We recently connected with Keyonna Taylor and have shared our conversation below.

Keyonna, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

At Key Focus Group, our mission is to educate SMB businesses on the value of having and executing a customer success strategy, and to embed it into businesses and organizations that do not typically know what it is, never mind having it as part of the internal ecosystem.

It is very important to me primarily because many businesses fail, and why? They forget to nurture, create a continual communication channel between them and their clients, and as a result, they put a ceiling on their growth because what they do is 1 one-dimensional when it should be two or three-dimensional.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

For those who may not know me yet, my story begins long before the launch of Key Focus Group — it’s rooted in two decades of navigating the highs, lows, and everything in between within the world of Client Experience and Customer Success. From my early days at Rackspace, where I first discovered the power of creating exceptional customer journeys, to leading global teams and complex client portfolios, I’ve always had one driving force: the people — the clients, the teams, and the stories we share along the way.

I’ve spent over 20 years building a reputation for transformational leadership across industries like tech, healthcare, and hospitality, supporting brands and scaling customer success strategies that not only retain business but unlock real growth. But after spending years as the go-to person for fixing broken processes, revitalizing struggling teams, and turning around disengaged clients, I realized something deeper: the model was broken. Organizations were investing in customer success tactically, but not strategically. That’s when I knew it was time to take the leap.

I created Key Focus Group because I believe Customer Success should be more than a department — it should be a mindset, a movement, and a measurable growth engine.

At Key Focus Group, we deliver end-to-end customer success solutions tailored for startups, SMBs, and scaling enterprises who are ready to move from reactive to proactive engagement. From onboarding to renewal, our flagship offering, Focus Infinity, ensures no part of the client journey is left to chance. We also specialize in building and scaling captive customer success teams, offering strategic consulting, training, and operational playbooks that empower businesses to own their client experience internally — without sacrificing quality.

Our clients come to us when:

They’re losing clients and don’t know why.

Their teams are overwhelmed or underperforming.

They need scalable systems that actually work.

Or they simply want a partner, not a vendor — someone who gets in the trenches, listens to the Voice of the Customer, and helps translate insight into impact.

What sets us apart? I do.

Not in the self-centered way — but in the “this is personal way”.

I’ve built this business with resilience, integrity, empathy, and results at the core. I’ve been the woman who led in rooms where no one looked like me. I’ve fought to be heard, fought to protect clients, and fought to ensure the human side of business never gets lost in the numbers. That fight has been recognized — most recently when I was honored in Marquis Who’s Who for my work in management and leadership. But the greatest honor is the trust my clients give me every single day.

What I’m most proud of, though? It’s not the awards. It’s not even the wins (though I love a good win). It’s the fact that I’ve built a company that reflects my values — where empathy meets execution, where clients feel seen, and where teams learn to lead with both clarity and heart.

If you’re a founder, executive, or leader who’s tired of putting out fires and ready to design a Customer Success strategy that actually scales, I’d love to connect. At Key Focus Group, we don’t just deliver services — we deliver confidence, clarity, and continuity for the long haul.

Your success is our Key Focus.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Over-responsibility.
In leadership, especially as someone committed to excellence and deeply driven by service, it’s easy to internalize the idea that “if something goes wrong, it’s on me.” I built my reputation on being dependable, resourceful, and the one who gets things done, no matter how overwhelming the challenge.

But over time, that quality, while rooted in care and competence, became a double-edged sword. It leads to burnout, team dependency rather than empowerment, and even hinders the very transformation I was trying to create.

The Story That Changed the Narrative:

Let me take you back to a moment that really shifted how I lead.
I was in the thick of managing a high-performing global customer success team. We were juggling a ton—strategic accounts, process overhauls, internal alignment, and a major renewal that had everything riding on it. The pressure was real. And in classic “me” fashion back then, I stepped in and handled almost all of it myself: client communications, documentation, internal escalations—you name it. I was determined to get it across the finish line.
And I did. We closed the deal. On paper, it was a win.
But shortly after, one of my most capable team members pulled me aside and said something that stuck:
“I wanted to help. I was ready. I just didn’t know where I fit.”
That hit me.
In my effort to protect the outcome, I had unintentionally sidelined the very people who were fully capable of contributing. I was so used to being the go-to, the fixer, the safety net—that I forgot my real job wasn’t to carry it all. It was to build people up, not just prop things up.
That moment was a wake-up call. I had to unlearn the idea that being a strong leader meant doing it all myself. I had to let go of control and lean into trust. That shift—from solving for people to solving with people—changed everything. I started sharing the why, not just the what. I started building frameworks instead of just fixes. I made space for people to grow, even if it meant things moved a little slower at first.
That’s one of the biggest lessons I’ve brought into Key Focus Group—and it’s why our solutions aren’t just about performance. They’re about empowerment. Because I’ve seen firsthand what happens when you stop hogging the cape and start handing it out.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

The Pivot: From Corporate Leader to Founder

If you’ve been in this field long enough, you know that growth doesn’t always look like a promotion or a new title. Sometimes, growth looks like a pivot—a scary, soul-searching, “what now?” kind of pivot.

For me, that moment came after two decades of building a career I was proud of. I had climbed the ladder, led incredible global teams, and become the go-to person for solving tough client problems, driving performance, and fixing what others said couldn’t be fixed. From Rackspace to major global firms, I was doing the work I loved—on paper.

But deep down, something shifted. I found myself doing everything right, but still feeling like something was missing. It wasn’t the role, the salary, or even the success. It was that I was building empires for others without the space to fully honor my own vision. I kept seeing the same issues pop up across companies: reactive customer success, overworked teams, under-leveraged client relationships, and leadership that treated CS like a service line—not a growth engine.

That’s when I had to face the hard truth:
If I wanted to do this differently, on purpose, with purpose—I had to step away and start something of my own.

That pivot wasn’t easy. It meant walking away from security, from a career I’d spent years cultivating, and stepping into the unknown. It meant redefining my identity—not just as a leader, but as a founder, strategist, builder, and storyteller.

And that’s how Key Focus Group was born.

I didn’t build it to be another CS consultancy. I built it to be a strategic partner to companies who are ready to put their clients at the center in a way that drives sustainable growth, not just quick fixes. I built it to train and empower teams, not just deliver outcomes. I built it because I wanted to redefine what success actually feels like—internally, externally, and across the customer lifecycle.

That pivot—though scary—was the most liberating decision I’ve ever made. It gave me the space to lead with my values, serve with empathy, and show up not just as a businesswoman but as a builder of clarity, confidence, and continuity.

And that’s the energy I bring into every engagement. Because I know what it feels like to pivot—and I also know what’s possible when you do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://keyfocuscs.com/meet-the-team
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kfg_cs_firm/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572372783594
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/key-focus-group/?viewAsMember=true
• Twitter: https://x.com/KeyFocusGroup

Image Credits

I got the additional images from Canva, paid lisence.