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.

Founding Member

CS Insider

"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

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 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

Emma Lo

Customer Success & RevOps Leader | Podcast host of CS In Focus | Help businesses accelerate in customer-led growth

Results-driven Customer Success executive and SaaS startup founder with 13+ years of experience in tech and e-commerce. Passionate about leveraging data-driven strategies to boost customer satisfaction, retention, and revenue growth.

💼 Career Highlights:

- Founded and scaled customer success teams, increasing NPS from 79% to 89%
- Drove $35M+ in revenue, achieving 40% increase in retention
- Built and led high-performing remote teams across customer success, marketing, and operations
- Developed strategies resulting in $7MM ARR from enterprise B2B accounts
- Maintained 119% Net Revenue Retention with zero logo churn

🚀 Expertise:

- Customer Success Strategy & Operations
- Revenue Growth & Retention Optimization
- SaaS Startup Leadership & Scaling
- Cross-functional Team Management
- Data-Driven Decision Making


🔧 Tech Stack:

ChurnZero, Gong, Salesforce, Zendesk, HubSpot, Atlassian, and more

Combining a unique background in healthcare research with tech leadership, I bring an analytical approach to solving complex business challenges. 

--------------

🤝 Let's connect if you're interested in:

- Customer-centric growth strategies
- SaaS scaling and operations
- Revenue optimization in tech startups

Always open to discussing new opportunities and sharing insights on customer success and revenue growth in the tech industry.

#CustomerSuccess #SaaS #RevenueGrowth #StartupLeadership

Manager, Customer Success

- Organize Quarterly Customer Advisory Board
- Implement digital customer success strategies to provide scalable support.
- Utilize data analytics to understand customer behaviour and needs.
- Ensure effective onboarding and adoption of Noibu's platform by customers.
- Proactively identify risks and reduce churn.
- Enhance customer satisfaction and retention through targeted digital interactions.

Emma Lo 🧩

My first Thanksgiving memory is not the turkey. 🦃

It is a teacher.



I was 5.
New to New Jersey.
New to English.

Mrs. Johnson asked us to cut out paper turkeys.
She talked about harvest and pilgrims.


A local newspaper came that day.

They took a picture of me dressed as a pilgrim,
sitting at a tiny table, eating pumpkin pie.

I do not remember how the pie tasted.
I remember her kindness.


After school, she would sit with me one on one.

Point to an apple.
Say “Apple.” 🍎
Wait for me to repeat it back.

Day after day, she gave me something my grades could not show yet.

Belonging.

——————————-


Life moved on.

I grew up, built a career, moved countries.

But I never forgot her.


Years later, as an adult, I wrote a letter to thank her.

The school forwarded it to her family. 

A few weeks later, a reply arrived from her retirement home in Florida. 

She still remembered me.
Almost 40 years later.

——————————-

When people talk about opportunity, this is who I think of.

Yes, my parents worked hard.
Yes, I worked hard.


But before all of that, there was a teacher who made room for a quiet five-year-old immigrant at the table.

Who slowed down.

Who showed me, in a new country, that I was not an outsider.



This Thanksgiving, I am grateful for the Mrs. Johnsons of the world.

The people who:

→ Explain the simple things without making you feel small

→ Notice who is struggling and stay a little longer

→ Remember you, even decades later



If someone did that for you, this is your reminder.

Write the letter.

Send the message.

Say thank you while you still can.


#thankful #gratitude 

P.S. do you still remember the cords  📞

Emma Lo🧋

CS & RevOps Leader | Driving Scalable Customer-Led Growth Across GTM | Top 100 CS Strategist 2025 & CS In Focus Podcast and Owner

No alternative text description for this image

Meet James Alarcon 


We first met at the ChurnZero event 

Since then, he has been the friend who checks in, calls when you are in town, and makes time to connect.

I watched him move from team lead to director. 

He built with what he had.

Tested, iterated, and defended his team when it mattered.


Everyone can talk strategy.

Few can influence a vision and get people aligned.

Even fewer roll up their sleeves and do the hard work. 💪


Now he is in a new role, with his playbook tested and the land mapped.

He is hiring for CSMs🔥


If you want to work for a leader who grows both people and revenue, talk to James Alarcon. 

#hiring #gta #customersuccess

Took my kids to see Wicked 2 this weekend.

I walked out thinking about all the themes

Living in a bubble.
No place like home.
Finding something worth fighting for.


My kids? 

Flying monkeys.
A green girl finally learning to use her powers.
And a lot of very loud singing. 🙉

P.S. Have you seen the movie?

AI in CS is stuck in the messy middle. 


At NY Success Week, I asked Brent Grimes from Reef.ai a simple question:
Where are GTM teams really with AI adoption?

His answer: 
Plenty of AI projects.
Very few signals strong enough to change a forecast, renewal plan, or board slide.

For GTM orgs, that is the real execution gap
→ Fewer signals, higher conviction.


What we should look into with AI: 

1️⃣  Revenue signal

Churn, down sell, and expansion probabilities 6 to 12 months out 
that influence your commit, not just a health score.


2️⃣ Value signal

Proof that customers are achieving outcomes 
that tie directly to renewal and expansion, not just logins or activity.

3️⃣ Coverage signal

Clear visibility into which champions, buyers, and users are engaged with those outcomes, and how recently.


If AI cannot help you see risk and expansion early enough to change the number, it stays in the experiment bucket.

Are you growning in dashboards and still guessing on renewals?

#reef #ai #GTM #renewals #cs

What happens when Tamagotchi grows wheels and runs on GPT?



As a kid, my “robot” was a Tamagotchi. 🐣

A few pixels on a keychain, and you had to remember to feed it.


Now we have Loona. 🐶 

A robot pet that follows your kid, remembers their face, reacts to emotions, chats with GPT, and helps with homework.


Cool, yes.

However, it subtly changes the meanings of “friend,” “play,” and “help.”


I’m excited about robots like Loona in kids’ lives. 

I’m just not sure I want them replacing relationships and learning. 

P.S. Would you let your kid have a GPT robot best friend?

The truth behind “healthy” accounts that still churn


Your post-sales pipeline is not a calendar.
It is proof that you are solving real business problems.

On CS in Focus Live, Roland Griesmayer and Anthony DeShazor said the quiet part out loud about forecasting:


Money follows problems.
Predictability follows clarity.


Roland’s bar for a real deal was simple:

If a rep cannot clearly explain the business issue the customer is paying to fix, the deal is not predictable.

“Making someone’s job easier” is not a business issue.
“More intuitive” is not a business issue.

You need answers like:

This fixes X.
This prevents Y.
This unlocks Z in revenue or removes Z in cost.


Anthony pushed the harder truth. 

Most teams don’t fail at delivering value.
They fail at telling the story of that value in a way a CFO will repeat in a budget meeting.

With just over five weeks left in Q4, post-sales pipeline reviews need to tighten up:

1/ Start with the business problem

For every renewal and expansion, ask:
What problem did we solve and how does the customer describe it?


2/ Tie the forecast to a real sponsor

Has the person with budget and authority engaged on that problem in the last 90 days?


3/ Require a written value story

One short paragraph per account: problem, impact, and why it matters now.

If your CSM cannot write it, you cannot forecast it.


4/ Use signals, not sentiment

Swap “they love us” for proof: outcomes achieved, milestones completed, risk removed, executive alignment.

5/ End every review with ownership

Each renewal and expansion needs an owner, a next action, and a date.
No “we will keep an eye on it.”

-------------------
That was the through line from the live:

Real problems make deals real.
Clear stories make revenue predictable.

P.S. What's your non-negotiable when reviewing a deal? 

#gtm #pipeline review

Forecast this in 30 seconds. 


DAUs are up 18%.
Your champion just left.
Procurement took control.
A second product POC is live.

What’s your renewal probability now...and why?


Most teams default to pipeline. 

However, operators weigh three things first: 
relationship health, user outcomes, buyer control. 

Which one would change your forecast today?

-------------------------

This Friday Eleanor (Ella) Eng and I will interview Anthony DeShazor and Roland Griesmayer on how they build forecasts that survive board inspection. 

We’ll dig into signals, weights, and the inspection cadence that keeps accuracy high.

Join us on CS in Focus LinkedIn Live

📆 Friday, Nov 21 · 12:00–12:45 ET

🔗 https://lnkd.in/gthvhXX5

P.S. What’s your non-negotiable metric in a 2026 forecast, and why?

#gtm #forecast #linkedinlive #cs

Feeling overwhelmed by Black Friday deals?

Same.


Yesterday, I was browsing the Apple website like a lost child in a corn maze.

So many models. So many chips. So many display options.

And then I met Cierra over the phone.

The best Apple Sales Rep a confused customer could ask for.



I told her all my fears:

What if I pick the wrong chip?
What if I regret the memory?
What if I’m stuck with a machine that hates me by January?

She didn’t rush me.
She didn’t push a promo.

She listened.
She broke down the decision.
She made sense of my chaos.

With the kind of calm only seasoned retail heroes have during BFCM.

But the part that stayed with me?

She shared my excitement.

I told her I’m starting a new chapter. A new season of life. 

She lit up and cheered me on like I was Dorothy stepping onto the yellow brick road, with a brand-new MacBook and ready to click my red heels. 👠 

Somewhere in that call, I realized something simple:

You don’t need the most expensive laptop to get the best outcome.
You need the one that actually fits your work, your life, and your next chapter.


It reminded me that good customer service isn’t about the product.

It’s about the person who helps you believe you’re making the right choice.


Cheers to you, Cierra. 🎩 

You turned Black Friday chaos into a little moment of courage.
And I’m grateful for it.

#blackfriday #apple 

P.S. The best email I got from BFCM.

taplio

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