I Choose...Aging Confidently with Susan Noles

You're listening to I Choose Me with Jenny Garth. Hey, everybody, welcome to I Choose Me. This is the podcast about the choices we make and where they lead us. As you may know, I am a part of QVC's Quintessential fifty. We call it the Q fifty. It's this incredible, diverse family of women from all different walks of life. It's a group of women who are all just about inspiring other women over fifty to live with us in this

How are you your Usan?

I'm so happy to see you. Not in a taxi in Vegas? Yes, an uber?

An uber that's.

Where we first met, right, how I know? Oh my goodness, that was the funniest story we I don't know even what happened with that. We called an uber, you called an uber.

I got it in the ball one that does what happened?

You're got in ours? But we all rode together and we had a great time. It was it was I'm so happy to have you. I wanted to talk to you all about your path recently.

Yeah, that's a busy. I'm a busy woman.

You're a busy woman. Things changed for you?

Yeah, well I've always been busy. I always keep busy. I know a lot of people, I do a lot of things. But this is like newer things and even more people in my world.

So you were a fan favorite in my house, that's for sure. What was it liking that kind of notoriety and that kind of fame so quickly?

So you know, it's funny. I've said this many times to me I've always been a star. Just now more people know. I was in the hair business for almost forty years, and I entertained people in the salon. I worked at a nine thousand square foot salon, so it was a lot of people. And that's just my personality. I've done everything.

And yeah, so my mom also was a hairstylist, and my sister is a hairstylist. And I know you know a hair salon very well, been there so you quite yes, yes, Oh.

Officiating weddings for about ten years. So the Golden Wedding and made it take off even more.

Everybody wants you now, yes to do their wedding.

There's only so many weekends. There's only so many saturdays, you know.

Are you just flying all over the country now officiating weddings?

No, not too b I'd like when I priced them out for them. Most of them are young couples and they're like, oh, I said, yeah, that expense isn't on me.

That travel, that hotel, all that.

I love you, that I've gone away for, and if you a val renew all that I'm traveling for, It's.

Crazy, what would you I mean, since all this fame and public awareness of you and your every move. What would you say, You've learned about yourself.

To trust my instincts. That was at that and as far as doing the Golden Show, the best thing besides the friendships that came out for me was to love myself and know what I deserve. So I treat things. I think about things a little differently than I used to as far as dating or a man.

So you say that that's kind of a new thing. You've always been the star of your life, which is amazing, but you've kind of gotten familiar with yourself and your needs and your instincts a little bit more clearly. Now it's about me, It's about you. It's about time. Hello me time, right, that's right. What was happening for you aside from the salon prior to the show, Like what was what is your normal life? I'm so curious, Like what's going on for you?

Normally I don't sit down for very long. I like to off. I have different groups of friends that I keep in touch with and do lunch, and I travel. I like to go to the beach and go to the islands. I was down in Saint Martin, Italy a few times. I'm digging in the dirt lay and mulch out back. I mean, I just I'm busy.

You don't even have time in your life for a man.

I do. I would make time for the right you.

Would you, definitely? Would you? Just you seem so confident in your own skin, and I don't know, I just kind of want to know what I have to look forward to when I'm your age, because we're not that far off, but this it's a big difference.

You've got a lot of time. Trust I said for the Quintessential and fifty people. I was on QBC not too long ago, and yes, that's right. The hardest part is looking in the mirror at this age because I don't look like I used to look, and you still feel that right, right, But I've accepted me for me. I feel still sexy and I can still dress the part and at the part my brain thinks, you know, you should be this or this and you get on

So more comfortable in your own skin, I know that's it's challenging. Even at fifty two, when you look in the mirror and you don't see what you used to see, right, and then you think, oh, well, then when people look at me, they're not seeing what they want to see or what they're used to seeing.

Well, yeah, you start getting down on yourself, like you know, the menopauseal tom and things like that. Although I had somebody just recently say, oh my gosh, your body's like a model.

I'm like, your body is slamming, by the way, But it's all about the way you carry yourself, Like that's what.

That confidences with age as well.

I love that party. That's right. You were just on fifteen Fabulous with our friend Mally.

Ally she's a doll baby. I know.

He went to Westchester, You went to the studios. How was your experience there?

It was fabulous. I had a ball.

Oh I'm so glad.

I bonded with so many people. And then the highlight was my friend Bradley recognizing me.

That was, oh my gosh. So yeah, everybody. We were in Vegas for the Quintessential fifty with QTc, which we're both a part of, and Bradley Cooper showed up because his mom.

I'm a huge fan he did.

He was I'm so happy to see you.

I know that, but just being recognized and noticed by people. I spent time last week sitting with the American Heart Association, and they wanted me to get involved in something I believe in. They want me to do a whole lot of things, and I was like, I'm going to give you as much as I can, you know, but time wise, I don't have that much time to do a fundraiser, or I could do it online on social media, which I'm willing to do. But a lot of people want to get you now.

Yeah, everybody wants a PCU. Even Bradley Cooper.

Oh god, he's such inlaw.

What is your connection with American Heart Association, because I have a strong connection with them as well and do a lot of work. What is your connection with or your affiliation with heart health.

It's a great foundation. I know my ex husband deals with a fib and have some surgery and that's a minor thing, I know, compared to some but it's something that I would like to put my name behind them if I could help in any way. How about you.

I've had heart issues in my life my father since I was a little girl, so really grew up learning to live with a parent that has heart disease and just multiple episodes in the hospital and all kinds of surgeries.

I do when I'm trying to run or we'll blow up a flight of steps.

You're like, yeah, let's keeping I love that. Okay, this is going to get personal. Okay, tell us about your dating life. I hate asking that because like, maybe you don't want to talk about it, but if you want to talk about it.

Now an open book. So a lot of people assume that my dms were just over flowing, and everybody told us the producers, oh wait, it wasn't. So. I mean, there was a couple that I don't want to date somebody that's my son's age, if you will.

That's a weird Yeah. Yeah, what's your cutoff?

It depends on the person ten twelve years younger. I could go twelve years older. But however, I did meet somebody back in November. This is a cute story.

Actually tell me if it tell me you're meet cute.

So pes for a selfie. We were in home goods, you know, Marshall's home goods. You know, he was way smaller than I look at whatever, but.

There was a point smaller you mean highway? Yeah, okay, he.

Looked to be my age, and I had a moment like I would have talked to him because there was something about him. And he left and I ran to my cousin said, did you see that guy? Know? I said, I would have chatted with him, even though he wasn't my tight. Well, it is four days before Super Bowl. I'm going through my mail and this man says, Hi, you don't know me. My name is such and such. My friend is trying to get a hold of you. You met him a month ago in Morsels. Well that

So now it's three buried.

So he says, I'm going to send youself the album a picture of him. He cleans up real well, so now and it's the guy from Marshall.

Oh my god.

So I said, oh my god, yes, give me his information. I held on to it for a while because I'm busy. I was sitting there Super Bowl Sunday and said, you know what, let me retat. What do you say? You know, I don't know what to say, so I go, are you It was four minutes before the Super Bowl started. I go, are you ready for some football?

Okay? I like that. You got a game.

I don't have a choice. It comes on in three minutes, by the way, As a susan, I said.

Yes, okay, and then it just sort of took off from the Yeah, we've been.

Hanging out a little bit. Nothing crazy. He's taking it very slow, I see. But he's a fun guy, great conversation. He doesn't mind when people come up to us at dinner and yeah, so we'll see.

You're so inspirational for so many women.

You know that it's never too late. This is my last chapter. That's how I look at things, you know. I just turned sixty seven. In March, which I can't even believe.

Okay, this is not your last chapter, then it's the chapter. So it depends on how long your chapters are young.

And I want to make it the best chapter. I don't surround myself with negative thinkers. I'm all about putting things out to the universe. I believe in the good things in life and making people happy and sharing what I have with with anybody. A lot of people share with me there they're heartaches online and I feel like I'm a counselor sometimes you are.

People trust your advice, like you just have that air about you, like go to Susan if you need advice.

Made people feel better, and that that's the most important thing I know, right, or a hobby or a new outfit, whatever floats your boat, you know. Yeah, just get up and live again. It's not over.

I love this so much. I want you to come visit my mom. I love Oh gosh. Okay, So, if someone that's over fifty is thinking about getting into the dating game, what advice would you give them? How do they even do it?

Like?

Do they do it online?

Online? Dating? Forever prior to the show, and the show cured me. It really did. I see the same faces over and over. I'm not afraid to put myself out there when I chitchat with somebody, let's meet. Let's just real quick, have a cup of coffee. See if there's any chemistry.

Yeah, exactly.

I don't see anything wrong with that. And I've met a few people in my life that I spent some time with. They just weren't the right ones forever. But after going on the show, I decided to stop searching because, as I quote this, it's out there everywhere. I used to believe I was a woman that needed a man, but now I'm a woman that a man needs and I'm not going to look anymore. I'm very satisfied with my life. I would love for that to happen to me, but I'm not going to search.

Oh that's great. If it's meant to be, it will, it will happen. You know how, I heard a lot and I felt when I started tage that I sort of felt like I had become invisible. You walk in the room, it's not quite the same reaction that you used to have for me. I would walk in the room with my beautiful daughters and they would they would get that reaction. But I would be like, oh, I guess I'm invisible now, okay, but there's no chance that you could walk into a room and be invisible.

A lot of people share that I'm too loud. I'm a Talian, you.

Know, and I'm tall and you have this.

Yeah, well, people like I never meet a stranger. So I feel the part when they say invisible that I don't turn as many heads as I used to. And back then, if I knew now what I know now, oh man, I could have had everything I wanted. But I was. It's naive, like they're not looking at me.

Oh but they were.

Well, look they were. I had no idea. I was clueless.

Oh I think that too. Like if I knew then what I know now now, I conquer the world.

I read all the books, I do all that.

I go, oh, whatever, what would you tell your younger self?

Stay true to yourself, believe in yourself. And when you see a red flag, Susan, it's not going to change. It's a red flag. I used to ignore those, and now if I see a red flag, I see, yep, not this.

One, okay, So how many red flags?

Is it?

One red flag? And you're out or.

Oh because I haven't done it yet since I've said this, but now, like I always think, Okay, somebody you meet and they're in my situation, it was who was a heavy drinker? And I thought my ex was an alcoholicis and recovery forty plus years, God bless them. But do I want to do this? You know that all shouldn't be that bad, you know, and then after being in it six months, you realize it's bad and I don't

I know, right, I've heard this before and I felt this before. I'm asking for too much or I have too many needs or expectations.

So I had my list, you know, they say, write it down. And the gentleman that I met in the store, my first thing on my this is I like a tall man. This man k my size.

He's your height like i'd I And.

That's so unlike me. But it doesn't matter that used to Matt, that used to you know what I mean, Like I wouldn't even think about it because I'm tall, and it's like I was, I thinking, Yeah, things have changed, they have your list changes.

Yeah, I have that list too, and I do like to check off some of the boxes, you know. But then I kind of think, like I've heard before, I think it was the eighty twenty or maybe it was sixty forty or seventy thirty, I don't know, but like, if it's eighty percent good, be good, yes, and twenty percent you know, not sure. I don't live with you could live with.

I mean not perfect. No, I think I am.

I'm a great If you find somebody that's willing to take a look at that twenty percent probably and work with you a little bit here and there, that that makes a difference.

Yeah, I agree. I agree, So the hopes of that I'll fall in love. I'm a pisces and a dreamer, and you know, I still dream about the happily ever after. I have to keep that in here and believe that to the day I die, or I will be very disappointed if I think there wasn't one so.

Right, Like, what's the point of living if you don't have dreams, aspirations, right, things that excite you.

I mean, I love my family. My grandkids are a blast. You know, I do all that. But you always want somebody to go home to or share when you're upset, or share when you're excited. You know, tell them somebody that makes me laugh, and I make them laugh.

They're my Yeah, how long have you been single?

Long? Long, long time without my husband, like over eighteen years. I've had two pretty long relationships three year ones, but get pretty long.

Oh my gosh. I'm excited for your next chapter, thank you. I mean, I'm excited for my next I'm excited for all women's next chapter. And I love like the idea that we get to just reinvent ourselves every morning, like we can just lest to.

Wake up every morning. And I thank the universe every day for certain things that have not arrived yet.

But they I say universe too. It's just a personal choice. But I love that you said before you believe in like alignment and think when things come into your life or signs, that's the last sign you can remember that you got. That kind of made reassured you that you're on the right path.

So I had talked to a woman, her name was Kelly, and she wanted me to do a twenty five year bow renewal for her. She lives in Hawaii and she was coming up home to Redding. It was a double wedding, her and her husband's renewal and her grandfather at eighty four years old. Yes, so I did a double thing and it was the most emotional wedding I've ever done. I bonded with these people. It was very small scale,

You have to put energy.

And energy exactly. And that book just it was amazing. I just wrote her and things like that to thank her and what it did for me.

And it just fell into your hands.

Like that that's the.

Best best I love. I get goosebumps whenever things line up like that.

I love it. I'd like to preach about it or teach people how to live that life.

I don't know, go do it. Get on that platform. You have so many people that are looking to you for your positive messaging because you exude happiness and competence and self love, and that's what everybody wants. They want That's why they want a piece of you, because they want to feel that the same way you feel.

My assistance in the salon over the years, I would train people for two to three years until they were ready to get a chair, and quite a few of them absolutely. One of them wrote in when I was on GBC, and he would say things to me like, I just want to be just like you when i'm your age. You don't let anything bother you. I said, don't be fooled. It's a Saturday in the salon. I've got six people deep with color on their heads. There's no time to break down right now. You don't think

You make This is so interesting that you just said that, because that has always been something that I've used just to like pulp myself up. You know, Listen, it's go time. You've got to get out there and shine, whether you feel like it or not. Other for other people, yes, and someone just I just I don't know where I heard this, but I heard someone say, how about when you say fake it till you make it, you're kind of telling yourself that that's not you because you're faking it.

No, I don't see it like that. For me, fake it till you make it is suppress all the negatives that you're feeling and go do what you're supposed to be doing to the best of your ability, even though you're not feeling secure like you're going to do it well. So fake it, get out there and do it, and usually it's successful.

It really is.

It's your own fears and your own hang ups. You know, when I did hair competitions and stuff, Oh my god, I'm not good enough for I'm not this, And I faked it and went out there and I ended up on a billboard on ninety five with my daughter's hair. It was like amazing, Wow, but I was scared.

Listen, isn't that crazy that that it's the fear. It's the same fear that's holding all of us back.

Fear is crippling. Really, just if it sneaks up, get rid of it. Get rid of it somehow, some.

Way tell us how to get rid of it. How do you get rid of it?

I can only allow myself to sulk or be down for a few minutes. I got to take my mind and start focused on positive things. I'll breathe, I try to meditate. I'm not going to that at it because there's so many things going on in my head at one time. But I just transfer, I'll breathe, I'll count my breathe my breaths, and focus back on something so positive and remember all the things that I'm grateful for and let that be gone. It's not easy all the time, but.

Just feel it, let your self experience whatever it is, and then you'll naturally know when it's time to let it go.

Go into be on the Old Bachelor. I didn't know what to expect talk about fear like, oh gosh, I'm going to look fat on TV, which I did.

You really did not say to me.

Oh my god, you're so much prettier in person, And how did you lose so much weight? I go, I didn't lose any weight.

Oh listen, I've heard it.

All litless when they say this stuff.

Yeah, I thought you would be so much shorter. Yeah, everything, they've said it all.

Yeah. And then there's the all the negative comments. You know, I'm sure you know dwell on the positive. Same thing. In my hair business. You can put out twenty fabulous rocking looks and you get one negative and all those don't matter. That's all you focus on. Well, everybody does things wrong, not everybody's gonna love everything. Focus on the twenty goodness.

It's so easy, yet's so difficult to just sort of switch your perspective and switch your mind to that way of thinking. But that's really the key. You know, A good hug will do it. Yeah, there's We talk about things on this podcast about how choosing, how we choose ourselves. And since I started this podcast and started building a brand around I choose me.

I love it.

I've listened, Thank you it. Things fall into place and you start to feel yourself choosing your self in the most mundane, everyday even ways, or in pretty big significant ways. But if you start thinking that way, and starts happening.

Yes, yes, and like.

You're saying it, start thinking positive. I really think you have everything it takes to become a positive positivity preacher. Absolutely, run with it. Run with it for this next chapter. See how what you can do. I'm so excited about.

To run with the people over fifteen and making them feel good. Yeah, butting them now just watching TVC that there's life out here.

Mm hmm. It's so it's so helpful. And I always think like if I've helped one person, even you know, with this message or with something I said, then I'm good.

Makes you feel so good and you want to do more of it, and that keeps us happy and content.

Speaking of I choose me, what was your last I choose me moment. It can be big, it can be little, Dan, I always choose me. That's good.

I'm a giver, Okay, I will make myself uncomfortable or short of times to do for others. Just recently, I was about to do it again, and I always regretted afterwards, and I said no. I usually don't say no, And I said no, I don't have the time. I couldn't give you one hundred percent. I'm sorry.

I can't that perfect. It's hard to do that right. You don't want to disappoint people.

Nobody knows me to say no. They all know Susan. I'll know it. Susan'll work it in. Susan'll you know.

Susan will give up what she needs to make somebody else happy.

But I said that.

Oh my god, I love it. This is a this is a page turner right there on this chapter. I'm so here for what's next for you. I just love visiting with you.

Tell me something that you choose.

Oh my gosh, I choose me. I do it on you know, on a daily basis, by choosing the stairs over the elevator. You know, it can be something as simple as that.

Working a little further away, even though you're in a hurry. Yeah.

Interestingly enough, though this kind of sounds like the opposite of it. I choose me moment because there was a family wedding and it was a very difficult logistically for me to get there and schedule wise, and it just seemed impossible, and I, to be honest, didn't think I could do it. I didn't really want to put in all that effort, But I ended up doing it. In my mind, for my sister and for her daughter, and ultimately it ended up being for me.

Because something good came out of it. You felt good because they were happy or did you? No?

I just I felt good because I was giving of my time and my love to people that mattered.

And did you realize that they realized what you gave up to be there? Does that matter to you?

That doesn't matter to me acknowledgement. I can feel it. They don't need to acknowledge it or verbalize it as long as it's a feeling. And I did feel you know that it was a significant thing that I was there and that made it and I choose me moment.

I get it. It makes you feel so good?

Yeah, and I'm feeling good.

People, So I'm going to do something to please somebody and they're so excited or happier their heart warms up. That makes me feel good.

Yeah. I'm so happy to be a Q fifty sister with you.

Thank you. I am as well.

Spread the word, spread the word, and I'm a fan of yours and I just can't wait to see what is next for you. So thank you, thank you so much. Thanks for chatting with us.

You're a beautiful person inside of it. Stay up, stay true to yourself.

You bet you choose me, You you choose you. Love you, Thanks baby, thank you.

Oh.

That was such a fun and insightful conversation with Susan. She's so wonderful. It was great getting to hear her thoughts on aging and what I have to look forward to, what we all have to look forward to. This talk really got me thinking about my own age, and I loved what Susan said about her advice that she would