The Create an Avalanche Newsletter - Weekly insights on transforming business through human understanding.

You know what's funny about business advice? Everyone's chasing that one magic formula—the golden framework that'll make everything click. I spent years doing the same thing. From countless books on strategy and Customer Experience, trying every new tool out there, I thought the secret to success had to be something complex. Spoiler alert: it wasn't.

I've spent over a decade scaling Customer Care teams (note that I intentionally use 'care' and not 'support' for a reason) for tech giants like Wix and TripAdvisor, and let me tell you, the best playbooks won't save a business or a project, product launch and so on, that fails to connect with its people, both internally and externaly. This might sound obvious, but in a world obsessed with optimization and automation, we've somehow forgotten that business is fundamentally about human connection.

When Perfect Plans Fall Apart (And Why That's Not Always a Bad Thing)

It hit me during one of those "aha" moments when we were rolling out an ambitious new Customer Care initiative at Wix. On paper, we had it all together—meticulously drafted SOPs, custom-developed tools integrated into the CRM, segmented user bases, new support tiers, trained agents, and prepped managers. We'd spent months in brainstorming sessions, documenting every user journey and query, creating help centre articles, and designing escalation flows. But in practice? A total flop.

What followed was pure chaos. Unexpected issues and bugs with the product and the shiny new tools we have added to the CRM, inefficiencies in our processes, user queries we couldn't have ever anticipated in a million brainstorming sessions. All the metrics and KPIs were far from what we expected them to be, and our agents were confused and our teams were stressed to the max! It felt like failure on every front—or at least, that's what I thought back then.

Key Learning: Sometimes our biggest "failures" turn out to be our most valuable teachers.

The Turning Point: When Listening Beats Planning

Then, I did something counterintuitive. Instead of just pouring over data, calling for yet another war-room meeting, or honestly running around like a headless chicken (as I used to, in my early days as a manager), I sat down and simply listened. Not to the numbers, but to people—team members, customers, even my own instincts.

That's when I realized: the best strategy isn't building the perfect system, or having the perfect framework, and the most advanced tools. They are NEVER perfect!

The trust and rapport I had cultivated with my team and other departments within the organization, my unconventional (some might say "quirky") leadership style, years of user-facing experience and a mix of empathy and pragmatism—shaped the foundations that gave me the confidence to pause, reassess, and pivot. We rolled up our sleeves, leaned into the chaos, and found solutions together.

But this insight didn't come easily. It was the result of many hard-learned lessons...

The Journey to Self-Awareness (Or: How I Learned to Get Out of My Own Way)

Early in my career, I pushed hard for a big strategy shift that, deep down, I knew wasn't right, or perhaps we as a team and organization were not prepared for. But my ego wanted a win, so I ignored all the red flags. Long story short? CHAOS! That failure taught me the value of slowing down and asking the uncomfortable questions, like, "What's really driving this decision?" Spoiler: it's usually ego or fear.

This is where mindfulness comes in. Think of it as your cheat code for building self-awareness. Simple practices—like starting your day with 10 minutes of meditation, taking a break or going for a walk and doing some breathing exercises before a big decision—can shift your whole vibe.

And it's not just for leaders—teams can benefit from mindfulness, too. One client I worked with started doing weekly "mindful check-ins" during team meetings. Nothing fancy: people shared one thing they were grateful for and one challenge they were facing. At first, it was awkward—like, "Seriously? Gratitude at work?" But over time, it became a space where people actually felt heard. Communication got better, stress levels dropped, and, surprise, performance went up.

From Metrics to Meaning: A Support Story

Back in the early days, I was laser-focused on closing as many tickets as possible. Fast tickets meant good metrics, which meant I'd get noticed, right? But then, one day, a customer replied to a CSAT survey that followed a reply I had just sent him, thanking me for "actually listening" to their problem and for the very detailed and insightful help, that they haven't experienced Customer Support like that since 1985 (I wasn't even born back then!), and he would print out that ticket and put it on his fridge! I'm not joking! I believe I still have a picture from when this CSAT reply was presented in one of the "All Hands".

That's when it clicked: people don't just want efficiency; they want empathy. Sure, speed matters, but if you're not really paying attention, connecting, and acting with intent, NO ONE IS WINNING, not even you and your individual metrics.

Small, Practical and Effective Steps

Here's where it gets practical: if you're wondering how to apply this, start small. Pick one customer touchpoint—like the welcome email you send when someone signs up.Then ask yourself: How does this make them feel? Excited? Confused? Like they're just another number in your system? From there, tweak it. Add a bit of warmth, some clarity, maybe even a little humor. It doesn't take much to make a big impact.

So, before you dive into your next big project or quarterly plan, ask yourself: How self-aware am I about the energy I'm bringing? And how could a little mindfulness help me show up with more purpose? Trust me, when you lead with intention, the ripple effects are nothing short of magic.

Quick reflection (because it’s important to pause sometimes):

• When was the last time you truly listened to your team?
  

• What signals might you be missing while chasing those metrics?
  

• How does your current customer experience make people feel?

Why the Create an Avalanche Newsletter? Why Now?

Look, in todays business landscape, where AI and automation are reshaping everything, understanding human behavior is more crucial than ever. Yes, we need efficient systems and processes. But we also need to remember that behind every ticket, every purchase, every business decision, there's a human being seeking connection and understanding.

What You'll Get Every Sunday:

🔍 Deep Dives & Real Stories

🛠️ Practical Stuff You Can Use Tomorrow

🧠 The Human Side of Business

📈 Growth Without the BS

✨ Extra Good Stuff

Your Invitation to Join This Journey (Business Is Better Together!)

If you're tired of surface-level business advice and ready to explore a deeper, more meaningful approach to growth, I'd love to have you join us. And when I say "us," I mean a community of people who believe that business can be both profitable AND human.

Here's how to stay connected:

1. Subscribe to the Create an Avalanche Newsletter to get weekly insights delivered straight to your inbox every Sunday. No fluff, no generic advice—just authentic explorations of what it takes to build businesses that truly matter. I promise to respect your inbox (because I hate spam as much as you do).
   

2. Want to work with me directly? Visit www.rafaelmorgado.com to learn more and get in touch! Here you'll find stuff I've written, what I’m currently working on or thinking about. And how to get in touch directly!
   

3. Own a business and is ready to Take Action? Improve the your Customer’s Experience and directly increase ROI? Check out www.createanavalanche.com to see how my team and I help businesses build genuine connections that drive real growth.
   
   Fair warning: we only work with people who are serious about making business more human.

Remember: Business isn't just about systems and strategies—it's about people. It always has been, and (despite what the AI folks might say) it always will be.

The world needs more businesses that understand this stuff.

P.S. Still reading? That probably means you're exactly the kind of person who should be getting these insights every week. Don't overthink it—just hit subscribe and let's see where this goes.