Episode 250: Luke Bartram and James Lawson share their best job search advice. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:39 - What’s on Luke’s CS recruitment mind 00:03:38 - Positioning yourself in a crowded market 00:06:01 - The value of domain expertise 00:09:20 - Productizing your CS experience 00:11:40 - Unpacking market shifts in hiring 00:13:15 - Discovering and selling your value 00:17:17 - Aligning pain points across the board 00:21:07 - Be yourself 00:23:23 - Transparency makes better hirin...
May 22, 2025•26 min•Ep. 300
Episode 249: Adil Dittmer brings a classic sports analogy to the show. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:49 - Defending data without the D 00:02:21 - A mission to democratize data science 00:02:55 - Why CS can't define its own value 00:04:24 - Playing defense: What it means in CS 00:06:47 - Defense often beats offense in CS 00:07:18 - The missing metrics in CS strategies 00:09:21 - Start quantifying your CS plays 00:11:34 - Is CS the misunderstood teen of tech? 📺 Lifetime Value: Your Destin...
May 21, 2025•15 min•Ep. 299
Episode 248: Kristina Muñoz Ledo Klakegg shares her journey while building a monetized customer success offering. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:36 - Shifting from email to SMS marketing 00:03:10 - Strategic service as a revenue stream 00:03:39 - CS stepping into the revenue spotlight 00:05:33 - Pushing vs. pulling in customer success 00:06:58 - Entrepreneurial CS in action 00:08:12 - From free to paid: drawing the line 00:09:04 - Will customers pay for this? 00:10:02 - Pricing CS: a valu...
May 20, 2025•13 min•Ep. 298
Episode 247: Nehal Gupta envisions the future of customer marketing. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - AI sold me this hat 00:00:47 - Meet the Daily Standup crew 00:01:18 - From engineering to customer marketing 00:02:10 - AI's transformation of marketing 00:05:14 - The myth of the AI takeover 00:06:29 - Striking the human-AI balance 00:08:31 - Margin, sentiment, and smart tech tools 00:09:02 - Case studies at the speed of AI 00:11:23 - Hats off to hyper personalization 00:12:25 - Rise of the door-to-do...
May 19, 2025•15 min•Ep. 297
Episode 246: Jon Johnson is a few weeks into a new gig, and he's got thoughts. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:04:41 - Early-stage startup: fresh baby diaper skin 00:06:13 - Solving fires through structure 00:11:13 - Building smart protections at speed 00:14:04 - Redefining real customer success 00:20:31 - The startup oath: repeatable revenue 00:23:21 - Can young CSMs think this strategically? 00:27:21 - Growth starts with curiosity 00:29:55 - From layoff to laptop in 30 days 00:40:05 - Netwo...
May 16, 2025•46 min•Ep. 296
Episode 245: Irwin Hipsman returns and shares what he learned from a recent marketing conference. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:54 - Insights from the NYC alliance conference 00:02:20 - B2C’s surprising presence and takeaways 00:03:45 - Group reference calls: game-changing move 00:04:58 - The risks and rewards of open invites 00:06:07 - Bridging the marketing-silo disconnect 00:07:35 - Understanding customer vs product marketing 00:09:33 - The hidden power of database cleaning 00:11:52 -...
May 15, 2025•15 min•Ep. 295
Episode 244: Stephanie Tkach wonders where all the entry level CS roles have gone. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:03 - What Kind Work is doing differently 00:01:50 - The mystery of vanished entry-level roles 00:02:12 - Experience overload in "entry-level" hiring 00:04:15 - The hidden cost of hiring overqualified talent 00:06:40 - JP’s career path from retail to customer success 00:08:52 - Tech dreams from an unlikely hometown 00:11:50 - Smarter recruiting through partnerships 00:13:21 - W...
May 14, 2025•14 min•Ep. 294
Episode 243: Andrew Henderson has some advice on how to communicate better. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:09 - GoodRx by day, podcast by night 00:02:33 - What’s on Andrew’s mind 00:03:35 - Winning the email tennis match 00:06:05 - The fine art of just enough information 00:08:43 - Why AI fails at human nuance 00:09:18 - Picking your metric poison 00:11:24 - The 5-minute passion challenge 00:12:22 - Wrapping up 📺 Lifetime Value: Your Destination for GTM content Website: https://www.lifet...
May 13, 2025•13 min•Ep. 293
Episode 242: Amber Rhodes is spilling the corporate tea. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:12 - The B2B streets 00:02:13 - Real Housewives meets LinkedIn 00:03:06 - Founders Behaving Badly goes deep 00:04:38 - Public stumbles and private screenshots 00:06:33 - When “vulnerability” goes viral 00:07:30 - Laughs, headlines, and newsletter gold 00:08:21 - The pirate mayor and other absurdities 00:09:04 - Rob’s rules for LinkedIn sanity 00:12:03 - Giving flowers and saying goodbye 📺 Lifetime Val...
May 12, 2025•15 min•Ep. 292
Episode 241: Rob, JP, and Dillon discuss how larger forces affect the work we do. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:00 - How the macroeconomy hits your workflow 00:02:20 - What the Fed interest rate really means 00:04:40 - Inflation, jobs, and controlling money 00:06:09 - Two wallets: customers and startups 00:07:24 - Startup friction when money costs more 00:10:12 - Dry powder and cautious investors 00:12:07 - MVPs are cheaper but expectations aren’t 00:13:48 - Consultants vs. AI: who adds ...
May 09, 2025•21 min•Ep. 291
Episode 240: Maranda Dziekonski has some good, but tough, advice for job seekers. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:23 - The hiring crisis on everyone’s mind 00:02:58 - Light at the end of the hiring tunnel 00:04:00 - Stretch roles vs. playing to your strengths 00:06:13 - When ethics meet modern hiring tech 00:09:08 - Debunking the myth of AI-led screening 00:10:44 - Why who you know matters more than ever 00:12:13 - Harmonizing your career like a musician 📺 Lifetime Value: Your Destination...
May 08, 2025•16 min•Ep. 290
Episode 239: Chris Brisson, CEO of Salesmsg, is taking life one text message at a time. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:28 - Big ideas: AI in customer success 00:02:45 - Personalizing the customer handoff 00:04:24 - Text vs. email: Why messaging wins 00:06:42 - Finding balance in SMS intimacy 00:09:08 - Earning your space in the contact list 00:10:23 - Educating clients on appropriate usage 00:11:45 - The “textize your business” framework 00:12:54 - Final thoughts and an open invitation 📺...
May 07, 2025•14 min•Ep. 289
Episode 238: Sara Bochino wants us to think more holistically when purchasing software. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:23 - The SaaS promise gone wrong 00:04:05 - Piecemeal journeys, big headaches 00:05:01 - A roadmap for proactive teams 00:05:51 - Building products with purpose 00:07:26 - Who really owns your software? 00:09:49 - CEOs and customer obsession 00:11:15 - Time to rethink procurement 📺 Lifetime Value: Your Destination for GTM content Website: https://www.lifetimevaluemedia.c...
May 06, 2025•13 min•Ep. 288
Episode 237: Anastasia Mieshkova never wants you to get caught flat-footed again. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:59 - From project manager to CS leader 00:01:51 - Why adaptability is essential in CS 00:02:44 - Training your adaptability muscle 00:03:37 - Can you ever really be fully ready? 00:05:05 - Scripts vs. skills: what's more effective? 00:06:11 - Over-preparing can backfire 00:08:47 - The power of the "three solutions" method 00:09:39 - Shared values over perfect preparation 📺 Lif...
May 05, 2025•13 min•Ep. 287
Episode 236: The episode where the guys talk too long about systems thinking, behavioral psychology, and the equation of value. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:29 - Celebrating milestones and new formats 00:02:44 - What is systems thinking? 00:05:24 - Applying systems thinking to CS 00:07:17 - The psychology vs. systems debate 00:12:37 - Breaking down a fiery customer episode 00:17:13 - The art of customer objections 00:21:02 - The upsell power of systems and empathy 00:32:42 - Value, perc...
May 02, 2025•43 min•Ep. 286
Episode 235: Erdem Gelal, co-founder and CEO of Flowla, thinks we're standing inside a small window of opportunity. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:19 - The surprising truth about VAT 00:02:39 - How VAT became a viral success 00:03:03 - Unlocking emotional cues with AI 00:04:44 - Why being human at scale matters 00:07:35 - Tips to make communication about them 00:08:04 - Does scaling humanity feel fake? 00:09:29 - Keeping the human touch with technology 00:10:25 - Outro 📺 Lifetime Value: ...
May 01, 2025•13 min•Ep. 285
Episode 234: Karla Kannan reimagines what it means to onboard a customer. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:18 - Why education drives customer adoption 00:02:37 - Measuring education levels and usage 00:03:51 - True adoption vs. simple usage 00:05:33 - Spotting churn risks without usage data 00:07:09 - The inspiration behind Chimera's name 00:07:30 - Branding lessons from Karla's journey 00:08:44 - Lean Six Sigma's surprising CS impact 00:10:08 - Outro 📺 Lifetime Value: Your Destination for...
Apr 30, 2025•12 min•Ep. 284
Episode 233: Candy Irlanda is tired of the obtuse JD! ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:21 - Candy and J.P.'s LinkedIn friendship 00:02:26 - What grinds Candy’s gears about job listings 00:03:16 - HR systems and the art of bad postings 00:03:39 - Nasty world, nasty work: J.P.'s rant 00:05:19 - When job descriptions change on you 00:06:10 - U.S. labor laws vs. global realities 00:06:56 - How to spot red flags when interviewing 00:08:02 - No barking, just closing thoughts 00:09:12 - Outro 📺 L...
Apr 29, 2025•10 min•Ep. 283
Episode 232: Gurp Singh wants the answers to the test ahead of time. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:00 - A story of pain, passion, and action 00:05:07 - Mixing pain with pleasure in customer success 00:05:47 - CS lessons from reviving a music legacy 00:06:24 - Practical applications of personal passion 00:09:34 - Bridging the gap between CS and sales 00:12:23 - The addiction model of sales discovery 00:12:45 - Outro 📺 Lifetime Value: Your Destination for GTM content Website: https://www....
Apr 28, 2025•13 min•Ep. 282
Episode 231: Do you treat each of your customers like a boss that holds the leash? ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:19 - CS is not for me 00:02:58 - Who’s the boss? The customer... kinda 00:05:02 - Meeting overload and the myth of agency 00:05:57 - Power dynamics and setting the agenda 00:07:51 - Misaligned roles and the wrong career fit 00:09:13 - Why teachers turn to customer success 00:10:13 - Seeking creation and completion in CS 00:10:36 - Context matters 📺 Lifetime Value: Your Destin...
Apr 25, 2025•13 min•Ep. 281
Episode 230: Rob, JP, and Dillon liken CS to the most electric player in the 2025 NFL draft. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:19 - Offense meets defense in the NFL Draft 00:02:11 - Football strategy and customer success 00:03:28 - Playing both sides in the CS world 00:04:00 - Burnout is the injury of our field 00:05:34 - The 40-hour paradox in customer success 00:08:15 - Punished by our own versatility 00:10:06 - Specialization vs. startup generalists 00:11:13 - CSMs crave clarity over chao...
Apr 24, 2025•14 min•Ep. 280
Episode 229: Matt Bennett returns to talk about his career evolution at the early stage company where he works. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:31 - Embracing the power of generalists 00:05:13 - The blurred lines between CS and product 00:06:05 - Making the leap: How Matt carved his path 00:08:09 - Could this be a chief of staff role? 00:10:11 - The gap-bridging role every company needs 00:11:57 - The elusive job title dilemma 00:13:15 - Book tips and keeping your zen in CS 📺 Lifetime Val...
Apr 23, 2025•16 min•Ep. 279
Episode 228: Neil Bhammar has a vision for how we'll spend our days as artificial intelligence further embeds in our work lives. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:56 - The walk-and-work vision for the future 00:02:48 - Rob goes screenless with voice AI 00:04:11 - Rethinking productivity, not just efficiency 00:05:36 - JP’s cornhole dreams and communal time 00:07:39 - Capitalism vs. the agreeable workload 00:09:07 - Building tools for better human focus 00:11:04 - Accessibility beyond conveni...
Apr 22, 2025•13 min•Ep. 278
Episode 227: Laura Jark wonders: how can we clean the clutter off the CSMs' proverbial work desk? ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:22 - AI, role shifts, and the future of CSMs 00:02:31 - Why internal org noise impacts CS too 00:03:54 - Reframing value: Price is Right style 00:04:11 - Who does CS really serve first? 00:05:07 - How team charters drive focus and clarity 00:05:38 - JP’s blueprint for cutting the clutter 00:09:36 - Keeping the CS mission fresh and personal 📺 Lifetime Value: You...
Apr 21, 2025•13 min•Ep. 277
Episode 226: It all comes back to money. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:51 - Rapid-fire questions kick off 00:01:05 - Follow the money mindset 00:02:56 - Triangles, trust, and success metrics 00:03:52 - Forecasting revenue like a pro 00:04:51 - The CSM role is evolving fast 00:07:13 - Tools that truly save time 00:08:22 - ROI and internal tech buy-in 00:09:41 - AI assistants are here to help (??) 📺 Lifetime Value: Your Destination for GTM content Website: https://www.lifetimevaluemedia.c...
Apr 18, 2025•12 min•Ep. 276
Episode 225: Ted Blosser, CEO of WorkRamp, breaks down the recent acquisition of Skilljar by Gainsight. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:16 - Ted Blosser & WorkRamp 00:02:04 - LMS shake-up: Skilljar acquired 00:02:57 - Platform consolidation vs. point solutions 00:04:43 - The shifting buyer mindset 00:06:17 - Rob’s LMS lightbulb moment 00:07:42 - 10,000 hours saved with LMS 00:09:01 - Education as a cost-saving strategy 00:09:29 - JP’s take on internal LMS use 📺 Lifetime Value: Your De...
Apr 17, 2025•14 min•Ep. 275
Episode 224: Everything wants your attention. Onboard.io cofounder Will Stevenson encourages you to maintain your focus. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:19 - The power of focus in a noisy world 00:03:15 - Dodging trends and staying on course 00:04:43 - AI hype vs. real product value 00:05:30 - Finding your purpose on LinkedIn 00:08:05 - Let CSMs do what matters most 00:10:55 - Posting, ghosting, and the reality of LinkedIn 📺 Lifetime Value: Your Destination for GTM content Website: https:...
Apr 16, 2025•14 min•Ep. 274
Episode 223: Archana Somasegar believes in a future where CS is fundamentally human. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:55 - The AI debate in customer success 00:02:48 - Demystifying how MindMe works 00:04:22 - The inspiration behind the mission 00:06:28 - Seamless integration and user experience 00:07:26 - Market trends and AI engagement boom 00:09:40 - Clarifying AI’s role in CS outcomes 00:11:37 - Empowering humans, not replacing them 📺 Lifetime Value: Your Destination for GTM content Web...
Apr 15, 2025•15 min•Ep. 273
Episode 222: Emre Tekoglu sees opportunity in every support interaction. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:23 - Why support holds the retention key 00:02:31 - Beyond solving: Decoding support signals 00:04:29 - Collaboration over competition post-sales 00:05:36 - Escaping the ticket trap 00:08:44 - Support’s role in renewal strategies 00:09:59 - A mindset shift in customer care 00:10:59 - Until next time 📺 Lifetime Value: Your Destination for GTM content Website: https://www.lifetimevalueme...
Apr 14, 2025•13 min•Ep. 272
Episode 221: Zach Hawtof is here to say: "AI may take our jobs, but it will never take our communities!" ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:28 - Building digital communities for the future 00:04:51 - AI’s role in community and personalization 00:06:39 - IRL events vs digital platforms 00:08:14 - The power of niche and global connection 00:09:30 - Customers helping customers: a hidden gem 00:10:45 - Community champions as the original AI 00:12:17 - Escaping the grind with real interaction 00:1...
Apr 11, 2025•17 min•Ep. 271
