Episode 5: Designing a Customer Journey from Implementation to Adoption | Beyond the Launch Podcast

Beyond the Launch: Side Story — When I Fell in Love with Customer Success & Implementations

Beyond the Launch: Side Story — When I Fell in Love with Customer Success & Implementations What happens when an implementation fails? In this special five-minute Beyond the Launch: Side Story, Ivan Whitaker shares the personal experience that shaped his passion for customer success, technology adoption, and implementation leadership in public safety. What began as a difficult implementation quickly became a defining career moment, revealing that successful technology deployments are never just about software, timelines, or go-live dates. They’re about people, trust, communication, preparation, and the ability to adapt when things don’t go according to plan. This episode explores the lessons learned from failure, the importance of operational readiness, and why customer success should remain at the center of every implementation journey. Topics include: * Customer success in public safety technology * Implementation leadership and lessons learned * Technology adoption and organizational change * Communication during difficult projects * Building trust with agencies and stakeholders * Operational readiness and post-go-live support * Growth through failure and professional development Whether you work in 911, emergency communications, SaaS, project management, technology implementation, or customer experience, this short story offers insight into the moments that shape leaders and redefine careers. #CustomerSuccess #Implementation #PublicSafety #911 #EmergencyCommunications #Technology #SaaS #Leadership #ProjectManagement #ChangeManagement #OperationalReadiness #CustomerExperience #BeyondTheLaunch #NextGen911 #Innovation

Episode 10: Purpose Before Profit | Beyond the Launch

Episode 10: Purpose Before Profit — The Duty Commercial Partners Owe the 911 Community | Beyond the Launch Podcast What responsibility do technology vendors and commercial partners truly owe the 911 community? In Episode 10 of Beyond the Launch, host Ivan Whitaker sits down with Samantha Hawkins, nationally recognized 9-1-1 instructor, speaker, former telecommunicator, and ECC Engagement Lead at ThisGen911 for a powerful conversation about the role vendors play in supporting emergency communications professionals. With more than a decade behind the headset and experience training professionals in emergency communications centers across seven states, Samantha brings a unique perspective on what it means to serve public safety with purpose, empathy, and accountability. This episode explores how companies in the public safety and emergency communications space can move beyond simply selling products and instead become true mission-driven partners to the 911 community. Topics include AI in emergency communications, telecommunicator wellness, quality assurance, staffing challenges, training innovation, leadership in public safety, and the future of NextGen 911 technology. Samantha shares candid insights on: * Why “purpose before profit” matters in public safety technology * The importance of listening to telecommunicators and ECC leaders * Building trustworthy AI and training solutions for 911 centers * Supporting agencies with limited budgets and resources * Creating authentic partnerships within the emergency communications industry * The future of AI-powered training simulations and QA tools * Why human connection must remain at the center of public safety innovation Whether you’re a 911 dispatcher, ECC director, public safety leader, technology partner, or emergency communications professional, this episode delivers valuable insight into the evolving relationship between public safety agencies and the companies that serve them. 🎧 Subscribe to Beyond the Launch for conversations on customer success, implementation, public safety technology, NextGen 911, AI in emergency communications, leadership, and the future of the 911 industry. #911 #PublicSafety #EmergencyCommunications #NextGen911 #AIin911 #Telecommunicators #DispatchLife #PublicSafetyTechnology #ECC #911Training #Leadership #QualityAssurance #BeyondTheLaunch #ThisGen911 #APCO #NENA

Episode 9: Beyond the Launch: Making Technology Stick in 911 | Beyond the Launch Podcast

In this episode of Beyond the Launch, we explore what it takes to successfully implement and adopt new technologies in the 9-1-1 environment. Public safety agencies are increasingly introducing new capabilities such as language access services, AI-assisted call handling, and coordination with Real-Time Crime Centers. But introducing technology is only the beginning. The real challenge is ensuring that these tools are trusted, adopted, and effectively integrated into daily operations. In this conversation, Jeff Bruns shares insights on how agencies and technology partners can work together to move beyond deployment and toward true operational success. We discuss how implementation strategy, training, operational alignment, and ongoing customer engagement all play critical roles in ensuring that new capabilities actually deliver value in the field.

Episode 8: The Relationship of Vendors with Customers to Ensure Success | Beyond the Launch Podcast

Most 911 centers are drowning in non-emergency calls, staff shortages, and system overloads, yet few leverage the technology and support needed for long-term impact. Max Keenan, founder and CEO of Aurelion, reveals how innovative support models and a deep understanding of dispatch centers can transform public safety operations. Under Max's leadership, Aurelion's voice AI handles millions of non-emergency calls nationwide, freeing up vital resources to respond faster to urgent emergencies. But the key isn’t just technology. It’s building true partnerships that embed support into daily workflows, ensuring faster adoption, better performance, and, most importantly, saving lives. In this episode, you'll discover why post-live support is the most overlooked yet critical phase of vendor relationships and how it can make or break long-term success. Max shares actionable strategies to maintain momentum after deployment, including how to foster real-time tweaking, continuous training, and data-driven decisions that align vendor incentives with your core mission. You'll also hear from a CEO who went from building salon scheduling software to revolutionizing 911 call centers, highlighting the power of caring deeply about your core mission and relentlessly focusing on outcomes.Max discusses how to hold vendors accountable without damaging collaboration, why short-term contracts drive better results, and the crucial role organizational culture plays during technology transitions. This episode is perfect for emergency call center leaders, public safety executives, and innovators eager to move beyond traditional support models and create real, sustainable change. If you're tired of systems that walk away after go-live and want long-term partners committed to your success — this is your playbook. Max’s insights will challenge your mindset on implementing disruptive tech, emphasizing that true success lies in the support, adaptability, and shared goals that drive life-saving outcomes. Trust us—this conversation will leave you inspired, informed, and ready to lead your dispatch operation into the future. Why this works: This episode hooks with a compelling promise—long-term success in public safety tech—and builds curiosity around support models often overlooked. It targets leaders struggling with adoption and emphasizes transforming calls for non-emergencies into opportunities for operational excellence, promising practical strategies and motivational insights that resonate deeply with emergency services' mission-critical environment.

Episode 7: Rebuilding the System So It Works for the People Again | Beyond the Launch Podcast

Episode 7: Rebuilding the System So It Works for the People Again   The conversation with Jason Klink delves into the challenges of implementing new technology, leadership and culture in public safety, and the critical issue of staffing and retention. It explores the importance of customer success principles in public safety and strategies for rebuilding retention momentum. Jason's insights shed light on the complexities of public safety operations and the need for strategic shifts to address these challenges effectively. Takeaways * Implementation challenges * Leadership and culture * Staffing and retention Chapters * 00:00 Introduction to Jason Klink * 05:50 Challenges in Public Safety * 19:54 Adoption and Retention in Public Safety * 30:05 Customer Success in Public Safety * 39:57 Rebuilding Retention Momentum * 45:06 Closing Thoughts