If you don’t own your career, who will?
By Elizabeth Blass / November 5, 2025
The best careers aren’t found. They’re built - intentionally.
When I sat down to write my chapters on career progression, I kept coming back to this idea of owning the journey. If there’s one truth I’ve learned in my career, it’s that no one will ever care more about your career than you do. But, once in a while, if you are lucky, a manager will come along who will leave a lasting impact.
I think about the most impactful manager of my early career. I had a manager who approached me one day to ask if I was aware of an open supervisor position and if I had considered applying. The thought hadn’t crossed my mind. I was young but she saw something in me that I did not know was there. I applied for that role and got it! That position started my life-long love of leadership. I’m incredibly grateful to her.
Managers - you might be the most impactful person in someone’s career.
For most people, owning your career isn’t about waiting for a manager to notice you or a company to map it all out. It’s about clarity, intentional action, and having the right people around you—mentors who guide, sponsors who open doors, and coaches who help you walk through them with confidence.
That’s why I wrote the career progression chapters in The Customer Success Talent Playbook. It lays out what great looks like at each level - from Associate CSM to Chief Customer Officer - plus the skills to build, on-the-job (OTJ) learning to target, and the moves that actually change your trajectory. It’s not theory. It’s a practical roadmap you can use today.
Here’s a 10-minute exercise to take ownership of your career:
Name your next role (title + scope).
Gap check three buckets: skills, results, exposure.
Design one stretch goal you can start this quarter (project, program, or metric you will own).
Secure one relationship: a mentor for feedback or a sponsor for opportunity—then book the first 20-minute call.
Make it visible: report progress monthly (to your manager and in your own brag tracker).
Takeaway: Career growth rarely happens in one big leap. It’s built in the small, deliberate steps you take every day — the same way we help our customers achieve long-term success.
