Monday Guest Eleni Vorvis – Y3-W9

Mohammed Alqaq February 26, 2024March 4, 2024

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Get to know Eleni Vorvis

By: Mohammed Alqaq | February 26, 2024 | Year 3 – Week 09/2024

Hello everyone! My name is Eleni Vorvis and I am based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. After 20 years of working for a variety of fast-growing companies, I am now a Customer Success consultant working with start-ups. I really enjoy enabling CS teams and mentoring and coaching individuals.

I am also a co-host for Boston Founders Forum. We aim to foster impactful collaborations by forging a united startup community in Boston through unique meetups that mix networking, learning, and evolving — all with a touch of fun!

Outside of work, I enjoy traveling, reading, strength training and dining out at the latest new restaurants in the area.

We asked Eleni to take us through a journey telling us about her career path, how she spends her workday, what advice she can share with someone starting as a customer success manager, and many other questions.

Enjoy reading this interview

Tell us about your career path?

When I graduated college, the Customer Success function was unknown to me. At that time, it wasn’t a formal role and it wasn’t until a decade later that I would have my first official CSM role. I started my career in sales working for a market research firm. I supported a team of sales reps. I also was an ISR and a BDR before I went back to obtain my MBA. After I graduated, I began my Success journey.

How did you join Customer Success?

After I completed my MBA, I took on a partner account manager role at a new division for an existing company. While my title did not have the word success in it, the responsibilities essentially were the same. After four years in this role, I started looking for my next opportunity on LinkedIn, and I was intrigued when I saw this role I had never heard of before – CSM. I quickly realized that my experience in the partner role was transferable to the CSM role. I immediately replied and the rest is history.

How would you describe the ideal CSM candidate?

The ideal candidate possesses the desire to learn and grow. I think that if you are a curious person and truly enjoy building relationships and working toward a common goal, you can learn the technology and other aspects that it takes to be a successful CSM.

Emotional intelligence is important in the CS world, so individuals who have this skill are going to be well positioned.

Lastly, data is an important component for how we monitor and measure customer activity and articulate value; the ability to put data together to tell a story is something that will catch the eye of a hiring manager.

What one piece of advice would you give to someone just starting out as a Customer Success Manager?

Don’t be afraid to ask questions! Especially ones that help you understand the “why” behind the way things are done, the way people like to work, and the reasons why customers buy. Once you ask the questions though, make sure to employ active listening so that you are capturing all the great nuggets of information that are coming your way.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions!.

Can you take us on a journey describing what your workday looks like?

Well since I don’t have the standard “9-5” job, my workday can vary. It is a combination of coaching calls, customer work, business development, coffee meetings, and networking events. I am still new in my journey as a consultant so building up my brand and my relationships is a big focus area.

What makes you feel inspired or motivated?

I thrive on connecting and learning from others. I get inspired by the founders I speak to, the women I mentor, and the individuals I meet through the CS and start-up community.

Being able to hear about the journey that others have taken, and their ability to do the hard things and to employ resilience, has shown me that I too can make it happen.

What’s one thing that people are generally surprised to find out about you?

People often get surprised when I tell them that English is my second language. Both of my parents were born in Greece, and when I was born they decided to teach me Greek first. I am grateful for this as it allowed me to connect with my Greek roots.

Who do you look up to the most?

I don’t think I can name just one person. I look up to my parents for the sacrifices they made and the work ethic they instilled in me at a young age. I wouldn’t be who I am today without their love, guidance and support. I also look up to all the passionate entrepreneurs and self-made people who have hustled and worked hard to overcome obstacles on their path to success.

What are your top 3 priorities now?

These are my top 3 priorities:

Leveraging AI – I currently use AI in some of my day-to-day work, but there is more I can do to harness its power. I want to make sure I am fully educated on all the options out there that can be leveraged by CS teams. The more informed I am, the better resource I can be to my clients.
Giving back to the Community – I’m in a position where I can share my experience and knowledge with others who are figuring out their career paths in tech. I have a few mentees that I’m working with at the moment, and I want to find other ways to help.
Maintaining healthy habits – For the last year and a half I have been very focused on exercising regularly, meal planning, and self-care routines. I want to continue these efforts because we’re only given one body in this life and we need to treat it with the love and respect it deserves!

What advice would you give to Customer Success Managers to grow and develop their careers?

I would tell them to take advantage of the Success communities that exist. There are so many webinars, e-books and courses that have been developed to help CSMs. There are also events and meet-ups.

What’s your favorite book, and why?

There are a lot of books I have loved, but one that always stands out to me and will forever be a top favorite is A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. It is the most moving book I have ever read. Absolutely incredible.

» Check out the 10 Books a CSM should read to advance and improve their skills.

Have you had your “I’ve made it” moment yet?

How does someone really know if they’ve made it? I would say I have had moments of great pride in my life when achieving both personal and professional milestones. I know there is more I want to achieve and the journey is ongoing. I don’t think you ever stop learning so even if you think “you’ve made it” there is more work to be done!

What should I have asked you but didn’t?

I always find it fun to ask the question – “When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?” For me it was a teacher, then a dentist and finally a lawyer. I didn’t pursue any of these professions but there are skills present in these roles that I douse in my career in Customer Success.