In this episode, we’re breaking down how to position yourself for your next CS leadership role especially in today’s competitive market. You’ll learn: ✔ How to clarify your unique leadership identity and value ✔ The positioning mistakes most CS leaders make (and how to fix them) ✔ What hiring managers are really looking for beyond the job description ✔ Why visibility, brand, and strategic storytelling make all the difference Whether you’ve been job searching for months or are just starting t...
In this episode, we dive into the mental workload that comes with leading a Customer Success team and how to manage it effectively without burning out. You’ll learn: ✔ How the constant switching between tasks affects your mental clarity and performance ✔ The true cost of ignoring mental wellness in leadership ✔ Practical strategies for protecting your peace, setting boundaries, and managing your energy ✔ How to create a sustainable leadership system that supports your ...
In this episode, we’re tackling one of the toughest challenges Customer Success leaders face: underperformance. When a team member isn’t meeting expectations, it can be hard to pinpoint the root cause. Is it a skill gap? A motivation issue? Or is the system itself setting them up for failure? You’ll learn: ✔ How to diagnose whether the issue is skill, will, or system ✔ Why the traditional “skill and will” framework falls short in CS ✔ How to evaluate if your team’s underperf...
In this episode, we’re diving into the critical role Customer Success plays in a Product-Led Growth (PLG) motion and how to rethink your CS team’s focus and metrics in a self-serve world. You’ll learn: ✔ What makes PLG fundamentally different from traditional sales-led models ✔ How CS can drive value throughout the entire user journey—from sign-up to expansion ✔ How to adapt your engagement model and scale success in a product-led environment ✔ Key metrics that matter ...
In this episode, we’re breaking down how to structure your CSM interview process and find the right fit for your team. You’ll learn: ✔ How to define success and the skills your CSM needs ✔ How to design a 4-round interview process for deeper insights ✔ Why practical exercises are key to assessing real-world skills ✔ How to evaluate cultural fit and alignment with your team Whether you’re hiring your first CSM or scaling your team, this episode will help you hire with c...
In this episode, we’re breaking down what actually matters in your first 90 days as a CS leader and how to avoid the chaos that derails so many new leaders. You’ll learn: ✔ Why diagnosing comes before fixing ✔ What to focus on in your 30-60-90 day plan ✔ How to align with stakeholders and drive early momentum ✔ And how to build credibility, clarity, and traction from day one Whether you're the first CS hire or stepping in to lead an existing team, this episode gives yo...
In this episode, we’re unpacking the biggest missteps founders make when building out Customer Success and how to avoid them. You’ll learn: ✔ Why hiring one CSM to “figure it out” is a setup for failure ✔ What embedding CS into your company culture actually looks like ✔ The real reason churn isn’t solved by CS alone ✔ And how to measure what actually matters—so you don’t get blindsided later If you’re a founder building your first CS function or a CS leader working to ...
In this episode, we’re getting honest about what really holds CS teams back from leading effective revenue conversations and what you, as a CS leader, can do to fix it. You’ll learn: ✔ The core mindset shift your CSMs need before anything else ✔ Why hesitancy isn’t about discomfort with “selling”; it’s about blind spots ✔ How to build situational fluency through coaching and enablement ✔ And how to embed revenue enablement into your team’s daily rhythm, tools, and cult...
In this episode, we unpack the leadership blind spots that keep CS leaders stuck and why trying to navigate them alone slows everything down. You’ll learn how coaching can help you build clarity, spot the patterns you’re too close to see, and move forward with sharper focus and confidence. This episode explores: ✔ Why leadership actually gets harder the more senior you become ✔ The difference between experience and awareness (and why both matter) ✔ How blind spots show...
In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on what it’s really like to build from scratch based on my own experience and the CS leaders I’ve coached. We’ll walk through: What to prioritize in your first 90 daysThe three foundational pillars to focus on when you’re a team of oneHow to avoid burnout and build scrappy systems that actually scaleHow to prove the value of CS internally without fancy tools or dashboardsWhen (and how) to make the case for your first hireThis episode is prac...
In this episode, I break down what being strategic actually means in a Customer Success context. And how you, as a CS leader, can help your team move from task execution to value leadership. We’ll walk through: The 5 core behaviors that define strategic CSMsHow to coach and enable your team to develop this skillsetTactical ways to embed strategic thinking into your culture and operating modelPlus, I’ll share real frameworks, coaching questions and enablement tips you can start using right awa...
This episode is for every CS leader trying to navigate the impossible: higher targets, more responsibilities, tighter budgets and somehow still expected to deliver results without burning out their team. We always hear “do more with less” but no one really explains how to do that in a way that actually works. So in this episode, we’re diving into what that really looks like in practice. You’ll learn: Where to focus when you can’t do it allHow to scale impact without scaling headco...
Should CS Own Revenue? Most teams are already doing it. Just not doing it well. In this episode, I dive deep into the Revenue Ownership model of Customer Success—where CS owns both retention and expansion—and share the three critical shifts your team needs to make to actually succeed: ✅ A Mindset Shift: From service to growth ✅ A Culture Shift: From passive to proactive ✅ A Strategy Shift: From value realization to value creation Because if you’re giving your CSMs revenue targets without ch...
The debate continues: Should Customer Success own a revenue number or focus solely on adoption and value? In this episode, Angeline Gavino explores why we’ve been asking the wrong question all along. Instead of debating if CS should own revenue, we should be asking: 👉 How should revenue be measured, enabled, or owned within your CS team? In this episode, Angeline breaks down: Why Customer Success was born in the SaaS eraThe real driver behind the shift toward revenue accountability in CSThe ...
Angeline Gavino sits down with Alexandra Sagaydak, Chief Customer Officer at PeopleForce, to dive into the realities of CS leadership and the journey to becoming a CCO in a revenue-driven world. Alexandra shares her insights on: The evolving role of a CCO: What it really takes to lead Customer Success at the executive level.Owning revenue as a CS leader: How she built and scaled a CS team that naturally took on expansion and renewals.Career growth in CS leadership: Her unconventional journey ...
Angeline Gavino sits down with Telved Devlet, a seasoned Customer Success and revenue leader, to discuss practical strategies for enabling CS teams to transition into revenue ownership while staying true to a people-first mindset. Here’s what you’ll learn: The mindset shift for CS teams: From “service-oriented” to “revenue-driven.”Operationalizing revenue growth: How to create scalable processes that align CS teams with organizational goals.Empowering your people: Why understanding your team’...
Angeline Gavino is joined by Mike Simmons, Founder of Catalyst A.C.T.S, to explore the critical role of leadership in driving cultural and operational shifts within Customer Success. He shares his unique insights on navigating the transition to revenue-driven CS and building high-performing teams. Key discussion points include: The essence of leadership: What it truly means to lead and move organizations forward.The role of culture in driving success: How to shift from reactive support to pro...
Angeline Gavino welcomes Gina Patel, a seasoned Customer Success leader with 15+ years of experience, to discuss her journey of building and scaling CS teams that drive retention, growth, and operational efficiency. Gina shares her expertise on: Building high-performing CS teams: Mentoring, coaching, and equipping CSMs to grow professionally while delivering customer value.Enablement for Customer Success: The critical role of proper training, tools, and support to empower CSMs to excel in tod...
In this episode of the CS RevSpeak Podcast, Angeline Gavino sits down with Thomas Voigt, Customer Success Coach and Founder of The CS Academy, for a deep dive into what it means to be a leader in the Customer Success space—particularly when leading for revenue impact. Thomas shares invaluable insights on: The competencies and skills successful CS leaders possess and why they are critical in today’s landscape.A leader’s role in uplifting Customer Success within their organization, positioning ...
When Ryan Dalton joined Intiveo as Vice President Customer Experience Revenue, he made one thing clear: Customer Success would be a revenue-driving function. In this episode, Angeline Gavino sits down with Ryan to discuss how he strategically transformed the existing CS team’s charter to include expansion ownership within one year. Ryan shares the deliberate steps he took to build a strong foundation for this shift, including: Developing playbooks, role plays, and enablement programs to insti...