“The reason you would choose, as a customer, to engage with a company and buy their product or engage in their service is very similar to the reason an employee would want to work there.”This week, Kevin Budelmann, the co-founder and president of Michigan-based strategic design firm Peopledesign joins the Be Customer Led podcast with Bill Staikos. From startups to Fortune 500 firms, Kevin has worked with a vast array of businesses, including education, healthcare, manufacturing, finance, and consumer items. Moreover, he serves as an adjunct lecturer at Northwestern University. Addressing various exciting topics, Kevin explores the relationship between purpose, brand, and experience in today’s conversation.[01:37] Kevin’s Story – Starting the conversation, Kevin summarizes his journey so far. Moreover, he talks about his company and how it works with its clients.[05:00] Interconnectivity of Purpose and Brand – Kevin discusses the interrelationship between purpose and brand and the pandemic’s effect on this.[13:30] Cross-Functional Teams – Kevin shares his take on shifting into cross-functional teams.[16:55] Organized for Success - Kevin outlines the organizational structures he has observed firms use successfully and what they do differently when progressing from purpose to an actual product or service. [20:02] Initial Steps - Kevin points out how he would convince his clients to connect the brand’s purpose to the delivered experience. [23:39] Service Design – Kevin distinguishes service design from other design efforts and the significance of service design in the context of customer experience. [28:02] Inspiration – Kevin concludes the talk by detailing where he finds inspiration and who he admires in his sector, along with the reason why.Resources:Connect with Kevin:LinkedIn: inkedin.com/in/kevinbudelmann/