Shawn Nason

Top 200 Influencer on LinkedIn | Top 30 CX Influencer | Walt Disney Imagineer (former) | Heart-Centered Executive | Cancer Thriver | BIPOC & Neurodiversity Advocate (Comanche Indian) | Author | Keynote Speaker

Care to hear a bit about me and how I became an Experience Evangelist? Pull up a seat…

I am what happens when a musician and pastor turns Walt Disney Imagineer.  Then turns Chief Experience and Innovation Officer, author, and podcaster. Gets and beats cancer three times. Turns executive on a mission to help HUMANIZE THE WORLD, ONE PERSON AT A TIME!

Recently, I served as Chief Experience, Innovation, and Product Officer for PatientPoint, a leading digital health company connecting patients, healthcare providers, and life sciences companies with the right information at the most critical moments—when care decisions are made. I also served as the CEO of OFFOR Health, a mobile healthcare company transforming access to care. I am the founder and CEO of The Nason Group, a human-obsessed consulting firm that design and deliver Experience Ecosystems your organization and customers will love.

I am ranked among LinkedIn’s Top 50 CX Influencers, and my approach is clear: put people first, and the rest will follow. A passionate experience ecosystem designer, I partner with leaders ready to blow up siloed systems and rebuild businesses rooted in empathy, equity, and innovation.

From launching Walmart Health Centers to reimagining consumer experience in Fortune 500s, my team and I — use ethnographic research, journey mapping, human-centered design, and design sprints to deliver unapologetically bold, consumer-centric solutions that drive results.

I am also the host of The Combustion Chronicles, a podcast where I talk with bold disruptors like Arianna Huffington, Ryan Serhant, Dr. Daniel Kraft, Shep Hyken, and Blake Morgan—leaders who dare to think differently, love radically, and act boldly.

I am the author of best-selling books, The Power of YES! in Innovation and Kiss Your Dragons, a frequent speaker and workshop leader, and a cancer and neurodiversity advocate.

Formerly the Director of Consumer Innovation at Humana, the founder of Xavier University’s Center for Innovation, and a transformation executive at Healthways Inc., I also spent six years at The Walt Disney Company with Walt Disney Imagineering and Disney Cruise Line—an experience that forever shaped my belief in the magic of experiences that matter.

When I'm not blowing sh*t up professionally, you’ll find me at home with my wife, kids, and three lucky dogs—or in Lexington cheering on my beloved Kentucky Wildcats.

Please check out my recommendations section for testimonials, social proof & to see what I say about my amazing clientele as well. Thanks for checking out my profile & my about section.

Chief Executive Officer

We envision a world in which healthcare has no barriers.
We deliver equal access to care by connecting healthcare professionals and patients in local communities.

EX and CX are both broken.  
But it’s not because of tech or strategy.  

The real issue?  
Trust.  

Trust is the root of every experience.  
And it’s the first thing to disappear  
when leadership isn’t real.  

No title or tech can cover that up.  

Customer experience is suffering.  
Employee experience is suffering.  
And it’s not because of broken tools.  

It’s because people don’t feel safe.  
They don’t feel heard.  
They don’t feel seen.  

You can’t fix trust with a policy.  
You can’t outsource it to HR.  
You sure can’t automate it with AI.  

Yes, AI can streamline a process.  
It can help you listen better.  
But it can’t build connection.  

It won’t restore belief in your leadership.  
It won’t make your culture feel human again.  

Trust isn’t earned once.  
It’s built daily.  
Through presence, consistency, and action.  

→ Show up even when it’s messy.  
→ Speak truth before you’re ready.  
→ Lead with your values, not your fears.  

“Trust is the currency of customer experience.  
If you don’t have trust,  
you don’t have customers - or employees.”  
Blake Morgan  

Want to rebuild CX?  
Want to heal EX?  

Start with trust.  

Then bring in the tools.  
Not the other way around.  

Love & Gratitude, Shawn
Get your copy of my book: Kiss Your Dragons 🐲 here: https://lnkd.in/ddrXYDpq

#inspiration #happiness #motivation #leadership #transformation #whatinspiresme #happiness #bestadvice #cx #AI #customerexperience #innovation
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♻️ Repost to help your network.  
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Your employees aren't separate from your customers.  
They are your first ones.  

Still treating CX and EX like separate strategies?  
That mindset is the real problem.  

In 2026, your brand isn’t shaped by your ads.  
It’s shaped by your people.  

Employees carry your reputation  
long before marketing ever does.  

Think about it:  

→ If your team doesn’t feel valued,  
   your customers won’t either.  

→ If your people aren’t bought in,  
   your market never will be.  
  
“Your employees are your first customer.  
If they don’t feel the love,  
your customers won’t either.”  
Zack Hamilton  

Here’s what most leaders still miss:  

→ CX starts with EX. Period.  
→ Loyalty is an inside-out equation.  
→ Culture isn’t a line item, it’s your brand.  

Now, let’s talk AI.  

Yes, AI can speed up service.  
It can personalize outreach.  

But it can’t build belief.  
It can’t replace trust.  
It can’t teach someone to care.  

You can automate responses.  
But you can't automate belonging.  

No tool will fix a culture  
your employees don't believe in.  

Want raving fans on the outside?  
Start with advocates on the inside.  

Love & Gratitude, Shawn
Get your copy of my book: Kiss Your Dragons 🐲 here: https://lnkd.in/ddrXYDpq

#inspiration #happiness #motivation #leadership #transformation #whatinspiresme #happiness #bestadvice #cx #AI #customerexperience #innovation
_____

♻️ Repost to help your network.  
🔔 Follow Shawn Nason for actionable insights on AI, Leadership, Customer Experience.

EX and CX aren’t roles on your org chart.  
They are mirrors of your culture.  

In 2026, experience isn’t a strategy.  
It’s who you are.  

Your people don’t care about tech stacks.  
They care about how you make them feel.  

Yet most teams still ask:  
“What platform should we buy?”  

Wrong question.  

Experience isn’t found in a tool.  
It’s lived in every interaction.  

And AI won’t fix what your culture breaks.  

Sure, AI can streamline tasks.  
It can help you personalize at scale.  

But it can’t replace connection.  
It can’t lead with integrity.  
It can’t earn trust.  

“Customer experience is your brand.  
So, if you’re not intentionally creating  
remarkable experiences,  
you’re leaving it to chance.”  
Dan Gingiss, CSP  

We’ve built cultures where:  
→ CX is a checklist  
→ EX is an afterthought  
→ People are a means to an end  

That stops now.  

You don’t need a better dashboard.  
You need a better culture.  

You don’t need more automation.  
You need more humanity.  

CX and EX aren’t things you do.  
They’re the core of who you are.  

Want better journeys?  
Build better relationships.  

Love & Gratitude, Shawn
Get your copy of my book: Kiss Your Dragons 🐲 here: https://lnkd.in/ddrXYDpq

#inspiration #happiness #motivation #leadership #transformation #whatinspiresme #happiness #bestadvice #cx #AI #customerexperience #innovation
_____
♻️ Repost to help your network.  
🔔 Follow Shawn Nason for actionable insights on AI, Leadership, Customer Experience.

AI won’t fix your experience problem.  
People will.  

At CES 2026, tech is taking center stage.  
But leadership still runs the show.  

Every brand is chasing smarter tools.  
But few are asking harder questions.  

→ What happens when you scale AI  
  without scaling empathy?  

→ How do you automate  
  without losing authenticity?  

Here’s the uncomfortable truth:  
If your experience is broken,  
your leadership probably is too.  

You can’t build loyalty  
on a foundation of shortcuts.  

AI is a tool — not a savior.  
And tools don’t fix culture.  

“Technology makes things possible.  
People make things happen.”  
— Shep Hyken  

Yes, AI can enhance journeys.  
Yes, it can drive efficiency.  

But it can’t teach you to listen.  
It can’t repair trust.  
It can’t replace presence.  

Too many leaders are hiding behind tech.  
Real leadership still looks human.  

The winners in 2026?  
They’ll lead with heart and head.  

→ They’ll use AI to serve, not to shield.  
→ They’ll prioritize people over platforms.  
→ They’ll stop chasing edge and start building trust.  

Because at the end of the day:  
Empathy is your real competitive advantage.  

Your Experience Evangelist, Shawn
Get your copy of my book: Kiss Your Dragons 🐲 here: https://lnkd.in/ddrXYDpq

#inspiration #happiness #motivation #leadership #transformation #whatinspiresme #happiness #bestadvice #cx #AI #customerexperience #innovation #marketing #entrepreneurship #personalbranding #socialnetworking #socialmedia #CES2026
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♻️ Repost to help your network.  
🔔 Follow Shawn Nason for actionable insights on AI, Leadership, Customer Experience.

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