonyJohnson

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/THE_TONYJOHNSON/

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@igniteyourservice

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tonyjohnsoncx/

Music: http://www.bensound.com