Inspiring
YOUR SUCCESS
Katie Mares:
Founder, Chief Inspiration Officer
As a brand experience expert, TEDx speaker, and #1 best-selling author of CustomHER Experience and More Women More Money, I’m here to help you create experiences that connect - especially with the most influential, often overlooked customer: women.
If you’re struggling to build a CX program that actually moves the needle - across CSI, team engagement, and long-term loyalty, you’re not alone. I’ve helped brands like Volvo, Honda, Celebrity Cruises, and Canada Post turn those same struggles into measurable momentum.
I bring the strategy, tools, and
emotional intelligence your team needs
to move from transaction to transformation.
Let’s move beyond theory.
Let’s build something unforgettable:
Starting with your team.
WHY I LOVE WHAT I DO
I love what I do because I’ve seen the power of a single experience to change everything. One moment of being seen, heard, or valued can turn a one-time customer into a lifelong advocate - or a discouraged team member into a culture driver.
Helping dealerships and OEMs create those moments isn’t just strategy for me - it’s purpose.
It’s how I take everything I’ve lived through - resilience, reinvention, and the decision to rise - and use it to build businesses that thrive through connection.
I believe customer experience is the heartbeat of a dealership. When we get that right, we don’t just raise CSI scores - we build teams that are proud to show up, customers who keep coming back, and leaders who know they’re doing it differently for the right reasons.
This isn’t just my profession. It’s my calling. And I’m just getting started.
Alison Rank:
Co-Founder, Chief Strategist
You’re not just running a business, you’re shaping experiences that define your brand. I’m here to make sure those experiences deliver.
With over 17 years of experience at the intersection of customer experience, technology, and transformation,
I help you turn complexity into clarity.
I’m your partner in building experiences that
actually work.
For your people.
For your customers.
And for your bottom line.
I guide your organization in aligning culture, technology, and customer touchpoints to foster trust, drive growth, and create lasting impact. With a cross-industry background in automotive, aviation, hospitality, and retail, I’ve designed global education programs and CX summits that do more than inspire -they activate. let’s build what’s next - together.
WHY I LOVE WHAT I DO
I believe extraordinary experiences should never be reserved for a select few. For years, my business partner, Katie Mares, has been one of the most sought-after customer experience strategists in the automotive industry, transforming teams, leaders, and businesses in ways that changed lives. Until recently, those insights were available only to a handful of large clients who invested heavily to access them.
Now, through Now Is Non-Negotiable, we have opened the doors. Together, we are expanding Katie’s proven strategies into programs, tools, and trainings that more businesses can access than ever before, without losing the depth, impact, or results that made them legendary. Whether it is an immersive day-and-a-half summit or ongoing live training, we are creating a movement that empowers leaders and teams to rise to an unshakable standard of excellence.
What I love most is activating that strategy, taking thought-leading ideas and making them work in the real world. I bridge vision and execution, translating concepts into systems, culture shifts, and customer experiences that are felt deeply, consistently, and memorably.
Because when exceptional customer experience becomes non-negotiable, growth follows for the business, the team, and every person they serve.
