We had the good fortune of connecting with Sue Sutton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sue, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I’ve never really thought of myself as a risk taker or especially brave until I thought back on my life and realized I did do some brave stuff to get where I am! I’ve lived and worked in New York City in my early 20’s, then packed all my worldly possessions into my car and moved to San Diego, CA with only a few hundred dollars to my name. This is where I started my radio career as an overnight disc jockey. I then moved to Colorado “for a guy” (who has been my husband for the last 31 years) I’ve worked up and down the radio dial in northern Colorado since 1988, withstood corporate take overs and technology changes that made on air life easier, but competition for full time spots harder. In 2013, I started my current morning show from scratch on a locally owned little Oldies station (Pirate 93.5FM) in Fort Collins. As an independent contractor, I needed to do my own sales. I’d never done radio sales before, but decided I wanted to be in control of what I made, so I went for it. I teamed up with another sales person who was better at closing and started to make a little money. He got very ill in 2020 and I was left on my own for sales…eeek! I had to rely on myself now, so I hired a coach, got over my fear of “asking for the sale” and now have the confidence to sell my product easily and successfully.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Along with my career as a radio personality, I am a mixed media artist using reclaimed and recycled materials. I love to create interesting wall art from found items-they are all one of a kind, amusing and whimsical. I started out making jewelry many years ago (also using recycled materials) and then a friend’s artwork inspired me to go in the wall art direction. I’ve done many craft shows over the years and that was frustrating since my art is somewhere between craft and artsy and I wasn’t reaching the right people. A few years ago, I dialed in which shows were best for my customers and started the online shop. This works much better for sales and my mental health, haha. There is a steep learning curve when doing everything yourself, but I take each lesson in stride and come out stronger for it. I’ve also learned to suck it up and pay for help when you need it I have a FB page https://www.facebook.com/picketpals, Instagram: @allofasuttoncreates and an Etsy store https://www.etsy.com/shop/AllofaSutton

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Since I live in Northern Colorado, I would take them to Estes Park for lunch at Poppy’s Pizza and shopping. There would be fudge and salt water taffy involved as well and a tour of The Stanley Hotel. Rocky Mountain National Park is a favorite any time of year and a trip up to the visitor’s center when Trail Ridge Road is open is impressive, A concert at Red Rocks in summer, National Western Stock Show in January, Zoo Lights and Botanical Gardens at Christmas

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Wow…so many to thank! Bosses, co-workers friends…each offering encouragement, a nugget of advice that stuck and helping me see my value as a person and in my career. The most tangible help I’ve received is when I hired Danielle Uhl as my business coach in the fall of 2020. her specialty is coaching “multi-passionates” (those with a few businesses) and we hit it off right away! I was stuck and ready to take the next steps in building my businesses and she was perfect for that. Her guidance helped me hone my sales pitch, see that I could be myself and build the confidence I needed to ask for the sale. It worked! I increased my income by another half in 4 months and continued to do well in 2021. Thanks Danielle!

Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/AllofaSutton

Instagram: @allofasuttoncreates

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/picketpals

Image Credits
Julie Ulstrup

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