Meet Ty Givens

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ty Givens. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ty below.

Hi Ty, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?
I started my career at Office Depot’s corporate office when I was 18 years old, surrounded by leaders who resembled me, so I never really considered my skin color or age as important or different.
It wasn’t until I took my first managerial position that I felt a little “green”. My colleagues affectionately referred to me as “Ty-Ty” and somehow made me feel like my role didn’t hold as much weight.

As I progressed into larger roles with greater responsibilities, it felt like I was valued more for my appearance rather than my abilities. Sure, it checked off the diversity boxes to have a woman of color on the executive team, but it often made me feel marginalized. I had a seat at the table, but it felt like my voice wasn’t heard.

This has always been a part of my story, even today. Navigating certain situations as the only one who looks like me is a unique experience that no one would understand unless they go through it. To get through, I remained focused on business objectives and goals and when needed, risked the labels and microaggressions to do what had to be done. Fortunately today, people are far more vocal. I’m not saying it’s easier, just that there’s far more awareness now than there was 20 years ago.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
For sure! I’m Ty Givens and I’m founder and CEO of CX Collective. I’ve worked in the customer experience space for over 23 years and I’ve run Customer Service for a few brands like Thrive Market, See’s Candies and ShoeDazzle.

I started CX Collective (formerly known as The Workforce Pro) back in 2016. My goal was to focus on the aspects of leading Customer Service that I truly enjoyed, while leaving the rest behind. And for the most part, I’ve been successful in doing just that.

Now I have a team that works with me and we’re focused on customer service experience implementation (for start-ups) and optimization (for scale-ups). We are also now offering self- serve tools for those who want to take it on themselves.

At CX Collective, we specialize in support enablement and customer experience management, and we’ve had the pleasure of working with some truly interesting brands along the way.

What sets us apart is our genuine dedication to the work we do. Unlike other consultants who simply tell you what to do, we take it a step further by working alongside you or even taking charge if necessary. We’re fully committed to standing by our recommendations and ensuring their implementation leads to success.

In anticipation of the upcoming holiday season, we have launched a special program tailored specifically for ecommerce companies. Our aim is to help you get ready and make the most out of this busy time of year. Additionally, we have a planning tool that simplifies the process of staffing your team over a 12-month period, eliminating the need for complicated calculations.

You can also check out our podcast available on both Youtube and Spotify, where we talk about what it means to operate CX in a funny and engaging way.

At CX Collective, we’re excited about what lies ahead, and we can’t wait to work with you!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Throughout my journey, I’ve found that the qualities that have made the biggest impact are tenacity, resourcefulness, and resilience. It’s surprising how optimistic I can remain, even when things get tough or the outcome isn’t clear. I don’t shy away from challenges, and I believe that mindset goes a long way.
To be honest, no one really has it all figured out. Even with over 40 companies’ CX transformations under my belt, every new client presents new opportunities for growth. What sets me apart is my ability to make the most of what I have and continually improve. Being resourceful is key for entrepreneurs, and when you approach the impossible as a challenge rather than a hurdle, amazing things can happen.
My grandmother used to tell me, “This too shall pass.” Knowing that nothing is permanent and that everything has its own season gives me the courage to keep pushing forward. I’m grateful for that perspective, because success isn’t a linear path.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I am excited about the opportunity to collaborate with venture capitalists and startup founders. At CX Collective, our goal is to become the preferred partner for unicorns looking to build scalable CX solutions. We are looking to establish relationships with VCs who have companies in their portfolios that are in need of a CX overhaul or setup. For startup founders, when you are ready to scale, we want CX Collective to be your first choice.

To schedule a conversation, please reach out to us at [email protected], and we can find a time to connect. Thank you for considering CX Collective as your go-to CX partner!

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Rayne Duronslet

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