In this episode, I got to sit down with Susie Batista - an incredibly inspiring entrepreneur whose journey has taken her from the skies as an air stewardess to the world of high-end interior design and now full-time property development.
Susie shared how she pivoted from a fast-paced airline career to staging homes, trusting her instincts and following the signs along the way.
She opened up about juggling family life, building two businesses with her husband, and the role that mindset, mentorship, and a little bit of faith played in their success.
What really stuck with me was Susie’s reminder that asking for help and sharing your vision can open unexpected doors - sometimes literally leading to six-figure investments.
If you’ve ever wondered how to grow a business with heart, manage high-stakes clients, or sell your company with confidence, Susie’s insights are gold. I hope you love this conversation as much as I did.
Here are the highlights:
Starting a Career in the Airlines (2:29)
Transition to Property and Construction (4:01)
Moving to Brazil and Returning to the UK (7:07)
Building a Support Network and Starting a Business (8:36)
Challenges in the Interior Design Business (15:38)
Transitioning to Property Development (21:26)
Women in Business and Personal Growth (22:35)
Advice for Women in Business (25:45)
Connect with Susie HERE
Connect with Dawn:
Instagram @dawnmcgruer @dawnofanewerapodcast
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/dawnamcgruer
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/businessconsort/
Web www.dawnmcgruer.com
This podcast is in association with @HerPowerCommunity - The #1 Female Founders Global Community where connections flourish & growth is intentional
https://www.patreon.com/c/herpowercommunity
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:02):
Hey, it's Dawn McGrewer, thebusiness growth coach and welcome
to dawn of a New Era, thepodcast where we talk.
All things health, wealth andhappiness and.
Where founders share the goodand bad and ugly of being an entrepreneur.
So welcome to dawn of a NewEra podcast.
So excited to have you here onthe private island.
Thank you very much.
(00:22):
Who knew that we could have aprivate island in Lancaster?
Exactly.
And I only met you a week ago.
I feel like I know you already.
That's so kind same.
But I know that there's somuch that you've done and you always
shy away from your achievements.
So I really want to explorethe life and times of Suzy.
But like, let's go backbecause anybody who's obviously following
(00:44):
you, they probably know alittle bit of your background.
But let's assume we've gotsome listeners that don't know anything
about Suzy.
So where did it all start?
Suzy.
And you can choose from whereyou want to start.
Okay.
So I had a wonderfulupbringing and I think that was a
real solid base for me andreally hard working parents.
(01:05):
My mum worked for the Ministryof Defence.
My dad was a professionalboxer artist.
And I've always watched thetwo of them sort of help each other
when times have been hard.
And it actually turned outthat my mum ended up being the breadwinner.
And she's extremely fierce andshe's very, very strong and I think
(01:27):
I always used to take that thewrong way and now I just see why
she is the way that she is.
From a very, very early age, Ialways wanted to be an air stewardess.
I just knew at maybe 4 or 5 Iknew I wanted to be an air stewardess
and I was so focused on that.
And on my year, year sixleavers book, you see, everybody
just say, I see you see you onthe airlines.
(01:49):
And then as soon as I could bean air stewardess at 18, so there
was various hotel jobs andthings like that before I started
applying for the airlines andyeah, had a really nice career on
the airlines as well.
So I think that was wonderful.
And at the same time I met mynow husband and yeah, things have,
(02:11):
things have sort of gone from there.
So I always look back at thatactually and always remember that
I was so focused on that.
I knew I wanted it and it happened.
And I just think like you weresaying before, if you've got laser
focus on wanting something,you do anything to make it happen.
So yeah, that was, that washow it started.
Yeah.
It's all about consciousalignment, isn't it and really kind
(02:32):
of leaning into it.
And we were saying before thatwhen you're a child, when you really
want something, you pull outall the stops.
Yeah.
And you get it.
And it's the same in adult life.
So you started work obviouslyon the airlines.
Which airline were you on?
Monarch.
Okay.
Does anyone remember Monarch?
I do, absolutely.
Yeah.
It was such a great airline,yet really, really high standards,
(02:53):
run by.
It's run by the Italian mafia, actually.
Really, really high standardsof everything.
So again, that was a. I wouldreckon if any, if any young girl
wants to go and work on theairlines and people sort of shun
it off, I would always say do it.
It just, it teaches you so much.
It teaches you communication,customer service, dealing with a
(03:14):
whole bunch of people, how topresent yourself, getting up early
at 3 in the morning,traveling, like all of those incredible
things it teaches you.
So I just think, yes, it was areally, really good base for what
then came.
And was it as fun as they say?
Because I have so many friendswho used to be crew and things and
they used to have a wild time.
It was amazing.
Are you going to share any stories?
(03:36):
I mean, it was very tamebecause as soon as I started on the
airlines, I'd already met myhusband, so there was no wild doors.
Although I think in his head,every time I used to do a long haul,
I'd have, you know, captain onone arm and first officer on the
other, lying on a beach somewhere.
That never happened, but itwas wonderful.
And yeah, I remember pinchingmyself, we'd go to the Maldives and
(04:00):
we'd get.
Every time we went on longhaul, we got paid per hour that we
were away, double what we'd bepaid, just normal.
And I'd just be there on abeach in the Maldives and.
And even at a young age, youknow, I mean, I was 20, 21, just
thinking, wow, like feelingabsolute gratitude.
So I think that's somethingthat I've always managed to do before.
(04:22):
Gratitude is a huge thing.
I always used to feel it.
So yeah, it was, it was fun.
You know, I always got laidoff during the winter there.
We were a sort of season, soevery winter we'd have to go and
do another crappy job.
And then that's what led meinto going into property and construction.
(04:42):
So in one winter, startedworking for a big construction firm,
Carillion, in the center of Manchester.
And they were looking for anair stewardess style person type
of person to sit on reception.
And then I came in for a jobwith my bun in.
I Think I had, like a ribbon.
And within five minutes theywere just like, you've got the job.
(05:04):
This is the lady.
This is it.
Like, I just walked in andthey were like, this is.
This is who we've been waiting for.
And so I just started on thereception there, and then I was going
to go back on the airlines tojoin on the summer.
And I told them all I wasleaving, and they basically just
said, how much do you want to stay?
And I was like, no, I want to be.
(05:24):
I want to be flying.
And then when you start to askfriends and family, they were like,
susie, I think it's time, youknow, you settle down now and then.
So I stayed in that job andvery quickly became building manager
and then just saw incredibleprojects in and around Manchester
and construction and I wasaround architects and designers and
big directors and so learn alot from that.
(05:48):
And then we had someapartments in the city center and
they weren't selling very well.
So my manager gave me thecompany credit card and she just
said, suzie, go out and justbuy a load of stuff and stage these
properties, these apartmentsthat aren't selling.
And I didn't really know whatstaging was, but I went out and I
got loads of bits and bobs andcushions and throws and we hired
(06:11):
in a load of furniture.
And as I was doing it, and Iwas just left to my own devices to
do it, and I just thought,this is.
This is definitely.
So this is where it allchanged, is where it all changed,
your passion.
Yeah.
So when you were there, then,obviously making all of these apartments
look beautiful, you went back,did they sell?
Oh, they went.
(06:32):
They all just sold withinabout a week.
All sold.
So thinking then about whatage you were at this point then.
So you were in your flyingcareer and then what age did you
have this pivot moment?
I was, I'm gonna say, around24, 25, something like that.
And then did you have afeeling that this was gonna be the
(06:52):
next thing?
That, like, this was gonnaturn into an actual full time?
I just, like I was saying theother day, I very, very quickly on
that day, in that hour, inthat minute, knew that things were
going to change as soon as Iwas there in these apartments on
my own, without a boss,without anybody, I just thought,
this is exactly what I shouldbe doing.
(07:15):
And straight away I was.
I was like, I did a interiordesign degree and home staging courses
and things like that.
And I just.
I just knew.
And I was trying at that pointnot to siphon contacts, but everybody
then that I spoke to.
I just made sure that Ialigned it to doing something, something
of that nature.
(07:35):
So when did you branch outand, like, start your first business?
So it didn't actually happen.
So I had my.
I had my son, who's now 13,and I'm probably getting the timelines
semi confused here, butBenjamin, and when he was six months
old, we moved to Brazil.
So my husband's Brazilian.
We moved to Brazil and we werethere just short of two years.
(07:58):
So that took me away from Carilian.
And they.
They always said, you know,you can come back when you want.
And that was probably one ofthe hardest things I ever did.
I sort of, you know, seminewborn, didn't speak the language,
had no friends, but veryquickly learned the language.
So such a blessing.
Now I can speak fluentPortuguese, which is great because
(08:20):
now I can communicate with allof my husband's family.
And, you know, that was awonderful thing that came out of
it.
And then when we came back,when Benjamin was about two and a
half, I went straight backinto Carillon.
And then again was.
Was learning more about.
More about interior design.
And then I got pregnant with Nina.
And while I was pregnant withNina, I thought, okay, on maternity,
I know I'm going to.
(08:41):
I know I'm going to go off anddo it on my own.
And it was honestly down to myhusband, who was just so supportive.
And a lot of people ask me foradvice on this that don't have supportive
partners, and I know it's amillion times harder, but he just
said, listen, if we need toeat baked beans, if, if you need
(09:01):
me to go and work at Tesco,we'll figure this out.
And my mum as well, she'd justbe like, susie, you.
If you want to do it, you willdo it.
You know, take a night shift,I look after the baby.
And it was.
It's always, if you want to doit, it's incredible.
You do it.
Yeah, yeah.
And there'll be peoplelistening to this, right, that don't
have that support.
So, you know, people mightsay, oh, you were very lucky.
(09:23):
You know, you got the support,you were allowed to go off and do
things.
What would be your biggestpiece of advice?
Like, if you found yourpassion and you know that you want
to do something, but you don'thave the support, you might have
kids, you might be single mum,you might not have a partner who
understands or is willing tokind of go without or put it all
in.
What's your advice there?
(09:43):
Somebody will help you.
And people are scared to Askand scared to talk to people, and
they're scared to talk topeople about their dreams and their
goals and, you know, somethingI have to do and not.
I'm sure we'll come on to this.
Now, in my current role, weraise a lot of finance.
You know, I've raised overhalf a million in private finance.
And at the.
This is only since last year.
(10:04):
And it was all aboutforgetting and coming out of your
head of asking for help andasking, you know, it's all just about
talking to people.
And, you know, I talk topeople in shops, I talk to people
in restaurants, I talk topeople everywhere.
And there's somebody out therewho will support you and help you.
And it doesn't always have tobe financially.
(10:25):
It could be, you know, say itis somebody with a baby and they
don't have the support.
They never know if they mighttalk to somebody who runs a nursery
and says, do you know what?
I believe in what you're goingto do, I'll take your child in and
you'd have to pay me.
Or as soon as you getsuccessful, there's always somebody
that will help and alwaysbelieve that because they're out
there.
And I talk to a lot of womenwho feel that they have to go out
(10:48):
alone and that everything ison them.
And it's not like.
I think the biggest thing isthat if you share a mission and vision
with somebody and they can seethe passion, often when I talk to
them, the pivotal moments in astory is I met a person and I was
at the absolute depth ofdespair or the biggest challenge
or whatever, and there'salways a person in the story that's
(11:08):
moved in.
And I think about this all ofthe time because we either have people
who've inspired us or we'vehad people who've helped us along
the way.
And then even when I trot backall of the times of, like, awful
challenges and massive growth,they're almost like combined.
But there's always a person inthat story who, outside of your family
(11:28):
has been like, the biggestinspiration for you or someone that
you've admired or helped youalong the way.
I would say our very first investor.
Also my business coach.
I mean, my business coach.
I could talk about him all dayand he's change my life massively.
(11:49):
So two men, actually, funnyenough, because my.
My mum's a huge inspiration,but she's family, so two men specifically.
So my business coach, but ourvery first investor.
So when we decided to startflipping houses, because I'd already
had my we're sort of jumpingback and forth here.
But I had my design firm by then.
My husband had quite a bigconstruction firm.
(12:10):
And everybody just kept sayingto us, why aren't you guys in property?
Why aren't you doing property?
And it was always that, well,we don't have that initial capital
to buy the first house.
And again, just talking topeople, and we had a good friend,
wealthy friend, and he justsaid, guys, I believe in you.
He literally just said, go andfind a house.
(12:31):
I'll fund the whole thing.
Wow.
And we were like.
And that was just through talking.
Just through talking andsharing our vision.
And so my husband found thishouse, 97,000.
And we went.
We said, here are the comps.
And he just said, okay, andjust transferred the 97,000.
He said, I don't want anything.
I don't want any interest.
(12:52):
Here you go.
Do well, guys.
Wow, that's incredible.
Isn't it?
Sorry.
That's incredible.
That's incredible.
That's incredible.
And he's.
Yeah, he's what.
What a thing to do for somebody.
And that's just through.
I understand that's becauseRomeo and I so hard working and we've
built a lot of trust that, youknow, I understand our part that
(13:15):
was played in that.
But, yeah, I'll never, everforget what he did for us.
So that was your first houseand your first business.
Yeah, that was.
So we'd already.
We already had our.
Our businesses.
So I had an interior design firm.
Romeo was in construction, butwe wanted to start getting into property,
so doing flips and beingproperty developers.
So that's how that started.
And then we sold that one,made a good profit.
(13:37):
He's now stayed our investor.
And now obviously we do.
We do give him a really goodreturn on his.
On his money.
But that was the start.
And then it just rolled from there.
So if you think about someonestarting a business, I think the
biggest fear is the financial instability.
And obviously you had thebacking where it was like, whatever
we need, we can make it happen.
What did you do to sort offuel and finance that first business
(14:00):
to get it off the ground tillyou got to that consistent cash flow?
Oh, my God.
Consistent cash flow issomething that we are in as property
developers now coming into.
But just going back tostarting my staging business, because
that's how it all started.
I was pregnant with Nina onmaternity leave.
I then said to Krillin, I'mnot coming back, and started with
(14:21):
home staging.
And gosh, Don, you should haveseen the sort of projects that I
was taking on and I wasdealing with.
I had like a little, a littleadvertisement in a Stockport magazine
and an old lady found me andshe was like my first client and
she was a hoarder and she just.
Because I advertised that Idid decluttering and she just wanted
(14:45):
me that I had to pay for agirl to look after Nina.
And it didn't even cover whatthis lady paid me and she just wanted
to talk to me.
And I used to go there every week.
But at the time, even while Iwas doing it, I thought, I know bigger
things are coming and I knowI'm going to be telling this story
one day.
And I remember in her atticthere was always a floor.
(15:06):
And I was like, oh my God.
She's like, can we do the attic?
And I found a book all aboutmanifestation, A really, really,
really old book.
And I just sat there readingthis book and then I took it home
and I stood, got the book nowand I wrote so many things in it.
It was all about visualizationand yet that took me on a, on a whole
other journey.
(15:26):
So when you were obviously inthe staging business, what was the
pivotal moment when you werelike, oh my goodness, like I've made
it like this is it.
I staged a really big house.
So funny enough, our firstinvestor, the one that, you know,
just helps us with everything,it's his brother and he had a very,
very big house in, in Bowdoinin Cheshire and he needed it fully
(15:50):
renovating.
So Romeo's team did the full renovation.
I looked over the interiordesign and staging and it was just
phenomenal.
And then a footballer ended uptaking that one and it was just great
for my portfolio.
Made good contacts with thisfootballer and then everything just
rocketed from there and thenit went from staging to doing full
(16:13):
on interior design for quitehigh net worth clients, lots of footballers.
And I ended up getting astudio and a team and yeah, it's,
it really did snowball from there.
And what was the biggestchallenge you had along the way?
The point where like youthought, maybe I don't want to be
in this anymore.
Gosh, clients.
(16:36):
Yeah, you know, it sounds, itsounds incredible.
Work before footballers, thepain of working for some of these
footballs and you know, thehigh net worth clients, it's incredible
because, you know, the cash iscoming in but with anything it just
adds so much stress and thedemands and you know, we were dealing
(17:00):
with 2,000 pound rolls ofwallpaper and then, you know, one
would come to sight and it'dbe wrong and it's funny.
Even talking about it nowmakes me nervous because I remember
having so many awfulconversations with clients to say,
I'm so sorry, but thewallpaper's wrong, and they'd be
so mad.
(17:20):
And I remember very, veryfamous Premier League footballer,
Portuguese.
I won't say any more.
But here we had a tabledeliver to his house, Solid marble
table.
And he was there, all hisfamily were there.
And there was a big thing because.
It was going to be a big dinner.
And it came on the very dayand it was all very stressful.
And then we opened up the boxand it was shattered.
(17:43):
Oh, my God.
And I just looked his wife,who scared the hell out of me, and
she just sort of turned it back.
And then I went outside.
I was crying my eyes out to remain.
And I was saying to her,please, can you just go to my studio?
Can you get the boardroom table?
Can you get it in your van?
Can we?
And, you know, they could havejust gone and bought a table at origin,
but no, I was like.
(18:03):
And then we had another tabledelivered and the same thing happened.
It was fully shattered.
So those are some of themoments that I thought, what am I
doing?
What am I doing?
I'm dealing with the uber wealthy.
Shaking, scared.
Why am I doing that?
What's it?
Yeah, Living with anxiety.
What's it for?
Yeah, yeah.
(18:24):
And I think my husband sawthat day in and day out, and I didn't
quite see it.
And that's when he kept sayingto me two years ago, he just kept
saying, I think you shouldstart to come out of it.
I was like, look at where I amand look at my.
Look at my team and look atthe clients.
And then he did get into myear and then I came to my business
(18:44):
coach, 2023, end of 2023.
2023.
And so said, I'm going toclose down the business.
I'm going to close it down.
We're just going to focus on property.
And he just went, you closingit down?
I was like, yeah, yeah, I'mclosing it down.
I'm going to close all my projects.
And he was like, you're goingto sell it?
I was like, who would buy aninterior design business?
(19:07):
Like, I am the face of it.
Who buys an interior design business?
And very long story short, Idon't know whether we should go into
that, but it was bought.
And yeah, it was a.
Again, that was.
That was quite stressful, butsuch an achievement.
Selling's never as I thinksome people expect.
I've gone through lots ofSales with clients.
(19:28):
It's a process.
Wow.
Yeah.
Yeah.
But.
And there's also, like, youknow, there's lots of things you
can do in advance of selling.
Like, the more clients I'veseen, like, the more I realized that,
you know, if you get thosefoundations right in the business.
And I know you said that youhad like amazing systems and processes.
It makes.
It was ready to passover,thanks to my business coach.
(19:49):
Yeah.
When I, when I started workingwith him, I did an incredible Tony
Robbins seminar.
Three day, very, very intense seminar.
And one of the things he justkept talking about was mentorship
coaching.
He was saying things like, ifyour kid is going to get tennis lessons,
get the best tennis teacherout there.
If your child wants to playthe piano, get the best piano teacher
(20:11):
out there.
Like, if you really want themto do well, spend that extra money.
And if you're going to get acoach or a mentor, get the best.
I remember finishing this,this big seminar and I contacted,
I don't know if you know,Salim from Glossy, contacted Saleem,
who just knows everybody.
And he was my first point of call.
I said, salim, I need abusiness coach and they have to be
(20:32):
the best out there.
And he just, he just repliedwith my coach, Karl Morris, and he
just put Carl Morris.
And I was like, okay.
And yeah, Carl really took mybusiness, which was almost like playing
interior design.
And he, he made sure that itwas a business.
Yeah.
Fully systemized.
(20:53):
And, you know, I know we weretalking about feeling comfortable.
There was a time it got soperfect and good and I'd have a session
with him.
I said, carl, I just feel it'stoo comfortable.
And he said, okay, well, let'sset another goal.
Set a goal to go and speak somewhere.
And I was like.
He was like, no, set thatscary goal because then you've got
something else to focus on.
(21:14):
So, yeah, so it was asystemized business.
It was ready to just hand over.
So, yeah, I always say that toall my girls now who do interior
design.
And I always say, where areyou going with this?
Do you want to do interiordesign for the rest of your lives?
Because they complain about things.
I said, start gettingeverything into product process now
or your systems and thinkabout when you're going to sell it.
(21:36):
And I think that's good.
They're starting to reallythink about that now.
Yeah.
And the thing is, is if you,if you get all of the process in
early, it's not just for the sales.
It's the fact that everythingfeels more in flow, everything's
easier for sure.
Clients are happier, employeesare happier.
So you've done really wellobviously in business and you're
now into your full on propertydevelopment side of things.
(21:57):
So tell us a little bit aboutthat and where you see that going.
Okay.
The great thing about whatwe're doing in all of my background
is that we've started fullpelt with property development with
a very business like mindsetand I know a lot of property developers
sort of it's very willy nillyand they're not quite sure of any
(22:18):
strategy.
But from the, from day dot,both myself and my husband, because
we're in this together, we hadroles and responsibility, we set
meetings with each other andwe've got a whole strategy planned
for the next five years.
And that's really, it's, it's happening.
So it's just wonderful.
And it's.
(22:38):
And it's wonderful waking upand not worrying about the clients
and the stress.
It comes with its, its own stresses.
Yeah, sure.
Although I don't.
We're sort of not allowed touse that word at home.
I never feel stressed.
It's a really funny one.
I was talking to somebody theother day and my oura ring says different.
My a ring says I'm constantlyin stress mode but I really don't
(23:01):
feel.
It was actually at dinner onThursday we were talking about this
when I first met you properlyin person and I think it is interesting
because there's differenttypes of kind of being in flow and
there's types that we enjoyand then that's, that's a positive
like you know, dopamine hitand then there's others that puts
us into obviously the cortisol.
(23:23):
Yeah.
So I think the thing is, isour bodies like being in high activity
and that doesn't meannecessarily it's a bad stress.
If you think about being awoman in business then and the stresses
that we go through.
Do you see the differencebetween women in business and men
in business?
Because I talk to a lot offemale founders who have either had
(23:44):
societal norms or otherstigmas applied to what they're doing
in business.
They've either come up abarrier, you know, for being a woman
or a challenge.
What's your view about womenin business now?
Because I obviously talk a lotabout the fact that only like 1.8%
of women ever hit seven figures.
Like where do you see thepositives and negatives for women
(24:07):
in business right now in 2025?
I mean I love using mysexuality and you know, all of those
things.
I really don't mind everwalking into a room full of men and
networking event and justholding my own.
And I think that's a massivemindset thing as well.
(24:27):
But in terms of.
In business, gosh, I justthink women are so powerful.
And I was just thinking today,you know, we've done all these beautiful
things today.
I can't tell you how manymessages, phone calls, all from men
needing me.
All.
They all need me.
All the trades need me, thearchitects need me.
They're all just like.
They look up to me like thismother figure.
(24:48):
So I think men massively lookup to women, whether they think it
or not.
We lead them, they know we'repowerful, we guide them.
And I don't think women should ever.
Don't ever forget that.
You know, to any woman thatfeels like, oh, it's a man's world,
I really don't think it is.
And I think I love men.
(25:09):
I love the balance of men.
I get on with them very, very,very well.
And I think because I've gotthat equality in my head and the
balance, I don't.
Of course, you know, ofcourse, you see men get different
opportunities than women, butthen I think we get better opportunities
than them as well.
So it's a sort of balancingYing and Yang thing.
(25:29):
And I don't think we shouldfeel too wounded when we see a man
get something that we don'tbecause we get a lot that they don't
get.
So.
And they would say the same thing.
So I agree.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So has there been a book or apodcast that you think like, absolutely
everyone has to read thatchanged your.
Life for a business?
I would read the E. Myth.
(25:53):
What's the rest of it?
The E. Myth.
Something rather.
And again, it was the.
It was the very first bookthat my business coach gave me and
it was all about taking your.
Yourself out of being in thelabor of.
Of the business.
Taking yourself out and beingable to run a business and overview
it.
And I read that and I listenedto it all the time in the car and
(26:15):
that helped.
I think.
I know what you mean.
It's about stepping up as atrue CEO, isn't it?
And it's how a business comesa business.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And I like.
Yeah, I've.
I can't think of the end ofit, but we'll put it on the screen.
You missed something or other.
Yeah, it's very, very, very good.
It's very good.
And it's also about finding,you know, yes.
If you are the CEO, but whatyou really enjoy Doing, you know,
(26:35):
I really didn't enjoy doingthe counts.
I didn't enjoy that much doingthe sales side of it, Although I
could sell the.
What we do very well.
I'm extremely creative.
So it was all about delegatingand really stepping into what you're
good at.
Not trying to wear all of the hats.
And I think.
I think that whole delegatingword is being used a lot more now,
(26:57):
which is super cool.
Because it's crucial.
It's crucial.
Absolutely.
Gifting and empowering othersto do things that they are good at.
I love that because I alwaysgifting you this responsibility.
I'm building you this becauseyou love it and I don't.
And I said to you before thatif something stays on my to do list,
I either have to delegate or declutter.
So share with us then whatyour embarrassing story is.
(27:20):
Because I always ask my gueststo share something and it has to
be juicy, Susie.
It has to be juicy.
And I know you've got stories.
I'm really struggling withthis one.
And you threw this at me atthe beginning.
And I'm thinking, what's myembarrassing story.
Dawn?
(27:42):
I don't know.
Okay.
Okay.
I'm just.
I'm just thinking about whatsomebody said about.
I love the fact that you areso embarrassed now.
I love it when someone getsthe cringe just before the story.
Then we know it's going to bea good story.
So just go for it.
Say it.
I think when I was flying.
And.
We were coming back from along haul and it was my friend and
(28:05):
I on the trolley and we weretaking drinks and I had like a really
bad cold or something thathappened, and she made me laugh.
And as I laughed, like allthis snot from my cold just came
pouring out of my nose intothe money tray, which then she was
(28:26):
just laughing at and all thepassengers saw and.
Yeah, that's my only realtimer that I remember was so embarrassing
but hilarious at the same time.
I think maybe I just deal withthings well and I always just laugh
it off.
I think even if I falling orwhatever, I can laugh it off, but
I can relate.
I definitely have a funnyairline story.
(28:47):
Well, tell me it's bad.
I can't.
I don't think I get throughthe full story.
I'm gonna.
I'm gonna.
I'm gonna save that for thewhite party.
Okay, cool, cool.
And I. I will definitely fillthe listeners in later, but for some
of the girls who are watching,they will know my story of trying
to leap over somebody on aneasy jet flight.
And just let's say I didn'tcomplete the leap.
(29:08):
And over a chair or over a man?
Oh, my God.
Yeah, over a man.
And obviously my 6 foot 2partner made it look really simple
so I tried to emulate it.
But when I leapt, I landed.
I didn't go over.
Straddled.
Oh, no.
And got legs stuck under armrest.
Either side lodged, couldn'tget out.
(29:29):
And the man woke up as I was writhing.
Yeah, it was, it was a, it wasa bad story.
But there's plenty of those Ilove that I wish I have, I have,
I have a stream of them.
So as your parting gift then,for our listeners, what would be
like the one thing that youwould just want women or anyone in
business to, to remember when,you know, sometimes, you know, life
(29:50):
is a bit challenging?
What's your piece of adviceyou'd like to gift that?
It always works out.
Yes, it's the most simplething, but it always works out.
And I think if you just keepthat in your head, it'll work out,
it'll be fine.
Yeah.
And then you just have thisabsolute faith and you know, we're
(30:12):
talking about religion andthings like that.
I'm not personally veryreligious, but I believe in, in,
in a higher power.
And I know people withreligions have so much faith that
they just, they just know thatthey're in the hands of something.
And yeah, I would always justsay that.
Just, it'll always, it'll workout, It'll work out.
And there's always been times,like I've spoken to lots of people
(30:35):
this year who've had reallychallenging times in business and
I've almost kind of likecathartically burnt the business
to the ground and started again.
But like six months laterthey've said, like, this is the best
business I've ever builtbecause they're learning.
And I think sometimes we'vejust got to remember that, you know,
in business things aren't personal.
So when things change, liketeam or, or it could be, you know,
(30:59):
a deal doesn't go to plan,it's kind of like it's meant to be.
And sometimes we push quitehard, don't we, because we, we feel
that we want it right now.
Yeah.
But it just means that we'rejust meant for a different trajectory
for sure.
So how can people follow you,Susie, and see the journey of the
property development?
So my Instagram handle, whichI use more than LinkedIn, although
(31:20):
I should really do more onLinkedIn, is RS, which is Romeo Suzie
Benjamin, Nina RSVN Developers.
And that's it.
That's.
That's how you can find us on Instagram.
And I always try and do asmany stories as possible and uploads
and things like that.
So that's where you'll find me.
Well, thank you for coming intoday and.
(31:43):
Oh, amazing.
I did not know that.
Yes, my first one.
And we get to.
And we get to go on a privateisland, have a white party, private.
Chef in a glass of cool.
It's a pretty cool first place podcast.
Thank you.
Amazing.
Thank you.
Thanks for listening to dawnof a New Era, the podcast brought
(32:05):
to you in association with theHer Power Community.
This initiative was founded bymyself and it's all about empowering
female founders to recognizetheir limitless potential and pursue
their ambitions with confidence.
Now there is less than 1.8%that goes into investing in female
founded businesses and we arehere to make positive change.
(32:27):
So come and support us onInstagram at Her Power Community
and find out more about whatwe're doing to support female founders
to scale and grow their businesses.
Hey, it's Dawn McGrewer, thebusiness growth coach and welcome
to dawn of a New Era, thepodcast where we talk.
All things health, wealth andhappiness and.
Where founders share the goodand bad and ugly of being an entrepreneur.
So welcome to dawn of a NewEra podcast.
So excited to have you here onthe private island.
Thank you very much.
(00:22):
Who knew that we could have aprivate island in Lancaster?
Exactly.
And I only met you a week ago.
I feel like I know you already.
That's so kind same.
But I know that there's somuch that you've done and you always
shy away from your achievements.
So I really want to explorethe life and times of Suzy.
But like, let's go backbecause anybody who's obviously following
(00:44):
you, they probably know alittle bit of your background.
But let's assume we've gotsome listeners that don't know anything
about Suzy.
So where did it all start?
Suzy.
And you can choose from whereyou want to start.
Okay.
So I had a wonderfulupbringing and I think that was a
real solid base for me andreally hard working parents.
(01:05):
My mum worked for the Ministryof Defence.
My dad was a professionalboxer artist.
And I've always watched thetwo of them sort of help each other
when times have been hard.
And it actually turned outthat my mum ended up being the breadwinner.
And she's extremely fierce andshe's very, very strong and I think
(01:27):
I always used to take that thewrong way and now I just see why
she is the way that she is.
From a very, very early age, Ialways wanted to be an air stewardess.
I just knew at maybe 4 or 5 Iknew I wanted to be an air stewardess
and I was so focused on that.
And on my year, year sixleavers book, you see, everybody
just say, I see you see you onthe airlines.
(01:49):
And then as soon as I could bean air stewardess at 18, so there
was various hotel jobs andthings like that before I started
applying for the airlines andyeah, had a really nice career on
the airlines as well.
So I think that was wonderful.
And at the same time I met mynow husband and yeah, things have,
(02:11):
things have sort of gone from there.
So I always look back at thatactually and always remember that
I was so focused on that.
I knew I wanted it and it happened.
And I just think like you weresaying before, if you've got laser
focus on wanting something,you do anything to make it happen.
So yeah, that was, that washow it started.
Yeah.
It's all about consciousalignment, isn't it and really kind
(02:32):
of leaning into it.
And we were saying before thatwhen you're a child, when you really
want something, you pull outall the stops.
Yeah.
And you get it.
And it's the same in adult life.
So you started work obviouslyon the airlines.
Which airline were you on?
Monarch.
Okay.
Does anyone remember Monarch?
I do, absolutely.
Yeah.
It was such a great airline,yet really, really high standards,
(02:53):
run by.
It's run by the Italian mafia, actually.
Really, really high standardsof everything.
So again, that was a. I wouldreckon if any, if any young girl
wants to go and work on theairlines and people sort of shun
it off, I would always say do it.
It just, it teaches you so much.
It teaches you communication,customer service, dealing with a
(03:14):
whole bunch of people, how topresent yourself, getting up early
at 3 in the morning,traveling, like all of those incredible
things it teaches you.
So I just think, yes, it was areally, really good base for what
then came.
And was it as fun as they say?
Because I have so many friendswho used to be crew and things and
they used to have a wild time.
It was amazing.
Are you going to share any stories?
(03:36):
I mean, it was very tamebecause as soon as I started on the
airlines, I'd already met myhusband, so there was no wild doors.
Although I think in his head,every time I used to do a long haul,
I'd have, you know, captain onone arm and first officer on the
other, lying on a beach somewhere.
That never happened, but itwas wonderful.
And yeah, I remember pinchingmyself, we'd go to the Maldives and
(04:00):
we'd get.
Every time we went on longhaul, we got paid per hour that we
were away, double what we'd bepaid, just normal.
And I'd just be there on abeach in the Maldives and.
And even at a young age, youknow, I mean, I was 20, 21, just
thinking, wow, like feelingabsolute gratitude.
So I think that's somethingthat I've always managed to do before.
(04:22):
Gratitude is a huge thing.
I always used to feel it.
So yeah, it was, it was fun.
You know, I always got laidoff during the winter there.
We were a sort of season, soevery winter we'd have to go and
do another crappy job.
And then that's what led meinto going into property and construction.
(04:42):
So in one winter, startedworking for a big construction firm,
Carillion, in the center of Manchester.
And they were looking for anair stewardess style person type
of person to sit on reception.
And then I came in for a jobwith my bun in.
I Think I had, like a ribbon.
And within five minutes theywere just like, you've got the job.
(05:04):
This is the lady.
This is it.
Like, I just walked in andthey were like, this is.
This is who we've been waiting for.
And so I just started on thereception there, and then I was going
to go back on the airlines tojoin on the summer.
And I told them all I wasleaving, and they basically just
said, how much do you want to stay?
And I was like, no, I want to be.
(05:24):
I want to be flying.
And then when you start to askfriends and family, they were like,
susie, I think it's time, youknow, you settle down now and then.
So I stayed in that job andvery quickly became building manager
and then just saw incredibleprojects in and around Manchester
and construction and I wasaround architects and designers and
big directors and so learn alot from that.
(05:48):
And then we had someapartments in the city center and
they weren't selling very well.
So my manager gave me thecompany credit card and she just
said, suzie, go out and justbuy a load of stuff and stage these
properties, these apartmentsthat aren't selling.
And I didn't really know whatstaging was, but I went out and I
got loads of bits and bobs andcushions and throws and we hired
(06:11):
in a load of furniture.
And as I was doing it, and Iwas just left to my own devices to
do it, and I just thought,this is.
This is definitely.
So this is where it allchanged, is where it all changed,
your passion.
Yeah.
So when you were there, then,obviously making all of these apartments
look beautiful, you went back,did they sell?
Oh, they went.
(06:32):
They all just sold withinabout a week.
All sold.
So thinking then about whatage you were at this point then.
So you were in your flyingcareer and then what age did you
have this pivot moment?
I was, I'm gonna say, around24, 25, something like that.
And then did you have afeeling that this was gonna be the
(06:52):
next thing?
That, like, this was gonnaturn into an actual full time?
I just, like I was saying theother day, I very, very quickly on
that day, in that hour, inthat minute, knew that things were
going to change as soon as Iwas there in these apartments on
my own, without a boss,without anybody, I just thought,
this is exactly what I shouldbe doing.
(07:15):
And straight away I was.
I was like, I did a interiordesign degree and home staging courses
and things like that.
And I just.
I just knew.
And I was trying at that pointnot to siphon contacts, but everybody
then that I spoke to.
I just made sure that Ialigned it to doing something, something
of that nature.
(07:35):
So when did you branch outand, like, start your first business?
So it didn't actually happen.
So I had my.
I had my son, who's now 13,and I'm probably getting the timelines
semi confused here, butBenjamin, and when he was six months
old, we moved to Brazil.
So my husband's Brazilian.
We moved to Brazil and we werethere just short of two years.
(07:58):
So that took me away from Carilian.
And they.
They always said, you know,you can come back when you want.
And that was probably one ofthe hardest things I ever did.
I sort of, you know, seminewborn, didn't speak the language,
had no friends, but veryquickly learned the language.
So such a blessing.
Now I can speak fluentPortuguese, which is great because
(08:20):
now I can communicate with allof my husband's family.
And, you know, that was awonderful thing that came out of
it.
And then when we came back,when Benjamin was about two and a
half, I went straight backinto Carillon.
And then again was.
Was learning more about.
More about interior design.
And then I got pregnant with Nina.
And while I was pregnant withNina, I thought, okay, on maternity,
I know I'm going to.
(08:41):
I know I'm going to go off anddo it on my own.
And it was honestly down to myhusband, who was just so supportive.
And a lot of people ask me foradvice on this that don't have supportive
partners, and I know it's amillion times harder, but he just
said, listen, if we need toeat baked beans, if, if you need
(09:01):
me to go and work at Tesco,we'll figure this out.
And my mum as well, she'd justbe like, susie, you.
If you want to do it, you willdo it.
You know, take a night shift,I look after the baby.
And it was.
It's always, if you want to doit, it's incredible.
You do it.
Yeah, yeah.
And there'll be peoplelistening to this, right, that don't
have that support.
So, you know, people mightsay, oh, you were very lucky.
(09:23):
You know, you got the support,you were allowed to go off and do
things.
What would be your biggestpiece of advice?
Like, if you found yourpassion and you know that you want
to do something, but you don'thave the support, you might have
kids, you might be single mum,you might not have a partner who
understands or is willing tokind of go without or put it all
in.
What's your advice there?
(09:43):
Somebody will help you.
And people are scared to Askand scared to talk to people, and
they're scared to talk topeople about their dreams and their
goals and, you know, somethingI have to do and not.
I'm sure we'll come on to this.
Now, in my current role, weraise a lot of finance.
You know, I've raised overhalf a million in private finance.
And at the.
This is only since last year.
(10:04):
And it was all aboutforgetting and coming out of your
head of asking for help andasking, you know, it's all just about
talking to people.
And, you know, I talk topeople in shops, I talk to people
in restaurants, I talk topeople everywhere.
And there's somebody out therewho will support you and help you.
And it doesn't always have tobe financially.
(10:25):
It could be, you know, say itis somebody with a baby and they
don't have the support.
They never know if they mighttalk to somebody who runs a nursery
and says, do you know what?
I believe in what you're goingto do, I'll take your child in and
you'd have to pay me.
Or as soon as you getsuccessful, there's always somebody
that will help and alwaysbelieve that because they're out
there.
And I talk to a lot of womenwho feel that they have to go out
(10:48):
alone and that everything ison them.
And it's not like.
I think the biggest thing isthat if you share a mission and vision
with somebody and they can seethe passion, often when I talk to
them, the pivotal moments in astory is I met a person and I was
at the absolute depth ofdespair or the biggest challenge
or whatever, and there'salways a person in the story that's
(11:08):
moved in.
And I think about this all ofthe time because we either have people
who've inspired us or we'vehad people who've helped us along
the way.
And then even when I trot backall of the times of, like, awful
challenges and massive growth,they're almost like combined.
But there's always a person inthat story who, outside of your family
(11:28):
has been like, the biggestinspiration for you or someone that
you've admired or helped youalong the way.
I would say our very first investor.
Also my business coach.
I mean, my business coach.
I could talk about him all dayand he's change my life massively.
(11:49):
So two men, actually, funnyenough, because my.
My mum's a huge inspiration,but she's family, so two men specifically.
So my business coach, but ourvery first investor.
So when we decided to startflipping houses, because I'd already
had my we're sort of jumpingback and forth here.
But I had my design firm by then.
My husband had quite a bigconstruction firm.
(12:10):
And everybody just kept sayingto us, why aren't you guys in property?
Why aren't you doing property?
And it was always that, well,we don't have that initial capital
to buy the first house.
And again, just talking topeople, and we had a good friend,
wealthy friend, and he justsaid, guys, I believe in you.
He literally just said, go andfind a house.
(12:31):
I'll fund the whole thing.
Wow.
And we were like.
And that was just through talking.
Just through talking andsharing our vision.
And so my husband found thishouse, 97,000.
And we went.
We said, here are the comps.
And he just said, okay, andjust transferred the 97,000.
He said, I don't want anything.
I don't want any interest.
(12:52):
Here you go.
Do well, guys.
Wow, that's incredible.
Isn't it?
Sorry.
That's incredible.
That's incredible.
That's incredible.
And he's.
Yeah, he's what.
What a thing to do for somebody.
And that's just through.
I understand that's becauseRomeo and I so hard working and we've
built a lot of trust that, youknow, I understand our part that
(13:15):
was played in that.
But, yeah, I'll never, everforget what he did for us.
So that was your first houseand your first business.
Yeah, that was.
So we'd already.
We already had our.
Our businesses.
So I had an interior design firm.
Romeo was in construction, butwe wanted to start getting into property,
so doing flips and beingproperty developers.
So that's how that started.
And then we sold that one,made a good profit.
(13:37):
He's now stayed our investor.
And now obviously we do.
We do give him a really goodreturn on his.
On his money.
But that was the start.
And then it just rolled from there.
So if you think about someonestarting a business, I think the
biggest fear is the financial instability.
And obviously you had thebacking where it was like, whatever
we need, we can make it happen.
What did you do to sort offuel and finance that first business
(14:00):
to get it off the ground tillyou got to that consistent cash flow?
Oh, my God.
Consistent cash flow issomething that we are in as property
developers now coming into.
But just going back tostarting my staging business, because
that's how it all started.
I was pregnant with Nina onmaternity leave.
I then said to Krillin, I'mnot coming back, and started with
(14:21):
home staging.
And gosh, Don, you should haveseen the sort of projects that I
was taking on and I wasdealing with.
I had like a little, a littleadvertisement in a Stockport magazine
and an old lady found me andshe was like my first client and
she was a hoarder and she just.
Because I advertised that Idid decluttering and she just wanted
(14:45):
me that I had to pay for agirl to look after Nina.
And it didn't even cover whatthis lady paid me and she just wanted
to talk to me.
And I used to go there every week.
But at the time, even while Iwas doing it, I thought, I know bigger
things are coming and I knowI'm going to be telling this story
one day.
And I remember in her atticthere was always a floor.
(15:06):
And I was like, oh my God.
She's like, can we do the attic?
And I found a book all aboutmanifestation, A really, really,
really old book.
And I just sat there readingthis book and then I took it home
and I stood, got the book nowand I wrote so many things in it.
It was all about visualizationand yet that took me on a, on a whole
other journey.
(15:26):
So when you were obviously inthe staging business, what was the
pivotal moment when you werelike, oh my goodness, like I've made
it like this is it.
I staged a really big house.
So funny enough, our firstinvestor, the one that, you know,
just helps us with everything,it's his brother and he had a very,
very big house in, in Bowdoinin Cheshire and he needed it fully
(15:50):
renovating.
So Romeo's team did the full renovation.
I looked over the interiordesign and staging and it was just
phenomenal.
And then a footballer ended uptaking that one and it was just great
for my portfolio.
Made good contacts with thisfootballer and then everything just
rocketed from there and thenit went from staging to doing full
(16:13):
on interior design for quitehigh net worth clients, lots of footballers.
And I ended up getting astudio and a team and yeah, it's,
it really did snowball from there.
And what was the biggestchallenge you had along the way?
The point where like youthought, maybe I don't want to be
in this anymore.
Gosh, clients.
(16:36):
Yeah, you know, it sounds, itsounds incredible.
Work before footballers, thepain of working for some of these
footballs and you know, thehigh net worth clients, it's incredible
because, you know, the cash iscoming in but with anything it just
adds so much stress and thedemands and you know, we were dealing
(17:00):
with 2,000 pound rolls ofwallpaper and then, you know, one
would come to sight and it'dbe wrong and it's funny.
Even talking about it nowmakes me nervous because I remember
having so many awfulconversations with clients to say,
I'm so sorry, but thewallpaper's wrong, and they'd be
so mad.
(17:20):
And I remember very, veryfamous Premier League footballer,
Portuguese.
I won't say any more.
But here we had a tabledeliver to his house, Solid marble
table.
And he was there, all hisfamily were there.
And there was a big thing because.
It was going to be a big dinner.
And it came on the very dayand it was all very stressful.
And then we opened up the boxand it was shattered.
(17:43):
Oh, my God.
And I just looked his wife,who scared the hell out of me, and
she just sort of turned it back.
And then I went outside.
I was crying my eyes out to remain.
And I was saying to her,please, can you just go to my studio?
Can you get the boardroom table?
Can you get it in your van?
Can we?
And, you know, they could havejust gone and bought a table at origin,
but no, I was like.
(18:03):
And then we had another tabledelivered and the same thing happened.
It was fully shattered.
So those are some of themoments that I thought, what am I
doing?
What am I doing?
I'm dealing with the uber wealthy.
Shaking, scared.
Why am I doing that?
What's it?
Yeah, Living with anxiety.
What's it for?
Yeah, yeah.
(18:24):
And I think my husband sawthat day in and day out, and I didn't
quite see it.
And that's when he kept sayingto me two years ago, he just kept
saying, I think you shouldstart to come out of it.
I was like, look at where I amand look at my.
Look at my team and look atthe clients.
And then he did get into myear and then I came to my business
(18:44):
coach, 2023, end of 2023.
2023.
And so said, I'm going toclose down the business.
I'm going to close it down.
We're just going to focus on property.
And he just went, you closingit down?
I was like, yeah, yeah, I'mclosing it down.
I'm going to close all my projects.
And he was like, you're goingto sell it?
I was like, who would buy aninterior design business?
(19:07):
Like, I am the face of it.
Who buys an interior design business?
And very long story short, Idon't know whether we should go into
that, but it was bought.
And yeah, it was a.
Again, that was.
That was quite stressful, butsuch an achievement.
Selling's never as I thinksome people expect.
I've gone through lots ofSales with clients.
(19:28):
It's a process.
Wow.
Yeah.
Yeah.
But.
And there's also, like, youknow, there's lots of things you
can do in advance of selling.
Like, the more clients I'veseen, like, the more I realized that,
you know, if you get thosefoundations right in the business.
And I know you said that youhad like amazing systems and processes.
It makes.
It was ready to passover,thanks to my business coach.
(19:49):
Yeah.
When I, when I started workingwith him, I did an incredible Tony
Robbins seminar.
Three day, very, very intense seminar.
And one of the things he justkept talking about was mentorship
coaching.
He was saying things like, ifyour kid is going to get tennis lessons,
get the best tennis teacherout there.
If your child wants to playthe piano, get the best piano teacher
(20:11):
out there.
Like, if you really want themto do well, spend that extra money.
And if you're going to get acoach or a mentor, get the best.
I remember finishing this,this big seminar and I contacted,
I don't know if you know,Salim from Glossy, contacted Saleem,
who just knows everybody.
And he was my first point of call.
I said, salim, I need abusiness coach and they have to be
(20:32):
the best out there.
And he just, he just repliedwith my coach, Karl Morris, and he
just put Carl Morris.
And I was like, okay.
And yeah, Carl really took mybusiness, which was almost like playing
interior design.
And he, he made sure that itwas a business.
Yeah.
Fully systemized.
(20:53):
And, you know, I know we weretalking about feeling comfortable.
There was a time it got soperfect and good and I'd have a session
with him.
I said, carl, I just feel it'stoo comfortable.
And he said, okay, well, let'sset another goal.
Set a goal to go and speak somewhere.
And I was like.
He was like, no, set thatscary goal because then you've got
something else to focus on.
(21:14):
So, yeah, so it was asystemized business.
It was ready to just hand over.
So, yeah, I always say that toall my girls now who do interior
design.
And I always say, where areyou going with this?
Do you want to do interiordesign for the rest of your lives?
Because they complain about things.
I said, start gettingeverything into product process now
or your systems and thinkabout when you're going to sell it.
(21:36):
And I think that's good.
They're starting to reallythink about that now.
Yeah.
And the thing is, is if you,if you get all of the process in
early, it's not just for the sales.
It's the fact that everythingfeels more in flow, everything's
easier for sure.
Clients are happier, employeesare happier.
So you've done really wellobviously in business and you're
now into your full on propertydevelopment side of things.
(21:57):
So tell us a little bit aboutthat and where you see that going.
Okay.
The great thing about whatwe're doing in all of my background
is that we've started fullpelt with property development with
a very business like mindsetand I know a lot of property developers
sort of it's very willy nillyand they're not quite sure of any
(22:18):
strategy.
But from the, from day dot,both myself and my husband, because
we're in this together, we hadroles and responsibility, we set
meetings with each other andwe've got a whole strategy planned
for the next five years.
And that's really, it's, it's happening.
So it's just wonderful.
And it's.
(22:38):
And it's wonderful waking upand not worrying about the clients
and the stress.
It comes with its, its own stresses.
Yeah, sure.
Although I don't.
We're sort of not allowed touse that word at home.
I never feel stressed.
It's a really funny one.
I was talking to somebody theother day and my oura ring says different.
My a ring says I'm constantlyin stress mode but I really don't
(23:01):
feel.
It was actually at dinner onThursday we were talking about this
when I first met you properlyin person and I think it is interesting
because there's differenttypes of kind of being in flow and
there's types that we enjoyand then that's, that's a positive
like you know, dopamine hitand then there's others that puts
us into obviously the cortisol.
(23:23):
Yeah.
So I think the thing is, isour bodies like being in high activity
and that doesn't meannecessarily it's a bad stress.
If you think about being awoman in business then and the stresses
that we go through.
Do you see the differencebetween women in business and men
in business?
Because I talk to a lot offemale founders who have either had
(23:44):
societal norms or otherstigmas applied to what they're doing
in business.
They've either come up abarrier, you know, for being a woman
or a challenge.
What's your view about womenin business now?
Because I obviously talk a lotabout the fact that only like 1.8%
of women ever hit seven figures.
Like where do you see thepositives and negatives for women
(24:07):
in business right now in 2025?
I mean I love using mysexuality and you know, all of those
things.
I really don't mind everwalking into a room full of men and
networking event and justholding my own.
And I think that's a massivemindset thing as well.
(24:27):
But in terms of.
In business, gosh, I justthink women are so powerful.
And I was just thinking today,you know, we've done all these beautiful
things today.
I can't tell you how manymessages, phone calls, all from men
needing me.
All.
They all need me.
All the trades need me, thearchitects need me.
They're all just like.
They look up to me like thismother figure.
(24:48):
So I think men massively lookup to women, whether they think it
or not.
We lead them, they know we'repowerful, we guide them.
And I don't think women should ever.
Don't ever forget that.
You know, to any woman thatfeels like, oh, it's a man's world,
I really don't think it is.
And I think I love men.
(25:09):
I love the balance of men.
I get on with them very, very,very well.
And I think because I've gotthat equality in my head and the
balance, I don't.
Of course, you know, ofcourse, you see men get different
opportunities than women, butthen I think we get better opportunities
than them as well.
So it's a sort of balancingYing and Yang thing.
(25:29):
And I don't think we shouldfeel too wounded when we see a man
get something that we don'tbecause we get a lot that they don't
get.
So.
And they would say the same thing.
So I agree.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So has there been a book or apodcast that you think like, absolutely
everyone has to read thatchanged your.
Life for a business?
I would read the E. Myth.
(25:53):
What's the rest of it?
The E. Myth.
Something rather.
And again, it was the.
It was the very first bookthat my business coach gave me and
it was all about taking your.
Yourself out of being in thelabor of.
Of the business.
Taking yourself out and beingable to run a business and overview
it.
And I read that and I listenedto it all the time in the car and
(26:15):
that helped.
I think.
I know what you mean.
It's about stepping up as atrue CEO, isn't it?
And it's how a business comesa business.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And I like.
Yeah, I've.
I can't think of the end ofit, but we'll put it on the screen.
You missed something or other.
Yeah, it's very, very, very good.
It's very good.
And it's also about finding,you know, yes.
If you are the CEO, but whatyou really enjoy Doing, you know,
(26:35):
I really didn't enjoy doingthe counts.
I didn't enjoy that much doingthe sales side of it, Although I
could sell the.
What we do very well.
I'm extremely creative.
So it was all about delegatingand really stepping into what you're
good at.
Not trying to wear all of the hats.
And I think.
I think that whole delegatingword is being used a lot more now,
(26:57):
which is super cool.
Because it's crucial.
It's crucial.
Absolutely.
Gifting and empowering othersto do things that they are good at.
I love that because I alwaysgifting you this responsibility.
I'm building you this becauseyou love it and I don't.
And I said to you before thatif something stays on my to do list,
I either have to delegate or declutter.
So share with us then whatyour embarrassing story is.
(27:20):
Because I always ask my gueststo share something and it has to
be juicy, Susie.
It has to be juicy.
And I know you've got stories.
I'm really struggling withthis one.
And you threw this at me atthe beginning.
And I'm thinking, what's myembarrassing story.
Dawn?
(27:42):
I don't know.
Okay.
Okay.
I'm just.
I'm just thinking about whatsomebody said about.
I love the fact that you areso embarrassed now.
I love it when someone getsthe cringe just before the story.
Then we know it's going to bea good story.
So just go for it.
Say it.
I think when I was flying.
And.
We were coming back from along haul and it was my friend and
(28:05):
I on the trolley and we weretaking drinks and I had like a really
bad cold or something thathappened, and she made me laugh.
And as I laughed, like allthis snot from my cold just came
pouring out of my nose intothe money tray, which then she was
(28:26):
just laughing at and all thepassengers saw and.
Yeah, that's my only realtimer that I remember was so embarrassing
but hilarious at the same time.
I think maybe I just deal withthings well and I always just laugh
it off.
I think even if I falling orwhatever, I can laugh it off, but
I can relate.
I definitely have a funnyairline story.
(28:47):
Well, tell me it's bad.
I can't.
I don't think I get throughthe full story.
I'm gonna.
I'm gonna.
I'm gonna save that for thewhite party.
Okay, cool, cool.
And I. I will definitely fillthe listeners in later, but for some
of the girls who are watching,they will know my story of trying
to leap over somebody on aneasy jet flight.
And just let's say I didn'tcomplete the leap.
(29:08):
And over a chair or over a man?
Oh, my God.
Yeah, over a man.
And obviously my 6 foot 2partner made it look really simple
so I tried to emulate it.
But when I leapt, I landed.
I didn't go over.
Straddled.
Oh, no.
And got legs stuck under armrest.
Either side lodged, couldn'tget out.
(29:29):
And the man woke up as I was writhing.
Yeah, it was, it was a, it wasa bad story.
But there's plenty of those Ilove that I wish I have, I have,
I have a stream of them.
So as your parting gift then,for our listeners, what would be
like the one thing that youwould just want women or anyone in
business to, to remember when,you know, sometimes, you know, life
(29:50):
is a bit challenging?
What's your piece of adviceyou'd like to gift that?
It always works out.
Yes, it's the most simplething, but it always works out.
And I think if you just keepthat in your head, it'll work out,
it'll be fine.
Yeah.
And then you just have thisabsolute faith and you know, we're
(30:12):
talking about religion andthings like that.
I'm not personally veryreligious, but I believe in, in,
in a higher power.
And I know people withreligions have so much faith that
they just, they just know thatthey're in the hands of something.
And yeah, I would always justsay that.
Just, it'll always, it'll workout, It'll work out.
And there's always been times,like I've spoken to lots of people
(30:35):
this year who've had reallychallenging times in business and
I've almost kind of likecathartically burnt the business
to the ground and started again.
But like six months laterthey've said, like, this is the best
business I've ever builtbecause they're learning.
And I think sometimes we'vejust got to remember that, you know,
in business things aren't personal.
So when things change, liketeam or, or it could be, you know,
(30:59):
a deal doesn't go to plan,it's kind of like it's meant to be.
And sometimes we push quitehard, don't we, because we, we feel
that we want it right now.
Yeah.
But it just means that we'rejust meant for a different trajectory
for sure.
So how can people follow you,Susie, and see the journey of the
property development?
So my Instagram handle, whichI use more than LinkedIn, although
(31:20):
I should really do more onLinkedIn, is RS, which is Romeo Suzie
Benjamin, Nina RSVN Developers.
And that's it.
That's.
That's how you can find us on Instagram.
And I always try and do asmany stories as possible and uploads
and things like that.
So that's where you'll find me.
Well, thank you for coming intoday and.
(31:43):
Oh, amazing.
I did not know that.
Yes, my first one.
And we get to.
And we get to go on a privateisland, have a white party, private.
Chef in a glass of cool.
It's a pretty cool first place podcast.
Thank you.
Amazing.
Thank you.
Thanks for listening to dawnof a New Era, the podcast brought
(32:05):
to you in association with theHer Power Community.
This initiative was founded bymyself and it's all about empowering
female founders to recognizetheir limitless potential and pursue
their ambitions with confidence.
Now there is less than 1.8%that goes into investing in female
founded businesses and we arehere to make positive change.
(32:27):
So come and support us onInstagram at Her Power Community
and find out more about whatwe're doing to support female founders
to scale and grow their businesses.
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