About Susan.

Why is it so difficult to write about oneself? Maybe it's because we see ourselves so often through the lens of others that when it comes time to speak our unfiltered voice, we freeze. Heart Stories is about shaking loose the freeze, finally reaching the words that come from our soul about the essential things in life. Further, this storytelling community and coaching experience are about supporting anyone going through change and helping them follow the light in their heart and find the power in their voice to craft a life they love. 

My light and my voice went out for a while, two years to be exact, when my marriage of 27 years suddenly ended. As a writer, losing my voice, my words, and not accessing my fractured heart were the unbearable fallout of the most challenging time in my life. I found myself thrust into the eye of the storm of someone else's chaos, but with the result being my hold on life perilously fragile. I had to find a way through the pain and changes.

As a mom of two adult children, a daughter of my own aging Mom in need of care, and a newly single woman after a lifetime spent with one man, the need to change felt overwhelming and foreign, although I knew it was essential. My journey took me from chaos back to the heart of the story. I was writing a new book for a new life, one that I could barely imagine initially, but which I grew to see would be joy-filled, authentic, and designed for my highest good. And my new life includes helping others do the same. It's not about writing new chapters to your old book; it's about visualizing, imagining, crafting, and writing your new book of life. 

Many people are going through life-altering changes, be it the end of a marriage, becoming an empty nester, losing a job, caring for aging parents, and having to recreate yourself in the midst of a pandemic, and more. Life, at times, can feel like an assault rather than a love affair. 

As a former reporter, communications, and nonprofit professional, my life has been about telling authentic stories. I believe we are transformed by speaking and sharing our stories and that by looking back, we can reframe experiences to inform and change our future.

My program is founded on calling upon the triad of writing, nature, and intuition as guiding forces for personal and professional hope and change. If you are so inspired, please check out my storytelling and coaching services to learn more about restarting your heart and re-imagning your life:). The program is structured around Zoom-based, weekly group sessions with a specific focus each week, assignments, and personal check-ins with me. Other holistic modalities will be incorporated, including movement, meditation, and vision boards. The result will be a thorough outline of what your next steps will be based upon an exploration of your heart, current life, and a better understanding of your past - through writing.

You may say you are not a writer (many do!), but I have always believed everyone is a writer and everyone has important stories to tell that can change the course of your life. I look forward to meeting you! Please take a look at @hopefulheartstories on Instagram as well as my blog with posts about life, change, and how to incorporate the power of nature and intuition into your world.