Biography

Susan has won worldwide renown for climbing the Seven Summits—the highest mountain on every continent—while leading sales organizations at some of the nation’s largest corporations. For more than a decade, she has been inspiring professionals and executives at Fortune 500 companies to reach peak performance by striving for their personal and professional best. In her popular keynotes, Susan shares her Project ∙ Prepare ∙ Persevere® methodology, which can transform any business organization into a dynamic force for revenue growth. Having risen through the ranks to corporate leadership, Susan keenly appreciates the challenges business professionals experience at every stage in their careers. She “walks the talk,” explaining the Seven Summits principles that everyone must master to reach Peak Performance and illustrating how to apply these techniques to overcome real-world work/life challenges. Whether focusing on leadership, achievement, sales performance or meeting personal goals, Susan inspires her audiences to take the next step in achieving their own vision of success.

In her first acclaimed book, Together on Top of the World; The Remarkable Story of the First Couple to Climb the Fabled Seven Summits, Susan shared her remarkable Everest adventure and the life lessons she learned on the mountain. Now, in her latest book, Conquering the Seven Summits of Sales: From Everest to Every Business, Achieving Peak Performance (published by HarperCollins), Susan examines the habits of success anyone can master to achieve peak performance in selling, business and leadership, using the same techniques and determination that empowered her to climb the world’s highest mountains.

Throughout her career, she has excelled at building and leading teams that achieve exceptional, sometimes life-changing goals. Today, she dedicates herself to applying the life strategies she honed in corporate America to benefit others seeking to realize their dreams.

 

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Videos

Susan Ershler: Everest Summiter and Leadership Keynote Speaker

Think Like a Trusted Guide: Everest Climber and Leadership Keynote Speaker Susan Ershler

Perseverance Pain is Temporary

Reaching New Heights: Vision and Commitment

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Conquering the Seven Summits of Sales

Is your sales organization achieving its true potential?What strategies and techniques would transform your sales team into a dynamic force for revenue growth and customer satisfaction?

For two decades, Susan Ershler rose through the ranks of sales leadership while simultaneously climbing the highest mountain on each of the seven continents. Now, her mission is to help others secure the financial rewards and personal fulfillment that come with being a top performer.

In this presentation, Susan shares the Seven Summit principals that every sales professional must master to consistently achieve top performance year after year. She describes the Project • Prepare • Persevere® methodology that enabled her to lead her sales team to achieve a seemingly impossible $300M revenue goal. She also provides practical techniques for overcoming real-world sales challenges and blowing away the numbers. Attendees will walk away inspired to excel and ready to meet Everest-sized revenue objectives.

Reaching New Heights: Everest & Beyond

No matter how impossible they may seem, your dreams for personal and professional success are never truly out of reach if you Project • Prepare • Persevere®. This is the systematic approach to high achievement Susan Ershler developed while simultaneously climbing the world’s tallest mountains and leading sales organizations at some of the nation’s largest corporations.

On May 16, 2002, Susan and her husband Phil made history as the first couple to stand together at the summit of Mount Everest, capping their decade-long odyssey to climb the Seven Summits; the highest mountains on each of the seven continents. In her stirring keynote, Susan tells the amazing story of their Everest experience, the setbacks they overcame along the way, and their triumphant return to reach the summit. She also shares the road-tested strategies she developed that can empower anyone to overcome their perceived limitations and achieve seemingly impossible goals.

Conquering the Seven Summits of Peak Performance

In today’s increasingly competitive business environment, it takes vision, planning and perseverance to reach the pinnacle of career achievement. Are you ready to see your career trajectory accelerate into the stratosphere? Then Susan Ershler’s Project • Prepare • Persevere® methodology is your key to becoming a peak performer and reaching the pinnacle of personal and professional success.

In this inspiring presentation, Susan shares the Seven Summit principles that every business professional must master to consistently achieve top performance year after year. She also describes practical techniques for overcoming real-world business challenges and securing the financial rewards and personal fulfillment that come with being a top performer. Attendees will leave confident, inspired, and equipped with the tools they need to achieve peak performance and realize their dreams.

Leading Teams to Peak Performance

On the mountains, successful expedition leaders think like guides, not climbers. In the business world, the most successful sales leaders think like CEOs. They inspire and lead by example.

Susan is an expert practitioner in the art of sales leadership. Throughout her career, she has excelled at building and leading teams that achieve exceptional, sometimes life-changing results. In this inspiring presentation, Susan shares the Project • Prepare • Persevere® methodology that enabled her to lead her sales team to achieve a seemingly impossible $300M revenue goal while simultaneously climbing the Seven Summits; the highest mountain on each of the seven continents.

Drawing on her knowledge and experience, Susan shows why the best leaders are much more than top performers themselves. They enable every member of their team to overcome their perceived limitations by learning to commit to their team’s shared vision of success. Attendees will walk away with the leadership skills they need to help their teams win the recognition and rewards that accrue to top performers.

Testimonials

It was a real thrill to have you tell yours and Phil’s story and my clients loved the session. Thank you, this made our kickoff a great success. Also could not help but notice the personal touch that you provided, personally taking the time to talk to every person who stopped by, really made an impact and a huge impression.
– President, Workforce Information Solutions, Equifax
As they were leaving, our guests one after another kept saying, ‘This was the best presentation ever.'
– CEO, Bank Calumet
Sue was fantastic. So genuine and generous in sharing her story–from pre to post climbing. It really resonated with our people. She was very on point and did a great job of building the story and the message is so inspiring. And it was practical and straightforward.
– VP of Talent Management, T-Mobile
You are wonderful! You made a HUGE difference for 2500 folks and we will be forever indebted.
– Chief Operating Officer, FedEx Office
Thank you so much Sue…You were great…you made a big contribution to the event being well received.
– Senior Leadership Symposium, Oracle
Susan truly knows what it takes to succeed in business and life and this book will inspired you to reach new heights. Susan’s ability to connect with everyone she speaks with comes through loud and clear. I am certain you will find renewed strength in your approach to tackling adversity and preserving on your way to achieving your most important goals.
– CEO of Miller Heimen
She was totally awesome! Thanks so much for recommending Sue. She’s not only a great and interesting person, she’s also an expert at dazzling her audience.
– Event Manager, Deloitte
Thank you for your wonderful speech at our Conference. Our partners were all fascinated by your story. You have simply moved them!
– Partner in Charge, KPMG
Thanks again for a wonderful presentation. I’ve received nothing but positive feedback about your segment in our busy schedule last week.
– Director of Operations, Qualcomm
I was privileged to be in Dallas at the Leadership Forum. Your testimony on the challenges of climbing Mount Everest and the lessons learned from it, the application to Team Management were truly inspirational.
– Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Americas Cathay Pacific Airways

Booksby Susan Ershler

Together on Top of the World

Conquering the Seven Summits of Sales

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