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Episode 25: Put Your Shoes On: Finding Strength in Small Steps with Suzanne Krasnow
37 Plays7 months ago
In this heartfelt episode, Laura Caroffino talks with Suzanne Krasnow, an Air Force veteran, author of Put Your Shoes On, and the creative force behind Warrior Angel Creations. Suzanne shares the highs and lows of her journey, from serving her country to facing life-changing medical challenges that forced her to leave the military.
She reflects on the emotional weight of losing her identity, the difficult path to recovery, and the surprising ways she found hope again. Sewing became an outlet that sparked Warrior Angel Creations, while an unexpected connection to the world of direct sales helped her rebuild her confidence and sense of purpose.
Throughout the conversation, Suzanne offers honest insight into what resilience really looks like. She talks about the value of small victories, the importance of journaling, and learning to embrace change without guilt. Her story is a reminder that progress often comes in quiet moments, and that simply showing up can be enough.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
· Why Suzanne chose the Air Force at 17 and how it shaped her life
· The impact of sudden medical retirement and the struggle to adapt
· How a simple sewing project grew into Warrior Angel Creations
· The role community and connection played in her healing process
· The personal meaning behind “put your shoes on”
· Advice for anyone feeling stuck or uncertain about their purpose
· The one belief she had to let go of in order to move forward
Resources and Links:
· Website: www.SuzanneKrasnow.com
· Follow Suzanne on Facebook and Instagram
· Put Your Shoes On – available on Amazon and her website
· Learn more about Warrior Angel Creations
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to 'Mamas Who Lead'
00:00:15
Speaker
Welcome back to Mamas Who Lead, at the podcast where motherhood meets leadership, purpose meets passion, and resilience meets real-life transformation. And I'm your host, Lori Garofino, and today we're diving into something so powerful that everyone needs to hear.
00:00:32
Speaker
What if the small, quiet things you are already doing are exactly what you need to move forward?
Guest Introduction: Suzanne Krasnow
00:00:40
Speaker
And I have an incredible guest today. is that She's a dear friend of mine.
00:00:44
Speaker
She's the incredible Suzanne Krasnow. She's a writer, creator, Air Force veteran, and the powerhouse behind Warrior Angel Creations. Suzanne is showing us what it really means to rise, not with loud declarations, but with quiet courage.
Discussing 'Put Your Shoes On' and Resilience
00:01:01
Speaker
And she has a new book, It is called Put Your Shoes On. And it's not just a title. It's really a philosophy. It's a rally cry for anyone who's ever felt stuck, lost, or like small steps don't count.
00:01:16
Speaker
And you are just doing all the things trying to move forward. So if you ever brushed your teeth while crying, taking a shower just to feel human or shown up for life when your heart wasn't in it, this episode's for you.
00:01:30
Speaker
So welcome, Sue. I am so honored to have you here today. How are you doing? am good. i am. And thank you for having me. I'm so excited to do this with you.
00:01:42
Speaker
Me too. I'm just so glad. so excited to have you on here. Your your story is just incredible. And for those who don't know, Sue and I go back years and, you know, I'll let Sue kind of share this story. But we actually met in network marketing and it is so fun. And we have also similar backgrounds. She was actually, she's a veteran.
00:02:04
Speaker
I married into the military. so So can you tell us a little bit about about you, your background and how you got to where you are today? Oh, that's a loaded question.
00:02:16
Speaker
All right. So it's been a journey. But when I was 17, I woke up one day and looked at my mom and said, college isn't for me. And I joined the Air Force. The only one in my family to do so.
00:02:29
Speaker
But just, I knew i would fail out of college because I was easily distracted. I needed structure. I needed something. So I joined the Air Force. And, you know, when I joined in the 90s, there was nothing going on. And then 9-11 happened. It was like, huh.
00:02:49
Speaker
All right. And that became my adult, my whole adult
Suzanne's Military Journey and Life Changes
00:02:53
Speaker
life. And it's, I mean, it's crazy because I started at 17 and I thought I was just going to do it for a couple years and be done. No, it became a lifelong journey for me, but it was something that fit me.
00:03:07
Speaker
i was really good at it. And then a medical procedure, the Air Force required overnight. My life changed.
00:03:19
Speaker
I went from running marathons and deploying to i needed help to walk across the living room and eventually a wheelchair. And had to relearn how to walk again, relearn how to live and find myself.
00:03:36
Speaker
Because my whole identity was I'm an airman and I'm good at it. And now I can't do that. I can't do the mission. I can't do the job. And then it progressed from there. And that became the darkest part of my life.
00:03:51
Speaker
Like a it, it got bad. And honestly, we I mean, we joke about it now, but I mentally broke so hard. I probably should have been committed. I really should have been, but I had a great support system and i kept fighting. And then I found the company that we were together in and I didn't know how desperately I needed that.
Overcoming Cancer and Finding New Purpose
00:04:15
Speaker
And I needed the people and I needed strong women and I needed somebody just to say, you're okay. And I kept going and It healed me. And then as I'm getting better, cancer.
00:04:36
Speaker
Because everybody wants to, you know. You know, knock you down when you're on your high, right? Right. So, but I can say I'm officially six months cancer free.
00:04:47
Speaker
And now I'm in, I'm in my time. Yes, you are. And it's crazy how I can look back and go, i needed that moment where I fell apart so I could be strong enough for this moment.
00:05:06
Speaker
Yes. You know, when you were talking about like how difficult it was, what helped you mentally and emotionally navigate that transition from service member to civilian?
00:05:18
Speaker
Oh, you know, I think I'm still dealing with that. ah Because it's, I mean, you know, it's a camaraderie, like nobody understands.
00:05:29
Speaker
Yes. Like you literally have to look at the person to your left and right and be like, okay, I will die for you. Right. And civilians don't understand that literally, I mean, it takes a village to get us all home.
00:05:44
Speaker
And when you lose that support system, especially when your world's falling apart, yes, you still have your veteran friends and everything, but your purpose is gone. Your support system, it's not as strong and it's it's debilitating. And I know that's part of the reason that I fell so hard.
Transitioning from Military to Civilian Life
00:06:04
Speaker
Was because I felt so lost and alone and I didn't want to burden anybody because all my friends were still active duty and I didn't want to mess up the mission. Because their minds need to be in the mission. And we do what we do. We just tuck our emotions away, put them in and and and plug through like we're trained to do But it's almost to a detriment when you're on the outside looking in.
00:06:30
Speaker
And it took me a while to be, ok I have a different purpose and that's okay. That's where I'm supposed to be But I also still have my veteran community. It's just in a different way. Right.
00:06:46
Speaker
And I think it's helping now that like my generation, we're all retiring. We're all getting old. We're all old. But... But it helps because now I have a few more people that I can be like, hey, like, do you ever feel this way? And they're like, yes, yes, I do.
00:07:02
Speaker
Because initially when when all this happened, it was one, it was so sudden. I was at 17 years active. I was a senior NCO. So that's also, you're already narrowing down the people that you can call on. And it was just, it was difficult because I couldn't say, do you understand what I'm feeling? Because they didn't, because they were still in.
00:07:24
Speaker
And now, you know, and I didn't realize that I would become a person for those getting out as well. You know, some medically, some just normal retirement. And I could tell them it's okay.
00:07:37
Speaker
Yeah, you're going to feel lost. That's okay. We all feel lost when we get out because we don't realize how much it becomes our identity. Yeah, it really does. I mean, and, and it's not a bad thing, but it can be. It's like you had a, you in your mind, that was your purpose.
00:07:55
Speaker
And I like, okay, now what do I do now? What is, cause you're servant, servant leaders. And so now you're like, who do I serve now? Like, what do I do?
00:08:08
Speaker
yeah And I've come across that from many people who retired. And we when my husband and i were kind of like navigating, like, you know, do we retire? Do you stay in? Like, what are you going to do after? I'm like, I don't know. That's as a scary... And we're looking at like the support. There's not a lot of support great for that.
00:08:26
Speaker
And how do you navigate... How did you
Balancing Motherhood and Personal Growth
00:08:28
Speaker
navigate that? Because you're also a mom too. Right. Like that's... Oh, you know, and it was...
00:08:38
Speaker
And i there's a line in my book that's one of my favorites. And i talk ah I probably should have gone into it a little bit more than I did, but I talked about the fact that I became too much of a mom.
00:08:53
Speaker
like I turned my purpose into my son, but it wasn't always a good thing.
00:09:02
Speaker
Like that was the only place I was, I was, I was just, I cannot fail as a mother. And I felt like I was failing as a mother because I was dealing with this transition myself. Mentally, I wasn't healthy and physically I wasn't healthy.
00:09:18
Speaker
And so everything came about my son and like, I know I overwhelmed him at times. And there, you know, we've had conversations now he's an adult, he's 21. And I'm like, I just want to say, I'm sorry. And he's like, it's okay, mom.
00:09:31
Speaker
And again, mom guilt. You're just like, no, no, it wasn't. I could have done this better. But again, mom guilt, it's what we do. We look back and we go, oh, whoops, I should have done this differently.
00:09:44
Speaker
So I think I kind of downplayed it in the book and I didn't realize it till I read my final copy myself. And I was like, I could probably help a few moms with this because If our kids become our sole focus and we're not healing ourselves and we're not actually doing what we need to do for our kids.
00:10:03
Speaker
Yes. Have to heal ourselves and we have to be ourselves. Our whole identity cannot be our children. So I'm glad I started getting better, but it took me time.
00:10:16
Speaker
And then especially with COVID when he was home, it was it was really hard not to just sit there and watch him do school all day. Yes, yes. We're like, oh, yes. They're like, mom.
00:10:29
Speaker
Right. Can you do something else, mom? Right. and know I know. know what you mean. And that is that is hard. So what would you say the hardest part of you think, you know, i guess pretty much you're rebuilding yourself after this life altering situation.
00:10:49
Speaker
What's that hardest part of rebuilding when you're trying to find your new identity now?
Rebuilding After Life-Altering Changes
00:10:55
Speaker
Letting myself. oh Yeah. Letting myself.
00:11:00
Speaker
Because i felt so much guilt. I felt guilty because my five-year plan was gone. I felt guilty because all of my college degrees were basically worthless at this point.
00:11:14
Speaker
I felt guilty because i had no idea of what I wanted to do. And you have to take time for yourself to figure it out. And it was just... I let the guilt eat me alive and I would get stagnant.
00:11:31
Speaker
And then
00:11:34
Speaker
i would start to make little steps, you know, like when i realized putting my shoes on changed my mindset for the day, i would feel guilty about that. And I still don't understand completely why I did, but I just, I was in such a depressive state that the guilt ate me alive.
00:11:56
Speaker
Yeah, I think your book is going to help so many people because it does. And, you know, they may not be dealing with, you know, the exact circumstances you were, but we go through these moments where life happens to us and we do need that small reminder just freaking put your shoes on.
00:12:17
Speaker
Right. Right.
Understanding Resilience
00:12:19
Speaker
And it's going to get you one step forward. Because I've been moments like that, especially the last two years, like, but thank you for the reminder to put my shoes on.
00:12:29
Speaker
Yeah. You know, and it's hard. It's super hard. And so you definitely are very resilient. So what exactly does resilience mean to you now compared to what maybe it meant to you 10 years ago?
00:12:52
Speaker
Not letting yourself get stuck in the bad moment. You have to feel the bad moment. You have to experience it. But you have to move past it.
00:13:05
Speaker
And even if it's messy, even if it's just you got up and took a shower and put you know normal clothes on versus staying in your pajamas all day, it's going to be those little things that Give yourself permission to push through it.
00:13:25
Speaker
And it will be messy and that's okay. But that's what makes you relatable. Especially like if you're like in the world we are, where we're on social media and we have a presence, be honest about it.
00:13:40
Speaker
Yeah. Like don't sugarcoat it. And that will...
00:13:48
Speaker
For me, it helped empower me to be like, okay, I'm going to show up even if it's absolutely awful and I haven't moved from the couch in two days.
00:13:59
Speaker
I'm still going to show up and show you that, okay, so I didn't physically move today, but I journaled today. Or... cook dinner.
00:14:09
Speaker
Like that became an extremely challenging task for me because it required standing. And before I got my strength back to actually not need my wheelchair and stand, our house wasn't equipped for a wheelchair.
00:14:22
Speaker
So I couldn't cook. So it was just allowing myself those little moments of you did this. Okay. Celebrate it. That's the other thing. I think we gloss past little things too much.
00:14:38
Speaker
And it's like, oh, you can only celebrate the big things. Oh, you can only celebrate when you got that whole book written or that you hit that goal. No, break it down into little chunks. Make it something you can do every day. Okay, I showed up. I posted on social media today.
00:14:54
Speaker
Win. Celebrate it. I got through this little thing. Go get yourself a cup of coffee. Celebrate the little things more. And then when the big moments happen, it's even better because you celebrated the whole journey. So you have this whole experience to celebrate versus just, yay, I did this big thing.
00:15:17
Speaker
oh What happened? What? Celebrate the milestones. Yeah. I love that. Now, you mentioned when you were in the wheelchair, during this time, you you're incredibly creative.
00:15:31
Speaker
And ah in just resilience, you you don't like, I mean, you are the epitome of like someone who just doesn't give up. When something hits you, you're just going to keep going.
00:15:42
Speaker
I'm like, all right, next, what can I do? And so that led you to what start Warrior Angel Creations. Yes. Yes. Can you tell me a little bit about that and how did this sewing become a lifeline for you?
00:15:56
Speaker
It still is. So when i was in when I first got the wheelchair, that was very eye-opening. like Until you sat and watched the world from the view of a wheelchair, it's a totally different world. And you don't realize how challenging it is.
00:16:13
Speaker
You don't also realize how bumpy it yeah Like they say everything's wheelchair accessible. It's not, it is, Oh God, it is not. It is not. It is. The world is very difficult to navigate via wheelchair.
00:16:27
Speaker
You can do it. You learn how to do it because you have to. But the biggest thing for me was the chair I got issued. It didn't have any like sort of storage pockets, nothing.
00:16:40
Speaker
And Carrying a purse was kind of awkward because the straps would get in the way when I was wheeling and like it would fall down on my shoulder. I was like, there has to be a better way.
00:16:53
Speaker
And we were unpacking at the house we were at before now. And I found my sewing machine and was like,
00:17:05
Speaker
I wonder. I hadn't sewn in years. I grew up sewing. I love sewing. But it was a skill that I had just let go. And I had some fabric. It was the wrong fabric. Like everything about the very first ones was just awful.
00:17:23
Speaker
But I pulled it out and it gave me something to focus on because I wanted to stop dropping my keys and my phone. That was my big thing. And like the wheelchair I had has armrests. I still have my chair.
00:17:37
Speaker
um And a lot of chairs don't, but a lot of them do. So I was like, all right, I'm going to figure this out. And it took time. It really did because... Like a lot of what I do with it, like I had to get specialty tools for the grommets and like even just figuring out the straps. So it gave me something to focus on.
00:17:59
Speaker
But again, I was still in the time of my life where I hyper focused on things in a bad way. So it allowed me to hide and not deal with my problems, but it allowed me to start figuring out a problem. And I was like, I forgot how much I like doing this.
00:18:14
Speaker
Like, I love to deconstruct things and rebuild them or make things fresh. Like, I can't stand using patterns when I sew. i I'll start and then I deviate.
00:18:26
Speaker
I never stay on them. So super creative. And I think part of that is the challenge that I like, that I like to sew, but I also like the creating part of it a lot.
The Birth of Warrior Angel Creations
00:18:38
Speaker
And there's a quote. What was the, I can't think of the movie. Robots, find a need, fill a need. One of my favorite quotes. It And that just kept cycling in my head and I didn't listen to it right away. And I was like, oh.
00:18:54
Speaker
And then somebody, i ran into somebody at Walmart and they're like, where'd you get that? I'm like, I made it. They're like, you we all need those. Oh. And then I went to an appointment with the VA and they're like, where'd you get that? I'm like, i made it. They're like, you need to start selling these.
00:19:11
Speaker
And I was like, all right. Had no idea what I was doing. You know, I was a cop. I don't know anything about selling.
00:19:20
Speaker
Oh, boy. Did you learn? Oh, did I learn? And, know, I'm still learning Etsy. Etsy's a whole hoof. So I started my Etsy and all sudden I was like, oh, you got a sale.
00:19:31
Speaker
Oh, yeah wait, what? What? And I still, that's still one of the things I do. And I enjoy it. And I like solving problems with fabric.
00:19:43
Speaker
So that's how Warrior Angels came about. And like I said, when it first started, it... And I talk about in the book. I hyper-focus too much on things. I probably have ADHD.
00:19:54
Speaker
Probably. ugly I I do. I'm like, I said one thing. I'm like, oh, squirrel. All over here. So that became, you know, my first toe back in the world was that.
00:20:08
Speaker
But I was still able to hide.
00:20:13
Speaker
But I still enjoy it. I mean, I'm looking around my office now and there's fabric everywhere. I know you got some fun fabric prints. I just love seeing like you when you're doing your stories or your reels and you're showing your new fabrics and there's some fun lists.
00:20:29
Speaker
Oh, there's some great fabrics out there. I get a lot of mine from England now and but that the Brits are wild. Yes, yes, for sure. okay so now you've you've created Warrior Angels Creations.
00:20:42
Speaker
And then tell me how this little world of direct sales that probably catapulted you out of your shell to the spotlight. I will, I, you know, people think I'm joking when I say direct sales saved my life.
00:20:59
Speaker
Yeah, it did. It did.
Finding Confidence Through Direct Sales
00:21:02
Speaker
Because like I said, i was hyper focused. I was still self isolating. use the excuse. Oh, I have to sew. i don't I can't be around people. And but I was still extremely depressed.
00:21:14
Speaker
i what you know At this point in time, I had shrink I was seeing and I still see her, um but I wasn't facing any of my problems yet. and like My mom was so frustrated me with me at this point and she's like, no, you are coming out. You are getting out of the house. You are getting dressed. You are getting out of the house.
00:21:39
Speaker
And I walked into this craft fair and I will never forget that walk because I was just, I wasn't paying attention, nothing. My mom drug me back to this booth and all I heard was this laugh.
00:21:54
Speaker
I was like, who is that? And It was this amazing woman who is still one of my best friends. And she was just so infectious and full of life.
00:22:10
Speaker
And she was showing this crazy product. And I was like,
00:22:15
Speaker
work for me because I was still struggling like I was in the military for almost 20 years you really don't get a chance to be girly so I never had my play time in my 20s of learning my style and nothing like that and there was no color and I mean the right the regulations were so regimented I'm like now I'm blown away by the things they can wear and do and I'm like what what's my put your hair off
00:22:44
Speaker
I can see the flyaways. You need to smooth that back a little bit. Right. and
00:22:52
Speaker
I was just, it it was, i didn't realize how powerful that moment was going to be and how much that moment was going to change my life. And so I started playing with nail polish and started talking to this person. And then I was like, why not Like I got nothing else going on. and
00:23:13
Speaker
That moment changed my life because
00:23:20
Speaker
i found me. ah gave my myself myself permission to heal. i started showing up. I started learning from like you and other leaders on our team.
00:23:34
Speaker
And I just started to have fun again. And we really did have such an amazing community. I know there's ah you know a lot of, oh, it's toxic. Oh, it's this. No, we were blessed.
00:23:46
Speaker
um We were blessed. We had the most amazing team. ten And where's emmy we're all still friends. Even though a bunch of us are no longer doing it, we're all still friends. We're all still you know consider each other family. And I started to just have fun again.
00:24:07
Speaker
And then it opened up the door for traveling and, you know, just showing up with intention. How many places did you get to go?
00:24:18
Speaker
ah can't remember.
00:24:22
Speaker
Three. Yes, three. Yeah. Which was awesome. And then you were always at the conferences. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And international travel and yeah.
00:24:36
Speaker
I mean, so I will like, I will forever support direct sales because it can be life changing if you let it be. If you let it.
00:24:46
Speaker
Yes. It's not easy. no And it doesn't happen overnight. No. But I think with like any business, you're going to have to work it. Like sales don't just come to you. You have to cultivate that.
00:25:00
Speaker
And that's where I think a lot of people get that misconception whenever they hear direct sales network marketing MLM and they get this in this... mindset because they don't fully understand it or they think they dabbled in it but they really didn't they bought a kit and get nothing with it or posted a couple of times on social and that just doesn't work not but it can it can change your life like and you meet incredible people like I met you through this right and
00:25:31
Speaker
I mean, having you in my life is such a blessing and just learning from you and the c incredible things you've done and are continuing to do. i mean, we're friends for life. Like, right.
00:25:43
Speaker
I just adore you. So I'm very, very blessed for that industry. Right back at you.
00:25:50
Speaker
So what would you, would you say that, that this chapter in direct sales taught you about connection and confidence and,
00:26:05
Speaker
Hmm.
00:26:08
Speaker
That one, it takes time. You're not going to immediately get the connection. You're not immediately going to get the confidence. Right. But the more you show up and the more you become a student of sales, marketing, social media, all of that, you can open the world to a whole new, open your your world to whole new world that you didn't even know was there between the support and just finding people that truly want you to succeed. And I think we
00:26:39
Speaker
We as women get so competitive that it gets toxic. And if you find the right community, it's not. And you will grow from it. Absolutely.
00:26:51
Speaker
Absolutely. So they ah had you. So now you're like, you're doing all this stuff. You're traveling. um You're obviously, you're selling now. You're not hiding, just sewing.
00:27:04
Speaker
Yeah. about So what would you say that this has taught you or what has taught you the most about, because you you've been doing all this when things are, some things have been happening in your life, right?
00:27:19
Speaker
Oh, yes. And you got your first diagnosis. During this period too. Why things are going really well right. Yeah.
Support and Growth After Cancer Diagnosis
00:27:27
Speaker
Yeah i got diagnosed with cancer. It was two weeks before conference.
00:27:31
Speaker
And. I almost quit everything. Like i Reverted to habit. And it it got very dark. But again. team saved my life because they're all like, no, you your ticket's bought, your your hotel's purchased, everything's done.
00:27:47
Speaker
You're coming. You need friends. You need family. You need love. You need support. And old me didn't have that when I first got sick.
00:28:00
Speaker
So I had, like, when I first retired from the military, I didn't have that. And, but I needed that time to learn about myself, to grow my own internal confidence, to believe in myself, so that when this next challenge came and I started to revert back, I needed those people to be like, hey, remember you did this already once. Come here, come here.
00:28:23
Speaker
And So I went to conference and that was when I actually felt ready to start my cancer battle. And I, you know, at that point I didn't realize how bad it was because I thought it was just a single tumor on my neck.
00:28:39
Speaker
It wasn't. I was literally full of cancer from my neck down to my thighs. And if I hadn't had that refresh with them at conference, I would not have survived that appointment when they went, yeah, see, it's kind of everywhere.
00:28:54
Speaker
And this is really bad. Oh.
00:28:59
Speaker
So i I needed them. And I needed all of you. And I needed those moments of... I just need a hug. And I didn't have that before. But like I said, getting sick the first time by myself, basically, i needed that strength to get through this moment.
00:29:19
Speaker
Didn't know it then.
00:29:22
Speaker
But. The thing I would say, like you, when you went to that, I still remember just when I first saw you, just hugging you, like. Yeah. I don't think I, yeah, like it was.
00:29:34
Speaker
and None of us had processed it yet. It was like, wait, I know. it was just so crazy. And then whenever, you know, you kind of hit, you're like, oh my gosh, is this real?
00:29:46
Speaker
And, i you know, when all the leader, you know, they were calling me telling we've got to pray for so Like she's, you know, this is. bad. And we're like no this cannot be, this cannot happen. Right.
00:29:59
Speaker
was like, I was, damn it. I just, I, I did everything. This is, I'm not supposed to, not again, not again, but life. No, you've got a power, powerful message that
00:30:15
Speaker
And that's why it's everything keeps happening to you to, so to prevent you from doing it, but you're resilient and you were meant to share it. And so all of this is just making you stronger and stronger.
00:30:28
Speaker
Um, what would you give advice to someone who feels like, you know, maybe they have nothing to offer or, you know, maybe this stuff keeps happening to them Like, what would you say to them to get through this?
00:30:44
Speaker
I would recommend one that they reflect and journaling is a big thing for me. If I hadn't journaled one, the book would have happened. Um, but two, I would not have seen the lessons or the tools I was learning that I needed for the next chapter.
00:31:06
Speaker
And It's awful in the moment. It's going to be, fear it will be the worst thing you've ever been through. But there's a reason you're going through it. And I i know everybody hates that, but there there really is. There's a reason you're going through it.
00:31:23
Speaker
You are going to learn from it if you let it and reach out and get help if you need it. And I don't care what help it is is, if it's, you know, your clergy, if it's an actual professional, if it's a hotline, something.
00:31:40
Speaker
Reach out because they made that may be the moment you need just to pull you back to make you go, I got this. I can get through this moment. And find the little things you do in your life that give you power.
00:31:55
Speaker
For me, it was literally putting my shoes on to walk from one side of my house to the other to go to work. Find something where you can do it every day and remind yourself you're still here. You're here for a reason.
00:32:12
Speaker
You have a purpose. And then if on the other note, if you have an idea, there's a reason that may not be the idea that ultimately comes to fruition, but explore it, learn about it, you know, from my sewing, from learning how to write a book.
00:32:33
Speaker
Like that book was two years in the making, but I watched a lot of YouTubes. If there's a reason you have that idea and it's going to bring you to your next step.
00:32:45
Speaker
I love it. So when did you realize me that – oh, I'm going to wait. yeah As we're talking about this – sorry, I'm going backtrack a little bit. But – How, and you've already mentioned a couple of these things, but how would, you or how do you support your mental health as both, you know, going through this major traumatic life circumstances and then also being a creative and a leader on top of that?
00:33:17
Speaker
How do you support your mental health? I let myself cry.
00:33:23
Speaker
um That, honestly, i didn't know how to do that. i didn't know let I did not know how to let myself feel.
00:33:33
Speaker
um
00:33:36
Speaker
And journaling was a huge thing for me. It still is. I have journals. It drives my family nuts. I have journals everywhere. but Even in the car. I will pull over something and I will write it down.
00:33:52
Speaker
Because it needs to get out for some reason. I may not always know why, but it needs to get out. And that's my way of getting it out.
00:34:02
Speaker
Ask for help if you need it from whoever you feel the most comfortable with.
00:34:09
Speaker
There is somebody in your life that is there
00:34:16
Speaker
will help you. You may not think there is, but there truly is. You'd be surprised. it It still shocks me to this day who was there and who wasn't. You know, I hear that.
00:34:30
Speaker
ah yeah When I had my little medical scare years ago, that's one thing I i remember looking back who was there and who wasn't. It's eye-opening.
00:34:42
Speaker
It is. The people who you think would be there weren't. And people you least expect were like the ones showing up every day for you. Yep. And it is. And you don't realize it until you're in that situation, but it is eye-opening. Very. Very.
00:35:00
Speaker
And it was interesting. You know, I've been through enough seasons of my life with this, all my journeys. There is only two people who've been there the entire time. Who shows up each time was different.
00:35:12
Speaker
And that's okay. Because I, you know, everybody's got stuff going on in their life, but it's, it's very eyeopening. And it will change. Yeah. ah When did, when did you realize that just showing up was enough?
00:35:29
Speaker
You know, I've never been able to pinpoint the exact day, but I know it was after I joined direct sales. And I started getting messages of.
00:35:41
Speaker
You see me. You understand me. And I wasn't doing anything special. Like I wasn't, nothing was pretty. Nothing was polished. There was, I mean, if the reel went up, it was completely awkward and cringy, but it was those real moments where somebody reached back out and said, I needed that today.
00:36:05
Speaker
You see me, you get me.
00:36:08
Speaker
Hmm. And ah we're all so alone right now, even with social media. I think social media actually makes us more lonely. So being as real as possible...
00:36:20
Speaker
helps. Yes. Yep. and And it doesn't have to be pretty and polished. I think that's where a lot of people kind of freeze and yeah actually they're afraid to, cause they think it's, Oh, it's not perfect yet, but they have this incredible message and they're just keeping it to themselves themselves instead of sharing it to help those that need it.
00:36:44
Speaker
Um, I know a couple yours, I'm just like, I needed that today, Sue. Yeah. I loved it. Now, what chapter of your book was the hardest to write, but most necessary to share?
00:37:03
Speaker
Admitting how far I fell.
00:37:07
Speaker
That how it was before the direct sales.
00:37:14
Speaker
And how depressed I truly will. So many people are like, but you seemed fine. Like, no, you you don't understand. If you knew the thoughts that were in my head, be amazed I'm still here.
00:37:34
Speaker
I'm glad you're still here. Me too. Very glad.
00:37:41
Speaker
You know, I think that's a lot whenever people, we put on this mask for social that nobody really truly knows what's going on unless you really share it. And we're so good at hiding.
00:37:57
Speaker
Well, it wasn't even just social media. Like, there was people who in my life that are not on social media and saw me almost every day and they had no idea how far I had fallen.
00:38:10
Speaker
Mm-hmm.
00:38:13
Speaker
I'm glad you were able to get back and be who you are now. Yeah. Well, and, you know, I want people to realize I'm not perfect
Tools for Personal Growth
00:38:22
Speaker
every day. I still have days where I'm like, and i criticize myself and the imposter syndrome and everything comes in and I still have to take days where I go for a walk and I'm like, you are enough.
00:38:36
Speaker
just the way you are right this moment, you are enough. So it's not like I'm magically better. No, I just have tools and I use them now.
00:38:48
Speaker
oh What was, is there any lie that you, or one lie that you had to stop believing in order to heal?
00:39:01
Speaker
That I'm allowed to become a different person. oh Especially because you have so many people that will be like, but you've changed. Yes, I needed to.
00:39:13
Speaker
And they don't like that.
00:39:17
Speaker
And I find that those people were met just for that season that you were in. Yes, absolutely. Oh, that is good. All right. Now, if you could whisper one truth into every one of our listeners right now, ah your' what would it be
00:39:40
Speaker
Life's hard, but you're tougher.
Reflections on Perseverance and Small Actions
00:39:42
Speaker
Oh, yeah. I love it. It's so true.
00:39:51
Speaker
you I don't know about you, but I'm like taking deep breath after that one. You know, Sue reminds us that small things aren't small at all. They are evidence that we're we're still here, still moving and still becoming. You don't need a big bang moment to claim your transformation.
00:40:10
Speaker
Sometimes it's about putting on your shoes, literally, and doing it again tomorrow. Now, Sue, and um your story is incredible and powerful. And it's a reminder that leadership isn't always bold or visible.
00:40:26
Speaker
You know, sometimes it's sewn into the seams of a handmade bag. And sometimes it's found in the quiet decisions to show up when no one's watching. know, just thank you so much for being here today with us. Is there anything else you would love to share with our listeners before we sign off?
00:40:44
Speaker
Just remember you're enough.
00:40:47
Speaker
You are enough. and Thank you for this opportunity. I'm honored to have you here. have an incredible story. And for those of us, for those of you that are listening, pick up Sue's book, Put Your Shoes On.
00:41:01
Speaker
um It's available on Amazon. Is it on your website too? Yes. and yeah What's your website? SuzanneKrasnow.com. S-U-Z-A-N-N-E-K-R-A-S-N-O-W.com.
00:41:16
Speaker
Okay. So, and you can connect with her on Facebook. Do you have Instagram? Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. And TikTok. Okay. Great. And connect with her there. Get to know her, her story.
00:41:29
Speaker
You know, at Modest Who Lead, we believe your story matters, especially the chapters that feel ordinary because those are moments where strength is born. And just be sure to grab Suzanne's book, Put Your Shoes On, and follow her journey at Warrior Angel Creations as well.
00:41:44
Speaker
And if today's conversation moved you, please share this episode with another woman who needs to hear it. And you're already doing more than you know. So keep growing, keep leading, and keep believing in what is possible.