5 Things I Learned from Susan Rae Quandt

Last Tuesday one of my dear friends and mentors was taken too quickly from this world; Susan Quandt was killed in a car accident just outside the city of Milwaukee. Susan was one of those people who could connect with you immediately, with a smile, a knowing glance, and always a hug. She lived her life abundantly, always sharing whatever she had with whomever crossed her path.

I was blessed to have Susan in my life for but a short time, as I met her at last year’s 800 CEO Read Author Pow-Wow. We knew immediately we wanted to work on some big stuff together, and she invited me to dinner, and to meet her family at her homes in Chicago and in Port Washington.

 

The coolest thing about Susan was her enthusiasm in sharing other people’s success.   The above picture is of Stephen Hopson and Susan in the Borders book store in downtown Chicago. Stephen was showing us he was featured in one of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books, and Susan was ECSTATIC for Stephen. Her face lit up when Stephen pulled this book out, and when he turned to the page where he was featured, she lit up. You can see the enthusiasm and excitement in her eyes.

I thought I’d share 5 of the things I learned from Susan, though I could fill volumes of what we discussed and what she taught me.

5 Things I Learned from Susan Rae Quandt

Ask Why Not? – Susan’s motto was to always look at the possibility of life. She worked with me on many book ideas, she taught entrepreneurship at UW-Milwaukee, she was an awesome wife to Steve, a great mom to her daughters, and a fantastic Gran to her grandkids. Susan was all about the possibility of what might be, so she never ruled anything out. She always took a “Why Not?” approach to life and encouraged me to do the same.

Celebrate Your Friend’s Successes – Susan was a GREAT celebrator for me. Every time I did something that I was proud of, I would call Susan and she would be enthusiastically happy for me. She would invite me to her home for a glass of wine and encourage me to celebrate what I accomplished with her, and with my other friends. As the picture above shows, Susan LOVED to enjoy success with friends, even new ones like Stephen and me.

Share What You Learn From Your Challenges – Susan didn’t always have the simplest life. LOTS of things she went through were really hard for her, and she shared many of them with me. She didn’t dwell on them though. Instead, she taught me that if you share them, you can learn from them, and if you can learn from them, then you can find the lesson in the situation. That’s what I’m doing here with this article.

Live Abundantly – Susan always shared all that she had and more. She would give me whatever time she had, whenever she had it. She would buy me a cup of coffee whenever we got together, and rarely let me open up my wallet to buy back. She offered me a key to her home, to come visit her whenever I wanted to. Though I didn’t do it often enough, I did spend several weekends up there with her and her husband and her doggies, talking about the latest business trends, books we’d read, wine we’d found, or whatever else was on our mind.

 

Don’t Say Goodbye, Say See You Soon – Susan always signed off our conversations with “So long, see you soon” and never said goodbye. I realize now that’s because she wanted me to come visit her soon, where ever she was. And I realize now I didn’t take her up on that offer often enough.

I’m going to miss Susan, and I know her husband Steve and the rest of her family will miss her even more than I will. See you soon dear friend. Thanks for teaching me so much in such a short time. Your impact on me will never be forgotten.

See you soon!

Comments

[Scot Herrick]

You could see the enthusiasm the first time you met Susan. She was positive, interested in what you were doing, and was helpful all at the same time.

What a great loss of an enthusiastic, caring person.

[Terry Starbucker]

So sorry to hear about this Phil - my distinct memory of Susan from SOBCon08 was of someone with a very bright light inside, illuminating everyone in her path. It's quite a loss for this world.

Please pass along my condolences to her family and friends.

Terry

[Carol D'Annunzio]

I'm so sorry about the loss of your friend, Phil. Praying for all her family and friends during this difficult time.

Blessings,
Carol

[Stephen Hopson]

OMG! I am terribly saddened to hear of Susan's untimely passing. I cannot believe it. I just saw your post and at first I laughed and smiled because of the memories of meeting her that came flashing back but then when I read she was killed in a car accident, the smile immediately vanished.

And then the photo of me with her. OMG. Thanks for sharing it with your readers.

May she rest in peace. Thanks for sharing those 5 things you learned from her. She indeed made a difference while she was here.

Hugs,
Stephen

[Karen Putz / DeafMom]

What a shock. My heart goes out to her family. When I met her for the first time at SOBCon, her smile and her enthusiasm shone through. She gave me some tips on running a non-profit during our conversation and I have those tips still in my mind. She is missed.

[Timothy Johnson]

Phil - your phone call last Friday was a shock and a blessing. Susan, in her life and in her death, had lessons to teach all of us. She was a neat lady, and I'm sad that the lessons were cut short. In the copy of her book she sent me, she wrote only three words: Imagine, Invest, Impact. Wow, if only the rest of us could live our lives around those three words. Beautiful tribute and a beautiful reminder of how we live our lives leaves a legacy long after we've left.

[Chris Brown]

Thanks for writing this tribute to Susan... I felt I got to know her better through your eyes.
Chris

[Rajesh Setty]

So sorry to hear about this Phil. I pray to God to give their family all the strength they need to come to terms with this tragic event. My heart goes out to them.

Best,
Raj

[Dick Richards]

Phil -- you were fortunate to have had Susan as a friend. And, she was fortunate to have you!

[Helen Diehl]

It's AWESOME knowing people like you with a POSITIVE OUTLOOK in the midst of a tragedy. It is VERY SAD to hear about Susan. I didn't know her but feel like I missed out out on someone special. I hope all your GOOD MEMORIES of Susan help you through this difficult time.
always positive .... helen

[Jill Draper]

Some people just sparkle on the outside. They're magnetic and uplifting, and they know how to love people the way they need loving.

I am irritated by people who offer meaningless bromides about "she's in a better place," and "it must have been her time." Those phrases are best at getting the speaker out of an uncomfortable situation.

When going through personal letters after my great aunt's death, I came across a lovely letter from a friend written shortly after my uncle's death. She spoke of how an evening with Polly and George was as restorative as an evening on a blanket, watching the progress of the night's star.

The next thing, though, is one I have used extensively because it really is comforting . . . and true. It's something the Quakers used to say that went something like, "When a loved one dies, as much as it hurts, they haven't really gone away. They've gone in."

When my beloved Granny died, I made a conscious decision that the Quakers were right, and have since gone about cultivating a commitment to justice, charity and empathy in areas large and small. I tended that way anyway, because of her indelible influence, but I truly gave myself permission to claim it as my own, making me able to give it away as generously as she had.

Phil, you've cheered me often without knowing it. I've written a note once or twice, but it's something you already have. Now, you have even more of that good juju to share and have reflect back on you, because she's gone in, not away.

Good on you, sweetie. Thanks for reminding me of the exponential properties of great love given with great enthusiasm.

Yer awesome. Just awesome.

[Ryan Schleicher]

This is very sad news. I too met Susan a pow wow a couple years back and her enthusiasm will certainly never be forgotten.

[Ryan Schleicher]

This is very sad news. I too met Susan a pow wow a couple years back and her enthusiasm will certainly never be forgotten.