Susan’s record would be remarkable enough if it only
detailed her business achievements. During her 23-year corporate career, she
has held a series of increasingly responsible executive positions in the sales
divisions of Fortune 500 companies. She led teams to sales records, beating
quotas from $1 million to $600 million. Ending as a vice president of sales for
a multi-national telecommunications corporation, she was responsible for their
fast-growing Internet division. She also worked at US WEST, United
Technologies, FedEx-Kinko’s, and GTE (Verizon). During her business career, she
earned 11 annual President’s Club sales awards – the top honors awarded to the
sales people in these companies.
But as she was marking these achievements, she and her
husband Phil, a professional mountain guide, were climbing the Seven Summits –
the highest mountain on each of the world’s the seven continents. That
remarkable journey culminated at the top of Mount Everest
on May 16, 2002. With that climb, she and Phil became the
first couple in history to climb the Seven Summits together.
That feat earned
them world-wide media attention, including Good Morning America, CNN, the Today
Show, Chicago Tribune, The New York Times and many others.
Their new book, TOGETHER
ON TOP OF THE WORLD: The Remarkable
Story of the First couple to climb the Fabled Seven Summits,
was recently published by Warner Books.
Not a professional mountain climber, Susan trained by
climbing the 35 stories in her high-rise office building on her lunch hour for
a year - with a 40-pound pack on her back.
Susan tells her electrifying story to audiences with clarity
and passion. She lifts her audience's
ambitions by showing them how hard work, dedication, perseverance and a total
commitment to excellence can pay off in reaching seemingly impossible goals.
Her leadership message begins with visualizing a goal, no
matter how difficult or out of reach.
She continues with techniques to improve focus and discipline and shows
how essential teamwork is to achievement.
And she concludes with a passionate affirmation of the value of life and
the thrill of celebrating your success from the top of the world.
Susan's message stands apart for its credibility and
power. Having climbed the mountain - in
work, and in the world, Susan Ershler is the real deal.