In this episode, Ingrid sits down with Beth Thornton, Customer Success leader and founder of CS Thrive, a growing LinkedIn community built for CSMs, by CSMs. Beth shares how losing her job in early 2025 became the catalyst for building the space she wished existed — a judgment-free community where CSMs can ask real questions, seek support, and learn from each other.They dive into how customer success is evolving, why community is becoming a core pillar of CX, and how Beth has grown her visibility on LinkedIn while juggling consulting, leadership, and launching a niche community.You’ll hear about: • Why CSMs are turning to community support • Moving CS Thrive from Circle to LinkedIn • Beth’s exact content strategy (and why 1 post/week worked) • The emotional side of customer success nobody talks about • How community + CX + customer success tie together • What founders must understand about retention, lifecycle, and customer journeys • Why perfectionism holds so many CSMs back — and how Beth unlearned itChapters00:00 Intro and meeting Beth Thornton01:20 What CS Thrive is and who it’s for03:10 Why customer success managers need community05:40 Building the community she couldn’t find08:00 Moving from Circle to LinkedIn10:30 What happened after the LinkedIn pivot12:30 Simple LinkedIn content strategy that works15:20 Why personal content gets more engagement17:40 Keeping a LinkedIn community active19:40 Using “plants” to spark conversation21:20 Collaboration and community growth23:00 Customer success skills that translate to community25:10 Advice for founders building community27:30 Letting go of perfection29:00 Best advice: shut up and listen30:40 What’s next for Beth and CS Thrive32:00 Where to find Beth and closingWhether you’re a customer success manager, CX leader, community builder, consultant, or founder, this conversation gives tactical insight into the future of customer relationships, the rise of community-led CSM, and how to build authority on LinkedIn without burning out.📌 Connect with Beth on LinkedIn: / bethgross or Instagram: / c.s.thrive 🪩 Subscribe to the Community Made Newsletter communitymade.substack.com