Today we’d like to introduce you to Sue Riekels.
Sue, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I found myself on my own at the young age of 17 and knew I had to make money to survive. I proceeded to build a career in the medical field—first in the operating room supporting surgeons, and later in the corporate world leading business development in medical devices. Those years taught me how to navigate high-stakes environments, leadership, and performance under pressure.
At the same time, I volunteered for over a decade in hospice care. My spouse once noted how I came home from hospice energized and alive, while my corporate work left me drained. He was right. I realized I was drawn to the human side of healing and development. That insight led me back to school full-time, while raising two young children, to earn my Master’s in Clinical Psychology and become a licensed therapist. I specialized in helping individuals through trauma, chronic stress, and major life transitions. In that work, I saw firsthand how the brain, body, and nervous system are inseparable and how lasting change begins not only in the mind but in one’s physical sensations.
From there, I expanded into coaching, speaking, and somatic energy work. Today I integrate it all: the rigor of neuroscience, the grounding of therapy, the momentum of coaching, and the flow of renewing one’s physical energy. My mission is to help professionals, especially men who often feel overlooked, overworked, or misunderstood have a safe environment where they are heard and understood so they can crack their mindset code, reclaim their energy, and move forward with clarity and aligned action.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There have been many struggles.
A key one is others having fear around my next steps.
“Therapists’s don’t make any money…you are crazy to quit your corporate job to do this…”
“I don’t believe in therapists.”
“I saw a therapist once and did not have a good experience and won’t see one again.” (I often say that if you saw a terrible cardiologist, would you never see a cardiologist again or would you find a different one? Most of us would find a different one.)
I took a huge paycut to make my change and it paid off not only financially, in my overall wellbeing and happiness. I love my work and don’t see myself stopping.
Having the “right” education, experience and background.
I’m certain there are more and will give this more thought.
As you know, we’re big fans of Sue Riekels LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I work with professionals, especially men who often feel overlooked, overworked, or misunderstood have a safe environment where they are heard and understood so they can crack their mindset code, reclaim their energy, and move forward with clarity and connection with aligned action. I am currently working on a project with men, for men as I believe while social programming around women, their rights and roles were acknowledged (and needed to be), men’s issues weren’t address and/or discussed. (i.e. be a man, quit crying, suck it up, your the head of the household, make the money….) I am interviewing 100s of men and will be creating a platform for other men to hear, grow and hopefully heal parts of themselves that have felt overlooked, misunderstood and no longer acknowledged. (This is pretty raw as this project is very new. More to come.)
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was raised in a very small town in northern Minnesota, where everyone knows your name. I was very relational, friendly, rule follower (most of the time), hard worker, driven, nothing I wouldn’t try (i.e. remodeled/built a home, car repairs, etc.), adventurous, loved to travel, sense of a strong spiritual foundation, outgoing and introverted. Loved (and still love) reading, swimming, basketball, fishing and the outdoors.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sueriekels.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sue-riekels/
