Curious Leadership with Dominic Monkhouse E74 | [Rebroadcast] Shannon Byrne Susko - The Accidental CEO Turned Reluctant Bestselling Novelist
Shannon Byrne Susko isn’t just a CEO, she’s a serial entrepreneur, business coach, keynote speaker and the reluctant author of two best selling books. Recognised and named as one of Canada’s Top 40 under 40 in 2000, Shannon co-founded, served as CEO and led the sale of two SaaS companies in less than 6 years, before turning her hand to business coaching in 2011.
That’s quite an achievement for someone who comes from, what she describes as, a pretty traditional household where dad worked, mom stayed at home and she was expected to go to university and then get married.
“You know, I was like, that's not happening, I have things to do. I didn't know I was going to do these things. But I definitely knew like, no, I don't think so.”
Looking back she realises that:
“I didn't have a problem being a woman CEO. The problem is the old school thinking about women being CEOs. I didn't even think about it... tech was probably the most accepting industry of a woman CEO at that time, because we're all a bunch of geeks and geeks accept geeks, they didn't care.”
In this hugely insightful episode, Shannon tells the incredible story of her rise to the top. Of her time as CEO, how she grew and sold two businesses in less than 6 years, of how she got Verne Harnish to help her get her company to a good place. As well as why she needed a mentor when she was running the show, why she’s transitioned into a business, leadership and CEO coach and more importantly, why she wrote two bestselling books that she never wanted to write.
On today’s podcast:
- How her entrepreneurial journey began by simply wanting to solve a problem
- Why she became CEO
- How she got Verne Harnish to help her
- The less than traditional business things she did during her time at the helm
- 3 HAG
- How she ended up coaching
- The inspiration for her two books
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