This weekend, I found myself knee-deep in soil, digging up potatoes and picking tomatoes from my garden. And let’s just say, the photo I snapped isn’t exactly one for Instagram—no picture-perfect produce here! If you look closely, you’ll spot some overgrown plants and signs of a bit too much neglect (underwatered, if I’m honest).

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But as I was knee-deep in the garden, I started to realise that managing a garden of home-grown veggies has a lot in common with handling churn in customer success. Bear with me—here’s why:

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1. Overwhelm is Real
Just like when I’m out in the garden and can’t figure out why things aren’t growing, dealing with churn can often feel frustrating and overwhelming. Sometimes, despite all your efforts, things just don’t seem to improve. It’s easy to feel like you're throwing everything at the problem, yet nothing seems to work.

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2. One Problem Can’t Be Ignored
In gardening, if I focus too much on one plant or issue—say, overwatering a certain bed—the other plants will suffer. The same goes for churn. If you’re laser-focused on one particular account or segment, you might miss bigger issues elsewhere. It’s important to balance your attention and keep an eye on the whole picture. Otherwise, the smaller problems you ignore today could turn into bigger ones tomorrow.

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3. Don’t Try to Do Everything at Once
It’s tempting to want to fix everything in one go, especially when churn rates are high or customer satisfaction is low. But just like with gardening, you can’t fix everything all at once. Sometimes, it’s about taking small, manageable steps and focusing on where you can make the biggest impact. You don’t have to fix every problem today—prioritise and make progress gradually, but always keep an eye on the broader strategy.

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4. Conditions Aren’t Always in Your Control
Whether it’s the unpredictable weather affecting my veggies or the market conditions impacting your customer base, there are always factors you can’t control. And yes, sometimes it feels like everything is against you. But that doesn’t mean you give up. In both gardening and customer success, it’s about perseverance. Even when conditions aren’t ideal, you keep going, adjusting where you can, and hoping for better days ahead.

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5. Ask for Help
Gardening isn’t easy (I can assure you, I’m no expert!), and neither is handling churn. If you’re feeling stuck, sometimes the best thing to do is ask for help. Whether that’s reaching out to colleagues, seeking advice from peers, or even working with experts in customer success, it’s okay to admit that you don’t have all the answers. Collaboration and knowledge-sharing can help you overcome challenges more effectively.

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6. Watch Out for the Pests
In gardening, pests like to sneak up on you, munching away at your plants when you least expect it. In customer success, you’ve got competitors and external factors that can be just as sneaky. Keep your eyes open for threats to your customer relationships—whether that’s a competitor offering a better deal, or a shift in customer expectations. Stay vigilant and proactive in addressing potential issues before they become major problems.

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7. The Sweet Taste of Success
Just when you think you might want to give up, you start to see results. After all the hard work, when those potatoes are finally dug up and those tomatoes are ripe for picking, it feels like a huge win. Similarly, in customer success, when you’ve been working through churn and retention issues, and you start to see improvements—whether that’s customer satisfaction rising, renewals going through, or successful upsells—it’s incredibly rewarding. It’s proof that your hard work is paying off, even when it didn’t seem like it would.

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The bottom line is, both gardening and customer success require patience, persistence, and a lot of hard work. It’s not always glamorous, but when you see those results—whether it’s home-grown veggies or a reduction in churn—it’s incredibly satisfying.

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The good news? I may not be an expert gardener, but when it comes to dealing with churn, I’m a pro. So if you’re facing churn challenges, take a step back, evaluate the whole journey, and keep working at it. Success is just around the corner!