For almost 25 years, KT has listened as Suze imparted great wisdom. On this episode, KT is highlighting six "Suzeisms" and Suze explains why these rules to live by will help you be successful in your life.
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We
January 26, 2025. Welcome everybody to the Women and Money podcast, as well as everybody smart enough to listen. So, I know, I know, today is supposed to be Suze School.
No, it isn't.
Guess who's in the studio.
Tell them what happened this morning.
Guess who's in the studio.
Tell them why your'e in the studio.
So I woke up with a great idea, everybody, and I said, Suze, please, please, I wanna do Sunday's podcast with you. Why KT? And I said, because it's still the beginning of the year. We're at the end of January and I have an idea.
And I think everyone will love this.
Now here's the problem, everybody. I don't have a clue what her idea is. So all of you..
Wanna hear the title?
Yeah.
OK, it's called The 6 Secrets to Suze's Success.
What?
Yeah.
It's the 6 secrets to Suze's success. So wait, let, let me tell everybody what that is.
For years, for almost 25 years, maybe not all of these, but most of them, I've been hearing Suze impart incredible Suzeisms and quotes and great information whether she's talking, being interviewed, or just meeting someone that needs help.
Or I'm talking to myself.
Or she just talks to herself. Anyway, I've been collecting these and, and, and one day when I have enough, I want to do something special with them, but right now I'm gonna share 6 of these Suzeisms. They're quotes, they're things that she lives by and, and because she lives by them, we all should live by them.
And I especially live by number 6. So what I'm gonna do is I want to read what I've jotted down of what I remember and what she pretty much says.
You sure you have them right?
I, they're pretty much right, but, but yeah, they're right because
And if they're not, is it OK if I correct that?
Suze's gonna tell you what they mean. She's gonna explain. I'm just gonna read the six secrets.
Did
you ask me if this is what I want to do?
This is what we're doing. Do you want to do
it?
Do I have a choice? Here we are.
Do you want to?
I always want to do what you want me to do.
No, you want to do what everyone needs to
hear from us.
And I know you know that for everybody. So if you feel that really strongly...
I really love this
...that you want to be on the podcast on Sunday when usually...
Sunday is Sunday school. So this is Sunday school we're imparting...
We're going to KT church. We're going
to church.
No, it's not church, it's school. It's Sunday school. We're always you and I, we have a, a streamline direct line to God every day. We don't need
church. We need school.
Can I just tell everybody what I do say.
Right, and people always say something to me like this, Suze, right, from your lips to God's ears. You know how everybody always says that to me? And what do I say to them? Oh yeah, trust me, right? He hears every word I say, every thought that I think, every action that I do. Everybody, I think it's important that you do take out your Suze notebooks.
And I think you should write these down because I can tell by the look on KT's face that these are serious quotes. These are life transforming.
Well, they're they're mostly what you really believe in and live by, OK. And then to make it easy for everyone at the end of this podcast and once it's released.
I'm gonna make sure that we put this on the Women and Money wall.
So for those of you who don't know, there is a Woman and Money community app. You can download it at Apple Apps or Google Play. It's absolutely free, and there's a wall there, the Suze Wall, and we have interesting kind of conversations there anyway.
OK, so here you go. 6 secrets to Suze's success, number 1.
The day you put your needs in front of others' wants is the day you will have really started on your road to financial freedom.
The most important part of that saying what I say to myself, everybody, is the day you put your needs. Now listen, do you know what your needs are? Do you just live your life and you don't even do anything that you need to do?
So the first part of that saying is that you need to know what you need. What do you need to be happy? What do you need to be secure? What do you need to feel powerful? You have to know what those things are, so you are to write down your needs. Let me just give you a very slight example really of what it would be. Here you are, and you're building up your emergency savings account.
You're sending every month $100 into Alliant Credit Union because you want to take advantage of the Ultimate Opportunity savings account, which I know so many of you are doing and you want to do, but yet your kids, it was the holiday time or maybe it's their birthday or whatever it may be, they want a new pair of sneakers and it's $100.
And that's the $100 that you need to send in every month to your savings account.
You have to put your needs in front of others' wants, and if you do that, that's when you really are on the road to financial freedom. Next, KT, what
else?
That's great. Number 2, I love this one.
Success alone will never ever lead you to fulfillment. Fulfillment will always lead you to success. It's one of my favorite. Suze really lives by this, everybody.
You know, all of you strive for success, whatever that may mean to all of you.
But mostly success means you're making a lot of money. You have a big house to show others, you have a fancy car, you're wearing fancy clothes, and you're just successful that way.
But yet you really hate your job. You really don't like what you're doing, but you're attached to the paycheck. You're attached to everything that you have around you, but yet inside, you're not fulfilled.
I'm here to tell you that you're not successful.
If that is true and you yourself are not fulfilled, you are not successful. When you can do something that truly fulfills you, it will always lead you to success financially, spiritually, emotionally, on all levels.
So your goal is to have inner fulfillment and it will manifest with outer wealth.
Yeah, love what you do.
You know. KT, I just wanna give you a little example of that. Last night, it's very funny you picked that. I got an email from one of our relatives, all right, and in it he said to me, Suze,
I know I'm making a lot of money. I know everything's going great that way. I just don't like my job anymore.
Who was that?
I, I'll tell you after the podcast, all right? And he said to me, can we talk about it because I'm getting sick, I'm not healthy, the financial reward doesn't matter anymore and I need your advice on what should I do and how do I do it. So that's a perfect example of that saying so your timing is funny on that.
Because he also listens to the podcast every single week so he knows who he is. We will talk later today, he.
I'm just thinking it's not one of my brothers.
No, it's
on my side of the family.
All right, yeah, because my, none of my brothers are gonna call saying money doesn't matter anymore. All right, here you go. So number 3, this is probably Suze's personal most favorite, and I hear her impart this over and over and over again.
To people that really need it, but she has said it to herself for years.
Oh, I'm so excited to hear this one.
Should I guess it?
She's gonna guess it. It's her one of her, it's her favorite animal as well. The elephant keeps walking as the dogs keep barking.
Suze loves this, and I think it's also something that was inspired from India. The elephant keeps walking as the dogs keep barking. What a great saying. What does that mean to you, Suze?
I'm surprised you picked that one.
Is it one of your favorites?
It is. There's two, as you know.
But this one you really...
But this one I really... love this one...
Probably because you've said it to yourself.
And let me tell you why, everybody, I said it to myself so many times.
It's interesting in life that as you're going up the ladder or getting more and more whatever you're doing, you're expanding, everybody's rooting for you.
And I'll just give you a personal example of my own life as I started out being an author and I started to do things and my books were out there and I was making more money and getting out everybody was like, yeah, Suze, go for it, go for it. But once you get to the very, very top, which I did.
You couldn't get much higher than I got at one point in time.
But once you get up there, there are people who are jealous and it just for some reason in my case and I think others then people like to tear you down because negative press sells more than positive press. It just does everybody and people started to write things about me like, oh "Suze the Floozy," and there was a magazine that came out that was filled with total lies about me.
Like there was an attack on me, things would happen. Things just happen as you become more and more successful.
So it's really important that you know who you are, what you are, and how do you keep going. So this saying, the elephant keeps walking as the dogs keep barking was my visual of I was the elephant.
And I was just going to keep walking and going forward and helping people and create goodness in other people's lives regardless of what all the dogs, the reporters, the articles were saying about me at the time.
And
Eventually, the dogs just went away.
And I kept walking and here I am to this
day.
She loves that one. I like that one too. I think it's important. And then number 4.
And this is great also for all of you out there that are listening to impart this what Suze believes to your kids and, and I'll tell you why because I love saying it. If you think you can't, you never, ever, ever, ever will.
Yeah.
So there you go. That's such a simple, simple thought. If you think you can't, you never, ever, ever, ever will.
I think what's important there to understand everybody that I finally got in my own life is that your words.
Your thoughts and your actions are more powerful than you have any idea, especially your words. If you say you can't.
And I find KT, that you did this because if you remember, I don't know if it was a Suze School or not.
But I did a thing on what can't means versus, right, can and I did this whole thing, but this one actually is a condensed version of and I'm just gonna expand on it, KT because we have the time to be able to do so is your thoughts create your destiny.
And it's so important for you to really, really get that there's a saying that what you think you eventually say, what you say your words become your actions, your actions actually become your habits, KT, and your habits become your destiny.
So every single thing starts with your thoughts.
That turn into your words that turn into your actions. So when you say you cannot do something.
Then the truth of the matter is you won't be able to do it, so you all have to understand the power that you have within you.
Because your words have the power to create or the power to destroy, and the choice is up to you. So if you look at your life right now.
Look at what you have created. How did you create that? Look at the things that you've done in your life again. Write them down that you never ever thought you could do. How did you do that? How did you get there? And then look at the things that you wanted to do, but you never did.
Why didn't you? Where did that
start?
You know what that one makes me think of just to diverse a little bit.
If you think you can't, you never, ever, ever will. It reminds me of all the people years ago that said, Suze, I can't get out of debt. How can I do this? And then years later, after listening to you and following simple, simple baby steps and instructions, we get letters of not only how they're out of debt, but they became millionaires.
Amazing. We're gonna have to share that one day with everyone. So I hope you like this, everybody, because I just think they're great to live by.
Do you care if I like doing this?
No you do. I know she does. These are hers. She lives by all of this.
These are Suze's like 10 Commandments, but they're 6.
I have like 50 out of them. How come you didn't do them all?
Because I just wanted 6 just to remember. Number 5, there's no shame or blame big enough to keep you from being who you are meant to be.
I love that one.
That one's really
emotional, it's personal and it's really important that everyone understands there's never a shame or blame big enough to keep you from being who you are meant to be.
I love this one, KT, and the reason, everybody, I love this one so much.
Is... listen, we all do things in our lives, every single one of us, and we have to learn to rise above the things that we have done that maybe we have shame about or we're blaming others for or whatever it may be. You can't let the things that you feel bad about. You can't let the things that you're angry about.
Keep you from being who you are meant to be. You did something. You say you're sorry. Somebody did something to you, OK. You have to let it go. What are the three internal obstacles to wealth? Fear, shame, and anger.
That's so true.
So you don't have money. You're getting deeper and deeper into credit card debt, and yet you haven't told anybody about it.
The shame of your credit card debt. Do you think that should keep you from being who you are meant to be?
Don't be ashamed of anything in your life. If you've done something, tell somebody about it, which is why I would say to all of you, if you have credit card debt, tell everybody you know. And as soon as you start telling everybody you know you have credit card debt, you know what they'll say back to you? Oh, I do too, right? And so it's.
If you've done things that you're ashamed of, if you feel ashamed, if you're blaming your past, if you're blaming that somebody has done something to you, you're not a victim to your circumstances, you're a victor. You are a creator of everything, so take that, turn it around and create the future. Create the person you really want to be.
You can do that, but not if you dwell in shame and blame, and where it says you know that there's no shame or blame big enough to keep you from being who you are meant to be. So who are you meant to be.
Another exercise for yourself. So here you can go again and write down what's everything that you're ashamed of in your life, what's everything that you're blaming somebody else in your life for write down.
Who are you meant to be in this
life?
You're the world's personal finance expert
without a
doubt.
There you go, right, but who am I meant to be?
I'm somebody who I decided a long time ago.
What I meant to be and what I meant to do is I meant to meet the needs of the people, places, and times around me.
And offer my actions to God. That is who I am meant to be.
So that's how I feel about my life and the question becomes, who are you meant to be? Write it down and see what you can do. All right.
Number 6, this is the finale, everyone, drum roll, Suze. (Suze and KT make drum roll sounds)
Are you liking this KT? Is that what you wanted? Well, this is what you vision? I was this podcast what you meant it to be?
Yea, this is what I meant it to be. OK, so number 6, everybody is my favorite, and it's my favorite because Suze, after 25 years of being with me, still says, KT, let's talk. And here's what she says. What I, you say to me all the time and I'll give you a hint.
The gatekeepers.
Oh, that's what you're where you're going.
That's what I want Suze to share with you, but I want you to hear this in her words because it's what I hear and it's what I need to always
remind myself.
We all do. I remind myself of it.
This is great, everybody share this with everyone you know, especially your family.
May every word that you say, every thought that you think, and every action that you take, KT and everybody pass through the three gatekeepers, and those gatekeepers are, is it kind? Is it necessary, and is it true?
So you're thinking something. If it doesn't pass through those three gatekeepers, just stop thinking it. Change the thought. If you say something.
Or you're about to say something before you say it if you're not quite sure about it, does it pass through the three gatekeepers? Is it kind? Is it necessary? Is it true? And every action that you take.
Just think about it if you have any hesitation at all.
Does it pass through the three gatekeepers? Is it kind? Is it necessary? Is it true?
And you have to be careful here because sometimes you think.
You want to say something. It's a little bit harsh. It's true. It's necessary, but you get stuck on. Is it kind? Is it kind to tell somebody the truth about themselves or whatever that maybe they don't want to hear? So you have to think about it.
But most of the time when you really love somebody or whatever it is and you want to say something to them that they might not want to hear.
That doesn't make it not kind.
It makes it that they need to hear it, but it has to pass through all three of those gatekeepers. So again, if you're gonna do anything and it doesn't pass through all three of those gatekeepers, just stop.
And change it until it does. Just that simple KT.
It's my favorite one. Is it kind? Is it necessary? Is it true?
And those three gatekeepers will keep you from doing things that you're ashamed that you did.
Or regret.
Or regret or anything, and all of the things that we talked about really relate to those gatekeepers.
So there you have it, everyone. I call it the six secrets to Suze's success, but it's really Credos, inspiration, words that she's lived by.
And taught and imparted not only for me but for all of you listening to everyone that's read, followed or listened to her or watched her on television, but most important for herself. Suze loves these and uses them in her life to guide herself. She inspires herself with her own inspiration.
You know, and again, I'm just gonna go back to this for a second, everybody, is that.
You never stop learning. You never stop growing. You also never stop having doubts, believe it or not. Can I do this? Should I do this? Is this the right thing? Oh, so and so tells me, Don't do this, Suze. So it's what do I need to do versus what other people want me to do.
What do I tell myself? What is it that I want? So all these things that KT just chose today to do, I kind of like that you did this, KT.
Now she tells me...
If you think...
Now she tells me, everybody.
And if you think this is gonna make it so that I don't do your
Roth quizzy, you are so wrong,
I know, right? And that's number 4. If you think you can't, you never ever, ever, ever will. So I can conquer Roth. I can, and I
will.
CAN Canceling Any Negativity.
Can.
I can.
No matter where you are in life, on your spectrum of life, young, not so young, old, and really old, these are all sayings, secrets. Let them be your own little inner secret that helps you be who you really want to be and who you are meant.
To be and what's meant to be today, by the way.
Oh yeah, today's Taylor's birthday, Suze. We want to wish Taylor, our nephew who's in North Florida, a very happy, happy, happy birthday. Taylor makes boys. Taylor has 3 sons, which are our great nephews, right? They're great, great nephews.
And he has 1, 2, 3, and, and I said to, to Katie, his wife, you think you're gonna go for number 4? And they looked at me and we said, we don't know. And I said, Suze, how many boys on a soccer team?
But Taylor,
have a happy happy birthday to you. So, Ms. Travis, since this was your podcast today, you take us out.
There's only 3 things we want you to remember, everybody, and that is: people first, then money, then things.
And if you do that, you stay strong, you stay safe, and guess what? Together
we
will
rise.