The field of customer success (CS) has been through a whirlwind of changes this year due to the global economy. As we near the end of 2023 and start planning for 2024, sustainability and revenue have become top priorities for every CS department. But why is revenue such a vital piece of the CS puzzle? And how can CSMs and CS leaders enhance their skills to adapt to the evolving market?
In this episode, our host Anika Zubair chats with Maranda Dziekonski, Senior VP of Customer Success at Datasembly about the importance of viewing customer success as a revenue generator rather than a cost center.
With over 20 years of experience in both working in and building world-class operations, Maranda brings a wealth of expertise to the table. She has successfully built and scaled teams in early and mid-stage startups, and has been involved in four companies that have achieved successful exits, including one unicorn. Now, Maranda is currently working on her 9th startup!
While she has owned various functions such as Sales and Marketing, HR, Biz Ops, and more, her true passion lies in Customer Success.
Maranda has been recognized as one of the Top 50 CCOs to Watch and has been named a Top 25 Customer Success Influencer for 2021, 2022, and 2023. Additionally, she serves on numerous boards and is an advisory board member for the University of San Francisco’s Customer Success and Insights MBA Program.
As we approach the end of the year, the topics of sustainability and revenue weigh heavily on the minds of leaders. However, if we were to go back 5 years and ask Maranda, and many other leaders, they would have advocated for keeping customer success pure and avoiding any involvement with revenue or owning a specific number. So, what is Maranda’s perspective on revenue in customer success today?
“My perspective has evolved and changed over time. Given the current state of the economy, I believe customer success teams need to embrace taking ownership of measurable outcomes. And even if they don’t directly own a revenue number, they should be able to demonstrate their direct impact on revenue.”
Listen now to the full conversation with Maranda and Anika to learn more about the importance of viewing customer success as a revenue generator rather than a cost center.
Chief Customer Officer
Fexa
Maranda is Chief Customer Officer at Fexa and a seasoned CS and operations executive with over 20 years of experience driving growth and retention in scaling SaaS companies. She’s led post-sales functions across Customer Success, Implementations, Support, and Ops at companies ranging from early-stage startups to unicorns, including four that reached successful exits. Previously, she held senior leadership roles at ID.me, Swiftly, and HelloSign, and served as a longtime advisor at Catalyst Software. With deep operational rigor and a strong track record in GTM alignment, Maranda helps companies turn customer experience into a lever for scale.
Founder & CEO
The Customer Success Pro
Anika is a customer success executive and founder with over 10 years of experience helping SaaS teams drive retention, revenue, and confidence at scale. She is the Founder & CEO of The Customer Success Pro, a coaching consultancy for CS professionals, and most recently served as Head of Customer Success at Griffin. Anika has held CS leadership roles at Karbon, inSided, and ZAP, and is known for her practical approach to commercial impact, strategic storytelling, and community-driven growth.
