July 19, 2025

1182: THIS HIDDEN METRIC is the one that will ensure your business doesn't fail! Here are the customer success foundations w/ Beth Thornton

34 minutes

In this episode, Beth Thornton, founder of Thornton Advisory Solutions, shares her journey of building a career around customer success and how it became the cornerstone of her entrepreneurial venture. With over 18 years of experience, Beth has worked with startups, health systems, and wellness companies, turning customer engagement into lasting success stories. She explains why customer success is the backbone of long-term business growth, and how even early-stage startups can implement strategic customer success systems to boost investor confidence and retention.

Beth also dives into the importance of customer journey mapping, metrics tracking, and how AI tools are revolutionizing customer success management. Entrepreneurs at any stage can benefit from her insights on systematizing customer experiences for scalable growth.

💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business

🚀 Why customer success is the ultimate growth driver and how it directly impacts investor confidence.
🔍 The power of customer journey mapping and how it transforms customer experience and retention.
🔄 Metrics that matter: Discover which metrics you should be tracking from Day 1 to showcase growth and identify red flags early.
🤝 How to proactively engage customers with regular check-ins and value-based communication to minimize churn.
🛠️ Systematizing customer success even in early-stage startups—Beth shares the foundational steps to make it a seamless part of your business operations.
💡 Leveraging AI for customer success—from automated follow-ups to smart notetaking during client meetings.
📈 Why customer lifetime value is the ultimate lagging indicator of your business health and how to optimize it.

📝 About the Guest

Beth Thornton is the founder of Thornton Advisory Solutions, where she helps startups and early-stage companies build strong customer success foundations that boost investor confidence and drive long-term growth. With a background in exercise physiology and program management, Beth pivoted into the world of customer success, working with health systems and SaaS startups to build and refine their customer engagement strategies. Today, she focuses on helping founders map out their customer journey, increase retention, and maximize customer value through strategic touchpoints and technology-driven solutions.

🎯 Beth's BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs

"Track the metrics. Whatever you think is important, make sure that you have just even a Google Sheet and you are tracking it daily, weekly, monthly… so you can see that change over time."

Key Takeaways from Beth's Advice:

✅ Start tracking your most important metrics NOW—insights compound over time.
✅ Use simple tools like Google Sheets if you're just starting—just get it documented.
✅ Visibility into your data allows you to make proactive changes before they become problems.

📢 Memorable Quote

“If you don’t have a clear journey for your customer, you don’t know when they’re going to realize value.” – Beth Thornton

💡 Actionable Takeaways

✅ Schedule Consistent Check-Ins: Don’t wait for customers to reach out—proactively ensure they’re seeing value.
✅ Automate Follow-Ups: Leverage tools and AI to lighten the load on your team and ensure no one falls through the cracks.

🔗 Links & Resources

Visit Thornton Advisory Solutions LLC’s Website
Connect with Beth on LinkedIn
Follow Thornton Advisory Solutions LLC on LinkedIn

...more

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By Brian Lofrumento

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