We were lucky to catch up with Sue Zisko recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Sue thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Over the course of your career, have you seen or experienced your field completely flip-flop or change course on something?

In 1983, I had just left my position as a bank commercial loan officer. I began my own consulting practice for sales training and motivational speaking. In 1985, the California Society of CPAs (CalCPA) contacted me and asked if I would speak at their first ever CalCPA Marketing Conference, and be part of the planning committee for that conference. I agreed and when I walked into my first planning committee meeting, the CPAs who were also helping plan the conference all literally threw their business cards at me. Help us! they all said. We need a logo and a marketing plan! I was surprised but reacted quickly to say yes.

Unbeknownest to me at that time, the CPA profession had just changed their ethics laws to permit proactive marketing efforts by CPAs. Prior to that, it was frowned upon as unprofessional. Thus began my thriving career as an outsourced marketing director and sales trainer for accounting firms of all sizes across the country. I also was fortunate to meet two other CPA management consultants who took me under their wings to orient me to the industry and referred me to work with their own clients. Wow! I’m still so grateful for their help over the years.

At that time, none of the firms of any size had any marketing staff. I began training administrative staff to do marketing coordination, and trained partners and professionals how to network and conduct sales meetings. I utilized outside design firms to help them with logos, websites and business cards. It was an exciting and competitive time for the industry. Over the next few years, as firms began hiring in their own marketing professionals on staff, a new professional organization took shape, the Association for Accounting Marketing (AAM), where I was an active member.

Thus during the 1990’s, I began to pivot from being the marketing director to providing sales training and marketing consulting to the in-house marketing directors, many of whom had moved up into their new positions from administrative backgrounds. I also helped firms hire in marketing professionals from other industries, including legal.

Fast forward to the present day. Almost all of the small to mid-sized local CPA firms I was serving have now folded into larger regional and national firms. As my clients retired and merged the next generation into larger marketing departments, I changed my practice again as well.

In addition to providing sales and networking trainings, I now provide “Grow Leadership” training for the young professionals in the firms to learn to manage their teams and attain partnership. I do have a few marketing clients who are local CPA firms resisting the merger trend. I applaud them for striving to leave their unique firm legacy to the next generation.

Throughout all of these industry changes, I’ve seen the impact of understanding and clarifying an organization’s purpose and principles, which ultimately trickles down to individual purpose. As the world changes more quickly than ever, I’m coaching and speaking now on finding and living your purpose. It’s a topic that applies at every industry turn and every career and life stage.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a Purpose Coach who inspires individuals and organizations to find, redefine and live their purpose, principles and passions. I also continue to provide marketing consulting and leadership trainings.

I have 30+ years providing training and development for professional service firms, nonprofits, arts organizations, closely-held companies and entrepreneurs. I began my career in corporate banking and then became a marketing consultant for CPA firms nationwide. ​I obtained an MBA in Finance/Accounting from UCLA and I have a BA in Psycholinguistics from UC Berkeley, In addition, I have certifications in coaching, training, leadership, diversity and meditation (TM).
​
My top 5 Clifton Strengths are: Winning Others Over (great at getting to know new people quickly), Positivity (upbeat optimism), Communication (able to explain concepts well in words), Input (researching information) and Maximizer (taking people from good to great, or great to excellent).

Based on the numerous career and life pivots I have navigated, along with my training and coaching background, I am passionate and skilled at helping others find and live their purpose, principles and passions in both work and life.

​I am the proud parent of an adult daughter, and I’m a forever Beatlemaniac, world traveler, lover of dancing to live music and appreciator of photography, the arts and nature walks with my dog Bonnie.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

As a leadership trainer and coach, I’ve gained impactful and practical information from many of the established management gurus: There are 4 that stand out for their effects upon my own life and career and with my clients.

Simon Sinek talks extensively in “Start with Why” about finding the intrinsic reasons for why you do what you do. He inspired me to not only use his approach for myself but to start talking about the Why? with all my clients. Finding purpose became part of all my workshops.

James Clear in “Atomic Habits” laid out a system for goal setting that challenged the established “set big goals” concept. I began using his micro-stepping approach and finding better results.

The CliftonStrengths assessment by Gallup.com has been instrumental in helping clients focus on the most important parts of their skill sets, instead of wasting time trying to become excellent in areas of weakness that aren’t intrinsically built into their success. Focusing on strengths also helps when hiring and assembling a team, so the company can balance both the strengths and weaknesses of the department, group or team.

Last but not least is a book and many podcasts by Nick Breau, “Power Manifesting”. Much more than the typical “law of attraction” philosophy, NIck’s teachings have empowered me and my clients to be effective while working with ease. Instead of hard work and over-efforting, his system showed me how to get the most results by following my highest excitement. I utilize his techniques on a daily basis to stay aligned with my own purpose and reframe any limiting beliefs.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

What’s most helpful beyond knowledge are two things – asking good questions and validating other viewpoints.

In my field we are taught to ask the right questions – and then listen well from both mind and heart. In a coaching session, I start with open questions – what, how, why? – to delve even deeper into the client’s story. When designing a workshop or seminar, I ask myself, what would a typical participant want to know? And I ask lots of questions of the group.

Of course, the flip side of asking good questions is listening. Since I’m a speaker, I love to talk! So listening is a skill I’m constantly honing. I want to hear them, not just listen, and at the same time, pay attention to the emotional/vibrational context. Does it feel like they have more to say? Do they seem sad under the words? How intense is the “vibe” around certain topics? That will guide me to probing deeper.

However, over the years I’ve found that simply questioning alone doesn’t elicit the deep trust and openness I’m hoping to establish with a client or a classroom. So beginning with validation first is crucial. This means listening for meaning and emotions. Using phrases such as: I agree. Makes sense. I get it. That sounds like… I hear you. That sucks. Wow.

I can validate not only emotions, but also their desires, values, efforts, opinions. I’m not offering ideas or solutions at this point. Usually it works best to use at least 3 validating statements in a row before someone is open to hearing suggestions or feedback. This one tool alone has transformed most of my personal relationships and helped me establish a deeper rapport with my clients. Through validation, I’m truly understanding others instead of simply selling them on my ideas.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.suezisko.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suezisko/