Meet Suzanne Blons | YouTuber, Educator & Writer

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

Hi Suzanne, what role has risk played in your life or career?
“Come to the edge,” he said. “We can’t, we’re afraid!” they responded. “Come to the edge,” he said. “We can’t, We will fall!” they responded. “Come to the edge,” he said. And so they came. And he pushed them. And they flew.” ― Guillaume Apollinaire. The times when I am the happiest, the most alive, the most present, is when I’m standing on the edge. I’ve lost as much as I’ve won in the game of risk taking, but always it is worth it. If I lose, then I learn from what has transpired. If I win, then I grow my risk taking muscle for the next hurdle. Having your own business and being in the media is, in my opinion, one big fat juicy risk. Will I be ridiculed? If I am true to myself, will my tribe follow me? Will I go broke putting money and effort into a pipe-dream, when playing it safe is, well, safer? In the end, I go back to a vision I have of my future life. I’m living in Europe walking briskly down a freshly rained cobblestone street, and am carrying a black back-back for my computer and notes. As I walk, I turn and wave to some people sipping espresso at the local patisserie and declare, “Bonjour”, in a resounding, happy tone. Is the risk worth the vision? Forever and always, the answer is YES.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
At age 18 I was accepted into law school in the UK. I’d been working in Europe as a professional model with Elite Modeling Agency and had snagged a contract with Revlon to promote the then popular Charlie Girl fragrance. Hitting burn out in the modeling industry due to overwork, starvation dieting, and sheer loneliness, I decided to go back to school. Before starting, I (thankfully) woke up to the fact that law, and anything linear for that matter, is not my game. As an artist, it’s been challenging to accept my own gifts of creativity and let go of the common idea that artists are always broke, and that I need to do something more mainstream like law. Channeling my creativity into makeup, I studied under Skip Smith, head makeup artist at CNN in Washington, D.C, and developed a career working with a high touch clientele like Hillary Clinton, Al Gore, Arianna Huffington, and Peyton Manning. Twenty plus years into my career, I felt the tug to develop myself further by tackling e-commerce, coaching, and YouTube. My YouTube channel, The Beauty Shaman, has taken raw persistence, guidance from my friends in television production, and an openness to making lots of mistakes. Lots. Did I say I made lots of mistakes? In any case, the artist’s path is never clear, linear, or even practical. It is, however, shockingly fulfilling. My passion is to help older women be their highest and best selves both inside and out. Beauty is, in my opinion, a vulnerability and essence that each woman possesses. We are sold the mass idea that aging is bad, and that we need to use every means at our disposal to look twelve until we drop dead. This is dumb and inheritantly negative and violent. You are gorgeous. My goal is to help each woman learn the tricks of my trade to present themselves as they truly are; a powerful, empowered knockout.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend, Jackie, were visiting Colorado for the first time, our itinerary would look something like this: 1. Hike Chautauqua Park and end up at the dining hall for a burger 2. Meander Pearl Street in Boulder, taking lunch at the Dushanbe Tea House to try a new type of tea 3. If she wants to shop (of course she wants to shop) we will head to Cherry Creek Shopping Center to sample the many shops both in the mall and the Cherry Creek area. For dinner, we pop over to Linger on 30th Avenue to sit on the rooftop and tuck into their divine happy hour while relaxing to the panoramic view. 4. My favorite small town is Louisville in Boulder. The little privately owned shops, yummy restaurants like Waterloo, Por Wine House, and Lucky Pie, make it a must visit! 5. If she’s up for another hike, Evergreen is not only an amazing drive, but also has some stunning hikes worth traversing. In the evening we will find a brewery back in Boulder like Crystal Springs or Avery Brewing.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Andrea Vahl: FaceBook marketing Expert and gal-pal has been a constant support and encourager! https://www.andreavahl.com/ Merlene Pagel Accounting: Best most patient accountant on the planet https://www.ptindirectory.com/tax-preparers/colorado/broomfield-co/539251/merlene-pagel-accounting-llc/merlene-h-pagel-ea Michela Quilici: Business Consultant and Coach https://michelaquilici.com/ With her support, strategic guidance, and grounded approach, my business has flourished

Website: https://thebeautyshaman.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_beauty_shaman/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/public-profile/settings?trk=d_flagship3_profile_self_view_public_profile
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suzanneblonsthebeautyshaman/?view_public_for=2005710006125395
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjOTK20lrm_XLPDOxhSJFdw

Image Credits
Christina Kiffney photography