The Not So Breakfast Show
Listen, laugh and learn as we share our latest thoughts about staying relevant, contemporary leadership and doing life right. Ish Cheyne is the Head of Fitness in New Zealand for global fitness juggernaut Les Mills. Sacha Coburn is the COO of Coffee Culture, a leading group of boutique coffee shops, and the co-founder of The Company You Keep.co.nz.
The Not So Breakfast Show
Smile, Remember Names, Solve the Crime
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Episode 259
What if the most important career training you ever got was standing behind a reception desk?
In this episode, Ish and Sacha dig into why customer service isn't just a job, it's a masterclass in human psychology, relationship building, and career development. Ish breaks down a recent training session he ran for a reception team, where he flipped the script from "here's how to smile at people" to "here's how this job could change your life."
Sacha kicks things off with a genuine crime caper. A stolen suit, a suspicious locker key, and a gym receptionist who basically ran her own undercover operation. (The police were less impressed than she was.)
They cover the six skills that will serve you whether you're greeting members at a front desk or leading a team of 50:
Know, Like & Trust — Build your personal brand from day one. Be easy to know. Let people in.
Communication — Not just talking. Asking. Pulling the right information out of a situation so you can actually fix it. And for the love of all that is holy, watch what you write in the notes field.
Relationships — Your next opportunity is almost certainly coming through a person, not a job board. Authentic connection, not Pokémon-style networking.
Problem Solving — Show up with solutions. A missing cup of Starbucks coffee, a suitcase stranded in Wellington, a coffee shop without coffee on a long weekend — the answer is almost always simpler than you think.
Finding Your Superpower — What's the thing that's uniquely you? Get to know it. Use it.
Continuous Growth — Where you are won't get you where you want to go. Pick a skill, go at it, repeat.
Plus: why "let me know if there can help" is actually doing nothing, and what Jefferson Fisher says to do instead.
If you haven’t come across it yet, Working Genius is one of the simplest, most practical models I’ve seen for helping teams understand how they actually get work done. Not personality. Not fluff. Just clarity on where people thrive — and where they get frustrated.
If you’re planning your next team day, offsite, or work event, I’d love to bring this to your crew.
Find out more at IshCheyne.com