California Pizza Kitchen Co-Founder Rick Rosenfield on building a brand from the inside out


The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström® | Listen on: Apple | Spotify | YouTube 

Help others find the show by leaving us a review


With brands being defined by every customer interaction, who is really in charge of your customer experience: your C-suite, or your frontline employees?

Agility requires more than just the right technology; it demands a culture where empowered teams can make decisions and respond to customer needs in the moment.

Today, we’re going to talk about building a brand from the inside out, focusing on the powerful connection between internal culture and external customer experience. We’ll explore:

  • How a “reverse pyramid” leadership model can directly impact customer experience and brand perception.

  • Translating core values into an operational framework that empowers employees and fosters accountability.

  • The principles of scaling a culture of empowerment as a brand grows from a single location to a global presence.

To help me discuss this topic, I’d like to welcome Rick Rosenfield, Co-Founder at California Pizza Kitchen, and author of the new book, The California Pizza Kitchen Story.

About Rick Rosenfield

Rick Rosenfield is the co-founder of California Pizza Kitchen and a former federal prosecutor and defense attorney. He helped grow CPK to 265 restaurants and a national retail line while shaping a new era of American casual dining. His forthcoming memoir blends legal battles, entrepreneurial inflection points, and lessons in partnership and culture.

Rick Rosenfield on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickrosenfield

———- Resources ———-

California Pizza Kitchen: http://www.rickrosenfield.com

The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://aglbrnd.co/r/2868abd8085a9703

We’re proud to be a media partner for #MAICON26 – Oct. 13-15! Learn how AI can power your marketing and business and help you grow smarter. Use code AGILE150 to save! https://aglbrnd.co/r/7fe458ced0f04658

Reach your customers with Reddit. Spend $500 in ad spend, get $500 back in ad credit! Learn more: https://advertalize.com/r/491818c79fb1873f

Chaser is the only Slack-native project management platform that helps teams turn messages into tracked tasks, automate follow-ups, and maintain team-wide visibility, without adopting another tool. Now integrated with Claude and other GenAI tools. Learn more at trychaser.com and use code AGILEBRAND for a 3-month free trial (normal trial is 14 days).

The most influential minds in software, AI, and engineering leadership will be at WeAreDevelopers World Congress North America, September 23-25 in San Jose. Learn more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/60a7299222a7bcf1

Enjoyed the show? Tell us more at and give us a rating so others can find the show at: https://aglbrnd.co/r/faaed112fc9887f3

Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom

Don’t miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://aglbrnd.co/r/35ded3ccfb6716ba

Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com

The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


The Agile Brand Guide®
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.