Life & Work with Suzy Fielders

Today we’d like to introduce you to Suzy Fielders.

Hi Suzy, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
From an incredibly young age, I always remember I wanted to be a lawyer. Of course, as a kid, my basic understanding of lawyers was merely that they helped people who were wronged or in need. Fast forward to my undergraduate years at Coker University (then known as Coker College) and in my senior year, I was double majoring in Communications and Psychology. I had taken, and thankfully scored decent on, my LSAT and applied to law schools. Somewhere in all that busy chaos, I realized how much I loved both my majors and those fields. After a lot of thought and prayer, I decided being an attorney was no longer the right path for me. Then, it came down to those two fields – communications or psychology. I knew both of which could help people in different ways. Ultimately, communications won out and I entered the grad program for an M.A. in Integrative Communications at the University of South Carolina.

While in grad school, I became a single mother. I knew being a mom was going to be the most important ‘job’ I would ever have. I also knew I could not do it completely alone. I made yet another hard decision to leave my graduate program at USC and go home to Winston-Salem, NC, to be around my family. Anyone who knows me well knows I’m very decisive and believe in my decisions. They also know I am not a quitter. Deciding to drop out of grad school was one of the toughest choices I ever made as I felt like a quitter, and to be perfectly honest, it took me a long time to come to terms with it. I realized later – more on this below – sometimes moments that feel like quitting are actually only temporary breaks or setbacks.

Being a single mom is arguably one of the most difficult things a person can do in their life. However, for me, it also provided me so much strength and inspiration. To all the single moms out there – don’t forget to believe in yourself throughout the parenthood journey. There might be days you feel alone but trust me, you aren’t. Connect with other single moms!

After having my daughter in October 2006, I finally found an entry-level marketing job at a building company in December 2017. I learned so much there and am grateful for the lessons and information I learned there. This company gave me my real-world start in a career I wanted to pursue. There were absolutely days I felt that entry-level work was meaningless. I finally realized that’s normal. From that experience, though, I learned the importance of starting at the bottom and hard work.

While at this job, two major things happened in my life. First, I begin my journey as a freelance writer. I started out with a national online site in 2011. It was a great way to gain writing experience and keep writing. In 2013, I was granted two different opportunities to write for two local print magazines. To this day, I still regularly contribute to one of them. During all this writing, I realized how much I loved it and was passionate about it. More on that in a minute!

Second, remember that graduate degree I had to leave? I was able to go back to school, to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, to be exact, to gain my Master’s degree. Between August 2008 and May 2010, I was a full-time student, held a full-time job, and was raising a child on my own. I survived by remembering to be self-disciplined, accepting help from family and friends, and constantly reminding myself this busyness and stress was all temporary! I can’t even articulate how accomplished and proud I felt of myself to go back and finish what I started back in SC.

After putting in four years at the full-time marketing job, I found a new higher-level job at a leadership and team development company in November 2011. Here I was able to branch out more in the world of marketing. I learned so much here and working for a team that helps build up other teams was very inspiring. At this job, I also had so many opportunities. For instance, I planned all their workshops and leadership events. I got to go to Italy, Los Angeles, Asheville, and Orlando through this job. Granted, I worked hard planning and managing those events; each was an amazing adventure and experience. I put in around six years at this job and really enjoyed it there. Unfortunately, financial times hit them hard in 2017 and I was laid off. On top of that, I had health issues that same time and had to undergo surgery. That summer was one of the hardest times in my life. However, it’s during those times you really learn about yourself and what you are made up. I clearly know now that without that hard time, I wouldn’t be where I am today, and I love where I am today.

In the fall of 2017, I finally found a job at a marketing agency. All my past jobs, I worked within marketing departments at a business, so I was excited for this change of pace and opportunity. I was able to grow as a marketing professional at this agency. Not only did I learn and expand my knowledge, but I was able to start taking on more of a leadership role. Through this job, I learned I enjoyed inspiring and motivating others.

Going into 2019, my daughter and I took our second Disney Cruise that January. We had the best trip ever. During that downtime, I finally had yet another chance to reflect. I realized I had gained all I really wanted to gain from a career in marketing. Plus, I was beyond tired of the 8 to 5 sitting at a desk most of the day. I wanted more free time during the week as once my daughter started middle school, I had begun homeschooling her.

Upon returning from vacation, I found out one of our clients (a trampoline park whose owner’s I really connected with) at the agency was looking for a General Manager for one of their parks. I thought it would be a great and fun change of pace. I took a leap of faith, left behind an over-decade career, and ceased this new opportunity.

Sadly, to many people it seemed like a ‘step down.’ People in today’s fast-paced world tend to value titles and overworked careers for some reason. When I decided to leave marketing, though, I realized at the end of the day; those things do not matter at all in the scheme of life. What matters is you LOVE what you do. You should have a job you are excited about and enjoy going to every day.

I absolutely loved my staff at the trampoline park and leading this next generation. They were young and had so much energy. Best of all, I met my now-husband there. He managed all the maintenance at the park and was leaving when I started working there. Our friendship finally led to us getting married in May of this year (2021).

While working at the trampoline park, it was also great to have a more flexible schedule and less sitting around at a desk. Then, something unimaginable happened. The COVID pandemic hit and we had to shut down for about six months. I like to always look at the silver lining; therefore, while there were so many awful aspects of the pandemic in the end, it changed my life for the better. That downtime and being forced out of my job due to the temporary closure allowed me the chance to see I wanted to attempt to pursue writing full-time.

I found two ongoing freelance writing opportunities in August 2020. Right around the same time, the trampoline park found out they could open back up in September 2020. I wanted to do right by them and knew I did not have the financial stability as a writer yet. But I also knew if I went back to full-time there, it’d be impossible to fully pursue my dream of writing full-time. I compromised and went back to the trampoline park part-time. From September to November 2020, I worked so many hours between the two jobs. During those three months, I literally only had four days off between both jobs. I was quickly getting burned out and had no time for myself, family, or friends. Around Thanksgiving, I realized I could not keep going at this pace. I made yet another hard decision. I decided to really see if I had what it takes to become a full-time writer.

Starting January 1, 2021, I become self-employed. I was so worried about finding work, but I’ve found so many amazing opportunities. I try to focus the majority of my time on writing and editing, but I also still do some freelance marketing work for a handful of clients I absolutely love and believe in their businesses. Going into this summer, I have two wonderful interns, one my daughter and the other an incredibly smart high schooler. I’m working on four books of my own and can not wait until the day I publish my first book. I’m editing and marketing a book for a fellow writer. I write for a handful of magazines. I have some amazing blogging clients and opportunities. I can happily and proudly say after all these years, I am finally doing work I love and am 100% passionate about!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There is no smooth road as a single mother. In fact, there are so many bumps. The biggest always being financial security. As a writer, staying on track and overcoming writer’s blocks are the challenges I often face.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a writer and editor. I enjoy writing about all things. However, my favorite aspect of it is the interviewing phase, where I get to know so many other people and their stories. I believe I’m known for truly telling other’s stories and letting them see themselves in a new and different light. I’m most proud of believing in myself to make it as a full-time writer. The thing that sets me apart from all the other writers is I have a gift for seeing all sides of anything. This helps me not only in telling others’ stories to their fullest but also sharing insights on so many important topics.

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I would say my determination and personal motivation are crucial to my success.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://suzyfielders.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suzyfielders/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SuzyFielders
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/suzyfielders

Image Credits
M. Gioeli Photography Urban Bloom Photography Through My Eyes Photography Jodie Brim Photography