CX Signals

In this episode of CX Signals, Samantha sits down with Talya Reynolds, former Manager of Customer Education, AI & Automations at Pendo, to explore what it looks like to build customer education infrastructure for a world where the learner is no longer always human — and why the people who understand how to design for learning are about to become the most important people in the room.Talya stumbled into customer education the way most of us do — sideways, and completely by accident. A master's in conflict resolution, early instructional design work, a CS role at a boot-stage startup — none of it was planned. By the time she landed at Pendo, her north star for years, her conviction was clear: customer education's biggest problem wasn't content — it was that the field had never learned to define the business problem it was actually solving.What makes Talya's perspective so sharp is how far ahead of the curve she was building. At Pendo, she owned "Pendo on Pendo" — their own in-product learning experience — which gave her a rare opportunity to architect a fully orchestrated learning motion using the very tool she was educating customers on. What she discovered reframes the debate our industry keeps having about whether academies are dying. They're not dying. The learner is changing.We dig into how Talya went cross-functional — aligning marketing, lifecycle, community, and CS teams around shared definitions of adoption and health. We get into the data infrastructure behind it: combining Salesforce, Zendesk, and unstructured call data to build a true picture of user maturity. And we go deep on modular content architecture — why managing bite-sized, tagged content from a single source of truth is the foundational move that makes omnichannel orchestration actually possible. The boring infrastructure work, it turns out, is what makes the agentic future viable.In this episode, we cover:Why the agentic era doesn't kill academies — it demands better onesHow Talya used product telemetry, ticket data, and AI to build a unified picture of user maturity at PendoModular content architecture: the unglamorous unlock for in-product delivery, omnichannel distribution, and AI personalizationCross-functional alignment — how she got marketing, lifecycle, and CS on the same page without stepping on toesCurating the corpus: what it means for CE leaders to define guardrails, build feedback loops, and govern agentic learningGetting your team bought in on AI: why a skills hackathon changed everythingIf you've been feeling the pressure of AI adoption and wondering what your role looks like on the other side of it, this episode will reframe the whole conversation.Chapters:00:10 The Signal02:05 Falling Into Customer Ed Head Over Feet07:44 From Order Taker to Learning Orchestrator11:36 Pendo on Pendo — The Dream Come True22:14 The Cross-Functional Long Game30:56 Modular Content Is the Infrastructure Play39:00 When the UI Disappears — The Agentic Future44:52 Stop the Fear, Start With Your TeamConnect with Talya on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillglynn/ Connect with Samantha on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-murray613/   Connect with Courtney on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-sembler/

In this episode of CX Signals, Samantha sits down with Jill Glynn, Director of Customer Engagement at LinkedIn, to explore what it really looks like to orchestrate a fully connected digital CX motion — across academy, community, in-app, and scaled email — and why the unsexy work of content architecture is the thing that makes all of it possible.Jill leads scaled learning, digital engagement, and community across some of LinkedIn's most complex enterprise products. She didn't build that scope overnight — it's the result of years of deliberate organizational alignment, pulling digital CS, customer learning, and community under one roof before moving the whole function into marketing.What stands out most is how grounded she is in the fundamentals. Jill believes personalization at scale isn't a technology problem — it's an architecture problem. If you haven't done the unglamorous work of tagging your content, mapping it to product actions, and auditing what's actually driving outcomes, no amount of tooling will save you.We dig into what it takes to move from a "more is more" content strategy to a simplified happy path model, how LinkedIn measures learning effectiveness through Action Learner Rate — whether a customer takes a specific product action within seven days of completing a course — and why years of diligent content tagging is now the foundation powering their content lake, in-product help experiences, and AI personalization roadmap. The unsexy stuff, it turns out, was always the strategy.Here's some of what we cover:Why content architecture is the unglamorous unlock for personalization, AI, and in-product learningHow LinkedIn uses "stuck user moments" to identify where customers fall off — and meet them thereAction Learner Rate: measuring whether learning actually drives product behaviorBuilding cross-functional alignment with sales, CS, and product — and what finally made it clickThe vision for contextual, in-the-flow-of-work learning at LinkedIn's scaleIf you're in customer education, digital CS, or CX leadership, this episode is a masterclass in what it looks like to build for scale without losing the signal.Chapters:00:00 Introduction00:09 Jill Glynn's Career Journey01:09 The Evolution of Customer Success at LinkedIn04:00 Understanding LinkedIn's Product Offerings06:40 Onboarding New Customers09:21 Simplifying the Customer Experience12:10 Personalization and Content Architecture14:42 Governance and Content Management23:59 The Importance of Historical Archives24:34 Foundational Elements for AI Success26:36 Personalization in Education and Training28:54 Community Engagement and User-Generated Content32:04 Leveraging Data for Customer Insights36:02 Connecting Learning to Business Outcomes42:07 Collaboration Between Teams for Success49:40 Embracing Simplicity in a Fast-Paced Environment50:44 Key Takeaways for Effective Team StrategyConnect with Jill Glynn on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillglynn/ Connect with Samantha Murray on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-murray613/   Connect with Courtney Sembler on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-sembler/

In this episode of CX Signals, we sit down with Mary Iapicca, VP of Customer Experience at ZoomInfo, to explore what it really looks like to build a post-sale CX operation from the ground up — and how a deliberate, segmented approach to onboarding becomes the foundation for a truly scalable customer experience.Mary oversees 7 functions at ZoomInfo: onboarding, technical implementation, customer education, community, customer success, delivery, and CX operations — across a team of over 250 people. And she didn't inherit that scope. She built it, one function at a time over four years.What stands out most isn't just the scale of what she's built, but how she thinks about growth — both for her customers and her own career. Mary believes you don't need to pitch your way into expanded scope. You just need to be the name that comes up in the room when a decision needs to be made. That philosophy shapes everything, from how she's designed her team structure to how she approaches her own professional development.We dig into what it actually takes to design and execute a segmented onboarding transformation at scale — the kind that runs 1,500 new projects a month — and how moving to a more digital model unlocked data and personalization capabilities that a fully human-led motion simply can't match. Mary makes a compelling case that digital isn't a lesser experience; it's often a better one, precisely because of the signals and insights it surfaces.A moment that stuck with us? Mary shares how ZoomInfo analyzed whether customers who received a fully digital experience versus a hybrid one actually differed in adoption or satisfaction — and found they didn't. That insight freed up her team to redeploy resources, up-level talent, and build a smarter, more personalized motion at scale.In this episode, we get into:Designing a segmented onboarding model that scales to 1,500 new projects a monthWhy digital CX unlocks personalization and data signals that human-led motions can't matchHow unifying seven post-sale functions under one leader creates a more orchestrated customer experienceThe career philosophy of building readiness before opportunity, and why that's more powerful than pitching for scopeConnecting CX to go-to-market: why adoption is the real product launchChapters:00:10 — Introduction02:17 — From High School Teacher to Tech Executive06:56 — Building One Function at a Time: How Mary Grew Her Scope at ZoomInfo13:30 — Career Progression: Why Being the Name in the Room Beats Pitching for Scope17:52 — Why ZoomInfo Unified Seven Post-Sale Functions Under One Leader27:47 — CX as a Go-To-Market Engine: Why Adoption IS the Product Launch35:11 — The Onboarding Transformation: Scaling to 1,500 Projects a Month43:06 — Why Going Digital Unlocked Data, Signals & Personalization at Scale49:10 — The Future of CX: AI, Digital Motions & What's Coming Next50:41 — Advice for CX Leaders Modernizing Their Post-Sale ExperienceFollow Mary on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mwislotski/ Follow Samantha on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-murray613/   Follow Courtney on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-sembler/

In this episode of CX Signals, we sit down with Melissa VanPelt, VP of Customer Success at Seismic, to explore what it really looks like to unify education, community, advocacy, and digital CS into one cohesive operating model — and how that kind of consolidation becomes a growth engine at scale.Melissa has spent the last ten years at Seismic, helping grow the business from $10 million to over $400 million in ARR. Along the way, she's built and led nearly every function that touches the post-sale customer experience — not as separate initiatives, but as a single, interconnected system designed to drive adoption, retention, and expansion at scale.What stands out most isn't just the scope of what she's built, but how she thinks about it. For Melissa, every customer is a learner, and every interaction is a moment to educate, enable, and move them forward. That philosophy shapes everything — from how her team designs digital journeys to how they measure customer health.We dig into what it actually takes to bring decentralized programs together onto a single platform, why unifying your tech stack unlocks a level of customer insight most teams don't have, and how Seismic is building what Melissa calls "systems of customer obsession" under a new CEO who has made the customer journey a company-wide mandate.One of the standout moments? Melissa describes how consolidating community, university, and digital journey data into a single health model is surfacing risks faster and enabling her team to trigger the right intervention — human or digital — at exactly the right moment. It's a masterclass in what proactive CS actually looks like in practice.Here’s some of what we cover:Building a unified digital CS motion without losing the human touchUsing education, community, and advocacy as a flywheel for expansionWhy customer health scoring needs to go beyond product usage and support ticketsDesigning cross-functional content strategy across the full customer lifecycleScaling impact through systems — not heroicsIf you're in customer success, customer education, or digital CX, this episode will challenge how you think about the post-sale experience and what's possible when you stop treating these functions as silos.Chapters:00:00 Introduction and Background02:38 Career Journey and Customer Education04:50 Transitioning to Customer Education and Community Building07:51 Integrating Functions for Cohesive Customer Experience10:30 Hyper-Growth and Customer Centricity12:03 Structuring for Customer Centricity16:23 Digital and Human-Led Customer Success17:17 The Need for Digital Engagement19:59 Enhancing Human Interaction through Digital22:15 Data Architecture and Customer Insights25:38 Evolving Business Ecosystems26:02 Cost-Efficient Growth Strategies27:10 Customer Marketing and Revenue Expansion30:16 Cross-Functional Collaboration for Customer Success34:01 Future Objectives and Customer Education40:03 Advice for Aspiring ExecutivesFollow Melissa VanPelt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-vanpelt/ Follow Samantha Murray on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-murray613/   Follow Courtney Sembler on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-sembler/

In this episode of CX Signals, we sit down with Danielle Evans, Director of Customer Education at Sendoso, to explore what it really takes to build a modern, outcome-driven customer education program.Danielle shares her journey from customer success into customer education, and how that foundation shaped her approach to scaling impact across the business. What stands out most isn’t just what she’s built, but how she thinks: strategically, creatively, and deeply aligned to business outcomes.We dig into how she’s expanding her role beyond customer education to include internal GTM enablement, why AI-powered voice of customer workflows are more practical than you think, and how she uses data to drive smarter decisions without a data science background.One of the standout moments? Danielle breaks down a coffee-themed gifting campaign that drove more certifications in a single month than the entire previous year — and how that momentum led to a major breakthrough: proving that accounts with a certified admin spend more than those without.That’s the kind of impact every customer education leader is chasing, and Danielle walks us through exactly how she got there.This conversation is equal parts strategic, tactical, and refreshingly real, with insights on:Scaling customer education beyond customersUsing AI to uncover actionable insights (not just save time)Turning voice of customer data into content strategyBuilding programs that directly influence revenueLeading with humanity in a fast-changing, AI-driven worldIf you’re in customer education, enablement, or CX, this episode will challenge how you think about your role and what’s possible.Chapters:00:00 Introduction and Background03:05 Career Journey into Customer Education05:44 Current Role and Responsibilities09:07 Championing Change in Customer Education12:15 Leveraging AI in Customer Education15:11 Voice of the Customer and Feedback Mechanisms17:37 International Growth and Content Strategy20:36 Engagement and Community Building23:27 Conclusion and Future Outlook28:59 The Power of Physical Gifting in Digital Relationships32:06 Connecting Learning to Business Outcomes35:57 Leveraging AI for Enhanced Learning Experiences45:58 Human Connection in Leadership52:22 Embracing Data for Educational GrowthFollow Danielle Evans on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellemevans/ Follow Samantha Murray on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-murray613/   Follow Courtney Sembler on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-sembler/ 

If you've spent any time in customer education, you already know his name. Adam Avramescu literally wrote the book on customer education — and then spent the better part of 15 years actually living it. He's built programs at Optimizely, Slack, and most recently Personio, where he scaled what started as a customer ed org into a full CX function. He's also the co-host of CELab.In this episode, Sam and Courtney sit down with Adam for an honest, energetic conversation about what it actually takes to lead CX at a senior level. They dig into how to connect your programs to real business outcomes — not just content output — and how and when to move from siloed functions to a unified digital experience. They also get into the org decisions that either expand your seat at the table or quietly shrink it, and what a pragmatic AI strategy actually looks like when you strip away the hype.Oh, and Adam drops some career news along the way. You'll want to stick around for that one.If you're ready to lead the next era of CX, this conversation was made for you.Follow Adam Avramescu on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-avramescu/ Follow Samantha Murray on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-murray613/   Follow Courtney Sembler on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtney-sembler/ Chapters:00:00 Introduction02:40 The Shift to Scaled Customer Experience05:16 Aligning Customer Education with Business Goals07:17 Creating a Portfolio of Programs10:25 Team Structure and Functionality13:00 Conclusion and Future Directions17:35 Aligning Customer Outcomes with Enablement Strategies21:38 The Importance of Organizational Structure in Customer Education24:08 Navigating Change: Lessons from Reorganization28:46 The Balance of Scope and Focus in Leadership32:17 Collaboration Across Teams for Customer-Centric Solutions36:59 The Role of AI in Customer Education46:47 Leveraging AI Effectively in Learning and Development49:56 AI in Localization and Content Development52:03 The Importance of Quality Content for AI54:01 The Shift from SEO to Answer Engine Optimization57:04 Navigating Career Transitions and Relevance01:02:19 Looking Ahead: The Future of Customer Education and AI

The conversation delves into the importance of customer obsession, human connection, and the challenges of internal communication within organizations. It explores the need for a customer-centric approach, the intersection of research and advocacy, and the impact of global access and AI on customer experiences. The discussion also emphasizes the significance of relationships, curiosity, and critical thinking in the context of deep research and the evolving role of AI. Additionally, it touches on the value of staying curious, connected, and engaged, while also highlighting the importance of environmentalism and the experiences of working parents.TakeawaysCustomer ObsessionHuman ConnectionChapters00:00 Introduction and Connection05:46 Challenges of Internal Communication12:14 Research and Advocacy18:08 Relationships and Curiosity23:59 Deep Research and Critical Thinking29:57 Environmentalism and Parenthood40:03 Conclusion and Farewell

The conversation covers the transition to fractional work, the impact of AI on marketing, writing a book, emotional customer relationships, the role of social listening, strategic capability of social listening, customer experience and brand relationships, rebranding and customer engagement, building genuine communities, and the concept of the third place and community connection. The conversation delves into the importance of emotional connection in business, the challenges of building and selling emotional connection to the executive team, recognizing signals of disengagement, the role of AI in human connection, and the future of human connection in the age of AI. Key takeaways include the essential nature of emotional connection and the significance of silence as a signal of disengagement.TakeawaysGenuine Community BuildingImpact of AI on Marketing Emotional connection is essentialSilence is a significant signal of disengagementChapters00:00 Introduction and Background05:58 Strategic Capability of Social Listening11:01 Rebranding and Customer Engagement17:49 The Third Place and Community Connection23:05 Building Emotional Connection in Business29:12 Recognizing Signals of Disengagement36:38 The Role of AI in Human Connection42:27 The Future of Human Connection in the Age of AI

Customer education is having a main character moment—and most leaders have no idea what's coming.Sam and Courtney kick off CX Signals by breaking down their origin stories: how two support reps became the people scaling Academy programs at some of the biggest names in SaaS. From HubSpot to Shopify to Docebo, they've lived through the chaos of hypergrowth, org restructures, LMS migrations, global expansions, and the brutal reality of proving ROI when everyone's watching.Now? They're building the advisory firm that helps both sides of the ecosystem—vendors building the future of CX tech and the operators trying to make it all work.