Susan was that small, uncoordinated kid in school who avoided PE classes. The only team she was ever on was the debate team.

She'd never exercised until after the birth of her twins in 1979 when she discovered the transformative power of exercise. The energy boost she felt inspired her to explore how physical activity and a healthy lifestyle are crucial for living well.

At the same time, she watched her parents pay the price of a sedentary lifestyle with poor eating habits. She was determined to take a different path.

Before long, she was invited to start teaching aerobics classes and in 1985, began teaching classes at the US Geological Survey in Reston, VA. In 1990, she became one of the first certified personal trainers in the newly created industry. After several years of training in various gyms, she spent 20 years at the Birmingham JCC, where she ultimately became the coordinator of the personal training program she created.

In 2014, Susan opened TrainSmarter—her greatest challenge to date--with a mission to help people create a life without limits. She’d seen lives become limited by pain, weakness, and a lack of understanding that becoming stronger can alleviate most common issues.

Susan's approach focuses on strength training, corrective exercise, and injury prevention.

Despite her efforts, she discovered that people still believed myths about health, exercise, and nutrition, such as “You need to stretch…,” "core training is the most important exercise….," “cardio is the way to lose weight….,” or that "a weak core is the cause of back pain…”

So in 2020, she published The Smarter Way, an Amazon #1 best seller, which debunks common myths about health and fitness and includes practical advice on how to walk, choose shoes, and even set up a pain-free workstation.

In the course of her career, Susan completed the Level I Resistance Training Specialist certification, became the only certified Chi Walking/ChiRunning instructor in the Southeast, and was awarded the Corrective Exercise Specialist certification from the National Association of Sports Medicine. Corrective exercise has become her specialty. She holds the highest TRX certification, TRX TEAM, as well as the NCFI Corporate Fitness Trainer certification, and Online Training Specialist certification, among other certifications.

"We have helped hundreds of people, many of whom thought their knee, hip, or back pain was something they'd have to live with. We’re here to help people create a life they love."