Buffering
by Zack Kilgore and Gabe Petersen
Latest episode
ConneXions 2026: The Broadband Playbook Is Changing
ConneXions 2026: The Broadband Playbook Is Changing
About this podcast
Buffering - Powered by Calix is a weekly podcast hosted by Zack Kilgore and Gabe Petersen from the Calix Success and Field Strategy teams. We break down how marketing, data, and AI drive real-world growth, from customer experience to emerging tools and trends. With 25+ years of combined experience, Gabe and Zack cut through the noise on what drives results, where organizations get stuck, and how to optimize performance and growth.
Views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the original creators, and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of external affiliates.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 153 episodes
- ConneXions 2026: The Broadband Playbook Is Changing · 38 min · Season 6 Episode 40This week on Buffering, Zack and Gabe are back from ConneXions 2026 with a recap of the conversations, ideas, and industry shifts that stood out throughout the week. From growing…
- ConneXions 2026: From Brand Strategy to Marketing That Converts with Steve Mammone · 12 min · Season 6 Episode 39This week on Buffering, we’re live from ConneXions 2026 with Steve from GetFused to discuss why great broadband marketing starts with a strong brand, not a stack of ready made…
- ConneXions 2026: Personalization, Purpose, and the Customer Experience with Jordan Wehe · 19 min · Season 6 Episode 38This week on Buffering, we’re live from ConneXions 2026 with Jordan from Jade Communications to explore why the best broadband marketing isn’t about telling your story, it’s…
- ConneXions 2026: From Service Provider to Experience Provider · 49 min · Season 6 Episode 37This week on Buffering, we’re live from ConneXions 2026, breaking down why broadband providers need to rethink how they market, sell, and deliver value to subscribers. From…
- The Agentic Consumer: How AI Is Changing the Rules of Customer Retention · 39 min · Season 6 Episode 36This week on Buffering, we’re exploring the rise of the synthetic consumer and what happens when AI agents start acting on our behalf. From autonomously shopping and negotiating…
- Live from WTA: Competing in the Age of Starlink and LEO · 51 min · Season 6 Episode 35This week on Buffering, Gabe sits down with Kyle Redman of ATC to talk about one of the biggest challenges facing broadband providers today: competing with Starlink. From its…
- The Psychology of Buying: What Your Customers Can't Tell You with Melina Palmer · 19 min · Season 6 Episode 34This week on Buffering, Gabe sits down with Melina Palmer, founder of The Brainy Business and a leading voice in behavioral economics, to explore the psychology behind why people…
- The Managed Wi-Fi Problem: When Operator Language Misses the Customer · 37 min · Season 6 Episode 33This week on Buffering, Zack and Gabe take on one of broadband’s most debated terms: managed Wi-Fi. While operators know exactly what it means, customers may not see the same…
- Drag and Drop Your Way Out: Building Websites in the Agentic Era · 36 min · Season 6 Episode 32This week on Buffering, Zack and Gabe explore how AI is changing the way websites are built, maintained, and personalized. From moving beyond rigid templates and drag and drop…
- The Taglines We Need to Retire: 10 Broadband Marketing Claims to Replace · 41 min · Season 6 Episode 31This week on Buffering, we are counting down ten broadband marketing taglines that might be ready for retirement. From “blazing fast” and “future proof” to “powers every device…
- The Experience Provider: Are Legacy CX Playbooks Are Holding You Back? · 41 min · Season 6 Episode 30This week on Buffering, we’re retiring six customer experience mantras that may have helped build businesses but won’t necessarily help them grow. Inspired by Customer Experience…
- The Enablement Gap: From Task Assistance to Governed Operations · 40 min · Season 6 Episode 29This week on Buffering, we’re going beyond the AI slop problem and asking a bigger question: how can organizations actually enable their employees to use AI well? Zack and Gabe…
- The AI Slop Trap: Are We Outsourcing Our Brains? · 40 min · Season 6 Episode 28This week on Buffering, we dive into the AI slop problem and the growing debate over whether AI is making people dumber. From cringy LinkedIn posts to low effort AI generated…
- The Next Connectivity Disruption: Starlink is Going Mobile · 43 min · Season 6 Episode 27This week on Buffering, Zack and Gabe take a deep dive into Starlink's latest moves and what they could mean for Communication Service Providers (CSPs). With Starlink reaching 12…
- The Golden Circle of Broadband: What’s the Why Behind Your Network? · 35 min · Season 6 Episode 26This week on Buffering, Zack is joined by Kristin and Christina for a conversation about one of the biggest challenges facing Communication Service Providers (CSPs): standing out…
- Winning in the AI Era: How CSPs Can Future-Proof Their Workforce · 37 min · Season 6 Episode 25This week on Buffering, Zack and Gabe explore what it really means to become AI-native—and why simply using ChatGPT is no longer enough. They discuss how Communication Service…
- Inside Meta Ads Manager: A Step-by-Step Guide for CSPs · 47 min · Season 6 Episode 24This week on Buffering, we’re diving into one of the most powerful tools available to Communication Service Providers (CSPs): Meta Ads Manager. Zack and Gabe walk through how to…
- The Next Broadband Battle: Defending the Subscriber Relationship · 42 min · Season 6 Episode 23This week on Buffering, Zack and Gabe explore how the broadband industry has reached a turning point. As network expansion slows and new competitors like Amazon and satellite…
- The Discount Trap: The Hidden Cost of Promotional Pricing · 36 min · Season 6 Episode 22This week on Buffering, We are tackling one of the most debated topics in broadband: promotional pricing. As more providers look to discounts and introductory offers to boost…
- The Cool Gap: Why Better Technology Doesn't Always Win · 38 min · Season 6 Episode 21This week on Buffering, Zack and Gabe unpack two of the biggest technology stories of the summer: Apple's latest WWDC announcements and SpaceX's record-breaking IPO. From the…
