 |
Susan Ershler
Keynote Fee : $10,001 - $15,000 plus expenses Fee Note Travels From: WA |
Topics
- Performance Improvement
- Motivation / Inspiration
- Leadership & Strategy
- Sales & Marketing
- Workforce Issues
Events
- Award Banquets
- Community Events
- Executive Forums / Summits
- Leadership Events
- Sales Meetings
- Staff Development
Products
* Click on the Product to Order
Programs
Reaching New Heights: Everest & Beyond Project, Prepare & Persevere From Manager To Mountaineer: How To Achieve The Impossible And Realize Your Dreams Mountain Climbers Biggest Obstacles Were At Sea Level"Whenever we pursue big dreams, we must overcome tremendous obstacles. In our case, our biggest challenges were at sea level not high on a mountain." -Susan Ershler
On May 16, 2002, Susan and Phil Ershler achieved what no other couple ever had: they reached the top of Mount Everest and became the first couple in history to scale the fabled Seven Summits, the highest mountain on each continent.
What makes their accomplishment more remarkable, however, is the fact that Susan, a high-powered Fortune 500 business executive, had never hiked, climbed or even traveled abroad until she met Phil at age 36. And Phil, a professional mountain guide who climbed his whole life while hiding his battle with Crohn's Disease, a chronic, debilitating autoimmune illness, completed the climb after a struggle with colon cancer that threatened to end his climbing career. This was followed by Phil's latest setback, prostate cancer. So Phil and Susan were climbing mountains both literally and figuratively. And out of that came a story about hope and encouragement and the power of dreams.
Susan realizes not everyone is going to want to climb Mt Everest, but in everyone's life there are struggles and hurdles. She discovered that the approach she learned in business turned out to be so useful both in mountaineering and in facing Phil's health issues. She used a business based process that made a genuine difference. As an example, see yourself at the top of the mountain or at the end of the health struggle, with success...visualize that prospect every day. Susan lifts her audience's ambitions by showing them how hard work, dedication, perseverance and a total commitment to the vision can pay off in reaching seemingly impossible goals. 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.
A love story, an adventure story, and a story about overcoming tremendous odds, their story is sure to inspire others to prevail over life's obstacles and achieve their dreams.
Speaker Information
Susan Ershler tours the world speaking about her life journey and sharing with others her secrets for success, determination, and achieving seemingly impossible goals.
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 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. They are writing a book on their adventure, due out in 2007, Together on Top of the World: A Saga of Love and Courage, published by Warner Books.
That feat earned them world-wide media attention, including Good Morning America, CNN, The New York Times and many others. As Alex Ward of the The New York Times put it, "Surmounting Everest's 29,035 feet remains one of the great mythic achievements, an undisputable display of skill and courage against ice and rock, bottomless chasms, body-numbing temperatures and tent-shredding winds, all in an oxygen-deprived danger zone. Ms. Ershler worked hard to get there."
Testimonials
Audience responses:" the speaker was awesome; great, applicable lessons; very energetic and thought provoking; great inspiration and linkage to our goal and vision; excellent strategic vision personally and professionally; on the mark and relevant."
- Premera Blue Cross
"Susan/Phil, thank you for speaking at our summer board retreat. I've just completed the evaluations and many of our guests indicated that one of the things they most enjoyed was your presentation and Q&A. If you ever need a recommendation for future speaking engagements, please put me on your list."
- Washington State Hospital Association
" It was a wonderful experience for all of us to hear your stories and adventures in conquering the Seven Summits. You made our evening special."
- Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center