On Breakthrough SaaS Growth with The Jasons, we unpack how a broken recruiting journey can undermine trust—and growth—before Day 1. Annette Franz connects culture, EX, and CX, showing how misaligned expectations and hiring “promises” ripple into churn, brand damage, and stalled expansion. You’ll hear practical ways CS leaders can partner with Talent to design candidate experiences that reinforce your brand promise, close the promise–delivery gap, and set the stage for loyal customers and durable revenue. Bio: Annette Franz Annette Franz is a globally recognized thought leader, author of three books, and speaker in culture transformation, employee experience (EX), and customer experience (CX). As the founder and CEO of CX Journey Inc., she helps organizations build strong, values-driven cultures that empower employees and drive exceptional customer experiences. With over 30 years of experience, Annette has worked with brands across industries to develop strategies that foster engaged employees, enhance customer relationships, and create long-term business success. She is passionate about ensuring that culture is the foundation for meaningful change, believing that fixing the culture fixes the outcomes. Email: annette@cx-journey.com Website: https://annettefranz.com/
In this episode, Jason Noble interviews co-host Jason Whitehead about the career-defining moment when his boss at Texas Instruments told him: “If we can’t get people to use the system and prove value, we don’t need it - or you.” They unpack why customer adoption - not training - is the real growth engine in B2B SaaS, how most vendors are still getting it wrong, and what a true adoption program looks like across the customer lifecycle. You’ll hear practical ways to bring adoption into your sales process, de-risk big implementations, and turn “we bought the tool” into “we changed how we work.” Links mentioned: Free User Adoption training for SaaS leaders: https://schain.work/AdoptionTraining Adopt Chain program: https://schain.work/AdoptChain Jason’s site: https://www.jasonwhitehead.me/
n this episode of Breakthrough SaaS Growth with The Jasons, hosts Jason Noble (London) and Jason Whitehead (U.S.) sit down with Bruce Temkin, founder of Humanity at Scale and one of the most respected voices in customer experience, leadership, and organizational psychology. Together, they explore how SaaS companies can scale growth without sacrificing human connection — and why empathy, trust, and purpose are fast becoming the competitive differentiators in an AI-driven world. Bruce shares how leaders can break free from the “efficiency trap,” rethink the role of AI as a collaborator (not a replacement), and design experiences that amplify humanity rather than automate it away. The conversation dives deep into what it means to lead with emotional intent, why values-based leadership matters more than ever, and how technology can either dehumanize or elevate — depending on the choices we make. In this episode, we discuss: Why efficiency-focused leadership leads to mediocrity — and how to escape itHow AI can enhance (not replace) human creativity, empathy, and purposeThe power of human–AI collaboration and what it means for SaaS leadersDesigning experiences that include deliberate human touchpointsRethinking leadership education in a world of automationWhat “Humanity at Scale” really means — and how it can transform organizations Bruce Temkin: Bio & Links: Bruce Temkin is a pioneer in human experience management and a trusted executive advisor. Often called the “Godfather of Customer Experience,” he helped define the fields of Customer Experience, Employee Experience, and Experience Management—reshaping how organizations serve the needs of their most important stakeholders. He founded the Qualtrics XM Institute, co-founded the Customer Experience Professionals Association, led Temkin Group, and was Forrester Research’s most-read analyst for 13 consecutive quarters. Bruce has guided hundreds of organizations through periods of rapid change and disruption—often driven by emerging technologies—by helping leaders stay focused on what matters most: people. He now hosts Humanity at Scale: Redefining Leadership, a podcast where bold thinkers explore how trust, empathy, and purpose drive lasting success. 🌐 Website: https://humanityatscale.substack.com Podcast: https://humanityatscalepodcast.com 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brucetemkin/ 👉 Explore more episodes and subscribe at https://breakthroughsaasgrowth.com
In our first full episode under the new brand, Breakthrough SaaS Growth with The Jasons, hosts Jason Noble (London) and Jason Whitehead (U.S.) tackle the topic everyone’s wrestling with: AI that impresses in demos but struggles in the real world. We dig into why so many pilots stall, how data quality and trust make or break outcomes, and what leaders should do before unleashing “digital employees” on customers. What we cover: Why AI ROI depends on clean, consistent data (and how to stop training “dumb” digital employees).The danger of over-trusting models without human verification—and when that verification can safely taper off.Moving from efficiency plays (faster emails, transcripts) to value creation (better decisions, in-product guidance, time-to-value).An AI maturity path: start with narrow wins, iterate, and scale once trust/accuracy is proven.Org readiness: budgeting not just for tools but for ongoing change management, governance, and secure usage.Competitive implications: why companies that fix data + adoption now will set the pace for the next decade. Listener Challenge: This quarter, pick one AI initiative where better data or context would genuinely move the needle for customers. What will you fix or pilot, and how will you verify trust? 👉 Learn more, subscribe to the newsletter, and get show updates at https://breakthroughsaasgrowth.com. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with sales, product, marketing, finance, and CS leaders—because growth is a team sport.
We’re back — and bigger than ever. What started as The Jasons Take On has evolved into Breakthrough SaaS Growth with The Jasons, a podcast dedicated to helping SaaS leaders drive growth across the entire business — not just within Customer Success. In this short, special episode, co-hosts Jason Noble and Jason Whitehead pull back the curtain on the rebrand — why it happened, what it means for you, and what exciting new topics and guests are on the horizon. You’ll hear how our focus has expanded from Customer Success to the broader SaaS growth engine — spanning product, pricing, onboarding, adoption, sales alignment, and executive strategy. Expect more deep dives, more practical takeaways, and more voices from founders, investors, and cross-functional leaders driving breakthrough results. What’s New: A broader focus on growth across sales, product, marketing, CS, and financeNew deep-dive episodes featuring SaaS founders and investorsContinued tactical plays with actionable takeaways you can use immediatelyExpanded content across LinkedIn, YouTube, and X (Twitter) If you’ve loved The Jasons Take On, you’ll feel right at home here — same Jasons, same energy, same honesty. Just a bigger mission to help SaaS businesses grow smarter, faster, and more sustainably. 👉 Subscribe and connect with us: 🌐 Visit our new website: https://breakthroughsaasgrowth.com🎧 Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify💬 Follow us on LinkedIn for clips, news, and behind-the-scenes updates:Jason WhiteheadJason Noble Got a guest suggestion or want to sponsor the show? Visit breakthroughsaasgrowth.com to get in touch.
Join Jason Noble and Jason Whitehead when they sit down with Dan Griffith to tackle 2025 efficiency pressure: why cutting Customer Success kills growth. Dan Griffith urges shifting spend from SDR/BDR to AI-enhanced AEs and CS, doubling down on analytics, proactive renewals, and a clear happy path. Dan Griffith is the founder of Greater Gain Group and co-founder of Grow DGTAL, helping founder-led B2B software and tech service companies build capital-efficient, predictable revenue engines. He has worked with more than 50 B2B SaaS and tech-enabled companies, especially those in healthcare and financial services, to deliver results such as 2–3× pipeline growth, shorter sales cycles, and 30–50% lower CAC. Dan also guides EU and UK SaaS teams as they enter the U.S. market, helping them land messaging that resonates and systems that scale. His methodology is simple: clarify the right customers, spark real conversations, and put processes in place that reliably turn them into revenue. He’s also the host of Seriously Don’t Do That™, a weekly podcast and LinkedIn Live show spotlighting costly mistakes founders and sales teams make—and how to avoid them. Website: https://growwithdan.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dangriffithsr/X: https://x.com/dangriffithsrYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dangriffithsr
In this episode of 'The Jason's Take On,' co-hosts Jason Whitehead and Jason Noble discuss the evolving role of AI in customer success. They explore common misconceptions about AI reliability, the importance of human intuition, and the need for proper training in AI adoption. The conversation highlights how AI can complement human expertise, the challenges of ensuring data quality, and the critical role of analytical skills in leveraging AI effectively. Tune in for insights on navigating the intersection of technology and customer success.
In this episode, we host Alex Raymond, founder of Amplify and the Account Management Secrets podcast, to explore the evolving dynamics between account management and customer success. With lines blurring between the two roles, Alex shares insights on their convergence, challenges in aligning with revenue goals, and strategies for navigating organizational design. Join us for a thought-provoking discussion on the future of these critical functions in driving customer retention and business growth. About Alex Raymond: Alex Raymond is a visionary entrepreneur and thought leader in account management and conscious leadership. With over a decade of experience founding and leading companies like Kapta and AMplify, Alex has worked with thousands of account managers and business leaders, helping them drive client growth and build thriving relationships. As the host of the Account Management Secrets podcast and founder of The Conscious Entrepreneur Summit, Alex is passionate about creating communities that foster connection, personal growth, and professional excellence. Connect with Alex on LinkedIn
Is Customer Success facing an identity crisis? In this bold, thought-provoking episode of The Jasons Take On, co-hosts Jason Noble and Jason Whitehead dive deep into the core challenges facing CS today. From misalignment across internal teams to confusion among customers, the Jasons explore how the term "Customer Success" has become diluted, misunderstood, and often misused. They tackle hard questions: Who really owns the customer? Should CS be responsible for revenue? Is it time to rebrand the entire function? And how can CS leaders shift from reactive support to being true commercial drivers of growth and outcomes? This no-holds-barred conversation will challenge your assumptions and inspire CS leaders to rethink, reframe, and boldly lead their organizations into the future.
Is Customer Success as we know it broken—or simply overdue for bold reinvention? In this no-holds-barred episode, Jason Noble and Jason Whitehead confront the growing wave of skepticism around CS in B2B SaaS. From mass layoffs to AI reshaping engagement models, we explore whether traditional CS roles and processes are still relevant. The Jasons dive deep into why many CS teams have become reactive, why internal metrics like NPS aren't cutting it, and what it really means to deliver measurable customer value. Tune in for provocative insights, a call for visionary leadership, and a bold challenge to rethink your CS strategy for the next era of customer growth.
Join hosts Jason Noble and Jason Whitehead on this engaging podcast episode as they explore the transformative role of AI in technology and customer success. They discuss practical ways AI can enhance B2B SaaS growth by improving efficiency, reducing churn, and enhancing customer engagement. Discover insights on integrating AI into business strategies, the challenges of adoption, and staying competitive in the evolving tech landscape.
In this episode of Jason's Take On podcast, hosts Jason Whitehead and Jason Noble explore the evolving concept of customer centricity in 2025. We discuss how advancing technologies, shifting customer expectations, and economic pressures are reshaping business strategies. The conversation highlights the importance of delivering value at all stages of the customer journey and moving beyond lip service to practical actions.
In this episode, Jason Noble and Jason Whitehead discuss the often overlooked topic of managing customer exits in SaaS businesses. They delve into the significance of handling departures effectively and its impact on company reputation and future engagements. The podcast highlights how companies can develop structured approaches to customer exits, ensuring positive experiences and learning opportunities for all parties involved. With emphasis on long-term growth and customer retention, we provide insights into creating win-win scenarios for businesses and departing customers.
Join hosts Jason Noble and Jason Whitehead as they discuss the evolving landscape of customer success with industry leader Jay Nathan. This episode explores whether customer success is an outdated term and how businesses can adapt to changing market dynamics. With insights into AI's role and strategic alignment, listeners gain a comprehensive view of the future challenges and opportunities in customer success. Jay Nathan shares his expertise in B2B SaaS and offers ideas on how companies can remain profitable through customer-centered strategies. About Jay Nathan: I’m an entrepreneur and tech executive passionate about growing businesses, building high-performing teams, and delivering value for customers. Over the past 20+ years I’ve built and led post-sales customer success, professional services, support, and account management teams across a range of companies—from bootstrapped startups to publicly traded enterprises, $1M to $600M in ARR. My expertise lies in driving customer retention, expansion, and channel-led growth. I publish a weekly newsletter for customer success and sales execs at https://www.chiefcustomerofficer.io/
Welcome back to another episode of The Jasons Take On, where we explore key topics shaping the world of Customer Success, growth, and leadership. Today, we’re tackling an incredibly timely topic: How coaching helps build resilience in the workplace. In today’s fast-paced, ever-evolving environment, resilience is a crucial factor in both personal and professional success. Whether you’re navigating customer churn, market volatility, or internal challenges, having the resilience to adapt and overcome is key. We’re thrilled to be joined today by Summie Yeung, a coach who specializes in helping multicultural professionals align their career paths with their identities, without feeling like outsiders or cultural clichés. Before becoming a coach, Summie had an impressive career in tech consulting and advisory services. She held high-end roles as a business analyst and product manager, and she was on my team at Creator, where she consistently demonstrated her knack for leadership and problem-solving. Now, through her 1:1 and group coaching programs, she’s empowering clients to embrace their unique backgrounds while excelling in their professional lives. You can learn more about her work at summieyeung.com.
In this episode of The Jasons Take On, we are exploring a transformative concept that’s reshaping how companies drive sustainable growth: "Customer Led Growth." This approach emphasizes putting the customer at the heart of your growth strategy, focusing on maximizing customer lifetime value and turning satisfied customers into your most powerful advocates. Joining us today is a true pioneer in the Customer Success space, Edward Chiu, the co-CEO of Totango + Catalyst. Edward's journey in Customer Success began with building the customer success organization from scratch at DigitalOcean. He later co-founded Catalyst, where he spearheaded the creation of the customer growth platform category. Now, as the co-CEO of Totango + Catalyst, Edward is at the forefront of helping businesses protect and grow revenue by ensuring that customers experience recurring value throughout their entire post-sale lifecycle. We’re thrilled to have him on the show to share his insights on Customer Led Growth.
Join this episode of The Jasons Take On.. where we are joined by Casey Trujillo and Todd Kirk, co-hosts of the "SaaS Therapy" podcast. In this episode, we talk about building commercially confident teams. SaaS Therapy Podcast Check out the SaaS Therapy Podacast Here: https://www.brainstorminc.com/saastherapy About Our Guests: Casey Trujillo: Casey applies over 20 years of technology experience to help organizations and individual users change the way they work with technology. In his work with the Fortune 100, Casey is consistently on the road delivering workshops each year to help executive teams see that technology can help speed up their biggest initiatives. As a change management practitioner, Casey brings a unique approach to solve a problem hitting every organization: the cost of unused software. When he has down time you can see him trying to achieve his goal to dunk a basketball, run a 5-minute mile and prove to his sons that his glory days are ahead of him and not behind him! Todd Kirk: Todd has over a decade of experience supporting enterprise customers in adopting new technologies. He started as a project manager, coordinating professional services. Later, he became an advisor and coach training senior leaders in large corporations. Todd’s team developed the first scaled technology adoption solution of its kind. His expertise includes Content Strategy, Customer Onboarding, Product Management, Video Production, Webinars, Live In-Person Training, and Strategic Partnerships. Todd, originally from Southeast Texas, now lives in Pleasant Grove, UT, where he continues to explore insights into organizational software success and failure.
In this insightful episode, co-hosts Jason Noble and Jason Whitehead are joined by customer success veteran Dan Gianfreda to delve into the transformation from reactive to proactive customer success. Dan shares his wealth of experience working across sales, marketing, customer success, and operations to set better customer expectations, gain commitment to success, and build strong relationships with customer executives. Discover the critical importance of involving not just the software executive sponsor but also getting the CFO and CEO on board to see the value in the software investment. This approach is key to securing continued funding for renewals and expansions. Tune in for actionable strategies and expert advice to elevate your customer success game. ABOUT DAN GIANFREDA: Dan Gianfreda is the Chief Revenue Officer for DeepStream Technologies, a scale-up e-sourcing solution provider. With 11 years of experience in B2B SaaS, predominantly in procurement tech, Dan has held several key roles including Sales and Marketing Director, Senior Director of Customer Success, and Chief Customer Officer. He also owns a SaaS consultancy, Batteries Included, focused on customer success optimization and go-to-market strategies. Dan is dedicated to aligning sales, marketing, and operations to create a seamless customer journey and drive significant business outcomes. His passion for building lasting relationships with customer executives ensures organizations see the full value of their software investments. Contact Dan at: http://www.batteriesincluded.biz
In this episode of The Jasons Take On... we are joined by Dave Jackson, where Dave shares his thoughts and insights into the challenges with customer success today and some of the changes that need to happen and why. This is a really exciting episode discussing some of the big issues in the industry today. ABOUT DAVE JACKSON Dave Jackson is the CEO and founder of TheCustomer.Co helping companies improve their financial performance through customer focus. He was the founder and CEO of Clicktools before that. Dave’s an accomplished author and his book “Customer Led Growth” is all about helping CEOs and leaders build successful B2B SaaS companies. David is a recognised expert in customer focused organisations and was named as a Global Top 25 Customer Success Influencer in 2020. David works with B2B SaaS CEOs, executive teams and investors to deliver profitable growth through customer focus. CONNECT WITH DAVE LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjacksonuk The Customer.Co: https://thecustomer.co FREE EBOOK ON PRODUCT-LED CUSTOMER SUCCESS Download Dave's insightful ebook on Product-Led Customer Success: https://thecustomer.co/2018/07/17/product-led-cs-ebook/
In this episode of The Jasons Take On... we are joined by Vicky Kennedy, where Vicky talks to us about the future of customer education and her own journey into creating her company Echtus, a startup on a mission to revolutionize the way companies use education to achieve meaningful business results and disrupt the tradition legacy customer education space. And some of the challenges with customer education today and it’s evolution over the last 20 years. ABOUT VICKY KENNEDY Vicky Kennedy joined NYC’s tech industry in 2012, pivoting from a ten-year career in higher education. She soon found her way into Meta, where she merged her love of education with the fierceness and agility of tech, followed by Amazon, where she led the strategy and execution of the first global advertiser certification. She recently founded Echtus, a startup on a mission to revolutionize the way companies use education to achieve meaningful business results. CONNECT WITH VICKY LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vickykennedy/ Echtus: https://www.echtus.com