When she was driving taxi in Whistler or teaching ski lessons on the mountain after first moving here 30 years ago, it’s unlikely Shannon Susko saw herself being named one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women—let alone taking the honour twice.
But that’s where she finds herself at the end of a very turbulent year, as Susko has once again made the Women’s Executive Network’s (WXN) list of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women.
“This year is pretty special, actually, because it was recognition in the entrepreneurship category, and I’ve grown up as an entrepreneur in Whistler; a global entrepreneur,” Susko said.
Since moving to Whistler, Susko has built and sold two companies, written two books (a third is set to publish in 2021) and launched a coaching business that now employs more than 70 coaches working with high-growth companies all over the world.
Technically, she’s been retired for the last 10 years.
“Now I just say I’m re-priored,” Susko said.
“I’m in my re-priorment, meaning that everything I do today is to give back to entrepreneurs, CEOs and leaders who were in the situation I was in, sort of desperate to grow a business.”
Her coaching company, Metronome United, grew somewhat organically from Susko’s initial success—its coaches teach the system she built that proved wildly successful in growing her first two companies.
True to its Whistler roots, Susko’s system takes cues from high-performance athletes, applying concepts like three-year highly achievable goals to business and applied strategy.
Whistler has had a reputation in recent decades for its strong female leadership, whether it be in politics, tourism, arts, sports or business, and Susko sees a common thread underlying the trend.
“I think the secret is the mountain,” Susko said with a laugh, using her own group of friends—great, powerful women who learned early on what it took to keep pace in Whistler—as an example.
“We always laugh, [because] when we all got here … if there was 10 people, there was only one woman, right? And if you wanted to keep up, you had to keep up,” she said.
“And so everything they know about having to keep up—physically, mentally athletically—take that to business? Yeah, it’s the best of the best.”
That said, “it’ll be a great day when we don’t have to have a ‘Top 100 Women in Canada,’” Susko added.
The Top 100 Awards span the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, with the winners selected by WXN’s Diversity Council of Canada.
In 2018, Susko made the list in the RBC Champions category, which recognizes the impact a person has made on growing opportunities for women in Canada.
“In a difficult year, we’ve been inspired by Canada’s highest achieving women who unite those around them and help us all rise above our challenges,” said Sherri Stevens, owner and CEO of WXN, in a release. “These powerful women continue to lead the way, which is why it’s important to celebrate their achievements.”
