Case Study

How a Pavilion membership helped Leslie Kelley design her executive role

After leading GTM teams across both sales and customer success—including serving as CRO and CCO—Leslie Kelley took a deliberate pause to reflect on what she truly wanted in her next role. Rather than defaulting to the obvious options, she used the time to think bigger.

The challenge:

Searching for something more

When Leslie stepped away from her last company, she was fielding plenty of inbound opportunities. But they all looked the same.

“I didn’t really want to do customer success anymore, but it was a big part of my resume and I didn’t know how to position that,” she says. “Executive search firms wanted to put me in a box: ‘You’re either Sales or CS.’ I knew I was both—and more.”

She had the experience, CRO, CCO, hybrid GTM leadership, but wanted to define a role on her own terms. And being based in Sacramento, she didn’t have the deep in-person network many Bay Area execs rely on.

“I wasn’t going to find what I wanted through traditional paths,” she says. “So I took a step back and focused on learning, connecting, and building a clearer picture of the kind of executive I wanted to be.”

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“Being part of Pavilion helped me get clear on what I bring to the table—and gave me the confidence to go out and claim it.”

- Leslie Kelley | Chief Growth Officer at Absorb

The solution:

Discovering Pavilion and going all in

A conversation with a peer changed her direction.

“He said, ‘You can try coaching… but I’ve gotten the most value from Pavilion. Great people, great networking.’ I signed up that same day.”

From there, she went all in:

  • Attended local Pavilion events (even helping launch the Sacramento chapter)
  • Joined On the Bench (members in transition) and Women in Revenue groups
  • Completed CRO School, CCO School, and Revenue Architecture

“There’s just a ton of people in Pavilion who are so helpful. I met Brenda Friedman Lando through Pavilion Connections, and by the end of our call, she had introduced me to six other people. That’s the vibe here.”

Leslie wasn’t just collecting resources. She was reshaping her narrative.

“I had great conversations with other members, like Debe Rapson, who helped me realize I didn’t have to choose between Sales or CS. There was a bigger opportunity if I could articulate it clearly.”

After months of exploration, Leslie wrote a “love letter” to her next CEO: a public post describing the type of leader she is, and the kind of company she wanted to join.

“I wasn’t applying to jobs. I went on Sales Navigator, found 50 CEOs whose companies looked interesting, and sent them messages saying, ‘Here’s who I am. I’m not looking for a job—I’m looking for a conversation.’”

She got 11 CEO meetings from that outreach.

“Through those conversations, I saw a clear pattern. Companies in healthy positions—ones looking to optimize, not overhaul—could really benefit from someone who understood the full customer journey.”

That led her to Absorb, where early conversations evolved into something bigger.

“We explored sales roles and account management, but neither felt quite right. Eventually, we co-created this Chief Growth Officer role.”

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Real results:

Building a function that didn’t exist

Today, Leslie works across the entire GTM and product motion, leading strategic initiatives that drive growth.

“I sit in the middle of the company. I work cross-functionally with Sales, Product, Customer Success, Engineering, and now Marketing. We identify high-impact projects—things that will move the needle on conversion or retention—and I build the teams and processes to execute.”She’s led efforts to:

  • Redesign Absorb’s digital customer enablement platform
  • Take ownership of solution engineering to drive stronger alignment
  • Lead data and analytics projects to better package and monetize insights

“This role lets me do exactly what I wanted: operate at the intersection of departments, solve meaningful problems, and drive measurable outcomes.”

 

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“Go all in. Go to events. Take the courses. Join the Slack channels. Give more than you ask for—and you’ll get so much back.”

- Leslie Kelley | Chief Growth Officer at Absorb

Why she keeps her membership

Even with a full plate, Leslie hasn’t stepped back from Pavilion.

“I haven’t canceled my membership because I don’t want to leave that community. I need that whenever I need them.”

She continues to mentor others, stay plugged into key conversations, and reflect on her own evolution.

“Being part of Pavilion helped me get clear on what I bring to the table—and gave me the confidence to go out and claim it.”

Her advice for others?

“Go all in. Go to events. Take the courses. Join the Slack channels. Give more than you ask for—and you’ll get so much back.”

Leslie’s journey shows what’s possible when a GTM leader uses Pavilion not just to land a job, but to define a new chapter of leadership.

If you're a tech executive or GTM leader looking to expand your impact, Pavilion’s private community, operator-led courses, and peer-driven insights can help you build what’s next—on your terms.

Experience the power of a Pavilion membership.