In this episode of The Growth Signal, Alyssa Nolte sits down with Rachel Provan—leadership coach, CS expert, and psychology nerd—to explore why the human element is vanishing from modern business and what we can do about it. Rachel argues that corporate culture has become emotionally abusive, treating employees like disposable cogs instead of people with real needs, fears, and ambitions.

They unpack the psychological roots of fear-based leadership, how our brains are wired to resist change, and why logic often takes a back seat to emotion, even in B2B. Rachel shares practical frameworks for coaching first-time managers, aligning teams without micromanagement, and making room for self-actualization at work.

The conversation connects leadership psychology, employee experience, and customer success into one powerful idea: you can't fix customer churn without first fixing how you treat your team.

Whether you're leading a CS team or rethinking how your organization operates, this episode will challenge you to put humanity back at the center of business.

3 Key Takeaways:

1. Empathy over ego...true leadership starts by regulating your own nervous system so you can lead others effectively.
2. Burnout isn’t a personal failure...it’s a systemic signal that something in your approach or environment needs to change.
3. Customer Success leaders need space to think, not just react...and that starts with stepping out of survival mode.

CSMs are dead. AEs are dead. Account managers? Also dead. At least, that’s what your LinkedIn feed would have you believe. In this episode, Cinthia Silva breaks down why these roles are collapsing—and what’s replacing them. We dig into AI’s role in the chaos, the myth of clean CRMs, and why automating a broken process just speeds up the failure. From full-cycle sales to the future of service desks, Cinthia doesn’t hold back.

3 Key Takeaways:

1. Role consolidation is coming – BDRs, AEs, CSMs, and AMs are merging into fewer, full-cycle roles driven by AI, cost pressure, and customer expectations.
2. AI won’t fix what’s broken – Automation only works if your underlying processes and data are clean. Otherwise, you’re just scaling dysfunction.
3. Recurring impact drives recurring revenue – Strategic discovery and value delivery aren’t optional. They’re how you earn trust—and the renewal.

What if your customer feedback loop is actually making you miss the point?

In this episode, Dan Ennis joins Alyssa to unpack why “listening at scale” has become a crutch for B2B teams...and what’s really getting lost in translation.

From building customer-led programs at ServiceNow and SAP to advising startups on growth strategy, Dan shares why most organizations don’t have a listening problem - they have a thinking problem. If you’ve ever wondered why your voice-of-customer efforts feel like noise instead of insight, this one’s for you.

Key Takeaways:

1. Listening at scale often turns into passive data collection—real insight comes from intentional analysis.
2. AI and automation are great, but they can’t replace the nuance of human interpretation and shared context.
3. Customer growth isn't about fixing what's broken—it's about designing better questions from the start.

In this episode, Kristi Straw calls out the invisible forces holding mid-career women back...namely, corporate good girl conditioning and the culture of performative allyship.

She shares how emotional intelligence can be learned (and why it’s often misunderstood), the red flags she watches for in coaching engagements, and the cost of building systems that serve companies instead of customers. Kristi also explains why your executive brand needs to sound like you, not like a brochure, especially in the age of AI. This is a no-BS conversation about power, perception, and the courage to lead differently.

Key Takeaways:

• Corporate “good girl” conditioning is killing confidence, and emotional intelligence isn’t optional... it’s a power skill.
• EQ isn’t innate...it can be learned, but most executive leaders are still reacting instead of reflecting.
• In a world of AI noise, authentic personal brands outperform company pages every time.

Connect with Kristi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kstrawmba/

Connect with Alyssa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssanolte/

When your product is only built for the loudest customers, you're not serving the business - you're reacting to noise. In this episode, Mary Migiano unpacks what it really means to build for scale, not exception. From her years in enterprise sales and operations, she’s seen how the wrong customer signals (and the wrong internal incentives) can derail even the best teams.

We talk about how to move past internal politicking and shiny object syndrome, what it actually looks like to center your culture around outcomes, and the surprising leadership lessons you can learn from watching a kid learn to tie their shoes.

If you’ve ever been caught between listening to customers and driving the business forward, this one’s for you.

What if the loudest signals your brand chases are the least valuable ones?

In this episode, Christina Garnett—advisor, strategist, and community champion—joins Alyssa to unpack why brand loyalty isn’t built in campaign launches or viral moments. It’s built in quiet, consistent signals: how you show up when no one’s watching, how you treat the people already cheering for you, and whether your actions match your values.

They dive into the emotional side of marketing, the misuse of community as a buzzword, and the dangerous gap between how brands want to be seen and how customers actually feel. Christina brings the fire—and the framework—for building deeper, more meaningful connections in a world obsessed with reach.

Key Takeaways:

• Loyalty isn’t bought—it’s earned in the moments that seem “too small to matter”
• Community isn’t a campaign—it’s an outcome of trust
• Most brands don’t have a marketing problem—they have an empathy problem

AI can handle the busy work, but it can’t replace your brain.

In this episode, Shelby Garlock joins Alyssa to talk about what customer success teams actually need: more curiosity, better boundaries, and the courage to stop playing order taker. They break down how to earn trust, show up as a strategic partner, and build real relationships even in high-volume, remote environments.

Key Takeaways:

• AI is a tool, not a substitute – Use it to eliminate busy work, not to replace critical thinking.
• Stop taking orders – Asking good questions earns more trust than fast responses.
• Relationships require intention – In virtual settings, human connection doesn’t happen by accident.

Key Moments:

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:15 Hot Take: Lack of Critical Thinking

01:58 AI and Critical Thinking in the Workplace

06:23 Order Takers vs. Consultants

14:28 Building Trust and Team Dynamics

21:22 Shelby's Origin Story

25:09 Recommendations and Conclusion

The sale doesn’t end at close...it starts at renewal.

Matt Green joins Alyssa to talk about why teams need to own revenue or risk being replaced. They dig into what leaders are getting wrong about post-sales, how to upskill your team for the new reality, and why authentic relationships (not aggressive tactics) are the key to driving growth.

Listen in if you're ready to build a revenue team that closes deals, not just tickets.

Key Takeaways:

• Customer Success is shifting from a support function to a revenue driver. Teams that don’t adapt risk being left behind.
• Renewals are the real sale. Retention and expansion are where long-term growth happens.
• Success in post-sales now requires sales skills. CS pros need training in storytelling, negotiation, and multithreading to thrive.

Key Moments:

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:16 Hot Take: Customer Success Teams Owning Revenue Quotas

01:49 The Shift in Customer Success Mindset

03:34 Training and Development for Revenue Roles

07:21 Evaluating and Transitioning Teams

11:40 Investment in Skills and Competency Training

14:29 The Importance of Renewals and Customer Retention

19:24 AI and the Future of Revenue Teams

20:49 Personal Motivation and Industry Leaders

21:50 Building Authentic Customer Relationships

25:25 Conclusion and Contact Information