SUSAN GISLER, PT, DPT, MHA
Leadership Trainer, Speaker & Coach
Bell Leader since 2021
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When Susan engages with a group of leaders, her skill at working with individuals through change shines through. Drawing on her training and time as a physical therapist, she has a genuine motivation to help others learn and grow. Susan embraces the challenge of getting to the root cause of an issue, breaking it down into understandable components, and partnering with others to bring out effective solutions. Her ability to bring levity and fun to any obstacle helps to surface the best version of those around her, bringing a tangibility to even those hard-to-reach goals.
Being a skilled leader herself, Susan applies her experience leading large and small teams through an array of complex circumstances to her work with clients, facilitating change and driving success for individuals and organizations alike. She connects quickly with others, helping to find innovative solutions that are sustainable and efficient by engaging in difficult conversations with teams going through transition, sustaining calm in emergency situations, and coaching people through professional challenges. Clients that work with Susan appreciate her distinctive approach and ability to promote engagement and understanding.
Susan can be found enjoying a meal with her husband and two kids around town, mountain biking with good friends, or hanging out on her back porch enjoying the view of the woods.
- MHA from University of North Carolina, Gillings School of Public Health, Executive MHA Program
- Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Andrews University
- B.S. Ed. in Exercise and Sports Science from the University of Georgia
Watch Susan in Action
Fun Facts About Susan
Where would you choose to live - ocean, mountains or woods?
I think I would choose woods. Well, I guess I have chosen woods for the past 15 years! I love living in this part of NC because there are lots of local forests, and I’m only a few hours each way to the ocean and to the mountains.
From my childhood, I cherish the Sunday dinners with a large group of family or friends, either at my parent’s house or with grandparents. For my own little family of 4 now, I love birthday camping (which is what it sounds like, going camping or adventuring for someone’s birthday), spending time at our favorite western NC lake, and pausing before dinner each evening to share our joys and concerns from the day and to take a deep breath to appreciate all that we have.
Currently it’s “Tell the truth to yourself, and the rest will fall in place” from The Avett Brothers.
In high school, I was a lifeguard at a neighborhood pool. I met a patron there who had a stroke in his 30s, and he came to the pool to swim laps every morning. That friendship led me to the field of physical therapy and a love of neuroscience, for which I am forever grateful.
“You can’t use your current knowledge to judge your past behavior.” I’ve found this to be really helpful when learning new, more impactful skills and behaviors!