Women in Customer Success Podcast

Text us your questions and thoughts!

We sit down with Lara Barnes, Chief Customer Officer at Crownpeak and a champion of authentic leadership, to unpack the true meaning of goal setting, resilience, and growing your career with purpose.

With over 25 years of experience in high-growth, customer-centric tech companies, Lara has led global Customer Success teams at Microsoft, Facebook, Oracle, and Sitecore. She shares her rise from senior director to SVP to CCO, offering insight into the unique challenges women face in corporate settings and the critical roles of perception, sponsorship, and values in career advancement.

Lara opens up about navigating corporate politics, embracing vulnerability, and becoming a people-first leader grounded in heart, clarity, and courage. She reveals the mindset shifts that helped her succeed while staying true to herself, and how goal setting became a powerful catalyst for transformation.

We also explore her personal mission-turned-passion project in functional neurology, inspired by her journey to help her son overcome learning and behavioral challenges. What began as a search for answers has evolved into a purpose-driven venture, now helping hundreds of families thrive.

You’ll discover:

• How showing up as your authentic self builds trust and impact
• What functional neurology is and how Lara helps bring a sparkle of hope to parents and children
• The value framework, and how will it change the way CSMs are operating
• How to develop your leadership style and lead with heart 
• Playbook to building your path to leadership (& the golden trio: Evidence, Perception and Sponsorship)

Don't miss this enlightening conversation!

💚 This episode is brought to you by Deployflow: https://deployflow.co/

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👉 Follow Lara: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larakelly/

👉 Learn more about Deployflow & P-Suite by Deployflow and get a quick squad estimate at: https://deployflow.co/p-suite/

👉 Learn more about Crownpeak: https://www.crownpeak.com/

👉 Learn more about Lara's work with children with neurological disorders: https://www.braindevelopment.co.uk/

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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 - womenincs.co/podcast
• LinkedIn - linkedin.com/company/womenincs
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenincs.co/

Host Marija Skobe-Pilley

• Website - https://www.marijaskobepilley.com/
• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mspilley/
• Get a FREE '9 Habits of Successful CSMs' guide https://www.marijaskobepilley.com/9-habits-freebie

NEW - Women in Customer Success Courses:

• Thriving as a First-Time People Leader - https://womenincs.co/thriving-as-a-first-time-people-leader
• The Revenue CSM - https://womenincs.co/the-revenue-csm

Text us your questions and thoughts!

How do you pivot from fashion to a leadership role in Customer Success with no SaaS experience?

We kick off Season 5 with Melissa Garcia, Senior Director of Member Success at Chief.

Melissa joins us to share her unconventional journey from a career in fashion merchandising to becoming a leader in Customer Success. She opens up about what it really takes to break into SaaS, how she built confidence in a completely new industry, and why leading with empathy is her greatest superpower.

We explore how mentors shaped her path, the lessons she learned navigating change, and her bold takes on modern CS practices, from ditching outdated QBRs to delivering “value you can’t Google.”

You’ll discover:

• How to pivot into Customer Success without a SaaS background
• Why “value you can’t Google” is key to becoming indispensable
• Ways to own your voice in customer conversations (even when facing imposter syndrome)
• Why traditional check-ins often fail (and what to do instead)
• The transformative power of small steps, and the growing impact of women in CS leadership

If you're looking to break into CS, grow your leadership skills, or lead more human-centered conversations, this episode is a treasure trove packed with practical insights and heartfelt wisdom.

💚 This episode is brought to you by Hook: https://hook.co/

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👉 Follow Melissa Garcia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-garcia-nyc/

👉 Learn more about Hook & grow your revenue on autopilot: https://hook.co/

👉 Learn more about Chief, the private network executive women rely on to raise their leadership game: https://chief.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 - womenincs.co/podcast
• LinkedIn - linkedin.com/company/womenincs
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenincs.co/

Host Marija Skobe-Pilley

• Website - https://www.marijaskobepilley.com/
• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mspilley/
• Get a FREE '9 Habits of Successful CSMs' guide https://www.marijaskobepilley.com/9-habits-freebie

NEW - Women in Customer Success Courses:

• Thriving as a First-Time People Leader - https://womenincs.co/thriving-as-a-first-time-people-leader
• The Revenue CSM - https://womenincs.co/the-revenue-csm

Text us your questions and thoughts!

Welcome to 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 tackle AI's biggest myths, explore practical use cases, and discuss how leading CS teams are already leveraging AI to mitigate risk, personalize at scale, and drive revenue growth.

You’ll hear lots of practical examples of the daily use of AI in customer success. Buckle up and tune in.

Featuring

Eduardo Amorim, VP of Customer Success, Sendcloud

Kate Neal, Senior Director of Customer Success, Gainsight

Marija Skobe-Pilley, Founder of Women In CS

👉 Follow Eduardo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eduardo-a-b4468459/

👉 Follow Kate on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katemneal/

👉 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 - womenincs.co/podcast
• LinkedIn - linkedin.com/company/womenincs
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenincs.co/

Host Marija Skobe-Pilley

• Website - https://www.marijaskobepilley.com/
• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mspilley/
• Get a FREE '9 Habits of Successful CSMs' guide https://www.marijaskobepilley.com/9-habits-freebie

NEW - Women in Customer Success Courses:

• Thriving as a First-Time People Leader - https://womenincs.co/thriving-as-a-first-time-people-leader
• The Revenue CSM - https://womenincs.co/the-revenue-csm

Text us your questions and thoughts!

NEW! NEW! NEW!

We’re kicking off Season 5 of the Women in Customer Success Podcast!

That means:

- Elevating the voices of more remarkable women in CS

- More inspiring conversations, unique career stories and actionable tips

- And a brand new spin we’re bringing to our show this season

Hear from WiCS Founder & Host, Marija Skobe-Pilley, and discover what's new. In case you're new here, welcome to the Women in Customer Success Podcast. Come join us, be part of our community of ambitious professionals, and join the conversation.

And be sure to follow us and subscribe to our show, wherever you enjoy your podcasts.

__________________________________________________
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 - womenincs.co/podcast
• LinkedIn - linkedin.com/company/womenincs
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenincs.co/

Host Marija Skobe-Pilley

• Website - https://www.marijaskobepilley.com/
• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mspilley/
• Get a FREE '9 Habits of Successful CSMs' guide https://www.marijaskobepilley.com/9-habits-freebie

NEW - Women in Customer Success Courses:

• Thriving as a First-Time People Leader - https://womenincs.co/thriving-as-a-first-time-people-leader
• The Revenue CSM - https://womenincs.co/the-revenue-csm

Text us your questions and thoughts!

Can you believe it’s been five years since we launched the Women in Customer Success Podcast?

What started as a conversation in your earbuds has grown into a global movement. Now, after hundreds of episodes, bringing these discussions into the physical world feels like coming full circle.

We hosted our second Women in Customer Success live podcast recording in Berlin, where Marija Skobe-Pilley welcomed Cara Benecke, Sally Stoewe and Pia Schümann-Hoppe. We discussed:

✨ Redefining what "having it all" means in today's professional landscape

✨ Setting 'non-negotiables' for work-life integration

✨ Building success on your own terms

✨ Setting boundaries that stick

✨ Leading authentically across diverse European cultures

This was a perfect night where our incredible audience engaged in deep conversations, asked thoughtful questions, and shared experiences with each other.

And now, you get to hear it all. Whether you're an aspiring leader or looking to advance your career, this session offers invaluable advice and inspiration. Tune in and enjoy!

***Special thanks to our sponsors Gainsight and Braze for making this happen!

👉 Follow Cara on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cara-benecke/

👉 Follow Sally on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sallystoewe/

👉 Follow Pia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pia-sch%C3%BCmann-hoppe-a3aa5437/

👉 Follow Marija on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mspilley/

👉 Follow Women in Customer Success: https://www.linkedin.com/company/womenincs/

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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 - womenincs.co/podcast
• LinkedIn - linkedin.com/company/womenincs
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenincs.co/

Host Marija Skobe-Pilley

• Website - https://www.marijaskobepilley.com/
• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mspilley/
• Get a FREE '9 Habits of Successful CSMs' guide https://www.marijaskobepilley.com/9-habits-freebie

NEW - Women in Customer Success Courses:

• Thriving as a First-Time People Leader - https://womenincs.co/thriving-as-a-first-time-people-leader
• The Revenue CSM - https://womenincs.co/the-revenue-csm

Text us your questions and thoughts!

Struggling to prove the financial impact of your CS initiatives or translate retention metrics into revenue? Watch this exclusive masterclass to learn how to build compelling, finance-driven business cases, align CS initiatives with revenue targets, and confidently lead conversations that secure executive buy-in.

Don’t miss this chance to transform Customer Success into a powerful revenue driver!

Featuring:

Marilee Bear, CRO at Gainsight

Marija Skobe-Pilley, Founder of Women In CS

👉 Follow Marilee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marileeb/

👉 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 - womenincs.co/podcast
• LinkedIn - linkedin.com/company/womenincs
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenincs.co/

Host Marija Skobe-Pilley

• Website - https://www.marijaskobepilley.com/
• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mspilley/
• Get a FREE '9 Habits of Successful CSMs' guide https://www.marijaskobepilley.com/9-habits-freebie

NEW - Women in Customer Success Courses:

• Thriving as a First-Time People Leader - https://womenincs.co/thriving-as-a-first-time-people-leader
• The Revenue CSM - https://womenincs.co/the-revenue-csm

Text us your questions and thoughts!

In this episode, I sit down with Swati Garg, founder and CEO of Melo Associates, one of the most recognised Customer Success recruitment firms in the US.

Swati’s career path is anything but traditional. She dreamed of being a Bollywood director, studied psychology and communication, and started as an HR journalist before pivoting into recruitment. Today, she helps CS professionals land roles by focusing on personalised applications, networking, and showcasing measurable impact.

We cover:

✅ Resume strategies that work – How to use keywords effectively so recruiters find you.
✅ Quality over quantity – Why mass-applying doesn’t work and what to do instead.
✅ Following up like a pro – The best ways to reach hiring managers (hint: emails > LinkedIn).
✅ The job market shift – Why local candidates have the advantage in hybrid work models.

Swati’s key message? Don’t be afraid to reach out!

This episode is packed with actionable advice for anyone job-hunting in CS or just wanting to future-proof their career.

Follow Swati.

This episode was brought to you by Vitally.

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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 - womenincs.co/podcast
• LinkedIn - linkedin.com/company/womenincs
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenincs.co/

Host Marija Skobe-Pilley

• Website - https://www.marijaskobepilley.com/
• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mspilley/
• Get a FREE '9 Habits of Successful CSMs' guide https://www.marijaskobepilley.com/9-habits-freebie

NEW - Women in Customer Success Courses:

• Thriving as a First-Time People Leader - https://womenincs.co/thriving-as-a-first-time-people-leader
• The Revenue CSM - https://womenincs.co/the-revenue-csm

Text us your questions and thoughts!

In a beautifully set Hook’s office in the heart of London, Women in Customer Success hosted our first-ever live podcast recording, an intimate and immersive experience with a familiar voice: Daphne Costa Lopes.

Daphne, HubSpot's Global Director of Customer Success - Strategic Accounts and Founder & CEO of This is Growth podcast, shared her journey, shaped by a disciplined upbringing, expat life, and a relentless drive for growth. She revealed the daily habits that keep her focused, how climbing Kilimanjaro helped her find closure after losing her father, and why her next challenge, Mount Everest Base Camp, reflects her approach to both life and career.

Of course, we also talked Customer Success. Daphne shared insights on leadership, career growth, and the evolving role of Customer Success in business, including AI-driven shifts like the move from utilisation-based to consumption-based payment models.

Our audience came prepared with questions on the future of subscription models, managing feedback, and effective customer advocacy strategies.

Tune in for an inspiring, real, and deeply human conversation.

Follow Daphne Costa Lopes

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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 - womenincs.co/podcast
• LinkedIn - linkedin.com/company/womenincs
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenincs.co/

Host Marija Skobe-Pilley

• Website - https://www.marijaskobepilley.com/
• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mspilley/
• Get a FREE '9 Habits of Successful CSMs' guide https://www.marijaskobepilley.com/9-habits-freebie

NEW - Women in Customer Success Courses:

• Thriving as a First-Time People Leader - https://womenincs.co/thriving-as-a-first-time-people-leader
• The Revenue CSM - https://womenincs.co/the-revenue-csm

Text us your questions and thoughts!

In this episode, I sit down with Patricia Awan, a passionate advocate for customer success, lifelong learning, and leading with grace. From her childhood dream of working in PR to her journey from Portugal to the UK, Patricia shares how she built a career centred on helping others and fostering trust.

She’s the Manager of Client Success at ITGL and a passionate communicator - which you will see once you listen to this episode.

We dive into practical, actionable tips for achieving your goals, including:

✅ Client-centricity: How focusing on outcomes (instead of just adding to your client’s workload) builds stronger relationships.
✅ Skills development: A simple method to assess job specs and identify skills that can shape your future career.

Patricia also reminds us that customer success is about people - listening, learning, and engaging with empathy.

In this episode:

• Leading with grace (and a smile on your face)
• Client-centricity
• Lifelong learning
• Skills development
• Technology as a tool
• Customer engagement and management
• Meaningful and human connection

Whether you’re in sales, account management, or any client-facing role, this episode is packed with first-hand tips you can start applying today.

Follow Patricia.

This episode was brought to you by Vitally.

__________________________________________________
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 - womenincs.co/podcast
• LinkedIn - linkedin.com/company/womenincs
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womenincs.co/

Host Marija Skobe-Pilley

• Website - https://www.marijaskobepilley.com/
• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mspilley/
• Get a FREE '9 Habits of Successful CSMs' guide https://www.marijaskobepilley.com/9-habits-freebie

NEW - Women in Customer Success Courses:

• Thriving as a First-Time People Leader - https://womenincs.co/thriving-as-a-first-time-people-leader
• The Revenue CSM - https://womenincs.co/the-revenue-csm