The Turning Point—What Susan Taught Me About People and Growth
Meeting Susan: A Wake-Up Call
Early in my career, I thought I had a decent grasp on leadership. Then I met Susan Elsie. She had been a director of HR at ExactTarget, a company that grew fast before being acquired by Salesforce. After the sale, she started her own consulting business, and through a mutual friend, I found myself in a one-hour meeting with her that changed how I thought about growth.
We walked in ready to describe all the challenges we were facing. She didn’t just nod and listen—she predicted exactly what was happening in our business. Every problem we raised, she had an answer for. Some of it was tough to hear: “That’s not a staffing issue—that’s you two modeling the wrong behavior.”
She was right.
The Real Problem: People
The lesson I took away from Susan was simple but powerful—business problems are almost always people problems. Toxic employees can drag down an organization faster than any external factor. The right people, on the other hand, make your life easier, your customers happier, and your company stronger.
Susan helped us realize the importance of culture and intentional design. She told us it wouldn’t be a 90-day fix. It would take years. And she was right again. It took multiple layers of change: letting the wrong people go, attracting the right ones, and building processes that supported a healthy culture.
Building a Better Employee Experience
One of the most practical pieces of advice she gave us was around onboarding. She told us to create a company book that explained who we were and to design an experience that made people feel excited to join.
We started sending gift baskets a week before someone’s first day. We assigned them a peer mentor—not their boss—so they had someone to go to lunch with on day one. We stocked the office with good coffee, sodas, and small touches that made people feel like this was a place worth working.
The feedback from employees was immediate. New hires would tell us that onboarding here was the best they had ever experienced. Spouses were excited because of the chocolate that showed up at home before day one. That little touch turned into motivation and loyalty.
Why It Matters
Susan’s influence still shapes how I lead today. Leadership isn’t about solving every operational problem—it’s about creating the conditions for the right people to thrive. When you get that part right, growth follows.