Next-Gen Executives Explore Customer Service, Business Growth at Annual Workshop

A group of 24 emerging leaders gathered in Nashville, TN, on June 24 for the Next-Generation Executives Network Workshop, a hands-on session focused on strengthening customer service, leadership skills and strategic planning.

The program opened with Damus Smith’s “Service that Sticks” workshop, which combined interactive exercises, polling and small-group discussions designed to help participants sharpen their approach to both employee engagement and customer experience. Attendees worked through a guided workbook and participated in a variety of activities that reinforced key service concepts.

Smith introduced the LPI Method, a framework built on three pillars that help create customer service experiences that stick. LPI stands for Loyalty, Performance and Influence. He challenged participants to rethink how they engage with their teams and customers. “You want to make sure your employees don’t feel just like a number,” Smith said. “How can you make them feel valued? What can I do to make sure my employees and my customers feel valued?”

A centerpiece of the session was a group exercise in which attendees broke into small groups, analyzed a customer service scenario and collaborated on solutions. The activity emphasized practical applications of communication, empathy and problem-solving skills in real-world situations.

Following a break, Smith shifted the focus to resilience and composure in high-pressure interactions, sharing his R.I.S.E. (Resiliency, Inspiration, Support and Expectations) framework to help leaders remain steady when dealing with challenging customer situations. He encouraged attendees to anchor their service approach in purpose, asking, “What’s your why? What is the purpose behind your service?”

The session also examined what Smith described as the “service and leadership trap,” urging participants to go beyond the golden rule and instead “treat people the way they want to be treated.” A DISC personality card exercise helped attendees identify communication styles and adapt their approach to different personality types, with take-home materials reinforcing these strategies.

The morning concluded with a “gallery walk,” allowing participants to rotate among groups and share key takeaways from the day’s discussions.

In the second part of the workshop, Matthew Callope of Performance Matters led a session titled “Forging Paths for Growth,” drawing on his career experience, including his time at Huebsch Services in Eau Claire, WI, where he worked alongside the late industry leader Jim Vaudreuil, who passed away in 2024.

Callope facilitated an interactive discussion on the most pressing challenges facing attendees’ organizations, linking those challenges to leadership structure, meeting effectiveness and change management. He highlighted the importance of continuous learning within organizations, noting that at Huebsch, staff regularly engaged with books such as Traction to strengthen business practices.

A key theme of Callope’s presentation was mindset. He introduced the concept of “Gap vs. Gain,” explaining how adopting a growth-oriented perspective, supported by an EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) coach, can fundamentally reshape both personal and organizational performance. “It changed how I thought about life and business in general,” he said.

Callope provided a practical framework for strategic planning using EOS principles, guiding participants through developing a core focus, including mission, purpose and passion, alongside a structured planning process. This included creating a three-year vision, a one-year plan and SMART goals, as well as defining “Rocks,” or 90-day priorities, for both individuals and the organization.

The session emphasized actionable outcomes, with attendees receiving take-home planning documents to continue implementing the concepts discussed. The Next-Generation Executives Network Workshop kicked off on June 23 with a networking event in a private area at First Horizon Park, the home of the Nashville Sounds, the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. Members of the Next-Generation Executives Network mingled with members of TRSA’s Strategic Planning Committee, which met in Nashville on June 23.

If you’re interested in joining TRSA’s Next-Generation Executives Network, contact TRSA’s Jason Risley at [email protected] or Meredyth Ellington at [email protected] for more information.