Tema Frank

Tema (whose name rhymes with Emma) wrote her first book in Grade 3, when her favorite teacher got seriously ill. She wrote poems, stories and news about what was going on at the school, added in some poems by Ogden Nash, drew a few pictures, and gave the book to the principal to give to the sick teacher.

Since then she's written two more books, with a third in progress.

The most recent one is:

PEOPLESHOCK: THE PATH TO PROFITS WHEN CUSTOMERS RULE

Based on 4 years of research and interviews with over 150 business leaders and customer service experts, the book explores the growing importance of human connection for business success in an era when ever-more is automated.

Her 3P Profit Formula of Promise + People + Process provides a framework that organizations of all sizes can use to deliver top notch customer experiences that increase profitability and success.

An Internet and digital marketing pioneer, Tema Frank put up her first website in 1995, and founded the world's first omnichannel customer service testing company, Web Mystery Shoppers, in 2001.

Since then she has:

- consulted to Fortune 500 companies in the US and Canada,

- given highly rated talks and courses on customer experience, user experience and workplace diversity in North America and France,

- hosted the weekly Frank Reactions podcast on customer experience. (Available on iTunes, Stitcher, or her website at http://frankreactions.com/show.)

1st Book: CANADA'S BEST EMPLOYERS FOR WOMEN

When Tema was pregnant with her first child, she got turned down for a job because the employer didn't believe her when she said she would happily return to work soon after the baby's birth.

So instead she decided to write "Canada's Best Employers for Women: A Guide for Job Hunters, Employees and Employers".

(And when that employer came back a few months later saying they had made a mistake and offering her the job it gave her great joy to be able to say, "So sorry. It's too late now.")

The book was nominated for a Business Book of the Year Award, became a career best-seller, and her work has been cited in many articles and textbooks.

An update, to see how much progress we have (or haven't) made is in the works for 2017.

PERSONAL STUFF

Tema's love of books led to her chairing the board of Litfest, Canada's only non-fiction festival (and one of only a few in the world).

She also volunteers in many organizations, including currently serving on the Senate of the University of Alberta, and the Board of the Business Link.

As much as she loves her professional life, her family has always been central.

Her two children are both at university now. Her son regularly introduces her to cool new club music (Tema wishes she were young enough to go dance at those clubs!) and great movies. Her daughter is learning to explain neuroscience in terms even non-scientific Tema can understand!

Tema and her husband love to travel, work and live in other parts of the world.