Women in Customer Success Podcast

Hosted by Marija Skobe-Pilley

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Episodes

158

Latest episode

Mar 2026

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EN-GB

About the show

Women in Customer Success Podcast is the first women-only podcast for Customer Success professionals, where remarkable ladies of Customer Success connect, inspire and champion each other. In each episode, podcast creator and host Marija Skobe-Pilley is bringing a conversation with a role model from across the industries to share her inspirational story and practical tools to help you succeed and make an impact. You’re going to hear from the ladies who are on their own journeys and want to share their learnings and strategies with us. You’re going to be inspired.

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March 30, 202654 min

[WiCS PowerUp Spotlight] The Customer Success Talent Playbook

Text us your questions and thoughts! March is a special time for celebrating women who lead. So what better time to spotlight six extraordinary women who not only lead in Customer Success, but also wrote a book on it! Literally. Welcome to the WiCS PowerUp Spotlight featuring the co-authors of The Customer Success Talent Playbook, a first-of-its-kind guide to CS hiring, careers, and team building. Meet the women behind it: ✨ Ejieme Eromosele, VP of Customer Growth Quiq ✨ Swati Garg, CEO Melo Associates ✨ Parul Bhandari, CEO CustomerXSuccess ✨ Elizabeth Blass 🌻, Chief Customer Officer Karbon ✨ Kristen Hayer, CEO The Success League ✨ Julie Fox, Director of Digital CS Hyland Six women. Six perspectives. One powerful playbook. You'll hear ALL about: The story behind writing the book together CS hiring mistakes & hard-won lessons Salary frameworks & career progression Building sustainable, intentional CS teams Empowering yourself as a CS professional Community, mentorship & what's next Whether you're a CS leader, a job seeker, or breaking into Customer Success — grab your seat. 👉 Follow Ejieme: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ejieme/ 👉 Follow Swati: https://www.linkedin.com/in/swatigargmhrir/ 👉 Follow Parul: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parul-bhandari-1294488/ 👉 Follow Elizabeth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethblass/ 👉 Follow Kristen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristenhayer/ 👉 Follow Julie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-fox-1b05395a/ 👉 Learn more about The Customer Success Talent Playbook (& grab your copy of the book): https://www.cstalentplaybook.com/ 👉 Follow our host Marija on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mspilley/ __________________________________________________ About Women in Customer Success Podcast : Women in Customer Success Podcast is the first women-only podcast for Customer Success professionals, where remarkable ladies of Customer Success connect, inspire and champion each other. Follow: Women in Customer Success Website - https://www.womenincs.co/podcast LinkedIn - linkedin.com/company/womenincs Host Marija Skobe-Pilley LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mspilley/ Check out our Courses: The Revenue CSM - https://womenincs.co/the-revenue-csm

March 11, 2026Episode 15040 min

150 - Building Customer Success Skills That AI Can’t Replace

Text us your questions and thoughts! What if the fastest way to elevate your career is to get more human as you get more technical? We sit down with Tamara Kempf, Regional Director, EMEA Customer Success at AppDynamics (a Cisco company), to unpack her career built on curiosity, grit, and the kind of EQ that technology can’t replace. We trace her journey from science student to landing a first job at Bloomberg to now Cisco Customer Success leader, turning setbacks into growth, and using AI where it counts without losing the human edge. You’ll hear practical stories of how to save days of work, coach teams with empathy, and hire for skills that last. In this episode, we talk about: Lessons from Bloomberg on customer advocacy without authority Integrating a startup culture into Cisco's Customer Success team Pragmatic AI use cases that compress a full day's work into minutes How to create a safe culture to experiment and share failures Redefining productivity as making time to be human The secret to being a great leader If you’re navigating customer success, leadership, AI adoption, or all three, you’ll find tactics you can try today and a mindset that lasts. Subscribe, share with a teammate, and leave a review to help more people discover conversations that move careers forward. 💚 This episode is brought to you by Deployflow: https://deployflow.co/ ___________ 👉 Follow Tamara: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamarakempf/ 👉 Learn more about AppDynamics: https://www.linkedin.com/company/appdynamics/ 👉 Learn more about Deployflow & P-Suite by Deployflow and get a quick squad estimate at: https://deployflow.co/p-suite/ __________________________________________________ About Women in Customer Success Podcast : Women in Customer Success Podcast is the first women-only podcast for Customer Success professionals, where remarkable ladies of Customer Success connect, inspire and champion each other. Follow: Women in Customer Success Website - https://www.womenincs.co/podcast LinkedIn - linkedin.com/company/womenincs Host Marija Skobe-Pilley LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mspilley/ Check out our Courses: The Revenue CSM - https://womenincs.co/the-revenue-csm

February 25, 2026Episode 14939 min

149 - It's Not You, It's Them: The Art of Being Tenacious and Not Giving Up

Text us your questions and thoughts! What does the Renaissance have to do with customer success? More than you think. Caroline Lambie, Manager of Customer Success EMEA at Contentful, joins us to connect Renaissance breakthroughs with today’s AI rush, showing how a creative mindset can humanise products, shape better journeys, and protect the soul of the work. We explore how a creative mindset can humanise technology, from Renaissance perspective to AI, and trace Caroline’s winding path through web startups, the charity sector, and customer success leadership. Along the way, we confront layoffs, age bias, flexible work, and the value experienced talent brings to modern teams. In this episode, we talk about: Art history parallels that illuminate today’s tech shifts Fears and boundaries for AI in creative work Trade‑offs of career breaks and parenting choices Global models for flexible, family‑friendly work Surviving layoffs and a crowded job market (& tactics for sharper interviews) Spotting and countering age bias in hiring From Renaissance art to AI (yes, really), this conversation might just change how you think about innovation in customer success. 💚 This episode is brought to you by Deployflow: https://deployflow.co/ ___________ 👉 Follow Caroline: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinealambie/ 👉 Learn more about Contentful: https://www.contentful.com/ 👉 Learn more about Deployflow & P-Suite by Deployflow and get a quick squad estimate at: https://deployflow.co/p-suite/ __________________________________________________ About Women in Customer Success Podcast : Women in Customer Success Podcast is the first women-only podcast for Customer Success professionals, where remarkable ladies of Customer Success connect, inspire and champion each other. Follow: Women in Customer Success Website - https://www.womenincs.co/podcast LinkedIn - linkedin.com/company/womenincs Host Marija Skobe-Pilley LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mspilley/ Check out our Courses: The Revenue CSM - https://womenincs.co/the-revenue-csm

February 4, 2026Episode 14833 min

148 - AI And Empathy In Customer Success

Text us your questions and thoughts! What happens when you move your CS career from London to Dubai and rebuild your playbook from the ground up? We talk about that with Jomilsa Sousa, Customer Success and Account Management consultant & coach, and the Founder of The Success Studio, where she helps Customer Success professionals and businesses unlock their full potential. Currently, she also serves as Account Manager at Cirium (and when this was recorded, she was CS Account Manager at LexisNexis Middle East) In this episode, Jomilsa unpacks how digital transformation in the Middle East collides with a culture that prizes in‑person trust, and why that mix is changing how teams design onboarding, renewals, and growth. AI is powerful for churn prediction and business reviews, but the story that convinces a stakeholder to stay is still a human one. We explore: Cultural nuance shaping CS across the Middle East AI for churn prediction and reviews, humans for narrative and trust Rising demand for CS Ops, technical CSMs and community roles Empathy as a strategic advantage Building systematic visibility: weekly updates, impact docs, public wins We also dig into the mindset that sustains momentum: pivot quickly when the signal changes, lead without the title, and make someone’s day easier as a daily north star. If you’re navigating AI, global accounts, or a big move of your own, this conversation offers a clear, human map for what works (& what doesn’t). And if this conversation resonates, follow the show, share it with a teammate who needs fresh tactics, and leave a quick review to help more listeners find us. 💚 This episode is brought to you by Deployflow: https://deployflow.co/ ___________ 👉 Follow Jomilsa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jomilsasousa/ 👉 Learn more about The Success Studio: https://thesuccessstudio.coach/ 👉 Learn more about Deployflow & P-Suite by Deployflow and get a quick squad estimate at: https://deployflow.co/p-suite/ __________________________________________________ About Women in Customer Success Podcast : Women in Customer Success Podcast is the first women-only podcast for Customer Success professionals, where remarkable ladies of Customer Success connect, inspire and champion each other. Follow: Women in Customer Success Website - https://www.womenincs.co/podcast LinkedIn - linkedin.com/company/womenincs Host Marija Skobe-Pilley LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mspilley/ Check out our Courses: The Revenue CSM - https://womenincs.co/the-revenue-csm

January 21, 202636 min

[WiCS PowerUp Masterclass S2:E4] The Future of CS: Biggest Takeaways from Pulse Europe

Text us your questions and thoughts! What's Next for Customer Success in 2026? That’s the question we’re answering today. Welcome back to another PowerUp Masterclass in partnership with our friends at Gainsight where we’re going beyond the Pulse Europe conference recap and into what really matters: where Customer Success is heading in 2026. Together with Tori Jeffcoat, Director of Product Marketing at Gainsight, we're unpacking the biggest trends and ‘aha’ moments from Europe's leading CS event, and sharing our predictions for the year ahead. You'll walk away knowing: Why AI adoption is lagging and how teams are gearing up for agentic success How CS is becoming a revenue driver through better post-sale visibility What's actually working in digital-scale strategies right now What CS, Product, and Revenue leaders should prioritise next This is your chance to turn Pulse's key takeaways into your 2026 game plan. Grab your notebook and tune in. Featuring Tori Jeffcoat, Director of Product Marketing at Gainsight Marija Skobe-Pilley, Founder, Women In Customer Success 👉 Follow Tori on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/torijeffcoat/ 👉 Follow Marija on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mspilley/ 👉 Learn more about Gainsight: https://www.gainsight.com/ __________________________________________________ About Women in Customer Success Podcast : Women in Customer Success Podcast is the first women-only podcast for Customer Success professionals, where remarkable ladies of Customer Success connect, inspire and champion each other. Follow: Women in Customer Success Website - https://www.womenincs.co/podcast LinkedIn - linkedin.com/company/womenincs Host Marija Skobe-Pilley LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mspilley/ Check out our Courses: The Revenue CSM - https://womenincs.co/the-revenue-csm

December 10, 2025Episode 14731 min

147 - From Languages to Ops Leadership: Emily Nguema on Ambiguity, Influence & Growth

Text us your questions and thoughts! Sometimes the fastest way to grow your influence isn’t chasing a bigger title, it’s expanding your understanding of how the business actually works. In this episode, we sit down with Emily Nguema, Senior Manager, Commercial Operations at Relay Technologies, to unpack her non-linear journey from studying languages and doing humanitarian work in Ecuador to partner success, edtech, and ultimately a far-reaching role in commercial operations. Through every pivot, one thread stays constant: value - how to define it, measure it, and translate it into stories executives can do something with. We explore: What it really looks like to shift from senior CSM to commercial ops How embracing ambiguity becomes a competitive advantage in fast-moving orgs Emily’s personal operating system (weekly roadmaps, calendar-bound priorities, and celebrating small wins like it’s a sport) Humility as the hidden accelerator for influence and leadership Career decisions that prioritize learning, exposure, and meaningful impact over titles You’ll also hear a fresh take on consultative customer success, executive-ready storytelling, and the mindset shift that helps CS professionals influence at higher levels (long before they have a formal leadership title). If you’re eyeing a move into operations, or simply want your customer success strategy to resonate in the boardroom, this episode will give you both the frameworks and the courage to go for it. And if this conversation sparked something for you, share it with a colleague or teammate who needs the boost today. 💚 This episode is brought to you by Deployflow: https://deployflow.co/ ___________ 👉 Follow Emily: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-nguema/ 👉 Learn more about Deployflow & P-Suite by Deployflow and get a quick squad estimate at: https://deployflow.co/p-suite/ __________________________________________________ About Women in Customer Success Podcast : Women in Customer Success Podcast is the first women-only podcast for Customer Success professionals, where remarkable ladies of Customer Success connect, inspire and champion each other. Follow: Women in Customer Success Website - https://www.womenincs.co/podcast LinkedIn - linkedin.com/company/womenincs Host Marija Skobe-Pilley LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mspilley/ Check out our Courses: The Revenue CSM - https://womenincs.co/the-revenue-csm

November 19, 2025Episode 14633 min

146 - From Intern At 40 To CS Leader with Adi Aloni

Text us your questions and thoughts! What if the smartest move in your forties is starting over as an intern? In this episode, we sit down with Adi Aloni, Customer Success Leader, to unpack a rare kind of career resilience: going from an established career, to taking a leap into an MBA, to a humble reentry through a marketing internship, and then a decisive pivot into customer success leadership. It’s a story about trading ego for opportunity and discovering how a nonlinear path can be a competitive edge. For the first time ever, Adi shares her career journey and walks us through the phases of building customer success from the ground up: early days with a handful of customers, finding product‑market fit, scaling teams and specialisation, and finally shifting to sustainable growth with sharper retention and efficiency. We discuss: Why active listening outperforms any script How to price time and expertise so “free” help doesn’t become invisible What it takes to maintain momentum when you choose to stay at one company for a decade AI’s emerging role in customer success She also shares why she believes that the grass isn’t greener; it’s better watered—especially when you have the right people, a product you believe in, and permission to shape your own role. This conversation will leave you inspired so tune in and enjoy. 💚 This episode is brought to you by Deployflow: https://deployflow.co/ ___________ 👉 Follow Adi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adialoni/ 👉 Learn more about Deployflow & P-Suite by Deployflow and get a quick squad estimate at: https://deployflow.co/p-suite/ __________________________________________________ About Women in Customer Success Podcast : Women in Customer Success Podcast is the first women-only podcast for Customer Success professionals, where remarkable ladies of Customer Success connect, inspire and champion each other. Follow: Women in Customer Success Website - https://www.womenincs.co/podcast LinkedIn - linkedin.com/company/womenincs Host Marija Skobe-Pilley LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mspilley/ Check out our Courses: The Revenue CSM - https://womenincs.co/the-revenue-csm

October 29, 2025Episode 14530 min

145 - From Vineyards to Tech: Dimple Athavia's Unconventional Road to Customer Success

Text us your questions and thoughts! What does it take to leap from vineyards to tech—and thrive? In this episode, we sit down with Dimple Athavia, a former winemaker (now, Customer Success Manager at Mimecast) who turned her love of chemistry, nature, and craft into a high-impact career in Customer Success. Her path is curiosity in motion: from studying microbiology and viticulture, to traveling the world for harvests, to building a drinks venture that sparked a deep fascination with digital products, data, and scale. Dimple shares how she broke into her first CSM role—treating interviews like iterative sprints, translating experience into CS language, and reaching out to a podcast guest for mentoring with a clear, respectful ask. That single outreach led to a new opportunity and a lasting lesson: be specific about what you need, make it easy for mentors to help you, and turn inspiration into action. We chat about: Early love of science leading to a winemaking degree and global harvest work Building a CSM career through podcasts, clear outreach and mentorship Strategic customer conversations that map goals and influence Practical AI use for research, memory support and preparation in CS Guidance for emerging leaders on trust, clarity and coaching She also shares how AI fits into the modern CSM toolkit—from researching public signals before first calls to surfacing insights and personalizing every touchpoint. For her, data directs attention; real conversations build momentum. If this conversation sparks an idea for your career or customer strategy, share it with a colleague, hit follow, and leave a quick review to help others discover the show. 💚 This episode is brought to you by Deployflow: https://deployflow.co/ ___________ 👉 Follow Dimple: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dimple-a-21a37b150/ 👉 Learn more about Deployflow & P-Suite by Deployflow and get a quick squad estimate at: https://deployflow.co/p-suite/ 👉 Learn more about Mimecast, a company transforming the way businesses manage and secure human risk: https://www.mimecast.com/ __________________________________________________ About Women in Customer Success Podcast : Women in Customer Success Podcast is the first women-only podcast for Customer Success professionals, where remarkable ladies of Customer Success connect, inspire and champion each other. Follow: Women in Customer Success Website - https://www.womenincs.co/podcast LinkedIn - linkedin.com/company/womenincs Host Marija Skobe-Pilley LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mspilley/ Check out our Courses: The Revenue CSM - https://womenincs.co/the-revenue-csm

October 17, 202547 min

[WiCS PowerUp Masterclass S2:E3] Preparing for AI and Agents

Text us your questions and thoughts! WE ARE BACK with another Women in Customer Success limited edition episode, where we bring you an exclusive PowerUp Masterclass in partnership with our friends at Gainsight. In today’s conversation, we’ll explore how Agentic AI is reshaping CS roles and workflows, why it will not replace humans but instead change how we scale, and the practical steps you can take today to prepare your team. We discuss: How AI agents disrupt the old “growth = more headcount” model Where AI delivers meaningful value in CS, and where it still falls short Practical, low-lift steps to prepare: cleaning your data, setting guardrails, and upskilling your team You’ll walk away with actionable insights to future-proof your CS strategy and confidently embrace the age of AI and agents. Featuring Liam Gilleran, RVP Solutions Consulting & Customer Success, Gainsight Giorgia Pedenzini, Senior CSM, Gainsight Marija Skobe-Pilley, Founder, Women In Customer Success 👉 Follow Liam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liamgilleran/ 👉 Follow Giorgia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/giorgiapedenzini/ 👉 Learn more about Gainsight: https://www.gainsight.com/ __________________________________________________ About Women in Customer Success Podcast : Women in Customer Success Podcast is the first women-only podcast for Customer Success professionals, where remarkable ladies of Customer Success connect, inspire and champion each other. Follow: Women in Customer Success Website - https://www.womenincs.co/podcast LinkedIn - linkedin.com/company/womenincs Host Marija Skobe-Pilley LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mspilley/ Check out our Courses: The Revenue CSM - https://womenincs.co/the-revenue-csm

October 1, 2025Episode 14438 min

144 - Oversharing by Design: The Power of Adopting the Mindset of Transparency

Text us your questions and thoughts! We’re excited to welcome Linda Lipovetsky, Senior Principal Customer Advocacy Manager at Unqork, whose career journey demonstrates that landing your dream role is less about polished résumés and more about delivering value, embracing radical transparency, and showing up where it counts. From a pandemic hackathon with her 10-year-old son to a gutsy LinkedIn pitch that opened the door to Unqork, Linda’s story is a masterclass in building opportunity through courage and creativity. As she shares, her “operating system” is radical transparency—oversharing by design (within confidentiality) to break down silos, speed decisions, and help customers plan with the truth. No euphemisms, no carefully massaged answers—just candor that builds trust and accelerates outcomes. In this episode, we discuss: How to network into companies by creating a visible impact Self-advocacy strategies that feel natural Why traditional metrics like NPS and CSAT fall short (and which signals truly predict renewal and customer trust) How CS and Advocacy can claim a bigger seat at the table The realities of remote work, energy management, and why staying close to technology gives you long-term career lift Ready to rethink how you advocate for yourself, your customers, and your career? This episode is packed with practical strategies you can start applying today—so tune in and enjoy! 💚 This episode is brought to you by Deployflow: https://deployflow.co/ ___________ 👉 Follow Linda: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindahakimlipovetsky/ 👉 Learn more about Deployflow & P-Suite by Deployflow and get a quick squad estimate at: https://deployflow.co/p-suite/ 👉 Learn more about Unqork, an enterprise application platform that empowers you to rapidly build applications, eliminate technical debt, and securely unlock AI across the business—without a single line of code: https://unqork.com/ __________________________________________________ About Women in Customer Success Podcast : Women in Customer Success Podcast is the first women-only podcast for Customer Success professionals, where remarkable ladies of Customer Success connect, inspire and champion each other. Follow: Women in Customer Success Website - https://www.womenincs.co/podcast LinkedIn - linkedin.com/company/womenincs Host Marija Skobe-Pilley LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mspilley/ Check out our Courses: The Revenue CSM - https://womenincs.co/the-revenue-csm