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Connection Over Perfection with Kayla Dillon

Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack Oates

Chapters
0:00
Warm Welcome And Kayla’s Intro
2:04
What A Fractional CMO Really Does
4:06
Right-Sizing Tech And Avoiding Overbuying
6:20
From Hospitality To Humanity
9:30
Connection Over Perfection
13:10
Tactics: Behavior-Based Rewards And AI
16:20
Last-Foot Delivery And Guest Recovery
Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack Oates
Connection Over Perfection with Kayla Dillon
Dec 08, 2025
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Zack sits down with Kayla Dillon, fractional CMO and brand consultant, to talk about why guest expectations have shifted from hospitality to humanity. Kayla explains how to pick technology that fits, set it up the right way, and connect ops, marketing, and tech so the guest actually feels known. They dig into loyalty, behavior based rewards, and the role of AI in making personalization practical.

Zack and Kayla discuss:

  •  Human connection over perfection
  •  Choosing tech that matches readiness
  •  Behavior and interest based loyalty
  •  AI that supports real personalization
  •  Connecting ops, marketing, and tech
  •  Why setup beats shiny features

Thanks, Kayla!

Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayladdillon/