Welcome to the Season 1 Finale of The Business of Success!

After 13 powerful episodes, we're looking back at the biggest lessons, expert insights, and actionable strategies that can help you build a stronger, more sustainable business.

Throughout Season 1, we've explored the topics that matter most to modern leaders from leadership, company culture, employee experience, customer success, business growth, hiring, burnout prevention, women in leadership, inclusive workplaces, recruitment, flexible work, go to market strategy, and long term business success
.

In this special finale, host Parul Bhandari recaps the most valuable takeaways from all 13 episodes, highlighting the key business lessons shared by industry leaders and experts. Whether you've watched every episode or you're just discovering the series, this recap gives you the essential insights you need to build a better business.

Ep. 1 - The New Rules of Women's Work - with Priya Bathija (Nyoo Health)
Priya Bathija
Ep. 2 - The Success Multiplier - Investing in Employee and Customer Experience to Drive Growth
Parul Bhandari
Ep. 3 - Tackle the triggers which burnout leaders and burn your growth - with Princess Castleberry
Princess Castleberry
Ep. 4 - The Unexpected Value In Experience: Could your Next Hire be a Former Leader? with Mike Lemon
Mike Lemon
Ep 5. - A Leader's Time is Valuable, Here's How to Optimize it with Andrea Bumstead
Andrea Bumstead
Special Ep. 6 - A review of the past 5 episodes to build better businesses - with Parul Bhandari
Parul Bhandari
Ep. 7 - Elder Care Conundrum: How Dr. Pooja Patel is Preparing for Employee Caregivers
Pooja Patel
Ep. 8 - Marketing for the Long Game | What Actually Drives Revenue Growth With Alan Gonsenhauser
Alan Gonsenhauser
Ep - 9 - Culture is a Full Time Job: Intentional Employee Experience & Leadership with Molly Whybrow
Molly Whybrow
Ep 10 - Building Future Ready Leaders at P&G: Career Growth and Innovation with Naazli Sado
Naazli Sado
Ep 11 - A Bad Hire Costs 30% of a Salary | How to Recruit Right with Swati Garg
Swati Garg
Ep 12 - How Flexible Work is Changing Everything Gen Z Killed the 9-5: Flexibility with Evgenia (Jenny)
Evgenia (Jenny)
Ep 13 - How Bias is Costing Your Company in More Ways Than One with Cindu Thomas-George
Cindu Thomas-George

#DEI #InclusiveLeadership #SouthAsianSuccess

In this episode of South Asian Success, we sit down with Cindu a 22-year inclusion, belonging, and workplace communication expert, tenured professor, and founder of Shakti Consulting to talk about how bias is silently costing companies millions, and why DEI isn't a "dirty word" but a business imperative.

From growing up as the only family of color in her town, to becoming a sought-after inclusive leadership coach for organizations across industries, Cindu shares her powerful journey and the real, actionable strategies leaders need to build inclusive, high-performing workplaces.

🔗 Connect with Cindu and learn more about Shakti Consulting, Power to Rise podcast, CWLA, and the South Asian Solidarity Movement links in the show notes.

Visit Website:Cindu Thomas George

Visit Cindu Linkedin:Cindu Thomas George
Visit Cindu Instagram: Cindu Thomas George

✨ WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

✔️ Why it costs companies roughly 15% of an employee's salary every time someone quits

✔️ The real difference between diversity and inclusion (and why metrics alone lie)

✔️ The science of bias affinity bias, attribution bias, and how to actually "de-bias" yourself

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 – Welcome to South Asian Success with Cindu

01:21 – Cindu's immigrant journey begins

03:02 – Growing up as the only family of color: racism & xenophobia

04:25 – Why DEI became a "dirty word" in workplaces

05:17 – Inside Shakti Consulting: how Cindu works with organizations

07:34 – Bias in recruiting & manager training

08:23 – The science of bias: affinity bias & attribution bias

09:28 – The real cost: 15% of salary to replace an employee

10:38 – Teaching intercultural communication in the classroom

14:47 – Vulnerability, mental health & Gen Z students

17:44 – The #1 barrier inclusive leaders face

20:20 – Diversity vs. inclusion: why metrics can lie

21:55 – The gender pay gap & leadership gap, by the numbers

24:39 – When a diverse leader isn't an inclusive one

26:27 – Everyone's responsibility: building a DEI committee

28:38 – "If you see something, say something"

29:08 – Recognition & psychological safety at work

31:52 – Introverts, indirect communication & quiet voices

32:56 – Chicago Women's Leadership Accelerator (CWLA)

36:18 – Leading with intentionality

36:31 – Where to find Cindu + closing thoughts

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This podcast is sponsored by CustomerXSuccess, a consultancy which helps drive Company Growth through a focus on Customer Success. Follow along at http://www.customerxsuccess.com

👉 Subscribe to South Asian Success for more real conversations on building better businesses, better leaders, and better workplaces.

In this powerful episode of The Business of Success, Evgenia (Jenny) – Founder of ZCOMMS – shares groundbreaking research on the future of work. Discover why 71% of Gen Z now prioritize flexible schedules over higher pay, how remote work is reshaping careers, and why flexibility has become the new baseline for the workforce.

From women leaving corporate jobs to multi-generational team management, career pivots after 40, and building trust in fully remote teams this episode is packed with actionable insights for founders, leaders, and professionals.

Guest Bio:

Evgenia Zaslavskaya is an award-winning PR and communications strategist with 10+ years of experience advising startups, VCs, and global enterprises. In 2022, she founded Zecomms, which has supported 50+ companies across sectors including fintech, femtech, robotics, and cybersecurity. Her work has earned international recognition, including honors from the Davos Communications Awards and features in Forbes, Entrepreneur, and PRWeek.

Visit Website:                 ZECOMMS
Evgenia Linkedin:        Linkedin 

Evgenia instagram     Evgeniya Zaslavskaya 

• Why flexibility now beats salary for Gen Z
• The massive shift in workforce expectations after COVID
• How Gen Z & Millennials view work differently
• How to build trust and productivity in remote teams
• Career change trends after age 40 + power of online learning
• The growing role of AI in the future of work
• Practical advice for managing multi-generational teams

• 00:00 - Introduction
• 07:17 - Evgenia’s Journey & ZCOMMS Story
• 09:29 - The Research Behind Flexible Work
• 12:45 - Why Gen Z Demands Flexibility (71% Stat)
• 15:52 - Gen Z vs Previous Generations
• 17:30 - Building Trust in Remote Teams
• 22:08 - Key Research Stats & Burnout Reality
• 24:38 - Managing Multi-Generational Teams
• 26:44 - Career Pivots After 40
• 28:41 - Future Trends: Online Learning & AI
• 33:06 - Final Advice & Closing
  
  

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This podcast is sponsored by CustomerXSuccess, a consultancy which helps drive Company Growth through a focus on Customer Success. Follow along at www.customerxsuccess.com

#FlexibleWork #GenZ #FutureOfWork #RemoteWork #WorkLifeBalance #CareerPivot #BusinessPodcast #WomenInBusiness #GenZWorkforce #WorkFromAnywhere #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #BusinessOfSuccess

A Bad Hire Costs 30% of A Salary | How to Recruit RIGHT | Swati Garg

In this powerful episode of The Business of Success, Parul Bhandari sits down with Swati Garg Award winning Talent Leader, Executive Recruiter & Co-author of "The Customer Success Talent Playbook.

Learn why most companies make costly hiring mistakes and how to build high performing teams with intention and alignment.

Visit Website:                              Website
Swati Linkedin:                               Linkedin 

Melo Associates Linkedin:        MELO ASSOCIATES

Book: The Customer Success Talent Playbook

What You'll Learn:

- The real cost of a bad hire (30% of annual salary + lost productivity)

- Why alignment is the #1 factor in successful recruiting

- How to write job descriptions that attract the right talent

- Equitable & inclusive hiring practices that actually work

- How AI is changing talent acquisition in 2026

- Expert advice for job seekers: How to position yourself as THE expert

- Short term vs Long term hiring strategy

- Tips from The Customer Success Talent Playbook

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

01:03 - Swati Garg’s Journey into Talent Acquisition

03:07 - The Real Cost of a Bad Hire

05:37 - What Goes Wrong When You Hire the Wrong Person

08:09 - What Great Recruiting Looks Like (Alignment is Everything)

10:26 - Equitable & Inclusive Hiring Practices

14:08 - How AI is Impacting Recruiting in 2026

17:42 - The Customer Success Talent Playbook Explained

24:07 - Advice for Companies Building Teams

26:08 - Advice for Job Seekers in Tough Market

28:53 - Final Thoughts & Book Recommendation

If you're a founder, hiring manager, or someone looking for their next role in Customer Success / Revenue  Tech this episode is a must-watch

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This podcast is sponsored by CustomerXSuccess, a consultancy which helps drive Company Growth through a focus on Customer Success. Follow along at www.customerxsuccess.com

#TalentAcquisition #HiringTips #Recruiting  #Leadership #BadHire #CustomerSuccess #Leadership #AIinRecruiting #JobSearch #HiringStrategy #BusinessPodcast #SwatiGarg #TeamBuilding #StartupHiring #InclusiveHiring #2026Hiring

In Episode 10 of The Business of Success, Parul Bhandari sits down with Naazli Sado, Naazli Sado is the Vice President New Business: COO, HR, Communication, IT at Procter and Gamble. Naazli shares her remarkable leadership journey from HR and global roles to leading innovation at one of the world’s most iconic companies.

She opens up about following passion projects, creating high-impact learning programs like “Think Like a GM”, the importance of great managers, retention strategies, and how to develop agile leaders in an AI-driven world.

This episode is packed with practical leadership lessons on career growth, skill-building, innovation inside legacy organizations, and creating meaningful work that drives long-term success.

Guest:Naazli Sado

Naazli Sado is the Vice President New Business: COO, HR, Communication, IT at Procter and Gamble. Chief HR & Communications Officer for the business unit responsible for New Business Development; Innovation Accelerator responsible for developing innovative solutions to help solve the unique business challenges and barriers faced by new businesses multifunctionally.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to develop future-ready leaders at every level
• The power of “Think Like a GM” program at P&G
• Career growth strategies: passion projects vs traditional paths
• Why great managers are the key to retention
• Leading innovation and capability building in large organizations
• Marathon mindset for long-term career success

Timestamps:

00:00 – Welcome to Episode 6

01:16 – Introducing Naazli Sado, VP New Business at P&G Ventures

02:39 – Naazli’s Career Journey & Bold Moves

04:35 – Building P&G Ventures & Best of Both Worlds Approach

07:12 – Think Like a GM: Developing Business Leaders at Every Level

09:59 – Career Development & Retention Strategies

11:34 – The Importance of Great Managers

14:05 – Leadership in the Age of AI & Rapid Change

17:00 – Marathon Mindset vs Sprint in Career Growth

20:59 – Advice for Aspiring Leaders & Future-Ready Teams

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This podcast is sponsored by CustomerXSuccess, a consultancy which helps drive Company Growth through a focus on Customer Success. Follow along at www.customerxsuccess.com

#FutureReadyLeaders #LeadershipDevelopment #PGVentures #CareerGrowth #ThinkLikeAGM #WomenInLeadership #TalentDevelopment #Innovation #BusinessOfSuccess #LeadershipLessons

Culture doesn’t happen by accident, it must be treated as a full-time priority.

In Episode 9 of The Business of Success, Parul Bhandari sits down with Molly Whybrow, Senior Director of Talent & Culture at VelocityEHS, to explore what it really takes to build and maintain a thriving workplace culture.

Molly shares practical insights from scaling culture in a fast growing tech company from moving beyond ping pong tables and beer taps to creating intentional programs that drive real engagement and retention. Learn how to design employee experiences that evolve with your organization, the power of feedback loops, why great managers are the biggest retention tool, and how to build inclusive, remote-first cultures that actually work.

Whether you’re a founder, HR leader, or people manager, this episode will change how you think about culture not as a nice to have, but as a strategic full time responsibility.

Guest:

Molly Whybrow Senior Director of Talent and Culture, VelocityEHS
https://www.ehs.com/

What You’ll Learn:

• Why culture must be treated as a full-time job, not a side project
• How to build intentional employee experience at every stage of company growth
• Practical ways to improve retention through culture and great management
• The power of employee feedback, affinity groups, and remote-first design
• How to evolve culture as your company matures
• Leadership strategies for creating inclusive and engaging workplaces

Timestamps:

00:00 – Welcome to Episode 9

01:09 – Introducing Molly Whybrow, Senior Director of Talent & Culture at VelocityEHS

02:15 – Culture as a Full-Time Job vs Side Project

04:19 – Differences Between Intentional vs Accidental Culture

06:08 – Simple Building Blocks for Early-Stage Companies

09:04 – How Culture Evolves with Company Maturity

13:11 – Cultural Add vs Cultural Fit in Hiring

15:17 – Retention Strategies & The Cost of Poor Culture

18:25 – Employee Feedback, Surveys & Actioning Insights

22:27 – DEI Practices & Inclusive Culture Building

26:45 – AI’s Impact on Talent & Culture

29:32 – Final Thoughts & Key Takeaways

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Level up your business with Fathom AI:

I use Fathom AI to streamline meeting workflows and improve content production. My work includes recording and transcribing meetings, extracting key insights, and converting discussions into structured summaries and actionable notes. 

https://fathom.partnerlinks.io/ivwwc3e8ss9s

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This podcast is sponsored by CustomerXSuccess, a consultancy which helps drive Company Growth through a focus on Customer Success. Follow along at www.customerxsuccess.com

#CultureIsAFullTimeJob #EmployeeExperience #IntentionalCulture #CompanyCulture #EmployeeRetention #LeadershipDevelopment #WorkplaceCulture #TalentAndCulture #HRLeadership #RemoteFirst #DEI #BusinessOfSuccess

In this episode of The Business of Success, we sit down with Alan Gonsenhauser, a 7x Chief Marketing Officer and expert in customer growth strategy, to uncover why most companies are focused on the wrong thing chasing sales instead of building sustainable revenue.

If your business is struggling with churn, poor customer retention, or inconsistent growth, this conversation will completely change how you think about marketing, sales, and customer success.

Alan breaks down the real drivers of long-term revenue, including ideal customer profiles (ICP), net revenue retention (NRR), customer experience, and how top companies align marketing, sales, and finance to scale effectively.

About Alan:

Alan Gonsenhauser, CEO of DemandRevenue, LLC., is an 11-times CMO, and 3-times P&L GM experience in marketing, sales, finance, and operations. He’s a CMO Coach & Mentor, Interim / Fractional CMO, and GTM Advisor for Private Equity portfolio companies.

Website-  www.demandrevenue.com

Social Media - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alangonsenhauser/

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Whether you're a startup founder, marketer, or business leader, this episode will help you understand:

• Why chasing sales is hurting your growth
• How to identify and target the right customers (ICP)
• The truth about churn and customer retention
• How to build a customer-first growth strategy
• Why most companies fail at customer success
• How to turn customers into your best salespeople

00:00 – Intro & Guest Introduction
01:00 – Alan’s Journey: From Finance to 7x CMO
03:45 – What is a “Customer Capitalist”?
06:00 – Why Revenue is a Lagging Indicator
07:45 – The Real Problem with Chasing Sales
09:00 – Startup Phases: Problem-Market Fit vs Product-Market Fit
10:35 – How to Define Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)
14:00 – Biggest Mistakes Companies Make with ICP
16:00 – Sales Incentives & Wrong Behavior
17:30 – Net Promoter Score (NPS) — Truth vs Myth
20:00 – Red Flags: When Your Business Is Doing It Wrong
22:30 – Why Customer Experience Starts BEFORE Sales
23:45 – Turning Customers into Advocates
26:00 – Why Negative Feedback is Gold
29:00 – How to Align Teams for Growth
31:00 – AI, Hiring & Future of Marketing Teams
34:00 – Final Advice for Startups & Leaders

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This podcast is sponsored by CustomerXSuccess, a consultancy which helps drive Company Growth through a focus on Customer Success. Follow along at www.customerxsuccess.com

The Caregiving Conundrum most companies and families ignore until it’s too late. Dr. Pooja Patel, double board-certified occupational therapist and gerontologist, exposes the hidden crisis of elder care and how working professionals (especially women) are left unprepared.

In this powerful episode of Business of Success with Parul Bhandari, Dr. Pooja Patel (founder of Aging Together) reveals:

• Why workplaces treat elder care as a “nice to have” while parenting gets full support
• The shocking FMLA truth: It doesn’t cover in laws a wake up call for South Asian families
• Why daughters and daughters in law carry most of the elder care burden
• How caregiving starts quietly and escalates into crisis without proactive planning
• Practical solutions: Proactive care planning workbook, emergency & end of life discussions, aging in place
• What employers can actually do flexible work, caregiver support, and retention strategies
• The coming demographic crisis: Baby boomers + working Gen X/Millennials = massive impact on economy and families

If you’re a working daughter, son, manager, or business leader - this conversation will change how you think about family responsibility, employee support, and long term planning.

👉 Visit Aging Together: https://aging-together.com

👉 Book by Dr. Pooja Patel: You Don’t Know When the Bridge Is Coming: A Roadmap for

Timestamps:

00:00 – The Caregiving Conundrum Intro

02:35 – Dr. Pooja’s Journey & Why Proactive Care Matters

05:16 – Elder Care Support in the Workplace (Almost Nothing)

08:09 – FMLA Limitations & In Laws Reality Check

11:27 – Proactive Care Planning Workbook Explained

15:38 – Heavy Burden on Women & South Asian Families

24:33 – Flexible Work Ideas for Employee Caregivers

30:44 – The Looming Elder Care Crisis & Call to Action

#CaregivingConundrum #ElderCare #DrPoojaPatel #AgingTogether #SouthAsianCaregiving #WomenCaregivers #EmployeeCaregivers #CaregiverBurnout #ProactiveAging #BusinessOfSuccess #FamilyCaregiving

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This podcast is sponsored by CustomerXSuccess, a consultancy which helps drive Company Growth through a focus on Customer Success. Follow along at www.customerxsuccess.com

The perfect recap, TLDR episode to help you get caught up!

This episode celebrates the milestone of launching five episodes of the Business of Success, reviews the episodes we have had and learnings, and provides a preview of the episodes covered.

Takeaways:

• It delves into empowering women in the workplace,
• Designing for employee and customer experiences,
• Addressing burnout and workforce productivity,
• Transitioning from leadership to individual contributor roles, and
• Effective communication and value delivery for leaders.

The Business of Success if sponsored by CustomerXSuccess, a customer experience consultancy to drive better journeys and organic growth. Visit out website for more information.

#customerexperience #employeeexperience #leadership #burnout #womenatwork #timemanagement

In this conversation with Andrea Bumstead of CS Impact, Parul delves into the world of #customersuccess leadership, emphasizing value-driven conversations, and Andrea's unique take on how to maximize them - through the 15-Minute QBR tool. This tool has changed how teams can drive value for their customers, and actually connect on what matters.

They further discuss impact of #AI on #value proposition expectations, and the importance of closing the financial literacy gap for leaders. The discussion highlights the need for leaders to speak the language of their customers and understand financial literacy to effectively communicate and drive business growth.

Takeaways

• Value-driven conversations
• Leadership language
• Financial literacy

About Andrea Bumstead and CS Impact:

Andrea is the Founder and CEO of CS Impact, a consultancy providing fractional leadership and strategic advisory services to B2B SaaS companies with $50M–$150M in ARR. Known for turning Customer Success into a revenue engine, Andrea has helped growth-stage companies generate millions in incremental revenue through outcomes-driven retention and expansion strategies.

An award winning thought leader in the CS space, Andrea is the creator of the 15-Minute QBR, a viral framework celebrated for its practical, executive-ready approach to customer alignment. 

Thought Leadership:

https://csimpact.substack.com/

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreabumstead

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/customersuccessimpact/

**Link to the 15-min QBR by Andrea

The Business of Success is sponsored by CustomerXSuccess-  a Customer Experience consultancy. We help companies define their customer journeys, drive value creation and retention, and realize sustainable organic growth.