About — The Insight Shop | Boutique Customer Experience Consulting

We help organizations solve their toughest customer journey challenges.

The Insight Shop is a boutique customer experience consultancy that helps organizations see where journeys break down, understand what is creating friction, and decide what to fix first. We work with leaders who need clarity, direction, and a path to action.

What makes us different is how we connect the dots across research, journey mapping, process redesign, listening programs, and change management. Each capability can stand on its own, but together they create a fuller view of the experience and a stronger path to improvement.

We believe customer experience should be understood holistically — across customers, employees, operations, and the moments that matter most. That is why our work is designed not just to generate insight, but to help teams align, prioritize, and make improvements that stick.

Founded by Kate Kompelien, The Insight Shop brings more than 30 years of customer experience leadership, qualitative research expertise, and practical consulting support to every engagement. Clients trust us for thoughtful partnership, sharp listening, and work that turns complexity into clear next steps.

Whether you are exploring a challenge, redesigning an experience, or looking for clarity on what matters most, we would love to hear what you are working on.

Five things you can expect from every engagement.

Vast experience 30+ years of CX work across 20+ industries. We've seen most of the patterns you're about to face.

Research-led, action-oriented Decades of qualitative research experience — interviews, intercepts, ethnography, and observational studies. We uncover the "why" behind customer behavior, then translate it into priorities, ownership, and next steps your team can act on.

Built for complex journeys We're strongest where multiple teams, handoffs, and competing priorities make improvement hard.

Boutique speed, executive thinking Thoughtful, high-touch support without big-firm overhead. Direct work with Kate and Alex, every time.

Change-aware by design New programs fail when the employees who have to work differently aren't prepared to adopt them. We use Prosci / ADKAR to build awareness, desire, knowledge, ability, and reinforcement — so the people whose behavior has to change actually can.

You work directly with Kate and Alex.

No junior team. No handoffs. No overhead. And Sota sits nearby.

Kate Kompelien

Founder & Owner

Nearly 30 years of CX experience
Designed two CX practices: corporate America + technology
Pioneered a first-of-its-kind CX Transformation Process
Companies: Pillsbury, General Mills, Best Buy, TTEC
MBA Marketing · MS Grain Science · BA Food Science
Prosci Change Practitioner
CX Certificate, Michigan State University
Certified WBENC & WOBNC (Women-Owned Business)

Alex Shriver

CX Consultant

3 years of CX consulting experience
Industry background: airline and retail
Frontline understanding of how customer expectations form
Leads qualitative research and journey mapping workshops
RIVA Qualitative Research
RIVA IDI Moderating
IDEO Insights for Innovation · IDEO Ideas to Action
UX Research (Optimizely)
RIVA Analysis & Report Writing

Sota

Chief Morale Officer

Keeps the team grounded
Expert in unconditional enthusiasm
Available for emotional support on long project days
Will not review decks — but will sit nearby
Currently accepting belly rubs

Two ways to work together.

Project engagements

Defined scope, clear deliverables, set timeline. Best for journey strategy, measurement design, process redesign, persona work, or launch readiness.

Journey diagnosis or measurement design: 6–10 weeks
Persona / segment insight project: 4–8 weeks
Process redesign: 6–12 weeks

Fractional / ongoing advisory

Retained support for teams that need ongoing CX leadership, governance, or initiative support. Monthly retainer. Scale up or down as priorities shift.

Best for organizations that need senior CX leadership but not a full-time hire.

From first call to first deliverable.

Discover

We learn your business, your customers, and where the friction is showing up.

Scope

We align on goals, priorities, success measures, and the right engagement model.

Kickoff

We align the core team around roles, process, and decision points.

W4+

Work begins

Research, workshops, analysis, and activation planning — with regular check-ins.

Trusted by leaders across industries.

Renewal by Andersen

McCormick

Fortra

Thrivent

Western Union

Greystar

YMCA

AvMed

MPR

Viking Cruises

John L. Scott Real Estate

Schwan's

Members Cooperative Credit Union

Wintrust Bank

Centris FCU

CTC

Freeman Events

Merchants Distributors

Rheem

Concentra

Element Electronics

Medica

Ferguson

Mercury Insurance

We are experience people.