By Geoff McDonald, CEO of Ambassador
When people hear “CEO,” they picture strategy decks, investor calls, big-picture vision.
And sure, I do all of that. But most days, you’ll still find me doing something that might seem a little unusual for a founder running a fast-growing SaaS company:
✅ Writing personal replies to every single G2 review
✅ Jumping into onboarding calls with new clients
✅ Joining 1:1 sales calls and live demos
✅ Reviewing product feedback from our users
✅ Helping troubleshoot edge cases and brainstorm use cases with our team
Not because I don’t trust our people (I do — deeply).
Not because I’m micromanaging (I’m not).
But because I believe the CEO should stay relentlessly close to the client.
That’s not a tactic.
It’s a philosophy.
And for Ambassador, it’s a competitive advantage.
The Client Is Not a Department — It’s the Whole Business
It’s easy for companies to talk about being “customer-centric.” But in practice? Too many drift.
They create silos. They build process to shield leadership from friction. They over-optimize for scale and forget that every single client interaction is a brand moment.
That’s not who we are.
At Ambassador, we have a saying: “Stay close to the client.”
Not just as a value. But as a daily discipline.
It’s why I personally respond to reviews—because every piece of feedback is an opportunity to learn, thank someone, or fix something. It’s why I jump on onboarding calls—because if something doesn’t feel clear or valuable in week one, that’s not on the client. That’s on us. And it’s why I stay involved in sales—because if you can’t clearly communicate your value in the early conversation, you don’t deserve the deal.
Great Companies Are Built in the Trenches
We’re in a period of evolution at Ambassador.
New clients. New features. A reimagined product experience.
We’ve added Hiro, built the most connected AI-Feedback Network in the world, and helped companies automate retention like never before.
But with that growth comes responsibility.
We don’t just ship features and hope for the best. We test, listen, revise, rework. We watch how clients actually use the platform. We meet them where they are. Sometimes that means tweaking a rollout. Sometimes it means jumping in to help interpret results. Sometimes it means stepping into a call late in the day to really understand what’s driving hesitation.
I believe you earn trust not with a product demo—but with your presence.
Culture Flows From What You Do, Not What You Say
We expect our team to be client-obsessed.
But that only works if I model it.
So yes, I still personally close deals.
Yes, I still Slack our implementation team questions during onboarding.
Yes, I still troubleshoot weird edge cases with engineers.
And yes, I still sit with marketing to align messaging around what’s really landing.
Because culture isn’t formed in slide decks. It’s formed in the small choices you make every day.
You can’t fake caring. And you can’t outsource the relationship with your customer.
Ambassador Is Built Different—On Purpose
There are plenty of tools in the market that can help brands run referral, loyalty, and incentive programs. But very few companies are building the connective tissue between engagement and feedback, between automation and authenticity.
Ambassador isn’t just a tool.
It’s a network. It’s a philosophy.
It’s a company built on the belief that retention is earned and that feedback—when harnessed correctly—is the most powerful growth lever in your business.
That’s why we built Hiro. That’s why we integrated directly with Salesforce, Customer.io, and more. That’s why we offer white-glove onboarding and partner deeply across teams.
Because we’re not here to be another dashboard.
We’re here to help brands win trust, win loyalty, and win customers—again and again.
Final Thought: This Is the Job
Some founders step away from the front lines as they grow.
I get it.
There’s a lot to juggle—investors, product roadmaps, capital strategy.
But I’ll say this: There is no substitute for being in the trenches with your clients.
This isn’t just part of the job.
This is the job.
So if you’re a current client reading this, thank you. You are the reason we’re building the company we are. Your feedback, your goals, your success—it’s what drives us.
And if you’re a future client, just know:
You won’t be passed off to a machine.
You’ll get a team—and a CEO—that shows up.
Every time.
Let’s go,
—Geoff
