The Growth Signal

Most companies think they’re listening to their customers. But what if your idea of “value” is completely wrong? In this episode, host Alyssa Nolte sits down with Bob London, creator of the Radically Authentic Discovery Methodology, to talk about why AI might actually be better at empathy, patience, and consistency than humans. Bob shares what he’s learned from nearly 3,000 customer interviews, wh...

In this episode of The Growth Signal , host Alyssa Nolte sits down with Anika Zubair to challenge a common belief in SaaS: that sales is the main growth driver. Anika shares her hot take: Customer Success (CS) is actually the biggest lever for long-term revenue growth. Together, they unpack why CS teams are often overlooked, how to shift that narrative, and what leaders can do to start owning thei...

In this episode of The Growth Signal, host Alyssa Nolte sits down with Customer Success leader Kristi Faltorusso to challenge one of the most common beliefs in business: that experience is what sets you apart. Kristi’s hot take? In the age of AI, that’s no longer true. This conversation dives into how AI is reshaping roles, why legacy systems like customer health scores are outdated, and what lead...

In this episode, Alyssa Nolte sits down with Emma Sopadjieva to break down why customer experience (CX) can’t live in just one department. Emma makes the case that every team – from legal to finance to sales – plays a role in how your customer feels. And if you’re not measuring the impact of that experience across the whole journey, you’re missing big opportunities to grow. Emma shares real-world...

We’re drowning in data but starving for insight and according to Kevin White, most go-to-market teams are sitting on a goldmine of buying signals they don’t even realize exist. In this episode, Kevin, Head of Marketing at Common Room, makes a bold claim: signals are becoming a commodity. Everyone has access to the same job change alerts, website visits, and intent scores. What separates teams that...

In this episode of The Growth Signal, Andrew Carothers joins Alyssa Nolte to challenge one of the most stubborn assumptions in customer success: that digital-first experiences are only for low-value customers. Drawing on 17+ years of experience building Cisco’s customer experience org, Andrew makes the case that all customers - large and small - now expect seamless, personalized, and self-serve di...

In this episode of The Growth Signal, Alyssa Nolte sits down with Christine Lawther to challenge the traditional role of Customer Success. Together, they explore why retention can’t be owned by one team and how companies need to reframe CS as a company-wide operating system. Christine shares her perspective on internal misalignment, the emotional drivers behind B2B buying decisions, and what it re...

Customer Success doesn’t need a rebrand—it needs clarity. In this episode, Alyssa Nolte talks with Katie Yagodnik about the credibility gap facing CS teams and how to fix it from the inside out. They unpack the disconnect between CS’s actual impact and how it’s perceived across the business, then get tactical about how to prove value without sacrificing trust. We cover: Why CS has a branding probl...

Customer journey maps can be a powerful tool, but only if they reflect reality... not just your internal strategy. In this episode, Emily Garza joins Alyssa to unpack the risks of assuming your neatly mapped journey matches what customers actually experience. Drawing from years of experience in CX strategy and post-sale growth, Emily explains why listening beats labeling, and why real retention st...

In a world obsessed with speed, automation, and scale, what happens to the human side of Customer Success? In this episode, Alyssa Nolte sits down with longtime CS leader Renu Ahluwalia to unpack what we lose when efficiency takes priority over empathy... and how the best teams are reclaiming trust, honesty, and real connection. From rethinking “value” to navigating conflict without escalation, Re...

In this episode of The Growth Signal, Alyssa Nolte sits down with Rachel Provan—leadership coach, CS expert, and psychology nerd—to explore why the human element is vanishing from modern business and what we can do about it. Rachel argues that corporate culture has become emotionally abusive, treating employees like disposable cogs instead of people with real needs, fears, and ambitions. They unpa...

CSMs are dead. AEs are dead. Account managers? Also dead. At least, that’s what your LinkedIn feed would have you believe. In this episode, Cinthia Silva breaks down why these roles are collapsing—and what’s replacing them. We dig into AI’s role in the chaos, the myth of clean CRMs, and why automating a broken process just speeds up the failure. From full-cycle sales to the future of service desks...

What if your customer feedback loop is actually making you miss the point? In this episode, Dan Ennis joins Alyssa to unpack why “listening at scale” has become a crutch for B2B teams...and what’s really getting lost in translation. From building customer-led programs at ServiceNow and SAP to advising startups on growth strategy, Dan shares why most organizations don’t have a listening problem - t...

In this episode, Kristi Straw calls out the invisible forces holding mid-career women back...namely, corporate good girl conditioning and the culture of performative allyship. She shares how emotional intelligence can be learned (and why it’s often misunderstood), the red flags she watches for in coaching engagements, and the cost of building systems that serve companies instead of customers. Kris...

When your product is only built for the loudest customers, you're not serving the business - you're reacting to noise. In this episode, Mary Migiano unpacks what it really means to build for scale, not exception. From her years in enterprise sales and operations, she’s seen how the wrong customer signals (and the wrong internal incentives) can derail even the best teams. We talk about how to move...

What if the loudest signals your brand chases are the least valuable ones? In this episode, Christina Garnett—advisor, strategist, and community champion—joins Alyssa to unpack why brand loyalty isn’t built in campaign launches or viral moments. It’s built in quiet, consistent signals: how you show up when no one’s watching, how you treat the people already cheering for you, and whether your actio...

AI can handle the busy work, but it can’t replace your brain. In this episode, Shelby Garlock joins Alyssa to talk about what customer success teams actually need: more curiosity, better boundaries, and the courage to stop playing order taker. They break down how to earn trust, show up as a strategic partner, and build real relationships even in high-volume, remote environments. Key Takeaways: AI...

This roundtable originally aired live on Thursday, June 12th. Let’s be honest—most customer health scores are useless. They’re lagging, biased, and based on signals that don’t actually predict renewals. In this roundtable, we ask the question out loud: should we kill the health score altogether? Guests LeeRon Yahalomi, Alyssa Opella, and Brian Hansen don’t hold back. They challenge the industry’s...

The sale doesn’t end at close...it starts at renewal. Matt Green joins Alyssa to talk about why teams need to own revenue or risk being replaced. They dig into what leaders are getting wrong about post-sales, how to upskill your team for the new reality, and why authentic relationships (not aggressive tactics) are the key to driving growth. Listen in if you're ready to build a revenue team that cl...

AI isn’t a strategy, it’s a tool. And too many companies are slapping it on products no one asked for. In this episode, customer experience strategist Sam Chandler joins Alyssa to call out the echo chamber of half-baked AI rollouts and explore what customers (actually) want. They dive into the difference between artificial and augmented intelligence, how to avoid automating your way out of your ow...

Customer Success isn’t what it used to be and that’s a good thing. In this episode of The Growth Signal, host Alyssa Nolte sits down with Chad Horenfeldt to unpack how the best CSMs are evolving their approach. From ditching the “firefighter” mentality to mastering internal politics and asking tougher questions, Chad reveals the mindset shifts and practical habits that separate strategic CS leader...

When your customer doesn’t get their retirement check on time, “oops” doesn’t cut it. In this episode, Gary Marra, a financial services veteran and host of Your Customer, Your Success, joins Alyssa Nolte to unpack what it really takes to build trust in high-stakes, high-compliance industries. They explore why “no surprises” is more than a nice-to-have...it’s a core operating principle that separat...

Brad Davis joins Alyssa Nolte to call out the gap between customer-first talk and customer-first action. From wearing a panda head at conferences to redefining what success looks like in early-stage startups, Brad shares how bold moves (and  humility) can reshape customer relationships. He unpacks how tiered offerings, human KPIs, and free leadership habits drive real growth. This episode is a mus...

What if the real threat to your job isn’t AI...it’s apathy? In this episode of The Growth Signal, Alyssa Nolte sits down with Maria Trysla - two-time SaaS CEO and brand strategy powerhouse - to unpack what it actually takes to grow in the age of automation. From launching mobile data at Sprint to advising today’s fastest-growing startups, Maria shares why curiosity, courage, and critical thinking...

What does success look like—for your customer? In this episode, Alyssa Nolte sits down with Laura Patterson, co-founder of VisionEdge Marketing and a pioneer in customer-centric growth strategy. Together, they unpack the one question too many companies overlook—and why answering it could be the difference between transactional sales and long-term loyalty. Laura shares what decades of working with...