Spotlight by CS in Focus

Your GTM strategy may be bleeding revenue—and you don’t even know it. In this Spotlight episode, host Emma Lo sits down with Sandy Yu , Founder of Revenue Retention Advisors , to unpack how post-sales teams can stop revenue leaks and fuel expansion. Sandy draws on 20+ years at Oracle, Cisco, and PwC to share: The 3 biggest hidden cracks in B2B revenue engines Why onboarding and adoption make or br...

What if your health score is lying to you? In this episode of Spotlight by CS in Focus, we sit down with Vinova Deniz , Head of Customer Success at Wiza, to unpack what it really means to be proactive in CS: from spotting quiet signals before they become churn screams to rethinking the way we run QBRs. Vinova shares her battle-tested insights from messy startups to scaling with precision. We dive...

In this episode, host Emma Lo speaks with Chad Horenfeldt , VP of Customer Success at Siena AI and author of The Strategic Customer Success Manager . Chad breaks down what it really means to be strategic in CS—and how to stop defaulting to reactive work. We dive into the frameworks, mindset shifts, and leadership tactics that CSMs need to adopt to stay relevant and valuable in today’s fast-changin...

Join Emma Lo in the latest episode with Greg Boyd about leading an intentional life and career. Greg shares his personal journey through tragedy, the birth of his new company Vienna Waits, and the mission to help a million people live and work with purpose. Drawing from his extensive experience in customer success, Greg offers insights and practical steps to help professionals find clarity and dir...

Thinking of pivoting into Customer Success in 2025? This episode is your blueprint. Gözde Görce, Team Lead of Scaled CS at Apollo.io and founder of The Success Path, joins us to unpack everything from mapping your transferable skills to navigating the AI-powered CS job market. What we cover: Gözde’s unconventional journey into CS The rise of Digital CS & what it means for job seekers Top skill...

In this episode of Spotlight LinkedIn Live , Emma Lo sits down with Paul Abdool and Franz-Josef Schrepf , two powerhouse partnership leaders, to uncover what truly drives successful partner ecosystems in B2B SaaS. 🎯 What you’ll learn: The 5 layers of partnerships—from brand deals to strategic alliances The 4C’s framework to evaluate partnership fit How Customer Success + Partnerships create a win...

In this episode of Spotlight , host Elizabeth Italiano welcomes Julie Persofsky , Founder of Achieve Exponential Growth, to explore strategies for scaling Customer Success and driving revenue growth. With over 20 years of Go-To-Market expertise, Julie shares actionable insights on: When and how to hire your first CSM. Identifying the customer’s “aha moment” to boost adoption. Balancing cost-to-ser...

In this episode, host Emma Lo sits down with Dillon Young , founder of Lifetime Value Media and Customer Value Labs , to dive into the trends shaping CS today. Dillon shares insights on: The rise of AI and Digital CS Navigating the job market in a changing economy The critical role of value delivery in Customer Success Balancing mental health and career growth in a demanding industry With his expe...

In this episode, host Emma Lo chats with Holly Goodliffe , a Digital Customer Success expert who’s built Digital CS functions at Adobe and other top SaaS companies. Holly breaks down the essentials of launching a successful Digital CS program, including: How to Get Started: The first steps to building a scalable Digital CS function. The ONE Metric That Matters: Why active usage should be your Nort...

In this insightful episode, host Elizabeth Italiano sits down with Lukas Alexander, VP of Customer Success at ChurnZero, to explore the best practices and strategies for building and executing a successful digital customer success (CS) program. Lukas, with his extensive experience in both customer success and operations, shares his journey from leading client success at Cision to his current role...

In this episode, host Emma Lo chats with Kristine Kukich, the Training Shepherd, and Shannon Howard, Director of Content and Customer Marketing at Intellum. They explore the crucial role of customer education and marketing in scaling customer success. Scaling Success: Customer education and marketing are essential in helping customers succeed with the product and in their careers, especially as co...

In this episode of "Spotlight by CS In Focus," host Emma and co-host Elizabeth Italiano from What Not To Do engage in a thought-provoking conversation with Peter Armaly, author of Mastering Customer Success. Peter, a seasoned Customer Success (CS) professional, shares insights from his extensive experience and discusses the evolving role of Customer Success in driving business growth. Ke...

Join us on the "Spotlight: CS in Focus" podcast, where Star Hofer, COO of AKA Media and a seasoned leader in the tech startup sector, shares her profound insights on building effective customer success teams and professional services from the ground up. With over two decades of experience in SaaS and tech startups, Star discusses the critical aspects of identifying and nurturing hidden t...

Dive into our latest "CS in Focus" episode where we sit down with Ryan Lazar , a seasoned leader who's steering the helm at Qualtrics Canada. Ryan brings a unique blend of engineering prowess and sales acumen, driving unprecedented growth and nurturing a passionate team culture. 🔹 Key Takeaways: Mastering Radical Candor: Ryan shares how honest, caring feedback is pivotal for team co...

Dive into our conversation with Katie Clark, Manager of Implementation at Pocket Health , hosted by Emma. Katie’s journey from improv theater to customer success shines a light on adaptability, clear communication, and the personal touch that AI can't replace. Key Insights: Improv Skills in CS: Adapt and thrive in unpredictability. Clear Expectations: Essential from sales to onboarding for suc...

In this podcast episode, Saher Ghattas , SVP North American Sales Leader of DataStealth, shares his journey and insights on go-to-market (GTM) alignments. He discusses the challenges and different frameworks for GTM alignments, emphasizing the importance of driving impact and value for customers at each stage of their journey. Saher also explores the freemium model and strategies for encouraging c...

Tyler Lessard discussed the importance of authenticity in marketing and the role of customer stories. He emphasized the need for individuals to create and share videos, and how AI can enhance authenticity and scale human communication. Takeaways Focus on becoming your audience's favorite follow by providing high-resonance content that they care about. Craft messages that are authentic, relatab...

Join us in uncovering the innovative strategies behind CS Toolkit, a game-changing tool in the customer success landscape, as shared by its founders, Stephen Smith and Brendan McDonald . Dive into our podcast for a deep dive into how CS Toolkit is transforming the way customer success teams operate, with a focus on customer sentiment, streamlined processes, and strategic growth in the CS sector. L...

In this conversation, Derek Vollebregt, VP of Customer Success at iLobby, shares his background and journey into customer success. Takeaways Create meaningful moments that matter in customer relationships. Ensure data integrity for effective decision-making. Embrace the global experience and cultural differences in leadership. Transitioning into customer success requires learning the lingo and fra...

Explore pivotal Customer Success strategies with industry expert Lindsay Lane in our enlightening podcast. Lindsay shares her blueprint for curating exceptional customer journeys and driving business growth. Key Insights: 1. Unified Vision: Discover how Lindsay harmonizes cross-departmental efforts for customer success. 2. Insightful Analytics: Uncover the transformative power of customer data in...

Elizabeth unpacks her journey from Salesforce to leading Go-to-Market Advisors in this enlightening conversation, blending insights with experience. Key takeaways include: 🌐 The unique perspective of wearing both AE and CSM hats. 📊 Overcoming the Fear of Finding Out (FoFo) through data-driven decision-making. 🔍 The vital role of Voice of the Customer (VoC) in transcending traditional NPS approa...

Join us in our latest CS In Focus podcast episode featuring Elizabeth Italiano, a beacon in Customer Success and Go-to-Market strategies. Elizabeth unpacks her journey from Salesforce to leading Go-to-Market Advisors in this enlightening conversation, blending insights with experience. Key takeaways include: 🌐 The unique perspective of wearing both AE and CSM hats. 📊 Overcoming the Fear of Findi...

Tune in to our latest episode of CS In Focus, where we unravel the story behind CS Toolkit with its creators, Stephen and Brendan . From a casual tennis match to pioneering a tool changing the game in Customer Success, their journey is inspiring. 💡 Discover how they simplify and humanize customer success, one innovation at a time. 🌟 Don't miss this blend of ingenuity, problem-solving, and custom...

Marta Montero, leading customer success for Gatekeeper in North America and APAC, shares her journey from archaeology to tech. With 10 years in customer success, she highlights the industry’s evolution from product-focused to outcome-driven strategies. Montero emphasizes the need for customer success to focus on change management and people skills, separate from technical roles. She advocates for...

Marta Montero, leading customer success for Gatekeeper in North America and APAC, shares her journey from archaeology to tech. With 10 years in customer success, she highlights the industry’s evolution from product-focused to outcome-driven strategies. Montero emphasizes the need for customer success to focus on change management and people skills, separate from technical roles. She advocates for...