Susan Richards
Susan Richards was one of the bright lights in my high tech marketing career. As we both went on to different companies, we lost touch. When I was reflecting on Fabulous Women I have known, I thought of Susan. I LOVE the Internet! Within minutes, I had located a possibility, popped off an email and discovered that I had indeed found “my Susan Richards” who used to run 10 miles each morning before work! And, she generously agreed to be a profile on 50+Fabulous!
I started to remember many of our exploits. We worked our butts off as we shuttled to and from Las Vegas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Austin, Salt Lake City, and many other locations throughout the year. But, we had tons of fun working with great people, challenging ourselves, participating in team meetings in venues like Snowbird, Sundance, and Park City and getting wined and dined by advertisers all over the nation.
Susan was not only fun, she was smart, had a secret reservoir of energy and enthusiasm, a great attitude, and was not afraid to be candid with anyone. Both executives and staff loved working with Susan not only because of the above, but because she was both visionary and strategic, as well. It was no surprise to me to learn she now serves on the executive team of her current company, Altiris.
She believes her success is due, in part, to the fact that she does not think in terms of aging. She loves interacting with colleagues of all ages and is happy to share her knowledge, experience and talent. And, she also enjoys learning from them. Some of Susan’s best buddies are much younger.
Susan continues to challenge herself physically. The consummate athlete and competitor, she ran the Boston Marathon several years ago, runs 6-8 miles three times a week, has biked all over the world and recently rode 1000 miles from Casper, Wyoming to Salt Lake City. She regularly bikes into the mountains near her home and loves “dusting” her children’s friends on her way up the mountains and hearing the exclamations later of, “That’s your MOTHER???!!! Well, you could have warned us!” Those she “dusts” usually become fast friends. It’s one of her talents…drawing people together.
Susan is one of the boomers to who when she even thinks “retirement,” thinks more in terms of “transition.” She recently used her vacation to buzz out to Africa with her daughter to help build a school. In addition, they helped to build a water cistern, so the women in the village did not have to haul water from the well about half a mile away. This year, she is off to Nepal to promote education by helping to build a school. When she does transition from the traditional work place, she hopes to do more humanitarian service, within her own community and abroad.
In summary, Susan is my Hero! She combats ageism with her keen intellect, visionary ideas and a strong work ethic. She’s current, she’s fun, and one very attractive 50+Fabulous woman!
I don’t see her winding down any time soon. After all, she has to keep up with 8 “grands!” She thrives on the energy that flows when people work together to accomplish great things in our world. She is not only a positive role model for all we 50+ers, but for far younger women as well. She is definitely breaking down barriers for future generations of women.
Here are Susan’s ideas for staying vital:
- Pay attention to your health, eat well, exercise a lot
- Keep your competitive spirit alive
- Don’t think of yourself as “old”
- Don’t act “old”
- Keep an open mind
- Accept and embrace change
- Don’t be threatened by younger colleagues
- Figure out how to work less and make more; spend your time where you get the biggest bang for the buck
- Stay current and relevant by reading a lot
- Stay interested and interesting
- Oh, and spend time with your “grands!”
