Episodes
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Kat Breeggemann - A Rebel Story of Ruthless Optimism
In this episode, Dannah sits down with Kat Breeggemann, a digital customer success consultant who has been building scaled CS programs for nearly eight years. Kat shares how she stumbled into CS from a journalism degree and why she starts every engagement with research on existing data and…
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Hijacking the AI Hype: Why Your "Automated" CS Strategy is a Trap
Slapping an "AI" label on your tech stack won't magically fix your customer success strategy. In this episode, Tim Van Lew joins the studio to expose the "efficiency illusion" and explain why SaaS leaders need strict governance and KPIs before buying into the AI hype. We dive deep into the…
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Stop Automating the Poo: LeeRon Yahalomi on AI, CS Strategy, and Getting Out of Your Own Way
AI isn't a future trend — it's already reshaping the job, and the leaders who thrive will be the ones controlling how it gets used, not reacting to it. In this episode, Dannah sits down with LeeRon Yahalomi, VP of Customer Success at Docket, who's spent the last decade building inside AI-native...
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Growing Big People, Service Recovery & The Human Side of CS with Rob Zambito
In this episode we sit down with Rob Zambito (CEO of Success-Scaled Consulting) and we dial in to explore the undeniable power of human connection in Customer Success. We dive into the "Service Recovery Paradox," killer discovery questions, the Five-Star Taco Bell effect, and why it matters as we...
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Frank Murphy: Embracing the Suck – What to Do When Grief Comes for You and Your Team
In the Season 4 premiere of Rebels of SaaS, Cisco leader Frank Murphy shares his profound journey from public service to tech leadership, intertwining his career path with his deeply personal experience of raising and losing a child with severe medical needs. He candidly discusses how navigating...
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Season 3 Finale - Kate Neal on AI Proofing your CS Career
In the Season 3 finale of Rebels of SaaS, Dannah welcomes Kate Neal from Gainsight to explore how to effectively operationalize AI across the customer journey. Kate shares her unique career evolution and reveals how AI-native platforms can uncover "human-to-human" signals that traditional health...
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Jared Cook - A Rebel Story of a CS Leader Scaling a Side Hustle with AI
In this episode, SaaS veteran Jared Cook joins Dannah Barnett Vaughan to discuss his journey through giants like Adobe and Domo to founding Crush Churn Consulting. Jared reveals how his passion for problem-solving led him to build a thriving, automated Turo car-sharing business that leverages AI...
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Jeff Cann - A Rebel Story of Using AI as your Strategic Value Engineer
Stop settling for "AI hype" and start building actual ROI by bridging the massive gap between executive expectations and team execution. In this episode, Top 100 CS Strategist Jeff Cann reveals why the secret to mastering AI at work actually starts with automating your life at home. We dismantle...
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Kim Ayala - A Rebel's Tale of Dismantling the Sales Stigma in CS
In this episode of Rebels of SaaS, I’m joined by Kim Ayala, Director of Customer Success (Americas & APAC) at Akeneo, to challenge the common misconception that "sales" is a dirty word in Customer Success. Kim shares her "rebellious" approach to post-sales leadership, explaining why offering paid...
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A Rebel Story - Julie Fox on the Power of Your Network, Your Voice & Community
In this episode, host Dannah Vaughan sits down with Julie Fox — CS leader, career changer, and co-author of the Customer Success Talent Playbook — to talk about the journey that brought her to customer success and what keeps her fired up about the space. Julie shares the story behind the highly...
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Eleni Vorvis - A Rebel Story of Fractional Customer Success
In this episode Dannah Vaughan sits down with Eleni Vorvis, a Top 100 CS Thought Leader, to explore the rapidly growing world of fractional leadership. Eleni shares her 20-year journey from accidental customer support to strategic consulting, offering "real-talk" on how founders can leverage…
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Carl Lenocker - A Rebel Story about a Success Plan for Life (and the Customer Success Junk Drawer)
Join Carl Lenocker—entrepreneur, author, and Customer Success Executive Leader at Splunk—as he shares why human relationships are your competitive advantage in the AI era. Carl discusses the future of CS, dynamic dining techniques, and how to command $250K+ salaries by investing in skills AI…
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Sean Reid - A Rebel Story of How to Show Up in the Boardroom as a Customer Success Executive
On this all-new episode of the Rebels of SaaS Podcast, Dannah Vaughan sits down with customer success leader Seán Reid to explore why the future of CS is still deeply human in an AI-driven world. Seán shares his unconventional journey from journalism, marketing, and stand-up comedy into executive...
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Chad Horenfeldt - A Rebel Story of The Strategic CSM
Here’s a clean, clear 5-sentence Spotify episode summary you can paste directly: In this episode of Rebels of SaaS, we sit down with Chad Horenfeldt, VP of Customer Success at SienaAI and author of The Strategic Customer Success Manager. Chad shares the personal journey behind writing his book…
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Parul Bhandari - A Rebel Story of a Customer Success Talent Playbook
Join us for an innovative conversation with Parul Bhandari, co-author of the Customer Success Talent Playbook and founder of Customer X Success consultancy. Parul shares the incredible 22-month journey of collaborating with six CS leaders to create a groundbreaking book focused on hiring…
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A Rebel Story of What Competitors Teach Us
Alexandra Sagaydak, boutique consulting founder and former Chief Customer Officer, is back with a perspective shift on competition in B2B SaaS. With 10+ years in customer success, she now helps startup CEOs identify revenue growth gaps and navigate fundraising. In this episode, Alexandra…
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A Rebel Story of Conversational AI & The Future of Sales Enablement
In this action packed episode we sit down with Sriharsha (Sai) Guduguntla, Co-Founder of Hyperbound AI, who went from meeting his co-founder in high school chorus to building viral AI technology that's transforming sales training at scale. Sai shares how solving their own problem led to a product...
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Boaz Maor - A Rebel Story of Cracking the NPS Code
Join us this week as we welcome Boaz Maor, CCO at Redirect Health. He turned the most controversial SaaS metric into a churn-fighting machine with 23% response rates. His rebel philosophy: "That's how we do things" is banned - yesterday's approach is just a data point, not tomorrow's blueprint....
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A Rebel Story of Augmented Leadership - James Sonderegger
Customer Enablement expert James Sonderegger joins Rebels of SaaS to discuss revolutionizing post-sales through AI-powered training, his "Augmented Leadership" model that combines the Eisenhower Matrix with intelligent delegation, and why leading with empathy is the ultimate rebellion in tech.…
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Lídia Gallardo - A Rebel Story of Customer Success, Community and RIP Ozzy Osbourne
Join us this week as we welcome Lídia Gallardo from, Co-Founder of GenCS and Founder of CSM Table. Lídia shares her journey from teacher to coder to customer success leader and why she hates the phrase "we have always done it that way." Discover how she's building community spaces where...
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A Rebel Story of 15 Min-QBRs & Customer Success Sitting on all the Money!
Customer Success executive Andrea Bumstead shares her game-changing approach that went viral on LinkedIn - the 15-minute Quarterly Business Review that actually gets executives to show up. After being rejected for four VP roles, she pivoted to fractional consulting and discovered that companies...
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Bob London - Rebelling with RAD
In this season opener, host Dannah Barnett Vaughan interviews Bob London, a former corporate marketing executive turned consultant who specializes in customer discovery and listening. The conversation covers London's journey from corporate layoffs to building a successful consulting practice…
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Melissa Peters-Staying Curious and Rebellious in SaaS
In this engaging conversation, Dannah Barnett Vaughan and Melissa Peters explore the themes of rebellion and innovation within the B2B SaaS industry. They discuss Melissa's journey through customer success, the importance of collaboration and alignment in teams, and the challenges of navigating...
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A Rebel Story of Onboarding - Clare Knight
Join host Dannah Barnett Vaughan and guest Clare Knight, founder of The Onboarding Lab, as they explore the psychology and strategy behind exceptional customer onboarding. Clare reveals how positioning onboarding specialists as trusted technical experts (like Apple Geniuses) creates immediate...
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A Rebel Story: Owning the Revenue Number & How to Slay
Ejieme Eromosele dishes the unfiltered truth about customer success leadership in today's SaaS wilderness. From compensation plans that actually make sense to why your sales and CS teams need to stop living on different planets, this episode serves up the reality check you didn't know you needed....
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Jeff Kushmerek: A Rebel Story about No BS in CS (How to Keep it Real in Customer Success)
In this unfiltered episode of Rebels of SaaS, Jeff Kushmerek, CEO of Infinite Renewals, serves up the real-world tea on customer success without the sugar coating. Jeff pulls no punches as he dismantles industry buzzwords, advocates for charging for what your post-sales is worth, and reveals why...
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Kristi Faltorusso - A Rebel's Guide to Navigating Networking Red Flags
In this episode, we dive into the world of tech networking with special guest Kristi Faltorusso, Chief Customer Officer of ClientSuccess. While networking can significantly boost your career, we explore common pitfalls to watch for. We discuss how to identify and avoid the "virtual coffee"...
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Success Panda with a Rebellious Cause: Why Lifting Others Up Builds Success
Success Panda founder Brad Davis challenges conventional wisdom in this must-listen episode. Learn how creating genuine fans—without expecting anything in return— authentically helps others while simultaneously creating the ultimate business strategy. Davis offers a refreshing message to job...
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Jay Sanchez - A Rebel Story about Neurodivergence as a SaaS Superpower
Join us for this compelling episode of Rebels of SaaS, Jay Sanchez reveals how neurodivergence becomes a superpower in Customer Success. Learn how Jay's team has heightened sensory awareness-predicting customer behavior 3-4 weeks before traditional metrics, turning potential crises into $2.4M in...
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Ariel Benzakein - A Rebel Story of CX Metrics that Matter
In this episode we challenge all things CX metrics, connect around CS strategy and share advice around how to model Customer Success strategy. Join us for our conversation and don't forget to Rebel your SaaS Off!
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Emily Garza - A Rebel’s Journey: AI, Project Management & Taking the Leap
In this episode of Rebels of SaaS, we chat with Emily Garza, a powerhouse in Customer Experience and Head of Engagement, to explore the intersection of AI, project management, and bold career moves. Emily takes us through her journey—from her early days at AT&T to leading post-sales teams across...
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Bob Mathers: A Rebel’s Story of Breaking the Cycle of Stale Customer Success Conversations
This week, we’re thrilled to welcome Bob Mathers, a seasoned expert and consultant in the Customer Success industry. Beyond his professional expertise, Bob’s a guitar enthusiast and a dedicated community contributor who values authenticity above all. In this episode, he delivers powerful insights...
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Behind the Curtain: Irit Eizips on Redefining Customer Success Leadership
Want to secure a seat at your executive table? Ready to drive real results within your Customer Success organization? Join us this week as we pull back the proverbial SaaS curtain with Customer Success Legend, Irit Eizips! Irit shares CS leadership strategies, expert insights, and her signature...
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Rod Cherkas- A Rebel Story of Revenue Growth from Existing Customers
Join us this week as Rod Cherkas, Founder of HelloCCO and global author, offers a strategic perspective on revenue growth specifically tailored to Chief Customer Officers (CCOs) and post-sales executives. The core message centers on unlocking revenue potential from existing customer bases - an...
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A Rebel's Story about the Power of Product Marketing
Want to learn how product marketing can help drive revenue for your SaaS organization? This episode is a must-listen! Join me as I chat with product marketing expert Sonam Jain, who shares expert advice on how to harness the revenue-generation power train that is product marketing. 💡 From…
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Sarah Bierenbaum - A Rebel Story of Connection Beyond Your Community
Ever wonder how powerful connection can be for your career? In the age of AI, there’s one thing that remains uniquely human: the relationships we build. In this episode, we talk with Sarah Bierenbaum, Founder of The Nimble Penguin, about the transformative impact of connecting with people…
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Laura Krauss- A Rebel Chat about Layoff Cooties, Charcuterie Boards and Legos
Join us as we welcome Laura Krauss this week to our show! Laura has decided to turn the pain of layoff into action by creating a community for laid off tech professionals, as well as an awesome new book! She also shares her love for charcuterie and Legos obsession with us. Brick by brick, it is…
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Jim Gonzales - A Rebel Story From Layoff to Liftoff: Street Chats in San Diego
Jim Gonzales, a tech leader with global experience, including at Cloudflare, is on a new journey after his layoff. Taking to the streets of the Bay Area, Jim’s mission is to connect with and share the stories of everyday people in the heart of one of the world’s top tech hubs. Through this…
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Elizabeth Italiano: A Rebel Story about Saran Wrap + What Not to Do
Join us this week to chat with Elizabeth Italiano about her journey from selling saran wrap to working for Salesforce. She also shares her love for Lebanese cuisine and homemade pasta. She offers some wonderful advice too about "what not to do" inside of sales and CS.
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Elizabeth Italiano - A Rebel Story of What Not to Do + Saran Wrap
Join us this week as we welcome tech expert Elizabeth Italiano to the show to share her advice on "what not to do" in SaaS sales and Customer Success.
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Anil Karakkattuu - A Rebel Story of Revenue and Retention
Anil joins us this week to share best practices around revenue retention and growth. Enjoy this remarkable story of growth and journey from Founder and CEO of BHA Consulting. Spoiler Alert - It starts with customer trust!
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Rebecca Novetsky - A Rebel Story of the Job Search
This week we welcome Rebecca Novetsky, customer success expert and consultant, to the studio. Rebecca shares the really real behind work/life balance inside of tech. She also shares tips and tricks around how to navigate the difficult job market within the tech ecosystem.
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A Rebel Story about Revops - Tyler Ellis
In this episode we discuss what Revops brings to the table inside of the GTM ecosystem within SaaS. Tyler talks why Hubspot is amazing, what it takes to build a revops team, and how to navigate the stress of it all.
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Priscila Fletcher - A Rebel Tale of Building a Power House Community
This week we dive into community and insights gathered from the path of Priscila Fletcher. Priscila founded Latinos in Success and is a dedicated mentor/coach to many inside of the customer success world. In this episode she shares how to make impact inside of your organization by speaking up.…
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Loren Shumate - The Power Playbook : Customer Success & Marketing in Tandem
Join us this week as we welcome Loren Shumate. Loren shares her experience from being 4X VP of Marketing, Founder of The Revenue Muse, Consultant and ABX/Integrated Campaign coach. We dive deep into the power that the Marketing and Customer Success partnership can yield to drive organizational...
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Maryann Lazzeri - A Rebel Story of Soft Skills and Why They Rock!
Join us this week with Salesforce's very own Maryann Lazzeri. In this episode Maryann shares her journey into customer success and shares tips/tricks on how to use soft skills strategically as a CSM.
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Parth Madhubhai - A Rebel Story of Customer Success Enablement Via AI
Join us this week with no-code dev expert Parth Madhubhai. He shares where AI is going from an overarching perspective, the benefits of it, and its limitations. He also shares how AI is changing the way we can effectively engage with our customers inside of Customer Success!
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De'Edra Williams - A Rebel Story of Customer Success 4.0
Join us this week as we welcome the one and only De'Edra Williams to the show! She Shares the overview of what she refers to as Customer Success 4.0! Her personality, vibe and subject matter expertise brings a ton to the advice that she shares during this episode. Enjoy!
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Dillon Young - A Rebel Story of Community, Bricks, Booze and Customer Success Advice
Join us this week as we welcome Dillon Young, Chief Creative at Lifetime Value Media. Dillon shares why community is so important within customer success and how support from community can lead to real success. We also talk about legos, girl dinner, and Legos in this episode. Please be advised.
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Jesica Chavez - A Rebel Story of Robots and Customer Success
Join us this week as Jesica Chavez, Founder of Latina Success and CX Leader, shares her journey into robotics.
About this show
Are you a rebel? This is a podcast for you! Follow the stories of business unicorns that don't say yes, but instead move the bar to new heights!
Hosted by
Dannah Vaughan
Categories