The true story
How this leader actually got in. The job before tech, the sideways move nobody planned, the interview that almost went wrong. Not the LinkedIn version.
A podcast about getting in and moving up
Most people running Customer Success today did not start in Customer Success.
Holding the Door is a weekly video and audio interview series with the leaders running Customer Success and customer-facing GTM teams at companies like Slack, Cloudflare, Gong, and Boston Dynamics. How they actually got in, wrong turns included, and how the job is changing right now.
Episode one drops Thursday, September 17, 2026. New episodes every Thursday.
One email when a new episode drops, plus Gozde's weekly notes from the leaders on the show. Unsubscribe anytime.
Why this show
Nobody hands you the playbook. The people inside have it.
Every week, someone messages Gozde the same thing: "I want to get into Customer Success, but I do not know anyone in there."
Customer Success and customer-facing GTM roles are some of the best ways into tech without a technical degree. They are also some of the least understood. The job descriptions are vague, the interview questions are a mystery, and the people who could explain it are busy running teams.
So Gozde is bringing them to you. One leader per episode. Their real path in, and what they know now that they wish someone had told them on day one.
This show exists to hold the door open. If you are trying to get in, you should not need to know someone to learn how it is done.
Why now
The role is changing faster than the advice about it. AI is reshaping what "customer-facing" means: what a CSM does all day, what hiring managers screen for, and which skills still matter in two years. The leaders on this show are making those calls inside their own teams right now. You will hear it from them before it shows up in a job description.
Every episode, two things
The job right now
What the role looks like inside their company today, what they hire for, and how AI is changing the work. Straight from the person making the decisions.
Thirty to forty-five minutes. Video on YouTube, audio wherever you listen. New episode every Thursday.
Who this is for
Trying to get in
You are in support, sales, teaching, hospitality, ops, or anywhere else, and you want a real path into Customer Success or GTM in tech.
Already in, planning the next move
You are a CSM or account manager and you want to see what senior, digital, and leadership paths actually look like.
Building a team
You lead CS or GTM and you want to hear how peers at other companies are hiring and adapting.
Season one
The lineup is recorded. The reveals start September 17.
Season one brings you the people running Customer Success and customer-facing GTM teams at some of the best-known companies in tech, SaaS, and AI, including Slack, Cloudflare, Gong, Boston Dynamics, 6sense, Proofpoint, and Sendoso. Every guest is revealed with their episode.
Want to know who is behind each door first? Episode alerts go out the morning each guest is revealed.
Get episode alerts
Your host
Gozde Gorce
Gozde spent 15 years in Customer Success and go-to-market roles at companies like Apollo and Lob, building and leading post-sales teams. Today she coaches people breaking into Customer Success and CSMs planning their next move, and writes a weekly newsletter read by people on both sides of the door.
She started this show because the best advice she ever got came from someone already inside who took twenty minutes to explain the job. This is that twenty minutes, every week, from the people running the teams.
Coaching and the course live at gozdegorce.com.
How to listen
Pick one. Or all three.
Or let the episodes find you. Every new episode lands in your inbox the morning it drops, with the one idea Gozde took from the conversation.
Questions people ask
When do new episodes come out?
Every Thursday, starting September 17, 2026. Video on YouTube, audio on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
How long is an episode?
Thirty to forty-five minutes. Short clips from each episode go out on LinkedIn during the week.
Is this only for people trying to break into Customer Success?
No. Half the conversation is about how the role is changing, which matters just as much if you are already in and planning your next move, or leading a team.
What do I get if I sign up with my email?
One email per episode with the link and Gozde's notes, plus her weekly newsletter on Customer Success and GTM careers. You can unsubscribe with one click.
Can I suggest a guest or a question?
Yes. Reply to any episode email, or message Gozde on LinkedIn.
Is this connected to Gozde's course and coaching?
Gozde runs both, and they live at gozdegorce.com. The show is free and stands on its own.
Be there for episode one.
Sign up now and you will get the first episode the morning it drops, Thursday, September 17.