Today we’d like to introduce you to Sue Ellen Burch.
Hi Sue Ellen, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My story really began long before I launched Brydge Advisors. I grew up in an entrepreneurial family, my parents built an HVAC company over 31 years and I learned early what it really takes to run a business, the sacrifices owners make, and how isolating leadership can feel. Both of my parents died tragically, my mother when I was 10 years old and my father died unexpectedly when I was 23, I found myself stepping in as the oldest daughter to run the family business, serve as executor of the estate, and ultimately prepare the company for an exit. At the same time, I was newly engaged and raising a blended family with four children under the age of eight.
Those years were the turning point of my life. I had to untangle operations, rebuild structure, and navigate legal and financial complexities, all while grieving and learning leadership through fire. As difficult as it was, that experience shaped my passion for helping other business owners avoid the chaos and vulnerability that comes when structure and planning are missing.
After working in both large public companies and small entrepreneurial firms, I realized I was uniquely equipped to help companies scale with clarity. That led me to launch Brydge Advisors, where I serve as a fractional COO to growth-minded entrepreneurial companies. My focus is helping leaders gain traction, build systems, empower their teams, and break through the ceilings holding them back. I love stepping into that messy middle with them, the space where structure, vision, and execution come together to create transformational growth.
More recently, my work expanded in a new way. I joined Discovery Point Wealth Advisors, where I serve as a financial advisor with a focus on business owners and high-net-worth families. Earning my CEPA® (Certified Exit Planning Advisor) designation allowed me to bridge the gap between operational strategy and long-term wealth strategy. I help owners understand their personal financial “number,” align their business with their personal goals, mitigate taxes, and build a clear path toward a successful exit — whether that exit is five years away or twenty.
What ties both sides of my work together is my mission:
to support business owners through every stage of their growth — operationally, strategically, and financially.
I’ve lived what can happen when a business has no plan, no structure, and no continuity. Today, my purpose is to help owners build strong companies, create generational opportunities, and move forward with clarity and confidence. No one should have to navigate that journey alone.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not at all, my journey has been shaped by adversity, resilience, and a whole lot of grit. Losing both of my parents young and stepping in to run our family’s HVAC business at just 23 pushed me into leadership long before I felt ready. I was grieving, making complex financial and operational decisions, and raising a young family at the same time. There was no roadmap and no room for hesitation, and those years taught me how to stay steady in chaos.
Later, when I took the entrepreneurial leap to start Brydge Advisors, life didn’t slow down. I was a single mom raising my son, building a business from the ground up, and working to create stability and opportunity for both of us. Getting him off to college not long after launching my firm was one of the proudest moments of my life, a reminder that even in the hardest seasons, perseverance pays off.
Entrepreneurship brought its own challenges: creating structure from scratch, balancing client needs, and growing a business while guiding others through their own turning points. But every step, even the difficult ones, strengthened my ability to lead through uncertainty and help business owners move forward with clarity and confidence.
The road hasn’t been smooth, but it has been deeply meaningful. Every challenge built the grit, empathy, and steadiness that define how I serve today.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
My business is called Brydge Advisors, and we specialize in fractional COO support for growth-minded entrepreneurial companies. I started Brydge with a simple belief: most business owners don’t fail because they lack passion or ideas, they struggle because they don’t have the structure, systems, or strategic clarity to translate their vision into consistent results. That’s where we come in.
At Brydge Advisors, I step into the heart of a business and help leaders untangle complexity, strengthen operations, and build the foundation they need to grow. I work closely with CEOs and leadership teams to create organizational structure, define responsibilities, build scalable processes, and align their strategy with the day-to-day execution their growth requires. My approach is hands-on, personal, and deeply rooted in understanding how people and operations work together.
What truly sets Brydge apart is our willingness to step into the messy middle with our clients. Many firms only focus on high-level strategy or business owners who already have everything figured out. I work with companies who are in motion; sometimes overwhelmed, sometimes stuck but committed to breaking through their ceiling. I’m known for bringing clarity to chaos, helping leaders gain traction, and developing structures that are both practical and human-centered. My clients often say they feel lighter, more confident, and more empowered after we work together.
I’m also a Financial Advisor at Discovery Point Wealth Advisors, where I bring my CEPA® certification into financial advising for business owners. This allows me to bridge operational strategy with long-term wealth and exit planning, helping owners understand their personal financial “number,” align their business with their goals, and create meaningful paths toward a successful exit.
Brand-wise, I’m most proud that Brydge Advisors represents authenticity, transformation, and trust. It’s more than a consulting practice; it’s a partner for business owners who want to grow with intention and build companies that last.
What I want readers to know is this:
Your business doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. Growth doesn’t have to feel chaotic. You don’t have to figure it out alone.
Brydge Advisors exists to bridge where you are to where you want to go; with clarity, structure, and a strategy that works.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was always incredibly independent, outgoing, and responsible. I had an entrepreneurial streak even as a child, I used to create little shows with my neighborhood friends, make tickets, and go door-to-door selling them to our parents so they could come watch. I loved being creative, organizing people, and bringing ideas to life. I also grew up riding horses and dancing, which taught me discipline, commitment, and how much passion can shape a person.
My mom played a huge role in who I was becoming. She poured into us, encouraged us to explore nature, animals, and creativity, and truly gave us space to grow. When she passed away when I was ten, everything shifted. I stepped more deeply into a caretaker role, especially for my younger sister, and in many ways I had to grow up faster than most kids my age. Those years made me resilient and gave me a strong sense of responsibility and empathy.
As I moved into my teen years, I became even more driven by my goals and dreams. I worked incredibly hard in school and on the drill team, and I naturally gravitated toward leadership roles. I’ve always been someone who sees possibility, who dreams big, and who isn’t afraid to work hard for what I want. Looking back, so many pieces of who I am today: a leader, a builder, someone who guides others were already there in my childhood.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.brydgeadvisors.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sueellenburch/
- Other: https://www.ameripriseadvisors.com/sueellen.burch/
