Vouched

Vouched is a podcast about the people the hiring system overlooks, and the humans willing to stand up and say, "I know this person, and they're good." Hosted by Amber Meakin, each episode flips the script on modern hiring. When you apply for a job online, software usually screens your resume before a human ever sees it, and talented, qualified people get filtered out before anyone knows they exist. Vouched is the antidote: a real referral, in public, from someone who means it. Here's how it works. Every guest is someone worth vouching for. Sometimes Amber does the vouching; sometimes she brings on the former manager, teammate, or colleague who wants to. They share the story that made them a believer. Then we meet the candidate: who they are, what they're looking for next, and the qualities a resume and an applicant tracking system will never capture. Every episode closes with the candidate paying it forward by vouching for someone they've worked with. If you're hiring, consider this your warm intro to genuinely great people. If you're job searching, follow along. You're not a keyword or a gap on a timeline, you're a person with a track record. And if there's someone you'd vouch for, Amber wants to hear about them. New episodes weekly. You're more than just a resume.

Episodes

Latest Episodes

3 hours ago

44 min

In this episode, host Amber Meakin vouches for Tony Zubek, a loyalty, CRM, and branded credit card leader who can set the strategy and then actually build it. Tony and Amber worked together when he ran a retail loyalty program and she was on the partner side, so she's seen firsthand how he turns a stalled program into one customers genuinely love. They get into what real loyalty looks like, why knowing your customer beats chasing points, and how he thinks about credit cards, mobile apps, and AI.
In this episode
Why loyalty is about how a brand makes you feel, not the points
Knowing your customer, and what it signals when a brand clearly doesn’t
Turning around a stalled loyalty program: audit, diagnose, and bring loyalty closer to the brand
Rewarding customers for keeping their profile current, and why fresh data drives repeat business
Why loyalty has to evolve with the customer: static companies don’t win, dynamic ones do
Untangling fragmented, multi-brand programs into one that works
Building the MarTech stack: in-house versus vendor partners, and why constant investment matters
AI as a tool, not a replacement, and why knowing how to use it is the real skill
Credit cards and loyalty: private label versus co-brand, depth versus reach
Mobile apps and gift card balances as real brand assets
How to actually get customers to download the app
What Tony is looking for next, and how to reach him
Connect
Guest
Tony Zubek
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonyzubek/
 
 
Vouched
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vouched-media-llc
Website:  www.vouchedpodcast.com
 
Host
Amber Meakin
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ambermeakin
Email: vouched@ambermeakin.com
 
Music: "Podcast Intro Opening Talk Show" by Alex Morgan, via Pixabay.

3 hours ago

44 min

5 days ago

44 min

In this episode, host, Amber Meakin, vouches for Elisabeth Keller, a loyalty and customer engagement executive who rose from operations to SVP and chief client officer before founding Keller Standard. Elisabeth explains why effective loyalty depends on customer understanding, cross-functional execution, and playing the long game, not simply offering more discounts or points.
Guest:
Elisabeth Keller
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisabeth-keller/
Email: eliskeller@kellerstandard.com
Website: www.kellerstandard.com
 
Vouched
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vouched-media-llc
Website:  www.vouchedpodcast.com
 
Host:
Amber Meakin
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ambermeakin
Email: vouched@ambermeakin.com
 
Music: "Podcast Intro Opening Talk Show" by Alex Morgan, via Pixabay.
 

5 days ago

44 min

Introduction

Sep 2, 2026

Sep 2, 2026

2 min

In this episode, we introduce the concept of the Vouched podcast. 
 
Know someone who deserves to be vouched for? Tell Amber at vouchedpodcast.com.
Follow Vouched so the next episode lands in your feed.
 
Music: "Podcast Intro Opening Talk Show" by Alex Morgan, via Pixabay.

Sep 2, 2026

2 min