Being a Customer Success Pro is no easy job, but this podcast will help. Remember that Customer Success is not a destination, but a journey and I am here to help you on your journey.

In this episode of the Customer Success Pro podcast, hosted by Anika Zubair, guest Jared Orr, a Senior Customer Success Manager and copywriter, shares his journey overcoming job loss and finding success in a challenging job market. Jared discusses his experiences with layoffs, the importance of networking, and strategies for preparing for interviews and handling homework assignments. He also emphasizes the critical nature of investing in coaching and adapting to market changes. This episode offers practical advice for CS professionals navigating their career paths and how to find and land their next job in Customer Success.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to the Customer Success Pro Podcast
01:03 Meet Jared Orr: A Journey Through Startups and Layoffs
03:05 Jared's New Role
07:59 Navigating Job Loss and the Tough Job Market
13:39 Starting a Copywriting Business
20:43 Job Hunting Tips and Horror Stories
23:29 Sharing a Personal Interview Experience
24:34 Advice for Hiring Managers
26:49 Preparing for an Interview
30:05 Handling Homework Assignments
34:11 Networking and Landing a Job
39:28 Reflecting on Job Hunting Strategies
41:29 Quickfire Questions

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Website: thecustomersuccesspro.com

Coaching with Anika: CSM RevUP Academy

Connect with Jared:

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YouTube

Website

Article: https://www.csinsider.co/email/how-to-ace-your-mock-qbr-interview

Jared has been a CSM since 2018. He's been heavily involved in startups throughout most of his career. Currently, he works as a Senior CSM at vCom Solutions and lives in Queen Creek, Arizona with his wife and daughter.

Music by AudioCoffee: https://www.audiocoffee.net/

Being a Customer Success Pro is no easy job, but this podcast will help. Remember that Customer Success is not a destination, but a journey and I am here to help you on your journey.

In this episode of the Customer Success Pro podcast, host Anika Zubair interviews Erica Villareal, a strategic customer success manager at Eptura and a top 25 CS influencer of 2023. Erica shares her journey from Mexico, to becoming a strategic CSM in Dallas, highlighting her use of personal branding on LinkedIn to advance her career. She discusses the importance of translating customer data into actionable insights, the role of strategic customer success managers, and how they differ from other CSM roles in terms of customer engagement and responsibilities. Erica shares her secret sauce for organization and proactivity, emphasizing success plans and business reviews as essential tools for demonstrating value and securing customer success. The conversation also explores Erica's career ambitions, the skills essential for a strategic CSM, and tips for managing workload and showcasing value to achieve promotions. Additionally, Erica's eBook, 'Raising the Bar: How to Excel in Your Enterprise CSM Role,' is discussed, offering insights into further advancing in the customer success field.

Connect with Anika:

LinkedIn

YouTube

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Website: thecustomersuccesspro.com

Coaching with Anika: CSM RevUP Academy

Connect with Erika:

Linkedin

Erika Villarreal is a Customer Success enthusiast, a thought leader, and an influencer in the CS space. She is an engineer at the core, curious by nature, and a process addict. Currently, she is the Strategic Customer Success Manager at Eptura, a leading workspace management solution where she helps her customers drive adoption and achieve their own definition of success. Erika is also very involved with the Customer Success community, where she shares content that helps other CS professionals succeed in their roles, she has her own newsletter and contributes to multiple CS blogs.

Music by AudioCoffee: https://www.audiocoffee.net/

Navigating your Customer Success Career with Kristi Faltorusso

In this episode of the Customer Success Pro podcast, Anika Zubair interviews Kristi Faltorusso, a four times Top 25 Customer Success Influencer award winner and CCO at Client Success. Kristi shares her remarkable journey from a marketing professional to becoming a leading figure in the SaaS and customer success (CS) space. She highlights the importance of passion, hard work, and taking calculated risks in her career trajectory, culminating in her current role where she significantly impacts her organization and the CS community. The discussion also explores the evolving landscape of customer success, the importance of continuous learning, and the potential of AI in transforming CS strategies. Kristi offers invaluable advice to aspiring CS professionals, emphasizing the need for a data-driven approach, proactive customer engagement, and the courage to pivot when necessary. The conversation is a blend of personal anecdotes, professional insights, and practical tips, making it a must-listen for anyone interested in building a successful career in customer success.


Timestamps:
00:00 Welcome to the Customer Success Pro Podcast!
01:04 Spotlight on Kristi Faltorusso: A Customer Success Trailblazer
06:11 Kristi's Journey: From Marketing to Chief Customer Officer
11:17 The Reality of Achieving Work-Life Balance in Leadership
13:08 Kristis's Future Ambitions Beyond the CCO Role
20:35 Securing a Customer Success Seat at the Executive Table
27:13 Navigating a Non-Conventional Path to the C-Suite
31:00 The Importance of Leadership and Passion in Your Career
35:04 Insights into the Role of a Chief Customer Officer
43:19 Addressing Gender and Career Progression in Tech
45:36 Quickfire Round


Connect with Anika:

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Signup for my newsletter: https://thecustomersuccesspro.com/subscribe/

Website: thecustomersuccesspro.com

Coaching with Anika: CSM RevUP Academy


Connect with Kristi:

Linkedin

Kristi Faltorusso is a distinguished Customer Success Executive, recognized for her exceptional expertise in building, scaling and transforming Customer Success organizations within high-growth B2B SaaS companies. With a career spanning over 12 years, Kristi has been instrumental in guiding numerous companies through the strategic redefinition of Customer Success, resulting in heightened retention rates, sustained revenue growth, and amplified customer advocacy.

Having held pivotal roles in renowned organizations such as BrightEdge, Sisense, BetterCloud, and IntelliShift, Kristi has consistently demonstrated her leadership prowess in steering Customer Success and Experience teams. Presently, as the Chief Customer Officer at ClientSuccess, a leading provider of Customer Success Management solutions, Kristi spearheads Customer Success, Technical Support, and Consulting initiatives. In her current capacity, she continues to drive transformative outcomes, aligning her passion for customer-centric strategies with a commitment to delivering unparalleled value.

Music by AudioCoffee: https://www.audiocoffee.net/