CELab - Ep 165 - Clea Mahoney - How to Launch a Customer Education LMS in 55 Days: Lessons from Rewst’s Rapid Rollout
Launching a customer education program is never easy—especially when you’re racing against the clock. In this episode, CELab’s Dave Derington sits down with Clea Mahoney , Head of Customer Education at Rewst, to unpack how her team rolled out Skilljar’s LMS in just 55 days. Clea shares her unconventional journey from instructor-led training to scalable online learning, and how playfulness, experimentation, and a customer-first mindset fueled Rewst’s rapid growth.
Listeners will discover how Clea and her team navigated the challenges of startup life, balanced perfectionism with progress, and leveraged data and AI to drive customer success. Whether you’re building your first customer education program or scaling an established one, this episode is packed with actionable insights, candid stories, and inspiration for every stage of your journey.
Key Topics & Highlights:
Rapid implementation of Skilljar LMS in just 55 days
Transitioning from instructor-led to scalable, modular online training
Building customer education programs in fast-paced startup environments
Balancing perfectionism with progress: “done is better than perfect”
Using data and analytics to measure and improve learning outcomes
Integrating AI and contextual help into customer education platforms
The importance of soft skills and team culture in Customer Success
Tailoring education for technical and non-technical audiences
Advice for launching your first customer education program
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CELab - Ep 164 - Skilljar by Gainsight - Part 1
In this episode of CELab, we welcome Nick Mehta and Erica Kuhl to talk about Skilljar by Gainsight! We discuss the integration of their platforms and the future of Customer Education. We explore the importance of community in customer success, the vision behind the Customer OS, and how learning and community can work together to enhance customer experiences. Erica shares her journey from Salesforce to Gainsight, emphasizing the need for collaboration and innovation in the customer education space. The conversation highlights the significance of integrating learning and community to drive customer success and retention.
Highlights
Customer education is essential for growth and retention.
The integration of SkillJar and Gainsight creates a powerful Customer OS.
Community plays a crucial role in customer success.
Learning should be an ecosystem that includes community engagement.
Erica Kuhl emphasizes the importance of collaboration in education.
The future of customer education lies in integrating various platforms.
AI can enhance the customer education experience.
Creating opportunities for practitioners to connect is vital.
Feedback from the community is essential for product development.
The vision for Gainsight is to empower customers through education and community.
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CELab - Episode 163 - The Great Naming Debate
What do we call what we do? Is it Customer Education, Customer Enablement, Scaled CX, Digital CS, or something else entirely?
This episode features the return of serial guest and friend, Samantha Murray and both of our co-hosts - Adam and Dave - to spar about nomenclature (word of the day - the devising or choosing of names for things, especially in a science or other discipline). In this ever-evolving world of learning in B2B SaaS. Should we call our customer education, enablement, or something else entirely?
We explore how different organizations structure their customer-facing teams, the impact of titles and internal branding, and why the outcomes we drive may matter more than the names we use. You'll hear real-world examples from large and fast-moving organizations, insights from LinkedIn discussions, and even a bit of AI-generated analysis on the distinctions between customer education, enablement, and digital CS. The episode challenges listeners to rethink how teams are grouped, what outcomes they’re responsible for, and how the industry can move forward amid rapid technological and organizational change.
Highlights:
The ongoing debate: Customer Education vs. Customer Enablement vs. Scaled CX
How naming conventions and titles impact team structure and outcomes
Real-world organizational examples and shifting internal branding
The role of AI in analyzing industry trends and terminology
The importance of aligning teams around shared outcomes, not just functions
The pros and cons of top-down vs. fractional/flexible leadership models
How to drive industry alignment during times of disruption and tech consolidation
Want to join the conversation? Jump into the the conversation that kicked this off on LinkedIn or join us in our Community platform to share your org structures and experiences!
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CELab - Episode 162 - AI, Automation, and the Future of Customer Education: Breaking Down Silos with Eric Mistry
In this episode of CELab, Eric Mistry joins us for a deep conversation into the evolving landscape of customer education, exploring how AI and automation are reshaping the field. We discuss the critical need for breaking down organizational silos and fostering a true community of practice, where educators, customer success professionals, and marketers collaborate to drive better outcomes for learners and organizations alike.
Eric shares his journey stepping into the role of Customer Education Manager at Smartcat and taking the reins of the influential Customer Education Bi-Weekly Newsletter. Together, Dave and Eric unpack the challenges and opportunities presented by rapid technological change, the importance of data, and the power of community-driven knowledge sharing. Whether you’re a practitioner, leader, or just curious about the future of customer education, this episode is packed with actionable insights and inspiration.
What's in the episode?
The impact of AI and automation on customer education and enablement
Breaking down silos between customer education, customer success, and marketing
The evolution and importance of the customer education bi-weekly newsletter
Practical steps for getting started with AI as an education professional
The role of data and clean architecture in scaling learning interventions
Building a sustainable, collaborative community of practice
Real-world examples of AI-powered learning and support
The value of sharing, community, and elevating individual voices
If you haven't already become a subscriber, make sure you sign up today!
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CELab - Episode 161 - From Frustration to Innovation: Transforming Customer Education with Parta
In this episode of CELab, co-host Adam Avramescu and special guest star Beaker Tincher from Personio sit down with Andrew Matsiavin, co-founder of Parta.io, to share the story of how their partnership transformed their approach to Customer Education. We dive deep into the challenges of legacy e-learning tools, the need for branded and differentiated learning experiences, and how Parta’s collaborative platform enabled Personio to achieve a 50% efficiency gain in course creation.
These days emerging platforms like Parta embrace partnership, innovation, and the drive to create engaging, scalable content for global audiences. Listeners will hear firsthand how Personio’s team overcame localization hurdles, streamlined collaboration with subject matter experts, and integrated AI and automation to future-proof their learning programs. The episode also explores the broader impact of treating vendors as true partners, resulting in solutions that benefit not just one company, but the entire Customer Education community. Whether you’re a learning leader, Instructional Designer, or EdTech enthusiast, this episode is packed with actionable insights and inspiration.
The inefficiencies and limitations of legacy e-learning tools like Articulate and SCORM
How Personio achieved a 50% efficiency gain in course creation with Parta
The power of branded, differentiated learning experiences
Real-world collaboration between learning designers and subject matter experts
Overcoming localization and translation challenges at scale
The value of deep, responsive vendor partnerships
Future trends: AI-driven content discoverability and integration with business tech stacks
Lessons for building scalable, engaging customer education programs
Want to learn more? Check them out by following this link: https://parta.io/celab
CELab is the Customer Education Lab for Innovative Customer Success, Enablement, and Marketing Teams. Our mission is to explore how to build Customer Education programs, experiment with new approaches, and exterminate the myths and bad advice that stop growth dead in its tracks.
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