Danielle Mills Walden

Upstart

Co-Host of The Leadership in the Dealership Podcast

Manager of Business Operations

Manager, Dealer Success 

- Hire, train and manage a team of Customer Success Managers to oversee full customer life-cycle from on-boarding, adoption, nurture, and expansion
- Track and analyze performance for regional book of business to ensure all accounts are meeting or exceeding churn, retention, and expansion goals
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams and team leaders to inform product alignment for account growth

Manager, Dealer Success Team

- Built a success team from the ground up to 27 success managers. 
- Implemented systems and processes to improve efficiency, increase revenue, and reduce churn
- Develop strategy and architecture for clients in alignment with business plans
- Responsible for creating and executing customer journey, risk management, and customer health across four verticals

Skills: Change Management · Financial Analysis · Revenue & Profit Growth · Bridging Gaps · Strategic Planning · Management · Strategy

- Provided consulting to enterprise accounts as well as internal staff and developed processes that increased efficiency and ROI within the organization.
- Demonstrates excellent account/relationship management, having developed and cultivated lasting customer relationships
- Strategized on new business and expanded footprint into existing accounts

Skills: Software as a Service (SaaS) Business-to-Business (B2B) · Project Management · Business Strategy

Senior Dealer Success Manager

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Black Sports Professionals (BSP)

Black Sports Professionals (BSP) is a national non-profit organization dedicated to accelerating the advancement and impact of black professionals who work in sports. 

BSP is comprised of a network of chapters around the United States with members at every level of sports, including (but not limited to) the NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS, NHL, college athletics, agencies, sports commissions, media entities and beyond.

BSP seeks to be an industry thought-leader in sports career development and is one of the leading voices in the arena of advocacy for an evolved approach to recruitment, search, placement and onboarding of black professionals within the sports and entertainment industries.

Connect. Empower. Advance.

Board Member

HEADSTRONG LLC

Each week our goal is to motivate you, inspire you, and get you to take action in your life.

Host of The Headstrong Podcast

We help people Improve their Mindset so they can reach their full Potential in life. 

Mindset Coaching
LinkedIn & Career Services

Founder & CEO

Prodigy Software Inc.

Senior Account Manager (Acquired by Upstart)

Roadster

Sr Dealership Success Manager

CarNow

2018 President’s Club
2017 “Super Woman of the Year” Award

Regional Performance Manager

SIXT

Branch Manager

Watson Realty Corp.

Realtor

Professional Tennis Player

As a Manager of Dealer Success at Upstart, I lead a high-performing team dedicated to helping automotive dealers grow their businesses and deliver exceptional customer experiences. With over 8 years of expertise in customer success, SaaS, account management, and startup growth, I implement strategies that drive retention, loyalty, and revenue.

Beyond my role at Upstart, I am a LinkedIn Brand Expert, retired professional tennis player, keynote speaker, best-selling author, and podcast host. I leverage my diverse background to inspire and empower others to improve their mindset and reach their full potential. Through my speaking engagements, podcast, and book, I share valuable insights on LinkedIn mastery, personal branding, career development, and mental toughness.

Manager, Dealer Success

Officially tapped out on workouts while wearing Otto.
Turns out 30 pounds is my limit.



I pushed through.
I even had fun.
But my back and knees? 

They filed a complaint halfway through.😂
I’m kidding.
I can handle it.
These 137 pounds are stronger than they look.

But here’s what hit me:

We’ve gone from newborn snuggles
to a whole mini grown man hanging off me during workouts.
That kind of growth sneaks up on you.

Happy Monday.
Move your body today.
It’s the only way I can stay sharp, focused, and productive at work.

Let’s get it. 👊

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My 1-year-old was thriving at the world’s toughest playground.

IMG Academy 

The same place I trained, lived, and competed for over a decade.
The place that shaped my mindset, my discipline, and my career.

So why bring Otto?

Because greatness is everywhere there.
Environment matters.
And he’ll learn that work ethic is generational.

I didn’t get handed anything at IMG.
Nothing came easy.
Everything was earned.

And bringing Otto back was intentional.

We don’t know his sport yet:
Football.
Basketball.
Baseball.
Tennis.
Doesn’t matter.

What we do know:
He’s an athlete.
He wants to compete.
And he’s already obsessed with learning new things.

This trip wasn’t about nostalgia.
It was about legacy.

About showing him where it all started…
and introducing him to the mindset that built our family.


2034, we’ll see you soon, IMG.




To learn more about my life and upbringing hit the 🔗in the comments to know when my Memoir 📖drops for Pre order. 



Thankyou Margie Zesinger , Amar Vora , Juan Herrera for the special visit back home! 

See yall on Tuesday 😎

Last week, I was on “vacation”

But the truth is… I’ve never been more on.


Because some weeks aren’t about rest.
They’re about alignment.
They’re about remembering who you are and reconnecting with the people and places that shaped you.

Miami was buzzing with Art Basel, and I found myself moving from one wellness event to the next — breathing, sweating, grounding, meeting people who instantly felt like lifelong connections.



And then came the moment that hit me the hardest.

I was invited to an IMG tennis alumni event… and walking into that room felt like stepping straight back into my childhood.
Faces I trained with.

People who witnessed the grind up close.
Stories I lived… but somehow forgot until someone else remembered them for me.

With my memoir on the horizon, it felt like therapy.

The manuscript is being locked on Friday so every tweak every change that happens comes down to the wire. 

A reminder that our past is never as far away as we think — it just waits for the right moment to resurface and teach us something new.

From Miami to Vail Colorado to celebrate four years of marriage, the week was packed wall-to-wall. We were truly present for those 3 days and I’m immensely thankful. 


And yes, there were moments where I wondered if I was doing too much this week.

But the answer revealed itself over and over again.
No.

You’re never doing too much when you’re walking through doors that were meant for you.

And doors kept opening everyday. 

Every conversation, every reconnection, every unexpected invitation showed me the same thing:

December is offering abundance — and I’m here to receive it.

We’re closing out 2025.
A handful of days left.
A final sprint.

How will you maximize them?



If you want to follow my journey as I reveal the title of my memoir this week and get early access when pre-orders open, join the list.

The link will be in the comments.


Thankyou Margie Zesinger and Amar Vora  for always making me feel right back at home when I come back to IMG Academy 


Also so awesome I got to see you Taryn Morgan and explore the new Mind Gym which many people don’t realize help shape my mindset into what it is today.  

#foreverstudent #mindsetmatters

Results-oriented professional with 8+ years of experience in customer success, SASS,  account management, and start-up growth.

As a “builder” I have experience putting processes, structure, and strategies in customer success and account management organizations in place. 

Passionate about using my creativity and experience to build success in a fast-paced environment.

My Competitive nature stems from my previous career as a Professional Tennis Player where I competed on the WTA tour for 10 years.

taplio

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