How to Build Customer Success as the First CS Hire in a Startup

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 underperformance is linked to organizational or process issues ✔ How to handle underperformance without jumping to conclusions or making assumptionsWhether you’re facing challenges with your team’s performance or you’re looking for tools to help guide those tough conversations, this episode provides a clear framework to help you lead with clarity, empathy, and intention.___CS Leaders: Ready to scale with clarity and impact?Join the VIP Waitlist for Lead2Scale [L2S]: The CS Architecture Program. It’s my 12-week training, coaching, and hands-on implementation program to help you design a scalable, revenue-driving CS org.VIP members get early access to limited spots and 50% off beta pricing.🔗 Join the VIP waitlist here: https://csrevspeak.com/L2S-waitlistSubscribe to CS RevSpeak! If you found today’s episode valuable, make sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. We’d love to hear your thoughts—leave a review and let us know how we’re doing! Connect with Us: Join the Conversation: Customer Success Leaders Hub on LinkedIn Subscribe to Our Newsletter: Stay updated with the latest strategies for revenue-driven Customer Success. Sign up here. Follow Angeline: Get more insights and tips on LinkedIn. Follow Angeline on LinkedIn. Book a 1:1 Coaching Session: Ready to transform your CS team? Book a call with Angeline. Visit Our Website: Explore more resources and insights. CS RevSpeak Until next time, keep driving success and speaking the language of revenue!

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 PLG and how to measure CS impactWhether you're supporting freemium users, converting trials, or scaling high-touch guidance for power users, this episode will give you clarity on how CS can move the needle in a PLG-driven company.___CS Leaders: Ready to scale with clarity and impact?Join the VIP Waitlist for Lead2Scale [L2S]: The CS Architecture Program. It’s my 12-week training, coaching, and hands-on implementation program to help you design a scalable, revenue-driving CS org.VIP members get early access to limited spots and 50% off beta pricing.🔗 Join the VIP waitlist here: https://csrevspeak.com/L2S-waitlistSubscribe to CS RevSpeak! If you found today’s episode valuable, make sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. We’d love to hear your thoughts—leave a review and let us know how we’re doing! Connect with Us: Join the Conversation: Customer Success Leaders Hub on LinkedIn Subscribe to Our Newsletter: Stay updated with the latest strategies for revenue-driven Customer Success. Sign up here. Follow Angeline: Get more insights and tips on LinkedIn. Follow Angeline on LinkedIn. Book a 1:1 Coaching Session: Ready to transform your CS team? Book a call with Angeline. Visit Our Website: Explore more resources and insights. CS RevSpeak Until next time, keep driving success and speaking the language of revenue!

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 teamWhether you’re hiring your first CSM or scaling your team, this episode will help you hire with confidence and set your team up for success.___CS Leaders: Ready to scale with clarity and impact?Join the VIP Waitlist for Lead2Scale [L2S]: The CS Architecture Program. It’s my 12-week training, coaching, and hands-on implementation program to help you design a scalable, revenue-driving CS org.VIP members get early access to limited spots and 50% off beta pricing.🔗 Join the VIP waitlist here: https://csrevspeak.com/L2S-waitlistSubscribe to CS RevSpeak! If you found today’s episode valuable, make sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. We’d love to hear your thoughts—leave a review and let us know how we’re doing! Connect with Us: Join the Conversation: Customer Success Leaders Hub on LinkedIn Subscribe to Our Newsletter: Stay updated with the latest strategies for revenue-driven Customer Success. Sign up here. Follow Angeline: Get more insights and tips on LinkedIn. Follow Angeline on LinkedIn. Book a 1:1 Coaching Session: Ready to transform your CS team? Book a call with Angeline. Visit Our Website: Explore more resources and insights. CS RevSpeak Until next time, keep driving success and speaking the language of revenue!

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 oneWhether you're the first CS hire or stepping in to lead an existing team, this episode gives you the structure and strategy to lead with intention.___CS Leaders: Ready to scale with clarity and impact?Join the VIP Waitlist for Lead2Scale [L2S]: The CS Architecture Program. It’s my 12-week training, coaching, and hands-on implementation program to help you design a scalable, revenue-driving CS org.VIP members get early access to limited spots and 50% off beta pricing.🔗 Join the VIP waitlist here: https://csrevspeak.com/L2S-waitlistSubscribe to CS RevSpeak! If you found today’s episode valuable, make sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. We’d love to hear your thoughts—leave a review and let us know how we’re doing! Connect with Us: Join the Conversation: Customer Success Leaders Hub on LinkedIn Subscribe to Our Newsletter: Stay updated with the latest strategies for revenue-driven Customer Success. Sign up here. Follow Angeline: Get more insights and tips on LinkedIn. Follow Angeline on LinkedIn. Book a 1:1 Coaching Session: Ready to transform your CS team? Book a call with Angeline. Visit Our Website: Explore more resources and insights. CS RevSpeak Until next time, keep driving success and speaking the language of revenue!

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 laterIf you’re a founder building your first CS function or a CS leader working to get buy-in from the top, this episode is for you.___CS Leaders: Ready to scale with clarity and impact?Join the VIP Waitlist for Lead2Scale [L2S]: The CS Architecture Program. It’s my 12-week training, coaching, and hands-on implementation program to help you design a scalable, revenue-driving CS org.VIP members get early access to limited spots and 50% off beta pricing.🔗 Join the VIP waitlist here: https://csrevspeak.com/L2S-waitlistSubscribe to CS RevSpeak! If you found today’s episode valuable, make sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. We’d love to hear your thoughts—leave a review and let us know how we’re doing! Connect with Us: Join the Conversation: Customer Success Leaders Hub on LinkedIn Subscribe to Our Newsletter: Stay updated with the latest strategies for revenue-driven Customer Success. Sign up here. Follow Angeline: Get more insights and tips on LinkedIn. Follow Angeline on LinkedIn. Book a 1:1 Coaching Session: Ready to transform your CS team? Book a call with Angeline. Visit Our Website: Explore more resources and insights. CS RevSpeak Until next time, keep driving success and speaking the language of revenue!

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 cultureIf your team owns renewals or expansions or if you’re rolling out revenue responsibilities soon, this episode is your playbook.___CS Leaders: Ready to scale with clarity and impact?Join the VIP Waitlist for Lead2Scale [L2S]: The CS Architecture Program. It’s my 12-week training, coaching, and hands-on implementation program to help you design a scalable, revenue-driving CS org.VIP members get early access to limited spots and 50% off beta pricing.🔗 Join the VIP waitlist here: https://csrevspeak.com/L2S-waitlistSubscribe to CS RevSpeak! If you found today’s episode valuable, make sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. We’d love to hear your thoughts—leave a review and let us know how we’re doing! Connect with Us: Join the Conversation: Customer Success Leaders Hub on LinkedIn Subscribe to Our Newsletter: Stay updated with the latest strategies for revenue-driven Customer Success. Sign up here. Follow Angeline: Get more insights and tips on LinkedIn. Follow Angeline on LinkedIn. Book a 1:1 Coaching Session: Ready to transform your CS team? Book a call with Angeline. Visit Our Website: Explore more resources and insights. CS RevSpeak Until next time, keep driving success and speaking the language of revenue!

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 up in your thinking, your org, and your strategy ✔ And why coaching can help you accelerate your growth without burning outIf you’re building a CS org, stepping into a bigger role, or feeling stuck somewhere in the middle, this one’s for you. You don’t have to figure it all out alone.___CS Leaders: Ready to scale with clarity and impact?Join the VIP Waitlist for Lead2Scale [L2S]: The CS Architecture Program. It’s my 12-week training, coaching, and hands-on implementation program to help you design a scalable, revenue-driving CS org.VIP members get early access to limited spots and 50% off beta pricing.🔗 Join the VIP waitlist here: https://csrevspeak.com/L2S-waitlistSubscribe to CS RevSpeak! If you found today’s episode valuable, make sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. We’d love to hear your thoughts—leave a review and let us know how we’re doing! Connect with Us: Join the Conversation: Customer Success Leaders Hub on LinkedIn Subscribe to Our Newsletter: Stay updated with the latest strategies for revenue-driven Customer Success. Sign up here. Follow Angeline: Get more insights and tips on LinkedIn. Follow Angeline on LinkedIn. Book a 1:1 Coaching Session: Ready to transform your CS team? Book a call with Angeline. Visit Our Website: Explore more resources and insights. CS RevSpeak Until next time, keep driving success and speaking the language of revenue!

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 practical, honest, and full of real-world tactics that you can put into play immediately especially if you’re juggling onboarding, renewals, internal fire drills, and everything in between.___CS Leaders: Ready to scale with clarity and impact?Join the VIP Waitlist for Lead2Scale [L2S]: The CS Architecture Program. It’s my 12-week training, coaching, and hands-on implementation program to help you design a scalable, revenue-driving CS org.VIP members get early access to limited spots and 50% off beta pricing.🔗 Join the VIP waitlist here: https://csrevspeak.com/L2S-waitlistSubscribe to CS RevSpeak! If you found today’s episode valuable, make sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. We’d love to hear your thoughts—leave a review and let us know how we’re doing! Connect with Us: Join the Conversation: Customer Success Leaders Hub on LinkedIn Subscribe to Our Newsletter: Stay updated with the latest strategies for revenue-driven Customer Success. Sign up here. Follow Angeline: Get more insights and tips on LinkedIn. Follow Angeline on LinkedIn. Book a 1:1 Coaching Session: Ready to transform your CS team? Book a call with Angeline. Visit Our Website: Explore more resources and insights. CS RevSpeak Until next time, keep driving success and speaking the language of revenue!

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 away.If you want to build a CS team that drives revenue, retention and long-term customer value, not just completes tasks, this episode is a must-listen.___CS Leaders: Ready to scale with clarity and impact?Join the VIP Waitlist for Lead2Scale [L2S]: The CS Architecture Program. It’s my 12-week training, coaching, and hands-on implementation program to help you design a scalable, revenue-driving CS org.VIP members get early access to limited spots and 50% off beta pricing.🔗 Join the VIP waitlist here: https://csrevspeak.com/L2S-waitlistSubscribe to CS RevSpeak! If you found today’s episode valuable, make sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. We’d love to hear your thoughts—leave a review and let us know how we’re doing! Connect with Us: Join the Conversation: Customer Success Leaders Hub on LinkedIn Subscribe to Our Newsletter: Stay updated with the latest strategies for revenue-driven Customer Success. Sign up here. Follow Angeline: Get more insights and tips on LinkedIn. Follow Angeline on LinkedIn. Book a 1:1 Coaching Session: Ready to transform your CS team? Book a call with Angeline. Visit Our Website: Explore more resources and insights. CS RevSpeak Until next time, keep driving success and speaking the language of revenue!

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 headcountHow to build cross-functional leverage when hiring isn’t an optionHow to protect your team’s energyThese aren’t just high-level ideas. I'm going to walk you through actual tactical strategies I’ve implemented myself and coached CS leaders on across different stages and industries.If you’ve been feeling stretched thin or looking for a better way to lead through constraint, this one’s for you.___CS Leaders: Ready to scale with clarity and impact?Join the VIP Waitlist for Lead2Scale [L2S]: The CS Architecture Program. It’s my 12-week training, coaching, and hands-on implementation program to help you design a scalable, revenue-driving CS org.VIP members get early access to limited spots and 50% off beta pricing.🔗 Join the VIP waitlist here: https://csrevspeak.com/L2S-waitlistSubscribe to CS RevSpeak! If you found today’s episode valuable, make sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. We’d love to hear your thoughts—leave a review and let us know how we’re doing! Connect with Us: Join the Conversation: Customer Success Leaders Hub on LinkedIn Subscribe to Our Newsletter: Stay updated with the latest strategies for revenue-driven Customer Success. Sign up here. Follow Angeline: Get more insights and tips on LinkedIn. Follow Angeline on LinkedIn. Book a 1:1 Coaching Session: Ready to transform your CS team? Book a call with Angeline. Visit Our Website: Explore more resources and insights. CS RevSpeak Until next time, keep driving success and speaking the language of revenue!