We were lucky to catch up with Suzanne Breistol recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Suzanne thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard

We have a trade-marked proven process for career matchmaking that mirrors dating for jobs. We provide sound career advice and never sell a candidate on taking a position. When they follow the process, and it is meant to be, it all comes together, including money and timing. We specialize in construction management and real estate development for the career matchmaking side, and career coaching is open to all industries. We mediate the hiring process and help candidates through the coaching process to define, distinguish, and develop their best selves in the workplace.

Suzanne, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

After conducting thousands of interviews over the last three decades, uniting employers and employees, I saw the similarities between personal dating and selecting a meaningful career match. I developed my proven process of “dating for jobs” called The Breistol Method™. When hiring managers and job seekers take the time to follow and openly participate in my “dating” method, it produces a happy workplace union, builds healthier workplace environments, and boosts productivity.

This year, after countless requests and years of blog writing, I published my first book about my method called Happily Married to Your Employer. The book walks you through the steps of a successful employment relationship—from mutual commitment to fulfillment and eventual farewell.

By using these personal dating, relationship, and break-up analogies in my coaching, I think I bring a unique perspective to career building and leading others in the workplace. Having entered the workforce at thirteen and beginning my professional career in small-town USA with no set plan, I learned first-hand that personal and professional self-discovery can open doors you never thought possible. 

Through faith, family, mentors, counselors, coaches, and friends, I discovered how minor changes in our perspective can make major changes in our lives. I have owned several small businesses throughout my career—both in partnership and as sole proprietor—and also led professional networking groups for several years. I volunteered with SCORE/SBA, helping businesses across all industries to communicate their needs and make the right connections to advance their endeavors. 

My current business, SBA certified Women Owned, provides career matchmaking and coaching services to professionals working in construction management and real estate development, an industry filled with behavioral and corporate challenges. I’m a certified Everything DiSC®, Five Behaviors®, and Working Genius Coach and a graduate of John Maxwell and Financial Peace Universities. But I’m also a wife, mother, grandmother, business owner, volunteer, professional career matchmaker, and coach living in Southeast Florida with my beloved husband, John.

With a focus on helping and encouraging people to discover their genuine selves and differentiate between perception and reality in the workplace, I believe that who you are today does not define your tomorrow. We learn from our past and plan for our future while eliminating or aligning expectations.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

What helped build my reputation in the industry was to provide what our motto states: sound career advice. If we do not know, we verify and don’t justify, and we empower people to make their own decisions on opportunities before them. We advise people if we do not think it is in their best interest, even if it costs our firm revenue. We also provide extra services over and above to help our clients in the coaching and matchmaking process. 

One of my past employees used to say, “You give the batteries away for free,” and my response was, “Value-added service always pays for itself, and a good reputation is worth all the riches in the world. If you help others, they take care of you.” I have stayed focused on my original calling, which was to love on the people who manage the people who build our nation and the world. The construction love poem is on the walls of our office, and the love and appreciation for those called to work in our industry live in my heart daily.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

From 2007 to 2012, the construction industry was hit hard by a recession. Not only did I need to downsize my own firm at the time, I was called on to help other firms determine who they kept to stay afloat and who they had no choice but to lay off. 

At the time, I also owned an online networking company for the construction industry, a predecessor to LinkedIn but specifically for the construction industry. Every day, I took calls from individuals across the country and many I knew personally in Florida who feared for their families and future. Many lost their identities that were tied to their careers. 

I was featured in a publication at the time called Hard Times for Hard Hats, and with both myself and my husband being in the industry, having a young family at home and our own challenges, we were able to draw from our passion, each other, and our faith. 

Helping others navigate their livelihoods opened doors for us. I became a volunteer with the Miami-Dade Chapter of the SBA/Score, working with businesses not just in construction but on a task force serving small businesses in many other industries. I was certified at that time in Wiley programs, including Everything DiSC® and Five Behaviors, and I launched the formal coaching side of my business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://happilymarriedtoyouremployer.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suzannebreistol/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suzanne.breistol
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzannebreistol/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/FLCCInc
• Other: https://www.floridaconstructionconnection.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/FLCC_ContractorLovePoem.pdf https://www.floridaconstructionconnection.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/flcc-inc-