Gain, Grow, Retain Podcast

This episode from April 2021 brings Kevin Lau, Senior Director of Customer Advocacy & Experiential Marketing at F5 in to talk about how an advocacy group can help you scale the creation of emotional connections with and between customers. Developing a strategic plan to identify methods of engagement throughout the customer journey can lead to a natural and organic integration of a more formalized team whose goal is to provide natural conversations and insights. You can find Kevin here ----- Gain Grow Retain exists to connect people, knowledge, and ideas to advance the state of customer success. We're on a mission to connect B2B SaaS customer success leaders so that we can learn from one another. Check out more at GainGrowRetain.com! Or follow our GGR LinkedIn page. GGR was co-founded by Jeff Breunsbach and Jay Nathan - be sure to follow for customer success content.

Diane Ratigan (Director of CS for Corporate Team, Shannon Creghan (CS Executive), and Kimmie Harrington (CS Executive), all of Higher Logic join Jay today to talk about launching Office Hours. Hosting an Office Hours for your customers focused on the core concepts around using your solution rather than feature functionality. They share the process, difficulties, and successes experienced during the launch process. Help your customers connect to you and each other in a way that not only builds the quality of their programs but helps you scale on those questions and issues in a way that isn't possible otherwise. You can find Diane here You can find Shannon here You can find Kimmie here ----- Gain Grow Retain exists to connect people, knowledge, and ideas to advance the state of customer success. We're on a mission to connect B2B SaaS customer success leaders so that we can learn from one another. Check out more at GainGrowRetain.com! Or follow our GGR LinkedIn page. GGR was co-founded by Jeff Breunsbach and Jay

Erica Akroyd (Sr. Manager, Scale CS and Programs), Ryan Philpott (CS Program Manager), Charles Helms (Scale CSM) join Jay Nathan today to talk about how Pendo turned lack of staffing into an opportunity to develop an effective scaled model. They discuss how their scaled approach isn't a one size fits all for their customers, but is more strategic based on needs. They also moved into a strategic thinking realm rather than simply focusing on supporting the 'how-to's' through meeting planning, content creation and utilization, and using human resources where they will be most efficient and effective. You can find Erika here You can find Ryan here You can find Charles here --- Gain Grow Retain exists to connect people, knowledge, and ideas to advance the state of customer success. We're on a mission to connect B2B SaaS customer success leaders so that we can learn from one another. Check out more at GainGrowRetain.com! Or follow our GGR LinkedIn page. GGR was co-founded by Jeff Breunsbach and Jay Nathan - be sure

Jared Fuller, CEO at PartnerHacker talks with Jeff about the value of bringing partners into your team. Every team has it's strengths and weaknesses, and using your partners to fill any gaps in expertise can add exponential value to your customers. You can find Jared here The PL[X] Summit --- Gain Grow Retain exists to connect people, knowledge, and ideas to advance the state of customer success. We're on a mission to connect B2B SaaS customer success leaders so that we can learn from one another. Check out more at GainGrowRetain.com! Or follow our GGR LinkedIn page. GGR was co-founded by Jeff Breunsbach and Jay Nathan - be sure to follow for customer success content.

Mac Reddin, Founder and CEO of Commsor joins us in looking at how community can help companies adopt strategies that increase organic customer (and potential customer) relationships in a way that strengthens business goals. From looking at community as a potential first touchpoint to creating communities of practice that allow anyone to join in sharing knowledge and resources, organizations can move beyond the algorithmic advertisement model and into conversations. You can find Mac here --- Gain Grow Retain exists to connect people, knowledge, and ideas to advance the state of customer success. We're on a mission to connect B2B SaaS customer success leaders so that we can learn from one another. Check out more at GainGrowRetain.com! Or follow our GGR LinkedIn page. GGR was co-founded by Jeff Breunsbach and Jay Nathan - be sure to follow for customer success content.

Josh Levin, Manager of Customer Success at Honeycomb.io joins Jeff to talk about how his team built enterprise level customer success. Using a combination of Technical CSMs and Customer Architects allows for scaling CS work through well constructed gates and processes. They also use a strong triage process to ensure that this part of their role allows for the more proactive goals they have with and for their customers. Looking at engagement through strong content and engagement has helped them utilize a holistic usage of their team and results in effective partnerships with their customers. You can find Josh here ----- Gain Grow Retain exists to connect people, knowledge, and ideas to advance the state of customer success. We're on a mission to connect B2B SaaS customer success leaders so that we can learn from one another. Check out more at GainGrowRetain.com! Or follow our GGR LinkedIn page. GGR was co-founded by Jeff Breunsbach and Jay Nathan - be sure to follow for customer success content.

Brian Oblinger joins Jeff and Jay to talk about Community. What is the difference between Community and community? How does understanding the value of community help with resource growing? What does it mean to put value to customer as a top priority? Listen to hear Brian's thoughts on all of these questions and more. Connect with Brian --- Gain Grow Retain exists to connect people, knowledge, and ideas to advance the state of customer success. We're on a mission to connect B2B SaaS customer success leaders so that we can learn from one another. Check out more at GainGrowRetain.com! Or follow our GGR LinkedIn page. GGR was co-founded by Jeff Breunsbach and Jay Nathan - be sure to follow for customer success content.

Tom Barragry, Product Marketing Lead at GetResponse joins Jeff to discuss how effective customer marketing strengthens the work of the CS team. He shares how the marketing team at GetReponse develops strong relationships with internal teams to share knowledge, streamline messaging, and create an strong customer experience together by focusing on the broader story rather than just campaigns. You can find Tom here ----- Gain Grow Retain exists to connect people, knowledge, and ideas to advance the state of customer success. We're on a mission to connect B2B SaaS customer success leaders so that we can learn from one another. Check out more at GainGrowRetain.com! Or follow our GGR LinkedIn page. GGR was co-founded by Jeff Breunsbach and Jay Nathan - be sure to follow for customer success content.

Joel Primack, Community Leader at Lattice walks us through community, taking a look at some of the types of communities and how to focus them to drive customer engagement and success. Using this info, you can select what is needed to best support your organization and then use that focus to develop your strategy. You can find Joel here You can email Joel here The Community-Led Growth Show Podcast --- Gain Grow Retain exists to connect people, knowledge, and ideas to advance the state of customer success. We're on a mission to connect B2B SaaS customer success leaders so that we can learn from one another. Check out more at GainGrowRetain.com! Or follow our GGR LinkedIn page. GGR was co-founded by Jeff Breunsbach and Jay Nathan - be sure to follow for customer success content.

Back in April of 2021, Holly Firestone joined Jeff to talk about the importance of community to an organizaton. Listening to your customers is something that applies to many areas within an org, including community. As community is becoming a more dynamic and strategic component of an organization, it is important to recognize that there is a big listening element within community. Learning who they are and understanding the needs of your audience is crucial to maximize this aspect. They should be involved in the building of the community which gives a sense of community and turns them into advocates and proponents of the platform. Do they have ownership? Are you using their feedback (or at least responding to their input)? If not, you are not helping build the feeling of ownership. Connect with Holly Firestone --- Gain Grow Retain exists to connect people, knowledge, and ideas to advance the state of customer success. We're on a mission to connect B2B SaaS customer success leaders so that we can learn from o

Cris Sample (Head of Customer Success at Information Clearinghouse Inc) walks us through her career path where she navigated the work world and motherhood.  In this session she shares some of the behaviors and mindsets that prepared her for leadership, the biggest one being "Always focus on the customer". This thought process means that she is constantly working on how to make things better for customers, something that builds strong relationships and brings tremendous value to them. Walking through how she coaches those in non-traditional roles to recognize the relevance of the skills they possess to giving advice on what to do in your new role, this podcast is jammed packed with information that will help you as you embrace your role as a new leader and will help rekindle the love of leading Customer Success for those who have been doing it for a while. You can find Cris here --- Gain Grow Retain exists to connect people, knowledge, and ideas to advance the state of customer success. We're on a mission to c

Jay Nathan (CCO, Higher Logic) and Kristi Faltorusso (CCO, Client Success) pull a couple of books from their shelves to discuss and apply to Customer Success leadership. This week, they dive into two books: Think Again by Adam Grant - a book about reframing how you think about approaching debatable topics in a constructive and productive way. Setting the Table by Danny Meyer - focused on how to start with service in mind and then build your processes to deliver through the lens of the hospitality industry. Both books have direct applications for CS Leaders in both personal and professional growth. You can find Kristi here --- Gain Grow Retain exists to connect people, knowledge, and ideas to advance the state of customer success. We're on a mission to connect B2B SaaS customer success leaders so that we can learn from one another. Check out more at GainGrowRetain.com! Or follow our GGR LinkedIn page. GGR was co-founded by Jeff Breunsbach and Jay Nathan - be sure to follow for customer success content.  

Emilia D'Anzica (Founder, Growth Molecules) talks with Jeff Breunsbach about how CS leaders should spend their early days in the role. From helping senior leadership understand the role CS plays in the customer retention journey, to identifying gaps in the process, especially in the onboarding process, leading to impact through improvement in processes and execution. You can find more about Emilia D'Anzica here --- Gain Grow Retain exists to connect people, knowledge, and ideas to advance the state of customer success We're on a mission to connect B2B SaaS customer success leaders so that we can learn from one another. Check out more at GainGrowRetain.com! Or follow our GGR LinkedIn page. GGR was co-founded by Jeff Breunsbach and Jay Nathan - be sure to follow for customer success content.

Phil Weiss (VP Customer Success at CipherHealth) talks with Jeff Breunsbach about building (and keeping) a strong, healthy culture with your team especially with remote teams being the norm. They work through the 'why', and move into the 'how' with tips and examples of what works in their teams.  You can find more about Phil Weiss here --- Gain Grow Retain exists to connect people, knowledge, and ideas to advance the state of customer success. We're on a mission to connect B2B SaaS customer success leaders so that we can learn from one another. Check out more at GainGrowRetain.com! Or follow our GGR LinkedIn page. GGR was co-founded by Jeff Breunsbach and Jay Nathan - be sure to follow for customer success content.

This week we are joined by Dan Cmejla, Community & Social Media Marketing Leader at Chili Piper. Dan talks through how having a strong understanding of your customers can help drive a marketing strategy that is unique and personal, resulting in strong returns. "When you find what benefits your customers and what is good for you, you are in the sweet spot." You can find more about Dan Cmejla here --- Gain Grow Retain exists to connect people, knowledge, and ideas to advance the state of customer success. We're on a mission to connect B2B SaaS customer success leaders so that we can learn from one another. Check out more at GainGrowRetain.com! Or follow our GGR LinkedIn page. GGR was co-founded by Jeff Breunsbach and Jay Nathan - be sure to follow for customer success content.

This week we are joined by Erika Brookes, CMO at Higher Logic. Jay Nathan (CCO at Higher Logic) and Erika focus in on how customer success is delivered by a company, it's not delivered by a single team. They share their ideas about how the marketing team can help the customer success team build out an experience that meets the needs of the customer while ensuring internal processes can get you there. Want to learn more about the CCO/CMO relationship? Register to see the Higher Logic webinar featuring Rachel Orston, CCO@ SmartRecruiters and Letané Conant, CMO @ 6Sense. Register for the webinar here You can find more about Erika Brookes here --- Gain Grow Retain exists to connect people, knowledge, and ideas to advance the state of customer success. We're on a mission to connect B2B SaaS customer success leaders so that we can learn from one another. Check out more at GainGrowRetain.com! Or follow our GGR LinkedIn page. GGR was co-founded by Jeff Breunsbach and Jay Nathan - be sure to follow for customer succes

Kristi Faltorusso, Jeff Breunsbach, and Jay Nathan talk through the current market and how CS leaders can position their teams for success during a recession, where teams are expected to do the same amount of work with less. The group discusses some practical ways leaders can help their CSMs through small changes that continue empowering customers through scaling despite lack of resources. ---------- If you want to join the discussion with thousands of other customer success leaders, join Gain Grow Retain: http://gaingrowretain.com/ Connect with Krisi Faltorusso: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristiserrano/ ----------- This podcast is brought to you by Jay Nathan and Jeff Breunsbach... Jay Nathan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaynathan/ Jeff Breunsbach: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreybreunsbach

Today, we are joined by Cassie Vaughn (Manager Enterprise CS) and Ruchita De (Enterprise Team Manager, CS) from Monday.com. Cassie and Ruchita help share the role customer change management has on scaling, and other ways they are increasing customer retention through proving value and identifying gaps. You can find more about Cassie Vaughn here You can find more about Ruchita De here More about Monday.com here --- Gain Grow Retain exists to connect people, knowledge, and ideas to advance the state of customer success. We're on a mission to connect B2B SaaS customer success leaders so that we can learn from one another. Check out more at GainGrowRetain.com! Or follow our GGR LinkedIn page. GGR was co-founded by Jeff Breunsbach and Jay Nathan - be sure to follow for customer success content.

This week we are joined by Bob London, CEO and Founder of Chief Listening Officers and Strategic Customer Convos. Bob shares strategies that help make your customers want to come to the table to talk about goals and strategies by making things interesting by talking about them independent from what you sell. You can find more about Bob London here More about Monday.com here Strategic Customer Convos --- Gain Grow Retain exists to connect people, knowledge, and ideas to advance the state of customer success. We're on a mission to connect B2B SaaS customer success leaders so that we can learn from one another. Check out more at GainGrowRetain.com! Or follow our GGR LinkedIn page. GGR was co-founded by Jeff Breunsbach and Jay Nathan - be sure to follow for customer success content.

Today, we are joined by Nils Vinje, Leadership Coach and Founder, CEO of 30 Day Leadership. Nils helps us understand the importance of clear definitions of both the role of the CS team and CSMs specifically. Nils clarifies the important role the CS Leader plays in establishing the expectations for the team within the organizational needs and focus. You can find more about Nils here More about 30 Day Leadership --- Gain Grow Retain exists to connect people, knowledge, and ideas to advance the state of customer success.   We're on a mission to connect B2B SaaS customer success leaders so that we can learn from one another. Check out more at GainGrowRetain.com! Or follow our GGR LinkedIn page.   GGR was co-founded by Jeff Breunsbach and Jay Nathan - be sure to follow for customer success content.