Customer Success: Pivot Your Career

Епизоди

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  The Power of Unified Data: Karl Simon on Leading AI Innovation 22.07.2026 47мин

  AI that meets customers where they work by cleansing data, managing AI drift, ensuring governance and managing a solution that is AI model agnostic.  Leave the heavy lifting to Subatomic!Guest Karl Simon, Co-founder and CTO of Subatomic, joins the Customer Success Pivot Your Career podcast with co-hosts Alex White and David Lokietz. Karl recounts his path from Oracle into data warehousing and analytics, through roles at companies including Gap, Saks Fifth Avenue, Genentech, and Komodo Health, and explains why Subatomic focuses on enabling AI without disrupting existing workflows.The discussion centers on how poor, incomplete, and inconsistent data undermines AI ROI, how Subatomic uses AI to audit and unify data, and how its model-agnostic approach dynamically selects best-fit models while managing drift, cost, and governance via “Deep Lens” (introspection, audit, eval). Karl also describes “AI coworkers” that execute role-based go-to-market workflows across sales, marketing, and service
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  Beyond the Resume: Rebecca Novetsky on Product, Customer Success, and Startup Life 16.06.2026 45мин

  What can't a resume tell you about a candidate? Quite a lot, as it turns out.Rebecca Novetsky, a customer success leader who builds CS functions from the ground up at early-stage startups and the creator and host of the Next Hire podcast, joins the Customer Success Pivot Your Career podcast with co-hosts Alex White and David Lokietz.Rebecca's career has looped from product development to customer success, into product management, and back again. This mix makes her a sharper advocate for the customer and the product. She digs past surface-level feature requests to find the customer's real "why" before prioritizing a roadmap. As a first CS hire at multiple startups, she aligns stakeholders, defines what success means for each customer, and builds onboarding playbooks that keep new customers from slipping into the abyss. The results speak for themselves: adoption up 35%, onboarding time cut by two-thirds, and a product taken from pilot to paid.Rebecca also shares how Next Hire, her short-form interview podcast, helps job seekers tell the story behind their resume, build confidence, and own their work.Enjoy, rate our podcast and share your comments.
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  Navigating Global Customers: Sudi Navile on Customer Success and AI Innovation 06.05.2026 50мин

  Guest Sudi Navile, Chief Customer Officer at SID Global Solutions, joins the Customer Success Pivot Your Career podcast with co-hosts Alex White and David Lokietz.Sudi shares lessons from a career that started in enterprise sales in India and grew through technology consulting into global customer success leadership.The conversation digs into how AI is rewriting the playbook, bridging language and cultural gaps with international customers, democratizing access the way BASIC once did for programming, and forcing leaders to rethink value, packaging, and outcome-based pricing as token economics keep shifting.00:00 AI in the CS Job Search04:30 Meet Sudi: From Enterprise Sales in India to Global CS07:30 Solving the Bigger Problem, Earning the Right to Ask "Why"14:30 Working Across Cultures: Reading the Room Globally17:30 AI as the Great Equalizer: Language, Literacy, and Access34:00 Outcome-Based Pricing and the AI Token Costs46:30 Alex & David Wrap Up
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  Pivot to CS & Technology: Amber Monroe's Healthcare Journey 08.04.2026 47мин

  In this bonus episode of the Customer Success Pivot, David Lokietz and Alex White interview Amber Monroe, SVP of Customer Experience at Paradigm, about pivoting from hospital operations into customer success and technology in healthcare through mentors, communities, and domain focus.Amber discusses the shift from treating all customers the same to a segmentation model, defining segment-based SLAs and aligning sales, implementation, and CS to deliver differentiated experiences. She shares lessons learned from early account transitions, including adding transition-risk scoring, and highlights customer listening tours, as well as touching on AI leadership.Amber recommends signing up for the CS Insider Newsletter @ https://www.csinsider.co/Enjoy!
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  Reevaluating Success: Layton Chaney candid and unfiltered 22.03.2026 50мин

  In this episode of the Customer Success Pivot Your Career Podcast, hosts Alex White and David Lokietz welcome Layton Chaney, an 18+ year customer success veteran for a candid, unfiltered conversation about burnout, mental health, and redefining success.Layton describes how he recently paused and labeled a personal failure, only to find relief and clarity. The discussion explores how SaaS grind culture, shaky leadership values, and weak psychological safety impact CS. Learn practical signals like the “Sunday method” to know when it’s time to reevaluate your priorities.
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  Redefining Post-Sales: Alex Raymond discusses his new book, “The Growth Department” 01.03.2026 48мин

  In this bonus episode of the Customer Success Pivot Your Career podcast, we welcome Alex Raymond, founder of Amplify and founder & former CEO of Kapta, to discuss his book, “The Growth Department”. We discuss how post-sales teams need to change the narrative from “glorified support” to a core growth engine. Alex explains why CS is often underrecognized despite being responsible for the majority of revenue, how declining sales efficiency increases the need for retention and expansion, and why net revenue retention (NRR) is a company-wide leadership metric.Alex challenges the myth of “recurring revenue,” emphasizing “re-earning” renewals through measurable results made visible, even when outcomes are bad. He also shares the Amplify Method for expansion and portfolio thinking.
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  Harnessing AI: Stephen Wise on Monocle’s Innovative CS Platform 18.02.2026 35мин

  We welcome Stephen Wise, founder of Monocle—an AI-powered executive assistant built for customer success teams. Stephen explains how Monocle is designed to reduce the “invisible work” of CS through embedded, human-centered AI.Request a product demo at https://www.snowise-monocle.com/
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  2025 Year in Review: Key Lessons and Growth Opportunities in Customer Success 30.01.2026 26мин

  Hosts Alex White and David Lokietz provide an overview of each episode from 2025 and discuss what's ahead for 2026.Guests in 2025 included; Carly Agar, Carol Crowe, Drew Cather, James Lawson, Chris Fernandes, Sri Vidya Annapragada, John Huber, Matthew Rinker and Caroline Grant.
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  Mastering Ever-Changing Customer Requests with Concentrix’s Caroline Grant 18.09.2025 43мин

  In this episode of the CS Pivot Your Career podcast, join hosts Alex White and David Lokietz as they welcome special guest Caroline Grant, Sr. Director, Strategy at Concentrix. Caroline dives into her extensive experience with evolving customer needs in the Customer Success landscape. She'll share actionable strategies for navigating these shifts, offering practical advice on managing customer expectations while simultaneously crafting solutions that benefit both the client and the vendor. This discussion highlights the critical roles of communication, trust, and transparency in identifying the right offerings and successfully adapting to ensure satisfaction within Customer Success relationships.04:37 Caroline's Journey into Customer Success10:54 Consulting Insights and Career Advice22:27 Challenges in Product Ownership23:01 Mindset Shift in Digital Product Management25:12 Adapting to Technological Changes and AI33:26 Successful Client Engagements36:11 Building Long-Term Client Relationships39:34 Final Thoughts and Takeaways
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  Enterprise Customer Insights and Strategies with Matthew Rinkert 14.08.2025 52мин

  Guest Matthew Rinker, Enterprise Customer Success Manager for DocuSign, joins the Customer Success Pivot Your Career podcast with co-hosts Alex White and David Lokietz. Matthew shares insights from his journey from consumer hardware to SaaS, highlighting the importance of consultative selling, strong customer relationships, and the evolving roles in customer success. Learn what it means to be an Enterprise CSM and the challenges encountered and how to manage these effectively.01:47 Role of Procurement in Renewals12:34 Account Management vs. Customer Success18:55 The Importance of Customer Success Mindset27:44 Customer Success Models and Strategies38:50 Enterprise Customer Success Insights42:52 LinkedIn Tips for Customer Success Professionals45:31 Alex & David Wrap Up
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  Tailored solutions in CS driving business scale and growth with John Huber 14.07.2025 49мин

  Guest John Huber, founder of Customer Success Architects, joins the 'Customer Success Pivot Your Career' podcast with co-hosts David Lokietz and Alex White. John shares his extensive experience in customer success, which spans over 20 years and includes roles at five different B2B SaaS companies.The discussion covers various aspects of customer success, including Leadership on Demand services, Advisory consulting, and Specialized Coaching. John explains how he helps SaaS companies manage customer health, churn, and renewals. Additionally, he highlights the importance of cross-functional alignment and strategic customer engagement to drive retention and growth. A don’t miss episode!02:16 Introducing Today's Guest: John Huber04:55 Leadership on Demand19:50 Challenges in Early-Stage Companies26:32 Operationalizing Customer Health Data30:49 Company-Wide Customer Success Mindset36:58 Coaching Services and Career Development41:20 Final Thoughts and Career Advice
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  Embracing Innovation and Agility in Retail with Google’s Sri Vidya Annapragada 19.06.2025 40мин

  Sri Vidya Annapragada, Head of Technical Program Management, Device Cloud at Google discusses the unique challenges in the retail industry, the importance of cross-industry learnings, and strategies for effective digital modernization. There is a diverse topics such as navigating priorities in enterprise-level customer success, and the importance of empathy and agility. Sri emphasizes the significance of connecting, communicating, and collaborating with customers, and shares anecdotes from her career across Oracle, Salesforce, Apigee, and Google.You don’t want to miss this episode!
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  Exploring AI Innovations in CS with Venture Builder Chris Fernandes 20.05.2025 51мин

  In this special anniversary episode of 'Customer Success: Pivot Your Career,' hosts David Lokietz and Alex White celebrate one year of podcasting.Guest Chris Fernandes discusses how AI is revolutionizing how people work, how to get started with AI and more importantly the impacts on customer success and how it can turn your focus from reactive to proactive relationship building.Get out of the weeds and learn about AI so you can spend more time on what matters in Customer Success!00:00 Anniversary Edition Opening (submit your ideas)03:30 Episode Opening07:05 Chris Fernandes42:35 WrapUp Discussion
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  Redefining CS with Service Geeni CCO James Lawson ✔ 16.04.2025 53мин

  James Lawson, Chief Customer Officer at Service Genie and founder of the River Consultancy Group, shares his insights on the 'Customer Success Pivot Your Career' podcast.CS as a competency, not a departmentConcept of peak to endFocus more on direction vs impactsUse marketing in CS, both externally and internallyCAT model for scaling startupsThe discussion explores how James’ marketing experience helps him in CS both with his customers and to internally market CS.  Discussions also include CS as a competency, not a department and focus more on direction vs impacts.  Additional topics include the evolving role of AI in customer success, the importance of personalized customer journeys, and James also introduces the innovative CAT model for scaling startups without traditional sales teams, focusing on building efficient customer account teams.
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  Elevating Business through CS with Trace3 GM Drew Cather 12.03.2025 46мин

  In this episode of the CS Pivot Your Career podcast, hosts Alex White and David Lokietz speak with special guest Drew Cather, General Manager at Trace3, emphasizing the significance of building long-term client relationships by acting as trusted advisors.Drew shares insights on managing client expectations, handling project challenges, and leveraging educational initiatives like a mini-MBA to empower both clients and internal teams. The episode highlights the significance of trust, transparency, and robust communication in creating successful, enduring CS partnerships.
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  Building Trusted Partnerships with Google's CS Executive Carol Crowe 11.02.2025 40мин

  The Customer Success Pivot Your Career podcast’s guest, Carol Crowe, a Customer Success Executive at Google, shares her journey from technical support to CS leadership. Carol emphasizes the importance of building trusted advisor relationships both with customers and internal teams. Key topics include communication, empathy, and leveraging AI for efficiency. The discussion also highlights how to maintain and nurture these relationships, particularly in large enterprises, and offers practical advice for CS professionals.
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  CS Job Search Insights and Career Coaching w/ Carly Agar 07.01.2025 48мин

  Carly Agar is founder and CEO of Carly Agar Training, who specializes in career coaching for CS job seekers. Carly shares common pitfalls in the job search process, and the importance of refining job seeking skills. Key topics include optimizing resumes and LinkedIn profiles, using AI effectively without over-relying on it, and the value of drawing parallels from previous roles. Actionable advice for both new and experienced CS professionals!!!
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  Reflecting on 2024: Key Lessons and Growth Opportunities in Customer Success 10.12.2024 32мин

  Our final episode is 2024 YEAR IN REVIEW! If you are new to our podcast, this provides highlights from all our 2024 interviews so you can go back and listen to the episodes that resonate with you. In the Customer Success Pivot Your Career podcast, hosts Alex White and David Lokietz provide an overview of its first-year episodes, discussing insights and key takeaways.  Guests included Steve Pino, Noah Little, Pranav Parekh, Jennifer Albrecht, Elizabeth Italiano, and John Gusiff, highlighting discussions on operationalizing customer success, relationship building, storytelling, change resilience, and business acumen.  See you in 2025!!! Books Referenced; The Seven Pillars of Customer Success by Wayne McCulloch Pillar 1: Operationalizing Customer Success Pillar 2: Onboarding Pillar 3: Adoption Pillar 4: Retention  Pillar 5: Expansion Pillar 6: Advocacy Pillar 7: Strategic Advising Customer Success by Nick Mehta Law 1: Sell to the Right Customer Law 2: The Natural Tendency for Customers and Vendors Is to Drift Apart Law 3: Customers Expect You to Make Them Wildly Successful Law 4: Relentlessly Monitor and Manage Customer Health. Law 5: You Can No Longer Build Loyalty through Personal Relationships Law 6: Product Is Your Only Scalable Differentiator (somewhat) Law 7: Obsessively Improve Time-to-Value (Briefly) Law #8: Deep Dive into Customer Numbers (High level) Law #9: Numbers Don’t Lie, Use Them to Win! Law #10: Everyone Needs to Be on Board!
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  Crafting Customer Experience Strategies and Fostering Growth: Lessons with John Gusiff 19.11.2024 45мин

  In this episode of the CS Pivot Your Career podcast, hosts Alex White and David Lokietz speak with John Gussif, Managing Partner for Customer Centric Solutions. John shares his journey into customer success and emphasizes the importance of a well-defined customer experience strategy. He delves into the bowtie model, which connects acquisition and expansion phases, and the importance of maintaining a robust voice of the customer program.  Other topics include the significance of understanding and measuring business values and outcomes and identifying and tracking buyer personas.  
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  Driving Growth and Engagement Part2: Strategies from WNTD Founder Liz MacAulay (Elizabeth Italiano) 10.10.2024 26мин

  Part2 of our conversation with Elizabeth Italiano.In the Customer Success Pivot Your Career podcast, hosts Alex White and David Lokietz discuss customer success strategies with Liz MacAulay (Elizabeth Italiano), Founder & CEO of the consulting firm, What Not To Do (WNTD) Partners.Discussions include the impact of Gen AI, developing truly personalized customer engagements and evolving customer success into a revenue center. Elizabeth also shares her experiences and insights on go-to-market strategies, business acumen for CSMs, and the value of identifying ideal customer profiles.