Daphne Costa Lopes

What started as me sharing what I was learning in a new career, has now grown into a community of over 56,000 people.

And today, that same community recognised me once again as one of the Top 25 Voices in Customer Success.

It’s an incredible feeling.

Because this isn’t one of those awards where the company that buys the biggest table at the dinner wins.

This is voted for by you, the community.

And THAT is what makes it truly special.

This past year hasn’t been easy as a creator.

💔LinkedIn has made discoverability harder.
💔AI-generated content has flooded the feed.
💔Misleading advice for CSMs gained traction.

There were many moments I thought to myself, “What’s the point?”

But then… I open my DMs.

Every month, there are hundreds of messages.

People sharing that a post helped them change a process, influence their boss, or lead their team differently.

That’s what I choose to focus on.

I’ve stayed obsessed with adding value.

I keep a running list of questions people ask, challenges I see in the field, things that worked and things that didn’t.

I’ve tried hard to stay true to my north star: don’t post for likes, post for impact.

Yes, I’ve added more photos to improve reach (and yes, I’ve taken plenty of jokes for it 😄)

But if it helps the message reach more people, it’s worth it.

Recognition has never been my goal.

For me, it’s a consequence, not a reason.

Because when the reason is to add value, the rest tends to fall into place. A lot like Customer Success. 😉

But I’d be lying if I said this recognition doesn’t mean the world to me.

I pour myself into this because I believe in democratising learning. I want to give people with as much generosity as those who helped me when I was starting off.

So to everyone who voted: Thank you. ❤️

To SuccessHacker that creates this awesome people’s choice awards, a huge heartfelt thank you.

You have no idea how much it means.

🙏

Huge congrats to all the top 25 voices and the top 100 strategists. Too many to tag, but I will leave the link in the comments for you to find their voices.

My advice is: follow every single one of them!

#csm #customersuccess #cx #awards #leadership

Decision makers and decision influencers rarely engage with CSMs.

They don’t open every email.
They don’t watch every video.
They don’t attend every meeting.

It’s a struggle to build a relationship with them.

But you know where they are every day?

👉 LinkedIn.

And while you’re waiting for the next call to “add value”, they’re scrolling and learning from other people.

Building trust with voices that aren’t yours.

Those people are shaping how your customers think about their challenges.

You?

You stay invisible.

Begging to have a seat at the table. But never invited to the party.

When you start posting, everything changes.

Take me for example…

I post about B2B Customer Success everyday.

Every week, screenshots of my posts and newsletters get shared in private channels I’d never be invited to.

Executives I’ve never met reach out because something I wrote made them stop and think.

They want to talk 1:1.
They ask for my opinion.
They invite me to their offsites.

Founders reach out asking for advice on what they are building. Investors and analysts want to hear what I have to say.

Without me ever needing to send an email or pitch myself.

That’s pull, not push.

And it’s only possible if you build influence.

Now imagine how valuable it can be for a CSM to build authority in their industry and have their customers executives reaching out, instead of begging for their attention.

It’s not far fetched.

In fact, it’s easier than you think. Only 1% of all LinkedIn users are creators vs. consumers.

There’s significantly more demand than supply.

If you want to build influence, then you need to start with a simple mindset shift:

👉 Stop treating LinkedIn like a job search platform.

👉 Start treating it as a customer engagement channel.

Post solutions for your customers most pressing challenges 3-5 times a week.

Do it consistently.
Develop a voice.
Master the craft.

In the beginning it will feel like shouting at the void. But everyday, you’ll see more and more people joining the conversation.

And slowly but surely, it starts paying off.

It’s incredible how you can stand out, just by being helpful and having no hidden agenda, other than helping people.

Most CSMs will never take that step.

The ones that do have an advantage.

📩

Want to build a modern CS team? Sign up to Unconventional Growth and join 17.5k people learning about the future of CS, every Friday.

#csm #cx #revops #customersuccess #gtm

This is your quarterly reminder to take time off.

Not when you’ve “earned it.”

Not when things finally slow down.

But because rest fuels everything else.

✅ It’s good for your mind.
✅ It’s good for your relationships.
✅ It’s good for your performance.

Nobody does ther best work when they are tired and uninspired.

I try to take one week off every quarter.

I learned that from a manager who really gave a damn about high performance.

He taught me that rest and results are connected.

Right now, I just wrapped time off in Italy. 🇮🇹

Eating my way through Tuscany and Umbria, taking afternoon naps, and reading Hemingway for a full week.

It was such a welcome break after many weeks of pushing hard and traveling a lot.

I needed it more than I realised.

Which is why the trick is to always book the book the next break, the day you return from the current one (also a tip from that boss)

That way, there’s always something to look forward to.

It works super well for me because each quarter becomes a clear 10 week sprint intense and focused.

But knowing I have that time off at the end.

Every high-performance coach knows this: sustainable high-performance isn’t about constant grind and burning yourself out. It’s about knowing when to push and when to pause for optimal outcomes.

So consider this your nudge:

Check your calendar.

When is your next break? 🌴

#customersuccess #csm #revops #leadership #cx

Increasing retention by just 5% can improve profits by up to 95%.

Wild, right?

But it’s true.

Retention compounds.

Every renewed customer adds momentum to your growth engine. It makes your margins healthier, your base more solid, and your profitability higher.

It's the beauty of SaaS.

And yet, most teams still obsess over acquisition while quietly leaking revenue from the back door.

I've seen teams lose $0.90 for every $1 they acquire every quarter.

The definition of a spinning wheel.

If you want durable growth, getting retention right is not a choice. It's a requirement.

In this week’s Growth Pill, I share 5 simple but powerful ways to boost retention and make your finance team your biggest fans.

🎥 Watch it below [link in comments]

#CustomerSuccess #CX #Retention #Leadership #RevOps