Customer Advocacy
Episode 2: What every customer advocacy program needs to succeed
June 3, 2026
29 min
Customer Advocacy
Advocacy ROI
Executive buy-in
Customer reference programs
Advocacy operations
Customer trust
Maria Sturgeon, Head of Customer Reference Program at Stripe, shares the experiences and lessons that shaped her career in customer advocacy. From speaking at CustomerX to navigating budget shifts and proving the value of advocacy initiatives, Maria explores what it takes to build resilient, high-impact programs inside fast-moving organizations.
The conversation also dives into the essential foundations every customer advocacy program needs—from internal alignment and executive support to customer trust, operational structure, and long-term strategy.
During this episode, we'll answer:
- How do customer advocacy teams navigate budget changes and shifting priorities?
- Why is executive support critical for advocacy growth?
- What operational foundations do strong advocacy programs rely on?
- How can advocacy teams communicate business impact internally?
- What are the non-negotiables every customer advocacy program needs?