In this episode, we’re thrilled to speak with Arturo Suarez Martin, Senior Director of Customer Success and General Manager at PagerDuty Chile. Arturo shares his inspiring journey from developer to director, offering valuable insights into leadership, team-building, and the transformative power of AI.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Arturo’s leadership style and how curiosity drives innovation.
• Lessons from building reliable systems and leading diverse teams.
• The role of AI in freeing up time for meaningful work.
• Arturo’s personal philosophy on flexibility and growth in career and life.

Key Topics Covered:

• 0:00 – Introduction and Arturo’s background.
• 5:00 – Leadership lessons and inspiration from global experiences.
• 10:00 – Building resilient systems and the importance of reliability.
• 15:00 – The promise and pitfalls of AI in modern work.
• 20:00 – Fostering team diversity and adaptability across cultures.
• 30:00 – Arturo’s career advice: Stay curious and create opportunities for choice.

Arturo’s story is packed with actionable advice and thought-provoking insights. Don’t miss this engaging conversation with one of tech’s most forward-thinking leaders!

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In this episode, Laura Bedoya, Senior Technical Support Manager at Vitally.io, shares her journey of building the company’s first-ever B2B technical support team from the ground up. Laura dives into the lessons she’s learned along the way, from creating processes and documentation to fostering team culture and leveraging AI to enhance customer support. She also reflects on her passion for community building and empowering women of color to take up leadership roles in the tech industry.

We discuss how Laura’s experience in retail shaped her empathetic and pragmatic leadership style, her insights on navigating metrics like CSAT and first reply time, and how she strikes a balance between fun and accountability as a manager. Laura’s story is not only a testament to resilience but also an inspiration for leaders looking to build inclusive, high-performing teams.

Whether you’re a customer support leader, a community builder, or someone passionate about diversity in tech, this episode is packed with actionable advice and inspiring stories.

Key Topics Covered:

0:00 – Welcome & Introduction
Scott introduces Laura Bedoya and her pivotal role in building Vitally.io’s first B2B technical support team.

3:00 – Lessons from Starting a Support Team
Laura shares her experience building processes and implementing tools while keeping the customer experience top of mind.

6:45 – The Power of Documentation
How documenting every step streamlined onboarding and empowered team members.

10:00 – Balancing Metrics with Empathy
Laura’s perspective on why CSAT should be a team metric and her aversion to first reply time as a key performance indicator.

15:30 – Using AI Responsibly
How Vitally.io uses AI to handle repetitive tasks, freeing up human agents to focus on complex customer needs.

20:00 – Building a Remote-First Team Culture
The strategies Laura uses to foster human connections in a remote work environment.

25:30 – Advocating for Diversity and Inclusion
Laura’s work with Amigas Latinas and her mission to mentor and empower women of color in leadership.

30:00 – Leadership Lessons from Retail
How Laura’s early retail management experience taught her to stay calm under pressure and prioritize human connection.

35:00 – Balancing Fun and Focus
Laura’s “unserious serious” approach to leadership and why humor is essential in building resilient teams.

Key Takeaways:

• Document everything: Comprehensive, accessible documentation ensures smoother onboarding and team success.
• Focus on team performance: Treat metrics like CSAT as a team responsibility, not an individual burden.
• AI is a tool, not a replacement: Use AI to handle repetitive tasks and empower teams to focus on impactful issues.
• Diversity matters: Representation and mentorship create meaningful opportunities and stronger teams.
• Humor builds resilience: A fun, lighthearted environment can help teams stay motivated while achieving their goals.

In this episode, Maranda Dziekonski, VP of Customer Success at ID.me, shares her 20+ years of experience in customer success and operations, providing actionable insights on scaling teams, creating agile processes, and fostering personal connections to drive success. From her unique approach to relationship-building through her "handy-dandy notebook" to the challenges of transitioning between leadership roles, Maranda offers a candid and practical look into the evolving world of customer success.

We explore her innovative hiring principles, the importance of acting your organization's size when implementing processes, and how she has leveraged AI to supercharge account planning and customer insights. Maranda also reflects on the biggest changes in the CS landscape, including the growing focus on tying CS to revenue, and shares advice for aspiring CS professionals looking to break into the field.

Whether you're a CS leader, a startup founder, or someone looking to improve team dynamics and customer outcomes, this episode is packed with strategies, lessons, and thought-provoking ideas.

Key Topics Covered:

0:00 – Welcome & Introduction
Scott introduces Maranda Dziekonski, her impressive career in customer success, and what to expect from the episode.

2:00 – The Relationship Cheat Sheet
Maranda explains her unique system for building personal connections and how it has evolved over time.

6:00 – Hiring and Scaling Teams
Insights into Maranda's principles for creating balanced teams and filling skill gaps through hiring and training.

10:30 – Acting Your Organization’s Size
Why scaling processes should match your company’s stage to avoid unnecessary complexity.

13:00 – Transitioning to Leadership
Maranda reflects on shifting from individual contributor to leader and navigating roles in startups versus larger organizations.

16:45 – AI in Customer Success
How Maranda leverages AI to generate insights from customer data and streamline account planning.

20:00 – Breaking Into CS
Practical advice for early-career professionals looking to land their first customer success role.

24:30 – The Evolution of Customer Success
How the industry has shifted towards revenue ownership and why it matters for CS teams.

30:00 – Advice for CS Leaders
Tips on avoiding burnout in startup environments and staying customer-focused in chaotic situations.

Key Takeaways:

• Personal connections matter: Maranda’s relationship cheat sheet fosters deeper customer and team engagement.
• Hire and train strategically: Balance skill sets to build resilient, adaptable teams.
• Act your size: Tailor processes to your company’s stage for agility and effectiveness.
• AI as a CS tool: Leverage AI for data insights and efficiency, impressing customers with targeted strategies.
• CS is revenue-critical: Tie CS efforts to measurable business outcomes to stay relevant in today’s economy.