I Didn’t Learn to Take Care of Myself Until I Was 50.

Suzanne Is... Curious. Open-minded. Occasionally carrying too many tools. And full steam ahead.

I did not really learn how to take care of myself until I was 50 years old.

Maybe it was finances. Maybe I had never been in the right environment. Maybe I had never given myself permission. It was probably a combination of all three.

What happened next still amazes me.

I went from feeling weak and living with chronic pain to five magical years of personal transformation, feeling powerful and thriving. I lifted weights, danced, boxed, stretched, learned, and even stepped onto the stage for a few bodybuilding competitions.

My new tribe was instrumental in that change.

I was surrounded by community support. People who were learning, growing, trying new things, and expecting more from themselves. Those years included a great deal of professional and personal growth, too. I was not only becoming physically stronger. My world was getting bigger.

Then I moved to the desert.

My rhythm changed. My tribe changed. In some ways, my thinking went on pause.

A few years ago, it started moving again.

Now I am full steam ahead.

Why the people around us matter

I am often reminded of a sermon called “I Had These Five Friends.” I also think about the familiar idea that we become like the five people we spend the most time with.

My own life gives me good reason to believe that community support is vital.

That is one reason I place such high importance on small-group experiences. People learn from one another. One person tries something, another becomes curious, and somebody else realizes they are not the only one who has been feeling that way.

I am continually amazed by how many people are unwilling to consider a different approach.

I am also continually delighted by the ones who are willing.

Those are my people.

My Collective

I am a B3 BFR Certified Coach, and I represent several companies whose tools and products have become part of my life. I affectionately call them my Collective.

My mother used to tell me, “You have too many products to sell.”

She was not wrong.

That observation was probably part of the impetus for Tactical Reset.

I could not imagine choosing only one tool because I do not believe one tool is right for every person or every moment. I use the products in my Collective myself. I learn them, test them, and pay attention to what changes.

I do not recommend a product I do not thoroughly trust and use.

The important part is not convincing everyone to use everything. It is giving people an opportunity to experience different options and notice what may be useful for them.

What I want to help people do

I want to help people grow—personally and professionally—in my own way.

I want them to become stronger, more adaptable, more curious, and better able to recognize what supports them.

I do not want anyone to become dependent on me.

I would much rather help someone discover what works, learn how to use it, and build it into their own life or organization.

Tactical Reset is the primary expression of that work today. It brings practical Human Maintenance experiences to first responders and other high-responsibility teams.

But it is not the only place my curiosity goes.

Merry Poppins PWR is also home to Cochise Living, Field Notes, and the products and tools I use at home and at work.

Somehow, it all makes sense inside my head.

About the swirl

I have a lot of ideas.

They connect perfectly while they are swirling around in my head. Communicating them so another human can follow along is sometimes a different adventure.

Lately, I have been having a blast using ChatGPT—whom I call Lyric—to help me craft and track my B3 work. That tracking has helped me learn more from what I am doing and share it more clearly with my clients.

They may occasionally look at me strangely, but we are learning together.

Lyric—and now Lint, our tiny strategic sidekick—also help me slow down the swirl, find the useful thread, and say what I am actually trying to say.

Hopefully, that helps you understand me, too.

What I know so far

The right environment can change a person.

The people around us matter.

Small groups can make unfamiliar things easier to explore.

There is rarely one useful tool for everyone.

Being open to a different approach can open a door.

And we are more capable when we learn how to support ourselves and one another.

I am still learning.

I am still experimenting.

And I am paying attention.