Meet Karen Susman

Today we’d like to introduce you to Karen Susman.

Karen, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve always been teaching and sharing information. I taught second grade, religious school and managed the Denver area for Weight Watchers. In this role, I managed 100 staff and 25 locations. I trained all the Weight Watchers lecturers to speak and inspire.

St. Joseph hospital hired me to create and deliver a stress management series for cardiac rehab patients. The State Of Colorado hired me to provide 144 training sessions in five months across the state. In order to survive this grueling schedule speaking to audiences that didn’t want to hear what I had to say, I learned the secret of making successful presentations.

Connect with your audience or die! In the last 36 years, I have spoken all over the world on wellness and communication skills. I coach individuals and groups on presentation skills. Even though I’m a non-linear thinker, engineers are some of my favorite clients. I’m a Tedx MileHigh Speaker coach, and I provide witness preparation for attorneys clients. And, I’m a Certified Laughter Yoga Instructor. My clients include NBC, Marriott Hotels, Denver University, INC Magazine, Stanted Engineers and Burger King. How I got to where I am today is by using every skill I learned teaching second grade: great periferal vision, creativity and the ability to turn on a dime.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Who has a smooth road? My family was in a deep financial hole when I began my business in 1983. Then I went through a divorce. Then I contracted Guiillan-Barre Syndrome. I was totally paralyzed and had to learn how to do everything all over again. Walk, talk, floss my teeth, tie my shoes. And, of course, like everyone else, the economy, family issues, broken bones (mine), surgeries, rejection, doubts, spilling Diet Coke on the Mac Book, caregiving for a significant other with Alzheimer’s, grieving the death of the significant other, to name a few, are some of the struggles along the way.

We’d love to hear more about your work.
I provide coaching, training and speaking on communication and wellness topics. Most of my business is focused on communication areas such as presentation skills, communication skills, listening skills, networking, witness preparation, and managing difficult conversations. My coaching clients want to be more dynamic speakers and difficult communicators. I am known for having a huge toolbox, humor, the ability to help clients be more compelling, effecting speakers.

My coaching differs from executive and other coaching in that I’m more direct. One client said I was more of a commandant than a coach. I’m kind but direct. Clients say our work together is fun and enlightening. My goal is to have my clients be themselves, but more so. I deal with content and delivery. I’m something of a wordsmith, so I help my clients punch up their content. Organize their content and then deliver it dynamically. I’m currently developing an online course for engineers on how to use stories to build a business. My client feels and knows that I will do anything and everything to help them improve, shine and glean tools to use for a lifetime.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I’m at the stage of my career and life where I’m powering down. The most important thing for me is the quality of my work. I’m looking for clients to improve, add skills and feel more confident and excited about speaking. I’m looking for attorneys’ clients who feel they have received tools that will make them more effective, confidence testifies who have tools to answer tough questions and reduce the stress of testifying. I’m looking for audiences that feel they’ve received great content and had a good time receiving it.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.karensusman.com
• Phone: 303-756-6939
• Email: karen@karensusman.com
• Facebook: Karen Susman and Associates
• Twitter: Susman.toolbox

Image Credit:
I’ll have to send you a photo upon my return from Italy on the 18th of December.

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