Rick Denton: 0:01

Hey, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year. Happy Holidays to all of y'all that are CX Passport travelers. We're in the second week of the first class lounge reruns. And I hope that you enjoyed last week's compilation. And I know that you're going to enjoy this week's compilation starting off with Phil Davis from the Czech Republic, Claire Boscq from UAE, Eli Weiss from the US Mercer Smith from the US. Vimal Rai from Dubai Gabrielle Amaral from Brazil, it's going to be a fun little snippet here today. Hey, we start off next week, right back at it with a whole slate, we're going to start off the year with Paul Banks from the UK. But I've got a whole host of folks coming up, that are going to be a lot of fun to listen to. So thanks, again, CX Passport listener for a great 2023 I've been blown away by your engagement, your comments, and all that you have done to help advance the CX Passport. So I thank you for 2023 and I look forward to a great 2024 Enjoy this compilation and see you next year. Oh, Phil, that sounds absolutely fantastic. And there's a lot of folks that just it just went through a mental shift of Wait a second. The preachers haven't very Yeah, heck yeah, he has absolutely delightful as well. And that thought of that just enjoying that and the city and all that going down. I notice you didn't say the name. So listeners, what we're going to do here is say that if you want to know where that is, you're gonna have to go visit faith community church on a Sunday service. And I promise that Phil will then let you know what his secret favorite beer garden is. And you'll be able to enjoy that view. Now, Phil, you talked about a tranquility that comes from but travel often does not have that tranquility, especially for someone like me who has a long way away from the Czech Republic. It would take a long journey to get there and it can be nice to stop down on that journey and enjoy the lounge. So I would like to invite you to join me here in the first class lounge. Let's have a little fun here. What is a dream travel location from your past?

Phil Davis: 2:08

Well, that one's pretty easy, actually. Because it's kind of fresh in my mind. But last summer, we took a family trip to Iceland and we rented a camper van and drove around the entire island over the span of eight days in this camper van. And after we got over the claustrophobia from the first maybe five hours of being together for eight days. It was incredible. just such a beautiful, beautiful country. We had the best time. Oh,

Rick Denton: 2:38

that's awesome. And I love the idea of the camper van by going that route now. Phil How big is your family? I know listeners share with the listeners. So

Phil Davis: 2:47

I am married and we have three teenagers now I guess one is 20 but two teenagers and 20 year old so small kids. No,

Rick Denton: 2:57

that's gonna be a tight campervan. But it feels family can do it. You can do it. So it sounds like a delightful trip indeed. Now, what is a dream travel location you've not been to yet?

Phil Davis: 3:08

Well, I have been to Russia, as you know, but I still have on my bucket list. Trans Siberian railroad. That's something I would love to do one day, it'd be able to go across the whole country maybe when it's a little bit safer, of course, but someday I'd still love to do that.

Rick Denton: 3:25

I am I'm hopeful that as history has shown itself to evolve over the decades that maybe you'll get that opportunity but no now sounds like the wrong time. It's an it's a little different than when you and I saw each other in St. Petersburg all those many years ago. I still talk about by the way, and we're not gonna go into detail. But that god awful hostel that we stayed at in Moscow that I'm amazed that we didn't leave there with tuberculosis, but we just won't get the details on that. That will not make its way into the show notes.

Phil Davis: 3:54

That was a bad Lonely Planet.

Rick Denton: 3:57

There. No, everything else about the trip was fantastic. That was a really sketchy place. What is a favorite thing to eat?

Phil Davis: 4:07

I am pretty boring when it comes to this. So I'm just gonna go with steak and potatoes. I love good steak and potatoes. I'm fine.

Rick Denton: 4:15

Nothing wrong with that. What do you call boring I call yummy. Sounds good to me. Now let's go the other direction. What is something your parents forced you to eat but you're hated as a kid?

Phil Davis: 4:26

Easy, easy question. Meatloaf. hated it. I don't think meat and loaf should be together in the same sentence much less the same word. So no.

Rick Denton: 4:42

I'm glad to see that the trauma is still alive and real in your mind as you think of meatloaf. That's brilliant. Fill with all your travels. What is one item not including your phone not including your passport that you will not leave home without

Phil Davis: 5:00

it Let's see, I'm gonna, I'm gonna have a Part A and Part B real quick on this one. If I am going to check a bag, then the the new thing that we definitely include our air tags, just to make sure that we know exactly where our bags are just to avoid all of the luggage trauma that a lot of people have been dealing with lately. And if I don't need to check a bag, then and I just had my carry on, then I would probably make sure I bring my planner and I went analog about two years ago. And so I have a daily planner that I write in every day

Rick Denton: 5:42

Claire I love it. I love the idea of look, I spent a boatload on marketing but you forgot about training all of that I can already hear the Disney themes carrying forward into what you're you're experiencing there. Now. The distance between jersey and Dubai is not a tiny one. And certainly for me living in Texas, USA, it is definitely not a tiny one so that travel can be wearing you mentioned India, you mentioned China, you mentioned Malaysia, it's nice to take a break. It's nice to stop down in the lounge. So I want to invite you to join me here in the first class lounge we'll move quickly here and have a little bit of fun. What is the dream travel location from your past? Okay,

Claire Boscq: 6:18

so from from the past, oh my gosh, I did go to China back in 2018. And I guess it was a real Hey, was very walking on the wall, you know, kind of that this, it's, it's something you can't describe. And there's there's a couple of memories that have as walking on a wall and just being present and kind of standing in here. Just feeling that energy of it. You know, it's all about energy. And I went to Egypt as well in October and those kind of things like Egypt was a big thing for me. When I was a child and I went to Philly as Ireland, you know, the the Queen's Island and feeling the energy coming out of the stones on the pyramid. I mean, those kinds of things, you just can't make them up. And it's it's kind of those moments where you pause there, you're very present. And you're anchoring a moment like that. So China was very powerful. Egypt was very powerful. As

Rick Denton: 7:26

Yeah, have you had a lot of dream travel locations from your past? That's awesome. And I love I've had the chance to go to both and that you're absolutely right, spectacular. Now let's go the other direction. What is a dream travel location you've not been to yet.

Claire Boscq: 7:41

Okay, so I'd like to get to I'd like to go back to the state I have to say, because I haven't been for 2525 years. And so I haven't been back to since you know since last time I went. So I really would love to go back to to America. And another one that I have on the list. It's a really kind of quite love going to Sydney as well. It's kind of you know, yeah, that's, that's, and I'm halfway there. Now being in Dubai, you almost got some kind of looking at, you know, going back to the state and going back and I think that's one of the reason why I picked Dubai as well because very strategically, as a keynote speaker, I can travel anywhere within you know, six, seven hours of Dubai, direct flights would be nice cygnets kind of Yeah, there

Rick Denton: 8:38

you go. Okay, I like that you're just on a really long plane change layover and that's all you'll get to Sydney eventually. Now. What is a favorite thing of yours to eat?

Claire Boscq: 8:49

Oh, white chocolate. Okay,

Rick Denton: 8:50

there it is. Answer. White chocolate.

Claire Boscq: 8:55

White chocolate is probably I

Rick Denton: 8:58

love it when it's a quick I love it when it's a quick now. Let me ask you the reverse what is the thing your parents forced you to eat but you hate it as a kid.

Claire Boscq: 9:08

So that was my grandparents and I was on to use

Rick Denton: 9:12

andI Okay, all right. Yeah, that because they were

Claire Boscq: 9:16

cooking them my grandmother were cooking them into ham with Bishop Mel in middle and it was kind of on Diem. It's nice Andy. I have a salad right but it's a look as well.

Rick Denton: 9:32

I hope that those of you that are listening, go over to YouTube and make sure that you see at least this part of the video if you aren't watching on a video you've got to see that clear. Let's go back to travel. We're gonna last question here in the first class lounge, what is one travel item not including your phone not including your passport that you will not leave home without

Claire Boscq: 9:56

so not including my phone or my passport that I will not actually you know what it is, it's actually essential oil. I always have some essential oil with me because you know when you're in the plane and you're sitting next to somebody who's been in their shirt for a long time and so I always have essential oils that I put on my wrist and they're kind of Yeah, I always have a tip nearby

Rick Denton: 10:32

oh man Eli that experience in Singapore sounds absolutely spectacular. I got to experience something similar to that in Bangkok. It was the Renaissance, I think. But either way, you know, one of those upper end hotels, and just a glorious experience. And it is and I too, have stayed at the $7 or less hostels and the backpacking trips. So I can appreciate both sides of, of the experience, and each gave me the experience that I was expecting. So that was okay. But in all of your travels, I imagine that there's been moments of exhaustion, there's probably been times that you are absolutely worn out most of us when we're travelers we are in so it can be nice to take a little break. And especially if you got access to the first class lounge, you do you have access to the first class lounge today. So I'm going to ask you to join me here in this lounge. Move quickly here, and we will have a little bit of fun. What is a dream travel location from your past?

Eli Weiss: 11:26

One of my favorite places to go to was Serbia. I think Americans think of travel they think of Rome and Paris. And not to say those are overdone. They are but there's so much about those kinds of like undiscovered a those people are so pleased to have you. And they were the kindest, most hospitable people that I've met. In all my travels, we asked somebody for directions, and they walked us all the way to our hotel. And they were just so thrilled to see people enjoying their culture. And we had a great time there.

Rick Denton: 11:59

Yeah, Serbia does sound really, really great. Just a few episodes ago, had someone on from Prague who started a church there and the stories that he has told both on the air and off the air of how amazing that city is, really sounds like a place to be. It's it's on my list of where I want to go. But what for you what is a dream travel location for you that you've not been to yet.

Eli Weiss: 12:20

So I have dreamed about going to Dubai for the longest time. And I'm actually going on Sunday. So I'm, I'm really, really excited about that. My next step, this is something that's been on my list since I started traveling and, you know, a decade ago, is Tokyo. And somewhere in my head, I have this idea that Tokyo done well, is is better than just doing it not high end. And I'd rather go to Tokyo and I can really, really spend. So it's one of those things. It's like when I have the money, I will do a big, big lavish Tokyo trip and get the full experience. But I love hospitality. And I love Awesome. Yeah, I love places that just treat you really well. And I've definitely been to places that didn't. And I was like, Why? Why am I here? So I'm, I'm excited about great hospitality. Well,

Rick Denton: 13:15

I can tell you this as someone who did do the Japan trip over the holiday period between 22 and 23 this year, and with my son studying abroad there, listeners, I know you've heard that a few times already. But Japan has come up quite a bit as it's reopened last year, like a lot of countries. Ila Yes, Tokyo can be spectacular, and Tokyo can be expensive, but I will tell you, you don't have to do it that way. And you would still get phenomenal hospitality. A guest a former guest on the show a couple episodes ago spoke of Omotenashi, which is the spirit of hospitality. And it pervades all aspects of the Japanese hospitality. It's great. I will add this you said Tokyo. I will tell you make sure you get Kyoto and that list. I found that I love Kyoto even more if Tokyo was phenomenal. This was it'd be like St. Tokyo's a and Kyoto was a plus. It was wonderful. Part of what I loved a lot about Japan was the food was spectacular. So Eli, what is a favorite thing of yours to eat?

Eli Weiss: 14:13

I will always go for Mediterranean food like I will never say no to a hummus and some some fresh pizzas. A falafel. I love Mexican food of any kind.

Rick Denton: 14:23

How love it. Absolutely love it. You're making me hungry. Now it's the noon timeframe in my timezone and I'm getting hungry. What is a thing your parents forced to eat? So this is the other way thing your parents forced to eat but you're hated as a kid.

Eli Weiss: 14:37

I hated and still hate fish. The only kind of like fish that I'll eat is is tuna. But generally as a rule, if it swims, I don't I don't eat it. That's my general guideline.

Rick Denton: 14:52

Kind of it's possible to do that with Mediterranean food but it is funny. You've got the Mediterranean there and yet anything that swims is not you're not a fan of but I loved it. So it's fun I love asking this question let's go back to travel let's close out the lounge with this what is one travel item not including your phone not including your passport that you will not leave home without

Eli Weiss: 15:11

oh gosh any sort of sleep aid

Rick Denton: 15:20

Mercer I think that's so important. I love that that focus and the idea of giving language so that whether it's frontline or any human right any human has the ability to speak to those that can and find that that support now, I realized that the first class Lounge is a little bit more trivial than actual mental health. But there is a moment of if you're in travel or you're really busy, it can be nice to just take that respite. And so I'd love for you to join me here in the first class lounge. We're going to move quickly but we're gonna have a little bit of fun to what is a dream travel location from your past?

Mercer Smith: 15:53

Chef Chawan in Morocco.

Rick Denton: 15:56

Okay. You see my eyes you see that? I know Morocco. Tell me more about chef Sherine that a good chef

Mercer Smith: 16:03

show when

Rick Denton: 16:04

Yeah, when? Okay. Yes,

Mercer Smith: 16:06

it is an entirely Blue City. So all the walls are view all the houses are blue. Everything is blue. It's built into a mountainside. It's very, very beautiful. There are tons and tons of cats which I really love. Moroccan food is excellent. It's just it's very peaceful. And I loved it. I went there a few years ago.

Rick Denton: 16:24

Oh my gosh, you hit me on all sorts of fronts of happiness there. And I think now that you I didn't know the name but I think I've seen the pictures of it. My daughter brought introduced our family. We're a dog family, but introduced us to cats. And I actually have been to a cat cafe now. So now your city that you're describing here in Morocco, I think I want to go there good. Now you gave me a new one for my list. Let's talk about your list. A dream travel location you've not been to yet. Berlin.

Mercer Smith: 16:49

I'd love to go to Berlin. I've never been to Berlin. I have never been to Germany. I was supposed to go. Right before the pandemic hit for Oktoberfest. I didn't get a chance to go Berlin is a really beautiful, artsy city. And there's a lot of history there.

Rick Denton: 17:04

So clearly plenty of history and it does seem to have this quirky is the wrong word. Avant Garde is a little too overused, but sort of forward looking, edgy type arts and culture to it that inspires and I think it would be a fun place to head. You mentioned Oktoberfest that's associated primarily with beer but there's a lot of German food to be had as well. So let's talk about food for a bit. What is a favorite thing of yours to eat?

Mercer Smith: 17:33

Hmm, I really love Indian food. That's my fifth probably one of my favorite foods to eat. I also cook a lot though and I can't really cook

Rick Denton: 17:45

Indian food. So so it's nice to have somebody else do that for us. Yes, yes. Yeah, there are things that I cook well, not many, not many, but there are things that I cook well, and I am thankful for all of the other people who know how to cook and enjoy that so Mercer let's talk about the other direction that what is the thing your parents forced you to eat but you're hated as a kid.

Mercer Smith: 18:05

Honestly, I've been thinking about this and I cannot think of anything I will say I mean my parents always made me eat just basically everything like I had like Guney at the age of six and I've just kind of been eating a lot of weird stuff my whole life my grandmother did make me eat sweet breads like the veal glands when I was like seven and that was not a favorite of mine but I didn't hate it. I don't really use the word hate and I love food of all kinds. I always have

Rick Denton: 18:36

well Mercer I've gotten to that point in my life now where I feel the same way as you that I'll eat I'll try anything, I'll eat anything but there are some things that I didn't like so much. Although my mom was a huge fan of sweet breads. And so those were introduced to us early on and very infrequently it's a bit of a delicate but yes, it is interesting to to hear that at least you tried them and kudos to you. All right, thank you. Let's go back to travel what is one item not including your phone not including your passport that you will not leave home without

Mercer Smith: 19:07

I was gonna say my children but they're not really an item. Probably a book

Rick Denton: 19:21

Oh Vimal...with Singapore with Dubai. I mentioned to world class airports and too frequently places that to get there from most of us are many of us around the world. It's a long flight to get there. And so it can be nice to stop into the lounge. Take a little break and enjoy and so today we're going to do that I'm gonna invite you to join me here in the first class lounge. We'll move quickly here and have a little bit of fun. What is a dream travel location from your past?

Vimal Rai: 19:50

It's got to be French Polynesia. Yeah, but most people call it the 80 and most people know Bora Bora. But you So it's it's five groups of islands and three of them atolls, if I remember correctly, so I spent, you know, a week or two in Bora Bora. And then I spent the weekend in a place called Nuku. Hiva, which is not an atoll and Nuku Hiva is famous for being if I'm not mistaken in one of the survival series. They've got cannibals on the island.

Rick Denton: 20:21

Okay. All right. Well, I I'm glad that that didn't affect you significantly. But I know how beautiful that is. I would love to see at some time. What is a dream travel location you've not been to yet?

Vimal Rai: 20:36

Oh, there's two that are top on my list. So there's the sea shells and I have no idea why I just think it sounds sexy. It sounds beautiful. Ever since I was a little kid. So it shows us a place I really want to go to. But the one the one that as an adult, I really want to go to see is this part of the world called the Antarctica? Oh, yeah. Yeah, it's not. It's not easy to get to. It's not really a tourist sort of a place but I really want to go there. I really want to just disconnect and just be with nature.

Rick Denton: 21:09

To want to get Antarctica and the list and a little bit of a selfish just shout out here. Since we're talking Antarctica, that's the only continent that I don't have a guest for CX passport from yet so I'm still looking for that scientist that wants to be on six passports. So when you go them all would you recruit for me? I would appreciate that. Hopefully that happens soon. Thanks so much. What is a favorite thing of yours to eat?

Vimal Rai: 21:34

Ah, I'm a foodie man. I mean, I love food. I love looking at food. I love seafood. That means I see food and I eat it. Yeah. But my favorite would have to be any almost any Singaporean dish right? So I don't know if you're familiar, but there's Luxa There's me Goehring which is fried noodles. There's chicken rice. There's curry. I also love Japanese. I love burgers. I love Japanese burgers.

Rick Denton: 22:04

So it's all the above so this question may be a trick for you then what is something your parents forced you to eat but you hated as a kid?

Vimal Rai: 22:13

Ah, bitter God. Bitter God you know that is I don't it's a sort of it's bitter gourd. It's a type of bitter melon. It's in the same family apparently a zucchini and squash and and all of those things are fine, but better god. Oh my God. It is. It is diabolical. It looks diabolical. It is it is bitter.

Rick Denton: 22:37

Wow. So you went on two fronts there one I've never heard a bitter gourd. So that's great. That's something new for me. And I always love seeing people's reactions. But then to I don't think I've heard anyone say that a food item was diabolical. And so you introduced two new things for me in one question. Brilliant. I love it. I'm gonna have a good chuckle about that one. What is let's close out the lounge here heading back to travel what is one travel item not including your phone or your passport that you will not leave home without.

Vimal Rai: 23:08

Ooh there's quite a few but at the top of the list is my running shoes. I just love exploring any place that I get to on foot. So if I have a few hours between meetings, I just put your shoes on and I go walking I go running I just go exploring. I figured the streets out. I've never traveled without a pair of shoes and if I actually forget i I'm actually almost guaranteed to go buy a pair

Rick Denton: 23:40

Gabriela little change of pace here now for me a flight. So from the Dallas Fort Worth region, I don't think a lot of folks really realize this. It's actually further for me to get to a city like Sao Paulo than it is London. I was really surprised to know that it was a longer flight from DFW to Sao Paulo than it was DFW to London. And so if I were to come to Brazil, and I'm sure any of your travels as you go around to all of the regions that you have responsibility for. Sometimes travel can wear you out and it's nice to hit the lounge and so we're gonna hit the lounge now I want you to join me in the first class lounge we'll move quickly and have a little bit of fun. What is a dream travel location from your past?

Gabriela Amaral: 24:20

It's Hawaii. Yeah, so since I'm from Brazil, I really like beach and these like summer weather. And Hawaii was always a great place to visit it. I had this chance when I did my exchange program in the US back in 2015. So some years ago but I really enjoy it and it is a really special place.

Rick Denton: 24:48

Why is a beautiful place I've only been there once it's a it's not a short flight for me either. And I I can see coming from a culture like yours that enjoying beach in a destination makes a lot of sense. But what is thinking of the future? What is a dream travel location that you've not been to yet?

Gabriela Amaral: 25:06

Yeah, so there are so many countries in Europe that I have not been yet, like London for example, that I would love to visit it. And I also know that there is this human woman when am I in customer experience community there, and I adore to visit them in person right now I just interact with them online.

Rick Denton: 25:28

Hey, well, we may have to find a way to tag them and get them to watch this episode. And hey, you need to get Gabriella there in person, not just a watch, but get it get a flight for her to go enjoy London to one of the great cities in the world. Absolutely. Now, I've got to imagine this is a hard question to answer for someone from a culture that is so food oriented as yours. But what is a favorite thing of yours to eat?

Gabriela Amaral: 25:50

Meat. I love a great steak. Oh,

Rick Denton: 25:55

there's nothing quite like a great steak. And again, if I slaughter the pronunciation forgive me but the churrascaria is from Brazil are some of the best things that I've experienced. And one of my favorite exports from Brazil into the US or the abundance of trust Korea is that exist? Give me a good steak and I'm with you there. What is the thing your parents forced you to eat? But you hate it as a kid?

Gabriela Amaral: 26:20

Probably some vegetables in Brazil have a variety of vegetables. Some of them I like some of them. Not much.

Rick Denton: 26:29

Good vegetables on this show a lot. I think some of us have grown into enjoying the vegetables, but there's still something about the non vegetable that we'd rather have than the vegetable. So now, let's think about that travel again, what is one travel item not including your phone or your passport that you will not leave home without probably

Gabriela Amaral: 26:49

my card or my wallet.

Rick Denton: 26:56

Thanks for joining us this week on CX Passport. If you liked today’s episode I have 3 quick next steps for you Click subscribe on the CX Passport youtube channel or your favorite podcast app Next leave a comment below the video or a review in your favorite podcast app so others can find and and enjoy CX Passport too Then, head over to cxpassport.com website for show notes and resources that can help you create tangible business results by delivering great customer experience. Until next time, I’m Rick Denton and I believe the best meals are served outside and require a passport.