In the 14th episode of Success Unscripted, Christine Raby and host, Sara Roberts, tackle the often misunderstood career advice of "follow your passion." They explore why this guidance might not always be beneficial and emphasize the value of exploring new activities to discover what genuinely energizes you at work.

Sara and Christine discuss how leaders can actively shape their professional journeys by identifying knowledge gaps and filling them diligently. Christine also explains how aligning with your boss’s priorities can be a strategic move for career advancement. They discuss the benefits of setting clear personal boundaries and intentionally choosing projects that meet your standards of excellence, helping maintain a healthy work-life balance.

In the final segment of this episode, Sara and Christine address the role of emotions in the workplace. They argue that showing emotions can be a professional strength, encouraging an effective way to manage and channel feelings to foster better workplace relationships. They also address the negative impact of adhering to traditional masculine behaviors, discussing how this pressure can hinder both personal well-being and career growth.

🎬 This episode was edited by Lifetime Value Media. Learn more at https://www.lifetimevaluemedia.com/

In Episode 13 of Success Unscripted, Julie Fox shares her experience of being laid off while on maternity leave and how it led her to make a career change into tech.

Julie emphasizes the importance of mindset and turning negative experiences into positive opportunities. She also highlights the benefits of joining an early-stage startup and the accelerated career growth it can offer.

Julie also shares her journey of building confidence and overcoming imposter syndrome, leaning on mentors who have helped shape her career. She talks about finding support in the LinkedIn community, and how embracing challenges and having a growth mindset have contributed to her personal and professional growth.

In this episode of Success Unscripted, we have special guest Andrew Marks, Co-founder of SuccessCoaching, which offers the only accredited Customer Success certification in the world. They’ve amassed an impressive 30,000 students in 92 countries and have issued 20,000 certifications. Use code SRLAUNCH39 to get their Tier 1 solo course for $39 (a $99 value!)

In this episode of Success Unscripted, my guest Conner Reilly, Director of Customer Success at Crystal Knows dives deep into his journey of starting as a national level athlete and trying out various roles before choosing CS as his ultimate calling.

Our conversation goes beyond CS, touching upon topics like personality, self-acceptance and building confidence in a workplace environment.

Key Highlights:

- Advice to CS Leaders: Conner shares his advice for people who want to pursue CS without having a traditional background.

- Journey to director of CS: We discuss our journeys and how Conner landed a role at Crystal whilst having a totally different background.

- Importance of personality: We go deep into talking about how our environment shapes our personality and how it can help us excel in life.

- Personal Struggles: Conner and I talk about mental health issues like anxiety and depression and how we overcame them.

This episode highlight the importance of exploring options in your career before settling and how every past experience is valuable to build a solid character. Also, mentioning the importance of self-acceptance and the right mindset, making this episode a must-listen for professionals at any stage of their careers.

Conner Reilly | LinkedIn(https://www.linkedin.com/in/conner-reilly-8776b6b3/)

Success Unscripted | Spotify | Apple Podcasts

To share feedback or get in touch with Sara, visit [www.unscriptedpod.com](http://www.unscriptedpod.com/)

Sara Roberts | [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/saralynneroberts/)

In this episode of Success Unscripted, my guest Jon Johnson, Principal Strategic Customer Success Manager at UserTesting discusses his background and journey from a challenging childhood to his current role.

He shares insights into strategies he employs to drive success and his desire to expand his impact within the company.

The conversation flows into the direction of topics like personal growth, self-love and acceptance.

Key Highlights:

- Advice to CS Leaders: Jon talks about the key factors required for success in a customer success role.

- Importance of Self-love and acceptance: We go deep into talking about personal growth, self-reflection and feedback from past experiences and relationship and how it shaped us into who we are.

- Ambition vs Contentment: Jon highlights the importance of embracing one's inner child and finding contentment in the present moment.

This episode highlight the importance of past experience in workplace and how to build a balance between ambition and contentment. Also, mentioning the importance of self-love and personal growth, making this episode a must-listen for professionals at any stage of their careers.

To connect with Jon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwillia...

To share feedback or get in touch with Sara, visit [www.unscriptedpod.com](http://www.unscriptedpod.com/)

To connect with Sara: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saralynne...

In this episode of Success Unscripted, my guest Andrea Spillmann-Gajek, Founder and Chief Customer Office of Success Accelerators delves into her journey as a woman in the tech industry, offering invaluable insights into how she navigated the challenges and triumphs along the way.

Our conversation goes beyond workplace environment, touching upon topics like motherhood, wage gap and societal shifts in the perception of gender roles.

Key Highlights:

• Professional Advice to Female Leaders: A positive start from Andrea to all female leaders on exploring opportunities in workplace.
• Balance and Workplace Culture: Andrea talks about managerial responsibilities, confronting male privilege, and the value of managing work-life balance.
• Motherhood Challenges as a Working Professional: Andrea discusses her personal experience in defining the sacrifices and struggles, a woman in the tech industry faces whilst handling parenthood.
• Importance of Believing in Yourself: The discussion steers in the direction of topics like positive self-talk, gratitude, self-reflection and appreciation from the workplace.

This episode highlight the importance of cultivating a balanced life among career ambitions and family responsibilities as a woman, making this episode a must-listen for professionals at any stage of their careers.

Andrea Gajekd | LinkedIn

Success Unscripted | Spotify | Apple Podcasts

To share feedback or get in touch with Sara, visit www.unscriptedpod.com

Sara Roberts | LinkedIn

In this episode of Success Unscripted, Sara Roberts sits down with Alex Turkovic, Director of Adoption at Snow and the creator of the Digital Customer Success Podcast. They cover a wide range of topics from Alex's unique career journey, the evolution of digital customer success, to personal insights on leadership and workplace culture.

Key Highlights:

• Transitioning into Digital Customer Success: Alex shares his journey from a career in music to becoming a leader in digital customer success, highlighting the skills and experiences that facilitated his transition.
• Digital Customer Success Insights: Discussion focuses on defining digital customer success, its overlap with operations, and Alex's team's role in customer education at Snow.
• Leadership and Workplace Culture: Alex talks about managerial responsibilities, addressing workplace trauma, confronting male privilege, and the value of mentorship and coaching.
• Modern Workplace Challenges: Covers childcare as a barrier for women, remote work adjustments, and strategies for handling workplace harassment, emphasizing the need for a supportive environment.

The full audio episode is available on all major podcast platforms including Apple podcasts and Spotify. Or you can catch the conversation in motion on Youtube.

To check out LinkedIn profile of Alex here, and podcast here.

To share feedback or get in touch with Sara, visit www.unscriptedpod.com or connect on LinkedIn.

In Episode 7 of "Success Unscripted," Sara Roberts speaks with Patrick Wendell, Co-founder and VP of Technology at Databricks, in a conversation that reveals the trials and triumphs of early startups and provides tips on how to preserve company culture amid rapid expansion.

Patrick delves into the evolution of Customer Success at Databricks, spotlighting the strategic decision to prioritize CS with the early appointment of Hatim Shafique as Chief Customer Officer in 2017. Under his leadership, the CS team set a top-level goal of increasing product usage, an uncommon approach that ensured all teams worked towards a common goal with a direct link to ROI.

As he spearheads Databricks' AI endeavors, Patrick shares insightful perspectives on AI's evolving role in CS and support and its potential impact on the job market. The conversation also ventures into personal reflections, with Patrick pondering his own future and legacy in the wake of considerable achievements.