Turning curiosity into action: How culture shapes CX
Curiosity in customer experience isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s a practical foundation for teams that want to build lasting change and connection.
In this episode of CX Minutes, curiosity takes center stage — not as a buzzword, but as a real force for building CX culture from the inside out. We follow Sara Ek from Adlibris, a former journalist turned CX advocate, now leading learning and development for one of the Nordic region’s biggest e-commerce companies. Sara Ek shares practical insights on how agile teamwork and empowered ambassadors can bring customer-centricity to life.
CX Minutes with Sara Ek, Adlibris and our host Sabina Persson, Custellence.
What’s covered in this episode
Guest insights
- What a customer-centric culture really means
- Sara’s journey from journalism to CX
- How Adlibris uses agile frameworks and internal ambassadors
- Advice for anyone driving CX change
Quick links
What a customer-centric culture really means
Sara challenges the surface-level definition of customer-centricity. It’s not just about having the right values written on the wall.
“That’s more like makeup. Culture is what’s in the walls.”
At Adlibris, being customer-centric means encouraging a genuine curiosity throughout the organization. This shows up in actions like continuous testing, feedback loops, and a mindset of always learning. Structure-wise, it influences everything from KPIs to team goals.
Sara’s journey from journalism to CX
Sara’s path into customer experience wasn’t traditional. Starting as a journalist, she found herself drawn to broader themes of communication, which naturally led her into CX roles in SaaS, subscription, and now e-commerce.
Today, she leads Learning & Development at Adlibris, helping internal teams build stronger customer understanding — even if she’s no longer on the frontlines herself.
She’s currently exploring AI assistants as a tool for delivering better market insights to her team.
Related: 3 Ways AI Is Changing How Companies Work (Harvard Business Review)
How Adlibris uses agile frameworks and internal ambassadors
To reduce silos and increase customer focus, Adlibris has embraced an agile framework for the last three years. Cross-functional teams and iterative learning cycles are at the heart of their approach.
But beyond the structure, Sara highlights the value of internal ambassadors — team members who embody curiosity and change, and inspire others. (What’s an internal ambassador?)
Deep insights: Change Agents: Unlocking Hidden Potential For Transformation (Forbes)
Advice for anyone driving CX change
Sara leaves us with three practical tips:
- Be patient — Cultural change takes time. Celebrate the small wins along the way.
- Speak the right language — Tailor your message to each audience. Talk numbers with the CFO, innovation with product, satisfaction with support.
- Find your people — You can’t do this alone. Surround yourself with peers who share your mission.
More like this: Watch Nate Brown’s CX Minutes about customer-centric culture.
Key takeaways from Sara
- A customer-centric culture is built on curiosity, not just values.
- Agile teams and internal ambassadors are powerful tools for driving CX.
- Tailoring your language to internal audiences makes CX more persuasive.
- Change takes time, so celebrate small victories to stay motivated.
“Customer-centricity isn’t just a value — it’s a practice fueled by curiosity, empowered teams, and the patience to celebrate small wins along the way.” – Sara Ek
👉 Want to learn more? Watch the full CX Minutes episode with Sara Ek here.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Why is curiosity so important in customer experience?
Curiosity drives learning, testing, and continuous improvement — all essential for staying close to evolving customer needs.
What does an internal ambassador do?
They champion the CX mindset inside the company, encouraging others to stay curious, experiment, and think customer-first.
Can CX leaders still stay close to customers if they’re not in frontline roles?
Yes — by coaching teams, enabling learning tools, and using insights platforms like AI assistants, leaders can stay aligned with customer needs.
Final thoughts
Sara’s blend of journalistic curiosity and CX leadership offers a refreshing take on how to build culture from the inside out. Her practical advice on using agile structures, internal influencers, and adaptive communication is a must-watch for any organization navigating the complexities of modern customer experience.
AI Summary
Curiosity takes center stage in this episode of CX Minutes, where Sara Ek, Head of Learning & Development at Adlibris, reveals how agile frameworks, internal ambassadors, and a culture of experimentation drive long-term CX transformation from within.
Read the transcript
Intro
0:09 Sabina Persson, Custellence:
Hello everyone, I’m Sabina Persson from Custellence, and you’re very welcome to this episode of the vidcast CX Minutes. It’s six questions, six minutes, and it’s all about customer experience.
So, this is a series of episodes where we bring you actionable insights, practical knowhow, and personal stories from top professionals — all in just six-ish minutes.
Welcome Sara
0:36 Sabina:
And joining me today is Sara Ek from Adlibris. A warm welcome, Sara! How are you?
0:44 Sara Ek, Adlibris:
Hi, thank you so much for inviting me.
Who are you and what do you do?
0:47 Sabina:
So, we’re going to jump into the questions and we’re going to talk about customer-centric culture. But first of all — who are you, and what do you do?
1:01 Sara:
Yes, so the short answer is that I am a journalist from the beginning, but then I went more and more into the broader perspective of communication. And from communication, that led me to customer experience.
So for the last little more than 10 years, I’ve been working in customer experience — within SaaS businesses and subscription businesses, and for the last three years in e-commerce business.
How do you define customer-centric culture?
1:29 Sabina:
At Adlibris. Okay — and how do you define a customer-centric culture?
1:35 Sara:
Well, the easy answer is — and most companies today have it in their company values — a lot of companies talk about customer experience being really important. But that’s more like the makeup.
Talking about culture, it’s more what’s in the walls, if you say so. And I was thinking, what is the common theme? I would say it’s curiosity. A genuine curiosity.
If you explain it in actions, that is that you are testing a lot and learning a lot — a continuous improvement culture. And that should influence everything you do, both the hard things like processes, goals, KPIs — the structure — but its also a lot about the mindset. Encouraging the curiosity mindset in everyone who works there.
How does your work impact the CX culture?
2:46 Sabina:
Good — and actually really interesting with curiosity. I totally agree. So could you explain one way that your work connects you to your customers?
2:53 Sara:
Yeah, if I’m talking about me personally, I recently changed my position. I used to work as Customer Experience Lead. And now I’m responsible for Learning and Development. I work with People and Culture, so it’s really related to culture.
That means I’m always one step away from the customer. I mostly work by coaching and supporting the people that actually work with the customers. And that fits into the learning and testing environment.
So I’m always in collaboration with business owners, managers, or specialists that meet customers in different channels. But I would say i also try to keep in touch with the customers.
For example, in the pipeline right now I’m looking for a use case — how to create an AI assistant for customer and market insights, to use as a learning tool within the company. Unfortunately, I’m not as close to the customers as I used to be. But it’s really fun to be coaching as well.
4:00 Sabina:
And it’s basically just one step behind, or one step…
4:03 Sara:
Yes! And I’m always interested in everything, so I’m sort of everywhere in a bit that way.
4:07 Sabina:
It’s that curiosity, right?
4:08 Sara:
Yes — it’s the journalist!
How do your teams work together to create better CX?
4:15 Sabina:
So — how do teams in your organization work together to create better customer experiences?
4:28 Sara:
I would say Adlibris has come quite far. We’ve been working with the agile framework for at least three years. It’s a continuous improvement process too — but we have cross-functional teams and fewer silos.
Besides the structural part, I would also say — to reward and really use internal ambassadors for what we talked about: curiosity and the learning mindset. Let them be internal change agents. Give them the environment and opportunities to be creative and explorative.
So agile framework and internal ambassadors, I would say.
What can organizations gain from working customer-centric?
5:36 Sabina:
Got it. Okay — and what can organizations gain from working customer-centric, in your opinion?
5:45 Sara:
Well, leading question! Of course I’m a true believer. It’s hard to pick just one thing. Most people watching already know why it’s important and how it can improve your business.
But one thing I don’t think we talk about enough is employee branding. To attract the talent you need — especially now, with the AI revolution — having this way of working, being truly customer-centric and innovative, is a must to attract the right people in the future.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give on customer-centric culture?
6:25 Sabina:
Yes — big thing. And last but not least, do you have one piece of advice you would share on this topic?
6:34 Sara:
Well, I saw a previous speaker who cheated a bit, so I’m cheating too — I have more than one.
The first is to speak the same language as the receiver — just like in customer experience. When you talk to internal stakeholders, you can’t win them over with the same message.
Use numbers when you talk to the CEO, CIO, or finance. Talk about customer satisfaction with the service team. Or use innovation language when speaking with product. That’s a lesson I’ve learned the hard way.
Also, find your peers thats really important for myself to get the energy. You can’t do this alone. Let go of prestige. Don’t be competitive. This is collaboration, you can’t do it alone, so find peers to collaborate with.
And this is really important — I’m not great at it, but be patient. Because it takes time. And celebrate the small things.
7:48 Sabina:
The small victories, make sure you celebrate those and also of course that’s something that you could do with a team that you collaborate with to get more motivated and engaged.
8:01 Sara:
Exactly — it’s a long journey. A fun one.
8:08 Sabina:
It’s a marathon, right.
8:10 Sara:
Yes!
Wrap-up
8:17 Sabina:
Well, that’s super. Thank you so much for sharing all these truly amazing and inspiring tips and tricks and advice, Sara. It was great to have you here on CX Minutes.
8:25 Sara:
Thank you.
8:28 Sabina:
And with that — it’s a wrap! Thank you for watching, and see you next time. Bye!
Check out other episodes of CX Minutes here.
By Tove Lundell
