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BIO
Hi, I'm Susan.
Susan Schleppegrell is an accomplished Real Estate professional in the Dallas–Fort Worth area with a background in Human Development, Positive Psychology Coaching, and Horticulture. A lifelong lover of gardening, she often reflects on the parallels between tending a garden and cultivating a meaningful life through seasons of growth, loss, resilience, and renewal. Susan is also a proud mother of two daughters and grandmother to two energetic grandsons, whose love, encouragement, and support have shaped many of the most important chapters of her life.
Life took an unexpected turn when Susan became the victim of two devastating scams that resulted in significant financial loss, emotional trauma, and years of uncertainty. What began as deception quickly evolved into a journey that tested her confidence, relationships, and sense of self. Through heartbreak, shame, regret, and the difficult work of healing, she discovered that even life's most painful experiences can become powerful opportunities for growth, self-discovery, and transformation.
That painful journey inspired Susan to write Twice Betrayed and share her story with others who may be facing betrayal, adversity, loss, or personal setbacks. Today, her mission is to help people move beyond victimhood, reclaim their inner strength, and recognize the remarkable potential that still exists within them. Through writing, speaking, and meaningful conversations, Susan encourages others to embrace authenticity, cultivate resilience, and create lives filled with purpose, hope, and possibility.
"Today, her mission is to help people move beyond survival mode, reclaim their inner strength, and recognize the remarkable potential that still exists within them."
THE BOOK
Twice Betrayed
Scams didn't happen to people like me or so I believed. I was educated, successful, and certain I could recognize deception. Then came Thomas, whose charm slipped past my defenses, followed by Noah, whose promises of justice became another devastating betrayal.
Twice Betrayed is the true story of how I lost far more than money—I lost my confidence, my dignity, and my sense of safety. But it is also the story of how I found the courage to reclaim my life through healing, self-forgiveness, and personal growth.
More than a story about scams, Twice Betrayed is a story about resilience, healing, and discovering that our past does not have to define our future. No matter what life has taken from us, we can choose to grow forward.
Susan's Philosophy
“What we nurture grows."
Have you ever noticed how much life resembles a garden?
There was a time when my own life felt overrun, by betrayal, loss, regret, and decisions that left me questioning myself. Like an untended garden, I was barely surviving in a tangled web of prickly vines and invasive noxious weeds that had taken hold before I fully recognized what was happening. My book, Twice Betrayed, tells that story.
My story also shares this important insight: even after the hardest seasons we have faced, even after everything was stripped down to bare roots and weeds had invaded, growth and renewal were still possible. The Garden of Shame and The Weeds of Regret were tamed and no longer defined the landscape. New life has grown and flourished. It is the story of what happens after the storm where new understanding, resilience, purpose, and hope have taken root.
Gardening has taught me that transformation rarely happens overnight. Beauty is cultivated. Growth requires intention. Some seasons demand patience; others require courage. There are always weeds to pull, lessons to learn, and moments when we must accept that not everything is within our control.
Yet every gardener knows a simple truth: what we consistently tend to flourishes.
The same is true in life. When we nurture gratitude, self-awareness, forgiveness, and purpose, we create space for something stronger to grow. We begin to replace fear with confidence, regret with wisdom, and shame with self-compassion.
The garden has become more than a hobby for me. It is a reminder that every day offers a choice. We can continue feeding what holds us back, or we can cultivate what moves us forward.
I have learned that we all have the power to tend our lives, to pull the weeds, plant something new, and create a landscape filled with growth, meaning, and possibility.
And in doing so, we become a light not only for ourselves, but for others walking through difficult seasons of their own.
Susan's Approach to Healing
Research-Based
Grounded in trauma psychology and attachment theory.
Story-Driven
Real narratives that help people feel seen.
Practical Tools
Frameworks audiences can apply immediately.
Compassionate
Judgment-free space for honest conversation.