Rachel Provan

Provan Success, LLC

1:1 and Group Customer Success Leadership Coaching, Customer Success Job Hunting and Career Counseling, Business Coaching.

THE CS LEADERSHIP ACADEMY
- Over 200 CS Leaders Certified
- 37% received a RAISE or PROMOTION within 3-6 months due to performance and executive presence.
- Results of over 115% NRR

CAREER COACHING
- 150+ CS Leadership roles landed and counting
- Salary Negotiation scripts resulted in a minimum of $10k increase over initial offer.
- Average Salary increased 30% from previous job

Founder and CEO

CS Angel

Selected by peers and top influencers to create the world’s first syndicate of Customer Success and Customer Experience experts ready to invest in startups providing tech that improves Net Revenue Retention (NRR)

Founding Member

Catalyst Software

Invited by CEO Edward Chiu and COO Kevin Chiu to participate in a private community of 100+ executives from CEOs, VPs of CS/Sales, CROs/CCOs, and more to discuss the future of revenue generation through a more cost-effective and powerful growth engine; your customers.

 Customer-Led Growth Advisor

CS Insider

Monthly contributor writing a column for new CS leaders.

Contributing Writer

Doodle

Built and developed a global Customer Success department to increase adoption, retention, and expansion at scale.  

Leveraged best practices through tiered engagement models, customer lifecycle practice, and playbooks. 

Implemented Gainsight and Customer Success Operations to automate repetitive tasks over customer lifecycle. 

Operationalized the customer health model to trigger risk and expansion plays as well as forecast renewals.

Developed customer enablement program to increase time to first value and depth of adoption via 1:Many programs and self-serve materials. 

Hired and mentored and scaled a diverse global CS team and created onboarding, coaching, and professional development models with a strong team culture.

Created career advancement models and employee development plans to increase transparency and motivation, resulting in to promotions.

Director of Customer Success

Fidelus Technologies

Built and scaled the Customer Success department for a white glove unified communications and networking provider.  

Created all processes and workflows based on the customer lifecycle.  

Recruited, and continued to develop, motivate, and scale a dynamic Customer Success team. 

Enabled scalability of Customer Success department by automating workflows and playbooks for adoption, expansion, renewal, and advocacy through Customer Success software.  

Increased productivity and reduced silos by refining processes across sales, support, and services to streamline communication and customer-centricity, ultimately attaining an NPS of 91 and increased NRR.

Arago GmbH

Built Customer Success department from scratch for machine reasoning AI product (HIRO). 

Led department while simultaneously managing Fortune 500 clients. 

Coordinated with cross-functional teams to align product development with customer feedback. 

Dramatically increased scaling, expansion and customer retention.

Head of Customer Success

Donnelley Financial Solutions

Oversaw the planning and execution of the entire ActiveDisclosure SaaS implementation lifecycle. Steered the integration of client-specific best practices to maximize performance and satisfaction. Administered training and evaluation of personnel to exceed organizational standards. Leveraged creative curriculum, webinars and classroom instruction tools to provide informative instruction.

Created role and processes from the ground up to build an impeccable customer experience from product inception to #2 in the marketplace for financial reporting software.

Worked across departments as the voice of the customer to ensure customer-focused product development, services, sales, and marketing.

Led an organizational mentoring program to facilitate the growth and retention of talented team members.

Customer Success Implementation Architect

Vintage Filings, LLC

Grew a team from 3-6 EDGAR Specialists (Production/Customer Service) in the production of SEC compliance documents for over 600 accounts. 

Guided clients through complete restructuring of government requirements in rapidly changing field.

Reduced new-hire salary costs by 40% by initiating and implementing comprehensive training program, eliminating need for 2 outsourced training and recruiting vendors.

Developed customer lifecycle and engagement maps to create best practices for both proactive and reactive touchpoints.

Decreased costs and streamlined operations by creating and maintaining in-house systems to track clients’ progress and workflow.

Increased revenue by cross-selling clients' full financial service package, including XBRL and IR Data Hosting.

Ensured accurate and timely response to clients’ needs by creating and updating course curriculum and delivering training to staff on an on-going basis, accommodating different learning styles.

Ensured consistent, complete information on processes and procedures by writing and updating 60-page manual as reference guide for new hires and existing staff.

VP Operations - Customer Success

Managed a team of 3 Edgar Specialists across 300 accounts

Developed checklists and customer lifecycle management processes that reduce filing errors by 30% leading to a 15% increase in customer retention. 

Created upselling playbook based on previous customer buying patterns increasing overall revenue by 10% across accounts.

Director of Operations - Customer Success

* Processed government compliance documents with the SEC for clients, handling ASCII filings with EdgarEase and HTML with Edgarizer. 

* Provided premier customer service by accurately and efficiently preparing, editing and filing documents. 

* Served as liaison with clients regarding edits and filings.

Senior Edgar Specialist

Promoted to Senior EDGAR Specialist within 1 year

Edgar Operator

Lead generation, qualification and nurturing to increase new client acquisition

Business Development Specialist

Data Entry Specialist

🚨 I remember the first time I became a manager.

I had no idea what I was doing! 

One day, I was a high-performing individual contributor—confident, in control, and great at my job. The next, I was leading a team... and suddenly second-guessing everything.

Should I be tougher or more approachable? Should I micromanage or trust my team? What if they realize I have no idea what I’m doing?

I tried reading leadership books, watching TED Talks, and mimicking my old bosses. But nothing quite clicked. Leadership still felt like an awkward script I was reading, not something I truly owned.

🔥 It wasn’t until I learned the psychology behind leadership that everything changed.

Once I understood WHY and HOW leadership frameworks worked—not just what they were—I stopped feeling like an imposter. Leadership became second nature. My team started responding to me differently. I wasn’t just “managing” anymore—I was actually leading.

And the best part?  I felt like MYSELF - not some image of what a leader "should" be.

That’s when I realized: 

Most new managers don’t fail because they’re bad leaders. They fail because no one ever taught them how to THINK like a leader.

🚀 Now, I help New Managers and CS leaders make leadership effortless!

✅ CS Leadership Academy (for CS leaders & execs)
A proven system to build and scale a revenue-generating Customer Success Department—from strategy to execution.
✔️ Build a scalable CS function that drives real impact
✔️ Create a high-performance team—without burning out
✔️ Master executive communication & cross-functional collaboration

📈 The Leadership Accelerator - For New Managers
A step-by-step program to go from struggling manager to confident leader.
✔️ Learn time management, delegation, & performance management
✔️ Develop executive presence & be taken seriously - while still being authentic!
✔️ Master mindset & leadership psychology

💡 Why my approach works:
Most leadership programs give you TACTICS. I teach you the psychology behind them—so leadership stops feeling forced and starts feeling like PART OF WHO YOU ARE.

📌 Proof this works?
✅ 90% of leadership training is too theoretical—this program is real-world, actionable, and science-backed.
✅ New managers who receive structured coaching perform 50% better in their first year.
✅ My clients have gone from overwhelmed and insecure to leading teams with confidence—and getting promoted faster - many in just three months!).

🚀 Ready to stop second-guessing and start leading?

Let’s talk. DM me or connect to start your leadership transformation.

1-on-1 Customer Success Leadership coaching, Customer Success Job Hunting and Career Counseling

Confession... I'm a total gossip. 🗣️

I talk about people behind their backs all the time.

But here's the twist... it's all good stuff.

I call it "Positive Gossip".

👉 Any time someone does something great on your team, find a way to tell 3 people.

I don't care what "rank" they are.  Just start flapping your gums about it.

“She handled that client like a pro. I don’t know how she stayed that calm.”

“Working with him makes everything easier.  He always knows what I need and is ten steps ahead”

“She’s the reason we've improved productivity by 10%. That woman is MAGIC with processes.”

Most leaders think praise only counts when it’s in front of the subject. The meeting shoutout, the Slack message, the performance review paragraph...

But  what you say about people in private matters just as much.

That’s where trust gets built.

When you speak well of someone who isn’t in the room, three things happen:

🧠 The person listening trusts you more — you’re not making it all about you.
🤝 They start seeing that person more positively.
🔥 Gossip always gets back to people.  Always.  Now when it does, you're not just their boss, your their champion.

This isn't about being performative. It's about genuinely appreciating people.

And here's a bonus:

🌟  It feels good to focus on what people do well.
You start looking for the good. You notice more of it. Your team feels it.

That's what builds loyalty. 
Not awards. Not public praise.
💪 Knowing you speak well of them when there's nothing in it for you.

That’s how you build a team that would run through walls for you.

XOXO

Rachel Provan 🧠

I help CS Leaders kick ass at their job & get promoted - using Psychology | 15 years leading CS teams | Creator of The CS Leadership Academy & Psychology of Customer Success Podcast | Speaker

f you want to be a leader, you need to sound like one.

But women are societally conditioned to soften their language and over-apologize.
 
Here’s how I broke my apology habit - without turning into a jerk.

The first step is becoming aware of it. 

👉🏻There’s a chrome extension called “Just Not Sorry” that points out when you are using language that undermines your message. 

It underlines words and phrases like: 
“Just,” 
“I’m sorry,” 
“I think,” 
“Does that make sense?” 
“In my opinion”, 
“I’m no expert,” and 
“Actually”

You can still use these words when you feel it’s appropriate, but they shouldn’t pepper every email.

Beyond helping me with work correspondence, it definitely made me more aware how often I use weak language. 

🤔 The reason I tend to speak that way is to be considerate and cooperative. 

But to other people it comes across as filler. 

Stating your point of view directly is not rude. It’s easier to understand.

🙏🏻 The final piece that helped quash my sorry habit was learning to say “thank you” instead of “sorry”. 

⭐️For example, instead of “I’m sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner!” Try:

🙏 “Thank you for your patience, I really appreciate it.” 

It frames the other person positively which is a nicer experience for them than watching you beat yourself up. 

Of course you should ALWAYS apologize if you have done something to hurt someone else, but “sorry” shouldn’t be your default state.

What do you think? Do you disagree? I’m just not sorry.

#leadership #career

Want psychology based leadership tips sent straight to your inbox?  go to:

https://lnkd.in/eYDQNwAa 📩 


.

Your team isn't being difficult. They're being human.

New leaders make one big mistake: 

Trying to fix emotional reactions with logic.

Most employee reactions aren't logical.  They're fear based. 

Our bodies KNOW that our job is tied to community, food and shelter.  

Above oxygen and water... those are the most basic needs there are.  

So our brains are hardwired to consider it an EMERGENCY when anything might threaten our job.  

This triggers the fight or flight response. 

When this happens, the logical part of their brain goes offline.  

Great for bear attacks... not so great for corporate.

So trying to reason with someone when they're freaked or defensive... 

Well you'd have equal luck reasoning with a beetle. 🪲 

Here's what actually works:

🛑  Slow the moment down. Make it clear you respect them and their work.

📐 Explain the gap between what you're seeing and what needs to happen

🤝 Ask to solve it together - both of you against the problem.

Safety first, problem second. People need to feel safe before they can think clearly.

Your job as a leader is to keep your people feeling safe. 

Only then will you get their best work.

Your team isn't difficult.  They're human.

Most managers fail long before they realize it.

Not because they’re lazy.

But because they keep doing the exact things that made them successful as ICs.

But your job is no longer to be successful through doing the work - and if you try, you'll burn out.

These five lessons are the line between a stressed-out manager and a real leader.

If you’ve been feeling exhausted, this is the part you’ve been avoiding.

Don't learn the hard way

Stop walking executives through your thought process.
They don’t want to see it.

Early in my leadership career, I learned this the hard way.

I was giving my quarterly update (which, honesty should have taken five minutes)

And instead of leading with my decision, I walked them through…
 
🦉The background
🦉The analysis.
🦉The structure.

The why behind the why.

I thought I was being thorough.

But I was boring them to tears.

Because what I was really saying was:

 “Please validate that I did this right.”

😬 Not what they hired me for.

Executives don’t need to see our thought process.

They need to trust that we have that handled and can make good decisions.

When we over-explain, we train them to second-guess us.
We’re teaching them our decisions aren’t final.

Here’s what confident executive communication looks like:

 📌 X thing affects revenue.
 📌 Here's how we know, and here's the action we are taking.  
 📌 This is the expected outcome and timeline on revenue.

Then stop talking.  

No defending choices already made.
Not explaining how we got here.
No explaining why you aren't doing something.

The question isn’t:

“Am I being thorough enough?”

 It’s:

“Am I leading, or am I asking for approval?”

Save this for your next exec update.

You spend 2 hours on something that doesn't matter.

Then 10 minutes on the thing that could change everything.

But WHYYYY???  Every day you tell yourself it will be different.  

The good news - you don't suck or have no discipline.

The bad news - It's your nervous system.

When you're stressed, your brain goes into threat mode. Everything feels urgent. Slack notifications, emails, that to do list that keeps getting longer and longer...

Your nervous system treats them like immediate threats that need handling NOW.

Meanwhile, strategic thinking shuts down completely.

You're trying to prioritize while your body thinks you're being chased by a bear.

In threat mode: Everything's urgent. You're reactive. Busy but not effective.

When your nervous system is calm: You can distinguish urgent from important. You have space to actually think.

The best time management hack: learning how to calm your nervous system. 

There are many ways to do this, but here are three of my favorites:

1) Ground yourself. 

Feel your feet on the floor, find something purple in the room, see how many things you can hear at the same time.

2) 4-7-8 breathing.  

Breathe in for a count of 4, hold it for 7, exhale for 8.  Do this 4x.  The longer exhales slow your heart rate and the short breath holding reduces anxiety.

3) My favorite because it involves candy and no thought:

Pop a sour candy in your mouth.  It shocks you back into the present moment and can break you out of whatever thought loop your stuck in.  

Because whatever disaster scenario your concocting in your head isn't actually happening.  You're sitting at a computer.  Eating candy.  

These simple exercises tell your nervous system you're not in danger. You can shift from survival back to strategy.

THEN ask: "If I could only do one thing today that would actually move the needle, what would it be?"

And do that one thing.  Then count it as a win.

You can't reason with your body. You have to work with it. That's the difference between spinning your wheels and actually moving forward.



Want more leadership tips backed by brain science?  Check out my newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/eYDQNwAa



.

Jan Young, MBA, CSPO, CSM

Project Manager

StepUpXchange

StepUpXchange is an exciting new community for professional learning. We're an extension of the CxXchange community and sponsored by JanYoungCX. 

We offer group coaching, courses and workshops that are project based so you can apply what you learn directly to your work. You'll directly impact your customers, your team, your company, and your career. 

Our first offering is on Sept 4 at 9am PT/ noon ET/ 4pm GMT. Jan Young, will lead a 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬: 𝐔𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂-𝐒𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞.

This is HOT off the presses, so our website isn't even up yet! If you opt into our first event, we'll keep you up to date on 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 as we build it! 

If you're looking for a way to break through to the next level, if you want to learn in a community with progressive professionals, come and step up your career with us!

Founder, CEO

JanYoungCX

As a CS Leader, this is the time to embrace change. Luckily, you don’t have to do it alone. In fact, you are more likely to be successful if you don’t do it alone. 

As the Founder and Chief Customer Officer, I provide courses, coaching, and consulting in Post Sales Revenue Leadership, Customer Led Growth, and Go-To-Market alignment.

With coaching, courses, and community, you can transform yourself into a post sales revenue leader and change your mindset to step up as a business leader.

If this sounds like something you want to learn more about, check out my free guide:

7 Steps for CS Leaders to Become Revenue Leaders
https://www.janyoungcx.com/7-steps-revenue-leader

You can also join my course waitlist or apply now:
https://www.janyoungcx.com/courses

Or apply for 1:1 coaching at https://www.janyoungcx.com/

Founder & Chief Customer Officer

Pavilion

- Created and taught "Building Your Retention Playbook" course for Executive GTM members of the Pavilion community
-  Presenting at Pavilion Palooza
-  Attended CEO Summit 2024
-  Executive member of the Pavilion community

Instructor, Executive Member

SoCalCX

We are Southern California's only professional community where go-to-market leaders across Product Management, Sales, Account Management, Professional Services, Technical Support, and Customer Success come together to share ideas so we can deliver unparalleled customer experiences for B2B and B2B2C software-as-a-service technology companies.

Co-Founder

CxXchange

CxXchange community started as a weekly office hour, then grew to CS Office Hours, and now a community with weekly SuccessHour sessions, monthly CxX Book Club, job search cohorts, Collaboration Groups for CS Leaders and CSMs in their first 6 month or 6+ months... CxXchange is a place to Xelerate Your career and Xchange ideas. CxXchange is a space for passion, curiosity, and community.

Follow us here
Join the LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14089431/
And soon... visit our youtube page & website: www.thecxxchange.com

Founder

Success Venture Partners

Founding investor in Success Venture Partners, led by John Gleeson.

Founding Limited Partner

RevRoom

RevRoom is a trusted space where curious revenue leaders are collaborating on the future of B2B Go to Market alignment and GTM-Led-Growth.

"Inclusive Innovation" Series Writer & Curator. DM me if you're interested in being a guest author on the subject of customer centric, employee centric, or DEI programs. Check out other articles in the series  here:  https://csinsider.io/inclusiveinnovation

I also serve as Founding Community Lead. What is CS Insider? CS Insider offers community events and gathers Customer Success best practices and resources on a bi-weekly basis for busy and aspiring CS professionals. Did you miss a LinkedIn post, article, podcast, webinar...? Get the CS Insider Newsletter-- it's all there for you!

https://csinsider.io/

Founding Community Lead, "Inclusive Innovation" Series Writer & Curator

Invited by CEO Edward Chiu and COO Kevin Chiu to participate in a private community of 100+ executives from CEOs, VPs of CS/Sales, CROs/CCOs, and more to discuss the power of customer-centric companies and the future revenue generation through a more cost-effective and powerful growth engine; your customers.

Customer-Led Growth Advisor

The Success League

Recent Podcasts & Webinars: 
CloudApp - How to Build a CS Digital Program That's Right for You, Rocketlane - Designing Your Onboarding & Adoption Journey & Podcast Interview, Update.AI - How To Build a Career in CS, UserIQ - Advanced Customer Psych, ChurnZero - RYG CS Leadership Hour (San Diego & LA), Minerva - Success Corner Meetup Pioneers Q&A, Cognite - Sales to CS Handoff, Women in CS - The Fundamentals of Customer Success,  User Adoption Podcast - Interview, CS4Rev - Collaborative Revenue Incubator Event, Catalyst Coaching Program - Becoming a Career-Trajectory Changing Mentor, Gain Grow Retain - Customer Base Segmentation & How to Use Discovery Questions to Build Relationships with Executive Stakeholders...

Customer Success Articles Published at:  TheSuccessLeague.io, CloudApp.com Blog & E-Book, Gainsight's InSided Customer Health Magazine, SmartKarrot.com, CSInsider.co, and Nuffsaid newsletter

Principal Consultant

The Success League is a consulting firm that helps growing businesses plan, build and scale their customer success teams. We offer public and private customized CSM and Leadership Training, Customer Success Program Assessments, Interim Leadership Services, and Consulting Services.

Senior Consultant, Customer Success 

I help Heads of CS become VPs and get a seat at the Executive Table | Customer-Led Growth Advisor | 2X Top 25 CS Influencer | Top 50 CS Influencer | Top 50 Women Leaders in CS | Top 100 CS Strategist | Investor

I help CS Leaders get to the executive level,  excel in their careers, transform their teams with strategic direction, build business value for their customers, and evolve their companies into Customer Led Growth revenue generators.

Shifting economics in tech has required us to move from Growth at Any Cost to Profitable Enduring Growth. That’s a big change after 15 years that led to a tech bubble. For many, it represents your whole career. And the change has been swift. You’re probably wondering when it’s all going to “go back to normal”.   But this is the new normal.  
 
Add to that the change that AI brings– it can be overwhelming!  We can also look at it another way– it’s an opportunity to learn & thrive. 

This is the time to embrace change. 

Luckily, you don’t have to do it alone. In fact, you are more likely to be successful if you don’t do it alone. 

As the Founder and Chief Customer Officer, I provide courses, coaching, and consulting in Post Sales Revenue Leadership, Customer Led Growth, and Go-To-Market alignment.

With coaching, courses, and community, you can transform yourself into a post sales revenue leader and change your mindset to step up as a business leader.

If this sounds like something you want to learn more about, check out my free guide:

7 Steps for CS Leaders to Become Revenue Leaders
https://www.janyoungcx.com/7-steps-revenue-leader

You can also join my course waitlist or apply now:
Go.StepUpXchange.com/csbl-accelerator

Or apply for 1:1 coaching at https://www.janyoungcx.com/

If you were hired today to build your CS Org from scratch, would it look like this?  Be honest.

If you had no legacy processes, no "that's how we've always done it," and full access to the AI Agents available right now...

Would you build the same team? 
Would you have the same customer journey?

🤔  So why are you trying to bolt new technology onto old, broken processes? 
It’s like automating chaos.


To succeed in 2026, we need to apply First Principles Thinking. 
We need to redesign the roles based on the best tool for the job.


The New Human Strategic Layer:

🧑‍🤝‍🧑  Forward Deployed Engineer / CSM: Bridging the technical gap in real-time.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑  Consumption Strategist: Focusing on value realization, not just usage.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑  CS AI Specialist: Architecting the systems that scale.


The AI Agent Support Layer (Your 24/7 Workforce): 

🤖 The Watchdogs: Sentiment Watchdog & Competitor Spy 

🤖 The Analysts: Consumption Analyst, Billing Forecaster, & Expansion Opportunity Analyst 

🤖 The Admin: Strategic Meeting Prep, Renewal Admin, & Call Scoring


The tech isn't the barrier. The barrier is the Foundation. AI only works if you are guiding it with a clear, proven strategy.


You have a few weeks left in the year to challenge your own assumptions.

📌 Don't rebuild alone. Join the StepUpXchange CS Business Leadership Accelerator.

This is the only program designed to help you dismantle the "old way" and install a Modern CS Growth System.


Bridge the Gap:

🛠 SHIFT:  From Health Scores to a Repeatable Customer Revenue System. 
💡 RESULT:  You stop guessing and start projecting revenue with confidence.

🛠 SHIFT:  From fearing AI replacement to AI Fluency. 
💡 RESULT:  You confidently deploy AI agents to handle the "busy work" so you can focus on Executive Impact.

Rebuild your foundation for the future.


👉 Secure your spot in the accelerator: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gBFjD_yD


#FirstPrinciples #Innovation #CustomerSuccess #FutureOfWork

StepUpXchange
JanYoungCX

For additional resources, offers, and updates on my masterclasses, join my VIP Inner Circle: https://lnkd.in/gpxwVFWB

For insights and strategies on using AI + CS for Executive Impact, check out my newsletter: JanYoungCX.com/#newsletter

CS is evolving. Your leadership should too. | Helping CS leaders transition into executive roles & drive business impact | 2X Top 25 CS Influencer | Customer-Led Growth Advisor | Top 100 Female B2B SaaS Pipeline Pioneers

ChatGPT just revealed something about me I never explicitly told it. And it made me realize: Your team is doing the same thing to you right now.

I was working with ChatGPT and asked what it had learned about me over our months of conversations.

What energizes me. 
What feels easy versus challenging. 
What I'm building toward.

Here's what surprised me:
It knew things I'd NEVER told it.

Seriously. We've been talking about CS Leaders, my CS Business Leadership Accelerator, and my content.

But somehow it had formed a clear picture of ME, my likes/ dislikes, even MY GOALS through the patterns in how I talked about everything else.

And that's when I realized something.

I've been thinking about communication all wrong.

We're not just communicating what we say.

We're communicating through our actions, and every pattern we create.


Think about your last team meeting.
You probably thought you were sharing priorities through your agenda.

But your team was also noticing:
→ Which topics you spent the most time on
→ Where you had energy versus what you rushed through
→ What you asked follow-up questions about

THOSE SIGNALS SAID MORE THAN YOUR WORDS.

Or think about your customer conversations.
You might think you're showing value through what you say.

But your customers are noticing:
→ Whether you're really curious about their business
→ If you get excited talking about their success
→ Whether you're focused or just checking a box

We think saying things clearly is what matters most.

But IMPLICIT COMMUNICATION:  the patterns we create, the signals we send, that might be what people actually respond to.

Because your team isn't just listening to what you say about priorities.
🕜 They're watching where you actually spend your time. 
🥳  They're noticing what you celebrate versus what you ignore. 
🗣️  They're feeling when your words say one thing but your actions show another.

Your customers aren't just hearing your talking points.
🎉 They're experiencing whether you really care about their success. 
🚀 They're noticing if you're excited or just going through the motions.
👀 They're looking at what happens afterwards. What do your actions say?


What makes this hard:
Most of us don't realize the signals we're sending. 

We think we're talking about one thing, but we're showing our real priorities through HOW we talk about it.

The opportunity is paying attention to the signals you're sending. 

The opportunity is becoming more intentional about the signals you're sending. Not just what you say, but where your attention goes, what you emphasize repeatedly, and what genuinely lights you up. 💡

Because if AI can figure out these patterns, your team and customers DEFINITELY can.


👉  What do you think your team is picking up about you based on your actions, not just your words?

👉  What about your customers?

The verdict is in. AI isn't replacing CSMs. It’s unleashing them.

I recently had the honor of serving as a judge for the 2026 Most Creative Leader Award by EverAfter AI, and after reviewing 30+ deep-dive submissions, I walked away with a massive realization about our industry.

There is a fear that AI will depersonalize the customer experience.

But the work I saw from this year's entrants proved the exact opposite.

The most creative leaders are using AI to remove the robotic parts of the job so that their teams can spend 100% of their energy on high-value, human strategy.

We are witnessing a shift from Managing Success to Engineering Value.

We evaluated these leaders on strict criteria: creativity, business outcomes, and customer impact.

25 leaders truly stood out for how they are taking CS to the next level.

🏆 Congratulations to the 2026 Winners:
Nate Alcorn, Tara Myles, Bernardo Chabert, Sara Arecco, Sneha Iyer, Austin Henline, David J., De'Edra Williams, MBA, Vinay Chaturvedi, Lisa DiSpirito Redman M.Ed. , Sanchit Kharbanda, Alanna Putnam, LeeRon Yahalomi, Tomer Yair Zemel, Kasia Roth, Bharath J., Amber Frye, Karthick JL, Tricia Jessee, Alex Turkovic, Emma L., Beauly Cira, MBA, ITIL ,  Noah Tradonsky, Matt Wood, Daniel W. and Jonathan Gruber.

🌟 And the Community Choice Winners:
Raman Bindra, ✨️ Sumitra N.., and Pragya Mishra

A massive thank you to Adi Gorelik for coordinating this incredible initiative. It was a pleasure digging into these stories alongside fellow judges Chad Horenfeldt 📕, Kristi Faltorusso, Donna Weber, Daphne Costa Lopes, Shachar Avrahami, Sabina M. Pons

Check out the winning plays here: https://lnkd.in/gr-ePbug

#CustomerSuccess #AI #EverAfterAI #MostCreativeLeaderAward

Within 48 hours, I coached three CS leaders through a similar challenge:

Shrinking teams. Frozen backfills. Bigger targets.

💠  One had to let go of a team member due to revenue pressure. 
💠  Another is staring down aggressive growth goals with no increase in headcount. 
💠  The third lost one of their highest performers, and was told there's no backfill coming.

And all three said the same thing:
"I don't know what to do. My team is already stretched thin."

Here's the reality I told each of them:
❌  You are not getting new headcount. 
🧑‍🤝‍🧑  You need to plan for losing more. 
🧍  Companies and teams are getting smaller.

Sounds harsh?
Maybe. But it’s also the truth.

And the truth gives you power to ask a better question:
Not:  "How do I stretch my team further?"
But:   “How do I radically rethink what I do, and how I do it?”

Start here:
Are you gap-filling for a product that wasn't completed?

This is bloat.
And it's the most expensive way to deliver software. 
It's time to show how much time and money it takes for a human to do the job the software should be doing.

It’s time to ask:
What are you doing because you've always done it that way?
What really impacts the outcome the customer needs? 
What doesn't need to be done anymore? 
What can you not afford to do anymore?

The BIG Question:
What data and tools have you been missing, and what has it cost?
Human hours lost or spent? 
Customers churned? 
Revenue you couldn't grow because you didn't have the capacity or insights to see it?

Show the cost.
Then redesign for Modern CS.

Here's what a lot of CS leaders miss:
The CS orgs thriving right now aren't trying to do the same work with fewer people.

They redesigned their old CS program and turned it into a 
Modern CS Growth System:
✅  They replaced task volume with outcome clarity 
✅  They use insights to act with precision, not urgency 
✅  They reduced noise so their team focuses where they create real value

One approach keeps you stuck in survival mode. 
The other builds a system designed for today's reality.
--> Which path are you on?

If you're ready to redesign your CS org for constraints that lead to abundance

Join me for the 
📌  NexGen CS Leadership Masterclass 
How Any CS Leader Can Drive Revenue & Executive Impact
Even When You’re Left Out of the Boardroom

📆  Tuesday, Dec 2
🕘  9am PT/ 12pm ET/ 5pm UK
https://lnkd.in/gsETU8a2

📌  It’s only LIVE.  [no recording]

I'll walk you through exactly how to build a Modern CS Growth System that thrives under today's reality, not yesterday's playbook.

Can’t make it?

📌 Sign up for the VIP Inner Circle and you’ll be first to know about ​StepUpXchange​ free masterclasses in 2026.  
https://lnkd.in/gpxwVFWB

📌 In the meantime, check out my newsletter. Find it here:  JanYoungCX.com/#newsletter

I see you.

Last week I posted about shrinking CS teams and rising revenue expectations.

A few people commented publicly.
But my inbox lit up.

Dozens of CS leaders messaged me privately to say the same thing.

👀 "That’s me too. I’m overwhelmed, and I don’t know where to start."

👀 "My CFO wants me to prove ROI, but I don’t know what he’s looking for really. I’ve tried 3 times, and I’m working 60 hour weeks."

👀 "My team was just cut from 12 to 6, but our projections are supposed to double by year end 2026. I don't know how to make it all work."

Reading those messages stayed with me.
Because you are not alone.
And more importantly, you are not failing.

Here's what most people think:
"If I just work harder, figure out the right tactics, or find the perfect tool, I can make this work."

But that's not true.
You can't tactic your way out of a system problem.

The old CS playbooks were built for bigger teams, bigger budgets, and a different marketplace.

They don't work anymore.

What works now?

A Modern CS Growth System designed for today's reality: 
✅  Half the team, 2x the expectations 
✅  AI handling tasks, humans driving impact 
✅  Revenue language that gets you heard in the boardroom

This is not about working harder. It is about leading differently.

Join me for a live Masterclass:

📌  NextGen CS Leadership
How Any CS Leader Can Drive Revenue and Executive Impact 
Even When You are Left Out of the Boardroom

📆  Tuesday, December 2
🕘  9am PT/ 12pm ET/ 5pm UK
🔗  https://lnkd.in/gsETU8a2

👉  We will talk about what is shifting in tech, why so many leaders are feeling this pressure, and the system that can help you step into 2026 with clarity and strength.

There is a path forward.

I’ve guided CS leaders as they rebuild their confidence and their results even when everything looked impossible.

You can do this.
We can do this together.
🧡💙

Save this post. 
Share it with someone who needs it.

StepUpXchange
JanYoungCX

💠  If you want to know when I offer Masterclasses or learn more about the CS Business Leadership Accelerator, DM me, or come be a part of my VIP Inner Circle:  https://lnkd.in/gpxwVFWB

💠  If you want to get my newsletter about Modern CS + AI, you can find it here:  janyoungcx.com/#newsletter

Does anyone else feel dizzy? 😵‍💫 If the ground feels like it’s shifting, the data backs you up. 

According to LinkedIn… 
In the last 10 years, skills for roles changed by 25%. 
In the next 4 years, skills are projected to change by 70%.

But In Customer Success, it feels like that number is closer to 90%. Right?!

In CS, we haven't just been "evolving", we’ve been on a roller coaster!

🎢  2020: The world shut down. We went remote overnight and learned to build relationships through screens while navigating a global crisis.

🎢  2023: The "Growth at All Costs" party ended. Interest rates spiked, and the mandate flipped to Profitable Growth. We became financial stewards.

🎢 2025: Enter AI Agents and the year when ChatGPT curiosity exploded into AI Autonomy. Now, AI Agents are handling complex workflows, and forcing us to rethink what a CSM actually does.


We have endured change upon change.


After all that, it feels safer to retreat into the Comfort Zone. 
See graphic 👇 

But here's why you shouldn't. "Comfort" is where Surprise Churn and Low Impact live.

To get to growth, we have to cross the Fear Zone. We all know it. It’s that messy middle where Imposter Syndrome whispers that you aren't ready.


Do you really want to learn 70-90% new skills solo?


I'll let you in on a secret.

The bridge from AI Anxiety to Executive Impact isn't built in isolation. 
It’s built in Community.

Let's cross that bridge together. 

We have two ways to do it this Tuesday!

CxXchange #SuccessHour: 
📌  How AI Is Changing the CS Skills We Need in 2026 and Beyond 
📆  Tuesday, Dec 9
🕘   9-10am PT 
Link: https://lnkd.in/gWqPZY_5

We'll dig into all of the skills that are changing.


AND if you want to take that warm fuzzy community with you into 2026…

 📌  Tuesday is the last day this year to join the StepUpXchange CS Business Leadership Accelerator

This is the only program designed to help you dismantle the "old ways" and install a Modern CS Growth System.


Bridge the Gap:

🛠️   SHIFT:  From Fear of Failute to Business Acumen. 
 💡  RESULT:  Confidently deploy AI agents to handle the busy work so you and your team can focus on Strategic Value.

🛠️  SHIFT:   From Reactive Support to Executive Impact. 
 💡 RESULT:  Stop guessing and start projecting revenue with confidence.

Secure your spot in the Accelerator: 
🔗 https://lnkd.in/gBFjD_yD

or DM me to see if it's a match for you


p.s.
I adapted the Growth Zone graphic for my post using Nano Banana. Have you tried it?! 🚀

#CSLeadership #AI #FutureOfWork #GrowthMindset #2026Planning

StepUpXchange
JanYoungCX

For additional resources, offers, and updates on my masterclasses, join my VIP Inner Circle: https://lnkd.in/gpxwVFWB

For insights and strategies on using AI + CS for Executive Impact, check out my newsletter: JanYoungCX.com/#newsletter

⚠️  December is dangerous for CS Leaders. 

It’s tempting to coast. 

It’s tempting to just "get through the holidays." 

It’s tempting to say, "I’ll figure out the Agentic AI stuff in January."


But January 2026 is going to hit like a freight train.

The pace of change regarding AI Agents and automation in the last 6 months has been faster than the previous 5 years combined.


But here's what no one is saying:

AI actually isn't the hard part. 
The prompts aren't the hard part.

The hard part is the Strategy.

If you layer powerful AI agents on top of a broken process, you just scale chaos. 

To win in 2026, you don't need a PhD in coding. 

You need a Modern CS Growth System.

If you wait until Q1 to figure out: 
🔸  How to generate revenue from your customers' business outcomes 
🔸  How to separate "bad fit" revenue from "growth" revenue 
🔸  How to guide AI with deep business insights

...you will spend 2026 playing catch-up.


🎁   Give yourself the gift of clarity this month.

📌 This is exactly what we build in the CS Business Leadership Accelerator.

We cut through the noise. 
We don't just "play with tools".
We install the operating system you need to lead.

Instead of guessing, you will build a Modern CS Growth System:

✅ Repeatable Revenue: 
Stop relying on heroics. Install the "Success Path" elements that make growth inevitable. 

✅ Business Acumen: 
Learn to translate your customer data into the financial language your CFO and Board actually respect. 

✅ AI Leadership: 
Move from "automation" to "autonomy." 

We show you how to direct AI Agents to handle the data & insights, so your team can handle the strategy.


Start the year leading the change, not reacting to it.

👉  Learn more here:  https://lnkd.in/gBFjD_yD


#StrategicPlanning #CustomerSuccess #AILeadership #ModernCS

StepUpXchange
JanYoungCX

For additional resources, offers, and updates on my masterclasses, join my VIP Inner Circle: https://lnkd.in/gpxwVFWB

For insights and strategies on using AI + CS for Executive Impact, check out my newsletter: JanYoungCX.com/#newsletter

CS Leaders:  You're not failing.

You're being asked to lead without power, influence without data, and perform magic without a wand.

And somehow…
You're still showing up for your customers, your team, and your company.

CS leaders aren't burned out because they lack vision.

They're burned out because they've been stuck in systems that under-resource them, silence their insight, and expect heroics over strategy.

It's even harder now.  
With AI reshaping how we work and economic pressure reshaping how we scale.

But some CS leaders are thriving.
They've:
✅  Increased NRR 10%
✅  Grown Expansions by 50%+
✅  Have CEOs asking "What do you need?"

The difference? 
They’ve mastered the Modern CS Growth System

Join me for a FREE Masterclass where I'll show you:
-->   Where to find hidden revenue opportunities
-->   How to lead with business impact (not just metrics)
-->   Which systems actually scale (and which create busywork)

It's not about more tactics. 
It's about stepping into the leadership role you're meant for.

💡 Ready to lead differently?
Join my upcoming Masterclass

📆  Dec 2, Tuesday
🕘   9am PT/  🕛12pm ET/  🕔 5pm UK
 🔗  https://lnkd.in/gsETU8a2
📌   NexGen CS Leadership: 
How Any CS Leader Can Drive Revenue & Executive Impact
Even When You’re Left Out of the Boardroom


For CS Leaders who know this next chapter requires more than grit:
It requires strategy, alignment, and a new kind of leadership.

#CSBusinessLeadership

StepUpXchange
JanYoungCX


This is LIVE only. It won’t be offered again until 2026. 
If you can’t attend, join my VIP Inner Circle so you are first to hear about the next masterclass.
https://lnkd.in/gpxwVFWB

In the meantime, check out my newsletter:
JanYoungCX.com/#newsletter

The scariest shift of 2025 wasn't AI.

It was the invoice.

Most people think the panic was about learning new pricing models or AI.

The real shift was psychological.

Here is what actually changed:

For years, CS teams operated with a safety net. The subscription model meant you got paid upfront and had a year to figure it out.

This created a specific identity: CS as post-sales support.

Adoption was a metric you tracked in quarterly reviews. Support could be reactive. Revenue was more predictable (even if it wasn’t always guaranteed).

Your psychology was built around having time.

Then consumption-based pricing came in with AI. It's everywhere now.

And the safety net disappeared.

In a usage model, revenue is earned (or lost) every single day. If the customer stops using the tool on Tuesday, the revenue stops on Wednesday.

If your onboarding extends another week, that revenue is gone forever~ like an airplane taking off with empty seats. You don’t get the chance to turn the plane around and earn that money back.

This caused an identity crisis.

Teams that held onto the old model panicked. They waited for problems to come to them. They measured success by response times and "happiness" scores.

When consumption pricing hit, that identity became obsolete overnight.

The teams that thrived made the psychological shift.

They stopped acting like a support function and started acting like a growth engine.

They recognized a fundamental shift: Customer Success is Sales.
Not in the pushy, aggressive way. But in the "if they don't use it, we don't get paid" way.

These teams built Consumption Strategies: 
→ IDENTITY FRICTION: Where is the user getting stuck before they consume value? 
→ MAP VALUE to USAGE: Does the customer know that using X feature saves them Y dollars? 
→ INTERVENE FAST: You can't wait for a QBR. If usage drops this week, you call them this week.

The shift of 2025 wasn't about pricing models.

It was about identity.

Are you a support function that reacts to problems? 
Or are you a revenue engine that keeps the lights on?

The teams that panicked couldn't answer that question. 
The teams that thrived already knew.

How has your team's identity shifted this year?

------------
StepUpXchange
JanYoungCX

I'm putting together a review of 2025 and looking ahead to 2026, interested?  Check out my newsletter. You'll also get weekly insights and strategies on using AI + CS for Executive Impact: JanYoungCX.com/#newsletter

For additional resources, offers, and updates on my masterclasses, join my VIP Inner Circle: https://lnkd.in/gpxwVFWB

Want to know when my next Masterclass is? https://lnkd.in/gsETU8a2

Your 2024 org chart is likely obsolete in 2026.

Remember spring 2024? We were still debating prompt engineering. 

Now, in December 2025, we're building AI Agents & custom GPTs/ Gems... 

The ground has shifted.

If your December plan is to "optimize" your current playbook for the new year, you've already fallen behind.

Most CS leaders are using this month to: 
❌  Close out tickets. 
❌  Scramble for last-minute renewals. 
❌  Hope the budget cuts stop in Q1.

The Top 1% of CS Leaders? 
They are using December to fundamentally redesign how they deliver value.

They know that 2026 brings: 

✅    New Cost Structures: 
How to protect margins when AI changes pricing models. 

✅   Agentic Workflows: 
Moving human CSMs to high-leverage strategy while agents handle the data. 

✅   Foundation Repair: 
You cannot scale a broken process with AI.


We have to stop asking -->  "How do I do my job faster?" 
And start asking -->   "How should this system work now that AI is part of the team?"

Don't spend December wrapping up loose ends. 
Spend it building a new foundation.


 📌 This is exactly what we build in the StepUpXchange CS Business Leadership Accelerator.

We help you install the Modern CS Growth System, the framework 
-->  You need to survive and thrive the changes ahead
-->  Used by 100s of CS leaders to increase expansion revenue and earn their seat at the table

✅   Swap HEROICS for SYSTEMS: Build Repeatable Customer Revenue Systems that don't rely on team burnout.

✅   MASTER the P&L:  Learn to speak the CFO's language of profit, margins, costs, and NRR.

✅   EARN the SEAT:  Stop focusing on "Customer Happiness", start focusing on Executive Impact.

👉  Learn more here:  https://lnkd.in/gBFjD_yD

#NewYear #NewStrategy

StepUpXchange
JanYoungCX

For additional resources, offers, and updates on my masterclasses, join my VIP Inner Circle:  https://lnkd.in/gpxwVFWB

For insights and strategies on using AI + CS for Executive Impact, check out my newsletter: JanYoungCX.com/#newsletter

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