The Beautiful Side of Grief - 91. Transforming Family Toxicity

Wednesday, August 16, 2023

Show Notes

Families! We all have them, though I secretly suspect many of us have harboured the thought of wishing we could magically belong to someone else's family. I know I certainly did. Toxicity in families is real. It exists. Yet, it is often swept under the carpet to deal with another time - or not at all.

My guest today, Susan Gold, experienced an unimaginable childhood! From a very young age she adopted coping mechanisms to exist within this dysfunctional framework - invisibility; independence; hyperawareness; excessive exercising; overeating; little self-love and self-worth; co-dependency; and so many more... which worked until they didn't. As Susan boldly forged a highly successful career in the entertainment business of New York and LA, she also carried the baggage of her family trauma on her back, slowly unravelling it as crisis after crisis led her to new heights of discovering her authentic self. Amidst it all she learned how to understand and honour her family and embrace the learnings her childhood had etched upon her soul. That's what we will be discussing today, and how an internal 'knowing' gave her repeated hope to overcome the challenges she faced.

Susan's Bio:

Susan's experience with performing arts led her into the world of mainstream entertainment after college, first at the global talent agency, ICM and later FOX. Within the entertainment industry, Susan became known for attaching celebrity talent to projects which led her into producing for television and film. Susan has booked A-list celebrity talent such as Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Taylor Swift, David Beckham, Andy Warhol and more.

In addition to Susan’s business background, she is a decorated endurance athlete having competed in three marathons, dozens of triathlons, and has the distinction of finishing third in her age group at the treacherous Escape from Alcatraz event. Hanging up the gruelling demands of her swim, bike, run focus she turned to competing as a Master’s swimmer and within four years achieved multiple top ten national rankings including third in the country in the 400 IM.

Susan is a big supporter of helping homeless animals, especially dogs and cats, and helping other business owners move up their career ladder. Her biggest pride is her son, a political science major at the University of the Pacific

In this episode, Susan shares the following:

[00:02:33] Andy Warhol

[00:06:40] Being newly sober

[00:08:49] Childhood

[00:10:54] Therapist's office and alcoholism

[00:12:40] Being empathic and trauma

[00:12:40] Different perspectives on same situation

[00:12:40] Coping mechanisms

[00:16:49] Hurt and damaged children raising hurt and damaged children

[00:20:28] Inner light

[00:22:39] Inner child

[00:25:37] Loving yourself