Working Like A Woman: Susan Morris

Tuesday, July 16, 2019

Susan Morris is a Realtor with an all female team, 2 other companion businesses, a family, and a heart of gold! In full disclosure she is a true friend, and I just adore any excuse to hang out with her and pick her brain. Here is a recap of our deep-dive talk on the things surrounding what it means to be Working Like A Woman.

*Warning: we got raw and real, so there is some explicit language in this interview*

Susan Morris Interview

Working Like A Woman

1. What makes you excited each day?

Working for myself, being an entrepreneur, and failing. If you aren’t failing at something each day you are just living in your comfort zone.

I say just F-it up real big! You will learn what doesn’t work, and from that you will grow. Living comfortable and safe doesn’t get it done.

2. Biggest struggle in life overall?

I struggle with body dysmorphia; What that means is that I’m 5’1” and a size 8, but I see myself in the mirror as a woman who is probably close to 300 pounds. I’m working through this with a great counselor but it’s a daily struggle. It creeps in when you least expect it, and delivers a crushing blow. I have deleted so many family photos with moments of me with my kids due to being ashamed of how I looked; that is a loss I can’t get back.

My goal is keep working through this and to model for my daughter, my friends, and other women how to fight this and live with a healthy personal image.

3. How do you harmonize real life and career?

I am not sure that I balance well, but I do my best. For the past several years I am focused on being present … at work, at home, at date night, etc. My harmony is being present where I am at any given time. The biggest gift you can give to anyone is to be present.

To do this, I turn my phone off when I get home (not silent but off). I also do not work on Sundays, which is a big day in real estate, but it is MY boundary for my day off. To be honest I don’t want to be available at all hours for all people, I don’t want a 10pm phone call asking about a property on the market … I want them to have respect for my time just like I have for theirs.

4. Advice to other working women?

First: Listen to other women. The things l learn from other women who I value in the moments of authenticity is amazing. The raw shares of ‘I am having a shitty day with crappy clients and the kids are being difficult and my spouse and I are fighting’… I love it because I know I’m not alone. I love knowing that I am in authentic space; I don’t want to hang out with women who pretend that they have all their shit together all of the time. Have a friend to stand there and point out the potholes and struggles. Listen to the women who have been there and done that.

Second: Give yourself grace. Allow yourself to feel whatever you feel and don’t judge it or impose other restrictions. Welcome your feelings into your space; they may come and go but if it has a seat welcome it to stay and pay attention to what it is telling you.

Women are so f-ing smart, but we screw ourselves up because we second guess ourselves. Don’t be afraid of other women in their success but learn from it and encourage it.

Lean into your ideas, let them all explode and float around you. When you find an idea landing give it space and lean into it to see if it will stick or go. You don’t have to follow each idea into completion; sometimes they don’t make it to the execution phase and that is ok too.

5. What do you want your legacy to be when you are gone?

A movement of kindness and authentic living.

My personal mission statement is “Adding value to as many people as I can on a daily basis”.

When I die, I want people to say, gosh, I am inspired to pay it forward to others. I want people to simply say “she was a good egg”.

Watch the first half of the interview on https://youtu.be/kU-B4pYOZjQ

Watch the first half of the

Learn more about Susan at: www.susanmorristeam.com

Susan Morris: Working Like a Woman

Stacy Wood

RECENT POSTS

Shannon Siriano: Working Like A Woman

Morgan Montgomery: Working Like A Woman

Poised Leaders

Lisa Marshall: Working Like a Woman

Impactful Communication: 4 Steps

Stinson Mundy: Working Like a Woman

Executive Coaching: is it for me?

5 Tips on Increasing Success

Confident Leadership for Women