Her Own Author

Michelle Guss’s career story—and even just her journey through the years at Crestron Electronics—has been filled with many different chapters. What started as a life in the mortgage industry in 2007 quickly evolved out of necessity. Her unmatched skills as a people person have since seen her climb from an office manager at Crestron to the VP of Hospitality.

- Interview by Maryellen Oswald

Here, we sit down with Michelle to learn more about her story—one that’s a masterclass in taking your career by the horns and making it your own—what the journey has been like, and what lessons she’s learned along the way.

MEO: As I think about your journey working at Crestron, from where you began to what you do today, it is such a great story to share, and a lot of people can learn from you and maybe get inspired by you and aim to be like you. Tell us about that journey.

Michelle: I started with Crestron in 2007. I have always been surrounded by technology and engineering—my dad was an engineer. He worked in the aerospace industry. But I never in a million years thought that would be my career path. Just before I started at Crestron, I was in the mortgage industry after college and had been laid off like so many other people when the bubble burst. I met a friend at yoga class, Chad Russell. He worked at Crestron as a regional sales manager, and he said they were looking for an office manager and asked if I would be interested—and just like that, my journey with Crestron began.

MEO: Your story is so impressive; how did you go from Office Manager to VP of Hospitality?

Michelle: As the office manager, I gained an understanding of Crestron’s reputation in our industry when I started attending trade shows to support them. InfoComm was my first show, followed by CEDIA, and from there I just fell in love with the industry. I knew I wanted to do more with the company, so I expanded my role when I helped open our satellite offices out West and took on more of a management role.

MEO: I know your time at Crestron has sort of multiple chapters. Can you tell us about that?