What is my greatest passion in my work?

Underlying everything I do is a commitment to educating others in an inclusive, kind and supportive way. Whether I am helping them professionally through training, consulting and advisory work (mostly related to LinkedIn and their online presence) or through my writing (including my poetry). The goal is to be read, not just published and to help people when they need it – so making sure it is easy to find online is very important to me (and this includes within search, social and AI results).

What is my greatest fear?

The safety and wellbeing of my children – I am fine with them doing the ‘difficult’ things in life, just not the ‘dangerous.’

What do I love most about my work?

Like many others who have not had a ‘real’ job for a long time, in my case since 1994, I love the variety, the challenge and the flexibility. I am a ‘learning junkie’ and have been going to between one and four events per week since 2000 and my work allows me the opportunity to keep learning.

What is my greatest pitfall?

I am not good at doing my invoicing on a timely basis. This has been an issue for many years although I do try and do it by each Friday now.

What does the statement “Passion Never Retires” mean to me?

In my case, I would say that if you understand yourself and what is important to you, without the influence (or interference) of others, you can live according to your own values, strengths and context.

What would I like to change about myself?

I would like to be able to ‘relax’ a little more often rather than feel as if I am in ‘survival’ mode most of the time. I understand where it comes from but worrying about it is a distraction!

What is my greatest professional achievement so far?

I managed to write and independently publish three 80,000 word non-fiction books in nine months. This gave me the ability to take what I know and make it accessible to others based on education, research and lived experience and when I launched my fourth book with my adult children as MC and interviewer, it was one of the happiest days of my life.

Where would I most like to live and work?

I am extremely happy living and working where I am now, but I spent several weeks in Clifton Springs near Geelong, Victoria in 2016 when I was writing my three books and I really enjoyed being near the sea and having the mountains in the distance when I was writing.

What is my most distinctive characteristic?

Personally, I feel as if I am a highly sensitive person and I need to manage that to ensure I am as productive and present as possible, especially when I am in challenging situations.

What is the place outside my home where I get my best ideas?

Usually somewhere quiet (away from people and traffic) and outdoors in nature but to be really honest, I often get my best ideas when doing housework at home!

Which books have influenced my life and how?

Radical Forgiveness by Colin Tipping. I was sacked when I was pregnant at 29 and after reading this book, I learned why I was still angry about it six and a half years later and I created a process that worked for me to let that anger go.

“You Only Die Once” — what music would I like to listen to on my last day?

Clair de Lune by Debussy – I particularly like the version by Khatia Buniatishvili.

Who is my hero or heroine in fiction?

Alas, I rarely read fiction so no-one springs to mind.

Who are my real-life heroes and heroines?

My children, my closest friends and anyone who is willing to do something outside of their comfort zone, especially if it will help them in some way.

Which film would I recommend everyone to watch at least once in their lifetime?

I like ‘A Walk in the Clouds’ – whilst it is mostly a romantic movie, it has beautiful music by Maurice Jarre and reminds me of what it is to be part of a family.

What does the statement “I am the storyteller of my own life” mean to me?

When I share stories with others about my life, I am sharing what is important to me and trying to convey that to someone else. As I live on my own, I choose my words very carefully as I want to focus on what I am grateful for and because I like learning so much, what I can share that may be helpful to the other person.

What role do stories play in my life and work?

A significant part as I believe we are biologically programmed to remember stories and it is much easier to tell a story about a ‘person’ to make a point rather than give people a three step method that they may forget. Analogies can be very powerful and I believe they allow the person to come to their own insights and conclusions.

Which project am I most looking forward to?

Publishing my first books of poetry. I have already published many poems on my sueellson.com/poems website, but I look forward to compiling relevant ones into different themed books.

Who would I like Peter to invite to tell their Passion Never Retires story?

Laurie Smale, one of my clients who at 79 is STARTING his digital journey https://lauriesmale.com 

How can people contact me?

Via my website https://sueellson.com/contact – this also links to all of my social media channels etc or sueellson@sueellson.com