#013 – Freedom, Ease, Fulfillment & PLAY with Susan Ferraro
This episode is for everyone – whether you’re in business or not, whether you’re a photographer or not – because it’s all about energy. I’m not going all health & fitness on you. Nope! I’m talking about what lights you up – your play – and how you can experience more of that.
This conversation is with one of my own mentors, Susan Ferraro. Her official title is Mindset Coach, but, my friend, what she does is truly a gift beyond a title.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about teaching and being taught, it’s that the best teachers don’t tell you the information and the answers.
They ask you the questions – sometimes the tough questions that help you get to the answer on your own – and that’s exactly what my experience in working with Suze was like.
MINDBLOWING
I’m an affiliate of hers, because she literally initiated my biggest life changes in 2017. I did her Ease-y Money program starting February 2017. One year ago, May 2017, I was dying for something to change: to be with my husband more, to get our 1970 Airstream Ambassador done (so I could escape and travel full time – which is still at a stand still), etc.
I was resisting everything about my life one year ago.
Through the questions Suze was asking, I learned about myself, let go of my conditions, and made life changes that stepped me into more of an aligned life.
Like, this move.
I know, I talk about my MI to SC move A LOT, but you have no idea how badly I’ve always wanted to feel like my home is my oasis, my sanctuary, my safe little happy bubble – more so the property than the house – and Masse Mountain is exactly that.
The day before recording with Suze, I was outside in my spot, at my Target bistro set at the corner of my driveway (which is not your typical driveway, it’s really long with a big platform at the top). I was immersed in nature. The little southern lizards were all over the place, soaking up the sun, and it was warm.
I felt relaxed, abundant, and thankful.
I was not feeling that way a year ago.
- I still have my days where the kids drive me nuts, but for the most part, I’m a better mom these days after prioritizing my energy.
- Our family is more connected, because of prioritizing my energy.
- Our weekends are really like a vacation – even my day to day feels like vacation (not “laptop lifestyle, but a state of mind I’ve allowed myself to reach, because, you guessed it, prioritizing my energy.
Suze is the one who showed me the way and cultivated my progress.
In this conversation:
- Suze tells us how she helps women in her own words: by helping them become what they’ve always been
- Signs + signals that you’re out of alignment (and what alignment even means)
- What being “in flow” means, living through inspired action (she calls it the play state)
- Suze gives us advice on a common battle we face as we WANT to start to BE it (our true self), but there’s a problem (like: “but I need to do this other thing to make money first”)
- How Suze stopped procrastinating and let go of her should-dos + have-tos
- Synchronicities between the work I’ve done with Suze and how we SEE behind the lens as photographers
- How Suze stays consistent. She always has something to say it seems on social media, while I’m over here like, “what now?” showing up on my own platforms
But first, here’s Suze’s Iconic Photo
We missed chatting about this on the show, but the story behind this is incredibly aligned with everything about this episode, so I had to share here!
Suze said:
“I love this pic because I feel like it captures my true essence. It feels like me – full shine. Just expressing & not worrying about anyone or anything.
Feeling powerful, sexy & FREE. Yes… I’m only 5 or 6, but my spirit wasn’t & I was well aware of that charge & was owning it!”
What a powerful share, right?! Love her. Ok, onto the show…
>Enjoy the story.
MORE GOODNESS:
- Susan Ferraro Website | Instagram
- Ease-y Money program (this is what I did with Suze)
- Suze’s free class (loved the exercise she starts off with!)
- Ease-y Does It podcast (subscribe to this baby!)
- Freesources for Storytelling Photographers
Love this topic? Bookmark this one by pinning this:
Thanks for this episode, very inspiring! I had a period of time in my life, when I was doing what I loved doing, but literally didn’t bring me any money. After a year of being broke and in debt, I had to quit my photography business for a while. Now I am doing mostly things I don’t love but pays the bills. Sometimes I look back thinking how was I so stupid and naive thinking just by doing what I love will bring me any money. But today I do feel exhausted and drained, because I don’t love what I do. What do you both ladies think the balance is there? I hate doing marketing, I hate doing sales sessions and pretty much everything that running a business requires, but I don’t think I can make money just doing things I love doing! Any thoughts appreciated.
Suze is definitely the place I’d turn to answer this – I’ve struggled here too. One thing she’s taught me is that we don’t get to opt-out of doing things we don’t LOVE (like the marketing, sales sessions, etc. in your case), but to front load my day with the stuff that’s energizing. I find that we swing like a pendulum of one end or the other – doing what we love OR doing what we don’t love. There could also be money blocks in there, which is something Denise Duffield Thomas speaks on. Sometimes, too, the stuff we don’t like to do IS that was because of something in our past – Suze made this evident for me in her Ease-y Money program – she helped me to the see the meanings I created around certain things that held me back today. Point being, on balance, I’m still working on that part myself – but what’s helped me is to be a student of myself. This has brought me new perspective, braveness, inspiration, etc. that’s propelled me forward in things I love. Hope that helps!
Oh man. This is exactly what I needed to listen to today. I rarely take time to listen to blogs, but I was drawn to listen today and am feeling grateful I did/
I’m so happy to hear this filled your cup today! Susan Ferraro is an absolute gem of a woman + human. Thanks for sharing!! 🙂