We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Mary Ritz and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Mary, we’d love to hear what makes you happy.
Supporting people, leaders, teams, and organizations, as they grow, develop, and transform into the best versions of themselves brings me deep joy. I find meaning in walking alongside people through the often hard and challenging work of growth, and in witnessing the outcomes of that transformation.

I especially love challenging people to stretch beyond their comfort zones. In those moments, I become their biggest supporter, encouraging them, inspiring them, and celebrating their progress and success. Transformation changes how people see themselves, their work, and their purpose, and that is incredibly fulfilling to witness.

Through my coaching, training, consulting, and speaking, I have the privilege of helping people move closer to their purpose. In doing so, I am also living out my own God-given purpose. When people later return to share how the journey has impacted them, it feels like a quiet affirmation, “Well done, faithful servant” and that brings me profound joy. You see, what I do is more than work – it’s a calling. I get to do both in one!

What should our readers know about your business?
Almenta International is a consulting and professional development firm founded on one core belief: customer centricity is not a program, a department, or a slogan—it’s a way of leading and operating an organization. My work is at the intersection of customer – leadership – team – and strategy.

Through Almenta International, I work with leaders and organizations to design customer-centric businesses by aligning leadership behavior, strategy, culture, and systems around the customer. What sets my work apart is that I don’t approach customer centricity as a set of tools or touchpoints. We approach it as an organizational identity, how decisions are made, how people are led, and how value is consistently delivered to both customers and the business – across the organization.

What I am most proud of is the depth and sustainability of the transformations we support. Our work goes beyond improving service or experience in the short term. We help organizations build internal clarity, leadership alignment, and accountability so customer centricity becomes embedded and sustainable. Seeing leaders shift their thinking, teams take ownership, and organizations move from reactive to intentional design is deeply rewarding. I am also very proud of recently published book: Customer Centricity Strategy: The Roadmap to Exceptional Service and Unforgettable Experiences. It a practical guide to building resilient and sustainable entities.

My journey to building Almenta International was not easy or linear. It has been shaped by lived experience, academic rigor, and more than two decades of global practice across industries and regions. I’ve worked in complex environments with limited resources, competing priorities, and constant change. Those experiences reinforced a simple truth: real transformation requires courage, consistency, and leadership, not just good intentions or technology.

Like many entrepreneurs, I faced challenges along the way, building credibility in new markets, navigating uncertainty, and balancing growth with purpose. I overcame these challenges by staying grounded in my values, investing in my own development, listening deeply to my clients, and remaining willing to evolve without losing my core identity.

The lessons I’ve learned are clear: transformation is hard work, leadership matters more than strategy documents, and consistency beats intensity every time. Most importantly, organizations succeed when they intentionally design for people both customers and employees, rather than treating experience as an afterthought.

What I want the world to know about Almenta International, and about me, is this: our work is about helping organizations become who they say they are. We bring clarity where there is complexity, alignment where there is fragmentation, and humanity into business decisions. This work is more than what I do, it’s a calling and I am deeply committed to helping leaders and organizations create meaningful, lasting impact

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend were visiting for a week, I’d want them to experience both the beauty and the soul of the Atlanta area nature, culture, food, and community.

We’d start with some outdoor adventure, like hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains and exploring trails in Northwest Georgia. Being in nature is grounding and a great way to slow down and connect.

Back closer to home, mornings would include stops at Reveille Café for a hearty breakfast and Douceur de France Bakery & Brunch, one of my favorites for a relaxed start to the day. I’d also take them to local book fairs around Marietta, Kennesaw, and Acworth, discovering stories in these community spaces is always inspiring.

For culture and history, a visit to the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park and Museum is essential. It’s a powerful reminder of leadership, courage, and purpose. On Sunday, we’d attend Victory Church in Norcross, for spiritual uplift and reflection, which sets the tone for the rest of the week.

Downtown Atlanta would be another highlight, exploring the vibrant neighborhoods, enjoying diverse restaurants, and taking in the iconic city spots. To mix in some leisure and retail therapy, we’d visit the different outlet malls around the area for shopping and unique finds.

I’d also make sure we had time to relax at home, sipping coffee or just enjoying conversation, and take quiet walks around the golf course early in the morning or at sunset when it’s peaceful and empty. Those moments of calm are my favorite way to reset and reflect.

For me, the most exciting part of the area is the blend, adventure and relaxation, city and nature, culture and quiet reflection. That mix makes a visit here rich, memorable, and truly personal.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
This is such a meaningful question, because none of us gets here alone.

First and foremost, I want to thank my parents. They instilled in me strong values and a work ethic that has shaped everything I have achieved to this day. They led by example, teaching me resilience and perseverance, and they never limited me based on academic performance. Instead, they taught me to put my heart and soul into whatever I pursued, without limiting beliefs or excuses. That foundation has stayed with me for life.

Secondly, I’m deeply grateful for my siblings, who are my biggest cheerleaders. They celebrate my wins, both big and small—and consistently see the best in me, even during moments when I struggle to see it myself. Their belief and encouragement mean more than they know.

Thirdly, I want to acknowledge my teachers, from junior school through high school, who took the time to teach, guide, and invest in me. At the university level, I owe special thanks to Professor Bennie Anderson at the DaVinci Institute of Technology, in South Africa, my academic supervisor, who believed in my capabilities. I’m also grateful to Doug Leather, my field supervisor, who encouraged me to focus my postgraduate research on customer centricity. His guidance and his book, The Customer-Centric Blueprint, fundamentally shifted my perspective on the power of customer management and helped shaped my professional path.

Fourth, I want to thank my clients across the globe who have trusted my work for more than 20 years. They are the reason I do what I do. Their challenges, feedback, and partnership have continually pushed me to grow, evolve, and refine my thinking.

In that same spirit, I want to give a special shoutout to colleagues who work in the same space and journey alongside me, including Dr. Lawrence Henderson, Darlen Drew, Wayne Hauenstein, Donal Lamar, Tim Fulton, Morgan Daniels, Wendy White, Lisa Main, and many others I may not be able to mention by name. Their support and opportunities for collaboration have played a significant role in my growth, not only as a professional, but also as a human being.

Finally, I want to acknowledge the Atlanta Black Chamber of Commerce, particularly Melvin Coleman, President, and Michelle Glover, Chair of the ABC Women’s League, for supporting my work and helping me establish my brand in the Atlanta area. I’m also grateful to John Maxwell and the Maxwell team of coaches, trainers, and speakers, his leadership paved the way for many of us to step into our calling with confidence.

There are many thought leaders and authors who have influenced my journey, including Jim Collins (to Great), Simon Sinek, Patrick Lencioni (The Five Dysfunctions of a Team), Jeff Eggers and Jason Mangone (Leaders: Myth and Reality), Dr. Diane Hamilton (Cracking the Curiosity Code), Kari Lynn Scare (Comfortably Uncomfortable), and Peter Fader (Customer Centricity Focus). Their work has provided frameworks and perspectives that continue to guide my own.

In many ways, these individuals, organizations, and authors paved the way and provided templates I could learn from as I navigated my own journey. I am deeply grateful for each of them.

Website: https://www.almentainternational.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-ritz-phd-934a699/

Twitter: https://x.com/mary_ritz2015

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063738485795

Yelp: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063738485795

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@maryritz1676

Image Credits
Rose Lee

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