CX Insight Magazine

July 2025
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in this issue

How Curiosity and Courage Shape CX LeadershipWhy Voice Still LeadsBrand Spotlight: American AirlinesAgentic AI: The New Contact Center TeammateRooted in Values: How Azure Standard Grows With CareStrategic CX Partnerships Are Fueling Customer Loyalty in the Age of Change Back to Table of Contents

Discover how Azure Standard is scaling customer experience with purpose, staying true to its mission of care, connection, and community.

Karen Slusher
Chief Experience Officer

 As Chief Experience Officer at Azure Standard, Karen Slusher leads with heart, clarity, and conviction. Over nearly a decade, she has helped the company grow from a single organic farm into the largest independent natural and organic food distributor in the U.S., all while maintaining its core mission: nourishing lives through trust, care, and connection.
In our conversation, Karen pulled back the curtain on what it means to scale CX with integrity, why employee experience is the linchpin of customer loyalty, and how Azure’s mission to nourish lives shapes every strategic decision. From bilingual training programs to values-aligned BPO partnerships, her approach is as operationally sharp as it is soulfully grounded. She also shared how the community, such as the Know It All (KIA) community network, has given her the clarity and camaraderie needed to navigate the pace of change. Whether you’re building a CX program or evolving one, Karen’s insights are a powerful reminder that when service is rooted in purpose, growth becomes a force for good.

 

Execs In The Know (EITK): You describe your role as the “conductor of a symphony.” Can you share what that looks like day to day as you orchestrate experiences across departments to ensure harmony for both customers and employees?

Karen Slusher: I often say that I’m the conductor of a service symphony. Each person on my team is like a musician, deeply skilled in their instrument, whether it’s frontline service, sales, or HR. Some play melody, some rhythm, some fill in harmony, and others manage tempo, but together, when aligned, we create a beautiful and moving performance.

My role is to ensure we’re not just playing well individually but that we’re playing the same piece, in the same key, and with the same intention. Day to day, this means I’m constantly listening to our customers, our employees, and the “music” of our processes. I ensure that everyone has the right sheet music (clear expectations), their instruments are tuned (through training and tools), and they feel the rhythm of our shared purpose.

If something goes off tempo, I step in to retune, redirect, and realign us. The ultimate goal isn’t perfection; it’s resonance. It’s creating a sense of belonging for our customers and employees, making them feel seen, heard, and valued in every interaction.

EITK: Azure Standard has evolved from a single organic farm into the largest independent natural and organic food distributor in the U.S. How has the customer experience evolved alongside this growth, and how have you helped guide this transformation?

Karen: At Azure, personal connection has always been at the heart of our customer experience, and it still is. We’ve never strayed from our commitment to understanding our customers, listening to their needs, and fostering genuine relationships. Even as we’ve grown into the largest independent distributor of natural and organic foods in the U.S., we’ve remained grounded in that relational approach.

What has evolved is the way we support that commitment. Customer experience has matured from being primarily reactive to becoming intentional, proactive, and deeply woven into every part of our business. We’ve built structure around the heart of our mission, layering in systems, tools, and strategy to scale connection without losing authenticity.

I’ve helped lead that transformation by developing the structure, resources, and leadership alignment necessary to serve our customers at scale better. That included building journey-mapping processes to anticipate needs before they arise, expanding service channels to meet customers where they are, and establishing feedback loops that keep us closely attuned to the voice of the customer. I’ve also focused on building a team that is deeply mission-aligned. People who not only do the work but also believe in the “why” behind it. That alignment empowers our team to serve with clarity, conviction, and authenticity. Every element of this evolution is grounded in the same values that shaped us on the farm: honesty, abundance, and genuine care for people. Growth hasn’t replaced relationships; it’s given us more ways to nurture them.

EITK: You emphasize the connection between customer and employee experience as a sustainable competitive advantage. What are some specific strategies or programs you’ve put in place to strengthen that connection at Azure?

Karen: Customer experience and employee experience are inseparable, two sides of the same coin. One always influences the other. When employees feel supported, equipped, and connected to purpose, they deliver service that reflects those same values. But when teams are under-resourced or disconnected from the mission, it inevitably shows in the way customers are treated.

That’s why I don’t view EX as a “support function.” I view it as a core CX strategy. If we want our customers to feel seen, heard, and cared for, we must start by building that same culture internally. Every structure we build for our people is ultimately an investment in the customer experience.

For example:

The bilingual ESL training program was created for our Spanish-speaking production team members, many of whom are responsible for packing orders, manufacturing products, and ensuring quality at every stage of the supply chain. While they may not speak directly to customers, they have a direct impact on the customer experience. More transparent communication, stronger comprehension, and increased confidence in the workplace lead to fewer mistakes, safer practices, and higher consistency. When our team understands instructions, signage, and safety protocols more effectively, they’re empowered to do their work with excellence. That results in better-packed orders, well-crafted products, and a higher level of care that our customers can feel, even if they never see the people behind the scenes.

The Kolbe A Index rollout has enabled us to gain a deeper understanding of our team members’ instincts. That’s helped us build stronger, more cohesive teams, reduce friction, improve collaboration, and allow people to work in ways that align with how they’re wired. When teams are working in flow, they’re more energized, more engaged, and more responsive, which customers can feel in every interaction.

Regular skip-level meetings provide team members with a direct line to leadership, fostering trust and accountability. They surface real-time insights about what’s working, what’s breaking, and how we can better support both the team and the customer. Many of our CX improvements have come directly from those frontline conversations, where the real magic lives.

When employees are equipped, engaged, and aligned with purpose, they don’t just execute tasks; they steward the customer experience. They become culture-bearers. And that’s when CX stops being a department and starts becoming a way of life.

EITK: How does Azure’s mission of bringing nutrient-rich, non-GMO foods to families shape your CX strategy and decision-making framework?

Karen: Everything we do begins with that mission. At Azure, we’re not just selling food; we’re nourishing lives. That foundational purpose becomes our compass, especially when decisions get complicated. Whether we’re evaluating a new tool, setting a policy, or responding to a difficult customer concern, we always return to two essential questions: Does this reflect our care for people? And does this move us closer to abundance, wellness, and goodness?

We live in a world that often operates from a scarcity mindset, where fear, control, and self-preservation drive decisions. But at Azure, we believe in the opposite. We believe there is enough—enough goodness, enough opportunity, enough nourishment—and that our role is to cultivate and distribute that abundance with integrity and generosity. That belief has a profound influence on our CX strategy.

It means we lead with transparency in how we source, produce, and communicate. It means we remain authentic in our voice, even when it would be easier to hide behind corporate language. It means we give grace in our service, not because it’s efficient, but because it’s the right thing to do. It also means we take ownership when we miss the mark, always seeking a redemptive way forward. Serving people well isn’t about perfection; it’s about presence, care, and consistency.

Our customers are more than transactions. They’re part of a shared movement toward health, wholeness, and trust. And every decision we make is filtered through that lens of abundance; what can we give, how can we support, and how do we serve in a way that multiplies goodness in the world?

EITK: In an industry as values-driven as organic food, how do you ensure your CX efforts reflect the authenticity and trust customers expect from a brand like Azure?

Karen: Authenticity and trust can’t be engineered; they have to be embodied. In today’s world, people can sense when something is real and when it’s not. At Azure, we don’t rely on rigid scripts or polished platitudes that strip away the human element. Instead, we equip our team with principles, not just procedures. We give them the space to be real, show empathy, admit mistakes, and elevate the truth in love.

Our core values, Build Relationships and Forgive and Embrace the Moment, are foundational to how we approach customer experience. We believe every interaction is an opportunity to connect with care, even when circumstances are messy or emotions are high. We show up with humility, not perfection, meeting people where they are, listening with empathy, and choosing grace over rigidity. When a customer reaches out to us, they’re not met with a corporate barrier; they’re met by a real person who shares their values: clean food, stewardship, and family. That connection is what builds lasting trust and loyalty far beyond any transaction.

EITK: What’s a recent initiative or innovation in your CX work that you’re particularly proud of and what impact has it had on your customers or teams?

Karen: One of the initiatives I’m most proud of recently is our new relationship with our BPO partner, GTCX. As Azure experienced accelerated growth, we began to face capacity challenges within our service team. The heart and intent were there, but we were struggling to keep pace with the volume of customer inquiries, something that was impacting both our response times and our ability to serve with the depth of care we’re known for.

Rather than simply throwing more people at the problem, we made the strategic choice to find a partner that would deeply align with our values, mission, and expectations around service.

GTCX wasn’t just selected based on capability or availability; it was chosen because they demonstrated a genuine commitment to customer care, cultural fit, and honoring the kind of human-first experience we believe in.

What makes this partnership so special is the alignment at every level. From the very beginning, we invited GTCX into our story, not just to handle the overflow but to become an extension of who we are. We trained their team not just on our systems but on our core values. They embraced those principles with humility and intention, investing the time to understand our customers, our tone, our expectations, and even our heart for service.

This alignment has created a seamless experience for customers. Most can’t even tell they’re speaking to an outsourced partner, and that’s precisely the point. They feel heard, cared for, and respected, regardless of who picks up the conversation. Internally, it has brought meaningful relief to our core team, freeing them to be fully present with the customers they serve, able to listen more deeply, respond more thoughtfully, and focus on quality without the pressure of unmanageable volume.

For me, this partnership is a beautiful example of how you can scale with integrity. You don’t have to sacrifice personal service for efficiency; instead, you must be intentional about who you invite into your mission and how you equip them to carry it forward.

EITK: The KIA community is all about knowledge sharing and peer support. How has being part of this network influenced your approach to CX leadership or helped you solve challenges in your role?

Karen: Before finding Execs In The Know and joining the KIA community, I often felt like I was leading in isolation. As someone deeply committed to values-driven leadership and the human side of service, I didn’t have many peer connections who truly understood the weight, the pace, and the responsibility of CX leadership, especially in a fast-growing, mission-centric company like Azure Standard.

Joining this community was a turning point. I found my tribe. These are people who don’t just speak the language of customer experience; they live it with intention, humility, and wisdom. Through KIA, I’ve been able to openly explore the complex, layered realities of our work, from digital transformation and operational constraints to talent development, AI integration, and cultural alignment. I’ve had a safe space to ask hard questions and test new ideas. But perhaps more importantly, I’ve been reminded that I’m not conducting this symphony alone.

This community has sharpened my thinking, expanded my toolkit, and provided creative, real-world solutions to challenges I faced in real-time. I’ve walked away from conversations with ideas I could implement the next day and encouragement that carried me for weeks. But even beyond the strategy, KIA has affirmed something central to my leadership philosophy: that in a metrics-heavy, efficiency-obsessed world, service can still be sacred. When we center it on people, when we lead with heart and courage, it becomes a force for good.

This network has helped me grow not just as a leader but as a person, and I’m deeply grateful.

EITK: Looking ahead, what’s next for customer experience at Azure Standard, and what advice would you offer to other CX leaders navigating growth while staying true to their brand mission?

Karen: What’s next for customer experience at Azure is expanding the reach of our mission through more accessible and personalized service models. We recognize that not every customer can engage with our core community delivery model, whether due to location, mobility, or lifestyle. That’s why we’re launching a drop-to-home delivery option designed to bring the same nutrient-rich, values-aligned products directly to customers’ doors. It’s a way to extend abundance even further without compromising the relationship and care that define us.

At the same time, we’re doubling down on enhancing the experience for our incredible Drop Coordinators, the community volunteers who make our traditional delivery model possible. These individuals aren’t just logistical facilitators; they’re relationship builders, local connectors, and extensions of our brand. We’re building a dedicated support team to serve them with a VIP-level experience, providing faster responses, more tailored resources, and a deeper partnership.

To other CX leaders, my advice is this: Don’t let growth outpace your grounding. Stay rooted in your why. Let your mission be the music your team plays to: steady, familiar, and full of purpose. Grow boldly, but don’t lose the heart and soul of who you are along the way.

It can be tempting to chase scale with systems alone, but it’s your core values that will sustain you. Hire with heart, bringing in people who believe in the mission, not just the metrics. Train for truth, equipping your team not only with tools but with the clarity and confidence to lead with integrity. And lead with love, especially when it’s hard, when decisions are complex, or when the pace feels relentless.

Your systems will evolve. Your channels, technologies, and processes will change. But your soul, your culture, your care, and your commitment to people must remain. That’s what turns a business into a movement. And that’s where the lasting impact is made.

Thank you to Karen Slusher for his leadership, participation, and insights. To connect with Karen or participate in the wider conversation, consider joining the Execs In The Know “Know It All” (KIA) Community. The KIA Community is a private, online community designed exclusively for CX Leaders at consumer-facing brands. Come learn, share, network, and engage to innovate.

Want to learn more about the KIA online community? Click here.

Interested in taking part in a future KIA Spotlight feature and sharing your story? Click here.