Heart on My Sleeve: A podcast with Susie Cohen

In this episode, podcast producer Jill Friedman interviews Susie where she tells stories of growing up in Plainview, NY, how her childhood friendships with her "home girls" are unbreakable bonds and how moving to Seattle was a huge challenge for her. She shares what brings her joy, how she gives love to others and how spending time with her family and her friends is the most important thing to her. She talks about how she developed her love of fashion, how she found a love for fashion resale and how shopping feeds her soul. Susie gets candid about entering...

Reuven Carlyle's success in life was not a forgone conclusion. Reuven shares with Susie stories of his childhood poverty, growing up with a single mother who lived a true hippie lifestyle in the 1960s, searching for mentors to provide him guidance and stability, and the opportunities he sought out that changed his life. He grappled with the duality of his reality and knowing that life could be very different. At 15, Reuven recounts how he left his childhood home and became a page in Washington D.C. for Senator Warren Magnusson, Scoop Jackson and even for Speaker Tip O'Neill. Through...

Claudia Longo is 25 years old and has already lived an extraordinary life. At the age of 18, Claudia was heading to the University of Washington to play soccer after being recruited as a high school sophomore, when she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Listen as Claudia shares how she went on to play for UW at the highest level, how the community around her helped her to manage her illness and how she is now creating a community for other young adults diagnosed with MS with her organization MS Impossible. She candidly talks about the reality of living with the...

Tiffany Wendel has been a well-known stylist for over 18 years and has been in fashion for over 35 years. She talks to Susie about her childhood as an identical twin, growing up with divorced parents on different coasts, how all of her family members are creative and how she got into fashion. Tiffany gets real about her changing body size, shares insider styling tips including how to pack for travelling, figuring out your "core vibe" and explains why fit is so important. Tiffany talks about dating and meeting her husband on Bumble and what it's like to be a parent...

Meet Rhonda Banchero, athlete, wife, mom of 3 and fashion lover. Susie and Rhonda dive deep into what it was like being a 12-year-old girl who was 6'1'' tall, becoming a pioneer in women's basketball, and how she learned how to manage her deficit mindset to become someone who tries to stop to smell the roses. She shares details about her family life, being in a biracial marriage and about raising her very athletic kids, including her oldest son Paolo Banchero, one of the NBA's top players. She talks about her passion for her current career and how important...

Peter Chung is an American success story. Born in South Korea and immigrated with his family when he was 2 to the United States, Peter grew up in Washington with a unique blended family. He tells Susie about the lessons his Norwegian grandfather taught him and about the work ethic his father instilled in him. He shares his career journey as a salesman and how he landed in the car industry, ultimately owning dealerships. He talks about how living his faith made him able to lead authentically and why it's so important that his dealerships are good members of the...

Meet Jill Handaly, a dear friend of Susie's. Jill is a speech pathologist who works with children with autism and apraxia of speech. Originally from Houston, Jill talks about the challenges of moving to Seattle, raising her kids far from family and implementing the lessons imparted to her by her grandparents and parents that she carries with her every day. She uses creative outlets to get her through her tough times, including caring for her husband during his battle with cancer. She shares why she loves her job and the children she helps. She bonds with Susie over their...

Harold Kelsie and Susie met when Harold delivered packages to Susie's showroom as her UPS driver. He teased her about her New York accent and they were instant friends. In this episode, Susie chats with Harold about how he became a UPS driver, what a day in his life looks like, how his faith and family keep him going every day and how organization is the key to his success. He shares special and funny delivery stories from his career of 38 years.

Laura Van Horne is an accomplished mixed media artist and Seattle gallery owner who joins us to talk about how she pivoted from her speech therapy career to becoming a full-time artist. She chats with Susie about childhood art projects, how creating art helped her through challenges as an adult, the bold pitch she made to the Seattle Art Museum, how she started her own gallery and what a day in the life of an artist looks like. Her passion for her work shines through in this episode.

www.lauravanhorneart.com

www.grayskygallery.com

Nick Crossan, co-owner of EBC Training Centers, and former coach to Susie's son Drew, joins us in the studio to talk about his passion for the game of basketball, the lessons he learned as a player, the toughness his mom instilled in him and the injury that stopped him in his tracks and ended his basketball career. As a coach and owner of a basketball club, he shares the challenges of running a family business, why basketball helps give kids tools for life and how the philosophy of EBC builds team chemistry. At 35, Nick is wiser than his years...

Susie's son Drew visited Seattle and joined us in the studio to share his thoughts on living in NYC, changing jobs, taking chances and musing about growing up with Susie as his mom. They share tender moments and tell some epically funny stories.

Susie says, "Hello Robin!" to Robin Wehl Martin, owner and founder of a great Seattle cookie shop called Hello Robin. Robin shares how saying "yes" to things let her to start a small business, what it takes to keep it going and the special moments that happen there. Robin recounts how she learned to bake with her grandma Margot, how a simple and unexpected text from a friend led to her open the cookie store and the challenges they faced during the Covid shutdown. Susie is the ultimate fangirl in this inspiring episode.

https://www.hellorobincookies.com/<...

We welcome Nancy Gordon to Heart on My Sleeve. Nancy is a go getter, a self-described "leaper", who makes things happen and creates real change to improve the lives of many. Nancy's story addresses raising a child with autism and her work with creating spaces for neurodiverse young people in the Seattle area. She shares honest truths about her challenges and helpful insights for those facing the same situation.

The Summit Community Center

Susie chats with Elisa Yip, a fashion designer, entrepreneur and founder of the sustainable knitwear company Sskein. Elisa talks about growing up in Chinatown in Manhattan, embarking on a career in the fashion industry and taking risks in her career and in her life. Elisa shares how she found a sense of personal freedom when she experienced Burning Man and what she's learned in therapy sessions. She explains her passion for sustainability and why it's the ethos of her company.

Find Sskein here and on Instagram

Sam Willing is a former HR executive, current executive coach, founder of the Compassionate Collective and author of an upcoming book about nervous system regulation. Susie and Sam discuss aspects of Sam's career in leadership, her perfectionism, the challenges of being a woman in male dominated industries and having to dress the part. Sam talks about the importance of having compassion and gratitude and shares the story of how the Imperfect Heart Project came about and why it's the most meaningful work she has ever done.

You can find Sam on Instagram @coachsamwilling and @thecompassionatecollective

...

In this first episode, Susie chats life, family and relationships with her husband of almost 30 years, Stephen Cohen. Steve's life experiences from family events to careers choices tell an amazing story of resilience, growth and self determination sprinkled with bits of humor. Susie and Steve's relationship is on display and exhibits respect, kindness, love and companionship.

Find us on Instagram @heartonmysleevepodcast and Susie on Instagram @stylewithsusie.