Lindsay Tramel-Jones, CEO of Fierceified Creative and Consultant, opens More Than a Brand by naming a cultural and economic shift in 2026: consumers are paying closer attention to where their money goes and are increasingly choosing small businesses over big corporations for trust, connection, and perceived quality. She frames this as an opportunity—but warns that if a small business backend is “duct taped together,” growth will feel like pressure, not progress. Centering customer retention, she shares that a 5% retention improvement can increase profits by up to 65%, and explains how retention creates breathing room by reducing the cycle of constant launching and starting revenue from zero. She offers three practical retention strategies to prepare for an influx of customers: (1) follow up quickly and consistently before and after the sale to maintain momentum and communicate care; (2) anticipate post-purchase needs with clear instructions and education, illustrated through a cold-pressed juice brand that supports customers with storage guidance and videos to protect product quality and build confidence; and (3) reward loyalty intentionally through referrals, tiers, points, bundles, or built-in tools like Shop Pay, emphasizing that incentives drive repeat purchases and turn retention into acquisition via returning customers who bring others. She closes by challenging founders to focus not just on attracting customers but on keeping them, strengthening the experience between “we’re interested” and “we’re in,” and plugging leaks in the pipeline as the foundation for steady growth and wealth-building.

00:00 Welcome to More Than a Brand (Customer Retention for Scaling Founders)

00:38 A Shift Is Happening: Conscious Spending & Small Business Opportunity

04:17 Why Retention Matters Now (and the 5% = 65% Profit Wake-Up Call)

06:15 Retention Strategy #1: Follow Up Like You Want the Relationship

08:59 Retention Strategy #2: Anticipate What Customers Need After the Sale

11:05 Retention Strategy #3: Reward Loyalty on Purpose (Simple Programs That Work)

13:15 Can You Keep Them? Holding Growth, Plugging Leaks & Final Takeaways

14:23 Outro: Subscribe + Where to Find Fierceified Online

Mentioned in this episode:

Learn about Flowtribe

FlowTribe is our 10 CX Accelerator for founders that are ready to stop being the bottleneck and ready to retain clients.

In this episode of More Than a Brand, Lindsay Tramel-Jones, CEO of Fierceified Creative and Consultant, explores the importance of aligning product offerings with customer needs. She discusses the pitfalls creative CEOs face when they launch products without customer input and emphasizes the need for strategic timing and capacity in launching new initiatives. Lindsay shares insights on predicting customer journeys and ensuring each touchpoint in the business ecosystem delivers a seamless experience. This episode is a must-listen for scaling founders who want to transform from being the bottleneck to the architect of exceptional customer experiences.

00:00 Introduction to More Than a Brand Podcast

00:48 Challenges Faced by Creative CEOs

01:56 The Importance of Customer Feedback

03:28 Timing and Capacity in Business Decisions

05:04 Predicting Customer Journeys

07:01 Final Thoughts and Advice

09:14 Conclusion and Social Media Links

Learn more: https://fierceified.agency/

Mentioned in this episode:

Learn about Flowtribe

FlowTribe is our 10 CX Accelerator for founders that are ready to stop being the bottleneck and ready to retain clients.

In this episode of the More Than a Brand podcast, host Lindsay Tramel-Jones, CEO of Fierceified Creative and Consultant, dives deep into the crucial transition from manual customer management to scalable retention systems. Lindsay discusses the common pitfalls scaling businesses face around the $100-150K mark, emphasizing the importance of customer retention over acquisition. She explains three critical reasons why businesses struggle to retain customers: the lack of post-transaction relationship strategies, focusing on symptoms rather than systems, and ineffective onboarding processes. Lindsay also shares insights on using the RISE method—Research, Innovate, Strategize, Evolve—to identify and fix the root causes of customer churn. The episode concludes with practical steps to audit and enhance your customer experience, ensuring it remains clear, intentional, and sustainable.

00:00 Introduction to More Than a Brand Podcast 00:51 The Struggles of Scaling Businesses

01:19 The Importance of Customer Retention

02:51 Reason 1: The Dropped Feeling

06:11 Reason 2: Fixing Symptoms, Not Systems

07:27 Reason 3: The Onboarding Gap

08:46 The RISE Method for Customer Experience

10:46 Conclusion and Next Steps

11:29 Closing Remarks and Subscription Reminder

Mentioned in this episode:

Learn about Flowtribe

FlowTribe is our 10 CX Accelerator for founders that are ready to stop being the bottleneck and ready to retain clients.