Chats With Susan Burrell

Ep#198 – Rewiring Family Patterns - An Interview with author and visionary leader, Judy Wilkins-Smith. I am thrilled to welcome author and visionary leader, Judy Wilkins-Smith to this Empowering Chat. Judy is the author of, “Decoding Your Emotional Blueprint. A Powerful Guide to Transformation Through Disentangling Multigenerational Patterns.” As I began this interview, or chat as I like to call it, with Judy my first question to her was: What is an emotional blueprint?  Here is how Judy explained it. An emotional blueprint gets created when a significant event happens in your life. This event is often followed by your personal reaction to that event. And in response, you create a story about it and often times it is coupled with strong feelings. Eventually the story becomes so much a part of you that it becomes your truth. And then it becomes, “The Truth.”  However, is it not really “The Truth” it is your truth. Now imagine that significant event happened generations ago and is accompanied by all the caution

Ep#197 - Stepping Into Courage - An Interview with Jennifer Seven, Podcast Host of Unbreakable Spirit. In this episode of Empowering Chats I welcome fellow podcaster, Jennifer Seven. Jennifer shares her story of struggle which goes back to her childhood. She grew up with a very controlling father and a mother who tried her best, but could not stand up to her father. As Jennifer grew older, she became very rebellious and anxious to leave home and get away from that controlling environment. Looking back she can see the actions her dad took to keep her under his thumb, including paying for the condo where she lived. Once she was married and had children Jennifer made the decision to stay home – this was something she wanted to do so she chose a career where she could work and be home to help raise the kids. Jennifer believes this is likely when she began to relinquish her own power and allow her husband to begin managing all of their finances and make most of the "important" decisions surrounding their family. A

Ep #196 - The Tranquil Life - A Solo Episode with Susan Burrell It’s August and so I start this solo episode with the theme Ease. What does it mean to face life’s challenges with ease? How can we be more at ease with what is? You know, take in that “peaceful easy feeling” just like the Eagles sing about. So, in this episode of Empowering Chats that is exactly what I am going to investigate. So, how do we do that? How do we reach that ease, that peaceful easy feeling? Especially when awoken at 3 AM and we can’t get back to sleep. I think it’s about consciously allowing ourselves to be open to receive what it is we need to know.  Something I have found that works for me is to surround my bed with white light before I retire for the evening. Perhaps this would work for you, too. Something else I have been doing of late to reach peaceful tranquility is to not read the headlines. This is especially true if the news makes you anxious. I find that when we are not in sync with ourselves, we can be pulled out of balan

Ep #195 - The Journey Over Many Lifetimes – An interview with Author and Hypnotherapist, Karen Joy. I begin this podcast with a giggle and a laugh because my amazing guest today brings out gooey love and appreciation for her and hence for each other. I feel like I am heightened into this awareness. I am honored to be speaking with Karen Joy who comes to us all the way from Australia. Karen wrote a book called: Lost Soul Wise Soul, How Challenging Past Lives Shape Our Future. Karen began experiencing this realm through her work as a psychologist. She found that many of her clients began to go into past lives, (or what they interpreted as being past lives) on their own. In this interview, Karen shares how this process would often times begin with an emotion. And by going through the emotion, the patient would leave the present moment and re-live, re-experience that which took place and thereby go back to that life. By allowing her patients to step into that journey she would become the loving guide that would h

Ep. #194 - Defining Moments – An Interview with Author and Hypnotherapist, Ann J. Clark This episode of Empowering Chats with author and hypnotherapist, Ann J. Clark covers several topics. Including past life regressions, lives between lives, and dealing with, and learning how to recover from great loss.  Ann’s latest book is entitled, Healing from Great Loss. Together, in this podcast, Ann and I ponder great loss and investigate ways to re-examine loss in our lives.  There are many books out on how to deal with loss and grief. Ann explains how her book is different as it is written from the perspective of the soul. She also goes on to explain that her book picks up where other books on grieving leave off. In other words, after a person has been through the common stages of grief many are left feeling empty and like they will never again experience happiness in the same way as before their loss. This is where Ann’s book picks up. Through the use of tools such as journaling, self-assessments and visualization

Ep #193 - Embracing Possibility, An Interview with author and speaker Michele Neff Hernandez. In this Empowering Chat I welcome Michele Neff Hernandez for a very timely and amazing conversation. Michele is the author of a new book entitled, Different After You, Rediscovering Yourself and Healing after Grief and Trauma. Michele is a widow. And through her experience of losing a spouse she learned things about herself that she didn’t know. This personal trauma led her to write this book and become a motivational speaker on behalf of others who have lost a spouse or a partner. She also developed a non-profit called Soaring Spirits International that provides research-based programs and a community of peers for those that have lost a spouse or partner. Michele speaks to groups of all types about grief, hope and the healing impact of love. Michele’s own personal loss of losing her husband in 2005 brought about her most transformative realization about how grief changes us. She was no longer the same person and cou

Are You Boundless and Free? A Solo Show with Susan Burrell Are we growing yet? This Empowering Chat is all about GROWTH. I put that word in all caps on purpose. To both grab your attention and to challenge you to step out of your box. Join me for this conversation about change, growth and doing today what maybe you couldn’t do last year, or last week or even yesterday. I want to challenge you to journey to the edge of your boundaries. By definition a boundary is called a frontier. I like to think of it as the place where we face the unknown. The unknown challenges of our lives, our thoughts, our feelings. With everything that is going on in our world today, mass shootings, Covid, the war in Ukraine, where do we find Hope? Where do we find Truth? And where do we find Happiness, Freedom and Peace? All of that and so much more is found within you. You are the frontier of potential. In the words of Ernest Holmes, we must create a larger vision beyond the old vision and limitations.  He goes on to say, and I quote

Ep 191 - A Q & A with Matthew McKay author of The Luminous Landscape of the Afterlife. In this extended podcast, I welcome author Matthew McKay to my Empowering Chats. This is Matthew’s second time on my show. In this episode Matt and I, along with some of the students from my Luminous Landscape workshop, join in for this interesting and deep conversation about what it means to crossover into the afterlife. Matthew has graciously offered to answer our questions about the afterlife based on the book he wrote in partnership with his deceased son, Jordan. There is no better source of information on death and the afterlife than someone who has died and lives in spirit. Channeling his late son, Jordan, Matthew McKay offers a post-death guide for the living, revealing in vivid detail what to expect when we die and how to prepare for the wonders of the afterlife. I held a workshop earlier this year that was based on Matthew’s book of the same name, The Luminous Landscape of the Afterlife. And now I welcome you,

EP#190 - Nurture Your Inner Goddess - An Interview with Author, Theater Critic, Mosaic Artist and Educator, Dawn Reno Langley. I opened my interview with Dawn with the question, “Why focus on the Goddess?” Dawn’s response centered around the fact that because she wasn’t seeing or hearing anything about goddesses anywhere else, except in her yoga studio, she felt the need to begin journaling about the goddess. Which then led to her writing about the Divine Feminine.   Before long she began her research and expanded on her journal writing to create her book, “You Are Divine, A Search for the Goddess in all of Us.” Her research took her down many rabbit holes, as she describes it, and through the digging and excavating she uncovered many ancient stories about the Divine Feminine. Including the fact that herbal medicine and the practicing of ancient medicine began mostly with women. And later as medicine evolved, the practice of it became dominated by men. Dawn and I share many of the same views and in discussing

EP#189 - Releasing Tangled Energy – An Interview with Meditation Teacher and Author, David Gandelman.   David Gandelman is a spiritual teacher, author, and guide, whose mission is to awaken souls on their path of growth into being human, and living an enlightened, purpose-driven life. He is the author of 7 Energies of the Soul. David and I share a lively conversation in this podcast about meditation, life struggles and finding the gifts in those tough experiences. David began meditating at the young age of 16. And he noticed how his life took a radical shift, simply by feeding his passion of sitting still. That became the thing that he would do define him. As his life journey progressed he went on to live in the Himalayas and travel through India. He was hungry for knowledge and in his own words he became a “Guru Chaser” seeking out Gurus from around the world to learn from. He studied Eastern spiritual traditions while living in the Himalayas and he also spent 7 years as the director of a school for intuitiv

Ep #188 - Radiate Your Light - A Solo Episode with Susan Burrell In this solo episode I talk about radiating your light out into the world. So what does that mean? I looked up the word radiate and it literally means to "emit rays of light."  So now I ask you, "Are you claiming the peace and radiance that you are?"  The theme for the month of June is Radiance and that is what this episode is all about. Bright light, cheerful radiance.  Sometimes life circumstances make us feel not so hopeful or cheerful. I know for me that has been the case quite a bit lately. It is during these times that I take the time to re-evaluate my life. As spiritual beings we are constantly in motion and evolving. So I encourage you to take the time to reflect where you are in your life. And recognize what your triggers are and how to move through your daily challenges so that your radiance can shine through. Are you holding on to those things that no longer serve you? It's important to try and keep your mind quiet and give yourself s

Ep #187 - Changing Lives, An Interview with Activist and Entrepreneur, Dawn Manske. My guest for this Empowering Chat is an incredible individual who is fighting human trafficking with style. I am honored to welcome Dawn Manske, CEO of Made For Freedom to my show. Her story of courage and innovation is awe-inspiring.  You may need Kleenex by your side as you listen to her journey of how her innovative social company came to be. Made For Freedom, uses fashion to empower victims of sex trafficking and other marginalized situations. The 10 years Dawn spent in China teaching English helped her to understand the unbalance produced by the devaluation of the girl child. This was her first exposure to poverty levels she had never seen before. In 2007 she viewed a documentary about sex trafficking that deeply affected her. She desperately wanted to see this horror and injustice come to an end but she had no idea what could be done from her hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. And this is where the pants come in. Dawn shar

Ep. #186 - Revealing The Hidden Layers An interview with Intuitive Healer and Podcaster, Scott Clover This is the second time I have interviewed Scott for Empowering Chats.  He and I made a deep connection when I first interviewed him last year and I have since tapped into his intuitive gifts and energy healing for myself. We have also become friends. And so, I am pleased to once again have him as my guest on Empowering Chats. In this episode we take a look at the many layers of story that we all carry, sometimes to our own detriment. For many, me included, when we run that toxic story about our life or our family of origin it can take root in our body and show up in physical ailments. And worse, when we placate the story to the point where we don’t recognize it anymore is when the healing really needs to take place. Scott says observation is 55% of what is needed to heal. He helps his clients, like he has helped me, to see the pattern for what it is, so that the healing can begin. In Scott’s observations whe

Ep #185 - Unlock The Burnout Barriers. An Interview with author, Anne Bérubé. I have to start by exclaiming how impacted I was by my guest for this episode of Empowering Chats. I joked with her at the start of our interview about how much I felt her latest book, entitled, The Burnout Antidote, A Spiritual Guide to Empowerment for Empaths, Over-Givers and Highly Sensitive People was written specifically for me. Anne Bérubé is an author and a teacher / coach, and she also runs workshops she calls “Happy Sessions." Anne and I had a lively and insightful conversation about those choices we make and how we find ourselves in burnout situations. So much of what Anne has written about speaks directly to me. And I have a feeling it will do the same for many of my listeners. Anne shares how she  used to carry a limiting belief that you can’t experience burnout when you are living your purpose. If you are living your purpose, how can you burnout? That’s when she realized that the place she was giving from was not sustai

Ep. #184 - Am I My Own Best Friend?  Today’s Podcast launches a new theme for the month of May. This month, all of my Empowering Chats will focus on the theme of Enthusiasm. This episode is a solo show where I ask this very important question of how to become your own best friend. And so, I want you to think about this for a minute: Can you be your own best friend? What does that look like? Feel like? In order for me to get the answers to these questions I had to go deep within, to see myself from a new perspective. First I had to discern what a best friend is. To me a best friend is someone who is loyal and listens without judgement. A best friend loves me unconditionally and accepts all of me. So again, I ask myself, can I be my own best friend? And I ask you: Can you be your own best friend and see yourself with fresh eyes? I think we already inhabit those qualities we see in our best friends. I challenge you to try and see yourself how others see you. Embrace your courage, your wisdom and all your special

Ep. #183 - The Energy of Numbers. An interview with Astro-Numerology Expert and Author, Jesse Kalsi. The Energy of Numbers. What does that mean? My guest, Astro-numerology Expert and Author Jesse Kalsi is my guest for this episode of Empowering Chats and we explore the meaning and vitality of numbers. Our chat centers around the unique energy that surrounds our personal numbers and how to tap into that energy. Jesse talks about his attraction to numbers. He shares how he has always been intuitively drawn to numbers and how the energy of numbers affects our lives. Jesse uses the term “AstroNumerology” because he associates numbers with planets, which are astronomical bodies.  He further explains that AstroNumerology is not about adding numbers up; but rather about looking at each individual number, as each one represents a particular planet.   When doing a reading he looks at a person’s date of birth first – and then the other numbers that are part of their lives, like the numbers that accompany their home add

Ep. #182 - Punching Her Way to Fame! An interview with Author, Journalist and Ex-Boxer, Alicia Doyle.  I am thrilled to welcome Alicia Doyle to this Empowering Chat. Alicia shares her story of how she got into professional boxing in her late twenties and how through that experience she thought she had found a cure for her depression.  And she did, but it was temporary. The fast-paced world of sports and boxing was such a strong focus that it provided her a distraction for the 2 years she was actively competing. Eventually she learned how to release the rage and find her self-esteem. Alicia works with at-risk kids and has incorporated all that she learned in the boxing ring into her daily life. She mentors troubled youth and is a guiding light for them. Her book, Fighting Chance, is not only about her life as a female boxer in a male-dominated sport but it is also about her story of survival in the ring of life. I’d like to share this excerpt from her book: I never expected boxing to infuse my psyche emotional

Ep #181 - The Love Smacked Addict – An Interview with Trauma Coach and Author, Sherry Gaba. Anyway you slice it and dice it, no matter if you call it Love Addiction, Relationship Addiction, Obsessive Love or Romance Addiction, it all comes down to unhealthy practices in the name of love. My guest for this episode of Empowering Chats, is Author and Trauma Coach, Sherry Gaba. Her book, “Love Smacked: How to Stop the Cycle of Relationship Addiction and Co-Dependency to Find Everlasting Love,” focuses on insecure attachments and what obsessive love looks like. Often times people who feel alone or who were abandoned as children will seek validation from others and become addicted to being in relationship. Sherry experienced this first hand in her life and knows the importance of having self-love and a strong sense of self before entering into a love relationship. Sherry explains that many times (although not always), the obsession and addiction to another is an attempt by that person to recover the love and attent

Ep #180 - You Too Can Find Your Prince – An Interview with Author and Social Worker, Marcia Naomi Berger. In this episode of Empowering Chats I have a lively conversation with Naomi Berger about overcoming the obstacles of dating in order to find your path to marriage. Her latest book, entitled, Marriage Minded, An A to Z Dating Guide for Lasting Love is an easy read. It is set up so that you can read it cover to cover or open to the section that calls to you. We chat about how times have changed and how going to college in the 50s and early 60s was seen as a path to finding your future husband. Or as Naomi shared, many in her circle would jokingly say they were working toward their MRS degree. Under M in her A to Z guide Naomi’s book talks about the importance of having a mentor or model to express how relationships can work well. That particular section caught my attention and as Naomi stated, her book is made to be read as a guide either cover to cover or in sections. Naomi’s book also feels like an A to Z

Ep #179 - Cultivating Peace - a solo show with the host of Empowering Chats, Susan Burrell This episode is the first show of April, 2022 and the focus is on self-love and peace. I start this episode by asking some powerful questions about how we chose to show up in the world, post lockdown. How are you choosing to re-emerge in the world? Into your life? Are you choosing to emerge from a place of peace or a place of anger and fear? I encourage you to focus on Peace. And begin with yourself, with your inner peace – and then when you have grasped that I challenge you to extend that peace outward to your community and ultimately to the world. We already have the seed of peace within us – we just need to remember to focus on that peace in order to grow and materialize that peace. I think it’s also important to understand when this focus becomes intense, stuff may show up that looks nothing like peace. And that’s okay too, because this process can be like a detox. Sometimes it takes facing those non-peaceful moment