The Love Monday Podcast

Ryan Houmand
  • 5.0 (2)
  • MANAGEMENT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

This podcast is devoted to showing people how to improve their lives by taking specific steps to love Monday just like Friday. Join host Ryan Houmand, author of "A Passion for Monday" as he and his guests break down exactly how you can love Monday just like Friday but for a different reason. For more information on how to Love Monday just like Friday go to: LoveMondayLikeFriday.com

  1. 3D AGO

    128. How Internal Service Quality Translates to Happy Customers (part 2 in a series)

    Send a text Most organizations think they have a customer service problem. But in my experience, they actually have an internal service quality problem. In this episode of the Love Monday Podcast, I walk through the connection between how employees experience their workplace and how customers experience the company. Drawing on the principles behind the Service-Profit Chain, I explain why customer experience isn’t primarily created by scripts, slogans, or customer service training. It’s created by the systems, support, leadership, and environment employees work within every day. When employees are fighting broken tools, waiting for approvals, or afraid to speak up, customers feel it immediately. But when internal service quality is strong, great customer service becomes the natural outcome. In this episode, I break down seven key components of internal service quality that naturally produce better customer experiences, including: Empowering employees to solve problems without escalationGiving employees tools and systems that actually workCreating psychological safety so problems surface earlyTraining employees so they feel confident serving customersBuilding managers who remove barriers instead of creating themEstablishing clear expectations around service and prioritiesCreating fairness and respect that fuels discretionary effortI also introduce the concept of the “Reverse Service-Profit Chain”—how organizations unintentionally create poor customer experiences by building internal friction, escalation cultures, and employee disengagement. If you’re a leader, manager, HR professional, or executive trying to improve customer satisfaction, employee engagement, or workplace culture, this episode will challenge you to look upstream at the real driver of service quality: the employee experience. Next week, I’ll go even deeper and break down the five executive behaviors that determine whether an organization builds a strong Service-Profit Chain—or accidentally destroys it. Support the show For more information on how to love Monday just like Friday, got to: LoveMondayLikeFriday.com. Find more information from Ryan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-houmand/ Get the book! "A Passion for Monday"

    22 min

  2. MAR 6

    127. Great Customer Service is a Managment Tell (Part 1)

    Send a text Yesterday I had one of those moments that reminded me why I do the work I do. I walked into a restaurant where, years ago, I helped the leadership team work on employee engagement. Part of my fee back then was paid in trade… so every once in a while I still eat there for free. But that’s not the interesting part. What struck me was the service. Attentive. Friendly. Anticipatory. The kind of experience where the team clearly cares about the customer and about each other. And it hit me: great customer service is a tell. When service is exceptional, it’s rarely an accident. It’s almost always a leading indicator of great leadership and engaged employees. Research backs this up: • Gallup has found that business units in the top quartile of employee engagement see 10% higher customer loyalty/engagement and 23% higher profitability than those in the bottom quartile. • The classic Service-Profit Chain research from Harvard Business School shows that employee satisfaction drives service quality, which drives customer loyalty and ultimately revenue growth. • A Temkin Group study found that companies with strong employee engagement outperform competitors in customer experience by nearly 1.5×. In other words: If the service is great, chances are the leadership is great. Someone hired well.  Someone trained well.  Someone is coaching their people.  Someone created a culture where employees actually care. And when that happens, customers feel it immediately. In this episode, I unpack why customer service is one of the clearest signals of leadership quality, what great managers do differently to create it, and how organizations unknowingly sabotage service when they disengage their teams. Because when you see great service in the wild… You’re probably looking at great leadership behind the scenes. Sources you can cite in the episode (These are solid and commonly referenced) Gallup State of the Global Workplace / Q12 Meta-AnalysisTop-quartile engagement → 10% higher customer loyalty, 23% higher profitabilityHeskett, Sasser, Schlesinger — Harvard Business School The Service-Profit Chain (1994)Temkin Group (now Qualtrics XM Institute) Employee engagement strongly correlates with customer experience performance.Support the show For more information on how to love Monday just like Friday, got to: LoveMondayLikeFriday.com. Find more information from Ryan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-houmand/ Get the book! "A Passion for Monday"

    12 min

  3. FEB 25

    126. It Was All Good Until the New Manager Got Promoted: How the Peter Principle Is Killing Teams

    Send a text I hear it constantly in my coaching work: “It was great here… until my coworker got promoted.” In this episode, we explore one of the most common—and costly—mistakes organizations make: promoting top performers into leadership roles without ever testing their ability to lead. It’s the real-world version of The Peter Principle—and it’s still quietly wrecking teams decades later. We talk about: Why companies confuse performance with leadershipHow “reward promotions” create disengagement and turnoverWhat actually happens when the wrong person gets powerAnd why most organizations act surprised when it all falls apartThen, I share five practical ways companies can test for leadership before making the promotion—so they stop gambling with their culture. If you’ve ever thought, “This place used to be great…” This episode is for you. Support the show For more information on how to love Monday just like Friday, got to: LoveMondayLikeFriday.com. Find more information from Ryan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-houmand/ Get the book! "A Passion for Monday"

    20 min

  4. FEB 19

    125. How Will You Make Sure You Don't Get Another Bad Boss?

    Send a text How will you make sure you don’t Get Another Bad Boss? Have you ever left a job—not because of the work, but because of your manager? You’re not alone. Gallup research shows that managers spend nearly 40% of their time doing individual contributor work, which means many leaders are promoted without the skills to actually lead. In this episode of the Love Monday Podcast, Ryan Houmand shares how to protect your career by learning how to interview your future boss before they manage you. You’ll learn: • Why so many managers fail  • How to spot leadership red flags early  • The best interview questions to ask your future manager  • How to assess coaching, support, and advocacy  • How to avoid toxic or disengaged bosses If you’ve ever said, “I’m never working for someone like that again,” this episode is for you. Your boss shapes your career more than any policy. Learn how to choose wisely. Support the show For more information on how to love Monday just like Friday, got to: LoveMondayLikeFriday.com. Find more information from Ryan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-houmand/ Get the book! "A Passion for Monday"

    25 min

  5. FEB 11

    124: What Are the Odds You'll Get a Bad Boss?

    Send a text What are the real odds you’ll end up with a bad boss—and how can you avoid toxic leadership before accepting your next job? In this episode of Love Monday Like Friday, Ryan breaks down workplace culture, employee engagement, and management mistakes using three real company models: healthy organizations, average companies, and private-equity-pressured workplaces. You’ll learn how bad managers quietly erode performance, career growth, and mental health—and how to spot red flags during your job search. If you care about leadership, workplace happiness, and long-term success, this episode gives you practical tools to choose smarter. Support the show For more information on how to love Monday just like Friday, got to: LoveMondayLikeFriday.com. Find more information from Ryan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-houmand/ Get the book! "A Passion for Monday"

    21 min

  6. FEB 2

    123. Do Less. Better.

    Send a text In a world that rewards busy, loud, and more, this episode makes the case for the opposite. We talk about slowing down, saying no more often, and bringing your full self to the work that actually matters. Not half-focused. Not spread thin. Fully present. Intentional. Sharp. Because real impact doesn’t come from doing everything—it comes from doing the right things with care, depth, and clarity. If you feel overwhelmed, scattered, or like your best work is getting diluted by constant demands, this conversation is an invitation to pause, choose, and recommit to excellence over exhaustion. Less noise. More meaning.  Do less. Do it better. Support the show For more information on how to love Monday just like Friday, got to: LoveMondayLikeFriday.com. Find more information from Ryan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-houmand/ Get the book! "A Passion for Monday"

    21 min

  7. JAN 27

    122. Go Change Some Lives

    Send a text What’s the thing you do that actually changes people’s lives? In this crossover episode of the Love Monday Podcast, Ryan shares the only time he ever saw Zig Ziglar speak—and why that moment changed everything for him. Not because it was flashy, but because it was useful. That experience became a lens for Ryan’s own work: how he discovered and developed the 7 Bridges framework, first to transform his own relationships—and now to help others do the same in meaningful, lasting ways. Ryan also introduces the upcoming 7 Bridges webinar series and closes with a simple but bold challenge: Find the thing you do that changes lives—and go do it. If you’ve been circling your purpose instead of stepping into it, this episode is your wake-up call. Click to sign up for: The 7 Bridges of a Solid Relationship Webinar Series Support the show For more information on how to love Monday just like Friday, got to: LoveMondayLikeFriday.com. Find more information from Ryan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-houmand/ Get the book! "A Passion for Monday"

    28 min

  8. JAN 20

    121. Your Job Isn't Your Purpose; Your Purpose is Bigger Than That

    Send a text In this episode of the Love Monday Podcast, we explore what happens when people lose their sense of purpose after a job change—and what organizations lose when mission becomes nothing more than revenue targets and deliverables. On the individual side, I unpack why tying your identity and purpose to your job title is a trap. Roles change. Assignments shift. Layoffs happen. Purpose, if it’s real, should survive all of that. We talk about how to define a personal purpose that you can live every day, regardless of what seat you’re currently sitting in. On the organizational side, we take a hard look at modern companies that have drifted from their founding purpose—especially in the age of venture capital and private equity. When mission statements become sterile and transactional, employees feel the loss immediately. Engagement drops. Cynicism rises. And work becomes hollow. If you’ve ever felt untethered after a role change—or disconnected from the company you work for—this episode will challenge you to rethink what purpose and mission are actually for. Support the show For more information on how to love Monday just like Friday, got to: LoveMondayLikeFriday.com. Find more information from Ryan on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-houmand/ Get the book! "A Passion for Monday"

    30 min
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About

This podcast is devoted to showing people how to improve their lives by taking specific steps to love Monday just like Friday. Join host Ryan Houmand, author of "A Passion for Monday" as he and his guests break down exactly how you can love Monday just like Friday but for a different reason. For more information on how to Love Monday just like Friday go to: LoveMondayLikeFriday.com

Information

  • Creator
    Ryan Houmand
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    128
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Love Monday Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Love Monday Podcast