Tropic Spotlight: Dylan Houston

Meet Dylan Houston, who joined Tropic as a Customer Success Manager (CSM) in April. 👋

In his own words, "aligning a success plan with the customer's goals" is an important lesson he's learned as a CSM. Ensuring our customers have a positive and supportive experience and get where they want to go is mission-critical for Dylan.

So, what exactly does exceptional service look like for him?

Always leading with empathy...when you are comfortable not having all the answers but seeking to close the loop in support of your customers, through the resources and expertise of your larger team, you’re operating collaboratively.

Learn about his time as a CSM at Tropic, his nomadic RV lifestyle, and more.

Why did you decide to join Tropic?

Tropic came as a recommendation from a trusted colleague when my last startup reduced force. From the first moment with our talent team, I was super invested in Tropic's company culture.

How have you grown professionally since you joined Tropic?

I think it is fair to say that having worked in startups since 2017, the one thing I've missed dearly from my brick and mortar days is an authentic core culture of support. I've never had so many folks in my corner as I have at Tropic, from my manager to the leadership team. I truly feel like I can ask questions and be vulnerable when my own expertise falls short. Tropic has helped me lean into areas beyond my comfort zone and the feedback I have received from my CS managers has helped me show up better for my customers. 

What is the most important lesson that you’ve learned from working with the team?

I’ve tried to become more organized as my colleagues are, displaying to my customers not just a deep understanding of their exact procurement needs but aligning a success plan with their goals. If I can push toward real outcomes, no matter how small, that allows me to build trust and hopefully approach quarterly reviews with customers more strategically. 

As a CSM, what does exceptional service look like to you and what’s your favorite part about working with our customers?

Excellent customer service to me is always leading with empathy. I remember getting my first job in Customer Support at my alma mater, managing the technology help desk and being so concerned about having all the answers to all the questions. I quickly found that to be more about my ego and less about service. When you are comfortable not having all the answers but seeking to close the loop in support of your customers, through the resources and expertise of your larger team, you’re operating collaboratively. Putting myself in other’s shoes tends to help me see the horizon from their perspective, and getting them where they want to go makes me feel pretty great about being a CSM. 

What's a fun fact people would be surprised to know about you?

My family has been in the used car business for 40 years, I have a huge penchant for buying old stuff and fixing it up, an expensive habit my father created. 

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

We are primarily nomadic so a lot of our outside of work enjoyment is where we park the house, which is typically for me nearest to the best green chile cheeseburger I can find. #rvlife

If you could choose 2 celebrities to be your parents, who would they be?

Probably Bill Nye and Danica Patrick. 

What are three items you cannot live without?

• USB-C rapid charger
• Gaming Laptop
• 110 piece socket set

What’s one thing on your bucket list in life and why?

I would love to do The Great Loop along the intercoastal waterway system in the US. I love boating (another expensive habit my dad got me into), but as RVers it's a hard sell to tell my wife that we should just bring a boat with us instead of tow a car to get groceries in. 

What piece of advice would you give to your younger self?

Enjoy every moment you have with family and friends; those are the most important parts of your life. 

If you’re interested in seeing what Tropic is all about, take a peek inside our culture here. 🌴