OOMPH- By Mahmoud

About OOMPH- By Mahmoud

OOMPH by Mahmoud is a long conversation about desire: why people want what they want, and how organizations earn it. Mahmoud AbdelRahman makes organizations wanted, for the customers who crave them and the people inside who are proud of them. Luxury is the lens. His guests are the designers, researchers and operators who build the moments people remember: customer experience, service design, brand experience and organizational culture. Season Two, On Return: new episodes on Thursdays. Every episode page, in English and Arabic: bymahmoud.com/show

Publisher

Mahmoud AbdelRahman

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

15 Oct 2025

Latest episode

29 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

7 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   29 Oct 2026

   Stay in Control, Even When the Client Can Have Anything | Raphaelle Solomon | OOMPH S2 E3

   Episode page, in English and Arabic: https://bymahmoud.com/show/designed-for-the-rare-with-raphaelle-solomon?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=s2e3-raphaelle&utm_content=episode Luxury is not a price. It is whatever is untouchable by others and touchable for you. Raphaelle Solomon plans travel and private events for clients who can have almost anything. With Mahmoud she goes behind the curtain: why the hardest clients are the ones who want to spend but don't know where, why the plan that matters is the one nobody sees, and why rarity takes time. "But the more you create this rarity, exclusivity, the more people will understand, be like, okay, it takes time to create." Season Two of OOMPH, On Return. Everyone comes back from summer. Some return dragged. Others return called. Follow OOMPH: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bymahmoudcom X: https://x.com/bymahmoudcom LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/oomph-bymahmoud Website: https://bymahmoud.com Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sa/podcast/oomph-by-mahmoud/id1846435411 In this conversation – Every event as theatre: the curtain, and the wow behind it – Luxury as what is untouchable by others and touchable for them – Clients who want to spend but don't know where, and the idea they didn't have – Plan A, B and C: a Christmas in Lapland that began without snow – Burning Man: a festival built to refuse comfort, and a guest who wanted comfort in it – From showing off to being left alone: how the very wealthy changed – Loneliness at the top, and why she needs the pressure – For CX leaders: everything is negotiable – Rarity takes time, and people will wait for it Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:45 Welcome to OOMPH 02:12 When the work is the hobby 04:15 Adapting to the client 07:15 The curtain opens 08:59 Behind closed doors 12:25 Untouchable by others, touchable for them 13:09 The greatest show: a birthday in London 19:07 Trust, two options and the idea they didn't have 22:54 Lapland without snow 30:43 Burning Man 37:55 What the very wealthy crave 39:42 Dinner in a museum, and an idea too far 44:05 From showing off to being left alone 49:50 Staff, security and calm 52:12 Helping people slow down 53:46 Loneliness 56:52 Why she needs the pressure 1:00:23 After the show 1:02:32 For CX leaders: everything is negotiable 1:06:55 People can wait 1:10:25 Close About Raphaelle Solomon Raphaelle Solomon plans travel and private events for clients who can have almost anything. OOMPH by Mahmoud · Season Two, On Return · Episode 3 Long-form, unscripted conversations on desire, seduction and energy inside organizations. Episode 2, with Richard Sedley: https://youtu.be/MClWMVr4y1Q Episode 1, with Ingo Rauth: https://youtu.be/6dBUrqUIhd8

2. 

   15 Oct 2026

   Purpose Won't Make Your Brand Desirable. Pride Will. | Richard Sedley | OOMPH S2 E2

   Most brands want to be wanted. Few are willing to be refused. Richard Sedley has spent his career designing customer experiences for banks, retailers and membership bodies. With Mahmoud he makes the case for seduction as subtraction: slowing the customer down, saying less, and leaving space for them to answer. Then they go inside the organization: the operating model that kills delight before anyone designs it, and why pride and loyalty to each other matter more than a purpose statement. A wealth app that earned daily logins with one terrible joke. Marmite's lovers and haters. A Tottenham supporter who keeps going back. A child-sized door, a frog-shaped bin, and a pair of white gloves. OOMPH Season Two, On Return. Episode 2. 00:00 Intro 05:15 Seduction, outside the romance 14:51 A bad joke, every morning 24:30 Six dimensions, and the delivery thug 31:20 Slow, brave and a bit Marmite 42:45 Esprit de corps over purpose 49:55 Kicked, and still at the match 56:35 Two doors and a frog bin 1:05:20 Jealous neighbours English and Arabic: https://bymahmoud.com/show

3. 

   4 Oct 2026

   Why We Call 'Soft' What People Risk Their Lives For | Ingo Rauth

   Organizations run on energy they do not measure. We built them like machines, with KPIs, check-ins and ladders, and forgot where the power comes from. Ingo Rauth, educator, consultant and executive coach, thinks that forgetting has a cost: the harder we control, the more we drain. "So you're actually depleting them while expecting to get more out of it." This is not a conversation about perks or mission statements. It is about drive: where it comes from, what kills it, and what it takes to get it back. It starts with two organizations and arrives at a secret agent on a beach, taking the call. In this conversation – Two organizations. One runs on control. In the other, people know why they are there. Our parents worked to put food on the table. We expect work to make us someone. – Nothing soft about it. The thing that makes a person put their life on the line is filed as "soft." Ingo turns the word around. – The purpose turn. Somewhere in our thirties and forties we stop measuring how far we came and start asking what the time left is for. Most organizations answer with a higher rung, which can take people away from the very work that gave them purpose. – Purpose cannot be dictated. It can only be found, then linked to the work. Once people have felt it, they want it again. – The hero's dark side. A leader who never faces their own is not a hero. And a leader who has disappeared into everyone else's needs may simply be in the wrong role. – The return. After the summer, some people are dragged back to work and some are called back to a mission. Ingo, back from six months of parental leave, describes how he took back control: he stated what he would deliver, and by when. On Return. This is where Season Two starts: the same summer ending, and the whole difference between the employee dragged back and the agent called to a mission. Arabic show notes: https://bymahmoud.com/show

4. 

   3 Oct 2026

   STUNNING MOMENTS- With James Samperi

   What makes a service stunning? James Samperi, Managing Director of Engine Service Design's Dubai studio, gives a working answer. Beauty in a service is three things fused together: how it looks, how easily it works, and how elegantly it solves your problem. It can be grand, or it can sit in one small detail. Then he shows what that looks like in practice. Bags weighed in the pavement at Heathrow before the passenger has left the car. An insurer that gives its unclaimed premiums to a charity its customers choose, so the usual suspicion has nothing to feed on. A broadband company that turned the last appointment of every engineer's day into a surprise for whoever said they were flexible. Disney's virtual queues, Southwest's rapped safety announcements, In-N-Out's secret menu, and a Dubai supermarket brand looking at small neighbourhood stores that learn what their street buys. And why it pays: in a market of endless choice, your happy customer today will leave you for the promise of being happier somewhere else. The final conversation of Season One, O for OMG: On Surprise and Magic. bymahmoud.com/show Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:54 What makes a service stunning 04:52 Ending the queue, and Southwest's rap 09:17 The art of the invisible 12:27 Subversion: when distrust becomes desire 15:00 Superpowers and secret menus 18:45 Data that anticipates 20:56 Why stunning pays 23:15 Endless choice, and a happier promise

5. 

   17 Nov 2025

   ALIVE IS THE TITLE- With Tania Luna

   Tania is known for so many things, but for us she’s the ultimate surprisologist since she coined the term in her book “Surprise: Embrace the unpredictable and Engineer the unexpected”. In her company and practice, she has grown a brand and culture that have embraced and embedded surprise in everything they do, and that made them very resilient to face the unexpected pandemic. Summary In this conversation, Tanya Luna discusses the concept of surprise and its significance in both customer and employee experiences. She explains how surprise can enhance emotional connections, foster innovation, and create memorable interactions. The discussion emphasizes the importance of being intentional about creating positive surprises while minimizing negative ones. Tanya shares insights on building a culture of surprise within organizations and the impact it can have on employee engagement and customer relationships. Takeaways Surprise is our brain's reaction to the unexpected. Surprise can intensify emotions and enhance learning. Creating positive surprises can lead to better customer experiences. A culture of surprise can foster resilience and adaptability. Hiring for empathy and attentiveness is crucial for creating surprise. Mapping client experiences helps identify opportunities for surprise. Surprise should be intentional and not overwhelming. Small, meaningful surprises can have a big impact. Surprise can enhance innovation by encouraging new perspectives. Being a 'surprise ologist' helps in crafting meaningful interactions. Chapters 00:00 The Essence of Surprise 02:46 Surprise in Customer Experience 05:43 Building a Culture of Surprise 08:29 Surprise and Employee Engagement 11:46 Crafting Meaningful Surprises 14:27 The Impact of Surprise on Innovation 17:45 The Deeper Meaning of Surprise Keywords surprise, customer experience, employee engagement, innovation, culture, meaningful interactions, emotional connection, creativity, unexpected moments, delight

6. 

   15 Oct 2025

   X-RAYING SURPRISE- With Michael Rousell

   We have all been surprised before, but we never knew what actually happens in our brains when we get this Error Signal of Surprise. Michael Rousell, is a psychologist who have been studying formative events for over 30 years, and has recently published “The Power of Surprise”. Michael explores how we process surprise, and how it affects our beliefs, emotions, and memories. I explore with Mike how surprise could be utilized in Customer and Employee Experience, and how we can maximize the impact of those experiences. ABOUT MICHAEL Dr. Michael A. Rousell, PhD is a teacher, psychologist, and professor emeritus at Southern Oregon University. Rousell studied life-changing events for over three decades and established his expertise by writing the internationally popular book Sudden Influence: How Spontaneous Events Shape Our Lives (2007). His pioneering work draws on research from a wide variety of brain sciences that shows when, how, and why we instantly form new beliefs. Michael’s new book “The power of Surprise” examines the rich and complex nuances of the science of surprise and shows us how we can use it strategically to enrich lives. Summary In this conversation, Michael Russell and Mahmood Abdur Rahman explore the concept of surprise, its neurological underpinnings, and its implications for customer and employee experiences. They discuss how surprise acts as a neurological error signal that prompts immediate attention and learning, leading to the formation of new beliefs. The discussion also highlights the strategic use of surprise in organizational settings to enhance emotional responses and strengthen relationships with employees and customers. Takeaways Surprise generates neuroplasticity, allowing the brain to form new beliefs. Surprise is not an emotion but a neurological alert signal. The experience of surprise can lead to significant emotional responses. Memories of surprise events often overshadow the beliefs formed from them. Strategically crafted surprises can enhance employee recognition and customer experiences. Intermittent surprises are more effective than constant ones. Surprise can change mindsets and beliefs instantly. Surprise bypasses rational thinking, making it a powerful tool in communication. The context of a surprise can amplify its emotional impact. Using surprise strategically can lead to better organizational culture. Chapters 00:00 Understanding Surprise: A Neurological Perspective 11:45 The Impact of Surprise on Memory and Belief Formation 15:22 Strategic Use of Surprise in Customer and Employee Experiences

7. 

   15 Oct 2025

   THE JAMES BOND EXPERIENCE- With Adam Lawrence

   You are hooked throughout a James Bond Thriller, can we do the same for your customers and employees, assuming no competing brand will. So often your customers want to tell a story, they want to be interesting to their friends, you are rarely giving them something tellable to brag with. In this episode Adam tells us why this is super important booster of your experience and how can you achieve that. If you acting like a movie director, and your employee and customer experiences being very dramatic and tellable is something that teases your self-image, this is a must-watch. ABOUT ADAM Top Selling Co-Author of "This is Service Design Doing”, the co-initiator of the world's largest service design event; Global Service Jam, an Adjunct Professor for Service Design Thinking at IE Business School, Madrid and a Founding partner at WorkPlayExperience. As a theater actor, Adam is particularly specialized in using theatrical methods in designing experience with which we share a bit of you in this episode. Takeaways The James Bond experience is about creating extraordinary moments. Dramatic arcs can be applied to various experiences, including customer service. Balancing thrill and chill is crucial for engaging experiences. Organizations often overlook the emotional impact of customer interactions. Mapping customer journeys helps identify key engagement moments. Employee experiences should also follow a dramatic arc for better engagement. Creating memorable experiences requires understanding the audience's needs. Special moments in customer interactions can lead to lasting loyalty. Feedback and recognition are essential in the employee experience. Celebrating milestones in employee journeys enhances organizational culture. Chapters 00:00 The James Bond Experience: Crafting Extraordinary Moments 06:54 Understanding Dramatic Arcs in Customer Experience 13:38 Transforming Employee Experience Through Dramatic Design 19:18 Creating Memorable Experiences: Thrill vs. Chill

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