Podcasts about csms

In this episode of TECHtonic, host Thomas Lah, EVP and Executive Director of TSIA, sits down with Agam Vasani, former SVP of Customer Experience at LeanData, to explore what it actually takes to build an AI-driven post-sale organization. Agam shares how his team was drowning in over 40 fragmented customer health signals, leaving CSMs spending more time assembling data than acting on it. He then reveals how they used AI to consolidate those signals into a single, coherent view that reps could actually use.He also breaks down the SIGNAL framework, a six-part filter he developed to cut through a crowded AI vendor market and evaluate tools on source of truth, intelligence quality, go-to action, workflow fit, team-wide adoption, and continuous learning.Discover how peer-driven "AI jams" drove grassroots adoption where top-down mandates failed, and why most AI tools fall short because they're sold like SaaS when AI behaves nothing like it. Don't miss this candid conversation on what separates AI deployments that move the needle from ones that just add another tool to the stack.

Carl Lenocker is the Chief Unicorn at Rockstar Unicorn Consulting and a top-tier Customer Success executive with over 20 years of experience operating in high-stakes, revenue-critical environments. He has built his career managing and protecting multi-million dollar relationships, focusing on executive-level conversations where outcomes matter more than optics and where revenue is either secured or quietly lost.Known for his no-fluff, field-tested approach, Carl teaches Customer Success professionals to think and act like revenue owners, not support teams. He is also the author of Success Plan for Life, where he applies the same principles used to protect enterprise accounts to career growth, wealth building, and long-term leverage, helping leaders earn trust, de-risk renewals, and break through professional ceilings.In this episode we cover:00:00 - Intro03:08 - Carl's Journey in Customer Success06:16 - Mindset Shift From Support to Revenue Ownership09:11 - Building Relationships and Overcoming Fears12:18 - Navigating Remote Interactions and Building Trust15:05 - The Impact of AI on Customer Success Roles18:17 - Lessons Beyond Business and Success Plan for Life21:09 - The Power of Planning for Success24:19 - Wealth Accumulation and Legacy Thinking26:18 - Personal Growth and Life Goals27:04 - Choosing the Right Partner29:00 - Navigating Career Growth and Challenges31:07 - Influential Resources for Success33:26 - Defining Success at MidlifeGet in touch with Carl:Carl's LinkedInRockstar Unicorn ConsultingBooks:"Success Plan for Life" by Carl Lenocker"Rich Dad, Poor Dad" by Robert Kiyosaki"Awaken the Giant Within" by Tony Robbins"Power Questions" by Andrew SobelTag Us & Follow:FacebookLinkedInInstagramMore About Akeel:TwitterLinkedInMore SaaS Podcast EpisodesSaaS ConsultantsHow To Value Your SaaS Company

What if the biggest opportunities in your accounts are being left on the table because you are treating champions like power users instead of strategic partners?In this episode, I'm breaking down the five specific ways top performing CSMs use champions to drive adoption, expansion, and renewals without carrying the entire account on their back.I'm sharing the exact plays I used throughout my CS career, why most CSMs are thinking about champions the wrong way, and how to turn your internal advocates into the people opening doors, influencing teams, and helping you protect revenue.You'll walk away knowing how to sound more strategic, create more momentum in your accounts, and stop feeling like you have to do everything yourself. If you're ready to become the kind of CSM that companies cannot afford to lose, hit play, and let's dive in.1:10 – Why most CSMs aren't set up to leverage champions (and it's not your fault)3:22 – The three must-haves that make someone a true champion, not just a coach6:47 – Turning your champion into a community builder with a simple Slack channel10:55 – Upleveling adoption by helping champions create a resource hub or wiki14:38 – Making your product stickier by baking it into new hire onboarding16:30 – Driving expansion with champion-led value stories that actually land21:44 – Teaching champions to talk ROI to crush renewal conversationsFREEBIES & RESOURCES:

Heading to Vegas this May? Join Josh at Pulse 2026 and come say hi—your oversized fluorescent daiquiri is on him. No catch.Grab your ticket at gainsightpulse.com and use code UNCHURNED for a special rate.Most CS teams are stuck in a loop. Monitor the health score. Chase the red account. Run the QBR. Hope the renewal sticks. Adnan Rahman saw the loop. And broke it.As the Head of Customer & Partner Success at Paycor, Adnan manages 35,000 customer relationships across different segments with a team of nearly 100 CSMs. That kind of scale forces clarity fast. And what became clear? The problem was never the metrics. It was the conversation.In this episode, Adnan breaks down the value realization framework his team built from scratch that is now deployed across 28 enterprise CSMs and 17 mid-market CSMs, with a goal of 75% active success plans by year end. He gets into the exact discovery questions that replaced fear with candor, why executives are now showing up to meetings they used to skip, and how joint success plans replaced the product demo masquerading as a QBR.Josh is writing a book on building customer relationships. Follow his journey and insights at www.joshschachter.com. ---Timestamps0:00 - Preview & introduction1:17 - Meet Adnan Rahman & Overview of Paycor4:50 - The value realization framework explained7:07 - Do customers arrive knowing their outcomes?8:05 - Bob London's UBR method & the most disruptive questions CSMs ask9:06 - Implementing the framework & outcomes11:56 - How to build your own value framework from scratch16:31 - How Paycor is drawing insights & enhancing efficiency with AI 18:38 - Paycor's agentic future: renewals, expansions, risk20:40 - Paycor's learning & community inititative24:29 - Where Paycor CS is headed by year end---What You'll Learn- How to build a value realization framework- The exact disruptive questions that unlock executive conversations- What a joint success plan looks like vs a traditional QBRHow to connect every CSM touchpoint back to measurable business outcomes- How to ask about renewal without making it awkward- Where AI agents will hit CS teams first- What community looks like when answer engines exist- How to scale personalized outreach without scaling headcount---Want the playbook, not just the conversation? Subscribe for deep-dive, actionable breakdowns from every episode at unchurned.substack.com.---Where to Find the GuestAdnan Rahman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adnan-rahman-irvine/---Where to Find Josh:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/Unchurned Substack: https://unchurned.substack.com/

Cameron Tousley, director of MSP channels for ESET North America For most MSPs, the quarterly client conversation looks something like this: here are the alerts we handled, here is your uptime number, here is a dashboard of things we blocked. Useful, certainly – but not exactly the stuff of trusted advisor relationships. Cameron Tousley, director of MSP channels for ESET North America, has a phrase for the upgrade: move from statistical talks to threat briefings. In this episode of In The Channel, he and Pedro Kertzman, threat intelligence specialist at ESET, join host Robert Dutt to explain what that actually looks like in practice – and why the window for MSPs to make that transition may be narrowing. Pedro Kertzman, threat intelligence specialist at ESET The occasion is ESET’s eCrime Reports, a threat intelligence offering that tracks cybercriminal activity at the affiliate level – the individuals buying malware-as-a-service and executing the actual attacks. Kertzman explains why that granularity matters: affiliates signal tactical shifts before attacks scale, giving security-forward MSPs a genuine early-warning advantage. Tousley adds the client conversation layer: knowing that a specific threat group is targeting your customer’s vertical via a specific attack method is a meaningfully different conversation than “we blocked 4,000 threats this month.” There’s also an uncomfortable wrinkle for MSPs specifically: as Pedro notes, affiliates increasingly exploit MSP tooling itself as a vector – compromising credentials to access managed environments quietly, hitting dozens of small clients while staying well below the radar of law enforcement attention focused on high-profile infrastructure targets. For the smaller MSP without a dedicated analyst, the entry point is more accessible than it sounds. Indicators of compromise can be automated directly into client firewalls without a full threat intelligence platform. WeLiveSecurity and the live threat feed built into ESET Protect offer a low-barrier starting point for shops that are earlier in their security maturity journey. Tousley’s closing frame is the one worth sitting with: the Canadian MSP market is being reshaped by consolidation at a pace that isn’t slowing. The independents that survive will be the ones having more sophisticated conversations with their clients. Evolve or sell. Read Full Transcript Robert Dutt: Hello and welcome to In The Channel from ChannelBuzz.ca, bringing news and information to the Canadian IT channel community for the last 16 years. I’m Robert Dutt, editor of ChannelBuzz.ca, and your host for the show. Cyber Threat Intelligence, CTI, has long been framed as an enterprise discipline. Dedicated team, security operations center, analysts who live in the data. But the threat landscape doesn’t really respect that boundary anymore. The tooling is getting more accessible, the attacks are getting more targeted at smaller organizations, and as we’ve talked about on the show before, the MSP stack itself has become a threat vector. So the question for the typical Canadian MSP isn’t really “Is threat intelligence relevant to me?” It’s “What do I actually do with it?” To dig into that, I sat down with two people from ESET. Cameron Tousley is director of MSP channels for ESET North America, and he lives squarely in the business conversation around what MSPs need to grow and differentiate. Pedro Kertzman is ESET’s resident CTI subject matter expert, and I’ll note that Pedro usually sits on the other side of the interview chair as the host of his own podcast on threat intelligence. So this was a bit of a role reversal for him. We talked about ESET’s eCrime reports, the idea of tracking cyber criminal activity at the affiliate level rather than just the group level, what proactive threat intelligence actually looks like for a 15-person MSP shop, and what Cameron described as the “evolve or sell” reality facing the MSP market right now. Let’s get right into it. Cameron, Pedro, thanks for joining us. I appreciate it. Cameron Tousley: Thanks for having us. Pedro Kertzman: Great to be here. Robert Dutt: Before we get into what ESET is specifically bringing to market, Cameron, can you give our listeners a sense for where the threat intelligence conversation is right now in the channel? Is this still primarily an enterprise kind of discussion or has something really shifted in terms of how MSPs and MSSPs are thinking about and talking about CTI? Cameron Tousley: I think that the market is evolving as a whole, no matter if you’re in the SMB segment or enterprise. I mean, it’s evolving everywhere. The beautiful thing is technology is getting cheaper, it’s getting more accessible. People are able with the advent of AI to kind of do more with less staff and things like that, and then allow their staff to kind of become more specialized. Enter in the topic of CTI. I just think that there’s an appetite from certain, and probably more evolving larger MSPs, to start incorporating more for their clients. I think they’ve always probably wanted to educate them, but it’s always that, “Hey man, just make sure I have uptime and the help desk is active when I need it.” And that’s the conversation. Fast forward to now and it’s becoming a little bit more relevant to want to consume CTI. So I’ll kind of start there and I’ll take a pause. I don’t know if Pedro’s got any other comments on that. Pedro Kertzman: No, I 100% agree. I think the threat landscape now with the maturity of the CTI offerings, MSPs can see that the things they’re trying to protect their customers against are more clearly explained and delivered in a way that they can see through CTI offerings now. So I think it’s just a natural evolution within the cybersecurity space to start leveraging that expertise as well. Robert Dutt: Without getting too far into pure positioning, how would you characterize what differentiates your approach to threat intelligence, sort of at the methodology level? What’s the philosophy behind how you’re researching and tracking threats and what you’re bringing to market with this CTI package? Cameron Tousley: Yeah, I’d say first off, our reach. We’re a global company. We have a product line, yeah, but we have 11 threat intel centers and those are also R&D centers too. So it’s a wealth of knowledge. Then we have researchers outside of that that are just remote, and so our tentacles are everywhere and that means something for somebody choosing a cybersecurity vendor or a platform because our researchers, they’re looking at a bunch of different avenues. They’re looking at the major threat acting groups. We have an offering we’ll talk about here in a few minutes, that centers on tracking affiliates because malicious activity, malware-as-a-service, is just like MSPs provide a service. So if I’m an affiliate—and I’ll define that real quick, an affiliate being the people that are buying the malware service and then going and distributing it and causing zero-day attacks—those are affiliates. So the real key part is what they do, not necessarily always the major malware-as-a-service group because that’s just one large avenue, but then you can’t predict what your customers are going to go and do on the black market. So yeah, I think we have a really exciting offering on our threat intelligence called eCrime and it comes in a feed and reports and it’s amazing. It really centers on the affiliate level and that is going to help get the conversations to be more quality with customers. It’s going to help an MSP who provides more, let’s call it reactive security at best, generalized services—which no knock against them, that’s just the model—and that’s going to help propel them into the more proactive security and having more quality cybersecurity-forward conversations with their customers of all sizes. Robert Dutt: Let’s delve a little bit more into that. Can you walk me through a scenario, even hypothetical or composite, where that affiliate-level insight would practically change the outcome for an MSP or one of their customers? How does this show up for an MSP basically? Pedro Kertzman: Yeah. So basically, I’ll take a step back a little bit just to explain how this threat ecosystem works. So the affiliates will be the ones really on the end of the line bringing that malware they got from a quote-unquote threat actor market or affiliate programs, more technically speaking per se, but they will be the ones delivering or sending that payload forward to whatever companies that they are trying to attack. So knowing how these guys work is basically going to give the companies, and the MSPs of course working for their security, the ability to stop the attack in the early stages, because the affiliates will be the ones trying to break in, acquire through whatever methods—credentials stolen or compromised credentials. So they are responsible, quote-unquote, within these affiliate programs to get the foot inside the door. So if you’re knowledgeable about how they act, what kind of techniques they use to get that foot in, you’re basically stopping the attacks before they actually become super massive, widespread attacks or super dangerous attacks. It’s kind of the proactive security instead of the reactive security. Cameron Tousley: Yeah, that’s a good comment. And then I’ll just throw one more little thing on that. I was talking about the conversations you can have with your clients, everything Pedro said, plus it’s like, you could have a specific conversation about, “Hey, this is what we blocked this month, but these are the threat acting groups, and here are the patterns, here’s the kind of malware that’s out there right now. By the way, you’re in the healthcare vertical, this threat acting group is targeting healthcare and doing this specific type of attack—happens to be phishing or fileless or whatever the complex attack is.” So they got to get really granular in the conversation. It can’t just be a super high-level one, because then your user’s not going to know what to do with that information. But if you coach them on the end-of-the-line issue and where it’s sourcing from, to Pedro’s point, you get ahead of that attack early, you might even prevent stuff that would have normally been a real headache. Robert Dutt: And you need to position yourself at least somewhat as the hero in so much as you’re saying, “Here’s the people who are attacking you, here’s what they’re doing, here’s what we’re doing proactively to counter that.” Cameron Tousley: Absolutely. Yeah, that’s a huge value to your end customer. The one that normally would have not cared about security and it’s more of an annoyance, now they’re paranoid about it, just like the MSP, just like the vendors, we’re all trying to get ahead of it. So I think that that provides a lot of value, and the average MSP is probably not going to do that. So you don’t necessarily have to go spend a ton of money, you just have to consume the information that’s out there maybe for free, and then maybe some of the paid services like the eCrime reports without buying our full threat intelligence platform, you can just do that. And that is like a huge value on its own to track exactly what we’re talking about right now. Robert Dutt: So taking a step back, I think some of this certainly informs and colors the question we go to ask, but I’m a 15-person MSP somewhere. I’ve got solid endpoint protection, an RMM stack I like, maybe managed SOC coverage, that kind of model. What’s the case, in addition to what we’ve already discussed, for why threat intelligence should be on my radar as a distinct capability I need to think about, bring to my customers and offer? Pedro Kertzman: Yeah, I think especially because again, talking specifically about the eCrime reports, we’re talking about the ones that are really perpetrating the attacks or executing the attacks. When you understand how your adversaries really act, you don’t need to always rely on the expertise of a super senior CTI analyst. There are ways that also, depending on your vendor, you can automate the expertise to just be pumping, let’s say, IOCs or IP addresses into your existing end users’ firewalls. If you manage a bunch of other firewalls for your end users, you can pump that eCrime knowledge into those firewalls in the form of IP addresses, domains, and things like that. But understanding that it’s going to be a proactive approach so they don’t get a foot in the door first, it’s kind of that decision beforehand that will give the MSPs, or MSSPs with 15 or so employees, that kind of extra leverage against those frontline attackers. Robert Dutt: I’m really interested in the idea of using intelligence and these eCrime reports as a client-facing tool, not just something that’s consumed internally, especially for that smaller MSP—something that you’re using in your QBR or whatever business review you have with customers to show your value. I’m curious, is that something you’re seeing happening today or is it a realistic use case, or is it a stretch for most MSPs right now? Cameron Tousley: I think it’s realistic. Now, let’s set the tone here. An MSP, they may not have the budget nor the expertise nor the staff to be buying a full-blown threat intelligence offering even like ours, but they can use certain parts of it like the eCrime reports. So that’s a good jumping-in point for the MSPs that are growing, or if you have 15 people on staff and there’s a good deal of them on the technical side, you may want to run your SOC in-house. Maybe that’s something you want to do. I think for them, the maturing MSP and definitely the MSSP, a threat intelligence offering is something that you will probably want to consume if you’re doing everything in-house. Now, I think there’s an argument for even if you’re going to go out-of-house and use the vendor, I still think there are free sources. We have customers that are using free platforms but running a paid feed through it. This is really dynamic. It’s flexible. It can fit to every different audience for the most part, except for the ones who are just not staffed for it and they’re probably outsourcing everything and they just don’t want to do it. They know that they are never going to be able to staff a 24×7 team and they’re also never going to be able to consume as much information as is coming in. But there are also other free resources, like I said, associated with our threat intelligence platform, like the eCrime reports, but there’s white papers that we produce. There are periodic threat reports. We do all kinds of analysis. And then on our welivesecurity.com blog, we publish all kinds of free information. And the really cool thing for existing ESET customers is through our ESET security platform, ESET Protect, we run a live feed through there and it shows you like, “Hey, here’s the latest news on WeLiveSecurity. Here is something you need to be aware of, there’s a vulnerability in the wild.” So we run some of the security stuff and this news right through a window inside of our platform, which I think is really big value added. Pedro Kertzman: Awesome. Yeah, I would add, if I can, Rob, we do have monthly digests as well on the CTI offerings, even for not super deep-down technical people. Let’s say more executives or CSMs, let’s say account managers on the MSSP or MSP side. It’s kind of an executive-ready type of report. So it’s more about the threat landscape overview. I think it helps them show that they are expanding their offerings on the security side and they’re knowledgeable about it as well. Again, doesn’t need to go in the nitty-gritty like in the weeds of IOCs and all that, but understanding, for example, that now the ecosystem on the other side is somebody providing the malware, somebody going and executing it. So just to show how they see these movements, I think it’s sometimes important enough to show that they are expanding their coverage for their end users. Robert Dutt: The reports, the eCrime reports, have been in the market about a month now, I guess. I’m curious what you’re actually hearing from MSPs and MSSPs as they’re digging into them. Are people using them the way you expected or are there surprises that you’re seeing in how they’re engaging, what they’re doing, how they’re thinking about this information? Pedro Kertzman: That’s a good question. I think because of the name, we got out of the gate with police forces reaching out to us, but in theory, it’s not the best kind of deep analysis that we’re going to give them, because they have a lot of expertise. So then we have the APT reports that would bring more detailed analysis for them. So it was interesting to see that people are kind of eager on the end-user side to see how the threat landscape, especially related to financial crimes or eCrime, are really, let’s say, hot right now. The MSPs are kind of following that trend, not as jumping on like the police forces were, but they are starting to inquire about the new eCrime reports for sure. Cameron Tousley: Yeah, I’d agree. I think the defender agencies, I’ll call them, the ones that are fighting the same battle we are, but maybe physically, but now they’re fighting the eCrime too. As they’re learning, this is a great tool for them. We find that they’re excited about it. It’s relatively new, so we’re going to see more and more adoption of it. But plenty of people who are in evaluation are like, “Hey, can I run a free month of this? I want to check it out and see what I’m going to get.” And we’re getting a lot of good feedback on it right now. I’d say on the MSSP/MSP side, again, it’s new for them too. And they do a lot of different things. So for them, they’re like, “I need to slice out some time to check this out as well because this is interesting. I don’t know if anybody else is really doing anything quite like this.” So for them to be able to check it out and add it to their offering, I think what’s going to happen is that they’ll get hooked on something like that and they’ll want more. And we’re already working on more. So our teams are hard at work. We’re adding new feeds, new reporting structures, new ways to consume it. And reasonably priced packages and things like that. Even ones where you have somebody on retainer where you can go to and get a very long deep dive on what you’re reading periodically throughout any given month. So I think with that, you’ll see a lot of internal IT large agencies adopt it. I think you’ll see some MSSPs adopt it. And you might even see some general MSPs who are evolving up that chain do the same thing. So it’s kind of a report and an offering for everybody there. Pedro Kertzman: Yeah, I think you mentioned something important, Cam. We do offer trials for the eCrime reports as well, right? If they want to test it out. Cameron Tousley: Yeah, try it before you buy it. Yeah. Robert Dutt: It sounds like you’re also thinking about ways that you can slice this, dice this, package it out to that smaller MSP or that MSP who’s not a pure-play security player going forward. I was going to ask, what do you see as coming next in CTI and in your eCrime reports? I think that’s certainly a hint. Anything else that you see sort of in the pipeline or where you’d like it to go, where partners would like to see it go? Cameron Tousley: Yeah, I’ll take a stab at this one because my heart’s near and dear to the MSP community. That’s what I’ve been working in. That’s a segment for quite a long time now for ESET. And so what I’m reading and what I’m theorizing on is that there’s other kinds of technologies that are pretty complex, have gotten more simple in the way that they’re still doing complex processes, like an EDR, right? It’s an investigative tool, and then you pair it with AI and then things become easier for the team managing it. I think it’s going to be the same thing here where you’re going to have an AI paired with it, which we have our own agentic AI agent in this offering now, which is very, very cool, and it’s built in our security platform. But for this, I think it’s going to make consuming information easier, generalizing it, summarizing it, and making sure you can spin it into a quick executive summary. My theory is click of a button, right? So I’m going to have a dashboard. I’m going to say, “Hey, I want an executive summary on this event.” So you’re basically just filtering, and then the end result is you hit that AI generate button and then it generates something that’s quality, and you can do it at various user levels, maybe various role levels. I’ll hit the CTO button or I’ll hit the CEO button and they’ll be a little bit different, obviously. So I think that it’s going to get simpler and managed intelligence as a service, that’s next. It’s already a term that’s being thrown out there a little bit if you look for it. So it’s just not mainstream yet. And I think it will be here in a short period of time. Pedro Kertzman: A hundred percent. And just to double down a little bit as well, Rob. I think especially for the smaller MSPs, let’s say you hit a critical infrastructure, you stop a pipeline or anything like that, you’re going to have federal agencies going after you, right? But then when you hit a mom-and-pop shop, nobody really cares. And those guys are often served through these smaller MSPs. So I think getting a better understanding of the threat landscape that especially targets those small businesses, I think it’s just a natural progression of the change in the threat landscape. Robert Dutt: Well, and you bring up a point that I kind of pulled on a little bit with your friend, Tony Anscombe, not too long ago. There’s so much data about how many attacks right now are taking advantage of the MSP tooling as a threat vector. And so I think that also speaks to a need for an MSP who wants to be mature and responsible about these kinds of things to have a better grip on who’s looking, what they’re looking at, and how that maps to what they’re doing. Pedro Kertzman: A hundred percent. And just to link this specifically about eCrime and affiliates, affiliates would be the ones exploiting those RMM tools, right? Because it’s something that is already deployed in the environment. If they get the credentials that got stolen for whatever reason, they have access to those tools and then they can deploy malware that they bought from those affiliate programs inside of the victim’s networks. Robert Dutt: And it’s funny, almost a reversal of back in the day, I can remember as a Mac user, there was a saying that Apple engaged in security through obscurity. What you describe is almost the opposite of that. It’s insecurity to a degree through obscurity. In that if I’m an attacker, I know that if I go after Colonial Pipeline to use your example, I’m all over the front page and there’s going to be a lot of government agencies who have a lot of serious, serious questions for me. If I take out an MSP tool that gives me access to a bunch of very small clients though, maybe I fly under the radar just a little bit more. Cameron Tousley: Oh yeah. Robert Dutt: This is my last question. If there’s one shift in thinking that you’d want a Canadian MSP to walk away with after this conversation, in terms of how they think about these reports, in terms of how they think about the role of threat intelligence in their business, you know, one thing they should reconsider about how they’re approaching their security practice, what would that be? Pedro Kertzman: So I think first, Rob, that’s kind of more of a mindset type of thing. CTI still sounds super complex to a lot of people. I would say there are two main flavors. One, if you really want to dig into techniques and all that, yes, you can get fairly technical and sophisticated, but there are really simple ways to ingest cyber threat intelligence into existing automated tools. You can, of course, do a POC with one, two, whatever vendors you want to do. Once you find that real value for your customers, your end users, then it’s automated. We’re talking about data feeds ingesting directly into a firewall. If you don’t have a CTI central brain kind of thing, which the market knows as a TIP (threat intel platform), you don’t need to go that route, the sophisticated route. There are simple ways to use threat intelligence. And honestly, it’s super valuable because it’s just, again, automated. You’re outsourcing the knowledge to the vendor directly who’s going to execute that, like a firewall, for example. Cameron Tousley: Yeah, I think that’s some really good commentary. And I have a lot of business conversations with MSP business owners and I follow the market, and the consolidation, there’s tons of it. And there has been for a few years, but it’s just insane right now. And I think that there’s this thing going around, it’s like, look, evolve or sell. Because you have the advent of AI and that’s speeding everything up tenfold. And just don’t be afraid. If you want to continue to run your business, don’t worry, you’re going to have clients out there in your locale that probably love you. But they’re also going to have people calling them as these other MSPs get bigger, and these national ones that swallow other little smaller companies and then their go-to market will be, “Well, let’s go down market, down market,” because we can’t always go up market, that’s pretty hard to do. But down market is like shooting fish in a barrel kind of thing. So that means it’s a risk for the smaller MSPs that are not going to sell out, that want to be in business another 10 or 15 years. So don’t be afraid, utilize AI to research it. They say don’t use AI as Google, I disagree a little bit, but you can use it for a lot of things. This can summarize: what is this offering? Can I use it? Ask it really basic questions to get acquainted, and then take the next step and call your vendor and just have a conversation with them and say, “What are all my options? I am in this locale, I serve these kind of verticals, here’s my sizing, here’s the tools I use.” You’ve got to throw everything out on the table because then your vendor, somebody like a technical or business contact, can jump in and say, “Look, I think that you should check out this part of this larger offering. And here’s what I’ll do for you. And here’s what you’re going to do. We’ll give you a game plan, right? You’re going to trial it in the following ways, we’re going to pair you up with a technical person to teach you a little bit and be your co-pilot—Microsoft gets enough press.” But really kind of jump in, try it out. Don’t be afraid. Because if you want to be around another 10 or 15 years, you have to make the leap. And you don’t have to do anything big, but you have to start adopting some of this security-forward thinking so that you can have threat briefings with your clients and not statistical talks. There was just that MSP summit and there was actually a panel on what the next gen of MSPs is doing. And it was funny to hear it because they’re like, “Well, we’re focused on outcomes.” And I totally agree, but I know some of the older MSPs are like, “Well, we’re focused on outcomes too.” But I think it’s the talk track. You’re all saying the same thing, but you need some more complex tools in some ways to be able to have these more outcome-based discussions. Like, “Hey, I not only blocked X amount of threats, I kept your uptime up in this way, and that allowed you to keep productivity up. So by my clock here, you were able to achieve all those things that you wanted to achieve in our initial meeting, we’re on track.” That’s the conversation you want to have in addition to that little bit of the threat briefings peppered in. Robert Dutt: All right. Some great advice there. Gentlemen, thank you both for taking the time. I appreciate it. Cameron Tousley: Thank you, Rob. Pedro Kertzman: Great to be here. Cameron Tousley: Absolutely. It was a pleasure. Thanks so much. Robert Dutt: There you have it, Cameron Tousley and Pedro Kertzman from ESET. I’d like to thank both Cameron and Pedro for their time. They did exactly what we set out to do with this conversation, kept it firmly in the strategy lane with technical depth in service of the business point rather than the other way around. A few things to leave you with. The framing that stuck with me most was Cameron’s distinction between statistics talk and threat briefings. The idea that your quarterly client review shifts from “here’s how many threats we blocked” to “here’s the specific group targeting your vertical right now. Here’s how their affiliate operates, and here’s what we’ve already done about it.” That’s a real upgrade in how an MSP demonstrates value. It moves you from uptime vendor to trusted advisor and that’s a conversation your competitors probably aren’t having yet. On the technical side, Pedro’s explanation of affiliate-level tracking is worth sitting with. The headline ransomware groups get the attention, but it’s the affiliates, the ones buying malware-as-a-service and doing the actual execution who determine the tactics on the ground. Tracking them is what gives you an early warning before the attack scales. And as I noted during the conversation, there’s a certain logic in how attackers exploit the MSP model specifically. Go after the tooling, stay under the radar, quietly compromise a hundred small clients instead of one high-profile target. Obscurity in that scenario is working against you. For the smaller MSP who’s heard all of this and thought, “I’m not staffed for this,” Pedro’s entry point is worth considering. You don’t need a full threat intelligence platform or a dedicated analyst to start. Automate the ingestion of indicators of compromise directly into your clients’ firewalls. Let the tooling do the work. It’s not glamorous, but it’s real, actionable and it’s a lot more than most of your competitors are doing. And Cameron’s closing thought, “evolve or sell,” is the frame I’d put around all of it. The consolidation wave hitting the MSP market right now is not slowing down. The shops that survive as independents will be the ones that have more sophisticated conversations with their customers. Threat intelligence is one of the things that helps you have those conversations. If you found this one useful, please follow or subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen. We’re on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, all the major podcast directories. Ratings and reviews are always appreciated. Until next time, I’m Robert Dutt for ChannelBuzz.ca and I’ll see you in the channel.

The Vapor Intrusion 101 training series provides an overview of vapor intrusion (VI) and presents information from the 2026 ITRC VI Toolkit (which includes fact sheets, technology information sheets, and checklists). This course introduces participants to the fundamentals of vapor intrusion, the process by which vapor-forming chemicals in contaminated soil or groundwater volatilize and migrate into buildings. The course will discuss sources, pathways, and receptors. It will identify and assess VI risks in various settings (residential, commercial, industrial) and familiarize participants with regulatory frameworks and guidelines (e.g., USEPA, state-specific regulations). The participants will gain working knowledge of how to develop a Conceptual Site Model (CSM), design and implement sampling strategies, establish data quality objectives (DQOs), and conduct data and risk evaluations. It will provide an overview of mitigation strategies, including various closure strategies, land use covenants, and institutional controls. Session 1 will focus on:What is Vapor IntrusionVI Exposure PathwayVI in Practice - including common CSMs, Scenarios, and ChemicalsPotential Limiting Factors for VI - PVI vs Chlorinated VI, Geology, Hydrogeology, and Building Operating ConditionsHow is VI Different & Challenges in Evaluating VI Session 2 will focus on:How VI is DifferentHow to assess VI - CSM, Sample Collection, Data Interpretation, Risk Assessment, and Project Life CycleManaging VI Risk at a Site - Mitigation, Remediation, MonitoringWhat does Closure look like & Various Exit Strategies The course will provide connections to the 2026 ITRC VI Toolkit to help the audience understand how to find and use these new resources for VI sites. To view this archive online or download the slides associated with this seminar, please visit http://clu-in.org/conf/itrc/VI-introductory_051226/

Host: Cindy Allen Published: May 2026 Length: ~12 minutes Presented by: Global Training Center It's Time to Go: Refunds, Trade Policy, and What Comes Next In this episode of Simply Trade: Cindy's Version, Cindy Allen walks listeners through a busy week in international trade while using Taylor Swift's “It's Time to Go” as the theme. She covers the latest Court of International Trade ruling on Section 122, the ongoing CAPE refund process, Section 301 hearings, possible changes to Section 232 tariffs, and new concerns around CPSC data requirements. The episode also touches on fraud prevention, ACE help desk issues, and why it may be time to return to more traditional trade processes with clearer timelines and checks and balances. What You'll Learn in This Episode Court and tariff updates Cindy explains the recent CIT ruling on Section 122 and how it may affect future trade actions. She also discusses the possibility of further appeals and what that could mean for importers. CAPE refund progress The episode shares encouraging news that CAPE refunds are reportedly hitting bank accounts. Cindy also covers the 45-day review window and the safeguards CBP is using to catch duplicate or mistaken filings. Fraud and cybersecurity concerns Cindy highlights CBP's webinar and CSMS update about fraud in the CAPE process, including the need to verify bank details and watch for duplicate filings. She notes that many of the problems CBP is seeing are clerical or procedural rather than outright fraud. New compliance pressure The conversation shifts to the upcoming CPSC data requirements and why many importers may not yet be prepared. Cindy explains that the timeline is tight and that companies should work closely with brokers to get ahead of the new filing expectations. Why “It's Time to Go” fits Cindy uses the Taylor Swift song to reflect the need to move away from overly novel tariff approaches and back toward more traditional trade processes. Her message is that trade needs time, structure, and predictability in order to plan and adjust effectively. Credits Host: Cindy Allen Presented by: Global Training Center Subscribe & Follow Stay up to date with the latest in global trade:

The Vapor Intrusion 101 training series provides an overview of vapor intrusion (VI) and presents information from the 2026 ITRC VI Toolkit (which includes fact sheets, technology information sheets, and checklists). This course introduces participants to the fundamentals of vapor intrusion, the process by which vapor-forming chemicals in contaminated soil or groundwater volatilize and migrate into buildings. The course will discuss sources, pathways, and receptors. It will identify and assess VI risks in various settings (residential, commercial, industrial) and familiarize participants with regulatory frameworks and guidelines (e.g., USEPA, state-specific regulations). The participants will gain working knowledge of how to develop a Conceptual Site Model (CSM), design and implement sampling strategies, establish data quality objectives (DQOs), and conduct data and risk evaluations. It will provide an overview of mitigation strategies, including various closure strategies, land use covenants, and institutional controls. Session 1 will focus on:What is Vapor IntrusionVI Exposure PathwayVI in Practice - including common CSMs, Scenarios, and ChemicalsPotential Limiting Factors for VI - PVI vs Chlorinated VI, Geology, Hydrogeology, and Building Operating ConditionsHow is VI Different & Challenges in Evaluating VI Session 2 will focus on:How VI is DifferentHow to assess VI - CSM, Sample Collection, Data Interpretation, Risk Assessment, and Project Life CycleManaging VI Risk at a Site - Mitigation, Remediation, MonitoringWhat does Closure look like & Various Exit Strategies The course will provide connections to the 2026 ITRC VI Toolkit to help the audience understand how to find and use these new resources for VI sites. To view this archive online or download the slides associated with this seminar, please visit http://clu-in.org/conf/itrc/VI-introductory_043026/

Struggling with customer churn? Your client retention strategy might be the biggest gap in your SaaS business growth.Jeff Kushmerek has spent his career scaling customer success teams — and he breaks down why SaaS onboarding best practices are the real foundation of membership retention, how to reduce churn before renewal season, and what it actually takes to improve customer lifetime value without hiring more CSMs.Whether you're in startup advice mode or scaling a $50M SaaS business, this episode is packed with actionable sales strategy and customer experience insights you can apply immediately.Watch till the end to find out how entrepreneurship and client retention go hand in hand.

According to research by G2, organizations with a sales enablement strategy achieve, on average, a 49% higher win rate on forecasted deals. But to see these kinds of returns, you first need to get sellers, leaders, and the business itself bought into the value of enablement. So, how do you build confidence in the function's value across stakeholders at every level of the business? Riley Rogers: Hi, and welcome to the Win/Win Podcast. I’m your host, Riley Rogers. Join us as we dive into changing trends in the workplace and how to navigate them successfully. Here to discuss this topic are Mateo Perretta, senior director of revenue enablement, and Bety Garcia, sales enablement program manager at Loopio. Thank you both so much for joining us. I’m really excited to have you here and to learn a little bit from your expertise. Before we kick off, would you mind telling us a little bit about yourself, your background, and your role? Betty, maybe can we start with you? Bety Garcia: Yeah, no, thank you for having us. I’m a sales enablement program manager here at Loopio. I’ve been in enablement for a little bit under a decade at this point.  I’ve always been part of pretty small teams, so I’ve had to be pretty creative when it comes to, you know, how do we get a whole bunch of different initiatives done across the board. RR: The story of scrappy teams and figuring it out is one that a lot of folks in enablement know well, so I’m sure there will be a lot of similarities in what you have to share. Matteo, would you mind telling us a little bit about your journey? Matteo Perretta: Yeah, absolutely. And thanks for having us today. You know, it’s interesting. I tell a story about, I  started my career in telemarketing. I was in sales support did sales myself. I became a sales leader. And then I stumbled into this thing called sales effectiveness, sales excellence, sales enablement. It’s changed over the years, but probably in 2010 when I stumbled across it. And what I’d like to say is I’ve moved from the game of quantity to quality. RR: From your perspective, having now stumbled into sales effectiveness, now sales enablement and led it at several different companies, how would you define what great enablement looks like, especially for growing GTM organizations like Loopio? MP: I’ve walked into sales organizations and the first feedback I get is, we’ve done way too much enablement. We really haven’t had any time to digest it. And that’s usually a symptom of teams being reactive. What I mean by that is sales leaders and salespeople will come to you and tell you they need all this enablement and you just keep filling that funnel and you almost become a catch-all for everyone versus being proactive and really looking at, you know, data and insights to kind of figure out what do we need to do and how does that actually align to the KPIs or the results and what the organization’s ultimately trying to do? And so for me, it’s really understanding: “What do we have, what are our assets, and how do we align them to our goals?” When you do that, you become a partner and you show them with insight what’s important versus just, you know, being this order taker and doing a lot of enablement that just isn’t resonating. RR: The other piece of the puzzle is giving enablement the agency to kind of direct course and build a strategy with sellers in mind, but also not built for every single thing that every single seller needs, because that is an endless hamster wheel that you will never escape. So I love that call out and I’m curious to hear how technology fits into that when it comes to building a great enablement strategy. Betty, you’ve been with Loopio through a couple of enablement tool changes, including when Loopio made the decision to step away from a previous tool and kind of run without one for six months. Can you walk us through what wasn’t working then and why for a little while maybe no tool was better than the wrong tool? BG: It wasn’t so much that we had issues with the tool itself, but more so what it had become at the time. Right? So like we have a ton of unorganized, outdated content in there. And the problem with something like this at the time is that users don’t tend to be loud about those issues. They tend to just find workarounds. On one hand, you might have, you know, top performers starting to create all of their own content that maybe they share with a few individuals and those individuals might share with others. On the other, you have the opposite of that, where you have a whole bunch of outdated content out there that’s just circulating. And so what this creates is a few different challenges for the team that doesn’t necessarily go noticed right away, which is that the messaging becomes completely random depending on, you know, who knows what, their experience level. That then translates to performance. So, now it’s not just an issue of, you know, do we have a good source of content for everybody to draw from? It’s, you know, how do we get everybody back to performing at the same level with the same level of knowledge and the same level of information? So that was sort of like, you know, stepping back. That was the real challenge that we were looking to solve. And part of what, having that time in between not having a tool and then looking for a new solution to bring into Loopio was having the time to plan for that, right? If we’re gonna do this, how are we gonna do it? There was a lot of planning involved in that and really trying to make that decision and, and started to tie it to the real business challenges that we had there, which was how do we get everybody working at the same level once again? RR: Yeah. And I’m really excited to dig into how you rebuilt that trust, because that’s not easy. So, we’ll touch on that in a minute. I want to start with the decision over that six-month period to strategize how we’re gonna rebuild and then who we’re gonna rebuild with, and eventually that decision led you here to Highspot. Bety, you mentioned that you’d launched Highspot at a previous company. What made you confident over this time as your planning, planning, planning, that this would be the right tool and you’d be able to build that trust in that confidence with your users with it? BG: I think it, I mean, I had a huge advantage, right? Because I had done it a few times, and I mean, had a great positive experience working with the team at Highspot, but also I knew that it was a really great tool, right? It sort of sells itself when it’s launched correctly, right? So instead of evaluating the tool itself, from that standpoint, it was like, great.How do we get strategic about doing a launch that’s gonna be really impactful. And that looked like doing cross-functional partnerships. So working with marketing and product, it wasn’t just an enablement initiative anymore. We really did spend a lot of time doing a ton of content review across the board and reevaluating what it was that we wanted to arm the team with. And then in fact, actually starting to anchor some of our own enablement initiatives into the launch of the tool itself. So when we did launch Highspot at, we actually also relaunched our onboarding program and we launched a whole new product to enablement program. Now, we were touching on the needs of marketing, the needs of product, the needs of our sales organization when it came to even just onboarding and starting to ramp up ours. And we could really start to show that impact very quickly across many different areas. RR: So from that moment, you’ve reached a pretty stable place with the platform and have built out a really robust environment that, just looking at the data, is well utilized by your teams. Matteo, from a leadership perspective, as someone who came in a little bit post-launch: When you joined Loopio and started looking at what you wanted the strategy to look like and the enablement approach to look like, how did Highspot start fitting into your vision as you were thinking about high priority initiatives, things like onboarding, things like, you know, Loopio's, monthly product launch cadence? MP: Yeah. I mean, I think it’s interesting when people say enablement or to define enablement, it’s what’s the modality? And I think a lot of times. People see enablement with a classroom and an instructor up all the time. And one of the things, you know, I kept saying was, you know, it can’t be Bety and me in a classroom every time doing this. And so really Highspot allows us to give them different modalities and look at ways of giving people what they need when they need it. And so I think that was part of the strategy. The other thing was, you know, I’ve spent some time with a Highspot team, like, how are we gonna measure this? How are we gonna prove ROI to our leaders so that we can get them to buy in? I know in speaking to other sales enablement leaders, one of the biggest challenges is actually getting people to complete the courses, and so we’ve gotta make it easy for them. So with Highspot, we can quickly pull reports, help people understand who’s completing, who’s not, but then take it one level deeper. Some of the work that Bety’s done, we’re actually able to look at who are our top performers and how much time they are spending in Highspot versus those that aren’t top performers. There’s a correlation there. To me, that’s the most valuable thing, being able to go back to our leaders and saying: “This is working, this isn’t working. Here’s why we need to change and, and here’s the insight behind it.” RR: You mentioned something interesting there, which is the ability to, at a very granular individual level, see what users are doing, how they’re behaving, what they’re completing or what they’re not completing, and then kind of act on that. And that comes back to what I wanted to touch on, Bety, is driving that end-user adoption. So, how have you gotten reps to see Highspot as a value-add in their day to day, and maybe a little bit more depth on what Matteo touched on in terms of the impact you’ve seen on those high adopters, those high users.? BG: I think it becomes, uh, sort of self-explanatory when you can show what top performers are doing to the rest of the team. Because the minute that you can point to, you know, these people are doing all of these things as well, people get curious. And so it doesn’t have to be enablement asking them to do it. And you also have leaders asking them to do it. A really good example, early on what we did is we ran a Digital Room challenge. So yes, we had a few initiatives that were tied to the launch of Highspot, but I also knew from experience that the more they used Highspot, the more likely we would be able to get that adoption, which then gives us the analytics and gives us the feedback loop that we need to be able to get even better and make an even better experience for them. So we created this competition and had them start using Digital Rooms where, you know, now there was all of this buzz just in terms of like the engagement analytics that they were getting. Top performers shared what they were doing, reps were getting curious about, you know, what was being shared, what was resonating with prospects. And we didn’t have to do any of that. That was a pretty low effort initiative from our end. That was, I would say, more so on the side of how do we, again, build that credibility and get everybody changing the behavior of coming to Highspot all of the time for everything that they need with the understanding that they’re getting the right content at the right time. When we move into sort of ongoing enablement, now that we’ve established that. How do we then also make the same sort of correlations between the top performers who are completing all of the courses or reviewing all of the content that we’re launching in Highspot? People get excited about being able to do something a little bit better, and then that knowledge sharing starts to happen just organically across the board where people will start asking each other: “How do you do this?Can you share this with me? Where did you find this?” RR: I really like the approach where instead of, you know, it being a conventional top-down mandate that maybe doesn’t land with reps as well or feels like a forced addition to their workflow, it was instead more of like a grassroots initiative led through seller competition, which is gonna be there naturally. One piece that you did say is, you know, getting leaders to help you in that mission of getting reps to do the right things. Matteo, can you talk to us about what it’s like to get your leaders bought in? MP: Yeah, I mean, I think it’s interesting. I had a sales leader who once said to me: “Am I flying a plane or am I running a sales team?” And he was making reference to the fact that he had so many dashboards and he didn’t know what to start with. Highspot gives us the ability to pull reports and, and, and track success very quickly so that I can send it to a leader to be able to say, I need you to take action on this. They know exactly what they do, and they know exactly how to act on it. When they’ve got a team of ten and we’re showing that four people are spending more time in Highspot than everyone else, and those four people happen to be performing better than everyone else, you get the leader’s attention and now they know they have to action it because it affects their bottom line and it affects their team performance. Leaders are busy. Tools are supposed to make their lives easier, but if they’re inundated with it and they don’t know what to do with it, that’s where we as enablers need to empower them, give them the resources, give them the insights to be successful. And with the analytics and reporting that we can pull out of Highspot, the tool sells itself and, and they action it because they realize the value. RR: To the point of data. I think a lot of times when you talk about leadership engagement and earning sales, leadership buy-in, it’s really a conversation of like: “Can I convince them of the value?” And more often than not, what is going to convince them is hand them a number and say you can look at it and see that this is what you need to go run and do. So I love that. It’s really just I have a dashboard that tells you how to win. Are you gonna work with me on this or not? When did you feel that shift kind of happening and that accountability shifting from enablement-only to some of the onus going on to sales leaders? MP: One, we track monthly product enablement completion rates. When we made it important to them, they made it important to their AEs and CSMs. All of a sudden you see the completion rates going up. Not only that, we also track, you know, are they mentioning that product enablement from the previous month in their calls? We can start to track their calls and find out, hey, they actually are taking the information. And so for us, it’s not just a completion rate because, let’s face it, people can create a lot of click-through training and they’re just completing it to complete it. We’re actually going one step further or measuring that success or the validity of it, or whether or not they’re using it in their talk tracks. Again, all those numbers go back to the sales leaders, which makes it important to them, which means it’s important to the sales reps because the sales leaders are looking at it, and all of a sudden you’ve got better completions, better progress, and success in winning more because they’re using the assets and the training that you’ve shared with them on Highspot. RR: How are you kind of drawing that conclusion? What are you looking at when you are correlating that top users of Highspot are also our top performers? BG: I mean the, the most straightforward answer to that is that you look at, you know, our Salesforce data to take a look at win things like win rates, deal velocity, ARR, and then look at utilization metrics within Highspot. Beyond that, when you’re thinking about enablement as a whole, it’s almost like there’s a few different stages when I’m thinking about a program in terms of measurement, because the biggest shift that I think we’ve done from an enablement success metric standpoint is really thinking about outcomes, which is what Matteo was sort of alluding to, right? Like enablement always gets stuck in the measurement of completion rates and attendance rates, and that’s a really hard thing to then translate into impact to the business. And so when we’re thinking about outcomes, we’re leveraging a few different tools across the board to build that story. So how do we first deliver the learning? Then, how do we measure how they adopted the learning? And then do we have a way to measure that the behavior has actually become consistent? And so, looking at milestones, if you think about them from that perspective, to be able to measure how we’re doing every single step of the way. Yes, we can, you know, share that the team maybe hasn’t completed something for whatever reason. But when we start to show the outcome of these things, right, like these are the behaviors that are driving the right kinds of numbers that we wanna be able to see in terms of win rates, then it’s not really an issue. Right? It’s sort of like a self-serving argument at this point because it’s such an easy thing to sell to them. RR: It does often happen that I chat with enablement teams and measurement and real outcome and impact mapping is very much kind of a North Star still, and it seems like you guys have comfortably landed in a place where you can consistently point to: “Here is the initiative we’re running, the programs we’re driving, and here is exactly over the course of, you know, today, a month from now and then quarter over quarter, what that impact has had on our reps.” So I would be curious to hear from each of you in terms of the impact you’ve seen over the last, you know, year and change of running with Highspot, executing initiatives through the platform. What have you seen that do to your business outcomes? MP: There’s a lot of ways to measure that business outcome for us. And you know, I’ve heard other enablement teams struggle with how do they actually measure it? For us, every quarter we’re looking at what are our targets, what are we doing, what are the KPIs behind the targets, and how do we align to that? And so we closely manage and monitor our impact and what we’re doing to, what those KPIs are and what the business metrics are. And so when a request comes in, we actually look at it and say: “Hey, what’s the impact?” And if it doesn’t fit within that, rather than put it through Highspot and, and get people to do it, we kind of deprioritize that. I would say that’s probably one of the biggest impacts. The other one is one that I said earlier, which is that we have struggled with product enablement in the past and getting completion rates as most companies do. But I think now with this tool and the insights that we’re able to prove, and the validity and the ROI behind it, we’re seeing better completion rates. And those completion rates, again, are correlating in performance. And that’s really the piece that we continue to drive. RR: Bety from, from your end of things, anything you’d like to add to that in terms of. The impact or outcomes you’re seeing? BG: I mean, one I would say that I could point to is our onboarding program. I think that’s usually the easiest one to measure. The fact that, you know, we were able to launch a really structured, self-led onboarding program within Highspot meant that, you know, even though we have a really small team, I did have time to then focus on business as usual enablement, skills enablement. But you know, being able to rely on that also meant that our ramp became a lot easier to predict. And so even thinking back to, you know, a year ago or so before we had our onboarding program launched, we probably cut the time to get reps to the field by about 25%. Right? And so that’s huge. I, as an enabler, who’s doing all of these different things to be able to rely on things like that when we have a growing team if we’re gonna be successful at anything else that we’re doing. Otherwise you’re, you’re spread too thin and you’re not able to accomplish anything. It’s really great to be able to show from an organizational standpoint that what we are putting out from an enablement side is impacting other initiatives across departments. Right? So the biggest questions we sometimes get is like: “Great, we did all this training, but is the team actually selling that? Or we have new messaging, like how do we ensure that everybody is actually working on that? When you’ve been able to tie some of those behaviors to, well, we started here, right?” We were not just focused on whether or not they were looking at the content. We were actually focused on whether or not they actually learned something from it. That it's part of their overall deal management. RR: So it sounds like kind of the broad, overarching theme there is that you’ve been able to drive consistency. You have folks ramping at a standard time, you can reliably say, our program is working and it’s working faster on ongoing training. People are completing the work that they need to, to be ready for all of these product launches, and then all of that work is translating into better returns in the field down the line. So it’s kind of just a full end-to-end process that gets a rep ready to go and delivering better. Looking back at all of this work, Matteo, I would love to hear from you. What, if any, other signals are you looking at that tell you that this is, this is the right approach that you and the team have developed something that really sustainably works? MP: I think sometimes if you’re not getting people training or not getting people completed, it’s because it’s too hard. They couldn’t find it, they couldn’t locate it. You know, I wish we had everything in one central, you know, repository. With Highspot, we have that, and ultimately the experience for the AEs and the AMS and CSMs to complete training is much better because of a tool like Highspot. Ultimately, that’s the, I think, the best measurement, and that’s why we know it’s working well. RR: To go way back to the very beginning about what you were saying, Bety, with the earlier solution that maybe just had kind of broken down and folks were quietly unhappy, not saying anything to go to a point now where you have people coming to you and telling you: “This works. I like it. Please keep going.” I think you’re right to say that that is the best signal and that tells you that everything that you’re doing is delivering exactly what you would hope it would. So fantastic to hear, especially knowing that you both are running this from a relatively small team. So I’d love it if you could close us out with some advice for other folks, maybe working on small teams. What advice would you give them when it comes to developing a scaled program that they can run consistently and reliably? BG: I think I kind of said this at the very beginning, like, you do need to get creative. Anytime that you can do more with less, I guess is the best way to put it, you’re going to get so much more return for your effort. And what I mean by that is, you know, I mentioned, you know, having onboarding, product enablement, everything tied in into the launch of Highspot. That was very intentional. If I’m doing something to make a launch a success, but it’s also benefiting other initiatives that I’m also responsible for, then I’m multiplying the effort that I’m putting into that work. And the other piece is you, and you kind of touched on this, the positive feedback from the team is super important with any sort of implementation for a new tool. Your biggest, biggest challenge is first credibility, and the second is adoption. I would say like, celebrate your wins often and, and like in as many ways as you can. So, you know, the Digital Room, while that was, you know, just a fun challenge to put out there to the team, what it actually did is it created a ton of buzz, right? And so people were essentially showing the rest of the business, like leaders and others around them, that this was a tool worth looking at and worth implementing into their day to day. If you can get creative there, in terms of not just showing the numbers. But actually having people talk about how great something is, that’s huge. And so really always celebrate the wins in every single way that you can. RR: That’s such great advice because it recognizes the people who are doing what you want them to and gives them a little bit of a thank you for it. And then it also, to your point earlier, drives that competition for everybody who’s trying to achieve those exact same outcomes. Matteo, any advice from your time here now at Loopio that you, you’d like to share? MP: Yeah, I mean, I think with smaller teams, there’s two things that come to mind. One, if you can’t measure it, ask yourselves and your leaders, why are we doing it. The second one is you have to enable your managers and your leaders to be enablers. That’s the way you can scale, and we spent a lot of time, Bety and I, meeting with the managers, collaborating with them, coming up with agendas, coming up with ideas, but then also delivering workshops together in tandem. And so if you’re gonna have any tool or anything that you’re trying to drive, you’ve gotta get their buy-in, but then also help them be enablers and, and when you do that, you can scale. RR: Yeah, maybe your team isn’t huge, but if you have champions across the organization advocating for you, well, all of a sudden you’ve doubled your capacity somehow. Bety, Mateo, thank you so much for joining us today. MP: Thank you for having us. RR: To our audience, thank you for listening to this episode of the Win/Win Podcast. Be sure to tune in next time for more insights on how you can maximize go-to-market success with Highspot.

In this episode of the Exceptional Sales Leader Podcast, I am joined by Carl Lenocker, a leading figure in the world of customer success management, to unravel the insights of being among the top 1% of CSMs globally. Carl, known as the Chief Unicorn at Rockstar Unicorn Consulting, brings a wealth of knowledge from his longstanding career in tech companies like Hewlett Packard, Splunk, and Cisco. Listeners are introduced to Carl's innovative approach to customer relationships and learn how his strategies contributed to his success. The conversation delves into Carl’s origins in customer support, his philosophy on maintaining transparent relationships, and how he strategically cultivated his career to manage multi-million dollar accounts. As the discussion unfolds, insights on the essential role of relationships in business success, particularly within the sales and customer success industries, are explored. Carl shares his journey from humble beginnings and outlines how he built a network that propelled him to the forefront of his field. We delve into the changing landscape of customer success, especially in an era where AI and automation are becoming increasingly prevalent. Carl emphasises the importance of genuine connections and strategic foresight in driving long-term customer success, underscoring his belief in a service-led approach to both pre-and post-sales experiences. Carl’s reflections on sales strategies and outcomes exemplify how successful executives must harness the art of relationship building and problem-solving as essential tools in their arsenal. To connect with Carl and to learn more about what he does, including grabbing a copy of his book “Success Plan for Life”, go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lenocker/ Book – http://successplanforlife.com

Heading to Vegas this May? Join Josh at Pulse 2026 and come say hi—your oversized fluorescent daiquiri is on him. No catch.Grab your ticket at gainsightpulse.com and use code UNCHURNED for a special rate.Knowledge used to be the CSM's edge. Not anymore.Diane Wu, Global Head of Customer Success & Experience at Google Cloud Security, operates where every touchpoint is mission-critical — and standing still is falling behind. In this episode, she sits down with Brady Bluhm & Josh Schachter of Gainsight to unpack what the CSM role actually becomes when AI handles the knowledge layer. The answer: context, curation, and hyper-personalization at scale.Diane shares how her team is using NotebookLM and Gemini to compress hours of customer research into minutes, why her best CSMs were the hardest to get onto new AI tools (and why that makes complete sense), and what two-phase AI adoption really looks like on the ground. Brady brings a builder's lens — talking about juggling AI agents, closing 2-year-old CTAs with one prompt, and why the traditional product UI might not survive the next two years.If you lead a post-sales team or work in customer success, this conversation will reframe how you think about productivity, coverage models, and the human role in an AI-first world.---Timestamps0:00 - Preview & introduction1:40 - Meet Brady Bluhm (Gainsight) & Diane Wu (Google)3:00 - Diane's role: Google Cloud Security & the post-sales mission5:25 - The shift from access to curation8:28 - Brady: how AI is changing CSM onboarding and memory10:55 - Are you saving time or just doing more? 12:34 - How AI changes coverage models and the 1:many CSM ratio18:00 - Diane's tactical playbook for running parallel customer analyses 22:05 - Brady's "can I do this with AI?" framework and skill-building loop24:00 - How much time should you spend tuning your AI setup?26:31 - Why your top CSMs are the hardest to get on new AI tools31:21 - LLMs will become the new workspace32:59 - Two-phase LLM adoption and why the UI is going away34:15 - Closing 2-year-old CTAs with one prompt37:47 - Hyper-personalization at scale for Google Cloud---What You'll Learn- Why knowledge is no longer the CSM's differentiator — and what replaces it- How Diane's team at Google Cloud Security uses NotebookLM as a living customer notebook- Why your best CSMs resist AI adoption the most- How AI is reshaping CSM coverage models and the 1:many ratio- Brady's two-question AI habit that keeps him ahead every week- What the Gainsight MCP unlocked — and what it means for the future of CS tooling- Why the traditional application UI may disappear — and what replaces it- How to create "wow moments" that actually drive AI adoption across your team---Want the playbook, not just the conversation? Subscribe for deep-dive, actionable breakdowns from every episode at unchurned.substack.com.---Where to Find the GuestsDiane Wu's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diane-wu/Brady Bluhm's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradybluhm/---Where to Find Josh:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/Unchurned Substack: https://unchurned.substack.com/

Heading to Vegas this May? Join Josh at Pulse 2026 and come say hi—your oversized fluorescent daiquiri is on him. No catch.Grab your ticket at gainsightpulse.com and use code UNCHURNED for a special rate.What does the future of CS actually look like? Ghazi Masood, CRO of Replit, has some strong opinions and the growth numbers to back them up.In one year, Replit went from $2M to $150M in revenue. Now they're targeting $1B. And while most companies are still debating AI strategy, Ghazi is already rebuilding his entire GTM org around it — scaling from 40 to 230 people, scrapping the traditional CSM model, and betting that the next billion software creators won't write a single line of code.In this episode, Ghazi breaks down how he's building post-sales for the AI era, why he replaced CSMs with "product advocates," and what it looks like when your entire team builds their own tools — including their own version of Clari and a customer health dashboard, both built on Replit itself.He also shares his take on the future of SaaS, how enterprises are quietly wrapping AI layers on top of Salesforce and Workday, and why Cursor, Claude, and OpenAI aren't keeping him up at night.If you're in Customer Success, Revenue, or CS Ops, this episode will challenge how you think about your role.---Timestamps0:00 - Preview & Introduction1:25 - Meet Ghazi Masood & Overview of Replit4:40 - Building the GTM infrastructure7:30 - How anyone at Replit can build internal tools9:00 - Managing chaos when everyone becomes a creator12:40 - Enterprise security & governance guardrails15:47 - Are Cursor, Claude & OpenAI real competitors?18:10 - Usage-based pricing explained19:17 - Post-sales strategy for non-technical users23:53 - Hiring 200 people in 12 months24:40 - The future of SaaS26:56 - SMBs replacing Workday and Tableau with Replit30:40 - Lessons from Auth0 and Retool32:32 - What Ghazi looks for when hiring---What You'll Learn- What enterprise customers are quietly building on top of their existing SaaS tools — and what it means for vendors- How SMBs are replacing Workday, Tableau, and traditional CRMs entirely by building on Replit- How to handle churn when 90% of your users have zero technical background- The governance and security guardrails that got Replit into financial services and government accounts- How to structure a GTM catalog library so your team stops duplicating each other's work- Ghazi's take on whether SaaS is dying — and why the answer is completely different depending on company size- Why product passion matters more to Ghazi than years of sales experience when hiring- How Replit thinks about competitive threats from Cursor, Claude Code and OpenAI — and why they're not losing sleep over any of them---Want the playbook, not just the conversation? Subscribe for deep-dive, actionable breakdowns from every episode at unchurned.substack.com.---Where to Find Ghazi MasoodLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ghazi-masood-09195a2/---Where to Find Josh:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/Unchurned Substack: https://unchurned.substack.com/

Check out our team workshops: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/team-event⁠In this episode, Anika Zubair breaks down how Customer Success professionals should handle discount requests during renewals without panicking or immediately conceding. She explains why discount conversations are rarely about price and usually signal unclear value. Anika shares common mistakes CSMs make, including negotiating against themselves and failing to diagnose the root cause. She outlines a practical framework to shift the conversation from price to ROI, protect value, and lead renewal negotiations like a revenue owner.Chapters:00:00 Introduction02:22 Why Customers Ask for Discounts in Today's Market07:00 The Biggest Mistake CSMs Make with Discounts12:00 Stop Negotiating Against Yourself14:03 Diagnose the Real Reason Behind Discounts16:23 Step 118:09 Step 219:40 Step 323:09 Weekly ChallengeConnect with Anika Zubair:Website: ⁠https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/⁠LinkedIn:  ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikazubair/⁠RevUP Academy: ⁠https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/revup⁠Grab our FREE resources here: ⁠https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/resources⁠Want to be our next podcast guest? Apply here: ⁠https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/podcast-guest⁠Book Anika as a speaker at your next team event: ⁠https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/team-event

Host: Cindy Allen Show: Simply Trade – Cindy's Version Published: March 27, 2026 Length: ~13 minutes Presented by: Global Training Center Evermore: Section 122, Steel/Aluminum Valuation, DHS Funding, and the Never‑Ending IEEPA Refund Saga Cindy Allen returns with another Taylor Swift–themed trade update, this time using “Evermore” to capture how the trade community feels about the seemingly endless cycle of new tariffs, court decisions, and refund processes. She covers leadership changes at DHS, shifting timelines for key CBP events, fresh confusion around steel and aluminum valuation, Section 122 and 301/232 moves aimed at replacing IEEPA revenue, and why she thinks the trade world needs to hit “pause” on IEEPA expectations until CBP's CAPE process is truly defined. What You'll Learn in This Episode DHS & CBP updates New DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, a Trump‑aligned former U.S. Representative from Oklahoma, is sworn in; early signals focus on immigration, with little yet on customs. CBP's Trade and Cargo Summit in Dallas is postponed from next month to September due to funding issues; existing registrations will be transferred, with updated instructions to come via CSMS/announcements. USMCA and steel/aluminum valuation USMCA: U.S. and Mexico are in talks to extend/renew the agreement using three‑year review periods with annual extensions—essentially letting it “limp along” another 4–10 years, but at least keeping parties at the table. Steel/aluminum/copper components: CBP has issued new but confusing and partly contradictory guidance on valuation; with court challenges pending and no comprehensive methodology, Cindy urges importers to consult counsel and test whether their approach is defensible under reasonable care standards. Section 122, 301, and 232 moves The White House again signals raising Section 122 tariffs from 10% to 15%, but provides no timing; the statutory 150‑day clock keeps running, raising questions about whether they'll increase within that window or let it lapse and start a new 122 action. Legal uncertainty: Can the administration lawfully let one 122 action expire and immediately launch another at 15%? With no case law on this rarely used tool, Cindy expects eventual court challenges. New or adjusted Section 301 and potential 232 cases are clearly framed as ways to replace lost IEEPA revenue after the Supreme Court ruling; the administration also hints that announced rates may change after investigations and hearings. Forced labor and 301 justification questions One proposed 301 angle targets countries that “don't fully enforce forced labor protections,” but Cindy questions how foreign import enforcement links to unfair trade practices harming U.S. commerce, given the U.S. already has its own forced labor import rules. She flags this as another area ripe for challenge if 301 gets stretched to cover other countries' internal enforcement of their own import regimes. DHS budget standoff and FMC decision As of 1 p.m. CT on March 27: No DHS funding bill fully passed; the Senate approved a measure apparently including DHS funding but maybe not CBP/ICE, and then recessed until mid‑April. The House and the President's final positions remain uncertain. Strait of Hormuz: Limited, negotiated safe‑passage traffic continues for some countries, but full reopening hasn't happened; oil over $100/barrel is impacting carriers and downstream users. FMC: Denies some carriers' requests for immediate rate hikes tied to Hormuz‑related fuel costs, holding them to the 30‑day notice requirement since the filings didn't meet the criteria for accelerated increases. Evermore & IEEPA Refunds: Why Cindy Says “Pause” Using “Evermore,” Cindy captures the community's sense that the “pain” of constant change might last forever—but the song's ending points to eventual relief. She applies that to IEEPA refunds and the developing CAPE process: What we know (high level) CBP is building a CAPE‑based, automated, bulk refund system. Refunds will go to the importer of record or the broker, and complexity may factor into prioritization, as suggested in CBP Executive Director Brandon Lord's declaration. What we don't know (the bigger list) When refunds actually start flowing. What data declarations must include (entry number only, entry + IOR, more?). How liquidation status will drive treatment: Not liquidated. Liquidated but within 90 days (CBP's reliquidation window). Between 90 and 180 days (inside protest window). Beyond 180 days (finally liquidated). Whether courts will effectively override the 180‑day finality to enable refunds on finally liquidated entries, and what administrative mechanism would exist to do so. How CBP will handle prioritization, multiple brokers on the same importer's entries, and any limits on bulk submissions. Whether CBP will accelerate or use the normal ~314‑day liquidation cycle for unliquidated entries tied to IEEPA. Given the sheer volume of open questions and the flood of webinars, articles, and press coverage, Cindy's message to importers and brokers is to take a breath, recognize what is actually known, avoid over‑promising internally, and wait for clearer CAPE details rather than reacting to every rumor. Like the end of “Evermore,” she believes this phase of pain will not be forever. Credits Host: Cindy Allen Producer: Annik Sobing  Subscribe & Follow • YouTube • Spotify • Apple Podcasts Join the conversation with fellow trade professionals in the Trade Geeks Community: https://globaltrainingcenter.com/portal/?utm_source=SimplyTradePodcast

Heading to Vegas this May?Join Josh at Pulse 2026 and come say hi—your oversized fluorescent daiquiri is on him. No catch.Grab your ticket at gainsightpulse.com and use code UNCHURNED for a special rate.CS is going through an identity crisis. Is it product? Is it relationships? Is it revenue?According to Cassie Vaughn (RVP of CS at monday.com)… it's now all three, and AI is forcing it to be so. In this episode of Unchurned, Cassie breaks down what's actually changing inside modern CS orgs after scaling from CSM to leading a 100+ person team—and why most companies are still getting it wrong.You'll hear why “value” is still more storytelling than science, why health scores can't be trusted, and why the future CSM won't just manage customers… they'll manage agents.But here's the twist: as AI automates more of the work, the human side of Customer Success is becoming even more critical. Monday.com is literally doubling down on time spent with customers—while everyone else is trying to scale it away.Cassie also shares the bold bet they made: turning CSMs into revenue owners with variable comp—and why, in a consumption world, CS might actually be more commercial than sales.---Timestamps0:00 - Preview & Introduction1:10 - Cassie's journey from being a CSM to RVP4:15 - What's changed in CS over the last 6 years6:13 - Why measuring customer value is still broken9:35 - Why monday.com doubled time with customers12:37 - The rise of the “agent manager” CSM14:07 - Scaling CS with AI vs human touch16:47 - Why CSMs are more commercial than sales18:10 - Challenges of shifting to revenue ownership19:30 - Why CSMs should think commercially & not trust health scores21:50 - Stop being a generalist: career advice23:26 - AI fluency as the #1 priority for 202625:25 - Lightning round: F1, food, and fun---What You'll Learn* Why has no one cracked customer value measurement* How to build value narratives that actually land with executives* What AI should automate—and what should stay human* Why the future CSM is an “agent manager”* How monday.com is doubling customer time in an AI era* Why CSMs should be more commercial than sales* How to introduce variable comp for Customer Success* Why health scores are not enough (and what to do instead)---Want the playbook, not just the conversation? Subscribe for deep-dive, actionable breakdowns from every episode at unchurned.substack.com.---Where to Find Cassie VaughnLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassiebrown/---Where to Find Josh:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/Unchurned Substack: https://unchurned.substack.com/

Check out our team workshops: ⁠⁠https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/team-event⁠In this episode, Anika Zubair interviews Jim Richmond, Chief Customer Officer at Smartling, about how modern Customer Success teams must evolve to stay relevant. Jim shares how his team redesigned QBRs to focus on customer outcomes instead of product metrics, why role specialization helps CS teams scale, and how AI tools are increasing productivity. The conversation explores storytelling, discovery, renewals, and the skills CSMs need to drive retention, expansion, and measurable business value for customers.Chapters:00:00 Introduction03:22 Jim Richmond11:50 The Role of a Chief Customer Officer14:43 Rethinking QBRs Around Customer Value24:04 Moving from Service Delivery to Outcomes30:55 Specializing Customer Success Roles35:33 What CSMs Should Focus on Today46:03 Renewals, Expansion, and Commercial Skills52:32 Lessons for Building a Value Led CS OrgConnect with Anika Zubair:Website: ⁠https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/⁠LinkedIn:  ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikazubair/⁠RevUP Academy: ⁠https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/revup⁠Jim Richmond Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimrichmondatl/Grab our FREE resources here: ⁠https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/resources⁠Want to be our next podcast guest? Apply here: ⁠https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/podcast-guest⁠Book Anika as a speaker at your next team event: ⁠https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/team-event

In this episode of Sales Is King, host Dan Sixsmith sits down in the New York City studio with Rachel “Rae” Roberts, President of Americas Sales at Check Point Software, a leading cybersecurity company. Rachel shares why she joined Check Point to help lead enterprise AI security, how the company has radically restructured its go‑to‑market model, and what today's best sales organizations are doing to win and retain customers in a risk‑filled, AI‑driven world.​Rae explains why AI has fundamentally changed cybersecurity economics, with attackers already monetizing AI to accelerate phishing and compromise corporate networks in under an hour. You'll also hear a deep dive on the evolving role of customer success, the rise of revenue‑oriented CCOs, how buyer groups have exploded from 4 to as many as 17 stakeholders, and what it now takes to earn and keep C‑level attention. Rachel closes by sharing her personal journey from marketing and business development into enterprise sales leadership, the traits she looks for in top sellers, and her definition of success as she drives double‑digit growth at Check Point.​Why AI is different from prior tech waves—and why “the bad guys” are already winning with it in cybersecurity​How AI‑generated phishing has exploded: higher click rates, more credentials surrendered, and attackers moving from nine weeks to under an hour to do damage once inside a network​The major go‑to‑market restructuring at Check Point: hunters, ranchers, specialists, renewals, and a scaled‑up customer success organization​Why net revenue retention, adoption, and engagement are becoming core metrics for customer success—and the debate over CSMs carrying quota​Platform vs. best‑of‑breed: why integrations have become the number one buying criterion in B2B SaaS​The explosion of buying committees: from an average of 4 to 11 stakeholders, and up to 17 people who can say “no” in an enterprise deal​How top sellers orchestrate the ecosystem, multithread, and earn C‑suite meetings and trust​Rachel's career journey from Bay Area tech, marketing, and biz dev into enterprise sales and cybersecurity leadership​“What's different about AI and cybersecurity is that the bad guys have already figured out how to monetize it.”​“If you're not investing ahead of this AI wave, it's not just about missing generational returns—it's going to cost you dearly.”​“Curiosity, grit, and operational discipline matter as much as domain expertise. You can learn an industry, but you can't teach hunger.”​00:00 – Why AI has changed the cybersecurity game and the speed of attacks​01:00 – Introducing Rachel Roberts and Check Point Software​03:40 – Why Rachel joined Check Point and the AI security opportunity​04:20 – Re‑architecting go‑to‑market: hunters, ranchers, specialists, and customer success​08:00 – The evolving role and metrics of customer success​11:00 – How buyer conversations are changing: platforms vs. open garden​13:30 – Integrations as the top buying criterion in B2B SaaS​15:00 – Where Check Point is number one and how that shapes deal strategy​16:10 – Executive relationships, monolithic competitors, and winning at the top​18:00 – Larger buying committees and the rise of the “snipers” who can say no​20:00 – Wall Street's AI fears and which software categories are most exposed​22:30 – AI, phishing, and the new risk profile inside the enterprise​26:30 – Giving sellers AI tools without leaking your crown jewels​28:10 – AI enablement, prompting as a skill, and adoption of tools like Copilot​29:10 – The ideal sales hiring profile today​32:00 – Rachel's early career story and pivot into enterprise sales​35:20 – The “golden narrative thread” for changing industries and roles​36:30 – Why curiosity and problem‑solving power great sellers​39:45 – Mentors, presence, and operational discipline in leadership​41:30 – Leading global teams and communicating the “why”​

What if the thing standing between you and your next promotion as a CSM isn't working harder but learning how to spot expansion opportunities without ever feeling like a salesperson?In this episode, I'm breaking down two ridiculously simple approaches to expansion that you can start using immediately, even on your very next customer call. We'll walk through the quick “inside-out” method to uncover low-hanging opportunities in your existing accounts, plus the more strategic “outside-in” approach that helps you think like a trusted advisor and connect your customer's business goals to real revenue opportunities.By the end of this episode, you'll start seeing expansion differently… not as selling, but as understanding your customer's business and connecting the dots in a way that naturally creates growth. If you've ever felt uncomfortable with upselling or worried it's not “your job” as a CSM, this might completely change how you think about your role and your earning potential. Hit play and let's talk about the playbook most CSMs were never taught.02:09 – Why Getting Comfortable With Selling is Key for CSM Career Growth04:01 – The Fastest “Inside-Out” Way to Find Expansion Opportunities07:59 – Three Natural Questions to Uncover Expansion on Customer Calls12:47 – The Strategic Power of the “Outside-In” Approach (and Goal Trees)22:03 – How Treating Expansion as Problem-Solving (Not Selling) Gets You PromotedFREEBIES & RESOURCES:

Ready to churn less and win more?

Ready to churn less and win more?

In this episode, we tackle the ago-old question in digital customer success: how do you gracefully transition customers from ahigh-touch, one-on-one CSM relationship to a scalable self-serve digital motion?It's a critical challenge as businesses grow and seek to optimize valuable CSM time.We dive deep into why segmentation needs to go beyond just Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR), exploring additional factors like product complexity and future growth potential to ensure the right customers get the right level of human support.Discover the prerequisites for a successful digital transition, including the necessity of a robust, self-serve foundation and a smart triggering mechanism to proactively engage customers. I share insights on reframing the conversation from "what they're losing" to "what they're gaining," and the importance of always providing a human bailout option.We also touch on virtual QBRs and auto-renewal strategies. Join me to learn how to prepare your CS motions for digital, keep customers engaged and empower them in a hybrid digital-human experience.Email Template mentioned in the show: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SSTLT2iOZ7O271zvJ2n55jHx3MgWrO72IMrSM56HXs4/edit?usp=sharing Support the show+++++++++++++++++Like/Subscribe/Review:If you are getting value from the show, please follow/subscribe so that you don't miss an episode and consider leaving us a review. Website:For more information about the show or to get in touch, visit DigitalCustomerSuccess.com. Buy Alex a Cup of Coffee:This show runs exclusively on caffeine - and lots of it. If you like what we're, consider supporting our habit by buying us a cup of coffee: https://bmc.link/dcspThank you for all of your support!The Digital Customer Success Podcast is hosted by Alex Turkovic

Ready to churn less and win more?

Ready to churn less and win more?

Host: Cindy AllenGuests: Heather Litman & Sandra Langford-Coty Show: Simply Trade – Cindy's Version Published: February 6, 2026 Length: ~13 minutes Presented by: Global Training Center Long Live: Celebrating Trade Wins with Your Industry Crew Cindy Allen, CEO of TradeForce Multiplier, delivers this week's rapid-fire trade update through the lens of Taylor Swift's “Long Live”—a song about shared victories and the bonds that make them possible. From congressional pushback on exclusions to critical minerals zones and a surprising U.S.-China thaw, Cindy breaks down what happened and what's next.​ What You'll Learn in This Episode: Express Carrier Bill faces pushback Peter Navarro publicly opposes the bill for simplified clearance parity with USPS, calling de minimis a zombie issue that “won't die.”​ Congress demands exclusion transparency Senator Wyden's letter calls the Section 232 exclusion process secretive and confusing—good news that Congress may step in for importers/exporters.​ USMCA hearing next week Senate Finance Committee will hear from pro-trade voices and domestic industry reps—watch for outcomes that could impact the agreement.​ EU moves fast on U.S. trade deal EU Parliament takes up negotiations internally to beat deadlines and avoid tariff retaliation seen with other countries.​ HTS updates published International Trade Commission released food/pharma changes effective February 1—check if you're impacted via the International Trade Administration.​ Critical minerals preferential zone Administration (led by VP JD Vance) exploring enforceable price floors at every production stage—no details yet.​ India IEPA tariff reductions pending Rumored drop from 50% total to 18%, but no Federal Register notice or CSMS message yet—stay tuned for implementation guidance.​ U.S.-China relations thaw? Administration calls recent talks “extremely good,” signaling stability for China importers after a year of mixed signals.​ Why “Long Live”? Cindy ties the week's developments to “Long Live,” focusing on celebrating successes with friends—especially critical now when industry networks help navigate chaos. Conferences and associations aren't just for learning; they're where you build the relationships that get you through volatile times.​ Key Takeaways: Momentum is building for more congressional oversight on exclusion processes—positive for transparency.​ Check HTS food/pharma updates immediately if affected; they're already live.​ Critical minerals zone and India tariff details will drop soon—track Federal Register and CSMS closely.​ U.S.-China tone shift could mean stability, but verify with primary sources before adjusting strategy.​ Build your trade network now—when rules change monthly, friends in the industry are your real compliance superpower.​   Presented by: Global Training Center​ Listen & Subscribe Simply Trade main page: https://simplytrade.podbean.com​ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/simply-trade/id1640329690​ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/09m199JO6fuNumbcrHTkGq​ Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8de7d7fa-38e0-41b2-bad3-b8a3c5dc4cda/simply-trade​ Connect with Simply Trade Podcast page: https://www.globaltrainingcenter.com/simply-trade-podcast​ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/simply-trade-podcast​ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SimplyTradePod​ Join the Trade Geeks Community Trade Geeks (by Global Training Center): https://globaltrainingcenter.com/trade-geeks/

Text us your questions and thoughts!What happens when you move your CS career from London to Dubai and rebuild your playbook from the ground up? We talk about that with Jomilsa Sousa, Customer Success and Account Management consultant & coach, and the Founder of The Success Studio, where she helps Customer Success professionals and businesses unlock their full potential. Currently, she also serves as Account Manager at Cirium (and when this was recorded, she was CS Account Manager at LexisNexis Middle East)In this episode, Jomilsa unpacks how digital transformation in the Middle East collides with a culture that prizes in‑person trust, and why that mix is changing how teams design onboarding, renewals, and growth. AI is powerful for churn prediction and business reviews, but the story that convinces a stakeholder to stay is still a human one.We explore:Cultural nuance shaping CS across the Middle EastAI for churn prediction and reviews, humans for narrative and trustRising demand for CS Ops, technical CSMs and community rolesEmpathy as a strategic advantageBuilding systematic visibility: weekly updates, impact docs, public winsWe also dig into the mindset that sustains momentum: pivot quickly when the signal changes, lead without the title, and make someone's day easier as a daily north star. If you're navigating AI, global accounts, or a big move of your own, this conversation offers a clear, human map for what works (& what doesn't).And if this conversation resonates, follow the show, share it with a teammate who needs fresh tactics, and leave a quick review to help more listeners find us.

Ready to churn less and win more?

We analyzed 1,474 CSM conversations to uncover why they are leaving and what keeps them in 2026. Grab the Free Talent Report here: https://customer-success-career.captivate.fm/reportCSMs don't leave because they're bad at their jobs — they leave because no one can see the impact they're making. In Part 2 of this series, I'm breaking down the real reason high-performing CSMs feel invisible, even when they're driving renewals, expansion, and retention behind the scenes.We're unpacking what “impact” actually means when CSMs say they're missing it, why this isn't a motivation problem but a systems problem, and the three patterns I see over and over again in teams with high turnover. I'll walk you through where leaders unintentionally lose their best people, the gaps that prevent CSMs from articulating their value, and the exact operational, enablement, and management shifts that change everything without adding more work.By the end of this episode, you'll finally have language, structure, and a clear action plan to make impact visible and undeniable. If you're tired of feeling overlooked or watching top CSMs walk out the door, this is the missing piece you haven't addressed yet. Hit plat and let's dive in.1:07 – Why High-Performing CSMs Still Feel Invisible (and Leave Because of It)3:13 – The True Meaning Behind “I Want More Impact” (It's Not Just About Praise)4:42 – How Being Forced Into Reactive Work Stops CSMs from Contributing Strategically6:10 – The Real Cost of Not Having Access to Key Metrics and Business Data11:51 – 5 Root Causes Leadership Misses That Make CSMs Feel Disconnected15:29 – 3 Critical Fixes: Better Operations, Enablement, and Coaching (Not Just More Tools)19:16 – Why Advocating for Growth or Finding a Company That Invests in You Matters Now More Than EverOTHER EPISODES YOU'LL LOVE:

Ready to churn less and win more?

We analyzed 1,474 CSM conversations to uncover why they are leaving and what keeps them in 2026. Grab the Talent Report here: https://customer-success-career.captivate.fm/reportWhat if I told you that 85% of CSM turnover is completely preventable — and most leaders are missing the real reason their top performers are walking out the door?In this episode, I break down insights from 1,474 Customer Success professionals who told us exactly why they're job hunting. And spoiler alert, it's not layoffs, pay, or return-to-office mandates. I reveal the surprising truth about what CSMs want most in their next role, and how even your most loyal team members start considering exits.I'll also unpack the three types of CSMs who leave for growth, the invisible ceiling stopping your best people, and the #1 leadership blind spot you can correct to transform retention overnight. This is part one of a two-part series, and today we're starting with the data leaders need to see.By the end of this episode, you'll finally understand what's normal, what's fixable, and where your blind spots might be, whether you manage a CS team or you're a CSM quietly feeling stuck. Want to know how to turn your team into unstoppable, loyal top-performers? Hit play and let's dive in.4:04 – Why Most CSM Turnover Is Preventable5:57 – What “Growth” Actually Means for CSMs8:20 – Three Types of CSMs Who Leave for Growth13:03 – Why Impact Really Matters15:43 – Next Steps for CS Leaders & CSMs: Action Plans Are Coming in Part Two

Ready to churn less and win more?

If you have ever walked out of an interview thinking I nailed that and still did not move forward, this episode is your wake up call. Today, I'm breaking down one of the most common reasons qualified CSMs struggle to land offers even when they prepare and practice. Most candidates prep for every interview the exact same way, and it quietly works against them. Recruiters, hiring managers, and cross-functional partners may ask similar questions, but they are listening for very different signals.In this episode, I walk you through a smarter, more strategic way to prepare based on who you are interviewing with so you can tailor your answers without sounding scripted or inauthentic. By the end, you will know exactly how to shift your messaging so you come across confident, credible, and intentional in every round. If you are tired of guessing what interviewers want and ready to finally control the outcome, hit play and let's dive in. And if you want to discover the easiest and most effective way to prepare for your Customer Success interviews, watch my Free Training on how to Nail Your CS Interviews: https://customer-success-career.captivate.fm/nailinterviews02:37 – Why Memorizing Interview Answers Backfires (and What to Do Instead)8:13 – How to Prep Differently for Recruiters vs. Hiring Managers vs. Cross-Functional Teams14:42 – The "Checklist" Approach Recruiters Really Use And How to Make It Work for You21:23 – How to Show Hiring Managers You're the One Who'll Help Them Hit Their Goals 27:00 – Ways to Stand Out in Cross-Functional Interviews by Addressing What Each Team Actually Cares About10:44 – The Fastest Way to Level Up Your Interview Prep (Hint: It's All About the Interviewer's Perspective)Other Episodes You'll Love:Episode 3: Falling short in interviews? ACE your next Customer Success job interview with these simple tips!

Ready to churn less and win more?

If your customer calls feel stiff, boring, or like both of you are counting down the minutes until it's over, you're not imagining it, and it's costing you more than you think. That's why in this episode, I'm breaking down the simple shifts that turn awkward, check-the-box customer calls into conversations your customers actually want to show up to. You'll learn why leading with the wrong metrics kills trust instantly, how to frame topics in a way that gets customers leaning in instead of zoning out, and the exact conversational tactics top-performing CSMs use to sound confident, human, and in control (without following a rigid script).By the end of this episode, you'll know how to run customer calls that feel natural, valuable, and genuinely strategic — the kind that deepen trust, uncover expansion signals, and make your job a whole lot easier. If you're ready to stop filling airtime and start leading calls that actually move the needle, hit play and let's dive in.0:44 – Why “Check-the-Box” Customer Calls Are Sabotaging Engagement3:01 – Why Starting with Product Metrics Makes Customers Zone Out (And How to Fix It)6:46 – How to Introduce Topics So Your Customer Actually Wants to Participate10:35 – Three Easy Tactics to Make Every Call Feel More Human and Less Scripted14:44 – How “Tell Me More About That” Instantly Changes the Whole Conversation16:45 – How Just One Small Change Per Month Can Make You the CSM Everyone Loves to Talk To

Want to win a free pair of airpod pros, sign up for a demo with Vitally: https://www.vitally.io/csproThe Objection Handling Guidebook for CS: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/offers/Z6Ng26vg/checkoutIn this episode of the Customer Success Pro Podcast, host Anika Zubair speaks with Courtney Balban, VP of Customer Success at Leadr, a manager enablement platform. They unpack how Courtney went from therapist to CS leader, why curiosity is a true superpower in customer conversations, and how her team runs a full cycle CS model without relying on rigid playbooks. Courtney shares how she teaches CSMs to sit in discomfort, separate noise from impact, and use deeper discovery to uncover real business problems instead of reacting to surface requests. They also dig into psychological safety, call coaching, leading managers through the teddy bear plus bulldozer balance, and the shift from retention first thinking to treating CS as a growth engine that speaks in outcomes and revenue language.Chapters:00:00 Introduction06:55 Inside Leadr, full cycle CSMs and structuring the post-sale team14:16 Cutting through the noise, activity versus impact and root cause thinking23:10 Redefining customer value and building a team without rigid playbooks30:32 Curiosity as a superpower36:54 Why CSMs stop one question too early and how to go deeper without feeling salesy42:19 Psychological safety, call coaching and how the team transformed47:31 Leading leaders, big lessons learnedConnect with Anika Zubair:Website: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikazubair/RevUP Academy: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/revupConnect with Courtney Balban:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtneybalban/Grab our FREE resources here: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/resources Want to be our next podcast guest? Apply here: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/podcast-guest Book Anika as a speaker at your next team event: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/team-event

Download the CS Promotion Tracker: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/offers/wh6BFvEc/checkoutIn this episode of The Customer Success Pro Podcast, Anika Zubair reveals why so many talented CSMs get overlooked for promotions and how to fix it with a clear promotion-focused goal-setting strategy. She explains the difference between performance goals and promotion goals, why revenue alignment matters even in support-heavy roles, and the three career-limiting mistakes most CS pros make during review season. You will learn her three-step Promotion Plan Framework, how to speak in business impact language, and how to track, package, and pitch your work so you can move from overlooked to the obvious next choice for senior roles. If you want to accelerate your career growth, rewrite promotable goals, and position yourself for your next title, this episode gives you the roadmap.Chapters:00:00 Why you keep getting overlooked for promotions00:42 Performance goals vs promotion goals03:37 Why talented CSMs get passed up05:59 Why business impact language matters08:18 Mistake 1: Goals that are too generic10:38 Mistake 2: Waiting for your manager to set your goals12:49 Mistake 3: Not tracking wins all year15:06 The Promotion Plan Framework17:32 How to create a promotion-focused North Star goal23:48 Weekly challenge and next stepsConnect with Anika Zubair:Website: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikazubair/CSM RevUP Academy: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/revupGrab our FREE resources here: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/resources Want to be our next podcast guest? Apply here: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/podcast-guest Book Anika as a speaker at your next team event: https://www.thecustomersuccesspro.com/team-event

Limelight is building the infrastructure layer for B2B creator marketing, processing payments and managing campaigns for companies spending six figures monthly on creator partnerships. With $2.1 million in funding from Signal to Noise Ratio, Ascend Ventures, Savion Ventures, and strategic angels including the head of AI at Amazon and the former Chief Product Officer at Lyft, Limelight powers creator programs for Clay, Webflow, ZoomInfo, and Bill.com. In this episode of BUILDERS, we sat down with David Walsh, Founder and CEO of Limelight, to learn how he validated the market by interviewing 100+ creators, why he deliberately chose not to build an agency despite customer demand, and how his platform tracks engagement data at scale to prove ROI for performance-focused buyers. Topics Discussed: The pivot from referral software to B2B creator infrastructure after 100+ creator interviews How creator attitudes shifted from refusing brand partnerships to actively monetizing Clay's playbook: building custom Clay tables for creators before asking them to post Why Limelight chose to power agencies rather than compete with them The data infrastructure required to justify $100K+ monthly creator budgets Tracking organic engagement, converting content to paid ads, and attributing pipeline The split between brand/social buyers and performance/demand gen buyers Launching social listening to challenge legacy social media management platforms GTM Lessons For B2B Founders: Validate with 100+ user interviews before pivoting: David didn't just chat with a handful of potential users—he conducted and recorded over 100 interviews with B2B creators, asking detailed questions about monetization interest, partnership preferences, and content strategies. He then repeated this process with marketing leaders. This level of research rigor before committing to a pivot is rare but critical when entering emerging categories. The depth of qualitative research gave him conviction to make a contrarian bet when most creators were still refusing brand partnerships. Build where network effects are structural, not hoped for: David specifically chose a creator marketplace after a previous marketplace failure because the unit economics included built-in virality. When Limelight pays a creator $10,000, that creator has tens of thousands of followers who see the transaction result (the sponsored content). Every payment notification becomes inbound interest. He understood that in consumer marketplaces you compete on supply quality, but in creator marketplaces the supply actively markets your platform. Founders should identify whether their marketplace has structural network effects in the transaction itself, not just theoretical ones. Target micro-creators with niche audiences over vanity metrics: The counterintuitive insight: creators with 10,000-25,000 followers often outperform those with 100,000+ in B2B because deal sizes are $25K-$50K, not $100 sunglasses. Smaller creators have higher engagement rates, unsaturated audiences, authentic expertise in specific domains, and haven't been "bought and sold for" yet. When brands face the choice between a 100K-follower creator at $2,000 per post with 200 likes versus a 25K-follower creator at $1,000 per post with 300 likes, they irrationally choose the larger following. Founders should educate buyers that in B2B, targeted influence within specific buyer committees matters more than reach. Build data infrastructure to win performance buyers, not just brand buyers: Limelight tracks every piece of content in real-time (not waiting weeks for creator screenshots), monitors all engagement and segments it by ICP fit, provides self-reported attribution from demo forms, tracks website traffic spikes correlated to posting schedules, and generates qualified lead lists from content engagement. This comprehensive data layer is what allows demand gen leaders to reallocate spend from paid channels. The market is splitting 50/50 between brand/social buyers and performance/demand gen buyers—the latter has larger budgets and treats creator spend like paid media that requires attribution. Founders entering new marketing channels should build attribution infrastructure from day one, not as an afterthought. Deliberately choose infrastructure over services even when customers ask for help: Despite customers like Webflow, ZoomInfo, and Bill.com spending $100K+ monthly and requesting more hands-on support, David chose to build product and enable agencies rather than hire account managers and become a service business. His reasoning: people have tried to replace agencies in recruiting for decades and failed because buyers want the human in the middle. The bigger opportunity is being the infrastructure that powers all agencies, not competing with them. This fork-in-the-road decision—hire CSMs and influencer marketing managers versus build more product—defines whether you're building a scalable platform or a services business disguised as SaaS. Use your first customer to custom-build product, then scale it: Clay became Limelight's first customer when the platform was early. David essentially custom-built features for Clay's creator program, learning their workflow for building Clay tables for creators, their onboarding process, and their approach to creative freedom. This deep partnership gave Limelight the product foundation to scale from managing 20 creators to 200+ for Clay within nine months, then apply those learnings to other customers. Rather than building in a vacuum, founders should find a sophisticated first customer willing to co-develop the product, even if it means initially building something custom. // Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe. www.GlobalTalent.co // Don't Miss: New Podcast Series — How I Hire Senior GTM leaders share the tactical hiring frameworks they use to build winning revenue teams. Hosted by Andy Mowat, who scaled 4 unicorns from $10M to $100M+ ARR and launched Whispered to help executives find their next role. Subscribe here:  https://open.spotify.com/show/53yCHlPfLSMFimtv0riPyM

AI isn't here to replace you—unless you let it. What if you could flip the script and use AI to become the most valuable Customer Success Manager in the room, no matter what your company throws at you (or doesn't)?In this episode, I reveal the two high-impact ways CSMs are actually leveraging AI to stand out—one that repositions you as a trusted consultant to your customers and another that instantly fills the coaching and feedback void you've been frustrated about for years. Forget about asking ChatGPT to write your follow-up emails. This goes way deeper, and I'll walk you through the strategies no one's sharing.I'll show you exactly how to use AI to create thought leadership content that your customers crave (and remember you for), plus the step-by-step system I use with my private one-to-one clients to self-coach, level up core skills, and get actionable feedback faster than any manager ever could. You'll learn how to build a bulletproof feedback loop and shift from vendor to trusted expert without needing anyone's permission.If you want to move from being replaceable to irreplaceable and get immediate, data-backed ways to make your customers care, get noticed by leadership, and truly accelerate your growth before the New Year, hit play and let's dive in.1:01 – Why Using AI to Summarize Emails Won't Set You Apart 1:16 – How to Use AI to Become a Valued Expert, Not Just a Vendor2:24 – The Fastest Way to Generate Thought Leadership Content That Customers Care About4:04 – How to Add “Real Value” with Non-Product-Centric Insights9:53 – Step-By-Step Guide: Coaching Yourself with AI When No One Else Does14:13 – How to Build a Feedback Loop So You Level Up Faster Than Your Peers

Host: Cindy Allen Published: November 14, 2025 Length: ~14 minutes Presented by: Global Training Center Summary This week on Simply Trade: Cindy's Version, Cindy Allen breaks down a whirlwind of trade developments—from the end of the federal shutdown to a rapid string of new tariff exemptions and reciprocal deals. Inspired by Taylor Swift's Death by a Thousand Cuts, Cindy explains how the industry isn't being overwhelmed by one big policy shift, but by the relentless series of small, fragmented, high-impact changes that hit importers, customs brokers, and compliance teams day after day. From air freight instability to Switzerland–U.S. negotiations, CAFTA carve-outs, and Argentina beef exemptions, Cindy sheds light on both the economic impact and the behind-the-scenes operational work that trade professionals must perform every time a new deal hits the headlines. This Week in Trade • The federal shutdown ends and the aviation system begins stabilizing • FAA restores routes after up to 6% of flights were cut • Air freight is preparing for a possible late-season peak (but uncertainty remains) • Global shipping flows shift again: • Europe, Middle East, Central America lanes show growth from China • U.S.-bound volumes remain down year-over-year • Anchorage continues its rise as a major air freight hub • Forecasts indicate overall soft demand for the remainder of the year New Trade Developments • U.S.–Switzerland trade deal announced (Details forthcoming; likely modeled after UK/EU/Japan tariff frameworks) • Central America tariff revisions under CAFTA • Expected apparel exemptions for Guatemala & El Salvador • Guatemala coffee exempted — positive for major U.S. importers • Argentina beef tariff reductions • Good for consumers • Raises sensitivity with U.S. cattle industry Here's a strong, concise paragraph version that keeps all the meaning but reads smoothly and professionally: Why This Feels Like “Death by a Thousand Cuts” Cindy explains that today's trade environment is overwhelming not because of one major policy shift, but because of the constant stream of piecemeal announcements that arrive without warning. Industry groups have little opportunity to offer input, and each new deal or exemption forces customs brokers into a full operational cycle—from interpreting vague notices and waiting for CSMS or Federal Register clarification to updating systems, revising SOPs, identifying affected HTS numbers, retraining teams, and notifying clients. Importers face a parallel burden as they update classifications, reevaluate landed costs, adjust sourcing and contracts, and communicate financial impacts across their organizations. With several new deals dropping within just a couple of days, teams are completing multiple implementation cycles back-to-back, making the pressure feel like a true “death by a thousand cuts.” Key Takeaways • The shutdown is over, but volatility continues across aviation and freight • Global trade flows are shifting, but the U.S. remains an outlier in demand • New tariff deals bring benefits but impose significant operational burdens • Compliance and broker teams are stretched thin by continuous policy shifts • The industry is experiencing a true “death by a thousand cuts” RESOURCES & MENTIONS • Global Training Center • TradeForce Multiplier Credits Host: • Cindy Allen – LinkedIn • Trade Force Multiplier Producer: • Lalo Solorzano – LinkedIn Subscribe & Follow New episodes every Friday. Presented by Global Training Center — providing education, consulting, workshops, and compliance resources for trade professionals. Connect with us: • Simply Trade Podcast on LinkedIn • Global Training Center on LinkedIn • YouTube • Spotify • Apple Podcasts • Trade Geeks Community Don't forget to rate, review, and share with your fellow trade geeks!

Think your LinkedIn profile is working hard to get you noticed by recruiters? Think again. Most job seekers (yes, even experienced CSMs) are practically invisible and it has nothing to do with the job market, your background, or even your Customer Success resume.In this episode, I break down the six silent LinkedIn mistakes that are killing your visibility and sabotaging your chances of landing the roles you actually want in Customer Success. I'll pull back the curtain on what recruiters really see when they search for candidates, and I'll reveal the rapid-fire profile fixes that skyrocket your discoverability and make recruiters reach out to you with genuinely exciting roles. From headline secrets to the crucial recommendation trick, you'll get the step-by-step playbook that finally gets your LinkedIn working for you—not against you.You'll walk away with a punchy, recruiter-magnet profile and the confidence that you're not missing out on career-changing opportunities just because of a few overlooked details. Hit play and let's dive in.1:49 – How Recruiters Use LinkedIn and How LinkedIn Recruiter Search Filters Really Work4:37 – The Biggest LinkedIn Mistakes Real Job Seekers Are Making—Revealed by a 100-Profile Audit 7:16 – The Exact Headline Update That Gets You Noticed (And Boosts Your Visibility)9:52 – Quick Fixes For Your Skills Section That Make You Show Up in the Right Searches12:27 – What to Write in Your Experience Section to Attract Interviews. Plus a 2-Sentence Summary Formula14:28 – Why Your Recommendations Are Crucial and How They Influence Hiring Decisions16:14 – How Your Activity Section Can Instantly Make or Break Your Credibility18:02 – How a Simple Photo Change Can Help You Finally Get That Interview

The Biggest GTM Mistake (Spoiler Alert: Stop Chasing CAC!!!)Mark Roberge shares how AI is transforming sales, customer success, and go-to-market strategy. The former HubSpot CRO, now co-founder of Stage 2 Capital and senior lecturer at Harvard Business School, Mark Roberge breaks down the 4 phases of AI evolution that will redefine how companies sell, serve, and scale. From agentic AI to LTV-driven growth, this is a masterclass on what the next era of go-to-market looks like.Mark Roberge helped take HubSpot from $0 to $100M and literally wrote The Sales Acceleration Formula. Now, he's turning his attention to the AI transformation sweeping every GTM function. In this episode, Mark explains why it's time to stop obsessing over CAC and start optimizing for LTV—the customers who actually succeed—and how AI can make that possible at scale.He also shares bold predictions about the future of work, the death of departments, and why capitalism itself may need to evolve for the AI era.Timestamps0:00 – Preview & Introduction1:19 – Meet Mark Roberge: Co-Founder, Stage 2 Capital2:45 – The Early Days of AI in GTM6:33 – What's Slowing Down AI Adoption8:00 – Why Most AI Startups Are Still Too Iterative12:00 – The "Agentic" Shift: From Co-Pilots to Autonomous Agents14:15 – The 4 Phases of AI Go-to-Market Evolution20:35 – Managing Your Agents: The New CRO Skillset26:00 – Deciding the ICP: It's Not CAC29:35 – How AI Breaks Down Department Silos35:40 – Can Capitalism Survive the AI Era?46:00 – The Science of Scaling: Mark's Next Big Book---What You'll Learn* Why CAC is the wrong north star metric for GTM leaders* How to use AI to identify and retain high-LTV customers* The 4 phases of AI transformation in go-to-market* How agentic AI will redefine the roles of CROs, CSMs, and RevOps* Why AI will blur departmental boundaries and change the structure of business* How capitalism and work culture must evolve in the AI era---Check out the Key Takeaways & Transcripts: ⁠https://www.gainsight.com/presents/series/unchurned/⁠---Where to Find Mark:LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/markroberge/Where to Find Josh: LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/⁠---Resources mentioned:* Stage 2 Capital Blog – Go-to-Market AI Case Studies: https://www.stage2.capital * The Sales Acceleration Formula by Mark Roberge

Jacob Bank has been building AI agents since before they were cool. While the rest of us were just figuring out what ChatGPT could do, Jacob was already 13 years deep into agent research. Now, as founder and CEO of Relay.app, Jacob is making AI agents accessible to everyone, from customer success teams to businesses that install slip-resistant floors. Jacob has a fascinating prediction: within a year, agents will be able to handle virtually any task you do on your computer. The real question won't be "can an agent do this?" but rather "how do I teach, manage, and trust my agent?"Timestamps0:00 - Preview & Introduction1:48 - Meet Jacob & An Overview of Relay.app4:08 - From Stanford AI Research to Google to Founder4:57 - AI Agents were 15 Years in the Making 8:30 - It Took 2.5 Years to Get the First Customer12:35 - What Actually Is Agentic AI?14:55 - Understanding AI Agents19:45 - How AI Accesses Information: Context Windows, and RAG24:11 - The Shift from RAG to MCP25:51 - Understanding MCP: The Restaurant Analogy30:04 - Real-World Use Cases of Workflows with AI for CSMs 33:51 - When and When Not to Use Agents 37:45 - Why SMBs Move Faster on AI Than Big Enterprises42:12 - The Two Limitations of Agents Today44:31 - We're All Managers Now46:15 - Where to Stay Current on AI47:36 - The Value of Hands-On Experience with AI ToolsWhat you'll learn:- The critical difference between workflows and agents (and why you need both)- Why "we're all managers now"—even if you're an individual contributor- The future of work isn't about doing tasks; it's about managing and calibrating your agents- Practical use cases of Agentic AI for CSMs- Why spending an hour daily experimenting with AI tools is "worth its weight in gold"Resources mentioned:- Ben's Bytes newsletter- Jeff Siu (YouTube)

What if the function you were about to join didn't really exist yet?In 2014, customer success was barely a function—it was an idea in the making. Omer Rabin took a bet on that idea at a time when the industry still needed convincing that managing customer relationships deserved its own tech stack. He went on to become Gainsight's Chief Evangelist when most people thought “customer success” sounded like corporate cheerleading.Fast forward a decade, and customer success has grown into a multi-billion-dollar industry. But somewhere along the way, many CS teams drifted from their strategic roots, becoming reactive order-takers buried in grunt work.In this episode, Omer Rabin (General Partner at TLA Ventures) and Chad Horenfeldt (VP of CS at Siena AI and author of The Strategic CSM) discuss the past, present, and future of customer success. They take us back to the early days—Pulse local events on Toronto rooftops, the hunter vs. farmer debate, and how Nick Mehta's pitch about “selling to existing customers” helped create an entire category.WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:• Why customer success emerged as a distinct function (and why it almost didn't)• How CS teams lost their strategic edge—and how to reclaim it• Why AI is bringing CS back to its strategic roots by eliminating grunt work• Why Omer believes the next generation of CEOs will come from customer success• Chad's framework for future customer intelligence• The one question every CSM should ask to align with their CEO's top priority---Check out the Key Takeaways & Transcripts: https://www.gainsight.com/presents/series/unchurned/---Where to Find Chad:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadhorenfeldt/The Strategic CSM: https://www.strategiccustomersuccess.com/Where to Find Omer:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/omerabin/Where to Find Josh: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/--- In this episode, we cover:0:00 – Preview & Introduction1:24 – Meet Chad & Omer2:10 – Pulse Local Events and Building the CS Community3:52 – Chad's Origin Story: Being an Early CS Ambassador4:55 – From Customer Cheerleading to Value Creation12:45 – The AI Revolution and the Return of Strategic CSMs18:31 – How Outcome-Based CS Influences Revenue23:53 – Defining Success Is a Challenge25:25 – How AI Analyzes Survey Data to Find Customer Sentiment28:10 – Customizing Product Updates for Customers29:25 – Tactical Advice for CSMs30:35 – Aligning with Company Needs

In this episode of the B2B Go-To-Market Leaders Podcast, Vijay Damojipurapu sits down with Alon Ahronberg, VP of Customer Success at Atera, to explore how customer success drives sustainable revenue and long-term retention in modern B2B companies.From his early career in engineering and BI consulting to leading customer success at global SaaS startups, Alon shares lessons from scaling teams, building onboarding frameworks, and transforming a PLG motion into a hybrid sales-led growth (SLG) strategy.Together, they unpack:How to define go-to-market holistically across product, sales, marketing, and customer success.The critical role of onboarding and re-onboarding in improving renewal rates and product adoption.Why internal collaboration between CSMs, marketing, and sales determines customer lifetime value.The cultural shift needed to elevate customer success from “call center” to strategic growth partner.How AI will reshape customer success, bridging high-touch strategy with scalable automation.Whether you're a founder, go-to-market leader, or customer success professional, this episode offers a masterclass on aligning post-sale execution with growth.Connect with Alon Ahronberg on LinkedInConnect with Vijay Damojipurapu on LinkedInBrought to you by: stratyve.com

How do you manage 100,000+ renewals or scale AI across thousands of CSMs? CS leaders share how they're tackling their biggest challenges and using technology to drive retention, adoption, and efficiency.In this episode of the [Un]churned Podcast, Josh Schachter sits down with customer success leaders at the 2025 Gainsight Pulse Conference in Las Vegas to explore how they're tackling their biggest challenges - from managing massive renewal volumes to driving adoption at scale. Featuring CS executives from Rockwell Automation, Fleetio, Handshake, Boomi, Dellteck, and SAP, this episode reveals practical strategies for using AI to save time, improve efficiency, and deliver better customer outcomes.What you'll learn:1. How Rockwell Automation's CS team manages 100,000+ annual renewals with 300 team members across 85 recurring revenue products2. Why AI-powered engagement signals are replacing time-based customer outreach3. The importance of building trust in AI-powered insights before teams will adopt them4. How to aggregate and visualize data from multiple systems to tell a coherent story to stakeholders5. Why change management is critical when introducing new product features that alter established workflows6. How relationship-level insights can reveal the full picture of multi-product customer health---Check out the Key Takeaways & Transcripts: https://www.gainsight.com/presents/series/unchurned/---Where to Find the guests:- Angel Rogers - https://www.linkedin.com/in/angel-rogers-leader/- Sean MacPherson- https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanmacpherson- Tiffany Taylor - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffany-taylor-learner/- Matt Krebsbach - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-krebsbach-694117163/- Charlie Ferraro - https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesferrao/- Margo Martin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/margomartin-/- Tony Pante - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-pante-9b5419/---Where to Find Josh: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/--- In this episode, we cover:0:00 - Introduction 0:27 - Angel Rogers: Managing 100K renewals at Rockwell Automation5:32 - Sean MacPherson: Aggregating insights from multiple systems9:48 - Tiffany Taylor: Speed up feedback loops and time-to-value14:09 - Matt Krebsbach: Prioritization, delivering outcomes and data enablement 18:47 - Charlie Ferraro: Retention, renewals and efficiency20:35 - From Spidey sense to AI-powered engagement analysis21:47 - Measuring adoption in agentic products22:07 - Margo Martin: Stay ahead with real-time defect alerts25:17 - The value of relationship-level insights26:10 - Tony Pante: Driving adoption across 2,000 CSMs at SAP29:35 - Using AI for translation, content creation, and enablement---Referenced:• Gainsight Pulse Conference: https://gainsightpulse.com/europe/• Rockwell Automation: https://www.rockwellautomation.com/• Fleetio: https://www.fleetio.com/• Handshake: https://joinhandshake.com/• Boomi: https://boomi.com/• Dellteck: https://www.deltek.com/en• SAP: https://www.sap.com/• Staircase AI: https://www.gainsight.com/staircase-ai/• Reef AI: https://www.reef.ai/• Gong: https://www.gong.io/de/• SAP Joule: https://www.sap.com/products/artificial-intelligence/ai-assistant.html

"How Agentic AI Is Replacing Subscription Revenue"Chuck Ganapathi, the CEO of Gainsight & Brett Queener, Managing Director at Bonfire Ventures, who previously ran product at Salesforce and helped destroy Siebel, the company where he and Chuck first met. Together, they've witnessed every major shift in enterprise software over three decades, and they believe the biggest one is happening right now.In this conversation, Brett unveils his forthcoming thesis on "the end of ARR," arguing that agentic AI will fundamentally break subscription business models. When products finally achieve what he calls "product purity", actually doing the job they promise without requiring armies of CSMs, endless onboarding, and quarterly business reviews, the entire economic foundation of SaaS collapses. Chuck and Brett discuss whether this is an existential threat or the evolution the industry has been waiting for.What you'll learn:- Why the "friction gap" between product and value created the entire CS industry- What "product purity" means and why it threatens traditional SaaS economics- How agentic AI fundamentally changes the unit economics of software- Why usage-based pricing is inevitable once products actually work- The product marketing playbook that still matters in an AI-first worldCheck out the Key Takeaways & Transcripts: https://www.gainsight.com/presents/series/unchurned/Where to Find the GuestBrett's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettqueener/Chuck's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckganapathi/Where to Find Josh: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/In this episode, we cover:0:00 - Preview & Introduction1:18 - Meet Chuck & Brett3:30 - How Brett and Chuck met at Siebel 9:28 - Transition to Salesforce: destruction of Siebel as a goal14:11 - Changing Nature of Product Marketing in the AI Era18:00 - Systems of Record vs. Systems of Action21:13 - Databases as “lossy” representations of reality29:00 - Brett's thesis: "The End of ARR (And I Feel Fine)"34:28 - How should agentic applications be priced?43:43 - Future Outlook: Market paying premium for top agents47:17 - 10x CSMs enabled by AI agentsReferences:- Brett Queener's blog: https://queener.substack.com/

How Human-Centric AI Frees CSMs for Strategic Work at BMCLeading customer success at a global scale is never easy—especially after a company split. For Sofia Barbosa, this meant steering a leaner team while still supporting hundreds of BMC products worldwide. The challenge: deliver more impact with fewer hands. The solution: build Succedo, an AI platform that reimagined how her team worked. The results spoke for themselves—customer success stories accelerated from months to days, output tripled, escalations dropped, and CSMs finally had time to focus on the strategic work that drives growth.In this episode, Sofia shares the inside story of how she's embedding AI across customer success at BMC. From value summaries and training path recommendations to support prioritization and statements of work, Sofia is proving that AI isn't about replacing people—it's about elevating them. She explains how she manages change, structures her AI teams, and why she believes experimentation (and even failure) is the only way forward.What you'll learn:- How Succedo helped triple the output of customer success stories.- The role of AI in reducing escalations and improving customer sentiment.- How to build specialized AI teams inside a large enterprise.- Why “human in the loop” remains critical in AI adoption.- The mindset shift leaders need to drive AI transformation.Check out the Key Takeaways & Transcripts: https://www.gainsight.com/presents/series/unchurned/Where to Find Sofia: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sofiabarbosa/Where to Find Josh: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/In this episode, we cover:0:00 – Preview & Introduction1:40 – Meet Sofia Barbosa (CCO, BMC Software)3:15 – Sofia's promotion and the BMC split6:53 – Why & how Succedo was born11:30 – The impact of using Succedo12:55 – Using AI to create value summaries15:40 – Creating personalized training paths with AI18:35 – AI for support: prioritization and sentiment analysis21:18 – Automating statements of work with AI24:35 – Building “Succedo Forge” and “Succedo Care” teams27:10 – Managing change and team sentiment around AI28:45 – Advice for CCOs driving AI transformationReferenced:- Sofia's post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sofiabarbosa_customersuccess-ai-bmc-activity-7366224818586685441-q74P

Ever feel like product, sales, or engineering just doesn't get you, or worse, ignores your most urgent requests? Here's the uncomfortable truth—being amazing with customers isn't enough to get you promoted (or even layoff-proof) in Customer Success anymore.In this episode, I share a powerful, never-talked-about strategy that unlocks rapid career growth for CSMs by making you the secret weapon every department wants on their team. We'll unpack the missing piece of cross-functional collaboration, share the three-step process top CSMs use to become indispensable, and get super tactical about how to make product, sales, and engineering actually want to work with you.By the end, you'll know exactly how to shift from being seen as a “problem-dumper” to a strategic, value-driving partner—transforming how your company sees you and unlocking real career momentum. Want to be the CSM your whole company can't afford to lose? Hit play now and let's dive in.

How Kalpana, our Enterprise CSM, Scaled Her Book of Business by 40% With AIKalpana Krishna Kumar, an Enterprise CSM at Gainsight, and Brady Bloom, Senior Product Manager at Gainsight, join the show to share how they're reimagining customer success with AI. From Kalpana's 40% increase in her book of business to Brady's unlikely journey from child actor to AI trailblazer, this episode is full of surprising stories about scaling, stress relief, and the human side of AI. Together, they reveal how AI is less about automation and more about unlocking the best version of yourself.What you'll learn:1. How Kalpana scaled her accounts by 40% without burning out.2. Why peace of mind is one of AI's most underrated benefits.3. The grassroots AI movement that transformed Gainsight.4. Brady's personal workflow hacks for integrating AI into daily work.5. Why AI isn't replacing CSMs—it's making them stronger.Check out the Key Takeaways & Transcripts: https://www.gainsight.com/presents/series/unchurned/Where to Find Brady Bluhm LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradybluhm/IMDb - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0089603/Where to Find Kalpana Krishna Kumar LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kalpana-krishna-kumar/Where to Find Josh: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschachter/In this episode, we cover:0:00 - Preview1:00 - Meet Brady & Kalpana3:35 - First steps with AI 8:24 - Grassroots AI education at Gainsight10:50 - Scaling book of business by 40% 17:13 - Why AI gives CSMs peace of mind19:01 - Find a meeting recording tool24:34 - Predicting the future of CS25:05 - Building personal AI agents & say goodbye to busy work 35:03 - Closing reflectionsReferenced:- Staircase AI - https://www.gainsight.com/staircase-ai/- Gamma - https://gamma.app/- NotebookLM - https://notebooklm.google/- Claude - https://claude.ai/- Zoom AI Companion - https://www.zoom.com/en/products/ai-assistant/

Think Customer Success networking is just about DMing recruiters or chatting up random CSMs on LinkedIn? That's the biggest myth killing your job search right now. Today, I'm sharing the real reason you're not landing interviews—and it's not what you think.In this episode, I break down exactly why generic networking is a waste of your energy, and reveal a smarter, data-backed approach that gets you noticed by the people who actually make hiring decisions. You'll get the inside scoop on who to target, when to reach out, and precisely what to say so your message cuts through the noise. I'll even share proven, real-world message examples that opened doors for my clients and show you how to do the same, starting this week.By the end of this episode, you'll trade that networking overwhelm for confidence and clarity, knowing how to land interviews faster than ever before.