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Speech Transcript (very little editing so not exact)

Suzaanne please introduce yourself to time to shine to the podcast varsity squad. But first, what’s your favorite color? And why my favorite color

is green? Yeah, it is. And thank you, I just want to say for having me on the show, Scott. It’s so great to be here today. Green because I just there’s so many different shades of green. And it’s a common color. And it just charges me up. I love the color. This

is actually made green, you know that I’m wearing right now just blends into my background. So loving go wider, but I love it. So Suzanne, let’s get kind of to the nitty gritty of maybe of where your roots were, and then how you’re kind of really leveling up and the lessons that are taught. Especially, I’m trying to remember the older character, Goldie, Goldie, like the lessons that were taught in the book, and the stories of that pour out of there, like Where was your roots at that really got you to becoming an author?

Well, I think one of the key themes in the book is definitely friendships. And Goldie serves as a mentor. And I think that, you know, when you’re going through life, as a younger person, you always need somebody to kind of help you along. And you know, you know, reach out a hand and help guide you. And so I wanted to put that into the book. You know, I had a big sister who was quite intelligent. And you know, we’re different people in a she, she she did this scholastic stuff, and I’m more of I was the kid that was staring out the window, you know, while the teacher was at the blackboard, you know, I’m a bit of a bit of a bit of a daydreamer. And I even to this day, I still am. But what happened was along the way, I figured out a way to channel that daydreaming onto the page. And and so now I’ve Yeah, I’ve been able to make something of it, which is just great

in the story, that the way you put it together, which flows so nicely, thank you for doing that, especially as a reader that I read five or six books a month, it was nice and refreshing to get through there who kind of got the base of your author and started meeting like how did you start to become an author be able to piece together a book and be able to get it out to the masses.

I’ve always been a big reader and I years ago, Scott, it was more than 10 years ago. I remember reading a story or several books. And there was this little voice going off on the side of in the back of my head that said, I can do this too. And I started messing around with some classes online classes. There’s Gotham Writers Workshop that offers some really cool things if anybody’s ever interested in that. And then I connected on Facebook with other writers and authors and I met my mentor Who’s Caroline Leavitt, she’s a New York Times bestselling author. And she’s just fantastically talented. And I saw that she did manuscript reviews. And I said, you know, I’m kind of piecing together a book, would you look at this. And she saw the first few chapters of what I was writing. And I paid her, of course, and she said, you’ve got, you’ve got the talent, you can do this. And I said, Whoa, so just getting that kind of acknowledgement shot in the arm from that Pro is set me off on a totally new trajectory. Scott,

isn’t that awesome? How like one person can that you don’t even really know, can and that’s how it really works for me a lot of times, because it kind of comes down to trust and respect in things where, like, if you and I were really good friends, you would come over to my house with maybe bring a friend with you. And I would hop off the chair and open up the door and be like, hey, Suzanne, and hey, your friend, can I get you a drink and whatnot? That’s kind of like the respect. But like, if you were to come over and knock on the door, it’s open, you know, hey, Fergie, I’d be like, Hey, you’re like got a beer. And I’m like, you know where they’re at, I’m not going to do as much right out of the trusted people that you have that you’re going to. So that’s a great lesson to kind of get outside right? cocoon, if you will. That’s right.

That’s right. And we were just talking about being introverted. You know, I am as a writer, you know, I have no problem socializing, but then I like to kind of go in. But as I’ve realized, you know, launching the book last year, I’ve done, you know, interviews, and I’ve had to kind of put myself out there. And that’s been really fans fascinating. And it’s also a great way to connect with the reader. Because it’s one thing to sit at your desk all day and just be typing and writing and getting lost in that story world, which is where I love to live. But man, it’s been so fun hearing from readers and really getting the feedback from them.

Do you use a any kind of program or anything to set the scenes in the book?

I don’t I don’t I take a lot of notes. And I just type on, you know, what is it pages for Mac? Yeah, I

love it. So you just did you kind of start off for lack of a better term, like throwing up all over your keyboard? And then just kind of piecing it together later? Or did you methodically write this?

It’s great question, Scott. You know, this, I’ve heard someone recently say you’re never gonna sit down and just start writing a book. But what you can do and what I did was, I had this bunch of scenes in my head, and I said, you know, I know this is going to take place, let me write this. And you, let’s say you put two characters in a scene together, and you’re like, it doesn’t matter when in the story, this is going to come up, it could come up in chapter 17. But get it down. Once you start writing, what is going to happen is those characters are going to take on a new life, and you’re gonna go, No, I don’t, this is the direction she’s headed in. And that’s where he’s going. And then all of a sudden, more scenes begin to blossom.

So what when you say that is a kind of, you can disagree with me on this, that’s fine. But is it kind of like a ready fire aim, instead of Ready Aim Fire, like you just kind of get it out there and then move them where they need to on the other side, because you said you already know it’s going to say I’m going

to say it’s both I’m gonna say it’s both because I do have a working outline, because I like kind of like, I need to have some kind of idea of where the story’s going. I’m not just gonna write John went to his mailbox, and then he turned around, there’s gotta be something what happens in the story, what are we doing to these people? So I like to have some kind of a flow. But honestly, that outline will change, it’s going to morph. And there sometimes you write in the wrong direction, there’s going to be a lot of you know, a lot of words that you delete, I have a file on my computer, and it’s called extra footage. And I just keep everything that I you know, I’m not using in there because it’s garbage. But just keep it they’re

almost like outtakes, right, you might put in the movie. Correct. It’s funny you say that, because I’m watching this Docu drama called the offer about how the Godfather was written in, like the producer, like went back into the book and added something that changed the whole movie, but it was never in the movie, put the book. So I love that analogy. Because it’s there, you’re like, wait a minute, you wrote it in there. Because I use a living writer. It’s just a program that I like to use. I have people use Scrivener and stuff like that, but I’m able to set the scenes. It’s very good. So what do you think your biggest strengths are as a writer,

my imagination and also getting inside the character’s head. I’m, I’m a cancer, you know, I’m an I’m empathic. And so I don’t like to hurt people’s feelings. I’m always I’m a pretty touchy feely kind of person. So I think that definitely helps in building characters to characters that people can relate to, or certain people and, you know, characters that people care about. I’ll leave so far as to say Yeah,

wow. That’s I’m actually kind of taking notes on that because that’s so critical with of a strength for a writer and again, I’m a rookie writer myself, but I’ve been blessed to interview people like Bob Berg or John David Mann, you know, from the Go Giver series and in whatnot. So that’s exciting. do what they say exactly what they said to get into the character’s head and play it out. So how about weaknesses and writing? What do you think your biggest weakness?

Scheduling, focusing, I need more of a schedule. It can’t just be okay. I’ve got this week in front of me and I’m going to write, I need to definitely a lot time saying, Okay, I’m on plugging from here to here and here to here. And this is nothing is going to get in the way I need to schedule better. That is definitely a weakness. Yeah.

I love that. Because people will be like, Oh, I’ll do it. Yeah. But no, if you lock in a time and say, you know, you shut the door, and I literally have like a light that turns on outside of a door. It’s like whether I’m recording or writing. It’s just like, No one bugs me, you know, for that. 40 minutes. You know,

I love that.

So, let me ask you somebody. Have you seen the movie Back to the Future? Oh, I

love that movie.

Okay, let’s get the DeLorean with Marty McFly. Let’s go back to the double Deuce and 22 year old Suzanne. I don’t know if it’s seminary dammit, the 22 year old Suzanne. What kind of knowledge nuggets as we call me at Townshend today? What kind of knowledge nuggets would you drop on the double Deuce the 22 year old Suzanne that did so much changing things. You have a lovely marriage, you have a lovely life, you have a great career, but maybe just shorten the learning curve a little bit or blast through.

So at 22 I was already out of college. Right? So and I was working in the corporate world I go back to I go back to myself and say, What do you like, think about what it is that what are your, you know, things that you lean towards? I think what sometimes when you’re young and you’re directionless, and you’re just kind of working the first job out of college, you look to people around you for it to give to give you like a mirror of what you want in this world. And but you don’t really know what you want yourself, at least for me. And so I would get to know myself better. I would I would definitely ask her more questions and try and excavate this Suzanne, a little bit earlier. Yeah. Then Then, let’s say had happened.

Nailed it, man. You know, a good friendly wood for another awesome author. So you know, get your asking here. You know, she told me that she’s like, you get stuck or whatnot asked to that person in the mirror? Or like you just said, mentors. I mean, the more you mentor, the more immortal you become. Right? So you keep passing it down. But you have people that have did it, stand on those shoulders and pull it forward? I absolutely love that. So, Suzanne, how do you want your dash remembered that little line between your incarnation date, your expiration date, your life date and death date? Hopefully, it’s a long way down the road. But sure, on your tombstone? How do you want your dash remembered?

Oh, I want to be known as a generous, but I don’t I don’t mean that in terms of gift giving, which I am as well. But I mean, generous in terms of my time and my heart and help being helpful. To others. You know, I try I try my best to give back. So I think I would imagine that would be what, what I want.

And I also have a feeling you that you’re also somebody that is kind of remembered if you Well, I think that you’re probably more interested in other people’s stories than telling your own. Like, I just I, I see that I’m that, like you tell other people’s stories in this book. People right. So yeah. Is that true? Or do you like to talk about yourself about funding?

I think it’s true, Scott. And I love that you just said that. Because you brought up a good point, I think I like to get lost in story in the daydreaming as I said before, so it’s wonderful for me to be able to create these characters, which none of this book was is autobiographical. But there’s a little piece of me and each of these women and so and so that’s been it’s just been fun to write different kind of versions and different pieces. Yeah, it’s been healing and it’s been it’s been a blast. So no, I don’t really I don’t want to really what her memoir I don’t want I don’t think I’m gonna do that.

Nailed it. It will you write this stuff it is healing. It is because there is a little piece of you and you know what my parable is? It’s basically the guide talks to five different people kind of like the Go Giver if you will, about it. And it’s but it’s a little piece of me and each person lessons that I’ve been taught by those five people as well and it just was fun to be able to put it in writing.

Oh, I love the premise. Wow, love love it. So

then what do you think people misunderstand the most about Suzanne?

Hmm, it miss understand about me. That’s interesting. Hi, Joe. Hi, my name is Sandra. misunderstand, huh? Well, we are going to go back to the introverted I’m going to go back to the introversion because yeah, I think because I’m so friendly and and I you know, but I do need that time I need I need my space and I need my cocoon time as we were talking before we started. So I think that might be a little bit of a you know, people are like, Hey, let’s get together and I’m okay for that for a little while. But I think that’s a great point. And I’d never thought about it but No, I think I’m misunderstood because people don’t understand I need space. I need that time alone to read, you know, then then I can come out and smile. Yeah, give me give me that space.

We all have a limited amount of bandwidth, right? And it’s like when we, when we’re pulled in different directions, it can really deplete us and we’re not authentic. Now try to push it through love that love it. So

you know, Sky want to say something else if it’s okay, because you just you just put you just jarred something in my memory. Last year, right before I was launching the book, I was working with my publicist, her name’s Caitlin Hamilton. So me, she’s fantastic. And I remember she kept sending me things like, you know, all you got to do some content and write for this person. And you know, you got to write for here and send me 500 words. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t do it. Because I had my marketing hat on. And I was so focused on promotion and things like that, and getting ready for these interviews. I didn’t want to spend time changing channels and writing about myself in 500 words, I just wanted to point that out. I just thought about it right now.

Which way did you go with that? Did you decline doing that?

I just never got it into her. I mean, I finally did one article, I was able to squeeze out and she said you didn’t have the bandwidth for content. I said, No, I didn’t write and I realized for the next book, I should probably have some pieces prepared already.

Right. And that’s true as an author, not I’m not published yet. But I’ve talked to so many and I’m in the process. It just seems like you’re kind of you’re bald so much with your characters and whatnot. And when people are trying to pull you away, it’s tougher, like I can do a blog real fast about leveling up your life to the people I coach, you know, that’s not a problem. But writing something that is goes into what other people want. It’s very hard for me to get it on a timeline. So yeah, Suzanne, what keeps you up at night?

Oh, the passage of time, how fast time is going, which isn’t good. But you know, I think that it’s also creates a little bit of an urgency in my life. It’s like, okay, you gotta wake up tomorrow, and you’re gonna sit down at that desk and gang in writing the next chapter. But I think that is what keeps me up at night time passing. Yeah,

it is. And we don’t get it back.

We don’t. We don’t it’s not even about so much getting older. Just about the fact that time is moving. Right? It is. Yeah.

So if you if you were to take out of this, this question, anything electronical you know, no iPads, no iPhones, no computers, whatnot. But what are the three things that Suzanne can’t live without?

Okay, cooking, I love to cook. Yoga. And this is gonna sound funny sleep. There you go. I have come to love my sleep so much. Oh my god. You know, people always like, Oh, I’ll sleep later. I don’t need. I’m not that person. I’m not up all night writing. I need my bedtime

I’ve ever had as his aura ring. And oh my gosh, it’s smart. It’s so it’s not up your butt with like, Oh, get moving, do this. No, it’s just like, do this is what your sleep is your activity is your temperatures here, your oxygen is here. And I’ve learned I’m 50 years old now. And I’ve learned really that sleep is paramount is you know 50 But I’m still on the jujitsu mat five mornings a week, I’m still getting 430 every day and getting after it. But sleep is absolutely pure. Thank you for adding that.

Oh, it’s so true. And I’m just I’m just a few years behind you, by the way. So I’m, I’m gaining on you, but I’m gaining on you. But as you do when you get to a certain age, you start to realize that hey, man, I can keep going and I can wake up and be full of energy and workout like you said, but I need sleep. How am I gonna get that done without being rested?

40 years old. It was like my check engine light started coming on every morning. Not that the car was breaking down. But you had to check in i in this older gentleman who became really good friends with my pickleball partner here in South Florida. But you know, he told me you know that you have to chase energy and I’m like, kind of a flow guy like I’m Ashtanga Yoga guy. I’m like, really, really flow. And he’s kind of like kind of know about chasing. He’s like, Listen, man, if a coyote sees a rabbit, is it just going to flow to him? No. It’s got to strategically do something and he eats for the day. I’m like wow, so I revamped the whole morning routine I revamped everything to fit with my flow and next thing you know I have this energy like I’ve never had it in sleep well like you said sleep is the Paramount love it so what is Suzanne’s definition of a life well lived

I’m thinking this is a good question. I was gonna I was gonna say feeling successful, but it doesn’t have to mean financial but feeling feeling successful within your own right or achieving something that you want even It could be, you know, just balancing your life. You know, waking up eating healthy cooking a good meal. See making time for friends work, balance, I’d say balance and to me is the path to success. And I struggle with it every day. By the way, I’m not I’m not some guru. It’s hard. But yeah, so that would be it.

What I love what you just said, but what I do with my coaching clients, I say remove balance out balances zero, and I’m not calling I’m not saying you’re wrong, oh, this helps me, this helps me. Let’s go with harmony. Like, let’s have harmony, because I liken it to a jazz band. So like you just said, your community and friends that’d be your drums, your finances of your horn, your relationships, passion, intimacy would be the, the guitar whatnot, if one of those instruments is out of, you know, to the jazz band sounds like crap. So like we find that harmony and that was something that’s passed down to me for my coach, to have that harmony within that that really rolled into my book. I’m not saying bounces wrong. I just know that there were balances when we’re dead and zero and harmony is

much, much better word especially when you explain it. I feel like I’ve just walked away with a nugget. Really, thank you for that. I love it. It’s a better way to approach it really is

thank you so much. Time to shine did a podcast for our squad, we are back with the fantastic author of the sound of wings, my good friend, Suzanne Suman, Edie and Suzanne one day we’re going to meet because you know, coast and we get a lot of East Coast people come to the Florida down here on the east side and you you nostro and a few other DOP and maybe have a 1520 minute discussion, each one of these questions, but you’ve got five seconds with no explanations and all of them can be done that way. I promise you. Okay, ready to level up?

I can’t wait. Let’s do it.

Suzanne, what is the best leveling up advice you’ve ever received?

The best I’m sorry, the best lovely nugget of advice. Yeah. Find a mentor.

Yes. share one of your personal habits that contributes to your success. Meditation. So we see me walking down the street and like man, Fergie looks like he’s a little bit in his doldrums just not right. His vibe is off his energy’s off. Other than your book. What book might you hand?

Oh, a book by Jeff Foster. I can’t think of the name right now. But authors need to write it down. Okay. is wonderful.

Awesome. What’s your most commonly used emoji when you text? Part of it? Nicknames growing up? Zanni face Zanni face. I’m gonna break my rule. Where’d that come from?

My late aunt Patricia. She used to call me that.

Love it. Love it. Just checkers or monopoly?

Monopoly. All right,

go to go to ice cream flavor. Pistachio, right. You know, Susan just got pistachio at our gelato place the other day. Absolutely loved it. There’s a sandwich called the Zanni face. What’s on that sandwich?

Okay, slice Turkey, avocado, onion and tomato.

Love it. You just miss bacon. That’s all. I’m kidding. So the time machine, you can take it you you can’t change a thing you can just go visit which you take a time machine anytime in the future or anytime in your past. Future future Love it. Love it. favorite charity and, and organization like to give your time or money to

Planned Parenthood.

Thank you very much. Last question. You can elaborate on this one? I think I’m gonna know your answer. But what is the best decade he music 60s 70s 80s or 90s 70s 80s? Love it. I knew you’re gonna say 70s For some reason it was there with your personality in whatnot. So let’s get into the son of wings. Tell us a little bit about this book. Maybe how it plays out without spoiling too much.

So the three women there’s there are three women in the story, as you said Goldie Jocelyn and crystal and they’re from different walks of life, and they’re also different ages. And Goldie is the local Potter in town. And she’s been widowed for about 30 years. And then we have Jocelyn who’s in her 30s and she’s the writer and she’s going through a custody battle with her ex. And she also just got married and then crystal is our born and bred local and she’s just a beautiful buxom blonde. And she’s married a wonderful guy who treats her well and financially, she said, but she sort of doesn’t feel whole inside because she hasn’t healed from her past. And I take Krystal on a bit of a journey. And what we find is that the women do find one another and we find that they’re all sort of going through a bit of a transformation, which is where the butterfly theme comes into play. But they also learn from one another even Goldie being the eldest she learns from the other one Men. And so, you know, there are a couple twists in the story that really shocked the reader a couple of the readers wrote to me and said, Wow, so we’ll find that startling connection between Goldie and Jocelyn. They have an interesting past

I do I do. So if you can put like a synopsis, maybe just like a one liner about this book, what would you name the synopsis? Like the the have the you know, just if you had to pitch me in an elevator will go cliche if you’re like me on this book, what would you say?

It’s the story is about saying goodbye to old ghosts, healing old wounds, and excavating the new self, allowing yourself to grow

does it does, it goes back to the butterfly, in that cocoon in the transformation, you stick. So, so close to that Susanna, and I really, really appreciate you doing that. So squad, we’re going to do a book giveaway with my good friend Suzanne here and whoever first put Zanni face in any of the social, whether it is Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, wherever you put it, I’ll make sure that we get a signed book out to you mailed to you on time to shine today’s time. So if you could miss Suzanne leaves us with one last Knowledge Nugget we can take with us internalize and take action.

Be good to yourself. And what I mean by that is look out for yourself and make sure that you’re staying, you know, on course, with whatever it is that you need to be doing you we all know deep down when we’re not doing something that we should be doing. Or we’re you know, we need to be learning something new, whatever it is, be good to yourself, be honest with yourself. And you know, keep moving.

Love it, love it in squad. This was such a fun conversation, a lot of that of the people that I interview with, you know, they’re like coaches and consultants and whatnot. But my friend here Suzanne comes from the corporate world, fantastic family life, you know, and she’s really about mentoring in finding mentors if you need one, and everybody needs one and be a mentor if you have to. And again, I said before, you know, the more you mentor, the more immortal you become, because people will pay that forward, what you’ve taught them, she channeled her daydreaming and put it onto the page. And that’s something that a lot of people are stuck doing. I mean, they’re out of 320 million people, I believe, in the United States, it’s like only like 8% of them have ever wrote a book and there’s a story inside you get it out if you can, and you know and pick up books like the sound of wings, because it will really influence the get Jarrah ideas loose and whatnot to have you be able to get your life or your story out on paper, whoever reads it, it would just be nice to have that legacy for yourself. You know, it is funny to do Suzanne said, you know, you know, this scene is already gonna take place, so she just started typing it. And that was the best thing because a lot of people will be like, Oh, I’ll remember it later. No, you won’t. And you get it at least the idea into your cell phone or something. So you can type it later. But if you’re home, you have the time get it onto paper, you know, so she really loves getting the imagination into her characters heads, getting the heads of her characters and getting them on paper. And it’s if you read the story, you’ll know where I’m coming from with that, you know, see Josh reminds us to find out what moves you what’s your passion is what do you really like and if you need help along the way, like Leah said, Get your asking here get going you know she’s known as she will be remembered as somebody that you know basically planted trees she’s never going to sit in the shade of with these characters. There’s so many lessons out there that will help you level up your life as well. And it’s so cool how the story without giving away too much how it all comes full circle how they all meet and learn from each other. It is absolutely kick ass. You know, and also like she believes in balance and harmony to feeling successful within your own right find that harmony in your life in what you can do that the transformation in the cocoon, you start you know, seeing it, it’s like, you know, a lot of people will find them say I’m in such a bad place. I’m in the tomb, but I really like to tell people you know, you’re in the womb, like you’re in the womb like you’re giving birth to something you know, and trust and have faith whether it’s God or your Creator, have that and again, ask for help. You know, she wants to remind us lastly, to be good to yourself. Look out for what moves you. Make sure you are staying the course and trust your instincts and be honest with yourself with it. And that’s what my good friend Suzanne does. She levels up her house she levels up her wealth. You’ve earned your varsity squad letter here at time to shine today and kill We could collaborate with you in the future on something. Absolutely love your guts. Thank you so, so much for coming out. Thank

you, Scott. This has been a blast.

Talk soon. Okay. Hey, thanks so much for listening to this episode of time to shine today podcast. proudly brought to you by Southern Nugent real estate real estate excellence, who can be reached at 561-249-7266 and online at www dot Sutter in nugent.com. If you’re a business owner or professional who would like to be interviewed on time to shine today, please visit time to shine today.com Flash guest. If you liked this episode, please subscribe on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, I Heart Radio or wherever you get your podcasts. There’s a link in the show notes to our website. Also there you will see a recommended resources. We hope that you will support our show by supporting them. If you like what you’ve been listening to, it’d be great if you could just give us a five star rating and tell your friends how to subscribe while you’re at it. I’m your host Scott Ferguson. And until next time, let’s level up it’s our time to shine

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