Account management changes when your clients are artists, creators, and public figures. There are no predictable renewals. Attention fades quickly, and relevance is earned every day.

In this episode of Account Management Secrets, Alex Raymond sits down with Niko Ivanov, Partner and Head of Account Management at NOX Media, to explore how account management works when traditional SaaS metrics fall short. NOX supports artists and creators whose success plays out publicly, where timing, trust, and proactive leadership matter more than dashboards.

This conversation makes the case for account management as an offensive discipline. Niko shares how clear systems, weekly account health checks, and red-yellow-green definitions help teams stay ahead of risk instead of reacting to it. He also unpacks the mindset required to lead under pressure, including emotional steadiness, short-term memory, and the ability to guide clients without taking things personally.

If you want to strengthen retention, prove value before problems surface, and lead accounts with confidence in high-stakes environments, this episode is worth your time.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Account Management Beyond SaaS in Talent and Digital Media

00:02 What NOX Media Does for Artists Creators and Brands

00:06 Client Retention and Reputation in the Entertainment Industry

00:10 Defining Account Health Without Traditional SaaS Metrics

00:25 EOS Systems and Weekly Client Health Reviews

00:34 Proactive Account Management as an Offensive Growth Function

Connect with Niko Ivanov:

Connect with Niko on LinkedIn

Visit the NOX Media website

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Alex on LinkedIn

Visit the AMplify website

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Post-sales teams generate most of the revenue and nearly all of the profit, so why are they still treated like a support function instead of a growth driver?

Alex Raymond shares the thinking behind his new book, The Growth Department, and names a reality many account management and customer success teams live every day. They carry responsibility for renewals, expansion, and retention, yet often lack the systems, authority, and recognition that match the role. When things go right, it is quiet. When something goes wrong, all eyes turn their way.

Alex explains how outdated post-sales models no longer fit modern economics, longer payback periods, or the pressure leaders feel around net revenue retention. He breaks down why early churn quietly destroys profitability, why expansion matters more than most teams realize, and why NRR reflects the health of the entire business. Are customers even reaching payback? Is growth happening by design or by luck?

The conversation also explores why post-sales needs the same structure and operating discipline that sales teams already have. Without a clear system, teams burn out, forecasts feel fragile, and success depends on heroics. Alex reframes revenue anxiety by tying growth back to customer value, showing how revenue becomes a natural result of doing the right work well. This episode challenges post-sales leaders to rethink how they describe their role and how their teams are built.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Why Post-Sales Teams Drive Revenue but Lack Recognition

07:20 Post-Sales Is a Design Problem, Not a Talent Problem

15:10 The Post-Sales Tax and Why the Model Is Broken

19:40 Expansion Economics and the Cost of Early Churn

24:55 Net Revenue Retention as a Company Health Metric

34:30 Why Post-Sales Needs Systems, Structure, and Discipline

44:50 How Customer Value Leads to Revenue Growth

56:40 The Amplify Method for Account Management and Customer Success

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Alex on LinkedIn

Visit the AMplify website

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

What does it take to lead customer teams in 2026 when value creation matters more than renewals and curiosity separates trusted guides from replaceable vendors?

That question drives Alex Raymond’s conversation with Jim Richmond, Chief Customer Officer at Smartling, and it frames a grounded look at modern customer leadership. Jim shares a clear belief that last year’s success expires quickly. Teams have to keep earning trust through sharper skills, better discovery, and more honest conversations. Why did a customer buy in the first place? What are they trying to accomplish now? How do you know the value you deliver actually matters to them? Those questions take curiosity and patience, not scripts or dashboards alone.

Jim also challenges how customer centricity is often misunderstood. Customers are the heroes of the story. Customer teams serve as guides who bring expertise, perspective, and the confidence to speak up when a better path exists. That mindset shows up in how Smartling measures success, how risk is surfaced early, and how bad news is handled without fear. Gross revenue retention sets the bar. Early warnings are welcomed. Escalations become moments to build trust rather than defend processes. The conversation leaves you wondering where your team still plays it safe, where curiosity could go deeper, and what would change if guiding customers mattered more than simply keeping them.

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Leading Customer Teams Into 2026

03:09 Customer Value Creation as the Core Strategy

09:08 Curiosity, Empathy, and Modern Customer Centricity

18:11 Performance Standards, Retention, and Risk Management

27:01 The Future Skill Set for Customer Success Leaders

Connect with Jim Richmond:

Connect with Jim on LinkedIn

Visit the Smartling website

Connect with Alex Raymond:

Connect with Alex on LinkedIn

Visit the AMplify website

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm