From Landline Calls to CEO Confidant: The Evolution of Susanne Biro

In this episode of Career Coaching Secrets, host Rexhen Doda sits down with Susanne Biro — an executive confidant and leadership coach with over two decades of experience guiding more than 200 CEOs and thousands of senior leaders across GE, Microsoft, Salesforce, American Airlines, Mayo Clinic, and more.

Susanne offers a rare and honest look at what it really takes to build a deeply fulfilling coaching practice — one grounded not in constant hustle, but in alignment, self-awareness, and courage. She shares how she went from coaching leaders on landlines before Zoom existed to becoming a trusted partner to some of the world’s most influential executives — all while staying rooted in integrity.


Connect with

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanne-biro-executivecoach/
Website: https://susannebiro.com/

Transcript

Susanne Biro: 0:00

It took me three years, 24 years experience and three years to write the book. So I'm really delighted that it's almost done. I'm final editing it, and it should be available in about a month's time. It's called This Could Be Everything for Anyone Who Wants to Make Their Tomorrow Better Than Today. And it was my way of trying to bring the roadmap and the insights and the practices that I have taken almost every single client through and I know is relevant and I know they matter.

Davis Nguyen : 0:30

Welcome to Career Coaching Secrets, the podcast where we talk with successful career coaches on how they built their success and the hard lessons they learned along the way. My name is Davis Wynne, and I'm the founder of Purple Circle, where we help career coaches scale their business to $100,000 years, $100,000 months, and even $100,000 weeks. Before Purple Circle, I've grown several seven and eight-figure career coaching businesses myself and have been a consultant at two career coaching businesses that are doing over $100 million each. Whether you're an established coach or building your practice for the first time, go discover the secrets to elevating your coaching business.

Rexhen Doda: 1:01

Hey everyone, welcome to another episode of Career Coaching Sequence Podcast. I'm your host, Regin, and today's guest is Suzanne Bureau, a confidant and executive coach to CEOs and senior leaders with more than 24 years of experience working with over 200 chief executives and thousands of leaders across every major industry. As the founder of Suzanne Bureau Coaching, she partners with top executives to navigate the complexities of leadership, manage the pressures of C suite, and achieve both personal well-being and organizational success. Suzanne's work has taken her around the globe, supporting leaders at companies like GE, Microsoft, Salesforce, American Airlines, Mayo Clinic, and countless others. And it's a pleasure for me to have her on the podcast today. Welcome to the show, Suzanne.

Susanne Biro: 1:51

Recon thank you so much for the very generous introduction. I'm delighted to be here.

Rexhen Doda: 1:55

It's a pleasure for me to have you on. So I wanted to look into like your coaching business. I know it's been 24 years, but if we were to go back in time and like talk about the beginnings of it, uh what about it do you find like uh like what inspired you to start this and and become a coach and then have it as a business?

Susanne Biro: 2:14

Yeah, it's such a great question. Um I I think I started uh really young as far as just I've always been fascinated by how people think, what they think about, um, how people make decisions, why someone will uh have uh uh be successful and another person won't uh when they have the same opportunities or very similar opportunities. And so um so I've always just been interested and an observer of people. Um and uh very early on I came across the work of Tony Robbins, and uh it fundamentally changed what I uh how I thought, um, and realizing just the power of our thoughts. Um and so I used his work uh for myself. Um uh, you know, how can I become ever more effective in um, you know, all areas of my life, understanding money, understanding my values, understanding my health, creating a vision for myself. Um, and then um, and then I thought, you know, as I think naturally happens to most people, especially coaches, is you want to then uh help other people. Um, and I didn't really want to go into counseling because I didn't want to deal with really serious traumas and things of that nature. I don't think I'm built for that. Um, and uh, and then I heard about this thing called coaching. Um, and I hired my own coach. I was an uh advertising executive, and I found the process just incredibly value. I mean, it fundamentally changed um how I thought, who I believed I was, what I uh uh believed was possible. And so then I went off and did the training, started my own uh business, and here I am 24 years later.

Rexhen Doda: 4:01

Amazing. So um right now, um when when working with like your clients, um, and 24 years is a long time too, is uh probably the the type of coaching and how you receive how you uh delivered coaching uh maybe 15 years ago is not the same as how you do it now. Uh I was thinking just like thinking uh 24 years ago, maybe we didn't have Zoom as well. So uh I wonder if that's like mostly meeting people in person back in the day. Uh, but now it's a different type of coaching, right?

Susanne Biro: 4:36

Yeah, it's uh we did not have Zoom. Uh for years I uh did one of two things. I would always fly to see them in person initially. So I would fly around and I'd be in, you know, Philadelphia, New York, Boston, um uh to meet with the executive um in person. And then everything uh following was on the phone. Um and then I did uh I worked with probably just thousands of people strictly on the phone. Um uh so now we're on Zoom and that's wonderful. It's uh but there's something nice about uh, you know, every medium has its sort of gifts and then its limitations. And there's something really powerful about uh just a voice on the phone, even how we're doing this interview, because it allows people to not feel constantly observed and to feel the um the sort of natural insecurity that can come with that. So, you know, I used to say years ago, um my listening skills became so heightened because all I was listening to was someone's voice, and um it gave them privacy to have the feelings they were having without it feeling so um uh uh confrontational or um so uh uh uh sort of vulnerable. Um, so I think there's something really powerful about all mediums. Um, you know, meeting in person, of course, is incredible and important in many different ways, and sometimes it's not needed. So I think it's uh what I think it is wonderful about uh the coaching profession is that you really can choose the mediums of how you want to work, um, and then just max out the mediums for those purposes.

Rexhen Doda: 6:27

Absolutely, and so um and it's so interesting to me. Uh you just said that uh your hearing is so heightened because you've done so many calls. And uh from my experience, right? Um I've I've done right now only like 300 podcasts in this show, more than 300 actually. Most of them have been uh like uh also in video. And and and just doing this with you right now, uh, it just seems so interesting, the the amount of focus that you have when you're just like listening to the person um and and and comparing that with with like a Zoom call, for example.

Susanne Biro: 7:05

Yes, for for sure. And I think in person, in person um is even more distracting because now we're uh uh we're we can't help ourselves. We're looking at the person's hair, what they're wearing, uh their mannerisms, and we can get lost in some of those things and miss what isn't being said. So again, I think you know that it's wonderful to be in person, it's wonderful to use Zoom. It can also be wonderful to just be a voice on the phone, um and and maybe you know have some combination thereof. So um, yeah, lots of tools at our fingertips these days.

Rexhen Doda: 7:42

Yeah. And so right now, when when going through the coaching journey with your clients, um what about it would you say you find most rewarding?

Susanne Biro: 7:56

Oh gosh, I well, I think um I think this uh profession is incredibly rewarding um for many reasons. One of the things that I love is um I just love human beings. I I I feel like people are so beautiful and they have no um no realization of how unique and incredible uh they are. Um and so I love that I get to know people and that they I think probably the thing I love the most is that they trust me and I take that trust in me and our conversations um incredibly uh like with you know seriously, and um it's such an honor that another human being would share things that um maybe they've never shared with anyone else, share things that they're confused by or that hard for them to even um articulate or to share. Um and so we get to spend life together, and I get to know people really well without all the phony and the fake, um, but we get to be two human beings that are sitting together. Um, and I I just find it incredibly rewarding to to know human beings and the real human being, not you know, not the the polished uh version that the rest of the world gets to see. Um it's probably my favorite thing.

Rexhen Doda: 9:29

Yeah, and as a coach, you also um get to help them break those walls too and show their true authentic self uh when they're with you. And um they don't get that chance with many people. Uh they get that, they get to do that with with a coach, uh, which I always find uh so interesting. And so to dive a little bit deeper into the clients that you work with, um we might have the right people listening, uh which means uh we did mention it on your intro as well. Uh you work with executives, CEOs, senior leaders. Um how would you describe uh the ideal client profile beyond these just titles? Is there some sort of uh um industry, demographics, psychographics? Do they have some common um goals or other commonalities that you are seeing?

Susanne Biro: 10:29

Yeah, thanks for the question. Um, you know, with 24 years behind me, I I believe I'm ideally suited for uh CC leaders of uh a billion and multi-billion dollar organizations. Um I understand that world well, the demands, um, the complexity, um, and then specialize in really helping these really exceptional men and women have a confidential place where they can be a human being again, um, where we can make sure that they are well, you know, emotionally, physically, psychologically, um, that they are um taking great care of themselves so they can serve others because a lot uh is being demanded of them, both personally and professionally. And then also help them really look at how are they leading, how are they communicating, how are they developing their executive team, what's happening in their executive team, what's the culture of it, what needs to be the culture, uh, how are they going to get exceptional performance out of their executives, and then have that trickle down throughout the organization. So I specialize in you know executive level leadership, executive level communication, and then coaching for performance with um uh very uh seasoned uh uh experienced leaders.

Rexhen Doda: 11:51

Interesting. And um, what is it like um to work with you? Is there some sort of a program of a certain length? Um is it like one-on-one coaching? Is there also group coaching? How is the engagement uh that these leaders have with you if they were to work with you?

Susanne Biro: 12:10

Yeah, I work probably how most coaches work is so I will uh, you know, usually it's a uh a referral, word of mouth referral. I'll hold an initial session where we can meet and see uh, you know, uh introduce ourselves, and then I can learn from the executive uh uh, you know, what are you most wanting and eating? What is leading us for you and I to speak? What are you looking for from an executive coach or some development process? Um, and then we will look at, you know, if we decide to work together and this is immensely successful, um, what would need to be different, you know, at the the tail end of our work. And and and like most coaches, I will typically take clients on for a period of six months uh or longer. Um these days I most mostly take on clients for a year. Um, and um and we'll meet bi-weekly with a bi-weekly schedule. So every two weeks uh we'll meet for an hour. Um, but I work strictly on retainer so that we can do anything that's needed in between. Um it's a year-long support of uh that uh particular executive and making sure that they are well, thriving, focused, and performing.

Rexhen Doda: 13:26

And thank you for sharing that. Um and it makes a lot of sense. So since we're working with um executives uh in billion-dollar companies or multi-billion dollar companies, um, one question that comes to mind, and this is not a question that I ask generally, is what challenges do you typically see in these executives uh in a company that's so large?

Susanne Biro: 13:54

Yeah, um well, um uh one is managing themselves well with with all the demands placed on them, again, both personally and professionally. They're human beings who are often dealing with, you know, they have uh spouses, children, aging parents, their own health. Um and sometimes that alone feels like a full-time job, uh divorce, illness, you know, we're just human beings, and and the older we get, there's lots lots of problems that life brings our way. Um uh but then it's uh leading their team well, uh setting a you know vision strategy, communicating that well, fostering the culture that they want and need and intend for their direct reports. Um uh how do they manage themselves in uh those relationships? Um, how do they communicate with the board or advisors, senior advisors? Um, how do they communicate out to the media and or um uh you know external stakeholders in the community? Um so it's really all those things, and it looks like um uh you know uh a million and one different things, but it's essentially a support system to ensure that that wildly successful, uh very talented human being can continue to thrive and do what they do best.

Rexhen Doda: 15:26

Thank you. Thanks so much, Suzanne. And um right now you mentioned referrals too. Um so is that you would say kind of like the main way that people connect with you, like in terms of like marketing channels, uh, is that uh the main marketing channel, or do you also find other channels where people find you and connect with you?

Susanne Biro: 15:49

Yeah, well, and I'll answer this to make it most relevant perhaps to your audience, because I think it's it's it's a great question. Like how you know, how do we um um how do people know who we are so they can benefit from what we do? Um even when I started 24 years ago, uh I remember being very keenly aware that people will um coaching is a very personalized thing. Um we're we're hiring a relationship and we're hiring someone that we're gonna share um very personal things with, or we want the freedom to be able to share that with. And so people will hire us when they when they they know us or they hear about us from a trusted source and they and they trust us in some capacity. Um, and so some of the best ways, you know, that I found early on as far as marketing myself and making sure people knew who I was or that I was out here was to simply uh reintroduce myself to uh uh my network. You know, I was an advertising executive. I was also uh for years to put myself through school, I was a barber in a uh uh uh my mother's barber shop, and and we had a really high-end clientele of Supreme Court judges and company presidents, and these were men because it was a barbershop who knew me well and knew my family. And they also knew that I was going to university and I was uh then had had a job as an executive myself, and so I simply started with who knows and trusts me, and reintroduced myself to uh to them to say, you know, here's what I'm doing now, and here's what it is, and and uh, and then some of them gave me an opportunity. Um, and then over the years, I think it's always been just focused on doing exceptional work, caring about my clients, um, uh really caring about them, not as uh uh what they can do for me or how they can grow my business, but um uh always doing right by them. Like when it was time for uh coaching, you know, I felt like we didn't need to coach anymore, I would say, think we're done. I want you to go and just work with what we've spoken about. We don't need to keep keep talking. Um and that's hard to do when you have a mortgage to pay. But I uh when I had mentored newer coaches, I said, Don't, you know, don't do coaching to pay your mortgage. You need to have something else to pay your mortgage so that you can uh uh really act in the very best interest of your clients, regardless of what that means for you. And then, you know, in you know, more recent years, um I always keep uh about two years worth of salary in my business. And so I don't need to take on any client for any reason other than I believe that I can serve them and serve the success that they're looking for. And so um I think it's really useful to have you know some sort of secondary income because this isn't the kind of career that you can, you know, um it demands something a little bit more than other businesses where um I think you really want to be free to fire a client. You you need to have the freedom to say whatever you need to say to advance a client and to serve them well. And uh none of us will do that if you know if we're uh if we're trying to hang on to a client.

Rexhen Doda: 19:09

You bring you bring a very good point here uh when saying you have to have the ability to fire a client, and that should not uh be a decision that then is influenced by your need of having the revenue to keep going so you can pay you can pay mortgage, or um like your engagement with your clients uh should not be um a decision uh based off of revenue always. Um and it's always uh um from what I've learned from other coaches that I've had on the show, uh maybe even at the beginning of the conversation you could see that that is a not a good fit to start with. Um it might make more sense to say no to some people uh rather than to have them come in just for the sake of uh getting that revenue going.

Susanne Biro: 20:01

Absolutely. Yeah, and that's the wrong thing to do, which is why you know, and it's the most human thing to do. Um, but I think it's not it's a this is a very unique kind of business where I think the work really has to come with us is how do I create a business so that I can be completely in service of my clients and not mix my own needs in there. Um, and I think that's what makes the best the best, is that they somehow find a way to set that up even early on, have a second job that has nothing to do with coaching, so that you are free to say, you know, here's what I do, here's what it looks like, what are you trying to accomplish? What do you need? Let me see if I can be helpful. If I can be helpful, I think I'm a great, you know, I let's move forward. Um, but if I can't or I'm not really excited about working with you, then I'm not the best person for you.

Rexhen Doda: 21:02

Absolutely. And right now, um after 24 years uh of of doing this, uh if you were to look into the future uh for the next one to three years, do you have any specific um goals in mind uh for your business? We were talking a little bit earlier, and you were mentioning also a book that's coming up too.

Susanne Biro: 21:27

Yeah, thank you. Yeah. Um my uh um uh you know, it took me three years, 24 years experience and three years to write the book. So I'm really delighted that it's almost done. I'm final editing it, and it should be uh available in about a month's time. It's called This Could Be Everything for Anyone Who Wants to Make Their Tomorrow Better Than Today. And it was my way of trying to bring the roadmap and the insights and the practices that I have taken almost every single client through and I know is relevant and I know they matter, uh, and just offering that to the masses. Uh, so I'm very excited. Uh, what I hope to do in sort of the next year or so is um just give that book the best chance that it possibly has to find its way in the world. Uh, I believe that good work uh does find its way. Um and um um and so I'm uh excited just to see where it where it goes to and um and then just continue working with the the handful of clients that I work with. Um these are incredible men and women leading, striving to lead uh exceptionally well um in some really, you know, really demanding times with uh uh the you know AI and the changes that are being thrust upon us even today and and the speed at which they're coming. Um and you know, as far as I can tell, uh as I follow some of you know those at the forefront of AI and technology, uh no one really knows what this is going to mean for any of us, but we do know there's gonna be a lot of changes. And so I think for all the coaches that are listening, um I do believe our work is needed now more than ever. Um, even though AI, you know, there's an AI that can coach you beautifully now, and and and that will democratize some of the coaching that I think and therapy that I think is very useful. Everyone can access that and and uh start to learn more about themselves, and that's great. But at some point we will want a human being, and human connection will become um uh so much more valuable than it's ever been, and that's where we come in because there's something about you can say all the right things, you can bring all the right tools, but there's nothing like sitting with another human being who generally cares about you, and um and that that presence alone is healing. I mean, I the way it was taught to me early on is you know, even bad coaching is good coaching. If all you really want to do is to, you know, be of service to someone else and to sit with them in their life as they process something that's happening, either you know, an incredible opportunity or something that is you know a devastating challenge, and you just sit with them and you care and you try to help them become more clear on what they want, or um, that alone matters. Um so I think you know, we're we're we're gonna be needed more than ever.

Rexhen Doda: 24:36

Yeah, yeah. And um from from from what I've um from what I've learned so far is that it's an industry that is growing, and there's also an even uh greater need for coaching uh than ever before, because initially uh coaching, and you know this by experience as well, um, has not been um as as big of an industry, let's say 20 years ago as it is today. Uh or let's say it was only for the elite, uh, which you're still servicing today, but right now there's coaching also for um like levels that are not in the C suite. Um so it there's also career coaching, there's also life coaching, there's it just goes beyond. And and like you said, uh being there for someone, listening and uh pushing them towards that future that they are trying to get to has so much value. And um yeah, and and and and I'm glad that uh we're all part of this uh industry that is growing now. So um wanted to ask you also uh one thing about challenges. Um in your case, um what would you say is a challenge for you uh that you're trying to solve for next in in your coaching business?

Susanne Biro: 26:04

Um well I'll I'll I'll back up just a little bit. I think the um I think a coaching business is particularly challenging because it's the kind of business that you can't you can't do this work without doing your own work. Um and um uh um and you can only um meet other people to the extent that you know yourself, and you can only challenge other people to the extent that you've gone into your own depths and your own fears and insecurities and and pain. So I think it's a really uh demanding um uh uh profession in that regard. So anyone that's here that's doing the work, it's like, I see you, I I feel you. My challenges have always been the same. Um, and it is uh uh uh coming, doing my own work. Uh so at first it would be um you know having some level of confidence. I started when I was in my 20s, and I'd often be in rooms with you know executives in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, and um and largely men, because men still uh are most at the top, or they certainly were, you know, 20 years ago. And um, and so it was my own journey to what degree uh do I believe in myself? Do I stand by my own convictions? Do I trust my own experience, my own mind, my thoughts, my feelings? Um, can I stand in the heat of an argument? Um uh uh uh can I facilitate a room of executives? Um uh and all those things were incredible, I mean, incredible challenges. I mean, I I'm very introverted. Um uh for me to fly across the world, land, go down to a ballroom hotel, and keynote on a big stage. I mean, I'd rather die. I mean, I remember flying to one off site and I actually prayed for the plane to to crash. I was so afraid. Um, but I kept pushing myself out of my, you know, the little birdies' nest is like, you know, uh uh simply because I just didn't want to be ruled by fear. Um, but I have been afraid of almost everything I've ever done. Um uh but the payoff is enormous. The payoff is I'm no longer afraid of things that you know even scared me a couple of years ago because I just go towards it. You know, what am I afraid of? Let me see if I can do it, let me see if I can pull it off because I feel like we we need to do that in whatever way is honest within ourselves so that we know what we're asking of clients. Because if we're gonna uh, you know, one of the ways we earn the right to coach other people is that we are so actively coaching ourselves to continue to work at our next level. And we can do that in sort of phony ways, but we know that we're not really doing it, or we can do it in ways that we really know that we're doing it. Um, and I think we need to we we need to do that work. So, what challenges have I had? I I I don't like public speaking, but I forced myself to do it. Um uh and get and I forced myself to get really good at doing it. Um uh just because I didn't, again, I didn't want to be afraid of it. Um I forced myself to um you know write the book, you know, I forced myself, I started a podcast, um, I didn't want to do it. My marketing person said you need to to do this. So, you know, I'm I'm doing these things. Um, so for your listeners, it's like go towards the thing that you don't know you if you can do because that's what you're gonna you know, that's what you're asking of your clients. If if you're gonna ask them to work at the next level. level, then you need to be on your own journey of working at your next level and whatever that is.

Rexhen Doda: 30:06

Yeah. What you preach is what you should do. Yeah.

Susanne Biro: 30:10

Yeah.

Rexhen Doda: 30:10

And and thank you so much for for for sharing that. It it it gives people encouragement to go beyond what they think are capable of. And even uh just like you, um I I also think of myself as an introvert. And so I haven't spoken in stages, uh, but even like doing these podcasts, I do speak with many people. Initially I was nervous about it too. But then just after like five of these, I got very comfortable with it. And I've also had podcasts where I had multiple guests on um and and that was a challenge on its own. Not saying that that is uh very close to what coaching feels like but uh just saying like being able to go beyond that um limited belief that you often put on yourself that you might not be able to do it but actually want to see from the other side is that um you are you are always able to do it and um and and you learn so much from it and and you gain so much um self-confidence uh too. And and and with coaching you're pushing your clients towards that too.

Susanne Biro: 31:27

Yeah well I think I you know congratulations on how many podcasts you've done in just a very short period of time because I mean it and Tony Robbins said this if you you know make a decision want to start a podcast want to start speaking whatever it might be um uh take massive action toward it because in a very short period of time you're gonna get your feet underneath you um you'll be bad at it at first i uh I'm bad at everything I do at first most of us are um uh um it it's never comfortable don't expect it to be it's gonna be there's so many things that I've done where I was like I literally don't want to do this but I just keep pushing the little birdie out of the nest is like no go you're gonna get it you're gonna go do it and you're gonna see if you're capable of it um and you know I I think we we need to move towards discomfort um um because like you said then then you have that feeling of confidence the confidence doesn't come unless we have done things that we weren't sure we could do and we don't even have to do them perfectly we can even fail at them but it's like be proud that you went for it um because I think it's terrifying you know we I see so many things on social media like you know uh live outside your comfort zone or jump in the net will appear it's like okay but if you've actually ever lived outside of your comfort zone for any period of time it is terrifying like it's not a place you can stay for that long um it's really scary so I recommend it in in in chunks you know set a uh you know an ambitious goal work diligently towards it and then when you achieve some version of it or it it fails I want you to be proud that you went for it look at what you learned look at who you became as a result and then take a little break and have some sort of celebration or some time to lick your wounds because it was embarrassing and it flopped before you climb again. Because um it's certainly what I've done because I I just like to be kind to myself because it's it's hard stepping up uh in in in bigger and bigger uh you know playgrounds and stages.

Rexhen Doda: 33:43

Absolutely and yeah it's so important what you just mentioned is like celebrating these uh small wins um uh even big wins big wins too but like the small wins matter as well um so I wanted to to to to to change the topic a little bit and um this is something that is going to be also in our research paper so I'm trying to get data on it. When it comes to investments uh the coaches are doing and in your case uh I want to learn from your experience at least in the recent years what have been some investments that you've done that you feel really good about either you learned a lot or got a good return from and what have been some investments that you wish you um had avoided if there's any bad investments too and these could be investments of time money or both sure uh the best investment I have ever made uh was to invest in hiring my own coaches um and I have uh uh been very intentional to hire um uh uh uh numerous ones I would always change it up simply because I wanted to learn from different approaches uh one of my first coaches I hired um and I have this in the book um he he was living the life that I just I didn't even know anyone could live this life he uh um he had three uh small children and so he coached uh executives early in the morning late in the day worked across time zones and then played with his three kids all day I thought wow and he and at the time he charged $400 an hour and I just thought that was more money than I could even conceive of um I grew up blue collar um I didn't know anyone that was making that kind of money and um and he he was living his life in a way that he got to um enjoy his family and I just thought wow that is every version of success and so I didn't have the money so I put it on a credit card and went into debt for it. But I hired him and I said I want to know how you think how what led you to like to this level of success um and so uh I've never been afraid to spend money uh on uh anyone that I see who's living some version of a dream that I have and I know that because I have uh I I'm envious of it um you know I I did it recently I hired uh a personal trainer uh who just has the kind of body and and physical stamina I seek for myself and I said I know how to work out I know how to eat I'm just not doing it so I want to know how do you think what are you thinking how are you making decisions because you're doing something different than me and so those were always the best investments that I've ever made coaches uh in in various fashions of life um the the the worst investments I've made is when I've got impatient and I fell into the trap of uh someone saying they could you know if it sounds too good to be true it usually is I think I hired a company this is years ago who said they could get me a whole bunch of Instagram followers and it was some bought thing I'm sure there weren't actually live people um you know so I've poured money into things like that where it just looking back now I think I was impatient um I was getting tired and I wanted a quick fix of some kind of success um but what they they've never paid off they were a huge distraction um huge waste of money um and um um I have learned that any success in any endeavor like if you have a a great body and or you have great relationships or you have a really wonderful business that you're proud of these things take time so I now when I see these sort of flashy opportunities I think no no no no that's probably not just you know stay your course do great work care about your clients um and the rest will come yeah and if if it sounds too good to be true it's probably it probably is um so especially when you're focusing on these there there's no such thing as quick growth of times uh these promises um not saying that they don't work they just might have worked like one out of ten times for some people and they just keep promising that over and over again um and like also not focusing on on on vanity metrics as well because um like for example in your case uh um even if you were to grow to grow the number of followers and if they weren't uh bots if they were actual people uh would that mean that they will all see sweet executives or were they just like people not from your target audience and it's like impossible for someone to grow your target audience uh in a quick way there's no there's no way to do that uh it's it's always going to take time reputation uh to to build that sort of audience so yeah that that is a that is a good learning that you got there um from from from investing in these um in these companies um for many coaches out there that haven't yet uh it would be helpful to know that there's no such thing as a quick fix yes yes and it it it it for me it was sort of begged the question of like what was I really that it comes back to my work what was I really seeking from that um you know and for me it was um when I see voices safe on LinkedIn um you know from people who haven't done the work that I've done and they're quoting gurus um you know um I find it really frustrating um and so you know it comes back to like what are we actually seeking when we are looking for a quick fix?

Susanne Biro: 40:08

We're looking to ease some some pain and for me it's better to just go what's what am I trying to solve for here within myself yeah and that's a good way to think about it like identifying uh why you're even considering something like this what what is the real issue um and so right now um in your case like you're working with leaders of huge corporations billion dollar companies uh working with these leaders means that you are making uh a significant amount of impact too um are you driven by impact and the reason why I asked this is I have a follow-up question uh is for other coaches who are thinking of scaling their impact is there any advice you'd like to give to these coaches yeah a really great question um early on I decided that um I wanted to work with this most senior um uh level person I could possibly work for and so for the last 24 years I feel like I've been building the skills the confidence the um reputation and credibility that would allow me to do that um simply because um working with the key decision maker i e the CEO um uh instantaneously when that person becomes ever more effective the best highest version of themselves more focused clear healthier in all ways um it it it it can transform things so quickly like I had a client who uh had 2000 people reporting to him on multiple continents and part of what I will do with clients is help them write their communications um and um uh he gave me a communication he uh I wanted to send out um it was in line with uh some of the feedback that he'd been given um that wasn't uh as effective as it could have been and so I rewrote it and said I think there are that from the 360 we did it I think what they're looking for is something more like this and then when I handed it back he said yes that's it I love it and sent out that version um and it and it reached 2000 people instantaneously and I think it I think that mattered and that I find endlessly exciting so it's my way to have a dent in the universe um you know the if I can work with the levers within the system um and uh so much can change in instantaneously and so that that's my way to have impact I work with just a handful of people every year but they're so powerful um in that they can uh uh their decisions impact thousands in instantaneously and so that I find just wildly exciting thank you thank you so much uh Suzanne and uh thanks so much for for coming to our podcast today for anyone who wants to connect with you or find you they can go into LinkedIn look up Suzanne Bureau they'll be able to be able to find your profile they can also go into the website suzannebureau.com if I'm not mistaken.

Rexhen Doda: 43:30

Perfect yep is there any other way people could connect with you or reach out to you?

Davis Nguyen : 43:35

The the best way honestly if they go to my website suzannebureau.com you'll see everything there and if you go forward slash book um you'll be able to uh pre-order the book thank you thank you so much Suzanne it was lovely to have you on the show thank you for having me at uh you're a very gracious and warm uh interviewer thank you that's it for this episode of career coaching secrets if you enjoyed this conversation you can subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you're listening to this episode to catch future episodes. This podcast was brought to you by Purple Circle where we help career coaches scale their business to $100,000 years, $100,000 months or even $100,000 weeks all without burning out and making sure that you're making the impact and having the life that you want. To learn more about our community and how we can help you visit join purplecircle.com