SuzanneSays... Courageous Conversations About Life and Living

Ellen Lettrich came into my world billed as "flaky, but you'll love her!"  The second part is true, but Ellen...flaky? Absolutely not. Too many irons in the fire? Maybe...but busy people get things done, and Ellen. Gets. Shit. Done. She's the type of woman who has to take action when she sees a problem she can solve. Even if it means a career change. Even if it means going back to college for a different degree. Even if it means a post-graduate degree. Even if it means selling her company to start a nonprofit. Even if...

And she's a #SteelerNation girl! In fact, back in our childhoods, our lives were happening less than 100 miles from each other. But we had to grow up, move away (her to NYC and me to Tulsa), and go through a few career changes to finally meet through a mutual friend. SO glad we did, and I'm so glad to introduce this dynamo to you!

In the second half of my late, late-night conversation with my friend, Gail Oliveira, we get a little...candid?...about our conundrum of being single at this stage of our lives. We talk about how we go about figuring out what we want in a partner and discuss examples we've seen in other relationships.

I tell the story of my grandma Maysel's second marriage (lots to learn from her!) and from there we go all over the place and back about family and how it shapes who we are. Enjoy!

It's always a trick to connect with my friend, Gail Oliveira because there's a helluva time difference between Oklahoma and Okinawa, but boy howdy...when we do? We go all over the place in the conversation! We were finally able to connect on a late Saturday night (for me) and a lazy Sunday afternoon (for her) and the result is another 2-episode conversation.

Listen in as we share our perspectives on this crazy world we live in, the impact (planned or unplanned?) of social media on our lives, how two "mature", single, Baby Boomer women are finding their way through current events.

My friend, Charline Touchard, lives and runs her business traveling around the country in an RV. When I asked her my opening question (who are you?) - wow, did I learn a lot! Not least of which is how much we have in common despite the fact that she's married (I'm not), she doesn't have kids (I do), and she takes everything (including her kitchen sink!) with her wherever she goes.

Listen in as we talk about our challenges when it comes to cooking, the similarities of raising kids and dogs, and being who we are in this world.

My friend Brook Packard is a creative dynamo. She's an introvert, a thinker, a musician, a writer, an activist... the list goes on and on. This is why I found her answer to my first question (Who are you?) so interesting. And from there we talked about our shared perspective as introverts, saying YES more often to and in life, and the many and varied ways and means we use to regulate ourselves.

Marty dropped a bomb at the end of the last episode (the first half of our conversation) and that's where we pick up here. He explains why he calls me his "wife from another life" and we talk about past lives, childhood memories, and the looming presence of death as a constant reminder to create lives we really love and want to live.

Marty and I can, and have, talked for hours on end, so you already know he'll be back for another conversation. And it will be just as rich and varied as this one is. Enjoy!

Marty Marsh is definitely one of the souls I was meant to find and know in this lifetime. I know this because in our very first conversation I felt like I was talking to someone I already knew really well. That was back in 2008 or 2009...neither of us can remember exactly. 

A fellow empath, Marty and I talk about energy, what connects us as people, asking for help, making memories and plans for the rest of our lives, and our shared struggle of deciding what we want to be when we grow up... Still... After all this time.

I met Bill in person for the first time in September of 2016 when I took him to dinner on his birthday... in Portland, Maine. Odd, because he lives in St. Louis, Missouri, and I live in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We tell you that story, of course, but that's not the invitation he and I talk about in this conversation. 

The invitation Bill accepted takes him 7,512 miles from home on a regular basis. It's a journey, in more ways than one, that's for sure. Along the way, we discuss learning to love yourself, deciding what you want, expectations, taking risks, and RBF. Not necessarily in that order. 

James and I met about a year ago in an online group. He is hands down one of the most creative people I know. He also has one of the most... unique (yeah, I'll go with that LOL) ...brands I've ever come across. Over the last year, I've had the pleasure of getting to know the man behind the brand and I couldn't wait for this conversation!

Listen in as we discuss creativity, creating, and being creatives. We compare notes on being 'gainfully unemployed', managing our energy as introverts, and the ebb and flow of ideas and overwhelm. In talking about how we come across on social media, he says something that reminded me of Richard Nixon saying "I am not a crook!" See if you can spot it. (Big difference, though... What James says is actually true.)

Lori and I have known each other for years, yet even I didn't know how her childhood cat had first modeled for her what she wanted to do for others as a vocation. In this conversation, we talk about how difficult it is to separate who you are from what you do, how entrepreneurship has changed us, and our shared perspective that our beautiful brains are at the same time the best and worst thing about being us. 

Listen as Lori shares some great insights on workplace issues, how millennials have positively impacted workplace cultures, and the surprising hobby she has the brings her so much joy.

Meet Sandra Leigh Lester. She's a lot of things packed into her 5-ft frame: Smart, quirky, caring, and curious, just to name a few. She's passionate about her work as a sustainable design strategist. What's that, you ask? Let me answer that by asking you a question: Do you think you could live in a house devoid of central heat and air, yet be warm in the winter and cool in the summer? Her answer is a big YES! And she's helping commercial and residential property owners pull off this kind of magic on a regular basis. 

I learned so much in this conversation! Not least of which is how much she and I have in common as women, moms, entrepreneurs... I could go on, but it'd be more fun for you to click play and listen.

What happens when you notice a problem? Do you walk on by or do you set out to solve it? My friend, Alasen Zarndt, had a big problem and set out to solve it...and solve it, she did! For herself and others. Find out how a nuclear engineer ends up starting her own business helping new moms transition from pregnancy to postpartum to breastfeeding to moms with young kids without losing themselves and their health in the process.

We talk about our experiences in male-dominated career fields, what it's like to be a questioner/rebel, how our children both fascinate and surprise us, and so much more! Truly a great conversation. Don't take my word for it, though - click play and listen!