Happy New Year From The CX Files!

Happy New Year for 2026 from Peter and Mark at the CX Files podcast. We asked our listeners to send some thoughts about 2025 and the year ahead...

If you listen to this episode you will hear messages from the Netherlands, Philippines, UK, South Africa, Australia, Canada, and Brazil... that's North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australasia all covered!

Contributors listed in the order they feature on the podcast:

Leo Ooms

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leoooms/

Nathan Muniz

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bdcoutsourcing/

Lian Rowlands

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lian-rowlands-a26119/

Rod Jones

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodjonessouthafrica/

Paul O'Hara

https://www.linkedin.com/in/pauloharateleperformance/

Michael Gray

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelgray7/

Anna Bessarabova

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-bessarabova/

Michael Clark

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelclarkcx/

Mike Ortegon

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeortegon/

Stephen Loynd

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenloynd/

David Neale

https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-neale-08b80011b/

Peter Ryan

https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-ryan-montreal/

Mark Hillary

https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhillary/

----

"All I Want for CX-mas (Is the Future)"

Composed by Mark Hillary with Suno

Verse 1
Snow's falling on the dashboards,
Year-end reports are due,
Another season of predictions,
But nobody knows what's true.
From São Paulo to Montreal,
Different skies, same screen,
Two voices cut through the noise,
Talking 'bout what CX means.

Pre-Chorus
The year's been long, the change came fast,
AI hype, then lessons learned,
But now we're looking forward,
To the value still to be earned.

Chorus
All I want for CX-mas is the future,
Not the buzzwords, not the fear,
Just better service, smarter choices,
And a little more trust next year.
From every brand to every customer,
Let's build it human, let's build it right,
All I want for CX-mas is the future,
And the CX Files on a Wednesday night.

Verse 2
Agents, bots, and blended teams,
Journeys changing shape,
Less about the tech itself,
More about escape
From broken processes,
From friction no one sees,
Designing moments that feel simple,
Even when the systems aren't easy.

Pre-Chorus
We've learned that scale needs patience,
And strategy beats speed,
The future's not autonomous,
Unless it serves a real human need.

Chorus
All I want for CX-mas is the future,
Not another pilot that won't land,
Just outcomes, empathy, and clarity,
Finally working hand in hand.
From every continent and culture,
One community, one shared view,
All I want for CX-mas is the future,
And the CX Files guiding us through.

Bridge
From São Paulo sunshine,
To Montreal snow,
Two hosts, one question:
"Where do we go?"
Analysts, founders, leaders, friends,
Four hundred stories, and still it never ends.
No silver bullets, no easy claim,
Just better questions changing the game.

Final Chorus
All I want for CX-mas is the future,
Designed with care, not just code,
Where trust is built in every interaction,
And experience carries the load.
So here's to 2026 and beyond,
To curiosity, courage, and insight,
All we want for CX-mas is the future,
And the CX Files lighting the way each night.

Outro
So press play, pour a drink,
Let the old year fade from view,
The future of CX is being written—
And it starts with me and you. 🎄✨