The Business of Success

Culture doesn’t happen by accident, it must be treated as a full-time priority.In Episode 9 of The Business of Success, Parul Bhandari sits down with Molly Whybrow, Senior Director of Talent & Culture at VelocityEHS, to explore what it really takes to build and maintain a thriving workplace culture.Molly shares practical insights from scaling culture in a fast growing tech company from moving beyond ping pong tables and beer taps to creating intentional programs that drive real engagement and retention. Learn how to design employee experiences that evolve with your organization, the power of feedback loops, why great managers are the biggest retention tool, and how to build inclusive, remote-first cultures that actually work.Whether you’re a founder, HR leader, or people manager, this episode will change how you think about culture not as a nice to have, but as a strategic full time responsibility.Guest:Molly Whybrow Senior Director of Talent and Culture, VelocityEHShttps://www.ehs.com/What You’ll Learn:Why culture must be treated as a full-time job, not a side projectHow to build intentional employee experience at every stage of company growthPractical ways to improve retention through culture and great managementThe power of employee feedback, affinity groups, and remote-first designHow to evolve culture as your company maturesLeadership strategies for creating inclusive and engaging workplacesTimestamps:00:00 – Welcome to Episode 901:09 – Introducing Molly Whybrow, Senior Director of Talent & Culture at VelocityEHS02:15 – Culture as a Full-Time Job vs Side Project04:19 – Differences Between Intentional vs Accidental Culture06:08 – Simple Building Blocks for Early-Stage Companies09:04 – How Culture Evolves with Company Maturity13:11 – Cultural Add vs Cultural Fit in Hiring15:17 – Retention Strategies & The Cost of Poor Culture18:25 – Employee Feedback, Surveys & Actioning Insights22:27 – DEI Practices & Inclusive Culture Building26:45 – AI’s Impact on Talent & Culture29:32 – Final Thoughts & Key Takeaways—-----------------------------------------------------------Level up your business with Fathom AI:I use Fathom AI to streamline meeting workflows and improve content production. My work includes recording and transcribing meetings, extracting key insights, and converting discussions into structured summaries and actionable notes. https://fathom.partnerlinks.io/ivwwc3e8ss9s —-----------------------------------------------------------------This podcast is sponsored by CustomerXSuccess, a consultancy which helps drive Company Growth through a focus on Customer Success. Follow along at www.customerxsuccess.com#CultureIsAFullTimeJob #EmployeeExperience #IntentionalCulture #CompanyCulture #EmployeeRetention #LeadershipDevelopment #WorkplaceCulture #TalentAndCulture #HRLeadership #RemoteFirst #DEI #BusinessOfSuccess

In this episode of The Business of Success, we sit down with Alan Gonsenhauser, a 7x Chief Marketing Officer and expert in customer growth strategy, to uncover why most companies are focused on the wrong thing chasing sales instead of building sustainable revenue.If your business is struggling with churn, poor customer retention, or inconsistent growth, this conversation will completely change how you think about marketing, sales, and customer success.Alan breaks down the real drivers of long-term revenue, including ideal customer profiles (ICP), net revenue retention (NRR), customer experience, and how top companies align marketing, sales, and finance to scale effectively.About Alan:Alan Gonsenhauser, CEO of DemandRevenue, LLC., is an 11-times CMO, and 3-times P&L GM experience in marketing, sales, finance, and operations. He’s a CMO Coach & Mentor, Interim / Fractional CMO, and GTM Advisor for Private Equity portfolio companies.At Forrester (previously SiriusDecisions), and afterwords he mentored 150+ CMOs and marketing leaders to become indispensable to their organizations.Since 2021 at Demand Revenue, Alan has been a CMO Coach and Interim CMO at 10+ private equity portfolio companies, focusing on infrastructure driving value creation and customer-led growth with hundreds of models and frameworks to scale GTM alignment and intelligent growth. Recently, Alan also became a GTM Partners certified advisor.Alan has presented at multiple industry conferences and global kickoff meetings and is a frequent podcast guest: https://www.demandrevenue.com/podcasts/Website-  www.demandrevenue.comSocial Media - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alangonsenhauser/—---------------------------------------------------------Whether you're a startup founder, marketer, or business leader, this episode will help you understand:Why chasing sales is hurting your growthHow to identify and target the right customers (ICP)The truth about churn and customer retentionHow to build a customer-first growth strategyWhy most companies fail at customer successHow to turn customers into your best salespeople⏱️ TIMESTAMPS00:00 – Intro & Guest Introduction01:00 – Alan’s Journey: From Finance to 7x CMO03:45 – What is a “Customer Capitalist”?06:00 – Why Revenue is a Lagging Indicator07:45 – The Real Problem with Chasing Sales09:00 – Startup Phases: Problem-Market Fit vs Product-Market Fit10:35 – How to Define Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)14:00 – Biggest Mistakes Companies Make with ICP16:00 – Sales Incentives & Wrong Behavior17:30 – Net Promoter Score (NPS) — Truth vs Myth20:00 – Red Flags: When Your Business Is Doing It Wrong22:30 – Why Customer Experience Starts BEFORE Sales23:45 – Turning Customers into Advocates26:00 – Why Negative Feedback is Gold29:00 – How to Align Teams for Growth31:00 – AI, Hiring & Future of Marketing Teams34:00 – Final Advice for Startups & Leaders- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -This podcast is sponsored by CustomerXSuccess, a consultancy which helps drive Company Growth through a focus on Customer Success. Follow along at www.customerxsuccess.com

The Caregiving Conundrum most companies and families ignore until it’s too late. Dr. Pooja Patel, double board-certified occupational therapist and gerontologist, exposes the hidden crisis of elder care and how working professionals (especially women) are left unprepared.In this powerful episode of Business of Success with Parul Bhandari, Dr. Pooja Patel (founder of Aging Together) reveals:Why workplaces treat elder care as a “nice to have” while parenting gets full supportThe shocking FMLA truth: It doesn’t cover in laws a wake up call for South Asian familiesWhy daughters and daughters in law carry most of the elder care burdenHow caregiving starts quietly and escalates into crisis without proactive planningPractical solutions: Proactive care planning workbook, emergency & end of life discussions, aging in placeWhat employers can actually do flexible work, caregiver support, and retention strategiesThe coming demographic crisis: Baby boomers + working Gen X/Millennials = massive impact on economy and familiesIf you’re a working daughter, son, manager, or business leader - this conversation will change how you think about family responsibility, employee support, and long term planning.👉 Visit Aging Together: https://aging-together.com👉 Book by Dr. Pooja Patel: You Don’t Know When the Bridge Is Coming: A Roadmap forTimestamps:00:00 – The Caregiving Conundrum Intro02:35 – Dr. Pooja’s Journey & Why Proactive Care Matters05:16 – Elder Care Support in the Workplace (Almost Nothing)08:09 – FMLA Limitations & In Laws Reality Check11:27 – Proactive Care Planning Workbook Explained15:38 – Heavy Burden on Women & South Asian Families24:33 – Flexible Work Ideas for Employee Caregivers30:44 – The Looming Elder Care Crisis & Call to Action#CaregivingConundrum #ElderCare #DrPoojaPatel #AgingTogether #SouthAsianCaregiving #WomenCaregivers #EmployeeCaregivers #CaregiverBurnout #ProactiveAging #BusinessOfSuccess #FamilyCaregiving—--This podcast is sponsored by CustomerXSuccess, a consultancy which helps drive Company Growth through a focus on Customer Success. Follow along at www.customerxsuccess.com

The perfect recap, TLDR episode to help you get caught up!This episode celebrates the milestone of launching five episodes of the Business of Success, reviews the episodes we have had and learnings, and provides a preview of the episodes covered.Takeaways:It delves into empowering women in the workplace,Designing for employee and customer experiences,Addressing burnout and workforce productivity,Transitioning from leadership to individual contributor roles, andEffective communication and value delivery for leaders.The Business of Success if sponsored by CustomerXSuccess, a customer experience consultancy to drive better journeys and organic growth. Visit out website for more information.#customerexperience #employeeexperience #leadership #burnout #womenatwork #timemanagement

In this conversation with Andrea Bumstead of CS Impact, Parul delves into the world of #customersuccess leadership, emphasizing value-driven conversations, and Andrea's unique take on how to maximize them - through the 15-Minute QBR tool. This tool has changed how teams can drive value for their customers, and actually connect on what matters.They further discuss impact of #AI on #value proposition expectations, and the importance of closing the financial literacy gap for leaders. The discussion highlights the need for leaders to speak the language of their customers and understand financial literacy to effectively communicate and drive business growth.TakeawaysValue-driven conversationsLeadership languageFinancial literacyAbout Andrea Bumstead and CS Impact:Andrea is the Founder and CEO of CS Impact, a consultancy providing fractional leadership and strategic advisory services to B2B SaaS companies with $50M–$150M in ARR. Known for turning Customer Success into a revenue engine, Andrea has helped growth-stage companies generate millions in incremental revenue through outcomes-driven retention and expansion strategies.An award winning thought leader in the CS space, Andrea is the creator of the 15-Minute QBR, a viral framework celebrated for its practical, executive-ready approach to customer alignment. Thought Leadership:https://csimpact.substack.com/LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreabumsteadInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/customersuccessimpact/**Link to the 15-min QBR by AndreaThe Business of Success is sponsored by CustomerXSuccess-  a Customer Experience consultancy. We help companies define their customer journeys, drive value creation and retention, and realize sustainable organic growth. 

What if your next Individual Contributor (IC) was a former leader? Think of the richness that could bring to your team and your customers?In this episode, Parul talks to Mike Lemon about the challenged, hiring process for experienced hires, preparing for interviews, and overcoming objections. Additionally, it discusses the adaptation of experienced hires in the workplace, value realization, strategic customer success, measuring value, the role of AI, driving business outcomes, and success metrics.TakeawaysHow interviewees can prepareValue in experienceNavigating career transitionsHow Managers can prepareMike Lemon is an enterprise leader brought in when high-value relationships are exposed, growth has stalled, or organizations need clarity at the intersection of customer value and commercial performance. He specializes in stabilizing complex global portfolios, rebuilding executive trust, and aligning cross-functional leaders around measurable revenue outcomes.Connect with Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelklemon/Read his article: https://medium.com/@michaelklemon/the-untapped-superpower-4d48cd476948?source=social.linkedinRead Parul's article: https://www.inc.com/parul-bhandari/what-to-know-about-the-great-downshift/91265991The Business of Success is sponsored by CustomerXSuccess-  a Customer Experience and Customer Success-focused consultancy. We help companies define their customer journeys, drive value creation and retention, and realize organic growth.  Learn more at: www.customerxsuccess.com#experiencedleaders #experiencedhires #hiringtrends #buildingbetter #businessofsuccess

In this conversation with speaker and leadership coach, Princess Castleberry, Parul dives into her career, her new book The Truth is in the TriggerTM, and how leaders can drive growth through reducing their own burnout. The conversation also delves into self-awareness and empowerment for all levels of employees, as well as an important trigger mapping exercise (on Princess's website).TakeawaysEmpowering burnt-out leaders with tools for self-awareness and recovery is crucial for sustainable growth and decision quality.Frameworks in the book like Live, Lead and Build LeverageTM are useful for any stage of life or goal achievement.Toxic driveTM and sinking egoTM are behaviors that impede success and decision-making quality, often rooted in insecurity and validation-seeking.Trigger mapping exercise helps individuals connect their behaviors to personal, global, and professional environment triggers.#burnout #leadershipAbout Princess:Princess Castleberry is the CEO of Castleberry Global, and author of The Truth is in the TriggerTM. Learn more about Princess and her work at:https://www.princesscastleberry.com/This podcast is sponsored by CustomerXSuccess, a consultancy which helps drive Company Growth through a focus on Customer Success. Follow along at www.customerxsuccess.com

In this episode, Parul explores the impact of investing in employee and customer success on sustainable business growth. It emphasizes the importance of employee and customer experience, retention, and the revenue bow tie concept - how growth is not just measured till the point of sale. Parul highlights the significance of advocacy and the success flywheel in building a sustainable business.TakeawaysInvesting in employee and customer success drives sustainable business growth.Advocacy and the success flywheel are key components of building a sustainable business.Resources for this episode:Revenue Bowtie - https://www.inc.com/parul-bhandari/grow-your-business-using-principles-from-revenue-bowtie.htmlFREE Customer Value Assessment - https://share.hsforms.com/15b0bX2JxTtC-TONTn8lJRgqupmiThe Business of Success is Sponsored by CustomerXSuccess, building business success with a focus on customer success. Inquire on working with us at www.customerxsuccess.com.

Kicking off the inaugural conversation for The Business of Success with Priya Bathija, CEO of Nyoo Health, who is focused on making the world a better place for women at work.This conversation explores the challenges faced by women in the workplace, including career specialization, workplace dynamics, and the impact of menopause. It also discusses the need for women-friendly workplaces, supportive work environments, and predicts positive changes for women in the future.TakeawaysWomen in the workplace face challenges related to leadership, family building, and menopause.Employers can support women in the workplace through policies, benefits, and cultural changes.Small shifts in policy and benefits are expected to continue, leading to positive changes for women in the workplace.Follow Priya and her work at: www.nyoohealth.com.This podcast is sponsored by CustomerXSuccess, a consultancy which helps drive Company Growth through a focus on Customer Success. Follow along at www.customerxsuccess.com

Introducing The Business of Success, a podcast for people who are building better brands and businesses from the inside out.Your host is Parul Bhandari, an award-winning author and Customer Success leader who is passionate about helping drive better business and success through talent, customers, community and culture.Subscribe and follow along.The Business of Success is sponsored by CustomerXSuccess. www.customerxsuccess.com