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

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.Subscribe 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.Subscribe 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.Subscribe 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.Subscribe 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.Subscribe 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.Subscribe 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!

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 creationBecause if you’re giving your CSMs revenue targets without changing how they operate, you’re setting them up to fail.🎧 Listen to learn how to:Evolve your CS motion without losing customer trustEmpower your team to lead revenue conversationsUnlock long-term, scalable growth through CSSubscribe 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!

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 three Revenue-Driven CS Models every organization should understand:Revenue Protection (Retention Focused)Revenue Enablement (Retention + Expansion Identification)Revenue Ownership (Retention + Expansion Ownership)You’ll also learn about the PRISM Framework, a 5-factor decision tool to help you determine the right revenue model for your CS team.Download the free resource here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/14SJB9NED656Xa4VWbKQqIyhNSwimIjl8/view?usp=sharingWhether you're already assigning revenue targets to CS or just starting to rethink your strategy, this episode is packed with insights to help you build a scalable, sustainable and aligned CS function.Subscribe 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!

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 from account management to CCO—and what aspiring leaders can learn from it.Shifting from IC to leadership: The mindset shift required when moving from owning your own KPIs to leading a team toward company-wide success.This episode is a must-listen for aspiring CS leaders looking to grow into executive roles and for current CS executives who want to refine their leadership approach.Subscribe 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!

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’s strengths, providing enablement, and matching talent to customer segments is key to success.Balancing growth with employee experience: The importance of optimizing internal workflows and avoiding burnout through smarter enablement.Subscribe 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!