AI is transforming call centers by automating routine tasks, allowing agents to focus on deeper, human connections. The key to success is balancing innovation with the irreplaceable value of human touchpoints. In our most recent podcast episode of the Next Gen Call Center, we interview Asli Uysal, VP of Enterprise Transformational Accounts at Avaya…

My new novel, The Great Georgia Dirt Dragon, is out on Tuesday, October 1st. Of all the things I've written or made, this is my favorite. You can order a paperback, audio, or digital copy wherever you prefer to buy books. What follows is chapter one of the audiobook version, read by the amazing Rickel Hayes.…

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the call center industry—but is it truly driving transformation, or is it just another buzzword? As with most advancements, the reality is more nuanced. In this episode of The Next Gen Call Center, we talk with Ram Sundaram, Director of AI Development at Genesys. Leading a team that develops AI soluti…

Imagine a world where call center agents can effortlessly understand customers with thick accents, and background noise becomes a thing of the past. This future is closer than you think, thanks to advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and specifically, audio-based Large Language Models (LLMs). AI and audio-based LLMs are poised to revolution…

Call centers are the backbone of many customer service operations. But let's be honest, keeping your team happy and productive can feel like an uphill battle. High turnover, low morale, and frustrated customers - sound familiar? In episode we interview Dave D'Arcy, Managing Director of Laughing Leadership, who has over 30+ years designing and manag…

Did you know that 78% of customers say a positive experience with a call center agent can increase their loyalty to a brand? But with rising call volumes and complex customer needs, it’s getting tougher for agents to deliver exceptional service. This begs the question – can technology, specifically AI, become the secret weapon for boosting agent ex…

Call centers are experiencing an unprecedented revolution catalyzed by AI. With a vast array of solutions like call transcription, voice generation, agent assist tools, and even virtual agents, crafting a strategic and practical approach is crucial for success. In this episode, we interview Ping Wu, the CEO of Cresta, one of the leading AI unicorns…

The call center industry is undergoing a major transformation driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI). But is AI a magic bullet for cutting costs? In a recent video, we dive into these questions with Mark McKercher, CEO of CX by Us, which is an advisory company focused on call centers. Formerly Mark has held leadership positions at Roku, Samsung, Go…

The BPO call center industry is undergoing a major transformation due to AI. AI can automate tasks, improve agent productivity, and enhance customer satisfaction. BPOs that embrace AI will be well-positioned to thrive in the future. Are traditional BPO call centers a thing of the past? In a recent episode, we had the pleasure of interviewing Jim Ra…

In today’s competitive business landscape, Business Process Outsourcers (BPO) running offshore call centers are under increasing pressure to deliver exceptional customer service while keeping costs under control. The good news? Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the call center landscape, offering a powerful solution to these chal…

With All Its Teeth: Sex, Violence, Profanity, and the Death of Christian Art is out. Find out more. Jeff "Suffering" Bettger has been an integral part of controversial acts like Ninety Pound Wuss, Raft of Dead Monkeys, and Suffering and the Hideous Thieves. We have a conversation about his philosophy pf art, inspiration and influence, and whether o…

With All Its Teeth: Sex, Violence, Profanity, and the Death of Christian Art is out. Find out more. Matt Hughes works in advertising, but he's also a voracious reader, a music lover, a cinephile, and he wrote a novel for the fun of it. After a terrible season of depression, Matt found healing and renewal, and he decided to rethink the way he approa…

With All Its Teeth: Sex, Violence, Profanity, and the Death of Christian Art is out. Find out more. Tyler Hanns has been doing design, illustration, filmmaking and creative carpentry for years—many of which he spent working with Christian non-profits and megachurches. He and I are about talk about compromise, communication, and the toll “branding” …

With All Its Teeth: Sex, Violence, Profanity, and the Death of Christian Art is out. Find out more. Christian Dawson is the pastor of worship at Bridgetown Church in Portland, Oregon. He and I are about to have a conversation about musical influences, what qualifies as worship music, and pushing up against church expectations with art.…

With All Its Teeth: Sex, Violence, Profanity, and the Death of Christian Art is out. Find out more. Whitney DePaoli is famous for Sugar and Sparrow, a cake-baking and decorating blog that has garnered hundreds of thousands of followers on social media, eventually leading to the bestselling cookbook Anyone Can Cake. But what her cake-loving social m…

Death to Deconstruction: Reclaiming Faithfulness as an Act of Rebellion is out now wherever books and audiobooks are sold. Find out more. Chad Johnson was a prominent figure in underground music before he became a big wheel in the Christian music industry. He's seen his fair share of deconstruction, but it was a secret battle against addiction that…

Death to Deconstruction: Reclaiming Faithfulness as an Act of Rebellion is out now wherever books and audiobooks are sold. Find out more. Gavin Bennett is a pastor of communities in Portland, Oregon who has experienced a lot of pain and confusion and has walked with others through even more of it. But he can't seem to shake this thing called the ch…

Death to Deconstruction: Reclaiming Faithfulness as an Act of Rebellion is out now wherever books and audiobooks are sold. Find out more. Jarin Oda is a youth pastor in Portland, Oregon, who somehow survived both youth groups and Portland without losing his faith. Barely.By Joshua S. Porter

Death to Deconstruction: Reclaiming Faithfulness as an Act of Rebellion is out now wherever books and audiobooks are sold. Find out more. Stephen Christian (of Anberlin and Anchor & Braille fame) has not only survived the pitfalls of the Christian music industry with his faith intact but has become a pastor. How?…

Death to Deconstruction: Reclaiming Faithfulness as an Act of Rebellion is out now wherever books and audiobooks are sold. Find out more. Evan Wickham was a worship leader who became a pastor but not before some painful undoing of the theology with which he was raised. How did he not undo all of it?By Joshua S. Porter

Hakeem Bradley was raised in what he calls a black identity cult to understand the Bible as a tool for oppression. But, somehow, he became a youth group leader, a pastor, and now works with the Bible Project out of Portland, Oregon. He's seen the best and worst of church and hasn't bailed. Death to Deconstruction: Reclaiming Faithfulness as an Act …

Today, Bethany Allen is a pastor of Spiritual Formation & Leadership Development, but it's been a rough road getting here. Death to Deconstruction: Reclaiming Faithfulness as an Act of Rebellion is out now wherever books and audiobooks are sold.By Joshua S. Porter

Conversations with people who have plenty of the great building blocks for a classic deconversion story: Abandonment, misogyny, hypocrisy, racism, doubt, disillusionment, and failure—but, all of them continue to follow Jesus. I’m going to ask them why. Order Death to Deconstruction, by Joshua S. Porter, wherever you prefer to buy books.…