From CSM to VP in 7 Years: How to Accelerate Your Career in Customer Success

Career progression in Customer Success can feel like a mystery. Whether you’re an ambitious CSM or a mid-level manager aiming for the next step, it often seems like there’s no clear path forward. In this week’s episode of the Customer Success Pro Podcast, host Anika Zubair pulls back the curtain and shares her personal journey from CSM to Global VP of Customer Success in just seven years.

But this isn’t just a highlight reel. Anika dives into the real lessons, the bold moves, and the mindset shifts that helped her grow quickly—and how you can apply those same strategies to your own career today.

The Big Mistakes That Keep CS Pros Stuck

One of the key themes of this episode is why so many CSMs feel stuck, even when they’re delivering great results. Anika outlines four common mistakes that stall career growth:

1. Believing tenure equals promotion – Many assume time served will automatically lead to a promotion. But in today’s SaaS world, that’s just not true. Impact beats tenure every time.

2. Staying too comfortable – Doing what’s in your job description isn’t enough. Growth comes from tackling new, uncomfortable challenges that stretch your abilities.

3. Waiting for permission – If you’re waiting for your manager to hand you a development plan or new responsibilities, you’ll wait forever. Leaders promote people already showing leadership without the title.

4. Avoiding risk – Whether it’s relocating, joining a startup, or applying for a stretch role, bold career moves often come with uncertainty. But that’s where the real growth lives.

Anika reminds listeners: “You’re not behind, you’re just waiting for visibility. And it’s time to take that into your own hands.”

The Bold Moves That Changed Everything

How did Anika go from individual contributor to VP in seven years? She credits a handful of bold, strategic moves:

• Taking ownership early: Even without a leadership title, Anika mentored new hires and built internal programs like a company-wide NPS initiative.

• Choosing growth environments: Rather than waiting for her company to create opportunity, she changed companies—and even countries—when it made sense for her career.

• Thinking beyond her book of business: She learned to obsess over metrics like NRR and GRR, tying customer outcomes directly to business growth.

• Saying yes before she was ready: Whether it was leading a team informally or jumping into a new role, she leaned into discomfort and figured it out along the way.

• Investing in herself: From networking and mentorship to hiring coaches and attending events, she built the skills and confidence to lead—even when the company wasn’t investing in her yet.

Metrics, Mindset, and Visibility

Anika makes it clear: if you want to land a VP role, you need to think like one. That means understanding the metrics your exec team cares about and aligning your work to drive those outcomes. Net Revenue Retention, Gross Revenue Retention, expansion revenue, churn—you should know these like the back of your hand.

But technical skills alone aren’t enough. You also need to shift your mindset and build visibility. Anika encourages listeners to start operating like a VP long before they have the title.

“Leadership taps the quiet doer,” she says. “The one who’s already thinking, acting, and speaking like an executive—even without being asked.”

She even shares a mantra from her early days: dress for the job you want, not the job you have. Both literally and figuratively. It’s about preparing your mindset for that next level, every single day.

Key Takeaways: What You Can Do This Week

If you want to go from CSM to VP, start here:

1. Track your impact: Don’t assume your manager sees everything you do. Use tools like the CS Promotion Tracker to log your wins and prove your revenue impact.

2. Raise your visibility: Speak up in meetings. Lead internal initiatives. Share your work and results consistently.

3. Say yes before you’re ready: Growth often feels scary. That’s how you know you’re heading in the right direction.

4. Think like an executive: Care about metrics. Learn to speak the language of the business. Tie customer success directly to revenue growth.

5. Invest in yourself: Get a coach, attend a masterclass, or join a peer group. Don’t wait for permission to grow.

🎯 Weekly Challenge: Identify ONE bold move you can make this week. Whether it’s starting a new project, applying for a stretch role, or having a career conversation with your manager—take action now. Progress doesn’t come from waiting. It comes from moving forward.

Listen Now & Accelerate Your Career

This episode is a must-listen for CSMs, CS leaders, and anyone aiming to land a promotion or make a bold leap in their career.

🎧 Listen on your favorite platform:

🔹 YouTube

🔹 Spotify

🔹 Apple Podcasts