Early in my career, I didn’t know the differences between large corporate companies, small independent companies, and startups. My priority after college was simple: get a job. Ideally something that matched my major (or at least sounded like it did). Check. After a few years working for a large publishing company, I decided to take a chance and join a small marketing agency, private and profitable. Then, I moved to a large public company. Then back to publishing. Then back t

We can all agree that people matter. In fact, it’s the people who make or break the success of any partnership. So imagine walking into a high-stakes customer relationship… and realizing you don’t actually know who’s who in the zoo. That was me. My very first conversation as VP of CS with one of our largest, most strategic customers. I hop on a call with our main point of contact, a “Director.” Naturally, I assume that means middle management. Important, yes. But not the exec

In 2009, I was a mid-20-something marketer just trying to figure it all out. I was using a software platform that helped manage my...

When I started in Customer Success, we were trained to say things like: “I’m your trusted advisor.” “I’ll be your main point of contact.”...

I didn’t grow up in a white-collar home. My parents owned and worked in a delicatessen for over 45 years. Together, they ran that...

We often blur the lines between leadership and mentorship, but here’s the truth: just because you are someone’s leader does not mean you...

We spend so much time talking about customer journeys, business outcomes, and retention strategies but what about our own team’s...

Customer Success has always been about helping customers realize value: understand the use cases, configure the solution, drive adoption,...

One of the biggest challenges we faced with our customer base was this: on the surface, things looked fine. Customers had configurations...

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been ambitious. Every job I’ve ever had came with a built-in, personal side project: designing the...

In Customer Success, we spend a lot of time talking about value realization. But over the years, I’ve come to realize something just as...

Let’s get one thing straight: Renewals don’t just happen.   They’re not a due date. Not a Salesforce stage. Not a task on your CSM’s...

When I started my first role in Customer Success, I thought I had it all figured out. I had been a power user of the product.I knew the...

There was a time in my career when I believed that “wow” moments came from building everything from scratch. Every onboarding flow. Every...

When I first stepped into CS leadership, I found myself managing a high-performing, high-engagement team full of hungry, driven CSMs.  ...

A few years ago, I was logging 200,000 miles a year. Great for my Delta status. Brutal on my body, marriage, and sanity. But completely...

For years, we’ve been haunted by a number. Not a retention target. Not a CSAT score. Not even NRR. I’m talking about the mythical $2...

It used to hit me like clockwork. Sunday. 3:00 PM. That slow build of dread. The “Sunday Scaries” creeping in like a fog. But one Sunday,...

When I started my career as a CSM, everything felt manageable. I had a book of business, a list of clear priorities, a schedule that I...

When I first got into Customer Success, my team didn’t own a dollar. No renewals. No expansions. No upsells. Just pure, value-driven...