Buffering

This week on Buffering, we welcome back Jon Picoult, founder of Watermark Consulting and author of From Impressed to Obsessed, to break down the real business impact of customer experience. With nearly two decades of data from his firm’s Customer Experience ROI Study, Jon shares why companies that win on experience don’t just earn loyalty, they dramatically outperform the market. From a 7.8x retur...

This week on Buffering, we are talking about Amazon making their boldest move yet in the connectivity space with a $12 billion acquisition of Globalstar, and why communication service providers need to pay attention. Join Zack and Gabe as we discuss the “good enough” experience that’s winning over subscribers, the ease-of-purchase advantage tech giants have, and more as we explore why competing on...

This week on Buffering, we are exploring what it actually looks like to build with AI, not just talk about it. Join Zack and Gabe as we kick things off with a quick run through the latest AI news and some hot takes, then move into what we’ve actually been building over the past couple of weeks, and how fast ideas are turning into working tools. Join us as we walk through how we’re using real-world...

This week on Buffering, Gabe and Zack dive into the critical difference between using AI and actually building with it—and why that distinction is about to define the next generation of high performers. From breaking down why clicking “accept” on a co-pilot suggestion isn’t real AI fluency to sharing real examples of tools they’ve built in hours (instead of paying thousands), they explore how cont...

This week on Buffering, we are exploring how the best brands in the world have stopped selling specs and started selling feelings — and what that means for broadband providers still leading with speed tiers and price points. Join Zack and Gabe as we discuss how Apple's new MacBook Neo and Rivian's R2 are rewriting the rules of market positioning, why the utility trap is the silent killer o...

Are you referring to your service tiers as segmentation? This week on Buffering, we are breaking down why generic marketing and segmentation is killing growth, and how AI can connect siloed data sources with behavioral data to actually move the needle. Join Zack and Gabe as we talk through a challenge to run this week, on how to think about subscribers based on their situation, not their services.

This week on Buffering, we are unpacking an unlikely lesson from McDonalds’s and their attempt to market the “Most McDonald’s burger ever”. If you’re talking about your products and services like a SKU, you may be creating a gap between product management and customer experience that’s impossible to ignore. Join Zack and Gabe as we discuss how your customers aren’t buying architecture, but the exp...

This week on Buffering, we are exploring how marketing has entered it’s post-experimental AI era and how the true winners of 2026 are no longer prompt engineers, but system architects. Join Zack and Gabe as we discuss how the early-AI advantage is fading as true differentiation now comes from designing intelligent, integrated ecosystems that turn insight into action in real time.

This week on Buffering, we are joined by Vele Galovski, Regional Vice President of business Transformation and AI Engagements at Calix to unpack what AI transformation really takes, and why so many efforts fail to scale. With more than two decades of experience leading large-scale transformations, Vele brings real-world examples from his book, The Perpetual Innovation Machine, to discuss how organ...

What happens when Broadband Providers can’t compete on speed or technology, when everyone sells the same plans? This week on Buffering, we are joined by Anthony Bortolotto, Managing Director of Infinite Networks to explore what competition looks like inside Australia’s open-access broadband market. Join Anthony, Gabe, and Zack as we share lessons from Australia, where hundreds of providers share t...

This week on Buffering, we are joined by Jeannine Lyons, RVP of Success Education at Calix to explore how the broadband industry is evolving, and what it takes to build the workforce of tomorrow. Join Jeannine, Gabe, and Zack as we discuss how education, innovation, and community impact intersect in the world of broadband, and dive into the human side of transformation, the skills the next generat...

This week on Buffering, we are exploring how AI is transforming, not replacing, the broadband workforce by reshaping roles from the front lines to the back office. Join Zack and Gabe as we break down how AI can be used as a tool to elevate your organization, allowing humans to focus on empathy and meaningful moments with customers, all in a world where the broadband pipe is a commodity, and your p...

This week on Buffering, we are unpacking the hidden crisis of positioning debt, the 18+ month narrative lag that’s quietly eroding your growth. From the shift towards reliability and AI as the new digital gatekeeper, this week we are exploring how outdated messaging and legacy value propositions are failing your subscribers and prospects. Join Zack and Gabe as we break down how BSPs are talking to...

This week on Buffering, we are joined by Jeff Johnston, Lead Economist at CoBank, to explore the seismic shifts happening across rural America as AI, data centers, and broadband innovation collide. Join Jeff, Gabe, and Zack as we discuss the rise of edge computing and trends reshaping digital infrastructure.

This week on Buffering, we are joined by bestselling author and disruption strategist, Charlene Li for a fast-moving conversation about why speed is the new competitive moat, and how AI is reshaping work at every level. Join Charlene, Gabe, and Zack as we discuss how organizations can navigate employee fears, transform workflows, and move beyond simple prompting to real business impact with AI.

This week on Buffering, we are welcoming back John Durocher, Chief Operations Officer at Calix to break down the moments that defined broadband in 2025, and the expectations shaping the industry in 2026. Join John, Gabe, and Zack as we unpack what’s changed, why it matters, and how customer experience is being redefined in 2026, and what local providers can do to prepare for what’s coming next.

This week on Buffering, we are joined by Amrit Chaudhuri, Chief Marketing Officer at Calix, to discuss how AI is reshaping modern marketing and customer growth, while exploring Amrit’s journey from Engineering to Marketing. Join Amrit, Gabe, and Zack as we unpack lessons on micro-segmentation and how AI can assist and automate across new business models driven by AI platforms.

This week on Buffering, we are exploring how brands can strategically recover (and avoid) the discount trap, as well as the psychological forces at play as consumers shift from deal hunting to genuine brand connections. Join Zack and Gabe as we break down why constant price cuts erode brand value and how deep discounts attract transactional shoppers instead of loyal fans.

This week on Buffering, we dive into how Rivian is transforming the automative experience by blending immersive space with dynamic digital storytelling. Join Zack and Gabe as we explore how Rivian is creating a brand journey that prioritizes emotional connection over traditional sales tactics with a customer-first philosophy.

In this Ping, we are looking to the western sky to ask: “Is your broadband business good, or Wicked?”. Join Zack and Christina as we draw on lessons from Wicked, and explore the two paths facing every service provider, while unmasking the industry’s “Wizard”, and the importance of delivering a trusted subscriber experience as a Broadband Experience Provider.

This week on Buffering, we are joined by Seth Thompson, Sales Manager at Calix, to discuss building a career through content creation, long before the audience shows up. Join Zack, Gabe, and Seth as we break down how creators and professional can grow with consistency, turn small ideas into big moves, and publish content with purpose to grow your network.

This week on Buffering, we are joined by Steve Mammone, President and Co-Founder of getfused to discuss how companies can innovate online, and how AI is reshaping the future of digital sales. Join Zack, Gabe and Steve as we dive deep into the world of e-commerce, with Steve sharing his unique journey from a non-traditional marketing background to founding a leading creative agency, and how compani...

In this Ping, we explore how companies like Tesla and Rivian are transforming automotive service into an effortless, proactive, and convenient experience, shifting brand narratives from transactional relationships to indispensable lifestyle partners that cement loyalty and turn operational excellence into a powerful marketing engine.

This week on Buffering, we are joined by Drew Beverage from 360 Broadband to explore the journey from dial-up internet to cutting-edge AI integrations. Join Zack, Gabe, and Drew as we discuss how 360 Broadband is using AI to transform customer experience and internal operations, as well as the future of personalization at scale in sales and support.

This week on Buffering, we are sharing our favorite moments from ConneXions 2025 and exploring how agentic AI is reshaping the broadband landscape. From moving beyond prompts to securely activate AI agents to utilizing Market Insights for BSP to BXP transformation, join Zack and Gabe as we discuss some of the key-takeaways from ConneXions, and the impact for broadband leaders.