Life Happens… Vegas Will Have to Wait
Earlier this week, what started as a normal Tuesday quickly turned into a family crisis involving my mother. It was one of those moments where priorities become crystal clear in an instant.
There were decisions that had to be made, questions that needed answering, and someone needed to be her advocate. My mother was confused and, because English isn’t her strongest language, communicating with doctors and fully understanding what was happening became even more challenging. I spent the night at the hospital, then headed straight to dialysis the following morning without ever making it home.
As exhausting as it was, there wasn’t another option. Family comes first.
Unfortunately, that also meant making another difficult decision—canceling my trip to Las Vegas.
I was incredibly excited to spend time with my amazing children, hear about school, laugh at their stories, and just enjoy being Dad for a few days. Those moments become more valuable every year, and missing them hurts.
I was also looking forward to attending CCW, hearing about innovation, learning best practices, and connecting with leaders from across the customer experience industry. It’s always energizing to be around people who are passionate about improving the customer journey and sharing new ideas.
But sometimes life tells me that my place is somewhere else.
So, I pivot.
That’s something life has taught me over the past few years. Whether it’s losing a leg, sitting in dialysis three days a week, navigating health challenges, or unexpected family emergencies, I adapt, adjust, and keep moving forward.
Vegas isn’t going anywhere.
CCW will come around again.
Hopefully my children understand that Dad wanted to be there, and hopefully my mother continues to improve.
And for those of you who have been following my ongoing commentary about Nextdoor… don’t worry. I hope someone from Nextdoor still makes it to CCW, picks up Natalie Beckerman’s book When Did You Stop Caring?, and saves us all from the in-person confrontation my followers have apparently been waiting for. I suppose what happens in Vegas should probably stay in Vegas anyway!
For now, my place is exactly where I need to be.
Sometimes the greatest trip I can take is simply showing up for the people who need you most.
Empathy or Automation? The $1,000,000 Nextdoor Question
I recently received what appears to be a familiar, canned response from Nextdoor Support after posting on X. The message said they were sorry to hear about my issue and wanted to investigate, asking me to send my email address so someone from the Support Team could reach out directly.
So I replied.
I explained that I no longer have an account, but I have an unanswered question regarding Nextdoor's Terms and Conditions, and I invited them to contact me by email.
Now comes the $1,000,000 question:
Will someone actually follow through?
It's easy to express empathy with a template. It's much harder to demonstrate it through action. The appearance of caring and actually caring are two very different things.
That reminds me of Natalie Beckerman's new book, When Did You Stop Caring?, now available June 23, 2026, through Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I'm also looking forward to her presentation at Customer Contact Week (CCW) in Las Vegas, June 22–25, 2026, where I hope the conference delivers an enormous conversation around empathy, leadership, and customer experience.
The title makes me wonder:
When did Nextdoor stop caring enough to see conversations through to completion?
I'll gladly update everyone if an email arrives.
Customer Contact Week, Nextdoor, and an Invitation to Talk
I'm putting the finishing touches on an updated video about Customer Contact Week in Las Vegas and why I believe it could be the perfect place for meaningful conversations about improving the Nextdoor experience.
Could AI help strengthen communities while creating a better experience for neighbors and advertisers alike?
Watch the video and let me know what you think.