Find Your Fire Again with Susie deVille

In this episode, Michael Dargie welcomes Susie deVille — entrepreneur, coach, artist, and self-described "concrete chiseler in chief" — who joins from a mountain plateau at 4,118 feet in Highlands, North Carolina. Susie works with entrepreneurs, creators, and visionary leaders who feel stuck and riddled with self-doubt, helping them reconnect with their innate creativity and unlock who they truly are. Her own path took a while to reveal itself. She studied anthropology, moved to Boston and then overseas for a career in publishing at HarperCollins, launched two nonprofits that are still running today, and became a real estate broker in 2001. It was during her master's studies that a class introduced her to the design firm IDEO, and, as she puts it, the top of her head came off. From that moment, all she wanted to do was understand innovation and creativity. That curiosity became a lifeline. When the markets crashed, Susie's finances, her marriage, and her health all went "poof" at once — a stretch she calls her nuclear winter. Her instinct was to work harder, which only pulled her deeper into the quicksand. So she rebuilt everything from the studs up, leaning on a simple but radical idea borrowed from Paulo Coelho: inspiration means breathing in. Most of us, she says, have gold-medalled the exhale — the doing, the burning out, the gerbil wheel — while forgetting to take anything back in. The conversation wanders happily from there. Susie explains her "creative circadian rhythm" and why she writes at three in the morning, when she can "take dictation from the divine." She shares the morning practices that bring her home to herself: Julia Cameron's morning pages, movement, inspired reading, and the one her clients resist most — making something with your hands, whether it's a quick sketch or a vat of gumbo. She and Michael also detour into Paris, flânerie, joie de vivre, and a plate of beef cheeks at Le Procope so good the entire waitstaff once gave her a round of applause. Underneath the fun is a serious message about energy over productivity. We're brilliant at solving for time and discipline, Susie argues, and terrible at noticing the hidden energy loads behind every bold move, hard conversation, and new boundary. Heal and optimize your energy first, and the grand voyage becomes possible. For the rebels in waiting, Susie offers a Joseph Campbell-flavoured reframe: the real work isn't the launch, it's the dragon of your becoming — your ability to tolerate uncertainty and keep going. Take good care of your energy and health, inspire yourself, keep a journal, and remember that your authentic, aligned self is the ultimate champion in any arena. Episode Highlights [00:44,000] What Susie Does | Helping stuck entrepreneurs and creators reconnect with their innate creativity. [01:30,000] The Winding Path | Anthropology, publishing at HarperCollins, two nonprofits, and real estate. [02:56,000] The Top of Her Head Comes Off | A grad-school class introduces her to IDEO and lights the fuse. [04:03,000] Nuclear Winter | The crash takes her finances, marriage, and health all at once. [05:00,000] Learning to Inhale | Inspiration means breathing in — not just the endless exhale. [07:33,000] Not the Artistic One | Why she believed she "missed the art genes" — and why that's false. [09:00,000] Cracking the Concrete | Sketching, watercolour, and mixed media start to reveal the authentic her. [10:20,000] Concrete Chiseler in Chief | An archaeological dig of the self that's energizing and fun. [11:38,000] Why Paris | Feeling instantly at home, joie de vivre, and artfully designed days. [16:11,000] Getting Lost on Purpose | The French idea of the flâneur and surrendering to serendipity. [18:32,000] The Art of Doing Nothing | Energy over productivity, and the hidden loads we never notice. [21:28,000] Creative Circadian Rhythm | Finding the hours when your best thinking actually shows up. [23:00,000] Morning Practices | Morning pages, movement, inspired learning, and making something. [27:51,000] Beef Cheeks at Le Procope | The Paris dish that earned her a standing ovation. [31:25,000] Advice for Rebels in Waiting | The dragon of your becoming and tolerating uncertainty. Links From This Episode Susie deVille — Innovation & Creativity Institute (with free toolkit) Buoyant: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Becoming Wildly Successful, Creative, and Free by Susie deVille IDEO — design and innovation firm The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho Morning Pages / The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron Le Procope — the oldest cafe in Paris Fondation Louis Vuitton — Gerhard Richter exhibition Full show notes, transcript, and more: https://rebelrebelpodcast.com/episodes/find-your-fire-again