Years ago, Holly Suisse discovered her passion: influencing others to better their lives. She was then a sales supervisor at a bookstore, and she wholeheartedly embraced her role. For example, she emceed an event and tripled the record of paid-loyalty memberships purchased in one evening. 

“I love expectations because I love to exceed them,” she said. 

That passion stuck with her, and the home-grown member of the Division of Online & Continuing Education business development team has come to more deeply understand what really appealed to her way back when. It wasn’t the “selling,” per se. It was more about truly making connections. 

“I feel like I’m more about relationship building than selling,” she said. 

So what does that look like in her new role? Part of it is researching the larger business trends. Another is sitting down with business representatives like you and listening — really listening. While earning her bachelor’s degree in communication from Weber State University, she came to appreciate that listening is key. Another key is opportunity.

Suisse worked a desk job at WSU while earning her degree and she appreciated the fact that her supervisor found opportunities for her to grow her skills. One of those opportunities was having a hand in WSU’s Workforce Ready Program. The program was dedicated to giving people basic work and office skills to land their first job. Suisse first talked to area employment coordinators about how to best meet the needs of their clients and she began to understand some of the pain points students might experience. 

Once the program was running, she touched base with the students and made sure that they had the support they needed. Through that experience, she learned that good education is about more than curriculum, it’s about fitting into people’s lives.

“I am excited to be right at the cusp of this change where we say, ‘Let’s make education fit you.’” 

Give Holly an opportunity to listen to your business’s needs. Email her at hollysuisse@weber.edu.