When I first joined Freestar six years ago, I came from a world of customer success at various startups. I was already familiar with Freestar because my previous company had done a deep dive into our competitors, and Freestar’s reputation stood out. Little did I know that I would go from being an admirer from afar to building a dream team within the company.
They say the first impression is the one that lasts, and at Freestar, we take that to heart. From the moment a publisher joins us, we’re all in, making sure they feel supported and valued. In our tenth year as a company, we’re looking back at how our “Publisher-First” mantra has shaped everything we do. Over the last three years, we’ve invested heavily in our onboarding team and technology to make sure every publisher’s journey with us starts on the right foot.
This is a little bit about my journey at Freestar, how we built a world-class onboarding experience from the ground up, and how we’ve created a culture of collaboration, transparency, and accountability that we can all be proud of.
From Scrappy Start-Up to Seamless Sophistication
When I became VP of Publisher Onboarding in 2022, my team was essentially a start-up within the larger company. We had to figure out what a dedicated onboarding team at Freestar should even look like. It was a challenge, but it was also an incredible opportunity.
So, what’s changed in that time? For starters, we’ve grown from a mighty team of three to a powerhouse of thirteen! Our transformation has been all about three key things:
- Building a Strong Foundation: We started by really getting to know the ins and outs of our own operations while managing our external relationships. We moved from a traditional account management model to a more holistic approach that streamlines everything from a publisher’s initial integration to their long-term success.
- Growing Our Skills and Scope: We made it a priority to expand our team’s expertise. Now, our onboarding specialists are tech-savvy pros with deep expertise in support, demand, and yield, and they work in lock-step with our product and engineering teams. This means a smoother experience for our publishers, less back-and-forth between teams, and an onboarding process that’s five days faster!
- Putting the Right Tech in Place: After a less-than-ideal experience with a clunky system, we knew our publishers needed a true one-stop shop. Instead of using a separate platform, we integrated a new solution directly into our existing publisher dashboard. This created the holistic experience we wanted, giving our partners a single, seamless space to track their progress and access all the resources they need.
It’s a Vibe: Embedding Our Culture at Every Level
What I love most about Freestar is that everyone, and I mean everyone, rolls up their sleeves and has a seat at the table. It doesn’t matter what your title is; if you have an idea, we want to hear it. This company-wide culture is the secret sauce of our onboarding team.
One way we keep this spirit alive is through our monthly team collaboration sessions. Each month, a different team member leads the discussion on a topic of their choice. We talk about what’s working, what’s not, and how we can do better. Because when we improve, our publisher partners win, and so does our Customer Success team, who inherits a happy, well-prepared partner ready for long-term growth.
So how does our publisher-first approach show up in our daily work? We’ve woven it into everything we do:
- Personalized Support: We create custom videos for each of our publishers to introduce them to their dedicated support team. It’s a small touch, but it makes a big difference.
- Seamless Handoffs: We’ve coordinated smooth transitions from our team to the customer success team, using technology to complement our people, not replace them.
- Transparent Feedback: We regularly survey our publishers using the Customer Effort Score (CES), and we aim for the lowest score possible. Everyone on the team sees the feedback, the good and the bad. We believe in celebrating our wins and learning from our challenges.
What’s Next: Keeping it Human in a Tech-Driven World
As we celebrate Freestar’s tenth year, we’re always looking for ways to elevate our work. We’re exploring how technology, including AI, can help us streamline routine tasks while keeping the personal touch that makes Freestar special. The goal isn’t to replace our amazing team, but to free them up to focus on what they do best: building relationships and solving complex problems. By thoughtfully bringing AI into our workflow, we’re future-proofing our team and staying true to our belief that technology should always enhance, never replace, the human expertise our publishers value.
At the end of the day, “publisher-first” isn’t just something we say; it’s how we show up. The way we start relationships sets the tone for everything that follows, and we’re obsessed with getting it right from the start.
