Customer-Centric Empowerment: How to Solve Challenges with Expertise and Innovation

Kaylee: Hello and welcome back to another episode of Cloud Brew. For our first time listeners. My name is Kaylee Raduenz, and I am on this Strategic Alliances team here at CoreStack. I am delighted to have my friend Ashton Lande from ConRes joining us on today's episode. Thanks for joining Ashton. If you want to give us a little bit of background of what you do at ConRes and some background on yourself. Please do.

Ashton: Sure. Yeah. Okay. Kaylee, thanks. Thanks for having me today. So, I am Ashton Lande. I'm the director of cloud services and customer success here at ConRes. You know, what that really means is that I lead everything operationally across our cloud practices and partners. You know, it's my goal to ensure that we continue innovating, delivering a world-class experience for our customers.

You know, as we go and support them through their cloud journey and digital modernization. You know, prior to ConRes, I spent a handful of years at another IT solutions provider where I really got my first taste of CSP and cloud services. Originally started over there in the managed services space and led some teams there. We spun up a dedicated CSP practice and I moved over to leading the success side of that team.

You know, we experienced tremendous growth rate going well over going well over the 10X point after only a few years. And it was there at that point. I was kind of introduced to ConRes, and I saw the tremendous potential in the organization, the teams and the success that we could drive to customers. You know, it was a perfect match between my history and experience, along with the ConRes sort of vision and values.

Right. Prior to the IT space, I spent just shy of a decade in the Navy. Spent the majority of time on board submarines, mostly East Coast. Spent a lot of time around Europe and Western Asia. That part of the world even made a quick stop at the North Pole. Just always fun to tell kids. Yeah. After my time on subs, I did a little recruiting tour around the metro Boston area looking to find, you know, the nation's next best generation of sailors.

And then, other than that, maybe doing Amazing Woman, the two early teenage kids. And as you probably saw behind me, I'm a bit of a hockey in Boston, but that's me.

Kaylee: Awesome. Thanks, Ash. And I really appreciate your time and your service. Of course. So now that we've covered that, let's get into the meat of the session. So, today's topic is customer centric empowerment and how to solve challenges with expertise and innovation. So really today's discussion will revolve around how all discussion and ultimately have a focus on empowering our customers.

When you're talking to your customers, what do you think really resonates when suggesting services that you and your team offer?

Ashton: Yeah, I mean, I think you said it perfectly, right? You know, our approach is about empowerment, right? You know, we focus on enabling our customers to take ownership of their cloud environments with confidence, right? We're not here to take over. We're here to support, you know, guide and make sure they have the insights and the strategies and expertise to optimize costs, enhance governance and improve operational efficiency.

Right. Customers tell us that what resonates most is knowing the ConRes isn't just a vendor or a partner that they can rely on to help it succeed, right? It's not transaction. What really drives the impact home for me, though, I think, is the outcomes we deliver for mid-size customers specifically often lack that time or resource, resources to dig deeply into cost visibility or governance issues.

But with ConRes, they don't just see a list of features, they see measurable improvements in their cloud operations. Right? Whether it's uncovering hidden cost optimizations, it's simplifying the governance or creating, you know, actionable strategies that align with them with their goals. Right? It's the results that matter most to them. I think we have one great example recently, right?

We've been a customer who has multiple application teams all simultaneously consuming cloud resources, which, you know, at service level isn't a big deal. But with the breakdown occurred for them, is that those teams didn't have any sort of unified vision or governance or cost controls in place. Right. And so, our team was able to utilize CoreStack and our services to sort of peel the curtain back and uncover a completely obsolete application that was still consuming and building resources every single day.

Just astronomical runaway costs, right. And so, this led to an immediate roadmap shift for this organization and showed the true power of a partner that cares about the success of their organization, right? Not just the transactional relationship. So, when we talk about midsize customers in kind of specifically, I think the conversation often revolves around more than just the tool itself.

While the features and capabilities of the tool are undoubtedly important, right. I think what excites our customers is the partnership we offer. They're not just buying the product, they're getting a team of experts who are, you know, there alongside them to unlock the full value of the tools and drive meaningful results, you know, resources are often stretched thin for a lot of folks, especially nowadays.

Sometimes the large enterprises still have those capabilities, but it's been for a lot of folks, right? So, you know, not everyone has the bandwidth or the budget to dedicate a full-time resource to manage KSP contracts or FinOps initiatives. Right. So, this is where something like ConRes plays a pivotal role, right? We step in as a trusted partner.

We bridge that gap, ensure that they don't have to tackle these complexities alone, and instead they gain access to a team that not only understands the nuances of cloud and financial operations, but is committed to guiding them. You know, every step of the way. You know, as their needs grow and evolve, we grow with them. You know, with ConRes, they know they're not only building on a strong technical foundation, but also scaling their operations with a partner who's invested in their long-term success.

Kaylee: Oh, that. That's fantastic. I think a lot of it. And what I really like that you said is it's not transactional, even though a lot of people think it might be like I'm having this issue, this is what we need to fix and that is what it is. So, I think having the real-life, real-world experiences that you're seeing customers experienced just resonates of.

They're not the only ones out there experiencing that right. So, and I think this is a good segue into my next question is, I mean, in my role, I always like to work backwards. So, taking a step back to really understand where the pain points reside and how to plan to approach it. Right. So, when you're talking with your customers, is there a strategy you have to reach one, a successful outcome, but also an innovative outcome?

And I think you touched a little bit on it. But do you have that strategy before you talk to the customer or is it actually once you discuss like these are the nuances, this is what the customers experiences. Can you lay into that a little bit?

Ashton: Yeah, yeah for sure. Yeah. I think that's you know, that's exactly where we start when we engage with, with both new and existing customers. Right. A ConRes is our strategy is rooted in truly understanding where the customer is today. Taking a step back to assess their current challenges, pain points and priorities. You know, it's not just about diving into solutions, right?

It's about first stabilizing their environment and addressing the most pressing issue, right. Our approach is methodical, right? We begin by listening and collaborating with the customer to identify what's causing friction in their cloud operations or financial processes. Right. Once we have that clarity, we can then build a targeted plan to resolve those challenges first, right. The goal is to get them into a more stable, optimized state so they can focus on growth and innovation instead of firefighting.

Once that foundation is in place, we should then shift the conversation to what's next, right? Whether that conversation is enabling further cloud development, it's aligning their teams on best practices or maybe continuing to optimize efforts. We're there to guide and partner every step of the way for, you know, for success there, right? It's not a one size fits all either, right?

Every customer journey is different. So, we remain flexible and adaptable to their goals. Right. That's kind of where I think that innovative outcome piece that you mentioned comes in. It's not the one size fits all. We have to know how to adapt and innovate for every single customer. Also, how I think we actually utilize this same methodology across most of our practices.
ConRes, it's kind of the country's way, but I think a great example is the recent boom in AI. Right? Everyone's talking about AI. Yeah, and that's a whole separate conversation. But yeah, you know, up to this point, right. Many organizations want to make that rapid jump into the deep end before actually understanding the use cases were foundation for success.

Right. So, we utilize this same sort of methodology to help them create a sustainable and well-architected platform across both technology and operations. Right. So, this step by step, customer first strategy ensures that we're solving the problems that matter most before building towards the future. It's not just about implementing the tools of the process, it's about creating a stable, scalable environment that sets the stage for long term success.

Kaylee: Oh yeah, I mean, I think it's one of those we're flooded with anything AI, but it's not just putting the bandage on it so you can have the AI conversation, right? It's actually making taking that step back and fixing your environment. And, and you can focus on what that gen AI or whatever AI story you want to have.

That's super great insights. And I think you did a really good job of emphasizing cloud is always changing and it always will change. So, with the cloud landscape consistently changing and evolving, how do you ensure your team stays current with new technologies, cost structures and best practices to continue providing a high value guidance and experience for your end customer?

Ashton: Sure. Yeah. I mean, great, great question. Right. It’s kind of is we understand, obviously, that the cloud evolves at a rapid pace. Right. And staying ahead of those things is essential to delivering the value, you know, high value guidance that our customers expect and that we hold ourselves to. Right. So, I think to achieve this, we take kind of a multi-pronged approach to ensure that our team remains on the cutting edge of new technologies and cost structures and best practices.

Right. So, I would say, first and foremost, we foster a culture of continuous learning, right? Our team members participate in regular training and certifications and industry events to, you know, deepen their expertise and stay informed about the latest innovations, whether that's, you understand the nuances of a new cloud service or changes in pricing models or maybe merging FinOps methodologies.

You know, we just had an obsession on not too long ago, where we prioritize equipping our team with the knowledge, they need to support our customers effectively. Right. I think the second we actively collaborate with cloud providers and technology partners to stay right by maintaining close relationships with industry leaders, we gain early insights into upcoming features and tools and trends, and I think this collaboration allows us to anticipate changes and guide our customers proactively rather than reactively.

And another key element, I think, is our hands-on experience. And this is obviously something kind of unique to an MSSP or CSP, right? Which is we're actively engaged with customers across a wide range of industries and cloud environments, and we get a front row seat to real world challenges and solutions. Right? This practical experience is invaluable. It keeps our recommendations grounded in what works and ensures that we're always refining our strategies to look to deliver measurable results to our customers.

And I would say, finally, I think we emphasize internal collaboration and knowledge sharing. And I'm very prideful in that. Right. It is. We leverage the collective experience of our team regularly sharing insights and lessons learned to, you know, ensure that every member kind of benefits from the expertise of the group. You know, for example, we've got, sort of champion groups across Microsoft.

Right? So, one of our colleagues is a Microsoft champions group. We all get together across some of the public cloud folks. The SAS folks to be hardware could be operations. And then we kind of collectively shares our hey for, you know, the past month or quarter, whatever it may be. Here's what we're learning. User. We're seeing customer wins new trends you know good bad and ugly right.

So that really helps us kind of build a unified. And we do that across, you know, all sorts of vendors. Right. But that helps us build a unified approach to delivering guidance that's not only current but also consistent and impactful across our tire. Your customer base. Right. So, I think by combining all of those elements, we ensure that ConRes stays ahead of the curve in a fast-changing cloud environments, and that our customers can trust that they're not just getting advice based on what happened yesterday or what worked yesterday, but, you know, they're getting forward thinking strategies designed to help them succeed today and tomorrow.

Kaylee: Such great insights. I think that is crucial. And I love that you really touched base on it because it's the same. It's all about partnerships. And it goes back to the topic all customer centric. So, the same thing with CoreStack. We looked to a ConRes to really you guys are in the field. How can we make our tool the best to help you support your end customers?

So, it's absolutely a two-way door, but ultimately it is making sure we are solving customer pain points so we can all be innovated in this forever crazy changing cloud world. So super great insights I see I appreciate that okay, final question for today. For individuals that are listening, what would you say to them when they're looking to the future of cloud?

Are there qualifying questions that they can ask themselves even before they say, hey, Konrad, can you help me? What can they do on deciding how or when to ask for help and how can they be? And you touched on this proactive rather than reactive.

Ashton: Yeah. So yes. Absolutely. Right. When thinking about the future of the cloud for your organization, this is speaking to those out there. Right. One of the most important things that I think individuals and organizations can do is to just sit back, right. Be honest with yourself and evaluate how you are currently managing your cloud environments. Right? If you were spending any part of your day googling, how do I do X, Y, z in Azure or AWS or GCP or whatever it may be, right?

Or even simply if you're getting stressed and annoyed every time you open your monthly invoice because it just it just doesn't quite make sense, right? Just you're concerned. That's a signal, right? It's time to partner with someone like ConRes, right? Being proactive doesn't mean that you have to go over everything you once you have to bring someone in and we're going to rip it all down and serve that.

That's not what partnering or being proactive means, right? It starts with the conversation. Simply reach out. Right. There's a brief discussion. Let's talk about things. Let our team help you understand where we can add value to the process. Right. We've talked about this in early questions right. But let us help you understand where we can add value and how we can ease those pain points that you're experiencing.

And often just talking through your challenges with experts can reveal opportunities, you know, for improvement. That might not have been obvious before. Yeah. And here's the thing, right? This is not about locking you into something immediately. If you like what you hear, we can get you set up quickly and start making your cloud operations more streamlined and cost effective.

And stress free and do all these great things right. But if it turns out we're not the right fit, that's okay. Right? You're still going to walk away with tips and tricks to make your life in the cloud less stressful, either way, it's a win for you, right? It doesn't hurt to reach out. Looking forward. Great cloud environments are only going to grow in complexity, so to stay ahead, it's essential to ask yourself some of those key qualifying questions that like you mentioned, right.

You know, do I have the visibility that I need into my clouds? When am I optimizing cost effectively? Do I have the right processes and strategies to manage governance and scalability? Right. If the answers to those questions aren't crystal clear, you know, if there's any uncertainty or doubt, I need that fog, right? Or they're overwhelming in any way.

That's the perfect time to engage with a partner, a trusted partner like on this, right? Ultimately, being proactive is about recognizing that you don't have to go at it alone. Right? The cloud doesn't have to be this big, stressful monster, right? There's help available to make it work better for you and your team and your business. Right? A quick conversation is often all that it takes to get things started and kind of turn around.

Kaylee: I that's so eloquently said because I think it's scary, right? It's oh, well, when I go up then there's going to be this huge strategy that I don't know what to prioritize. What should we do now to fix the pain point x, y, z. But then we still need to resonate with whatever else that we're seeing it.

It really is taking a step back and having it in bite size pieces. What is the priority for you as your business? Let's focus on that. And then it shows kind of that roadmap of we're fixing those problems, but we're also able to have those informative innovated conversation because there always is going to be a continuous conversation and a partnership.

So, I really loved how you answered that question. Well, I think that is what I have for today. So, a big thank you so much for joining us on today's CloudBrew. And thank you to our listeners. Please subscribe if you want to hear more content. We are on Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube, iTunes, audible, all the major platforms that you could potentially listen on.

Until next time. Thanks.