ABOUT SUSAN
Susan has been coaching since 2000. She started off as a personal and business coach, then became a personal trainer specializing in working with seniors, and finally a health coach, again focused on seniors. The testimonials below are from a wide spectrum of her clients. She also has been trained as a teacher and a mediator.
At age 64, overweight and exhausted, she decided it was time to transform her life. She developed the concept of “Finishing with a Flourish,” teaching seniors to make changes in their diet, exercise, and lifestyle so they could become healthier and get back to pursuing their dreams. She is an avid camper and hiker, (almost) always preferring to be outdoors. If she has to be indoors, hopefully all the windows are open.
What Our Clients Are Saying
“Susan coached me over a span of six months with regards to a personal project dealing with the Middle East peace process. She stayed with me, supporting what I wanted to achieve and challenging me when I was on the verge of deciding I was too busy, too tired, or re-evaluating why I took on the project in the first place. I accomplished my goal and was surprised by how much more I was able to achieve than originally planned and indeed how much I continue to generate even today. I learned that I was much more powerful than I ever imagined. At 60 I am running half-marathons and managing a thriving immigration law practice. Susan is still one of my biggest cheerleaders.”
– Ben Landey, J.D.
“Susan coached me as I started a new business venture and retooled administrative functions in my ongoing position as cliinical director of ten staff members. She is insightful, enlightening, and motivating. Her work with me has been powerful in freeing me of old ineffective patterns to find pathways to creativity.”
“I asked Susan to help me put my life back together after five months of chemo and radiation. Having exercised and been active most of my adult life, cancer was a setback for me physically, spiritually, and psychologically. I’m a goal-setter and an outdoor person who loves people.
One of the most important changes for me was how Susan coached me with my nutrition. She guided me to reassess the foods and beverages I put in my mouth, sending me updated information on all the additives we Americans have in our foods. She sent me delicious recipes of nutritious foods that I like and how to put them together. I wanted to lose weight permanently and be more responsible for portion sizes and content.
The second most important change for me was Susan coaching me out of an enclosed pandemic mode to a joyful, positive 75+ year old woman who had more to give (and take) from life! Who am I? What do I dream of doing in my “Final Hurrah” as I call it. How do my connections with the people around me make a positive difference to my life and theirs? How do I value the friendships of friends from my past? How does my spiritual life intersect all of this? And how do I look at more pain down my path? I’m working through all of this by prayer, meditation, journaling and good conversations.
I look forward to more exercise as I recover from hip replacement, and being out and about with family and friends.”
– Polly Jones
“I began working with Susan after a long recovery from serious back surgery. For a multitude of reasons ranging from physical pain to medication and comfort eating, I had gained weight. The added weight was a hindrance to my continued recovery from surgery, as well as psychologically disheartening.
With Susan’s particular knowledge of post-menopausal health issues, along with her other training in human behaviors, she coached me through months of retraining my body to respond in healthy ways to nutrition and exercise. And our regular meetings kept me accountable to my stated goals.
I continue to benefit daily from the results of her guidance and encouragement. Over the course of our time together, I was able to embrace my age as a gift and view my health as a sacred trust that is mine to manage.”
– Rev. Dr. Cynthia Park
“Susan has been very supportive of me throughout the past very challenging year. I sold my home of forty years and relocated to a retirement community near my daughter’s home. At the same time, I was dealing with an infected knee replacement. All of this left me with little energy for focusing on my wellbeing!
Susan had a unique ability to provide a wealth of health information within the context of a continuing conversation about how that information might or might not benefit me.
Our work together made it possible for me to incorporate small but significant changes into my food and sleep routines. These changes have helped me develop a new awareness of my actions. I pay closer attention to nutritional information and make better choices about what I eat. I no longer take sleep aids and am slowly learning to sleep naturally. I’m looking forward to continued progress.”
– Joy McCarthy, Ph.D.
“Susan Longley is magical. She has helped me define my values and personal goals. Through her course, I have clearly stated my intentions to improve my marriage, focus on achieving personal balance, and redefine my consulting company to be in line with my life purpose.”
– Susan S. Gregory, President
S. Gregory Consulting, Inc.
“Working with Susan has been such a blessing and true serendipity for me. Through taking the Life Purpose Exploration Seminar, I brought my true authentic self and life purpose to the surface, which has given me clarity and has removed my fears.
After completion of her course, I have continued to work with Susan as my coach. She is able to see things I do not see and brings them to light for me. Susan challenges me to look deeper, set goals and holds me accountable to obtain them. She knows what works best for me and then makes sure I am not overwhelming myself. Most importantly, she has allowed me to see when I live in authenticity, things just fall into place.”
– Diana L. Garren, Founder
True Perceptions
“Much of the clarity and focus I’ve gained during your Life Purpose Exploration Seminar is directly the result of your guidance, the variety of activities, the way you bring closeness to participants, and your incredible ability to listen intently and motivate. More than ever, I am totally committed to writing my book!
I would be pleased to serve as a reference for anyone interested in taking your class. Thank you for the gift of being authentic and inspiring.”
– Bonnie Ross-Parker
Author of Walk In My Boots
“The Life Purpose Exploration Seminar was much more than I expected. By revealing my values “through the backdoor” so to speak it became crystal clear who and what I am. The exercises were nothing I had seen or done before and I’ve read numbers of self-discovery books and listened to countless tapes.”
– Dawn Baker
“Susan has been a blessing to us. My husband, Norman, had a stroke a year and a half ago. Susan has helped him so much, not only in the gym, but in the pool as well. He had Covid recently and because of his good training, he has had the strength to get better each day. She is a delight to work with, and cares so much about all her clients.”
– Sylvia Slovis
“After years of intense physical activity riding horseback, swimming, and white water canoeing, I had ruined my back, totally worn away the cartilage in my knees, and torn both rotator cuffs. So I slowly faded into couch-potatohood. After getting both knees replaced I at least started water aerobics but was able to do little more. But, by then my back was so weak that I was having a hard time walking more than a few yards and standing was intolerable.
At age 68, I started training with Susan. Great decision! After a year I am MUCH stronger. I’m so grateful to Susan for all her encouragement and help. She’s particularly supportive when I get down because I don’t feel like I’m progressing quickly enough. I’m confident that I will soon be back to my old active lifestyle and it brightens my whole life. Thanks a million, Susan.”
– Ebeth McMullen
“When I chose to work out with Susan almost two years ago, I had no idea that she would be such a great support in my journey of beginning to take care of me! She tailors each workout for me. Susan continues to research what exercises will be best for me and helps me strive to be my best. I look forward to my workouts which are always different. Susan’s encouragement has kept me going, and I can see and feel a difference.”
– Nancy Nierva
“I have been going to Susan for several years—starting in the pool because of strength and surgery issues and then graduating to land exercise and strength training and love the way she understands “seniors.” Susan has a wealth of knowledge and experience that I find extremely helpful.”
– Mary Dill
– Stuart Alston
“I am 66 years old and I have never really exercised. I’ve been training with Susan for 2 years now and I feel stronger and sharper mentally. My 92-year-old mother, who has dementia, has also been working out with Susan and I have seen an improvement in her mobility, but more importantly in her mood and energy. She is truly a different person after an exercise session. I highly recommend training with Susan no matter what your age.”
– Linda Harrison