[WiCS PowerUp Spotlight] The Customer Success Talent Playbook

1 00:00:08,480 - > 00:00:12,080 SPEAKER_00: Hi everyone, this is Maria Skobe-Pillet, and you're 2 00:00:12,080 - > 00:00:16,160 listening to Women in Customer Success podcast, the first 3 00:00:16,160 - > 00:00:19,679 women-only podcast where remarkable ladies of customer 4 00:00:19,679 - > 00:00:23,760 success share their stories and practical tools to help you 5 00:00:23,760 - > 00:00:25,760 succeed and make an impact. 6 00:00:26,000 - > 00:00:30,160 If you want to learn more about customer success, get career 7 00:00:30,160 - > 00:00:34,000 advice and be inspired, you're in the right place. 8 00:00:34,240 - > 00:00:36,000 So let's tune in. 9 00:00:48,560 - > 00:00:51,280 SPEAKER_01: My name is Maria, and I'm your host today. 10 00:00:51,359 - > 00:00:56,079 And I'm really excited to present a panel of gorgeous 11 00:00:56,079 - > 00:00:57,119 women today. 12 00:00:57,759 - > 00:01:04,000 They all are special, they all are experts in customer success. 13 00:01:04,400 - > 00:01:10,799 They all bring loads of varied background and experience in the 14 00:01:10,799 - > 00:01:11,439 industry. 15 00:01:11,760 - > 00:01:16,000 And they also are book authors because recently they published 16 00:01:16,000 - > 00:01:18,879 a book called Customer Success Talent Playbooks. 17 00:01:18,959 - > 00:01:22,799 And I'm super excited to speak about that book today, to 18 00:01:22,799 - > 00:01:26,480 understand what happened, what was the idea behind the book? 19 00:01:26,719 - > 00:01:29,439 How did they all write together? 20 00:01:30,079 - > 00:01:35,200 How did they even do it in terms of getting to go on calls 21 00:01:35,200 - > 00:01:35,519 together? 22 00:01:35,680 - > 00:01:36,799 What was the scheduling like? 23 00:01:36,879 - > 00:01:39,439 There are so many things that we want to talk about today, but 24 00:01:39,439 - > 00:01:43,439 most importantly, we really want to bring to light some of the 25 00:01:43,439 - > 00:01:46,560 challenges that customer success leaders are facing today. 26 00:01:46,719 - > 00:01:49,760 So thank you to all who are following us today, who are 27 00:01:49,760 - > 00:01:52,719 listening live, or even if you're listening to the 28 00:01:52,719 - > 00:01:54,799 recording at some point in the future. 29 00:01:55,040 - > 00:01:58,879 This is Power Up Spotlight, and I'm really excited to introduce 30 00:01:58,879 - > 00:02:00,159 the panel today. 31 00:02:00,400 - > 00:02:04,879 So, ladies, as you introduce yourself, I would like you to 32 00:02:04,879 - > 00:02:10,240 tell us, of course, your name, what do you do, but also why are 33 00:02:10,240 - > 00:02:12,560 you the expert in your section of the book? 34 00:02:12,719 - > 00:02:15,439 Like what makes you uniquely positioned to write that part? 35 00:02:15,520 - > 00:02:19,599 And then we'll go into the details of what was the content 36 00:02:19,599 - > 00:02:20,000 of it. 37 00:02:20,240 - > 00:02:23,360 And I will be going through schedule based on what I see on 38 00:02:23,360 - > 00:02:23,759 my screen. 39 00:02:23,840 - > 00:02:26,240 So, Parol, let's start from you. 40 00:02:26,800 - > 00:02:30,800 SPEAKER_07: Hi everyone, my name is Parl Bandari, and I wrote 41 00:02:30,800 - > 00:02:34,800 section two of the Customer Success Talent playbook. 42 00:02:35,120 - > 00:02:38,479 My day job is that I'm a fractional customer success 43 00:02:38,639 - > 00:02:41,840 executive and I help scaling teams. 44 00:02:42,159 - > 00:02:44,960 But why I was so passionate about this section, and the 45 00:02:44,960 - > 00:02:49,840 section is focused on titles and setting expectations for roles. 46 00:02:50,319 - > 00:02:53,680 Why I was so passionate about it is actually rooted in a previous 47 00:02:53,680 - > 00:02:57,919 career I had, which was as an HR business partner at a large CPG 48 00:02:57,919 - > 00:03:02,400 firm, where I really learned about the importance of title 49 00:03:02,400 - > 00:03:06,400 and salary and how it impacts longevity in a person's role. 50 00:03:06,560 - > 00:03:10,159 So when Swati had the opportunity to write this book, 51 00:03:10,240 - > 00:03:13,120 I thought this would just be a great section to provide some 52 00:03:13,120 - > 00:03:15,840 insight on and also share with the community. 53 00:03:16,159 - > 00:03:16,719 SPEAKER_01: Wonderful. 54 00:03:16,800 - > 00:03:18,639 It's great to have you here, Paul. 55 00:03:19,120 - > 00:03:20,879 Next one, EME. 56 00:03:21,680 - > 00:03:24,000 SPEAKER_03: Hi everyone, and thanks, Mia, for having us on. 57 00:03:24,080 - > 00:03:29,199 I'm Aja May Aramaselli, and I wrote the section on fit. 58 00:03:29,919 - > 00:03:31,439 I'll get into that in a second. 59 00:03:31,599 - > 00:03:35,759 But uh by day, I run customer growth, so retention and 60 00:03:35,759 - > 00:03:38,639 expansion for a company called QIC. 61 00:03:38,800 - > 00:03:42,719 We support enterprises that deliver AI agents for customer 62 00:03:42,719 - > 00:03:44,639 service and customer experience. 63 00:03:44,800 - > 00:03:48,159 And I'm also the founder of Success in Black, which is a 64 00:03:48,159 - > 00:03:51,599 community to advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion, 65 00:03:51,680 - > 00:03:55,439 and customer success, and specifically helping Black 66 00:03:55,439 - > 00:03:59,599 talent achieve CS roles and grow in their roles. 67 00:03:59,759 - > 00:04:03,599 So the section on fit was, you know, really important to me. 68 00:04:03,759 - > 00:04:08,319 I'm an immigrant to the US, I'm a Black woman, you know, we all 69 00:04:08,319 - > 00:04:11,599 have varying degrees and dimensions of diversity. 70 00:04:11,919 - > 00:04:15,759 And it was really important to highlight how, as customer 71 00:04:15,759 - > 00:04:20,079 success, our function is a blend of heart and head, and people 72 00:04:20,079 - > 00:04:21,279 are at the center of it. 73 00:04:21,439 - > 00:04:25,680 And so creating inclusive teams, we all know they perform better. 74 00:04:25,839 - > 00:04:30,160 So really helping leaders and candidates position fit as a 75 00:04:30,160 - > 00:04:32,639 differentiator and as a value add. 76 00:04:32,800 - > 00:04:36,399 So I'm really excited that we were able to put those ideas uh 77 00:04:36,399 - > 00:04:40,000 into the book form and excited to share that with the world. 78 00:04:41,120 - > 00:04:42,240 SPEAKER_01: Thank you very much. 79 00:04:42,480 - > 00:04:43,920 SPEAKER_06: Next one, Swati. 80 00:04:44,480 - > 00:04:45,360 Hi, how are you? 81 00:04:45,519 - > 00:04:46,879 Thanks so much for having me today. 82 00:04:47,040 - > 00:04:48,000 We are so excited. 83 00:04:48,160 - > 00:04:49,439 I'm Swati Garg. 84 00:04:49,680 - > 00:04:50,720 Nice to meet you, everyone. 85 00:04:50,879 - > 00:04:54,560 I wrote section one of the Customer Success Talent Playbook 86 00:04:54,560 - > 00:04:56,560 on recruiting and job search. 87 00:04:56,720 - > 00:04:59,360 Um, I'm the CEO of Milo Associates. 88 00:04:59,600 - > 00:05:04,000 We are a recruiting or a talent firm focused in all revenue, but 89 00:05:04,000 - > 00:05:06,879 really where we started and what we're known for is post-sales 90 00:05:07,040 - > 00:05:09,120 and customer success recruitment. 91 00:05:09,279 - > 00:05:11,279 Um, and that's where our expertise lies. 92 00:05:11,439 - > 00:05:14,160 So we've been doing this for about a decade, and that's where 93 00:05:14,160 - > 00:05:14,639 we started. 94 00:05:14,879 - > 00:05:18,079 So I've really gotten to know the role and the growth and the 95 00:05:18,079 - > 00:05:20,000 evolution of the function. 96 00:05:20,399 - > 00:05:24,720 And really, that's why I feel like, you know, I I was am one 97 00:05:24,720 - > 00:05:28,000 of the experts to write my section and feel really good 98 00:05:28,000 - > 00:05:28,480 about it. 99 00:05:28,720 - > 00:05:32,720 I also am the co-founder of Cusp, a Chicago customer success 100 00:05:32,720 - > 00:05:35,839 community here with over 400 members and growing. 101 00:05:36,079 - > 00:05:38,639 So really love building community and just really 102 00:05:38,639 - > 00:05:41,439 getting to know everyone and really, really excited to be 103 00:05:41,439 - > 00:05:41,839 here today. 104 00:05:42,079 - > 00:05:42,560 Thank you. 105 00:05:43,439 - > 00:05:44,800 SPEAKER_01: Great to have you here, Swati. 106 00:05:45,199 - > 00:05:47,360 Next one, let's introduce Elizabeth. 107 00:05:47,759 - > 00:05:48,319 SPEAKER_04: Hello. 108 00:05:48,480 - > 00:05:49,519 Thanks for having us. 109 00:05:49,759 - > 00:05:51,120 Elizabeth Blass here. 110 00:05:51,279 - > 00:05:55,360 I am uh chief customer officer for a company called Carbon. 111 00:05:55,600 - > 00:05:58,079 Um I'm also based in Chicago. 112 00:05:58,480 - > 00:06:02,399 And my section is all about career progression. 113 00:06:02,720 - > 00:06:08,000 And I was just the most, I guess the luckiest that I grew up in 114 00:06:08,000 - > 00:06:11,600 my career with incredible mentors and sponsors, many of 115 00:06:11,600 - > 00:06:14,240 them who were women, just the most incredible women. 116 00:06:14,319 - > 00:06:17,600 And I've always been really passionate about finding your 117 00:06:17,600 - > 00:06:19,759 path and working your way up. 118 00:06:19,839 - > 00:06:24,079 And this section of the book is all about how you can best do 119 00:06:24,240 - > 00:06:24,480 that. 120 00:06:24,639 - > 00:06:28,399 And I do a lot of mentoring as well as often as I can, helping 121 00:06:28,399 - > 00:06:29,839 people navigate their careers. 122 00:06:29,920 - > 00:06:32,720 And at this point in my career, I think I I have a lot to say 123 00:06:32,720 - > 00:06:34,800 about career progression, and I'm looking forward to the 124 00:06:34,800 - > 00:06:36,000 conversation today. 125 00:06:36,399 - > 00:06:37,759 SPEAKER_01: Well, thank you for being here. 126 00:06:38,000 - > 00:06:41,439 Absolutely had a wonderful career trajectory so far. 127 00:06:41,680 - > 00:06:43,439 Looking forward to more insights. 128 00:06:43,680 - > 00:06:44,959 Next one, Kristen. 129 00:06:46,000 - > 00:06:49,920 SPEAKER_02: Hi, thank you so much for making this a reality. 130 00:06:50,000 - > 00:06:51,600 We're so excited to be here. 131 00:06:51,759 - > 00:06:53,199 My name is Kristen Hare. 132 00:06:53,439 - > 00:06:56,399 I'm the founder and CEO of the Success League. 133 00:06:56,560 - > 00:07:01,519 We're a customer success and go-to-market training and 134 00:07:01,519 - > 00:07:02,800 consulting firm. 135 00:07:03,120 - > 00:07:06,240 And so my part of the book was really on training. 136 00:07:06,399 - > 00:07:10,000 I think training unfortunately gets looked at as a little bit 137 00:07:10,000 - > 00:07:12,480 of an afterthought for hiring. 138 00:07:12,800 - > 00:07:16,319 And it's really something that should just be an extension of 139 00:07:16,319 - > 00:07:17,439 the hiring process. 140 00:07:17,600 - > 00:07:20,560 And so I got to write that part of the book. 141 00:07:20,639 - > 00:07:25,920 Um, the Success League has been training in our field for about 142 00:07:25,920 - > 00:07:27,680 a decade at this point. 143 00:07:27,920 - > 00:07:32,319 And um, prior to starting the Success League, I was a customer 144 00:07:32,319 - > 00:07:35,519 success and sales executive who had teams to train. 145 00:07:35,680 - > 00:07:39,600 And a lot of what I learned from trying to train teams without a 146 00:07:39,600 - > 00:07:43,759 whole lot of budget and, you know, sometimes with no budget 147 00:07:44,160 - > 00:07:48,639 went into my chapters in the book that really talk about, you 148 00:07:48,639 - > 00:07:52,800 know, how can you make sure that your people are effectively 149 00:07:52,800 - > 00:07:56,160 trained and brought up to speed when sometimes you don't have a 150 00:07:56,160 - > 00:07:58,079 whole lot of budget or money to work with. 151 00:07:58,160 - > 00:08:00,160 And so we get into a lot of that. 152 00:08:00,319 - > 00:08:04,800 And also how if you are a CS professional, you can take 153 00:08:04,800 - > 00:08:06,959 ownership of your own education. 154 00:08:08,160 - > 00:08:08,959 SPEAKER_01: Thank you, Kristen. 155 00:08:09,120 - > 00:08:11,519 I'm very much looking forward to hearing more about that. 156 00:08:11,759 - > 00:08:14,480 And last but not least, Julie. 157 00:08:15,040 - > 00:08:15,360 SPEAKER_05: Yes. 158 00:08:15,439 - > 00:08:18,879 Hi, I'm Julie Fox, and I lead digital and scaled customer 159 00:08:18,879 - > 00:08:22,480 success at Highland, where I'm focused on building programs 160 00:08:22,480 - > 00:08:25,439 that support thousands of customers while still driving 161 00:08:25,439 - > 00:08:28,959 meaningful outcomes like retention, adoption, and growth. 162 00:08:29,199 - > 00:08:32,960 Over the course of my career, I have led customer success orgs 163 00:08:33,200 - > 00:08:37,440 across both high-touch enterprise models and scaled 164 00:08:37,440 - > 00:08:41,360 environments, managing portfolios ranging from millions 165 00:08:41,360 - > 00:08:43,279 to billions in ARR. 166 00:08:43,440 - > 00:08:46,720 And I've also built global teams and programs that support 167 00:08:46,720 - > 00:08:49,840 thousands of customers at scale, which has given me a real 168 00:08:49,840 - > 00:08:53,120 perspective on what it takes to grow, both as a team, but also 169 00:08:53,120 - > 00:08:54,720 as an individual within it. 170 00:08:54,960 - > 00:08:58,320 And what's been just as important in my own journey is 171 00:08:58,320 - > 00:09:02,080 how much networking, community, and personal brand has shaped my 172 00:09:02,080 - > 00:09:02,480 career. 173 00:09:02,799 - > 00:09:05,440 Many of my biggest opportunities that I've had, whether it's 174 00:09:05,440 - > 00:09:08,000 leadership roles, uh partnerships, or even writing 175 00:09:08,000 - > 00:09:10,960 this book, have come through relationships in the communities 176 00:09:10,960 - > 00:09:12,000 that I've been a part of. 177 00:09:12,159 - > 00:09:16,639 So my chapter focuses or my section focuses on exactly that 178 00:09:16,799 - > 00:09:20,480 community networking and your brand, not just as a side 179 00:09:20,480 - > 00:09:23,919 conversation, but as a core driver of career growth and 180 00:09:23,919 - > 00:09:25,200 customer success. 181 00:09:26,480 - > 00:09:27,039 SPEAKER_01: 100%. 182 00:09:27,440 - > 00:09:28,559 I can agree to that. 183 00:09:28,799 - > 00:09:32,480 Speaking of in the last few years or since we started Women 184 00:09:32,480 - > 00:09:35,840 in Customer Success podcast, I do believe that I have spoken to 185 00:09:35,840 - > 00:09:38,000 each of you in a separate episode. 186 00:09:38,159 - > 00:09:41,360 So for everybody listening, if you want to get to know each of 187 00:09:41,360 - > 00:09:45,200 these remarkable women even better, feel free to tune into 188 00:09:45,440 - > 00:09:46,480 that episode. 189 00:09:47,120 - > 00:09:50,240 A part of Elizabeth, because once she said, Oh, you know, 190 00:09:50,320 - > 00:09:54,960 Maria, I am, you know, I'm part of many different communities. 191 00:09:55,200 - > 00:09:59,039 I am active, but I am trying to avoid podcast appearances. 192 00:09:59,200 - > 00:10:02,399 So at some point, I think that we made a deal, Elizabeth, that 193 00:10:02,399 - > 00:10:05,039 that will stop, that you will come on a podcast. 194 00:10:05,200 - > 00:10:08,240 At some point, of course, no pressure at all. 195 00:10:08,399 - > 00:10:12,000 But I'm super happy to have you all here today because this is 196 00:10:12,159 - > 00:10:14,000 kind of podcast, but not 100%. 197 00:10:14,559 - > 00:10:17,600 Anyway, super happy to hear from all of you today. 198 00:10:17,759 - > 00:10:21,279 Now, as I mentioned, many of you, or all of you actually, are 199 00:10:21,279 - > 00:10:24,639 involved in so many different types of communities for 200 00:10:24,639 - > 00:10:28,000 customer success, for customer experience, different networks, 201 00:10:28,240 - > 00:10:31,279 different, absolutely everything that is out there that is 202 00:10:31,279 - > 00:10:35,360 helping you be in touch with the current trends, be in touch with 203 00:10:35,360 - > 00:10:38,960 the industry, network, build your brand, as you said, Julie. 204 00:10:39,120 - > 00:10:44,080 But then on top of all of it, a book came into existence, and 205 00:10:44,080 - > 00:10:45,360 that is a process. 206 00:10:45,600 - > 00:10:50,799 So I really wonder to start with, firstly, what was the even 207 00:10:50,879 - > 00:10:52,000 idea behind the book? 208 00:10:52,159 - > 00:10:53,440 Like how did it all start? 209 00:10:53,600 - > 00:10:55,120 Where is the idea coming from? 210 00:10:55,200 - > 00:10:58,399 Because all of you have already been involved in so many 211 00:10:58,399 - > 00:11:00,799 different ways in thought leadership. 212 00:11:00,960 - > 00:11:03,360 And Swati, I would like to start with you. 213 00:11:03,600 - > 00:11:04,720 What happened? 214 00:11:05,120 - > 00:11:05,600 SPEAKER_06: Thank you. 215 00:11:05,840 - > 00:11:09,679 I think it was just, you know, there was a lot of books coming 216 00:11:09,679 - > 00:11:12,480 out, and I didn't feel like a lot of any of the books were 217 00:11:12,480 - > 00:11:14,399 really focused on the talent piece. 218 00:11:14,639 - > 00:11:18,000 And I had all these different topics in mind that I wanted to 219 00:11:18,000 - > 00:11:21,279 talk about, but I really didn't want to do it alone. 220 00:11:21,440 - > 00:11:25,039 And so um writing a book is as you'll we'll talk about today, 221 00:11:25,120 - > 00:11:26,480 is a big process. 222 00:11:26,720 - > 00:11:29,279 And I also think that it's important to have different 223 00:11:29,279 - > 00:11:30,879 voices and different expertise. 224 00:11:31,120 - > 00:11:35,360 I have this external like talent lens, but I wanted internal 225 00:11:35,360 - > 00:11:36,639 practitioners as well. 226 00:11:36,879 - > 00:11:38,559 So I first call was Farl. 227 00:11:38,720 - > 00:11:41,840 I called her and and we talked about it and she was interested. 228 00:11:42,000 - > 00:11:45,600 And then um I knew who I kind of wanted for the who I wanted to 229 00:11:45,600 - > 00:11:48,960 invite for the other sections, and everyone's here today. 230 00:11:49,039 - > 00:11:51,919 They all said yes when we got on our first call within a week, 231 00:11:52,080 - > 00:11:53,200 and it was really exciting. 232 00:11:53,279 - > 00:11:57,200 It's we worked very diligently, and it took us about 22 months 233 00:11:57,200 - > 00:11:58,480 to kind of get this out the door. 234 00:11:58,639 - > 00:12:00,559 And like I said, we're really proud of it. 235 00:12:00,639 - > 00:12:03,200 And I will say that for the next decade. 236 00:12:03,279 - > 00:12:06,639 I mean, I think we put so much love and energy into this book, 237 00:12:06,960 - > 00:12:13,279 and I was beyond just thrilled and just so appreciative of how 238 00:12:13,279 - > 00:12:16,720 much energy every single person put into this book. 239 00:12:16,960 - > 00:12:19,360 And we all didn't know each other super well either. 240 00:12:19,440 - > 00:12:23,600 So there was a lot of trust, and a lot of it was me just inviting 241 00:12:23,600 - > 00:12:26,559 people because I've seen them through the community, or I've 242 00:12:26,559 - > 00:12:29,279 met them, or I was really impressed with what they were 243 00:12:29,279 - > 00:12:31,519 doing, and it all worked out really well. 244 00:12:32,879 - > 00:12:34,639 SPEAKER_01: Parul, what was your experience? 245 00:12:34,720 - > 00:12:37,360 So you were the second person, or actually the first person at 246 00:12:37,360 - > 00:12:41,200 Swati shared the idea of would you like to be a co-author? 247 00:12:41,600 - > 00:12:43,279 What made you say yes? 248 00:12:43,919 - > 00:12:44,639 SPEAKER_07: It was interesting. 249 00:12:44,799 - > 00:12:47,840 So I think all of us, maybe, and I think we've talked about this. 250 00:12:47,919 - > 00:12:51,120 We, you know, I always thought writing a business book was 251 00:12:51,120 - > 00:12:55,759 something I wanted to do, but having to do it alone was a bit 252 00:12:55,759 - > 00:12:57,039 daunting, honestly. 253 00:12:57,200 - > 00:12:59,919 And so when Swati and I were chatting, I think we were 254 00:12:59,919 - > 00:13:02,960 chatting about writing some ebooks, you know, something that 255 00:13:02,960 - > 00:13:04,879 was easy to distribute and complete. 256 00:13:05,039 - > 00:13:07,919 And then we started talking about it like, why can't we just 257 00:13:07,919 - > 00:13:08,480 do the book? 258 00:13:08,559 - > 00:13:08,720 Right. 259 00:13:08,879 - > 00:13:12,480 And when what I was really attracted to is one, having 260 00:13:13,039 - > 00:13:16,320 thought leadership, but also companionship in the journey. 261 00:13:16,559 - > 00:13:20,080 And I will say honestly, I think we needed each other, right? 262 00:13:20,159 - > 00:13:22,960 I think having editors, having co-editors, I've talked about 263 00:13:22,960 - > 00:13:24,879 this with you, Maria, like having people to really have 264 00:13:24,879 - > 00:13:28,240 your back throughout this process, work together, it made 265 00:13:28,240 - > 00:13:31,679 this much more of a rich experience, personally. 266 00:13:33,440 - > 00:13:35,440 SPEAKER_01: I love that companionship. 267 00:13:35,679 - > 00:13:38,240 Long time ago, when I was studying, I remember my 268 00:13:38,240 - > 00:13:41,759 professor always saying writing is thinking. 269 00:13:41,919 - > 00:13:44,000 I would even say, you know, talking is thinking. 270 00:13:44,159 - > 00:13:47,279 Even when you have any idea and you're sharing within a group, 271 00:13:47,440 - > 00:13:50,000 that is becoming the actual thought process. 272 00:13:50,080 - > 00:13:53,360 And I'm so glad that you did it together and brought so much 273 00:13:53,360 - > 00:13:55,200 wisdom for all of us today. 274 00:13:55,360 - > 00:14:00,320 Um, Elizabeth, I remember once you mentioned, oh, it was it was 275 00:14:00,320 - > 00:14:04,000 like, you know, submitting your paper in school for grading 276 00:14:04,080 - > 00:14:07,200 because you're not only writing for yourself and audience, but 277 00:14:07,200 - > 00:14:08,960 for for experts in the room. 278 00:14:09,039 - > 00:14:13,759 So how was it really being that vulnerable to present your ideas 279 00:14:13,759 - > 00:14:18,320 to you know very small, close circle of other experts that in 280 00:14:18,320 - > 00:14:22,720 a way would be judging it and maybe editing and and providing 281 00:14:22,720 - > 00:14:24,639 additional thoughts and ideas? 282 00:14:25,200 - > 00:14:27,600 SPEAKER_04: Oh, you're bringing back some of the anxiety, just 283 00:14:27,600 - > 00:14:28,320 thinking about it. 284 00:14:28,480 - > 00:14:32,559 I mean, we yeah, I I didn't know all of these incredible women um 285 00:14:32,879 - > 00:14:34,879 very well when we started. 286 00:14:35,039 - > 00:14:38,559 And so it is a very vulnerable position to be in, you know, 287 00:14:38,639 - > 00:14:41,440 going through and we we all spent a lot of time writing our 288 00:14:41,440 - > 00:14:41,840 sections. 289 00:14:41,919 - > 00:14:45,120 And so when we got to that moment of editing one another, 290 00:14:45,200 - > 00:14:48,799 and you know, we kind of started by doing the section, I think 291 00:14:48,960 - > 00:14:51,120 before hours and after ours for flow. 292 00:14:51,440 - > 00:14:55,519 And then and then ultimately, you know, we we read everyone's 293 00:14:55,519 - > 00:14:56,879 sections multiple times. 294 00:14:56,960 - > 00:15:00,559 And and I know the the first time that we kind of said, okay, 295 00:15:00,720 - > 00:15:04,720 we're gonna read each other's, I uh I just kept checking, you 296 00:15:04,720 - > 00:15:06,240 know, like late at night, early in the morning. 297 00:15:06,320 - > 00:15:07,039 Did anyone read it? 298 00:15:07,120 - > 00:15:08,080 Did anyone have comments? 299 00:15:08,240 - > 00:15:10,159 Did they, you know, tell me to start over? 300 00:15:10,320 - > 00:15:12,960 Of course that wasn't the case, but just that moment of what are 301 00:15:12,960 - > 00:15:13,519 they going to think? 302 00:15:13,679 - > 00:15:17,440 These are women that I highly respect, value their opinions. 303 00:15:17,519 - > 00:15:19,360 Um, they've had such great experiences. 304 00:15:19,519 - > 00:15:22,799 And um it's just funny how instantly vulnerable you can 305 00:15:22,799 - > 00:15:24,799 feel when you're sharing something that you've, you know, 306 00:15:24,879 - > 00:15:28,480 kind of poured your heart out onto the page, and then you you 307 00:15:28,480 - > 00:15:29,919 wait for um input. 308 00:15:30,000 - > 00:15:34,080 And we all had incredible, I think, input for one another, I 309 00:15:34,080 - > 00:15:35,440 mean, in a supportive way. 310 00:15:35,679 - > 00:15:38,879 But it was, yeah, it was very there was anxiety involved for 311 00:15:38,879 - > 00:15:39,519 sure. 312 00:15:40,000 - > 00:15:40,639 SPEAKER_01: Anxiety. 313 00:15:40,720 - > 00:15:43,759 But I'm just thinking for all the all the ladies who are 314 00:15:43,759 - > 00:15:47,200 potentially experiencing imposter syndrome and they're 315 00:15:47,200 - > 00:15:50,159 listening, yeah, it happens to the best as well. 316 00:15:50,240 - > 00:15:53,519 Even when you are kind of approached and selected as an 317 00:15:53,519 - > 00:15:57,360 expert to write on the topic that you are highly familiar 318 00:15:57,360 - > 00:16:01,600 with, you can still feel like that, oh, I'm vulnerable. 319 00:16:01,679 - > 00:16:02,639 What will they say? 320 00:16:02,720 - > 00:16:05,759 But I'm so glad that you all went through the process. 321 00:16:06,000 - > 00:16:07,200 Julie, what about you? 322 00:16:07,360 - > 00:16:09,200 Your initial experience. 323 00:16:09,679 - > 00:16:10,159 SPEAKER_05: Yeah. 324 00:16:10,480 - > 00:16:13,039 So getting to know this group of people, I think was really 325 00:16:13,039 - > 00:16:13,440 incredible. 326 00:16:13,519 - > 00:16:16,320 Just having the opportunity to get to know them on a much 327 00:16:16,320 - > 00:16:17,360 deeper level. 328 00:16:17,679 - > 00:16:22,559 For me, writing my section was very therapeutic almost. 329 00:16:22,639 - > 00:16:27,519 Um, I had a really unique experience where I rewrote most 330 00:16:27,519 - > 00:16:29,840 of my section because I was actually going through my own 331 00:16:29,840 - > 00:16:30,399 job search. 332 00:16:30,480 - > 00:16:33,200 So originally when I wrote everything, it was much more 333 00:16:33,200 - > 00:16:36,240 conceptual, much more focused on what I believed about 334 00:16:36,240 - > 00:16:38,080 networking, community, and personal brand. 335 00:16:38,240 - > 00:16:41,200 But when you're actively navigating a transition, those 336 00:16:41,200 - > 00:16:43,840 things become very real very quickly. 337 00:16:44,000 - > 00:16:47,440 And I think that's what I went back and kind of rewrote certain 338 00:16:47,440 - > 00:16:50,879 areas because I wanted to make sure that the content that I was 339 00:16:50,879 - > 00:16:54,159 writing would resonate with the audience that is going through 340 00:16:54,159 - > 00:16:55,200 these different experiences. 341 00:16:55,279 - > 00:16:58,240 So I found myself leaning heavily on my own network, 342 00:16:58,399 - > 00:17:01,840 having conversations, asking for advice, getting introduced to 343 00:17:01,840 - > 00:17:02,480 opportunities. 344 00:17:02,639 - > 00:17:05,599 So I went back, rewrote those parts of the chapter based on 345 00:17:05,599 - > 00:17:06,400 those experiences. 346 00:17:06,559 - > 00:17:10,480 And I think that was something that was really welcomed by this 347 00:17:10,480 - > 00:17:13,599 group for me to, if anything, I was the last one to get 348 00:17:13,599 - > 00:17:14,400 everything done. 349 00:17:14,559 - > 00:17:17,200 But it was because I wanted to make sure that what I was 350 00:17:17,200 - > 00:17:20,079 writing would resonate, would pull in all of that. 351 00:17:20,160 - > 00:17:22,720 And so being able to have everybody go back and reread my 352 00:17:22,720 - > 00:17:26,160 sections, I really appreciated kind of the advice, the support 353 00:17:26,160 - > 00:17:27,440 that they provided. 354 00:17:28,000 - > 00:17:30,880 SPEAKER_01: And I wonder in that whole writing process and 355 00:17:31,119 - > 00:17:35,440 getting more familiar with each other, Jume, what would you say? 356 00:17:35,599 - > 00:17:40,640 How did the writing process impact the relationship that all 357 00:17:40,640 - > 00:17:43,839 six of you had throughout the years and throughout that kind 358 00:17:43,839 - > 00:17:46,000 of year-long process of writing? 359 00:17:46,640 - > 00:17:50,160 SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I mean, I think writing in general uh 360 00:17:50,160 - > 00:17:54,400 exposes inner thoughts in a really raw way. 361 00:17:54,640 - > 00:17:58,480 And, you know, we all have excellent careers, excellent 362 00:17:58,480 - > 00:18:00,400 experience for all thought leaders. 363 00:18:00,559 - > 00:18:03,680 And so I think long form writing, though, is really 364 00:18:03,680 - > 00:18:04,559 interesting, right? 365 00:18:04,640 - > 00:18:07,920 Because I've done a lot of LinkedIn posting, I've done some 366 00:18:07,920 - > 00:18:08,799 article writing. 367 00:18:08,880 - > 00:18:12,079 I actually used to be on Kristen's advisory board for the 368 00:18:12,079 - > 00:18:12,880 Success Week. 369 00:18:12,960 - > 00:18:17,119 And so that felt natural and normal, but actually having to 370 00:18:17,119 - > 00:18:22,000 do longer form thought and codifying that thought into 371 00:18:22,000 - > 00:18:26,880 frameworks and into teaching, which is ultimately, I think, 372 00:18:26,960 - > 00:18:30,559 what we're doing, is a different skill and muscle to flex. 373 00:18:30,720 - > 00:18:33,920 And uh, I know Powell has written books, children's books, 374 00:18:34,000 - > 00:18:36,400 but this is for adult consumption, right? 375 00:18:36,559 - > 00:18:39,920 So I think for all of us, it really pushed us and stretched 376 00:18:39,920 - > 00:18:44,240 us in this new way to articulate our experience, our thoughts, 377 00:18:44,480 - > 00:18:48,640 our perspectives and point of views into ways that you know 378 00:18:48,720 - > 00:18:50,960 our colleagues, our peers can consume it. 379 00:18:51,119 - > 00:18:54,400 So it definitely helps stretch me in terms of, you know, I have 380 00:18:54,400 - > 00:18:54,960 a lot of thoughts. 381 00:18:55,039 - > 00:18:57,680 We all have a lot of thoughts in our head, but how do we put it 382 00:18:57,680 - > 00:18:57,839 down? 383 00:18:57,920 - > 00:19:01,279 How do we articulate it and communicate it effectively so 384 00:19:01,279 - > 00:19:03,519 that people understand what we're trying to say? 385 00:19:04,240 - > 00:19:04,880 SPEAKER_01: Thank you. 386 00:19:05,200 - > 00:19:09,359 I think it's it's about time to go really deep into the book, 387 00:19:09,599 - > 00:19:12,240 what is written and what are the main takeaways? 388 00:19:12,480 - > 00:19:17,279 So, Kristen, maybe I ask you to start with telling us more about 389 00:19:17,599 - > 00:19:19,920 your main takeaways from your section. 390 00:19:20,079 - > 00:19:22,160 You already gave us a little bit of a preview. 391 00:19:22,319 - > 00:19:24,559 Tell us about your section, main takeaways. 392 00:19:24,720 - > 00:19:27,680 What is the main thing that you want the audience to take away 393 00:19:27,680 - > 00:19:27,920 from? 394 00:19:28,240 - > 00:19:29,920 SPEAKER_02: Okay, two takeaways. 395 00:19:30,079 - > 00:19:34,799 If you are a CS professional, not a people leader, you own 396 00:19:34,799 - > 00:19:37,119 your career path and education. 397 00:19:37,359 - > 00:19:39,680 And education is a big part of that. 398 00:19:40,000 - > 00:19:45,680 You are never, I I almost hate to say this because I have a 399 00:19:45,680 - > 00:19:49,359 company that certifies CSMs, but you're never done. 400 00:19:49,599 - > 00:19:53,279 You just because you got certified as a CSM does not mean 401 00:19:53,279 - > 00:19:56,160 that you get to stop learning about CS. 402 00:19:56,559 - > 00:19:58,799 So you have to keep growing yourself. 403 00:19:58,960 - > 00:20:02,960 You have to embrace continual learning and you have to own 404 00:20:02,960 - > 00:20:05,759 what it's going to take to get to the next level if you want to 405 00:20:05,759 - > 00:20:06,720 progress your career. 406 00:20:06,960 - > 00:20:10,079 Elizabeth's section of the book is really useful for that 407 00:20:10,240 - > 00:20:13,519 because I think she really outlines the skills that it 408 00:20:13,519 - > 00:20:16,240 takes to go from one level to the next level to the next 409 00:20:16,240 - > 00:20:16,720 level. 410 00:20:16,960 - > 00:20:20,160 But to get there, you need training, you need coaching, you 411 00:20:20,160 - > 00:20:22,000 need to ask your boss for that. 412 00:20:22,240 - > 00:20:25,599 You need to make sure that you ask your company for it. 413 00:20:25,680 - > 00:20:28,240 If your company isn't willing to give you training, you need to 414 00:20:28,240 - > 00:20:29,599 go out and get it on your own. 415 00:20:29,839 - > 00:20:30,960 You need to own it. 416 00:20:31,200 - > 00:20:35,519 Don't expect some company to just come along and bless you 417 00:20:35,519 - > 00:20:36,480 with education. 418 00:20:36,720 - > 00:20:40,400 If you are a leader and you're listening to this, this is the 419 00:20:40,400 - > 00:20:41,359 other takeaway. 420 00:20:41,680 - > 00:20:47,599 You need to consider training a part of hiring, not some nice to 421 00:20:47,599 - > 00:20:47,759 have. 422 00:20:48,160 - > 00:20:52,720 It should be budgeted for, it should be planned for, it should 423 00:20:52,720 - > 00:20:55,680 be a very planned pathway when you're onboarding a new person, 424 00:20:55,839 - > 00:20:59,359 but also it should be something that's being delivered regularly 425 00:20:59,359 - > 00:21:00,799 to all of your team. 426 00:21:01,039 - > 00:21:04,720 Again, nobody should sort of say, oh, I'm done learning, I'm 427 00:21:04,720 - > 00:21:05,839 an expert now. 428 00:21:06,000 - > 00:21:10,160 I mean, I'm an expert at CS and I'm not, I'm not done learning. 429 00:21:10,319 - > 00:21:14,640 I still read, I still try to educate myself and learn new 430 00:21:14,640 - > 00:21:14,880 things. 431 00:21:14,960 - > 00:21:18,400 And so everyone needs to be taking that approach and 432 00:21:18,400 - > 00:21:18,799 attitude. 433 00:21:18,880 - > 00:21:22,000 So if you're a leader, you own that, not just for yourself, but 434 00:21:22,000 - > 00:21:23,279 for your whole team. 435 00:21:23,599 - > 00:21:26,160 So those are my two big takeaways. 436 00:21:26,319 - > 00:21:28,960 The chapter is very practical. 437 00:21:29,200 - > 00:21:33,279 I have been in the trenches as a CS leader, as a sales leader, 438 00:21:33,359 - > 00:21:35,200 and I know that you have to train your team. 439 00:21:35,279 - > 00:21:38,240 And I've tried all of the ways of doing that. 440 00:21:38,400 - > 00:21:42,720 And so the two chapters I wrote are really about how do you plan 441 00:21:42,880 - > 00:21:45,759 that out and create a really comprehensive training program 442 00:21:45,759 - > 00:21:48,319 for your group in a very practical way. 443 00:21:49,200 - > 00:21:51,839 SPEAKER_01: I'm really glad that you are you're talking about it 444 00:21:51,920 - > 00:21:56,240 because very often I think that we are realizing how there is no 445 00:21:56,720 - > 00:21:59,279 a lot of customer success trainings within the companies 446 00:21:59,359 - > 00:21:59,759 simply because. 447 00:22:00,079 - > 00:22:02,960 Because all the budget goes into sales training, of course, and 448 00:22:02,960 - > 00:22:05,839 then we are getting the crumbles from the table very often. 449 00:22:06,000 - > 00:22:09,680 So I'm glad that you are really positioning CS leaders as people 450 00:22:10,000 - > 00:22:14,240 who have responsibility and should fight for different types 451 00:22:14,240 - > 00:22:15,759 of trainings for their teams. 452 00:22:15,920 - > 00:22:20,640 Because absolutely you're right, it is never-ending process. 453 00:22:20,799 - > 00:22:22,400 It is a continuous journey. 454 00:22:22,559 - > 00:22:25,839 Even when I speak with leaders recently and they say, Oh, now I 455 00:22:25,839 - > 00:22:27,599 want to learn more about AI. 456 00:22:28,079 - > 00:22:28,799 Perfect. 457 00:22:29,039 - > 00:22:31,359 Tomorrow, next year, there will be something else. 458 00:22:31,599 - > 00:22:35,839 We are never done, and we have to consistently push ourselves 459 00:22:35,839 - > 00:22:39,680 to learn new skills, new trends, and also be an example to the 460 00:22:39,680 - > 00:22:40,160 teams. 461 00:22:40,480 - > 00:22:41,759 Great takeaway, Kristen. 462 00:22:42,079 - > 00:22:46,640 I like it very much when you say we all kind of own our own 463 00:22:46,640 - > 00:22:49,920 career progression by getting ourselves trained. 464 00:22:50,160 - > 00:22:54,559 I just remember somebody asking me at some point, oh, when do 465 00:22:54,559 - > 00:22:55,839 you need to go for training? 466 00:22:56,000 - > 00:22:59,039 Like, do you do it during the working hours or after? 467 00:22:59,200 - > 00:23:01,039 I don't know, it's it's maybe debatable. 468 00:23:01,279 - > 00:23:03,039 Kristen, what what is your thought on that? 469 00:23:03,119 - > 00:23:05,839 Like, do you do training during working hours or should people 470 00:23:05,839 - > 00:23:07,599 do it or should they do it anywhere? 471 00:23:07,920 - > 00:23:09,759 SPEAKER_02: I mean, I think it's a part of your job. 472 00:23:09,920 - > 00:23:13,119 So I would say yes, it should happen during working hours and 473 00:23:13,119 - > 00:23:14,319 you should carve out time for it. 474 00:23:14,480 - > 00:23:17,759 However, if your company doesn't allow for that, and 475 00:23:17,759 - > 00:23:22,640 unfortunately, I think in the US, a lot of companies don't 476 00:23:22,640 - > 00:23:24,079 leave time for that. 477 00:23:24,400 - > 00:23:26,000 You have to make time for it. 478 00:23:26,160 - > 00:23:28,960 You can't neglect it just because the company you happen 479 00:23:28,960 - > 00:23:31,200 to be working for right now doesn't offer it. 480 00:23:31,440 - > 00:23:32,960 You still need to learn. 481 00:23:33,279 - > 00:23:34,559 So yeah. 482 00:23:35,440 - > 00:23:37,599 SPEAKER_01: And if you want to progress in your life, I mean, 483 00:23:37,680 - > 00:23:39,920 it doesn't matter if it's five o'clock or nine o'clock at the 484 00:23:39,920 - > 00:23:40,079 evening. 485 00:23:40,240 - > 00:23:40,559 That's right. 486 00:23:40,880 - > 00:23:44,240 Learning has to happen if you are really interested. 487 00:23:44,480 - > 00:23:45,440 Wonderful. 488 00:23:45,759 - > 00:23:49,279 Julie, there was already a question or or a comment in the 489 00:23:49,279 - > 00:23:52,640 chat that somebody is currently on the on the job search. 490 00:23:52,799 - > 00:23:55,839 Would you like to tell us more about that experience that you 491 00:23:55,839 - > 00:23:57,440 are describing in the book? 492 00:23:58,160 - > 00:23:58,960 Yeah, absolutely. 493 00:23:59,039 - > 00:24:01,359 SPEAKER_05: And I I cover this in the book, and this may be a 494 00:24:01,359 - > 00:24:05,039 little bit of a hot take, but honestly, I believe that 495 00:24:05,039 - > 00:24:07,920 applying for jobs is one of the least effective ways to grow 496 00:24:07,920 - > 00:24:08,480 your career. 497 00:24:08,720 - > 00:24:11,359 The best opportunities don't just come from job boards, they 498 00:24:11,440 - > 00:24:13,839 come from relationships, community, and how you've shown 499 00:24:13,839 - > 00:24:14,720 up over time. 500 00:24:14,960 - > 00:24:17,359 So my section is really about kind of taking that control 501 00:24:17,359 - > 00:24:19,839 back, building your network before you need it, being 502 00:24:19,839 - > 00:24:22,559 visible in the right spaces, creating opportunities instead 503 00:24:22,559 - > 00:24:24,079 of kind of just waiting for them. 504 00:24:24,240 - > 00:24:27,519 And for the hiring managers, it's also about kind of that 505 00:24:27,519 - > 00:24:28,960 shift is just as important. 506 00:24:29,119 - > 00:24:32,160 So the best talent talent isn't always applying. 507 00:24:32,240 - > 00:24:34,480 They're already engaged in communities, they're choosing 508 00:24:34,480 - > 00:24:35,519 where they want to go. 509 00:24:35,759 - > 00:24:38,880 And so for hiring managers, you shouldn't just be evaluating 510 00:24:38,880 - > 00:24:39,279 talent. 511 00:24:39,440 - > 00:24:41,759 You should be actively present where the best talent is, 512 00:24:41,920 - > 00:24:45,519 building a reputation as someone that people want to work with. 513 00:24:45,680 - > 00:24:49,519 And so really kind of again taking back control of your 514 00:24:49,519 - > 00:24:54,559 career path by being able to share your own story beyond the 515 00:24:54,559 - > 00:24:56,240 confines of a resume. 516 00:24:57,440 - > 00:25:00,319 SPEAKER_01: Julie, I need to share one of my frustrations 517 00:25:00,480 - > 00:25:02,160 because I have you here already. 518 00:25:02,640 - > 00:25:07,759 AI in hiring, but more specifically, AI in the 519 00:25:07,759 - > 00:25:10,480 interviews or or tasks and scenarios. 520 00:25:10,640 - > 00:25:13,440 I think I was writing recently about it because every single 521 00:25:13,440 - > 00:25:17,359 candidate comes with the same, very same clothed presentation, 522 00:25:17,599 - > 00:25:19,359 not even branded to the company. 523 00:25:19,440 - > 00:25:24,240 And I am uh yeah, I start asking very bad and hard questions. 524 00:25:24,480 - > 00:25:27,680 What is your thoughts on like what's happening currently with 525 00:25:27,839 - > 00:25:28,480 AI? 526 00:25:28,960 - > 00:25:32,000 SPEAKER_05: Yeah, I think that AI absolutely should be used in 527 00:25:32,000 - > 00:25:32,960 interview processes. 528 00:25:33,119 - > 00:25:37,519 It should be used as something that helps you to organize your 529 00:25:37,519 - > 00:25:39,119 thoughts, especially if you're going through a lot of 530 00:25:39,119 - > 00:25:39,519 interviews. 531 00:25:39,599 - > 00:25:42,880 It's a great place to take your notes and be able to better 532 00:25:42,880 - > 00:25:46,079 organize and understand and assess different roles, but also 533 00:25:46,079 - > 00:25:51,279 use that to craft what should feel more personalized in terms 534 00:25:51,279 - > 00:25:53,759 of what are the types of questions that you can 535 00:25:53,759 - > 00:25:56,559 anticipate, using that to help you go back and forth and 536 00:25:56,559 - > 00:25:58,960 prepare for interviews, help you with follow-up. 537 00:25:59,119 - > 00:26:01,839 I think that there's a lot that you can do in terms of AI for 538 00:26:01,839 - > 00:26:04,079 researching, for things like that. 539 00:26:04,400 - > 00:26:07,039 Well, I do not by any means that you should be copying and 540 00:26:07,039 - > 00:26:07,839 pasting answers. 541 00:26:08,000 - > 00:26:11,519 A lot of companies do, they have different prompts or different 542 00:26:11,519 - > 00:26:13,119 things that they want you to respond to. 543 00:26:13,279 - > 00:26:17,359 It is very, very obvious when you are creating a more generic 544 00:26:17,359 - > 00:26:19,119 AI forward response. 545 00:26:19,359 - > 00:26:23,839 And so making sure that if anything, you're using it as a 546 00:26:23,839 - > 00:26:29,279 way to refine your thoughts, not to take AI's thoughts and then 547 00:26:29,279 - > 00:26:30,319 just send it across. 548 00:26:30,400 - > 00:26:32,000 So I think there's a balance there. 549 00:26:32,079 - > 00:26:35,920 But truly in my own interview processes, I leaned heavily on 550 00:26:35,920 - > 00:26:36,319 AI. 551 00:26:36,640 - > 00:26:40,240 It was something that helped me to be able to do much deeper 552 00:26:40,240 - > 00:26:44,720 research than I've ever done before and craft not just 553 00:26:44,880 - > 00:26:50,240 follow-ups, but create things like a 3060-90, a um, hey, 554 00:26:50,319 - > 00:26:51,200 here's what I would do. 555 00:26:51,359 - > 00:26:54,240 Basically go beyond what they're asking for and not just send a 556 00:26:54,240 - > 00:26:58,079 generic follow-up and say, hey, I also attached this and be able 557 00:26:58,079 - > 00:26:58,640 to use that. 558 00:26:58,880 - > 00:27:02,480 Now, again, I'm not just using what AI created, but it allowed 559 00:27:02,480 - > 00:27:05,519 me to create things that were much deeper, more meaningful, 560 00:27:05,759 - > 00:27:09,359 because I I had a lot more insights that I was able to pull 561 00:27:09,359 - > 00:27:10,240 from AI. 562 00:27:10,960 - > 00:27:13,519 SPEAKER_01: I think this is such a valid point, especially now 563 00:27:13,519 - > 00:27:17,680 when everybody can obviously see in a second how AI has been 564 00:27:17,680 - > 00:27:18,000 used. 565 00:27:18,160 - > 00:27:23,119 You know, perhaps sometimes it can also showcase people being, 566 00:27:23,200 - > 00:27:24,720 you know, maybe lazy. 567 00:27:24,960 - > 00:27:29,279 I think it is even more prominent to say to the 568 00:27:29,279 - > 00:27:33,359 interview, I did my research here, but I also spoke with you 569 00:27:33,359 - > 00:27:35,119 know XYZ from the community. 570 00:27:35,279 - > 00:27:38,640 I think today, especially this will be so much more valuable 571 00:27:38,640 - > 00:27:41,920 when you showcase that you had conversation with a real person, 572 00:27:42,000 - > 00:27:44,799 and there are many, many customer successful community 573 00:27:44,799 - > 00:27:48,720 who are typically willing to help out and have a quick call 574 00:27:48,720 - > 00:27:50,000 before someone's interview. 575 00:27:50,160 - > 00:27:53,839 And I would like to go even deeper in that community. 576 00:27:53,920 - > 00:27:56,640 And I believe, Elizabeth, it was your part of the book. 577 00:27:56,880 - > 00:28:01,279 What does customer success community in general mean for 578 00:28:01,279 - > 00:28:03,599 you and how did it shape your career? 579 00:28:04,000 - > 00:28:06,640 SPEAKER_04: It's actually Julie's section, but I can say a 580 00:28:06,640 - > 00:28:07,759 few words about that. 581 00:28:07,920 - > 00:28:11,839 And I and I do it, maybe I'll say one more thing about the AI 582 00:28:11,839 - > 00:28:12,640 and kind of interviewing. 583 00:28:12,720 - > 00:28:14,960 And Julie, maybe I will kick it back over to you just because I 584 00:28:14,960 - > 00:28:16,559 I love to hear you talk about community. 585 00:28:16,799 - > 00:28:19,920 I love RCS uh various communities as well, game 586 00:28:20,000 - > 00:28:22,319 changing in my career and the way that I run my team. 587 00:28:22,400 - > 00:28:25,200 But one more thing on the AI, I just want to um, because it 588 00:28:25,200 - > 00:28:27,279 sounds like in the chat there are people that are looking. 589 00:28:27,440 - > 00:28:30,480 I think I always assume the way someone has used AI to prepare 590 00:28:30,480 - > 00:28:33,279 for an interview is similar to the way that they would leverage 591 00:28:33,279 - > 00:28:35,279 AI to prepare for a customer meeting. 592 00:28:35,440 - > 00:28:39,759 And so if it's, as you say, lazy or just hasn't actually made it 593 00:28:39,759 - > 00:28:43,359 a more insightful conversation, um, I'm forming conclusions 594 00:28:43,359 - > 00:28:43,920 about that too. 595 00:28:44,000 - > 00:28:46,720 And so I just I think it's really important to combine your 596 00:28:46,720 - > 00:28:50,480 expertise with some of the the insights that AI can uncover 597 00:28:50,559 - > 00:28:53,680 because it's that human, it's that human touch layered on top 598 00:28:53,680 - > 00:28:57,039 that's going to make the um it's going to differentiate you from 599 00:28:57,039 - > 00:28:57,920 another candidate. 600 00:28:58,160 - > 00:29:01,039 But Julie, I'll kick it back over to you for the community 601 00:29:01,039 - > 00:29:01,279 comment. 602 00:29:01,519 - > 00:29:02,160 SPEAKER_05: Yeah, no problem. 603 00:29:02,319 - > 00:29:05,599 So community, there are so many different types and forms of 604 00:29:05,599 - > 00:29:06,079 communities. 605 00:29:06,240 - > 00:29:08,880 There's local communities where you have local beatups, there 606 00:29:08,880 - > 00:29:13,759 are virtual communities, there are industry specific and things 607 00:29:13,759 - > 00:29:14,160 like that. 608 00:29:14,400 - > 00:29:18,079 But I think it's really for me, I've immersed myself in a number 609 00:29:18,079 - > 00:29:20,400 of different communities because I also need different things at 610 00:29:20,400 - > 00:29:20,960 different times. 611 00:29:21,200 - > 00:29:25,759 So especially earlier in my leadership career, I leaned a 612 00:29:25,759 - > 00:29:29,519 lot into communities where I was able to get to know people in a 613 00:29:29,519 - > 00:29:31,279 much deeper, more meaningful way. 614 00:29:31,440 - > 00:29:34,079 And that sometimes even translated to like being a part 615 00:29:34,079 - > 00:29:36,240 of a training cohort or something like that, where you 616 00:29:36,240 - > 00:29:38,079 get to know a small group of people. 617 00:29:38,559 - > 00:29:44,400 Anytime I'm joining an event, even attending a webinar, things 618 00:29:44,400 - > 00:29:47,039 like that, engaging with the people that you're meeting. 619 00:29:47,200 - > 00:29:50,400 So it's it's not just connecting with them on LinkedIn, but it's 620 00:29:50,400 - > 00:29:53,359 actually starting conversations, asking questions, asking for 621 00:29:53,359 - > 00:29:53,599 time. 622 00:29:53,839 - > 00:29:57,039 I have been blown away by the CS community and how much people 623 00:29:57,039 - > 00:30:00,480 are willing to hop on a call, answer questions, talk through 624 00:30:00,480 - > 00:30:00,640 things. 625 00:30:00,720 - > 00:30:02,480 And that's something that's really important to me in my 626 00:30:02,480 - > 00:30:02,880 career. 627 00:30:03,119 - > 00:30:06,160 I would not be where I am if I had not had so many people that 628 00:30:06,160 - > 00:30:08,319 had said yes to me and had given back. 629 00:30:08,400 - > 00:30:11,519 And so that's now my way of kind of paying it forward of if 630 00:30:11,519 - > 00:30:14,240 people reach out to me and they have questions, I will take time 631 00:30:14,240 - > 00:30:15,039 to meet with them. 632 00:30:15,279 - > 00:30:18,799 Maybe I'm not always responsive immediately or it may take take 633 00:30:18,799 - > 00:30:22,720 an extra nudge, but I do really try to do that because I know 634 00:30:22,720 - > 00:30:26,000 that that's how we grow as a community and we all level each 635 00:30:26,000 - > 00:30:26,240 other up. 636 00:30:26,319 - > 00:30:28,720 And that's something I've really enjoyed about customer success 637 00:30:28,720 - > 00:30:29,279 in general. 638 00:30:29,440 - > 00:30:32,720 When I was in a sales career, I never would have gone to 639 00:30:33,039 - > 00:30:35,920 essentially a competitor and said, Hey, how are you so good 640 00:30:35,920 - > 00:30:36,400 at what you do? 641 00:30:36,559 - > 00:30:38,640 Tell me about what's working and what's not. 642 00:30:38,960 - > 00:30:43,039 In CS, that's like pretty normal for people to say, Hey, tell, 643 00:30:43,279 - > 00:30:45,440 let me learn from you, let me understand what you guys are 644 00:30:45,440 - > 00:30:45,680 doing. 645 00:30:45,759 - > 00:30:48,079 And and so that's something where, again, there's 646 00:30:48,079 - > 00:30:51,680 communities that are there, but truly, as with so much in life, 647 00:30:51,839 - > 00:30:54,160 it's about what you put in and how you give back. 648 00:30:54,319 - > 00:30:56,880 The more that you give into the community, the more that you 649 00:30:56,880 - > 00:31:00,400 pour yourself into that and show up, the more that people are 650 00:31:00,400 - > 00:31:02,160 willing to show up for you. 651 00:31:03,680 - > 00:31:05,519 SPEAKER_01: Oh, that's really a wonderful take. 652 00:31:05,599 - > 00:31:09,519 And I I do believe that we all on a call have experienced uh 653 00:31:09,519 - > 00:31:13,039 how warm is customer success community and how many different 654 00:31:13,039 - > 00:31:16,319 sorts of communities are there that we can lean in in different 655 00:31:16,480 - > 00:31:18,640 uh different stages of our lives. 656 00:31:18,799 - > 00:31:23,440 But certainly speaking about community, the best way to reach 657 00:31:23,440 - > 00:31:27,119 out to any of the amazing women today is on LinkedIn. 658 00:31:27,200 - > 00:31:30,240 So make sure that you connect with them and say hi. 659 00:31:30,960 - > 00:31:36,400 Ijime, I would like us to go a bit deeper into your hot takes 660 00:31:36,400 - > 00:31:38,799 and your kind of book section. 661 00:31:39,039 - > 00:31:42,400 What is it that you would want the audience to remember? 662 00:31:42,640 - > 00:31:46,559 Or why would they go today and get a book and read your 663 00:31:46,559 - > 00:31:46,960 section? 664 00:31:47,359 - > 00:31:48,960 SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I don't know if I have hot takes. 665 00:31:49,039 - > 00:31:51,440 I have maybe mild or lukewarm takes. 666 00:31:51,680 - > 00:31:57,839 Um but as I yeah, as I started, uh my section is on fit, and the 667 00:31:57,839 - > 00:32:02,240 goal is to help candidates and hiring managers find the best 668 00:32:02,240 - > 00:32:06,720 roles and find the best hires for where they are in terms of 669 00:32:06,720 - > 00:32:09,920 maturity, the product that they sell and to whom. 670 00:32:10,079 - > 00:32:13,279 Um, and I think maybe the the lukewarm take is that you know, 671 00:32:13,440 - > 00:32:18,400 fit has I, in my experience, been used to keep people out. 672 00:32:18,720 - > 00:32:22,079 Um, you know, when the question is often asked, that you know, 673 00:32:22,319 - > 00:32:28,079 the underlying thought is how do we have this person conform to 674 00:32:28,079 - > 00:32:28,880 what we already have? 675 00:32:29,039 - > 00:32:33,759 Or how do we have this person feel, sound, and look familiar? 676 00:32:33,920 - > 00:32:37,759 And so I think we should stop asking, will this person fit in 677 00:32:38,000 - > 00:32:42,319 and start asking, what will this person bring to the table that 678 00:32:42,319 - > 00:32:43,759 we may not already have? 679 00:32:44,000 - > 00:32:47,440 How can we elevate what we're doing with different 680 00:32:47,440 - > 00:32:49,680 perspectives and different experience? 681 00:32:49,920 - > 00:32:53,119 And so I think for candidates, you know, knowing your unique 682 00:32:53,119 - > 00:32:57,359 value proposition and walking into every interview ready to 683 00:32:57,359 - > 00:33:01,039 show not just what you've done, but how you'll help the company 684 00:33:01,039 - > 00:33:02,799 improve, hitting their goals. 685 00:33:02,960 - > 00:33:04,400 That's really your edge. 686 00:33:04,640 - > 00:33:07,839 I think for hiring managers, you know, before you post a single 687 00:33:07,839 - > 00:33:11,759 job description, do you have a good sense of based on the 688 00:33:11,759 - > 00:33:16,319 specific job to be done, your team maturity and your company 689 00:33:16,319 - > 00:33:20,319 values, what type of person would really be successful in 690 00:33:20,319 - > 00:33:20,960 that role? 691 00:33:21,200 - > 00:33:25,359 Because if you don't define what right looks like, then you're 692 00:33:25,359 - > 00:33:27,200 gonna default to what's familiar. 693 00:33:27,440 - > 00:33:29,759 And that may not be the best bet. 694 00:33:30,160 - > 00:33:33,759 So that's what I would implore folks, and that's what the uh 695 00:33:33,759 - > 00:33:35,839 topics in my section cover. 696 00:33:36,079 - > 00:33:40,000 So I've developed a framework that both again candidates and 697 00:33:40,000 - > 00:33:43,920 hiring managers can use to evaluate those three dimensions 698 00:33:43,920 - > 00:33:44,480 of fit. 699 00:33:44,559 - > 00:33:48,480 It's the specific role, the jobs to be done, it's the team 700 00:33:48,480 - > 00:33:49,200 maturity. 701 00:33:49,440 - > 00:33:54,240 Are we talking about, you know, your CSM one or CS Leader one? 702 00:33:54,559 - > 00:33:56,960 Or are we talking about, you know, a very large 703 00:33:57,039 - > 00:33:58,880 thousand-person CS team? 704 00:33:59,039 - > 00:34:02,000 Those require very different skills and very different types 705 00:34:02,000 - > 00:34:02,480 of people. 706 00:34:02,640 - > 00:34:05,200 And then finally, the highest level, the company. 707 00:34:05,359 - > 00:34:06,640 What are your values? 708 00:34:06,880 - > 00:34:10,400 What does good look like for the company level? 709 00:34:10,639 - > 00:34:14,239 And tied to that, what type of customers are you serving? 710 00:34:14,480 - > 00:34:15,599 What is your product? 711 00:34:15,760 - > 00:34:21,280 So yeah, I think if if folks are interested in helping, honestly, 712 00:34:21,440 - > 00:34:24,400 going back to the AI conversation, differentiate 713 00:34:24,400 - > 00:34:27,280 themselves, I think hiring managers and candidates, you 714 00:34:27,280 - > 00:34:29,039 know, what is your special sauce? 715 00:34:29,199 - > 00:34:31,920 Like we all have many different things that we bring to the 716 00:34:31,920 - > 00:34:32,239 table. 717 00:34:32,480 - > 00:34:37,199 If anything, not using AI so much can actually help you look 718 00:34:37,199 - > 00:34:37,840 different these days. 719 00:34:38,000 - > 00:34:39,039 Who would have thought, right? 720 00:34:39,119 - > 00:34:42,320 Because if I see another M-dash, I'm gonna like close my laptop. 721 00:34:42,559 - > 00:34:45,280 So, how do you make sure that you are bringing your 722 00:34:45,280 - > 00:34:49,599 perspective and your individuality, your unique value 723 00:34:49,599 - > 00:34:51,039 to those conversations? 724 00:34:51,840 - > 00:34:53,360 SPEAKER_01: I love that so much. 725 00:34:53,519 - > 00:34:56,480 One of the things I I would always think about customer 726 00:34:56,480 - > 00:35:02,159 success and almost being proud of it is how we are so diverse 727 00:35:02,159 - > 00:35:03,920 in terms of everybody's background. 728 00:35:04,000 - > 00:35:07,119 Like kind of the the more diverse background you've got, 729 00:35:07,280 - > 00:35:10,719 the better candidate you will be for customer success, especially 730 00:35:10,719 - > 00:35:13,119 if you had multiple different roles. 731 00:35:13,440 - > 00:35:16,559 And I don't know if you you heard it from people you 732 00:35:16,559 - > 00:35:20,320 typically work with at GM, if they are asking candidates 733 00:35:20,320 - > 00:35:23,679 mostly, oh, is this background okay for me? 734 00:35:23,760 - > 00:35:26,800 You know, uh, how can I position myself if I come from you know 735 00:35:26,960 - > 00:35:28,880 sales or consulting background, whatever? 736 00:35:29,039 - > 00:35:30,559 I feel it's it's just amazing. 737 00:35:30,639 - > 00:35:32,800 And we we want that, we want to embrace it. 738 00:35:32,960 - > 00:35:36,480 For Dioris, I really wonder, can you just give us a very, very 739 00:35:36,480 - > 00:35:39,440 brief takeaway on that difference? 740 00:35:39,599 - > 00:35:44,400 Whether you are CSM number three or number 20 joining the 741 00:35:44,400 - > 00:35:48,239 company, like how can you still present yourself in all the 742 00:35:48,239 - > 00:35:49,679 uniqueness that you have? 743 00:35:50,000 - > 00:35:53,039 SPEAKER_03: Yeah, so you know, I really think it depends on what 744 00:35:53,039 - > 00:35:57,519 is the company, what do you sell, what are the services that 745 00:35:57,519 - > 00:35:58,559 the company provides. 746 00:35:58,719 - > 00:36:02,320 In my community, Success in Black, we have many, let's say, 747 00:36:02,480 - > 00:36:05,360 teachers or educators that want to get into CS. 748 00:36:05,519 - > 00:36:10,719 And my first advice is there are tons of software and solutions 749 00:36:10,719 - > 00:36:12,239 that teachers use. 750 00:36:12,400 - > 00:36:15,840 In your days as a teacher, what softwares did you use? 751 00:36:16,000 - > 00:36:17,199 And they listed 10. 752 00:36:17,440 - > 00:36:20,480 Okay, that should be where you start because you're uniquely 753 00:36:20,480 - > 00:36:23,519 positioned to go and say, I actually use this tool, I 754 00:36:23,519 - > 00:36:26,079 actually know what it means to be a teacher in the classroom 755 00:36:26,239 - > 00:36:27,519 using this software. 756 00:36:27,679 - > 00:36:29,760 You're gonna be the best CSM, right? 757 00:36:29,840 - > 00:36:33,519 So really focusing in on where are you different and how is 758 00:36:33,519 - > 00:36:35,199 that a superpower for you? 759 00:36:35,440 - > 00:36:38,000 Because if I had to apply for that role, I've never been a 760 00:36:38,000 - > 00:36:38,239 teacher. 761 00:36:38,320 - > 00:36:40,800 My dad's a teacher, so I love teachers, but I've never been in 762 00:36:40,800 - > 00:36:41,440 the classroom. 763 00:36:41,599 - > 00:36:43,840 So I really don't know what that's like, right? 764 00:36:43,920 - > 00:36:48,000 So lean in on how you're different and find those 765 00:36:48,000 - > 00:36:52,079 organizations that will overvalue that that skill set 766 00:36:52,079 - > 00:36:53,440 and that experience. 767 00:36:54,239 - > 00:36:57,119 SPEAKER_01: Moving on to Elizabeth and your section, it's 768 00:36:57,119 - > 00:36:58,239 all about the commercials. 769 00:36:58,400 - > 00:36:59,280 Tell us more. 770 00:36:59,599 - > 00:37:03,039 SPEAKER_04: Yeah, so the section of the book, uh, the career 771 00:37:03,039 - > 00:37:05,840 progression section, and and Kristen talked about this a 772 00:37:05,840 - > 00:37:06,239 little bit. 773 00:37:06,320 - > 00:37:09,679 The training is such a key component, but it really walks 774 00:37:09,679 - > 00:37:14,239 through for every level of role, really, in customer success and 775 00:37:14,239 - > 00:37:16,000 individual contributor roles as well. 776 00:37:16,159 - > 00:37:19,360 It tells you the skills and abilities you need for that 777 00:37:19,360 - > 00:37:23,119 role, the skills you can expect to learn while on the job, and 778 00:37:23,119 - > 00:37:26,960 then the skills that you need to develop to get to that next 779 00:37:26,960 - > 00:37:27,599 level. 780 00:37:27,920 - > 00:37:32,000 And so I think it's it's really important, again, as as Kristen 781 00:37:32,400 - > 00:37:34,159 said, to own that path. 782 00:37:34,320 - > 00:37:38,000 And so if you um are from an employee perspective, always 783 00:37:38,000 - > 00:37:40,079 having an eye on, you know, what are your goals? 784 00:37:40,239 - > 00:37:41,280 Where are you trying to get to? 785 00:37:41,440 - > 00:37:44,639 What are you doing during work hours and on your off time to 786 00:37:44,639 - > 00:37:45,840 prepare for the next role? 787 00:37:46,000 - > 00:37:48,880 And if you're in leadership, making sure that you are taking 788 00:37:48,880 - > 00:37:52,800 the time to create those career paths for your employees. 789 00:37:53,039 - > 00:37:54,639 And it's in the book, right? 790 00:37:54,800 - > 00:37:56,719 So if you if you don't have a lot of time, it's okay. 791 00:37:56,800 - > 00:37:58,719 You know, I've I've done that work for you. 792 00:37:58,880 - > 00:38:01,519 You've got all of the career progression plans, and you can 793 00:38:01,519 - > 00:38:02,719 take that, modify it. 794 00:38:02,800 - > 00:38:05,760 So it makes sense for your organization, but a lot of that 795 00:38:05,760 - > 00:38:06,320 work is done. 796 00:38:06,480 - > 00:38:10,719 And so there's there's really uh no excuse, you know, not to have 797 00:38:10,719 - > 00:38:14,480 that for your employees and for your own career as well. 798 00:38:14,719 - > 00:38:16,960 So I think that's a really important component as well. 799 00:38:17,119 - > 00:38:20,559 And one of the things that that I talk about in the section is 800 00:38:20,559 - > 00:38:21,760 about owning commercials. 801 00:38:21,920 - > 00:38:23,679 That's not even new for CS anymore. 802 00:38:24,000 - > 00:38:26,000 We've been talking about it a really long time. 803 00:38:26,159 - > 00:38:30,400 And so um, I think get in there and and you know, learn 804 00:38:30,400 - > 00:38:32,800 everything that you can if you haven't done it before, you 805 00:38:32,800 - > 00:38:36,000 know, find a mentor, that kind of thing, but also just get 806 00:38:36,000 - > 00:38:38,880 comfortable with um owning commercials and understanding 807 00:38:38,880 - > 00:38:41,599 how that, when you have that responsibility, how that changes 808 00:38:41,599 - > 00:38:45,039 your conversation and um the insights that you gather before 809 00:38:45,039 - > 00:38:46,239 those customer meetings. 810 00:38:46,400 - > 00:38:48,559 So it's it's not even not a hot take. 811 00:38:48,639 - > 00:38:51,679 It's not new, but it's something that still is coming up in 812 00:38:51,679 - > 00:38:55,440 conversation and it is part of the role in CS. 813 00:38:55,519 - > 00:38:58,960 And so if you're dragging your feet on that, jump in because um 814 00:38:59,199 - > 00:39:04,079 that's absolutely a must-have for any CS role in this in in 815 00:39:04,079 - > 00:39:05,840 2026 and beyond. 816 00:39:06,079 - > 00:39:08,400 SPEAKER_01: Absolutely wonderful call to action for everyone. 817 00:39:08,480 - > 00:39:11,360 Just check your CVs because you have to have also numbers, and 818 00:39:11,360 - > 00:39:15,760 hopefully you have done some commercials and and you have 819 00:39:15,760 - > 00:39:17,679 evidence to prove that. 820 00:39:18,400 - > 00:39:19,679 Next, Parul. 821 00:39:19,840 - > 00:39:21,920 I mean, we're kind of switching gears constantly because there 822 00:39:21,920 - > 00:39:24,639 is so many different topics that you discussed in the book, uh, 823 00:39:24,719 - > 00:39:26,480 so many amazing takeaways. 824 00:39:26,639 - > 00:39:28,800 But this one is for me particularly interesting. 825 00:39:29,039 - > 00:39:33,280 Parol, you spoke about the the titles and in the whole world of 826 00:39:33,280 - > 00:39:36,719 customer success and how we give them titles from different 827 00:39:36,719 - > 00:39:38,239 levels to different names. 828 00:39:38,480 - > 00:39:40,559 You did learn particular lessons. 829 00:39:40,800 - > 00:39:41,920 Tell us more. 830 00:39:42,800 - > 00:39:46,320 SPEAKER_07: Yeah, so I um I alluded to a previous career in 831 00:39:46,320 - > 00:39:49,360 HR, but that didn't give me the best insight when I started a 832 00:39:49,360 - > 00:39:52,159 customer success, which was a little over 10 years ago. 833 00:39:52,320 - > 00:39:55,599 Many of us who started back then, you were navigating a 834 00:39:55,599 - > 00:39:58,000 world with very little information, little social 835 00:39:58,079 - > 00:40:01,039 media, little, you know, written knowledge. 836 00:40:01,360 - > 00:40:05,360 So when my company at that time said, Hey, I think your title 837 00:40:05,360 - > 00:40:08,880 should be customer success manager, I was like, sounds 838 00:40:08,880 - > 00:40:09,039 good. 839 00:40:09,119 - > 00:40:11,840 And lo and behold, I was the leader of the team setting up 840 00:40:12,400 - > 00:40:12,800 the team. 841 00:40:12,880 - > 00:40:15,039 But we thought, oh, manager is in the title. 842 00:40:15,199 - > 00:40:16,880 That sounds logical. 843 00:40:18,079 - > 00:40:22,320 The story that I tell in the book is uh really about me, but 844 00:40:22,320 - > 00:40:24,159 it's also about the team that I led, right? 845 00:40:24,800 - > 00:40:28,800 By titling myself incorrectly, we also type titled my team 846 00:40:28,800 - > 00:40:29,679 incorrectly, right? 847 00:40:29,760 - > 00:40:32,880 So we were calling people by roles that were not actually 848 00:40:32,880 - > 00:40:34,400 showcasing the work that they did. 849 00:40:34,719 - > 00:40:38,559 And even though titles I tell people are not like this topic 850 00:40:38,559 - > 00:40:42,400 that is so attractive to talk about, it is something that 851 00:40:42,400 - > 00:40:45,679 really sets up your career trajectory and your future 852 00:40:46,000 - > 00:40:46,800 potential, right? 853 00:40:46,880 - > 00:40:49,599 Because what people see unfortunately on that CV, that 854 00:40:49,599 - > 00:40:52,000 resume, that LinkedIn is what did you do before? 855 00:40:52,079 - > 00:40:54,239 And do you have the skills to do the next thing? 856 00:40:55,119 - > 00:40:59,280 So when I finally got the manager title, uh manager of CS, 857 00:40:59,360 - > 00:41:02,559 which is which was like two years later, then we had to 858 00:41:02,559 - > 00:41:03,440 retitle my team. 859 00:41:04,000 - > 00:41:08,079 My team had to be re- had actually to be their costs and 860 00:41:08,079 - > 00:41:10,159 their payments or salary structure had to be redone. 861 00:41:10,320 - > 00:41:14,079 So it cost them two years of uh progression, but it also ended 862 00:41:14,079 - > 00:41:18,000 up costing the company in figuring out how to retain these 863 00:41:18,000 - > 00:41:18,559 employees. 864 00:41:18,800 - > 00:41:22,079 So I think titling, although it seems like, you know, something 865 00:41:22,079 - > 00:41:25,360 that maybe we can just slap something on and it's gonna be 866 00:41:25,360 - > 00:41:25,760 okay. 867 00:41:26,000 - > 00:41:28,719 I think it's actually one of the most serious things for our 868 00:41:28,719 - > 00:41:29,760 function to succeed. 869 00:41:29,920 - > 00:41:34,320 And you we all know this AI is is changing titles so rapidly. 870 00:41:34,400 - > 00:41:38,159 Like we wrote this book, you know, nearly two years ago, and 871 00:41:38,159 - > 00:41:40,639 now there are new titles in the mix. 872 00:41:40,880 - > 00:41:44,559 So Swathi and I actually simultaneously are looking into 873 00:41:44,559 - > 00:41:49,280 helping the function actually start doing some standardization 874 00:41:49,280 - > 00:41:50,880 early on these new titles. 875 00:41:50,960 - > 00:41:54,239 We don't have to fix every single one, but let's get some 876 00:41:54,239 - > 00:41:57,679 consensus because if we don't, if we don't, and as Kristen put 877 00:41:57,679 - > 00:42:00,159 it, we're just creative with titles, we're gonna start to 878 00:42:00,159 - > 00:42:02,880 create roles and people that don't actually have skill set 879 00:42:03,039 - > 00:42:05,280 that can be matched, take it one level further. 880 00:42:05,440 - > 00:42:08,320 Your data, your AI tools that you're gonna use for recruiting 881 00:42:08,480 - > 00:42:11,119 aren't gonna actually be able to find the right candidates. 882 00:42:11,360 - > 00:42:13,599 So I think titles go really deep. 883 00:42:13,760 - > 00:42:16,320 And that's really why I was so passionate about talking about 884 00:42:16,320 - > 00:42:16,400 it. 885 00:42:16,480 - > 00:42:19,760 And then for everyone here, like with title comes salary, right? 886 00:42:19,920 - > 00:42:22,559 And that's also drastically changed a lot in CS. 887 00:42:22,719 - > 00:42:25,840 So I think when you are out there looking at jobs, if you're 888 00:42:25,840 - > 00:42:27,920 a job seeker or if you're an employee, you know, 889 00:42:28,079 - > 00:42:31,119 understanding are do the roles really match the work that you 890 00:42:31,119 - > 00:42:31,280 do? 891 00:42:31,360 - > 00:42:32,960 And and then are you salaried correctly? 892 00:42:33,039 - > 00:42:36,639 I think helps you um stand out and also build your career 893 00:42:36,639 - > 00:42:37,280 better. 894 00:42:38,079 - > 00:42:39,440 SPEAKER_01: Kristen, I love your comment. 895 00:42:39,519 - > 00:42:41,280 Don't get too creative with titles. 896 00:42:41,360 - > 00:42:45,519 Uh, do you have any interesting story to tell about any creative 897 00:42:45,519 - > 00:42:45,920 titles? 898 00:42:46,000 - > 00:42:50,960 Or maybe um maybe you tell us, you know, on on the theme of 899 00:42:50,960 - > 00:42:55,119 titling, what was some of your most expensive hiring mistakes? 900 00:42:55,280 - > 00:42:56,239 We heard from Parel. 901 00:42:56,480 - > 00:43:00,320 Potentially it can cost people's careers like a few years. 902 00:43:00,480 - > 00:43:04,239 Did you have any any interesting story of hiring mistakes? 903 00:43:04,639 - > 00:43:05,440 Oh, me? 904 00:43:05,840 - > 00:43:06,320 Yes. 905 00:43:06,719 - > 00:43:07,119 Oh, yeah. 906 00:43:07,599 - > 00:43:10,639 SPEAKER_02: I mean, I have I have had hiring mistakes. 907 00:43:10,800 - > 00:43:16,159 My my my most costly hiring mistake was not around title. 908 00:43:16,239 - > 00:43:20,000 It was around hiring a person and then realizing pretty 909 00:43:20,000 - > 00:43:23,519 quickly that she was nothing like what I thought I had hired, 910 00:43:23,679 - > 00:43:26,320 and then not getting rid of that person immediately. 911 00:43:26,559 - > 00:43:30,159 Actually, almost got stuck with that person long term. 912 00:43:30,400 - > 00:43:33,440 I was very lucky that I had an HR person who stepped in and was 913 00:43:33,440 - > 00:43:37,920 like, hey, Kristen, we need to make a decision within 30 days, 914 00:43:38,079 - > 00:43:40,079 or we are going to have a big problem. 915 00:43:40,159 - > 00:43:42,239 And so I was like, okay, decision made. 916 00:43:42,400 - > 00:43:43,920 So, like I got lucky. 917 00:43:44,079 - > 00:43:46,719 That was probably my worst hiring mistake. 918 00:43:46,880 - > 00:43:51,360 It was just somebody who was very good at interviewing and 919 00:43:51,679 - > 00:43:53,920 not great in actuality. 920 00:43:54,159 - > 00:43:56,239 Titling wise, though, we see this. 921 00:43:56,400 - > 00:43:59,760 The reason I'm so I'm so passionate about Pearl's topic. 922 00:44:00,320 - > 00:44:03,119 Is because, you know, we see this all the time in the 923 00:44:03,119 - > 00:44:06,079 consulting practice that we have, where people are trying, 924 00:44:06,159 - > 00:44:10,000 you know, customer success is, I guess, relatively new as a 925 00:44:10,000 - > 00:44:10,800 field, right? 926 00:44:11,039 - > 00:44:13,599 And so people kind of try to get creative with it. 927 00:44:13,679 - > 00:44:16,320 And they're like, oh, this is the customer-facing team. 928 00:44:16,559 - > 00:44:18,719 We want it to feel fun and friendly. 929 00:44:18,880 - > 00:44:23,679 And then they do things like happiness team or, you know, 930 00:44:23,920 - > 00:44:26,079 chief chief happiness officer. 931 00:44:26,159 - > 00:44:27,920 And you're just like, are you kidding me? 932 00:44:28,000 - > 00:44:30,880 You're undermining everything we stand for. 933 00:44:31,039 - > 00:44:32,719 Like, this is not a happiness team. 934 00:44:32,800 - > 00:44:33,920 This is a value team. 935 00:44:34,079 - > 00:44:36,559 I just want to echo everything Pearl said. 936 00:44:36,639 - > 00:44:38,320 It's so important to get that right. 937 00:44:38,880 - > 00:44:40,719 SPEAKER_01: So that's awesome. 938 00:44:41,440 - > 00:44:45,840 So let's fire all the chief happiness roles or titles out 939 00:44:45,840 - > 00:44:46,079 there. 940 00:44:46,320 - > 00:44:47,519 I would sign up for that. 941 00:44:47,599 - > 00:44:52,800 But speaking about hiring people, recruiting, I think we 942 00:44:53,199 - > 00:44:55,119 get to the one of the main experts. 943 00:44:55,360 - > 00:44:58,000 Swati, back to your section. 944 00:44:58,800 - > 00:45:02,000 What are some of the main takeaways and messages that you 945 00:45:02,000 - > 00:45:03,599 would want us all to take from it? 946 00:45:03,920 - > 00:45:06,480 SPEAKER_06: I think the really, you know, section really is 947 00:45:06,480 - > 00:45:10,239 divided between recruiting and like job search, right? 948 00:45:10,400 - > 00:45:12,239 Like really the main elements of it. 949 00:45:12,480 - > 00:45:15,360 So when I think about like recruiting, really it's a 950 00:45:15,360 - > 00:45:19,360 step-by-step process to make sure that companies are giving a 951 00:45:19,360 - > 00:45:24,239 very positive experience to candidates and hiring the right 952 00:45:24,239 - > 00:45:25,199 people along the way. 953 00:45:25,360 - > 00:45:28,559 So I would say the biggest takeaway of my section of the 954 00:45:28,559 - > 00:45:32,320 book of the hiring part, I should say, well, I'm trying to 955 00:45:32,320 - > 00:45:36,719 get really granular, of the hiring part of section one is um 956 00:45:37,039 - > 00:45:42,320 really how to create a positive experience for your candidates 957 00:45:42,719 - > 00:45:47,280 and to make sure that when they leave your company, whether they 958 00:45:47,280 - > 00:45:50,880 get the job or not, they will talk highly about your company 959 00:45:50,880 - > 00:45:52,320 and your and your reputation. 960 00:45:52,400 - > 00:45:54,559 And you know, they won't be like, hey, I didn't get the job, 961 00:45:54,800 - > 00:45:58,079 but I would apply again or I would recommend a friend, right? 962 00:45:58,159 - > 00:46:00,320 Like I think that's really, really important. 963 00:46:00,400 - > 00:46:05,440 And and really in that section, we really go down deep into like 964 00:46:05,599 - > 00:46:08,400 how to step by step do that on the hiring part. 965 00:46:08,559 - > 00:46:11,840 And I would say on the job search part, um, I always say 966 00:46:11,840 - > 00:46:14,880 this when I talk to candidates, I will say, bring your A game. 967 00:46:15,119 - > 00:46:17,519 And what that means, that's like, you know, I feel like a 968 00:46:17,519 - > 00:46:20,079 lot of recruiters have their own little, have the little saying. 969 00:46:20,159 - > 00:46:21,679 My saying is bring your A game. 970 00:46:21,840 - > 00:46:26,000 And what I mean by that is make sure that you are, you know, 971 00:46:26,320 - > 00:46:31,280 really researching every, every interview, um, bringing, 972 00:46:31,519 - > 00:46:36,480 preparing a lot, making sure that you know like the entire 973 00:46:36,480 - > 00:46:40,159 process and you're just really invested in your interview 974 00:46:40,159 - > 00:46:40,559 process. 975 00:46:40,719 - > 00:46:42,800 And that's really what the book lays out, right? 976 00:46:42,880 - > 00:46:46,559 How to advocate for yourself and how to really go step by step in 977 00:46:46,559 - > 00:46:48,719 making sure that you're bringing, you're putting your 978 00:46:48,719 - > 00:46:51,280 best foot forward and hopefully the company is too. 979 00:46:51,440 - > 00:46:55,119 Um, and that's really what the entire section one is about and 980 00:46:55,119 - > 00:46:56,719 what I hope that people get out of it. 981 00:46:56,880 - > 00:47:00,719 I hope it's really practical and useful and kind of shows like 982 00:47:00,719 - > 00:47:04,079 all the nuances that that um, you know, CS can have. 983 00:47:04,239 - > 00:47:07,519 But I think what we've done as a whole really well is really 984 00:47:07,519 - > 00:47:11,119 create these amazing fundamentals of the book that 985 00:47:11,119 - > 00:47:14,159 can be used, you know, long after all of these things are 986 00:47:14,159 - > 00:47:14,480 changing. 987 00:47:14,559 - > 00:47:17,199 Like AI is changing so things so quickly. 988 00:47:17,440 - > 00:47:21,119 Our function is relatively young and there's so much change even 989 00:47:21,119 - > 00:47:23,519 in the last five years, and there's gonna be so much change 990 00:47:23,519 - > 00:47:24,480 in the next five years. 991 00:47:24,639 - > 00:47:27,760 But I think we've created a book that has really strong 992 00:47:27,760 - > 00:47:28,480 fundamentals. 993 00:47:30,559 - > 00:47:31,199 SPEAKER_01: Absolutely. 994 00:47:31,440 - > 00:47:34,880 And thank you for reiterating some of the ideas of how can 995 00:47:34,880 - > 00:47:39,760 candidates stand out in in the job market of 2026 that looks 996 00:47:39,760 - > 00:47:42,079 very different than a few years ago. 997 00:47:43,280 - > 00:47:47,440 I was just thinking how I went ahead of myself because I just 998 00:47:47,440 - > 00:47:51,440 gave us one hour for webinar, and we can probably speak for 999 00:47:51,440 - > 00:47:55,840 six hours about the different topics around the book, around 1000 00:47:55,840 - > 00:47:57,119 building teams, etc. 1001 00:47:57,440 - > 00:47:59,920 For the audience, please feel free if you still have any 1002 00:47:59,920 - > 00:48:03,199 questions, put them in the chat so we can we can try to respond. 1003 00:48:03,280 - > 00:48:06,000 Uh, but I would definitely like to address one of the questions 1004 00:48:06,000 - > 00:48:08,880 that came in through the registrations, and it's about 1005 00:48:08,880 - > 00:48:11,440 building sustainable customer success teams. 1006 00:48:11,599 - > 00:48:15,920 Uh, so how does intentionally building sustainable teams look 1007 00:48:16,079 - > 00:48:17,039 like in practice? 1008 00:48:17,199 - > 00:48:21,199 And kind of what is the most common mistake that leaders do? 1009 00:48:21,679 - > 00:48:25,039 Jime, I would like you to take us through it building 1010 00:48:25,039 - > 00:48:26,880 sustainable CS teams. 1011 00:48:27,679 - > 00:48:29,840 SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I mean, sustainable is a is an 1012 00:48:29,840 - > 00:48:31,199 interesting adjective there. 1013 00:48:31,440 - > 00:48:35,360 When I think of sustainability, I think of, I call it my own 1014 00:48:35,360 - > 00:48:39,760 professional paranoia of how do I make sure that I'm delivering, 1015 00:48:39,840 - > 00:48:43,440 you know, undeniable value to the business, right? 1016 00:48:43,599 - > 00:48:47,280 And so when I think of what's been going on in CS and being 1017 00:48:47,280 - > 00:48:49,920 more commercial focused, you know, I definitely think that 1018 00:48:49,920 - > 00:48:53,199 that's one um way that we need to think intentionally about it. 1019 00:48:53,360 - > 00:48:55,199 But like how do you actually, you know, do that? 1020 00:48:55,360 - > 00:48:59,599 I think it starts by understanding the mechanics and 1021 00:48:59,599 - > 00:49:03,360 the fundamentals of your business, so the company that 1022 00:49:03,360 - > 00:49:07,599 you work for, and how does your how do your customers derive 1023 00:49:07,599 - > 00:49:08,480 value from that? 1024 00:49:08,719 - > 00:49:12,960 I mean, I think that that is the core as it relates to then 1025 00:49:12,960 - > 00:49:16,639 building teams and finding the right talent to fill those roles 1026 00:49:16,719 - > 00:49:20,320 so they can deliver that promise or be, let me say, one of the 1027 00:49:20,320 - > 00:49:21,840 teams that delivers that promise. 1028 00:49:22,000 - > 00:49:25,280 That promise should be delivered across every function uh in 1029 00:49:25,280 - > 00:49:26,000 different ways. 1030 00:49:26,079 - > 00:49:29,519 But as CS, we are the ones that are primarily interacting with 1031 00:49:29,519 - > 00:49:30,079 the customers. 1032 00:49:30,239 - > 00:49:34,159 And so we're often the first line of defense, or I like to 1033 00:49:34,159 - > 00:49:36,960 say the first line of opportunity to deliver that. 1034 00:49:37,119 - > 00:49:40,320 So, you know, we really need to start thinking about what are 1035 00:49:40,320 - > 00:49:45,119 the specific skills, what are the specific aspects of the 1036 00:49:45,440 - > 00:49:48,880 role, the team that you're building, and again, back to 1037 00:49:48,880 - > 00:49:51,679 maturity, but also the product or the service that you're 1038 00:49:51,679 - > 00:49:53,039 serving to your customers. 1039 00:49:53,199 - > 00:49:56,480 You know, I think especially at early stages and when you have 1040 00:49:56,480 - > 00:49:59,599 to build from scratch, it's fundamentally different than 1041 00:49:59,599 - > 00:50:01,440 when you are in a scaled motion. 1042 00:50:01,519 - > 00:50:04,159 And you probably will need to have people that are more 1043 00:50:04,159 - > 00:50:07,519 flexible in terms of their ability to wear multiple hats. 1044 00:50:07,679 - > 00:50:11,440 You know, I've had to build CS Teams or the CSM with everything 1045 00:50:11,599 - > 00:50:15,760 from almost a UX and conversational designer to you 1046 00:50:15,760 - > 00:50:20,559 know a project manager to a technical customer service rep, 1047 00:50:20,880 - > 00:50:22,159 right, across the gamut. 1048 00:50:22,480 - > 00:50:27,360 And so you really need to think about how your maturity and the 1049 00:50:27,360 - > 00:50:31,519 product you deliver impacts how you're going to be delivering 1050 00:50:31,519 - > 00:50:32,159 that value. 1051 00:50:32,320 - > 00:50:35,119 And I mean, for hiring managers in particular, it's getting 1052 00:50:35,119 - > 00:50:38,639 clear on that before you start interviewing, as you're writing 1053 00:50:38,639 - > 00:50:41,519 the job description, as you're thinking about the titles and 1054 00:50:41,519 - > 00:50:42,639 creating that structure. 1055 00:50:42,880 - > 00:50:45,199 Intentionality really comes a long way here. 1056 00:50:45,280 - > 00:50:48,000 And I think now more than ever, you know, there's a big question 1057 00:50:48,000 - > 00:50:50,159 of is AI gonna take all of our jobs? 1058 00:50:50,320 - > 00:50:52,880 You know, I think some aspects, hopefully, right? 1059 00:50:52,960 - > 00:50:54,000 Like that's the benefit. 1060 00:50:54,159 - > 00:50:55,920 It's gonna make us more efficient. 1061 00:50:56,079 - > 00:50:59,360 I think the effective part of what we do still relies in the 1062 00:50:59,360 - > 00:51:00,079 human touch. 1063 00:51:00,239 - > 00:51:03,039 And so these hires are now more important than ever. 1064 00:51:03,119 - > 00:51:05,119 Like we can't continue making those mistakes. 1065 00:51:05,280 - > 00:51:08,800 Every new person we bring on the team is gonna have outsized 1066 00:51:08,800 - > 00:51:10,639 value, hopefully, for the business. 1067 00:51:11,360 - > 00:51:14,880 SPEAKER_01: I need to admit, I'm really looking forward to that 1068 00:51:14,880 - > 00:51:18,400 whole new concept of everything that we do has to have much, 1069 00:51:18,559 - > 00:51:22,239 much, much more and greater value than what we did so far 1070 00:51:22,320 - > 00:51:25,440 because there is so much that AI and other technologies can do 1071 00:51:25,440 - > 00:51:26,320 instead of us. 1072 00:51:26,480 - > 00:51:30,559 And it's it's just a wonderful reminder how valuable customer 1073 00:51:30,559 - > 00:51:34,159 success methodologies and functions and customer success 1074 00:51:34,159 - > 00:51:38,159 teams are for the organization to drive the revenue and growth. 1075 00:51:38,480 - > 00:51:43,920 And ladies, I am so grateful that you graced us with your 1076 00:51:43,920 - > 00:51:44,719 presence today. 1077 00:51:45,039 - > 00:51:48,480 We managed to just scratch the surface of the book to 1078 00:51:48,480 - > 00:51:50,559 understand what are the different sections, what are the 1079 00:51:50,559 - > 00:51:54,800 main takeaways, why should we go get a book, start reading? 1080 00:51:55,039 - > 00:51:59,199 But I wonder what is next because I don't want to see that 1081 00:51:59,199 - > 00:52:00,960 book only as a one book. 1082 00:52:01,119 - > 00:52:05,519 I want to see many more next initiatives coming up from you. 1083 00:52:05,599 - > 00:52:08,639 Uh and I know that you already have some of it in store. 1084 00:52:08,719 - > 00:52:09,599 So what is next? 1085 00:52:09,679 - > 00:52:13,440 How can people connect with you and really deepen these 1086 00:52:13,440 - > 00:52:14,239 conversations? 1087 00:52:14,880 - > 00:52:17,760 SPEAKER_07: Our website is our home for a lot of things, 1088 00:52:17,840 - > 00:52:21,119 including how to join us by becoming a part of our 1089 00:52:21,119 - > 00:52:21,519 community. 1090 00:52:21,679 - > 00:52:22,639 We have a newsletter. 1091 00:52:22,800 - > 00:52:27,360 It's not a big time in your face spammy newsletter, but we do put 1092 00:52:27,360 - > 00:52:29,840 out um thought leadership from all of our author team. 1093 00:52:30,000 - > 00:52:32,639 We have opportunities to speak, um, connect. 1094 00:52:32,800 - > 00:52:36,559 We work with teams, small, you know, small um engagements as 1095 00:52:36,559 - > 00:52:41,039 well as larger engagements, but really helping to enable leaders 1096 00:52:41,199 - > 00:52:44,000 or, you know, kind of help uh individuals, right? 1097 00:52:44,079 - > 00:52:46,480 That want that want kind of that empowerment. 1098 00:52:46,719 - > 00:52:49,360 So definitely check out the link to the website and we would love 1099 00:52:49,360 - > 00:52:50,880 to have you join that community. 1100 00:52:52,559 - > 00:52:53,840 SPEAKER_01: Wonderful ladies. 1101 00:52:54,159 - > 00:52:55,760 Thank you very much for joining us. 1102 00:52:56,000 - > 00:53:00,239 Again, thank you for going through the process of writing a 1103 00:53:00,239 - > 00:53:00,639 book. 1104 00:53:00,880 - > 00:53:04,239 I can't even imagine how you all managed to go on a call 1105 00:53:04,239 - > 00:53:04,639 together. 1106 00:53:04,880 - > 00:53:08,639 I'm struggling to schedule a call for one person for podcast 1107 00:53:08,639 - > 00:53:09,039 recording. 1108 00:53:09,119 - > 00:53:13,920 So I I admire the courage that you took just to go through the 1109 00:53:13,920 - > 00:53:18,079 whole process to be so vulnerable with your ideas in 1110 00:53:18,079 - > 00:53:20,159 front of other experts. 1111 00:53:20,400 - > 00:53:24,239 But I'm so grateful that, and actually, I'm so proud of you 1112 00:53:24,320 - > 00:53:27,920 for having the book because you are authors now, uh, and not 1113 00:53:27,920 - > 00:53:29,920 many people can tell that about themselves. 1114 00:53:30,000 - > 00:53:32,159 So thank you for the work that you're doing. 1115 00:53:32,480 - > 00:53:36,480 All the best for everything that is coming up your ways. 1116 00:53:36,719 - > 00:53:40,239 And I am absolutely sure that everybody who comes across 1117 00:53:40,239 - > 00:53:44,400 either your book, newsletter, or workshops or every everything 1118 00:53:44,400 - > 00:53:46,719 else that is coming up, I'm absolutely sure that they will 1119 00:53:46,719 - > 00:53:48,239 be benefiting greatly. 1120 00:53:48,400 - > 00:53:49,599 So, all the best. 1121 00:53:49,760 - > 00:53:51,519 Thank you again for joining us. 1122 00:53:51,760 - > 00:53:54,639 And for the audience, please connect with all of them on 1123 00:53:54,639 - > 00:53:57,440 LinkedIn and carry on this conversation because they are 1124 00:53:57,440 - > 00:54:01,119 bringing so much value to all of us, customer success beyond.