We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Susan Ottey a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Susan thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?

I hope that in everything I do, I encourage other women, especially those of color, to own their light and step into their own power. As much as my introverted side dislikes it, one of my superpowers is the ability to naturally command attention in a room. I become a leader, often speaking for those who don’t feel they have a voice. I’ve mostly worked in male-dominated fields; athletics/athletic training, strength and conditioning, and now finance. In some of these spaces, where I challenged the systems, I was labeled abrasive. But the same energy that intimidates some, inspires many more. I make intentional effort to speak to women who are interested in these spaces and encourage them to take the first step. I owned a women’s gym for several years, creating a safe space for us to grow into the best version of ourselves without the intimidation that seems to come in traditional, commercial spaces. As I grew as a business owner, I fell in love with the backend work, finances in particular. Working with an advisor to take control of my own wealth allowed me to see I could create an even bigger impact on women’s mental and physical health by teaching them to become financially independent. Now I focus on shame-free education and financial planning for women. I hope that my legacy will be millions of women who were encouraged by my work to regain control of their life and put themselves in a position to leave their own legacy. I hope that people will say that I was reflection of God’s power and love in all that I did and that I truly paved the way for other women to enter fields that were once intimidating to them.

Susan , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

**I answered a lot of this in the previous question 😃 **

Women have traditionally made life decisions out of scarcity. I help them become financially free so they can prioritize what’s really important to them.

Society has created this narrative that women can’t be good with money. That we make emotional decisions, overspend, and can’t understand the importance of saving or investing.

For far too long, the financial education space has been led by and for men, often intimidating us from even coming to the table. It’s time to end the shame and remove the stigma around women and finances.

I am a licensed investment advisor coaching women at all stages of life to accelerate their journey into financial freedom. I help redefine what wealth means to them and create full service financial plans that allow for peace and stability in their lives. From debt reduction, to investing and growing their own wealth, to leaving a financial legacy for their families, I do it all.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One hard lesson I had to unlearn was my hustle and grind mentality and my need for control. It served me well for a large portion of my life but it is not a sustainable lifestyle as a woman trying to balance motherhood, entrepreneurship and mental health. I was very much a do it all and do it myself kind of person. “No excuses” was my mantra. I was nicknamed Suzy Savage. Eric Thomas’ “How Bad Do You Want It” speech was always on rotation. I carried this attitude in all areas of life until very recently after a string of health issues. We all hear about burnout, anxiety, depression, but we don’t always think that this can apply to us when we’re “living our dream.” Between 2022 and 2023 I had gotten so many labs done, so many doctors appointments trying to figure out what was wrong with me. Heart palpitations, dizziness, heat sensitivity, weight gain despite keeping a consistent health routine, acne, insomnia, irregular menstruation, you name it, I was probably experiencing it. I was carrying the weight of parental and financial responsibilities in my marriage. I was having a hard time finding good trainers for my gym since I created such a niche space, and I honestly wasn’t interested in training full time anymore. I was stuck working in a space I loved and created but had outgrown. To make it worse, I was working on my investment licenses and wasn’t able to find the time or energy to even devote to the area that did light me up. God had been speaking to me for a while, telling me to let go but I couldn’t see how to do it. When I got honest with myself, the process of doing it wouldn’t be hard, it was the thought of disappointing others that kept me in this cycle for far too long. So many women found so much joy and empowerment through Better Bodies 757 but I was losing myself in the process just to keep it running. The season had passed and I was delaying my purpose in financial empowerment by clinging to it. Pivoting to close the gym AND let go of the grind mentality was one of the hardest periods of my life. It didn’t make financial sense to close the doors. This wasn’t a scenario of a failing business but God’s nagging on my heart became clearer and clearer. He wanted me to trust him. To have faith that despite the way the math wasn’t mathing on paper, He would hold me over during this season. Along with closing this chapter of being a gym owner, I also gained the courage to end my marriage. This was another area I was forcing because I was placing others before me. I so didn’t want my daughter to have a broken home. I didn’t want to continue the cycle of divorce in my family. I didn’t want to be a statistic, another single mother. The pain I was dealing with to stay in that relationship could never justify staying just to avoid a label. Now, the few weeks during the transition were absolutely terrible but within a a couple months I had regained so much peace in my life. All of the health issues resided. I lost 30lbs in a matter of 2 months and now feel as strong as ever. I work much les, yet bring in more income. I transitioned to homeschooling my daughter. My life became so much more fulfilling once I let go of control and stopped trying to force success by simply working harder.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I’ve always been a lead from the front person. You can’t question my character, the track record is there. I’m open and transparent about my story, my struggles and the transitions I’ve made in life. I think people crave authenticity. We’ve had so much social media perfection shoved down our throats for the longest that now we’re looking for relatability and someone we trust. Many of my first finance clients were former gym members. They witnessed my growth and transformations as a woman, mother and entrepreneur. Any advice I give, I can back up through experience. They see me living the life, and advice I preach.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.susanottey.com
• Instagram: @financially.fit__
• Facebook: Susan Ottey

Image Credits
Solomon Hayes Lense Photography