Spotlight by CS in Focus – Details, episodes & analysis

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Spotlight by CS in Focus

CS In Focus

Business

Frequency: 1 episode/22d. Total Eps: 33

Driving Success Across GTM with Customer-Centric Collaboration. We're opening the dialogue across the entire go-to-market (GTM) strategy to ensure that Customer Success is at the heart of everything we do. This podcast is dedicated to empowering Customer Success (CS) professionals by fostering a vibrant community that goes beyond the basics.

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Apple Podcasts

🇨🇦 Canada - management
04/01/2026
#91
🇨🇦 Canada - management
24/09/2025
#73

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https://www.clari.com/
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Score global : 63%

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Ep 26: Fix Your Revenue Leaks: Sandy Yu on Turning CS Into a Growth Engine

Season 1 · Episode 26

Tuesday, August 19, 2025 • Duration 42:41

Your GTM strategy may be bleeding revenue—and you don’t even know it.

In this Spotlight episode, host Emma Lo sits down with Sandy Yu, Founder of Revenue Retention Advisors, to unpack how post-sales teams can stop revenue leaks and fuel expansion.

Sandy draws on 20+ years at Oracle, Cisco, and PwC to share:

The 3 biggest hidden cracks in B2B revenue engines
Why onboarding and adoption make or break renewals
How retention earns you the right to expand
What CROs should do to align Sales, Marketing, and CS
Why personalization is no longer optional in 2025

If you’re leading a CS team or sitting in the CRO seat, this conversation will challenge how you think about growth.

Learn more about Sandy’s workshops: https://bit.ly/SandyYu

Connect with Sandy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandysyu/

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Ep 25: Catch Risk Before It Becomes Churn with Vinova Deniz

Season 1 · Episode 25

Sunday, July 20, 2025 • Duration 31:26

What if your health score is lying to you?

In this episode of Spotlight by CS in Focus, we sit down with Vinova Deniz, Head of Customer Success at Wiza, to unpack what it really means to be proactive in CS:

from spotting quiet signals before they become churn screams to rethinking the way we run QBRs.

Vinova shares her battle-tested insights from messy startups to scaling with precision. We dive into:

✅ Why reactive CS is slow CS

✅ How to track delta changes, not static metrics

✅ The truth about champions (and how to multithread the right way)

✅ What a proactive business review should actually look like

✅ And how to stay curious—even when things get loud

Whether you’re a CS leader, RevOps strategist, or founder looking to future-proof your retention playbook, this episode will sharpen your radar.

Connect with Vinova on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/vinovadeniz/

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Ep 16: The Impact of Customer Marketing and Education on Business Growth with Kristine Kukich and Shannon Howard

Season 1 · Episode 16

Sunday, August 25, 2024 • Duration 37:48

In this episode, host Emma Lo chats with Kristine Kukich, the Training Shepherd, and Shannon Howard, Director of Content and Customer Marketing at Intellum.

They explore the crucial role of customer education and marketing in scaling customer success.

Scaling Success: Customer education and marketing are essential in helping customers succeed with the product and in their careers, especially as companies grow.
Proven Impact: A Forrester study shows 86% of customer education programs see positive ROI, with notable increases in customer satisfaction (26.2%) and retention rates (22.3%).
Growth Through Training: Trained users become more engaged and drive additional business growth.
Metrics & Systems: Emphasizing the importance of data-driven metrics aligned with business goals, such as retention and revenue impact.
Iterative Approach: Start with basic content and refine over time to achieve long-term success.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Building strong relationships across departments is crucial for aligning education initiatives with business objectives.
Role of Certification: Certifications play a key role in driving revenue and ensuring product mastery, especially in large organizations.

Kristine and Shannon emphasize the importance of starting with a solid plan, iterating toward success, and using storytelling to highlight the value of customer education.

For more insights, connect with Kristine and Shannon on LinkedIn, and check out their YouTube channel, "Mixology," where they discuss customer education and marketing over a cocktail!

Contact Information:

Kristine Kukich:

Ep 15: Leveraging Customer Success for a Stronger Go-To-Market Strategy with Peter Armaly

Season 1 · Episode 15

Sunday, July 14, 2024 • Duration 37:34

In this episode of "Spotlight by CS In Focus," host Emma and co-host Elizabeth Italiano from What Not To Do engage in a thought-provoking conversation with Peter Armaly, author of Mastering Customer Success.

Peter, a seasoned Customer Success (CS) professional, shares insights from his extensive experience and discusses the evolving role of Customer Success in driving business growth.

Key Takeaways:

Article Discussion: Peter and Dan Sperring's collaborative article on leveraging Customer Success to build a go-to-market flywheel.
Holistic View: Importance of considering the entire customer journey and integrating CS with sales, marketing, and product teams.
CS Evolution: The need for Customer Success to adapt and evolve with changing business landscapes.
Strategic Contribution: How CS can contribute more strategically to the overall business by sharing intimate customer knowledge.
Proving Value: The necessity for CS to provide proof of its value to gain buy-in from other organizational departments.
Churn and Retention: Challenges of addressing churn rates and the need for better cross-functional collaboration.
Product Fit: The role of CS is to continuously measure and ensure product-market fit.
Open-Minded Leadership: CS leaders must be open to new ideas and working closely with product teams.

Discussion Highlights:

Intimate Customer Knowledge: CS teams possess deep insights into customer needs and experiences, which can drive product and service improvements.

Ep 13: Mastering Team Leadership in Tech Startups with Star Hofer

Season 1 · Episode 13

Sunday, May 12, 2024 • Duration 35:17

Join us on the "Spotlight: CS in Focus" podcast, where Star Hofer, COO of AKA Media and a seasoned leader in the tech startup sector, shares her profound insights on building effective customer success teams and professional services from the ground up.

With over two decades of experience in SaaS and tech startups, Star discusses the critical aspects of identifying and nurturing hidden talents within teams, aligning team dynamics with evolving business strategies, and how to drive change within organizations.

Dive deep into her strategies for fostering a culture of success and innovation that genuinely supports non-profit foundations and charities in their fundraising efforts.

Key Takeaways:

Strategic Team Building:
- Understanding the product's stage and maturity is essential for shaping effective customer success strategies and team roles.
Three-Year Strategic Planning:
- Focus on disruption in the first year, evaluate strategies in the second, and reap benefits in the third.
Value Over Metrics:
- Star advocates for real value-driven customer success, contrasting it with traditional retention metrics.
Empathetic and Adaptive Leadership:
- Successful leadership requires aligning closely with product teams and genuinely addressing customer needs.
Cultural Fit in Hiring:
- Prioritize potential and unique contributions over traditional metrics, valuing diverse skills and personal strengths.
Transparent Communication:
- Promote openness and honesty to boost team morale and foster a collaborative environment.

Ep 14: Embracing Radical Candor with Ryan Lazar of Qualtrics

Season 1 · Episode 14

Monday, May 6, 2024 • Duration 36:45

Dive into our latest "CS in Focus" episode where we sit down with Ryan Lazar, a seasoned leader who's steering the helm at Qualtrics Canada.

Ryan brings a unique blend of engineering prowess and sales acumen, driving unprecedented growth and nurturing a passionate team culture.

🔹 Key Takeaways:

Mastering Radical Candor: Ryan shares how honest, caring feedback is pivotal for team cohesion and performance.
Leadership Lessons: From Windsor's blue-collar roots to Toronto’s tech scene, Ryan's journey is packed with insights on creating cultures of success.
Adapting Strategies: Hear how Qualtrics adapts its approaches in customer success and sales to stay ahead in tech.

Connect with Ryan on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-lazar-86a8ba11/

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Ep 12: Improv Meets Tech: Unscripted Success in Customer Relations with Katie Clark

Season 1 · Episode 12

Tuesday, March 12, 2024 • Duration 27:35

Dive into our conversation with Katie Clark, Manager of Implementation at Pocket Health, hosted by Emma. Katie’s journey from improv theater to customer success shines a light on adaptability, clear communication, and the personal touch that AI can't replace.

Key Insights:

Improv Skills in CS: Adapt and thrive in unpredictability.
Clear Expectations: Essential from sales to onboarding for success.
Vital Metrics: CSAT scores, response rates, and time to value measure impact.
Human vs. AI: Automation aids, but human connections are key.
Advice for Aspiring CS Pros: Embrace experiences and find joy in your role.

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Ep 11: Navigating Growth with Saher Ghattas⁠

Season 1 · Episode 11

Saturday, March 2, 2024 • Duration 41:58

In this podcast episode, Saher Ghattas, SVP North American Sales Leader of DataStealth, shares his journey and insights on go-to-market (GTM) alignments.

He discusses the challenges and different frameworks for GTM alignments, emphasizing the importance of driving impact and value for customers at each stage of their journey.

Saher also explores the freemium model and strategies for encouraging conversion, as well as analyzing churn and ensuring a smooth handoff between sales and customer success teams.

He highlights the role of a Chief Customer Officer and offers advice for leaders on team growth and GTM alignments. Finally, he discusses compensation plans and shares his thoughts on the trends and forecast for 2024.

Takeaways

GTM alignments require leaders to understand the different frameworks and choose the one that best suits their organization's growth and maturity.
Driving impact and value for customers at each stage of their journey is crucial for success.
Analyzing churn and ensuring a smooth handoff between sales and customer success teams can help improve customer retention.
The role of a Chief Customer Officer is becoming increasingly important in organizations.
Leaders should prioritize self-care and remember that they are human, making mistakes is okay.

Connect with Saher Ghattas

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Ep 10: Crafting Messages that Resonate with Tyler Lessard

Season 1 · Episode 10

Thursday, February 22, 2024 • Duration 43:28

Tyler Lessard discussed the importance of authenticity in marketing and the role of customer stories. He emphasized the need for individuals to create and share videos, and how AI can enhance authenticity and scale human communication.

Takeaways

Focus on becoming your audience's favorite follow by providing high-resonance content that they care about.
Craft messages that are authentic, relatable, and put the audience's needs and expectations first.
Embrace the outside-in approach by understanding your audience and meeting them where they are.
Utilize customer stories to showcase the impact of your product or service and create emotional connections with your audience.
Embrace authenticity in marketing and leverage video and social media to engage and resonate with your audience.
Explore the potential of AI in video content creation to make video production more accessible and efficient.

Tyler Lessard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerlessard/

Pavilion Elevate AKO: https://events.joinpavilion.com/ELEVATE-AKO (Watch Tyler's session)

Selective Attention Test By Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo

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Ep 6: Exploring Customer Success Innovations with Stephen Smith and Brendan McDonald, CS Toolkit's Founders

Season 1 · Episode 6

Monday, January 29, 2024 • Duration 30:55

Join us in uncovering the innovative strategies behind CS Toolkit, a game-changing tool in the customer success landscape, as shared by its founders, Stephen Smith and Brendan McDonald. Dive into our podcast for a deep dive into how CS Toolkit is transforming the way customer success teams operate, with a focus on customer sentiment, streamlined processes, and strategic growth in the CS sector.

Learn more about CS Toolkit:

https://cstoolkit.app/

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Spotlight by CS in Focus – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

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Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Spotlight by CS in Focus – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

LinkedIn38

Other11

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

LinkedIn38

Other11

Amazon7