We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Susan Roberts. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Susan below.
Hi Susan, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
“My resilience was built, not gifted. I didn’t grow up with thick skin; I grew up sensitive, observant, often quiet, and yes, often bullied. Being different made me a target. But instead of hardening me, those experiences deepened me. I became someone who notices the pain in others, who listens more than speaks, and who finds strength not in shouting but in standing firm.
I didn’t always have the words for what I felt, but I learned how to turn pain into purpose. That’s what resilience is: choosing to rise not in spite of your wounds, but with them. I became a nurse, a mother, a military veteran, and now an advocate who wants to rewrite the story for kids like I once was.
That’s why I created Whimsky Works™ to build a movement that teaches kids to be emotionally strong, kind, and confident. Through storytelling, health education, and compassion, we help them see that being different is their superpower. I want kids to know what I didn’t always realize: that quiet kids can be brave too, and that resilience can be taught through love, language, and the courage to keep going.
Resilience isn’t about being unbreakable; it’s about becoming stronger in the places where you once felt small.”
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m a nurse, a veteran, a public health advocate, and a storyteller. I’ve spent decades on the frontlines of critical care, where I’ve seen both miracles and missed moments. One of the most dangerous and silent threats I’ve encountered is sepsis, a condition that can kill within hours if missed. That’s why I launched the CRUSH 33™ initiative, a rapid sepsis alert and training system designed to help healthcare professionals recognize and act within the first 33 minutes. We made international recognition last year, and we’re just getting started.”
“But my mission doesn’t stop in the hospital. I’m also the creator of Whimsky Works™, a children’s health book series that empowers kids through stories about asthma, eczema, allergies, and emotional resilience. It’s rooted in my own childhood growing up bullied, introverted, and overlooked, and inspired by the kids and grandkids I love fiercely. Whimsky Works™ is about helping every child feel seen, safe, and strong. It’s part health education, part heart education.”
“What makes my work exciting is that it’s not just a brand, it’s a bridge. Between health and hope. Between adults and children. Between what we wish we had growing up and what we’re creating now. Whether it’s in a hospital room or a storybook, my focus is on visibility, validation, and early intervention.”
“This fall, I’ll be featured at the Frankfurt International Book Fair, and we’re expanding Whimsky Works™ with a short film adaptation and school outreach programs. I’m also hosting a national Sepsis Stand Down at the Atlanta VA Medical Center this September 11th to raise awareness about early sepsis recognition and honor those we’ve lost.”
“At the core of everything I do is this belief: Kids don’t need to grow up fast, but they do need to grow up seen. And adults, even in our grown-up suits and scrubs, still need permission to be soft, scared, and resilient too. My work is about building that shared language one that says, ‘You matter. You’re not invisible. And your story isn’t over.’”
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Emotional Intelligence
“Learning how to read a room, understand pain without words, and sit with discomfort has been one of my greatest tools whether I was advocating for a patient in crisis or creating a children’s book character who feels invisible. Emotional intelligence isn’t soft, it’s strategic. It builds trust, diffuses conflict, and changes outcomes.”
My advice: Start by learning to name your own feelings. Then listen really listen to others. Journaling, empathy-based reading, and mentorship helped me turn my emotional sensitivity into leadership strength.
2. Courageous Communication
“I wasn’t always confident, but I was always observant. And I realized early that being quiet didn’t mean being voiceless. Whether I was advocating for sepsis awareness on a national level or helping a child find words for asthma or anxiety, I had to speak up especially when it was uncomfortable. Speaking up saved lives. It also saved me.”
My advice: Practice speaking before you’re ready. Use your voice in rooms that make your hands shake. Start with small circles then grow. Communication is a muscle. Use it with courage and kindness.
3. The Popcorn Principle (Resilience)
“We’re all like kernels of popcorn what’s inside us doesn’t change, but how we rise depends on the heat we face. Some people hide from the pressure, some break under it but some transform. I learned to embrace the heat of hard moments bullying, single motherhood, trauma, leadership pressure and let them change me, not crush me.”
My advice: Don’t fear the heat. Let it reveal what’s inside you. Pressure is part of growth. When life gets loud, trust that your transformation is happening even if no one sees it yet. Resilience is becoming, not bouncing back.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
They made me feel chosen every single day. Not just loved, but seen. My parents didn’t raise me to be perfect; they raised me to be purposeful. They taught me that kindness is a strength, that quiet doesn’t mean weak, and that standing up for others even when you’re scared is always the right thing to do.”
They believed in me when I couldn’t yet believe in myself. Whether I was whispering dreams from the back of the room or rebuilding after life knocked me down, their love was steady, strong, and without condition. That kind of foundation doesn’t just shape a child; it gives birth to a mission.
That mission became Whimsky Works™ and the Speak Up Kid Change the World™ movement, which helps children find their voice in a noisy, often unkind world. Whether they’re facing bullying, dealing with chronic illness, or just trying to belong, Speak Up Kid teaches them: You have a voice. Your feelings matter. And you don’t have to shrink to be safe.
My parents helped me find my voice. Now I’ve built a movement to help kids everywhere find theirs.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://drsuejbooks.com
- Instagram: @casons84
- Facebook: susan morgan
- Youtube: @drsuejbooks
- Soundcloud: Sue Mcdonough Georgia United States
Image Credits
Professional pictures provided by Ms. Nicole Barton
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