RelationshipOps of the Week #34.
Full-Service Talent & Marketing Agency
Full-Service Talent & Marketing Agency
|
Jun 12, 2026
Jun 12, 2026
“There was no sales push behind this outcome… it happened because trust had been earned through consistency, transparency, and a deep understanding of the customer’s business.”
“There was no sales push behind this outcome… it happened because trust had been earned through consistency, transparency, and a deep understanding of the customer’s business.”
Nital Shah.
This week, we’re featuring Nital Shah, Co-founder and COO of Uplers and Mavlers… a leader who’s built not one but two powerhouse agencies by staying relentlessly focused on people.
His journey began with Uplers, where he helped scale the business into one of the largest global outsourcing partners for digital teams, delivering web development, marketing automation, and email campaign execution for clients like National Geographic, Amazon, Facebook, Disney, and 21st Century Fox.
But as the digital landscape matured, so did the opportunity. What began as a talent-led services firm evolved into something more strategic. In 2021, Uplers spun off its lifecycle marketing unit into a new identity…
… Mavlers.
As COO, Nital led this transition, shaping Mavlers into a full-service marketing agency serving over 500 clients across 52 nations. Their new brand unlocked new markets, clarified their positioning, and allowed the team to deepen relationships with ambitious brands in ed-tech, e-commerce, and B2B SaaS.
From startup to spinout, from India to New York… Nital’s career is defined by relationships. And in this series, he opens up about how those relationships aren’t just foundational; they’re transformational.
Let’s dive in.
No Sales Push.
Leonard Chin: What’s an instance when a relationship led to a big win or a really great opportunity for your business?
Nital Shah:
“In my experience, the strongest customer relationships don’t announce their value upfront. They reveal it later, often when there’s no immediate commercial ask involved.
We have experienced multiple WIN driven from stronger, stable relationships we have built with our customers in the last 13 years of journey at Mavlers. In 2025, we saw this play out clearly with one particular customer. We are partnered with a New York–based ed-tech company for nearly three years, supporting their lifecycle marketing and marketing automation. Over time, the relationship evolved from service delivery to shared ownership of outcomes, particularly during periods of change and internal pressure.
When our primary contact moved on to another role, the relationship didn’t reset. It was transferred. He introduced us to a lifecycle marketing agency in New York that he trusted. That engagement led to a second referral to an agency in San Francisco, followed by a third introduction back in New York.
Within two months, those referrals resulted in three long-term agency partnerships and over $50,000 per month in recurring retainers.
There was no sales push behind this outcome. It happened because trust had been earned through consistency, transparency, and a deep understanding of the customer’s business. From a CX perspective, this reinforced an important truth: when customers feel genuinely supported, they become your strongest advocates.”
Leadership Presence.
Leonard Chin: What's your daily/weekly routine for maintaining relationships that help your business?
Nital Shah:
“As a COO leading a fully remote global organization, I’ve learned that customer experience is shaped as much by leadership presence as by processes.
I make it a priority to meet our most strategic customers in person at least once a year. These conversations are less about performance reviews and more about listening. Understanding how their internal teams operate, where friction exists, and what pressures they’re facing helps us design better experiences across the partnership.
On an ongoing basis, we run structured QBRs. When I can’t attend personally, I ensure there is still a direct leadership touchpoint through a follow-up message or video. Customers should never feel disconnected from decision-makers.
From a CX lens, availability and responsiveness are foundational. Customers need confidence that when challenges arise, escalation doesn’t feel like friction—it feels like support.”
Trust Is Built Through Reliability.
Leonard Chin: What tips would you give to your younger self around relationships and how they impact business?
Nital Shah:
“Earlier in my career, I believed strong relationships were built primarily through personal rapport. Experience has taught me that trust is built through reliability.
From a customer experience standpoint, relationships are defined less by positive moments and more by how consistently you show up during difficult ones. Customers remember whether you took ownership, communicated clearly, and stayed engaged when things were uncertain.
If I were advising my younger self today, I’d say this: treat customer relationships as a leadership responsibility, not a soft skill. When trust is built intentionally and reinforced through action, it becomes one of the most powerful drivers of long-term value—for both the customer and the business.”
Key Takeaways.
We’re glad to have Nital Shah with us on this week’s series, and here are the few key takeaways:
Strong relationships outlast titles. When Nital’s client contact changed roles, the trust built transferred… and unlocked three new agency partnerships.
Customer experience starts with presence. As the leadership team of Uplers and Mavlers, Nital meets key clients in person every year to stay close to their world
Reliability is everything. It’s not the highs that shape CX, but how teams show up during uncertainties.
That’s all for now.
If you're open to sharing your experiences in one of our future articles… or know of someone who is, feel free to drop me an email here.
Author.
Leonard Chin
Follow me on LinkedIn.
Nital Shah.
This week, we’re featuring Nital Shah, Co-founder and COO of Uplers and Mavlers… a leader who’s built not one but two powerhouse agencies by staying relentlessly focused on people.
His journey began with Uplers, where he helped scale the business into one of the largest global outsourcing partners for digital teams, delivering web development, marketing automation, and email campaign execution for clients like National Geographic, Amazon, Facebook, Disney, and 21st Century Fox.
But as the digital landscape matured, so did the opportunity. What began as a talent-led services firm evolved into something more strategic. In 2021, Uplers spun off its lifecycle marketing unit into a new identity…
… Mavlers.
As COO, Nital led this transition, shaping Mavlers into a full-service marketing agency serving over 500 clients across 52 nations. Their new brand unlocked new markets, clarified their positioning, and allowed the team to deepen relationships with ambitious brands in ed-tech, e-commerce, and B2B SaaS.
From startup to spinout, from India to New York… Nital’s career is defined by relationships. And in this series, he opens up about how those relationships aren’t just foundational; they’re transformational.
Let’s dive in.
No Sales Push.
Leonard Chin: What’s an instance when a relationship led to a big win or a really great opportunity for your business?
Nital Shah:
“In my experience, the strongest customer relationships don’t announce their value upfront. They reveal it later, often when there’s no immediate commercial ask involved.
We have experienced multiple WIN driven from stronger, stable relationships we have built with our customers in the last 13 years of journey at Mavlers. In 2025, we saw this play out clearly with one particular customer. We are partnered with a New York–based ed-tech company for nearly three years, supporting their lifecycle marketing and marketing automation. Over time, the relationship evolved from service delivery to shared ownership of outcomes, particularly during periods of change and internal pressure.
When our primary contact moved on to another role, the relationship didn’t reset. It was transferred. He introduced us to a lifecycle marketing agency in New York that he trusted. That engagement led to a second referral to an agency in San Francisco, followed by a third introduction back in New York.
Within two months, those referrals resulted in three long-term agency partnerships and over $50,000 per month in recurring retainers.
There was no sales push behind this outcome. It happened because trust had been earned through consistency, transparency, and a deep understanding of the customer’s business. From a CX perspective, this reinforced an important truth: when customers feel genuinely supported, they become your strongest advocates.”
Leadership Presence.
Leonard Chin: What's your daily/weekly routine for maintaining relationships that help your business?
Nital Shah:
“As a COO leading a fully remote global organization, I’ve learned that customer experience is shaped as much by leadership presence as by processes.
I make it a priority to meet our most strategic customers in person at least once a year. These conversations are less about performance reviews and more about listening. Understanding how their internal teams operate, where friction exists, and what pressures they’re facing helps us design better experiences across the partnership.
On an ongoing basis, we run structured QBRs. When I can’t attend personally, I ensure there is still a direct leadership touchpoint through a follow-up message or video. Customers should never feel disconnected from decision-makers.
From a CX lens, availability and responsiveness are foundational. Customers need confidence that when challenges arise, escalation doesn’t feel like friction—it feels like support.”
Trust Is Built Through Reliability.
Leonard Chin: What tips would you give to your younger self around relationships and how they impact business?
Nital Shah:
“Earlier in my career, I believed strong relationships were built primarily through personal rapport. Experience has taught me that trust is built through reliability.
From a customer experience standpoint, relationships are defined less by positive moments and more by how consistently you show up during difficult ones. Customers remember whether you took ownership, communicated clearly, and stayed engaged when things were uncertain.
If I were advising my younger self today, I’d say this: treat customer relationships as a leadership responsibility, not a soft skill. When trust is built intentionally and reinforced through action, it becomes one of the most powerful drivers of long-term value—for both the customer and the business.”
Key Takeaways.
We’re glad to have Nital Shah with us on this week’s series, and here are the few key takeaways:
Strong relationships outlast titles. When Nital’s client contact changed roles, the trust built transferred… and unlocked three new agency partnerships.
Customer experience starts with presence. As the leadership team of Uplers and Mavlers, Nital meets key clients in person every year to stay close to their world
Reliability is everything. It’s not the highs that shape CX, but how teams show up during uncertainties.
That’s all for now.
If you're open to sharing your experiences in one of our future articles… or know of someone who is, feel free to drop me an email here.
Author.
Leonard Chin
Follow me on LinkedIn.