Welcome!
Site Re-Opening
January 2026
Hello - I'm Suzanne Matthiessen. Thank you for being here!
This site is being redesigned to integrate my professional work and personal passions that have evolved over the past two+ decades. All contain classic wisdom and knowledge LifeSmarts Mindsets and Skillsets that are universal, transcend time and space, and that no one owns woven into tools, talks, stories, and practices. No ego "branding", buzzwords, or BS.
Especially no BS. Your life and time are too important to waste with drivel, false promises, and the latest fleeting monetized trends.
Everything I have written, taught, spoken, and advised about (and I mean everything) during the past two+ decades about Leadership Development, Behavioral Ethics, and integrated "Whole Systems" Work+Life Wellbeing is centered upon understanding and valuing the impact that both individual and group communications (and their corresponding thoughts, choices, and actions) have upon you and everyone your life comes into contact with (including ripple effects you may never be directly aware of).
You may have heard people say, "(Person's Name) Leads by Example." It's usually said with reverence and placing that person in a lofty sort of category to aspire to.
HERE'S THE THING (and it's a BIG thing): You're already doing it.
BIG QUESTION:
WHAT Example are YOU leading by?
Everyone (and I mean everyone) is already Leading by their Example within whatever sphere of influence they have, personally and professionally, in any given interaction, situation, or moment ... and there are no unimportant interactions, situations, or moments.
NEXT (ALMOST AS BIG) QUESTIONS
(well maybe ... I mean, they're definitely not small)
Do you want to Lead by an Example that others will revere and aspire to incorporate within themselves?
Are you both humble and courageous enough to take 100% ownership and accountability for your impact and influence? What do you want each one to be?
What legacy do you want your life to have after you pass away?
Can you engage in the rEvolutionary power of kindness in a way that supports others in transcending their darkness no matter what form it takes with strength, grace, assertiveness, and compassion?
Do you have the courage and vigilance to Own Your Own Mind via critical thinking in a world filled with intentional disinformation + social media manipulation ... and the deep human need to belong?
Are you ready to let go of your old baggage, polish your hidden gems, face your deepest fears, and become deeply strong, fiercely kind, and unbreakably trust-worthy?
Do you want to play small ... or Big?
... The choice - and its impact - is yours.
STILL WITH ME?
HERE'S ANOTHER BIG THING
COMMUNICATION is in the Center of the Wheel in The Example You Lead By
Whatever you put out in terms of what you think, say, and do, positive - or not so much - has consequences in terms of the energy, strength, and reach of your impact and influence upon others.
The example you lead/influence by is expressed in all the ways you communicate: your speech, your writings and videos, emails and texts, interactions with those you disagree/have conflicts with, non-verbal cues, how you dress, conversations with total strangers, your social media posts (including "anonymous" posts), how you speak to people who work in public-facing jobs, etc. Non-communication (including "ghosting" and choosing not to speak up when it's clearly called for, etc.) IS communication.
Do you communicate to connect - or divide? Uplift - or hurt?
Give your full presence and attention when listening to someone who is speaking to you - or are you distracted by your phone, or impatiently waiting until there's a break so you can say what you want?
Show bravery - or cowardice? Selflessly - or self-involved? Sincere - or fake?
Calmly assertive - or angrily passive-aggressive? Support - or betray?
Take ownership for any negative impacts for what you think, say, and do have had - or do you attack, defend, shame, deflect. and/or blame?
Do you seek agreements for what you state as "your truth" when it's actually your experience, perspective, and/or opinion - and not necessarily fact-based?
Express a healthy sense of humor about your own foibles, stumbles, mistakes, etc.? Do you readily admit it when things you read or were taught and grasped tightly - but realized that you were totally wrong about ?
Speak honestly to the person(s) you have issues with - or maliciously gossip behind their back? Brutally honest - or non-violently and kindly truthful?
Truly apologize, express remorse and try to make amends when you've made a behavioral misstep - or just toss off an empty, meaningless "Sorry" ?
Celebrate other people's successes and good fortune - or seethe with envy and jealousy? Express genuine appreciation for the people in your personal and professional realms - or talk crap about them and attempt to diminish and make them feel small all due to your own insecurities and lack of self worth?
Amplify an instant gratification and entitlement attitude - or possess the humility to inspire people to do the hard work to earn whatever they desire instead of believing they deserve to simply "manifest" whatever they want without effort?
Do you respect people's time - or are you constantly late? Do you quickly fly off the handle - or have you learned how to calmly respond instead of triggered knee-jerk reactivity?
Engage in critical thinking and conduct non-AI bona fide research - or lazily spread disinformation, misinformation, propaganda, and/or conspiracies? Do you invest the time in creating your own communicated content, or justify content theft by AI bots by claiming you don't know where and from whom it's stealing it from - and claim it's yours? Do you take credit for work others have done?
Do you actively promote and support the collaborative, interconnected BIG Mindset of WE ... or the separate, small Mindset of ME-ME-ME?
Is your integrity unbreakable - or do you justify comprising it?
It's pretty easy to choose the answers that give you the best appearance - but what happens when you look in the mirror and honestly self-reflect?
How you communicate with yourself is no less important than how you communicate with others. In fact, it often directly impacts every outward form of communication.
BOTTOM LINE:
What, when, where, why, and how you communicate frames the example YOU lead by - and is something you have complete control over.
This is why I consider Communication the most vital human Skillset, and as the Center of the Wheel in the entire unique, interconnected Internal Operating System system of You, everything else branches out from it, internally and externally, consciously and sub-consciously. Your Mindset informs the way you choose to Communicate. How to Lead with unbreakable Integrity, Character, Dignity, and Civility in all Your Communications is learnable, and one of the first places you can immediately upgrade your Individual Operating System.
The biggest, most insidious lies are the ones we tell ourselves ... and remember: there are no unimportant interactions, situations, or moments ... especially with ourselves.
It's an honor and privilege to teach Mindsets and Skillsets intended to help improve people's lives - and show them that they too have the power to do the same within their own spheres of influence by choosing to Play Big in Life, Owning Their Impact, and inspiring one another to lead by Kind, Ethical, Brave, and Humane Example.
Change and Growth can be scary and messy ... but if you approach it as an Adventure, it can actually be fun - and a contagious service to every life yours touches.
Are you committed to continuously Doing the Work to continuously upgrade your Individual Operating System up and away from the old, worn-out, bug-ridden, ineffective, and even harmful (to yourself and others) programs you've been running? Are you done with your personal status quo and doing the same thing over and over again because you know deep inside there won't be different results?
If so, I Iook forward to connecting with you, whether it's indirectly via the aforementioned complimentary Virtual Learning Projects, directly via One-One Mentorship, and live, interactive group Learning Opportunities.
Either way, it's not about me - it's about the Work.
Thank you for your time and interest. More to come ...
Suzanne Matthiessen