Episodios

  • How Account Managers Can Beat Imposter Syndrome and Build Executive Presence | EP 67
    Dec 12 2025

    High performers don’t grow out of imposter syndrome. They just learn how to hide it better.

    Executive coach and imposter syndrome specialist Dr. Tara Halliday joins the show to unpack why so many accomplished people still feel like they don’t belong and how that belief quietly shapes confidence, performance, and presence at work. She explains how the nervous system hijacks clear thinking in high-pressure moments and why so many account managers slip into over-preparing, perfectionism, or self-doubt even with a strong track record behind them. What shifts when your worth no longer hinges on every client reaction or tough conversation? How different does leadership feel when your body finally stops sounding the alarm?

    Tara offers a simple way to return to calm in high-stakes moments and shows how that state unlocks clearer thinking, better judgment, and a sense of authority that feels natural rather than forced. The conversation reframes confidence as a trainable internal skill and invites listeners to rethink what real executive presence looks like from the inside out, with insights that resonate across entrepreneurship, business, and wellbeing.

    Episode Breakdown:

    00:00 What Imposter Syndrome Really Is

    07:52 The Root Cause of Self-Doubt

    13:21 How Stress Hijacks Performance

    15:50 A Two-Minute Reset for Your Nervous System

    24:50 Building Executive Presence Through Calm

    30:59 Inner Work and Career Growth

    Connect with Tara Halliday:

    Visit Inner Success

    Connect with Tara on LinkedIn

    Connect with Alex Raymond:

    Visit the AMplify website

    Connect with Alex on LinkedIn

    Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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    39 m
  • How Great Account Managers Spot and Manage Risk Before It’s Too Late | EP66
    Dec 5 2025

    The biggest threat to your revenue often isn’t churn, it’s the blind spots you never realized were there.

    Alex sits down with Lisa Honaker, a seasoned account management leader who has coached teams across fast-moving entrepreneurship and high-stakes business environments. They get into why so many AMs misread early risk signals and how a narrow set of contacts can leave even strong accounts vulnerable. Lisa shares her three-wide, three-deep relationship model and explains why the people who enjoy working with you aren’t always the ones who can move deals forward.

    Their discussion centers on the deeper competency behind effective account management—clear insight into what customers value, research that goes beyond superficial prep, and a level of curiosity that strengthens both performance and professional wellbeing. They explore how AMs can use AI to speed up this work without losing the human judgment that earns trust at the executive level and how stronger risk discipline ultimately creates healthier, more resilient growth.

    Episode Breakdown:

    00:00 Why Risk Management Drives Account Success

    03:00 How Multi-Threading Protects Your Revenue

    08:59 Building Influence With Key Stakeholders

    15:08 Smarter Account Research for Stronger Customer Insight

    21:03 Investor Perspectives on Retention and Growth

    Connect with Lisa Honaker:

    Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn

    Connect with Alex Raymond:

    Visit the AMplify website

    Connect with Alex on LinkedIn

    Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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    42 m
  • Why NRR Matters to Every CEO Right Now | EP65
    Nov 28 2025

    NRR has become the pressure test for every account management leader who wants to prove they can drive real, sustainable growth.

    Alex Raymond is joined by Jennifer Pinter, a longtime operator and advisor who works closely with account management and CS leaders navigating today’s retention-driven market. Together they dig into why net revenue retention now sits at the center of every strategic conversation and why so many teams feel unprepared for the weight it carries. With new logos slowing and early contracts shrinking, companies can’t rely on acquisition to cover weak retention, which pushes account management into a more commercial, outcome-driven role. Jennifer shares what she’s hearing from leaders who now hold explicit NRR targets without the playbooks they need. Their discussion points to the fundamentals that actually move the number: clean ICP discipline, faster time to value, and a value story customers can understand without effort.

    Alex and Jennifer highlight how NRR exposes the health of the entire go-to-market engine. Product decisions, sales commitments, financial visibility, and customer outcomes all shape whether accounts renew, expand, or drift away. That reality raises a core question for any leader responsible for revenue: do you have the internal alignment and customer clarity required to build predictable growth? The episode offers a sharp, honest look at the shift happening across the industry and the mindset leaders need as NRR becomes the benchmark for both team maturity and long-term success.

    Episode Breakdown:

    00:00 What Net Revenue Retention Really Measures

    08:12 Why NRR Has Become a Board-Level Priority

    15:27 Core Drivers of High NRR: Value, Fit, and Time to First Value

    24:48 How Account Management Leaders Can Actually Move NRR

    31:02 Building Community and Skill Development Around NRR

    Connect with Jennifer Pinter:

    Connect with Jennifer on LinkedIn

    Connect with Alex Raymond:

    Visit the AMplify website

    Connect with Alex on LinkedIn

    Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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    36 m
  • Fix What’s Really Broken | EP64
    Nov 21 2025

    Most companies don’t have a revenue problem, they have a process problem hidden in plain sight.

    Alex sits down with Eddie Reynolds, CEO of Union Square Consulting, to unpack why growth so often stalls even when sales are strong. Through the lens of entrepreneurship and business strategy, Eddie explains how broken go-to-market systems, unclear ownership, and neglected post-sales

    processes quietly drain both revenue and team wellbeing. Together, they explore why customer success teams drive the majority of profit yet rarely get the resources or recognition they deserve.

    They dig into what operational maturity really looks like and how to get there—defining clear steps, tracking execution, and aligning leadership around shared goals. How do you measure the true impact of account management? What does it take to fix revenue leaks before chasing new business?

    Eddie’s frameworks, the GTM Ops Decision Tree and the GTM Efficiency Pyramid, offer a roadmap for identifying what’s broken and where to focus first. His message is simple: sustainable success in entrepreneurship starts by tightening the systems that serve your existing customers and strengthening the operational wellbeing of your business.

    Episode Breakdown:

    00:00 Eddie Reynolds on Fixing Broken Go-To-Market Systems

    02:23 Why Most Revenue Problems Are Really Process Problems

    14:21 The Real Value of Customer Success and Account Management

    22:03 Rethinking Organizational Design in Post-Sales Teams

    26:08 Building Operational Maturity and Efficiency

    35:30 Capacity Planning for Scalable Growth

    39:00 Final Takeaways with Eddie Reynolds

    Connect with Eddie Reynolds:

    Visit the Union Square Consulting website

    Tune in to the GTM Science Podcast

    Connect with Eddie on LinkedIn

    Connect with Alex Raymond:

    Visit the AMplify website

    Connect with Alex on LinkedIn

    Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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    40 m
  • Why RevOps Should Scare You Less | EP63
    Nov 14 2025

    Mallory Lee proves that simplifying your systems can be the smartest growth strategy a company ever makes.

    Alex Raymond sits down with Mallory Lee, VP of Revenue Operations at PhoneBurner, about how tearing out a decade of legacy systems and moving from Salesforce to HubSpot unlocked faster growth, cleaner data, and stronger alignment across the company. Guided by her “SEC” framework—simple, effective, confident—Mallory shares how she rebuilt the company’s go-to-market motion to unify sales, RevOps, and account management under one streamlined system that actually helps people do their jobs instead of getting in their way.

    They discuss how simplification drives better business decisions, why post-sales deserves the same urgency as new revenue, and how operational clarity fuels both performance and wellbeing on fast-moving teams. Mallory also breaks down how her approach reflects the mindset of modern entrepreneurship, where efficiency, trust, and collaboration create the foundation for sustainable growth.

    Episode Breakdown:

    00:00 Simplifying the Tech Stack for Growth

    03:00 Why PhoneBurner Rebuilt Its CRM Around HubSpot

    06:41 How RevOps Unites Sales, Account Management, and Customer Success

    12:32 The Power of Simplicity: Mallory Lee’s SEC Framework

    21:01 Forecasting with Confidence and Cleaner Data

    24:06 Using AI to Automate RevOps and Free Up Time

    29:57 Why Customer Success Deserves the Same Urgency as New Business

    Connect with Mallory Lee: Connect with Mallory on LinkedIn

    Connect with Alex Raymond: Visit the AMplify website

    Connect with Alex on LinkedIn

    Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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    36 m
  • QBRs on a Cocktail Napkin: The Art of Executive Simplicity | EP62
    Nov 7 2025

    Ultra accounts demand a no-deck QBR playbook built on senior trust, steakhouse conversations, and concrete commitments.

    Carl Lenocker, Senior Customer Success Executive at Splunk (now Cisco), joins Alex Raymond to talk about managing $10M+ enterprise accounts through clarity, preparation, and authentic relationship-building. He shares how the best account managers operate more like entrepreneurs than employees, balancing business rigor with genuine human connection, and why “promises made, promises kept” is the mindset that sustains both growth and wellbeing. His approach to executive simplicity proves that true expertise means knowing what to say, when to say it, and when to stop talking.

    They explore why most QBRs fail before they begin and how to turn them into focused conversations that deliver real outcomes. Carl explains his “steak dinner strategy,” a practical method for earning trust and uncovering critical insights over a meal instead of a slide deck. For anyone serious about entrepreneurship, business success, and personal wellbeing, this episode is a reminder that confident simplicity always wins in the room where decisions are made.

    Episode Breakdown:

    00:00 Managing Ultra Accounts: The Realities of Enterprise Account Management

    01:18 What Defines an Ultra Account and Why It Matters

    07:14 Inside Splunk’s Lean Model for High-Value Customers

    10:28 Balancing Revenue Growth and Retention

    12:25 Leading Business Conversations That Earn Executive Trust

    17:36 Rethinking QBRs: From Presentation to Facilitation

    31:06 The Art of Relationship Building and Executive Access

    34:01 Mastering the Steak Dinner Strategy

    39:58 Year-End Playbook for Account Managers

    Connect with Carl Lenocker:

    Connect with Carl on LinkedIn

    Connect with Alex Raymond:

    Visit the AMplify website

    Connect with Alex on LinkedIn

    Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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    43 m
  • Account Managers are Fixers | EP61
    Oct 31 2025

    What if the key to explosive growth isn’t chasing new customers but treating expansion as an act of service to the ones you already have?

    Alex Raymond sits down with Amanda Edington, VP of Account Management at Payscale, to unpack how a mindset shift toward service transformed her team’s approach to growth and retention. Amanda shares how curiosity and trust drive meaningful expansion, why the best account managers see every conversation as discovery, and how one question, “How can we be a better partner for you?”, can turn a renewal risk into a long-term success story.

    Through examples and coaching insights, Amanda reveals what separates reactive sellers from strategic partners and why true customer elation is earned through measurable value, not momentary satisfaction. A must-listen for anyone in entrepreneurship, business, or wellbeing, this episode challenges account managers to think bigger about service, partnership, and what it really means to grow with your clients.

    Episode Breakdown:

    00:00 Building PayScale’s Account Management Function

    05:12 Turning Expansion Into a Growth Engine

    10:40 Curiosity and Trust as the Keys to Client Retention

    16:25 The Power of Asking “How Can We Be a Better Partner for You?”

    22:58 From Churn Risk to Long-Term Growth

    30:16 Redefining Customer Elation and True Partnership

    Connect with Amanda Edington: Visit the Payscale website

    Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn

    Connect with Alex Raymond: Visit the AMplify website

    Connect with Alex on LinkedIn

    Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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    44 m
  • Consistency Beats Heroics: Shep Hyken on Building B2B Customer Loyalty | EP60
    Oct 24 2025

    Satisfied customers leave, but loyal ones stay because great account managers turn every interaction into consistency, trust, and genuine partnership.

    Alex Raymond sits down with customer experience expert and New York Times bestselling author Shep Hyken to explore how account managers can move beyond customer satisfaction and build true loyalty that lasts. Shep explains why “satisfied” is the most dangerous word in business and reveals how small shifts in behavior, like proactive communication, reliable follow-through, and fast problem resolution, create long-term retention and growth.

    Drawing on decades of research and stories from the front lines, Shep shows that B2B buyers think like consumers, constantly comparing their experience with yours to the best they’ve ever had from companies like Amazon or Apple. His insights give account managers a playbook for becoming indispensable partners rather than replaceable vendors. From mastering his five-step service recovery framework to adopting a customer-focused culture that values consistency over heroics, this episode delivers a blueprint for building trust, earning loyalty, and owning every moment as the CEO of the client experience.

    Episode Breakdown:

    00:00 Introduction and The Hidden Risk of “Satisfied” Customers

    02:33 Why B2B Clients Expect B2C-Level Experiences

    05:04 Proactive Communication and Lessons from Amazon

    13:21 Fixing the Sales-to-Account Manager Handoff

    17:04 Loyalty vs. Satisfaction: What Really Drives Retention

    25:04 Shep Hyken’s Five-Step Service Recovery Framework

    30:16 Building a Customer-Centered Culture

    37:04 Key Takeaways for Account Managers

    Connect with Shep Hyken: Visit Shep’s website

    Connect with Shep on LinkedIn

    Connect with Alex Raymond: Visit the AMplify website

    Connect with Alex on LinkedIn

    Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

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    40 m