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Stillness After the Storm, Suzanne Giesemann’s Journey Toward Hope and Higher Awareness

Women's Journal Staff on November 28, 2025

A Life Built on Discipline and Service

For twenty years, Suzanne Giesemann lived a life that embodied precision, duty, and leadership. As a U.S. Navy Commander, she stood at the heart of national service, leading sailors, briefing senior military leaders, and even serving as aide to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Her days were defined by logic, structure, and strength. She had spent her career mastering order in a world that demanded it. But nothing in her training could have prepared her for what came next.

A Tragedy That Changed Everything

In 2006, a force of nature irrevocably altered Suzanne’s future. Her stepdaughter, Susan, was struck and killed by a bolt of lightning while serving as a U.S. Marine. She was six months pregnant with a baby boy. This double loss shattered Suzanne’s carefully built world and forced her to face questions that no title or uniform could answer. Where do we go when we die? Does love really last beyond the physical world? Searching for peace from the awareness that Susan still existed in some form, Suzanne began meditating daily, a decision that would gradually transform her life forever.

Through stillness came a presence, then communication, and eventually a new understanding of consciousness itself. What began as a desperate search for comfort became a doorway into something vast, loving, and undeniable.

A Messenger of Hope

Today, Suzanne is known as a spiritual teacher, evidential medium, author, award-winning documentarian, and Messenger of Hope, helping thousands find healing through what she calls The Awakened Way®, a path to understanding that life and love may continue beyond death.

What makes her story so remarkable is not only the transformation itself, but the bridge she has built between two worlds, the precision of a Navy Commander, and the compassion of a medium. She approaches spirituality with the same discipline that guided her military career, offering grounded evidence and heartfelt connection in equal measure. She needed proof, and the evidence came.

Stillness After the Storm, Suzanne Giesemann’s Journey Toward Hope and Higher Awareness

Photo Courtesy: Suzanne Giesemann

Bridging Science, Spirit, and Love

Her teachings resonate deeply because they are born from both heartache and truth. Suzanne doesn’t ask people to simply believe; she invites them to consider and experience. Through her bestselling books, award-winning documentary Wolf’s Message, and her growing global community, she continues to demonstrate that the afterlife is not merely a theory—it’s love continuing in a new form.

Named one of Watkins’ 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People, an honor shared by Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela, and the 2024 recipient of Humanity’s Team Spiritual Leadership Award, Suzanne’s influence continues to grow. Yet her greatest impact often occurs in quiet moments: when a grieving parent finds peace after years of pain, or when someone finds hope in knowing their loved one is still near.

The Awakened Way: A Path to Living with Love and Purpose

At the heart of her work lies The Awakened Way, a philosophy built around three simple but profound principles:

  1. You are not only human.
  2. You are part of one web connecting the physical and nonphysical worlds.
  3. Love is the creative and healing force of the universe.

Suzanne teaches that the way to embody these truths is through what she calls “The 3 E’s”: Educate, Experience, and Engage.

Educate invites people to question reality and learn spiritual truths that expand awareness beyond the physical world.

Experience encourages direct connection through meditation and mindfulness.

Engage is about living these truths, choosing love, compassion, and authenticity every day while turning within to access higher consciousness.

It’s not just a belief system; it’s a way of living consciously in an often disconnected world.

Awakening Through Stillness – A Global Sync

Suzanne’s journey continues to evolve as she shares her message globally.

On December 21, 2025, Suzanne will lead Awakening Through Stillness: A Global Meditation Experience, a free online event uniting participants across continents in recognition of World Meditation Day. The gathering is more than a virtual session; it’s a shared moment of stillness intended to remind people that peace and connection are always within reach.

For Suzanne, meditation is both a personal practice and a collective bridge. After decades of teaching about consciousness and love beyond loss, she believes that silence can speak louder than any sermon. “The greatest gift we can give ourselves and each other is stillness,” she says. “When we quiet the noise, we remember who we really are.”

Her vision for Awakening Through Stillness grew from a simple truth: in a world that rarely slows down, inner peace is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity. The event invites people from every background to (virtually) sit together, breathe, and experience what she calls the greater reality, a field of awareness where compassion and clarity replace fear and separation.

Scientific studies have supported what many ancient traditions have long known: meditation can reduce anxiety, improve emotional balance, and enhance empathy. But Suzanne’s work extends beyond wellness trends. Through The Awakened Way teachings, she reminds people that meditation isn’t about escaping the world; it’s about entering it with open eyes and an open heart.

Her upcoming global sync will include a guided meditation, reflections on unity, and an invitation for participants to continue the practice daily. “Stillness doesn’t have to take hours,” she explains. “Even three minutes of quiet can make a difference in how you move through your day.”

Those who wish to join can learn more and get notified through her website, suzannegiesemann.com, where she also shares resources, upcoming events, and teachings on The Awakened Way.

Love Never Dies

Suzanne’s story reminds us that grief can be a beginning, not an end. That love is not limited by time, space, or circumstance. And that even in the deepest sorrow, there is a light waiting to guide us home.

In a world often driven by fear and distraction, Suzanne Giesemann stands as proof that strength and softness can coexist. Her transition from the structured rules of the Navy to the sacred stillness of the soul shows that awakening doesn’t mean abandoning who you were; it means expanding into all you can be.

Through her books, talks, and online teachings on YouTube and Instagram, she continues to deliver one clear message to the world: love never dies, and neither does hope.

Disclaimer: The content of this article reflects the personal beliefs and experiences of Suzanne Giesemann and is intended for informational and inspirational purposes only. The views expressed are not intended as medical, psychological, or scientific advice. Any spiritual or healing practices discussed should be approached with personal discretion. For any medical or mental health concerns, please consult a qualified professional.

The Hidden Innovator: How Being Underestimated Became Stacy McCracken’s Superpower

Women's Journal Staff on November 28, 2025

By: Sarah Morgan

After decades in male-dominated industries, Stacy McCracken transformed a burnout moment into a breakthrough—becoming a champion for women who lead with courage, clarity, and curiosity in a world that needs them more than ever.

The union officials didn’t expect a woman engineer to challenge them. But there she stood on the factory floor at General Motors, facing a sea of skeptical faces, proposing role changes in a rapidly transforming industry.

It wasn’t the first time Stacy McCracken had been underestimated, and it wouldn’t be the last. But in that moment, she learned something that would shape her life’s work.

“Courage and curiosity are inseparable in strong leadership, and innovation starts with people, not processes,” she says.

An Instinct for Growth and Progress

Stacy’s fascination with how people learn and unlock their potential emerged early. In sixth grade, she tutored a young girl recovering from a traumatic brain injury. The moment her student wrote her name again—slowly, shakily, triumphantly, Stacy witnessed her first transformation.

“It showed me that progress doesn’t always happen fast,” she says. “But it’s always possible.”

Drawn to system thinking and problem-solving, Stacy studied industrial engineering to understand how humans, systems, and processes worked together to create real change.

The Factory Floor Crucible

Stacy spent nearly a decade at GM designing lean systems and managing field quality. While most people avoided the factory floor, Stacy was drawn to a role beyond her comfort zone—where leadership isn’t theoretical but lived. She had to constantly prove herself. Bias, hostility, and pressure were daily realities.

“I didn’t want to design solutions from a distance,” she says. “I wanted to understand people, pressure, culture—and what it actually took to make change.”

Her style disrupted the status quo, and she quickly noticed a pattern she’d carry for life:

The most innovative thinkers were the ones quietly solving problems no one else could see. And they were rarely recognized.

“Innovation doesn’t come from the loudest voice or the most obvious source. It comes from those who see problems differently,” she says.

The Professional Mop & The Mirror That Changed Everything

After GM, Stacy moved into pivotal roles at Motorola Semiconductor (now NXP). By her late thirties, Stacy had risen from engineering to high-stakes leadership roles. She had honed her ability to ask the right questions and reveal what others overlooked. But the cost was high.

She was known as the person who could fix anything, navigate crises, calm customers, and hold teams together when pressure was high and trust ran low. She began referring to herself as “the professional mop,” the person constantly cleaning up the messes created by poor leadership.

She was running on empty.

One morning, after another late-night round of executive calls, she caught her reflection in the bathroom mirror—and froze. The woman staring back was depleted and unrecognizable.

“We were rewarding toxic behaviors, and I realized I didn’t want to keep working to survive in a system that undervalued its best thinkers and leaders. I wanted to thrive,” she says.

 And so, she walked away.

Her son later told her that the day she left that job was the happiest day of his life.

Breakdown Becomes Breakthrough

That decision became the first principle she now teaches thousands. In her words: “When you pause long enough to notice what matters, you stop reacting and start leading.”

Stacy transitioned into higher education, teaching and designing leadership programs at The University of Texas and Baylor. She also returned to school—earning her Doctor of Technology in Leadership and Innovation from Purdue University.

Her research revealed that curiosity about AI, paired with a growth mindset, significantly strengthens innovative thinking beyond mindset alone, confirming what her career had already proven: it’s not expertise that prepares you for the future; it’s curiosity, adaptability, and the willingness to see what others overlook.

From Hidden Innovator to Innovation Movement

In 2012, Stacy launched Impact and Lead—a coaching practice that evolved into a full-service consultancy.

She developed two signature frameworks:

  • The IMPACT Compass Method™ — a blueprint for cutting through noise and leading with intention.
  • The NOTICE™ Framework — a system for helping leaders slow down, observe patterns, and see people first, fostering trust, engagement, and innovative ideas.

Through The IMPACT Experience workshops, she helps women and mid-career leaders rediscover clarity without sacrificing well-being.

 “I wore out trying to stand out, but no one should ever have to,” she says.

The Hidden Innovators Group

In 2025, Stacy launched The Hidden Innovators Group. Through curated leadership circles and small group think tanks, she now helps leaders unlock the curiosity, creativity, and courage they’ve always possessed to get results.

Leading in the Age of AI

The leadership traits Stacy developed in male-dominated environments—building trust, noticing what others miss, leading through curiosity—are precisely what the AI era demands. Stacy says, “In our current world, where new technologies are emerging daily, leaders are struggling to keep pace. We need leaders who can think differently, build trust, engage their teams, and get things done ethically and with empathy.”

Her human-centered approach trains teams how to define the right problem before jumping to solutions—a leadership skill AI can’t replace. One of her popular offerings, the AI Clarity CompassTM, helps leaders identify where AI adds real value and build a plan that works.

The Lesson for Women Leaders

Today, Stacy is a sought-after keynote speaker. She earned her doctorate in her fifties and launched The Hidden Innovators Group in 2025.

Stacy’s story proves something powerful: Mid-career isn’t the end of your momentum—it may be the moment you finally notice your true superpower.

The skills women develop while surviving systems not designed for them—resilience, insight, empathy, innovative thinking—are exactly the skills the world needs now.

Learn more about Stacy and her work at stacymccracken.com.

Blending Science and Digital Care: Evinature and SonarMD Pilot a New Approach to IBD Management

Women's Journal Staff on November 28, 2025

By: Jake Smiths

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) continues to challenge both clinicians and healthcare systems. With rising patient numbers, unpredictable flare-ups, and the high cost of hospitalizations, the industry is under pressure to find solutions that improve outcomes while managing resources. Patients, too, are increasingly seeking care options that combine scientific rigor with practical support.

In this context, partnerships that integrate clinical research into real-world care pathways are gaining traction. One such initiative is the newly announced pilot between Evinature, a leader in evidence-based nutraceutical therapeutics for gastrointestinal health, and SonarMD, a care-coordination platform for IBD.

Merging Nutraceutical Science with Continuous Care

The pilot will test the integration of Evinature’s CurQD® formulation into SonarMD’s digital care model. CurQD, supported by multiple peer-reviewed studies and referenced in the European ECCO Nutritional Guidelines, has already been adopted by over 40 U.S. medical centers. Unlike traditional nutraceutical use, which often occurs outside clinical oversight, this collaboration embeds the therapy within a provider-coordinated pathway.

Beth Houck, CEO of SonarMD, explained that the partnership represents “an opportunity to provide patients with access to clinically-validated alternatives for their chronic disease.” By leveraging the platform’s continuous monitoring capabilities, providers can track patients’ progress, enhance medication adherence, and potentially reduce the need for costly emergency or inpatient interventions.

Nir Salomon, Co-Founder of Evinature, emphasized the scientific angle: “This collaboration exemplifies our mission to bridge scientific rigor with real-world healthcare delivery. Integrating CurQD into patients’ care pathway allows us to examine how clinically studied nutritional interventions can contribute to improved patient experience and value for providers and payers.”

A Pilot Designed to Generate Actionable Insights

The pilot, launching in early 2026, will enroll eligible patients treated by SonarMD’s partner gastroenterologists. As patients follow the CurQD protocol within the coordinated care framework, SonarMD will collect real-world data on several key metrics:

  • Patient well-being and satisfaction
  • Treatment adherence
  • Reduction in avoidable utilization of high-cost care settings

The data collected could provide insights into how nutritional interventions, when guided by clinical evidence and real-time digital support, influence outcomes and healthcare costs. By integrating CurQD into a structured care model, the initiative aims to quantify benefits that have often been anecdotal in the nutraceutical space.

Implications for Value-Based Gastroenterology

Healthcare is increasingly moving toward value-based reimbursement models, where improved patient outcomes and cost efficiency are paramount. SonarMD’s platform already supports these objectives by proactively managing chronic GI conditions and improving provider-payer communication. Integrating a research-backed nutraceutical like CurQD may help extend these benefits, offering a complementary tool for clinicians and payers seeking measurable improvements in care.

If successful, the pilot could inform broader adoption across payer networks and integrated delivery systems, establishing a blueprint for how scientifically validated nutritional interventions can fit into mainstream care pathways.

Toward Smarter, More Integrated IBD Care

The collaboration between Evinature and SonarMD highlights a subtle yet important shift in IBD management: combining technology and evidence-based interventions to improve patient outcomes. By embedding a clinically supported nutraceutical into a digital care pathway, the pilot demonstrates a new model for chronic disease management, one that emphasizes prevention, adherence, and measurable value.

As healthcare systems continue to navigate rising costs and complex patient needs, initiatives like this may define the next generation of integrated, patient-centric care.

Disclaimer: The information presented in this article is intended for general informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice. While the discussed collaboration between Evinature and SonarMD aims to explore new approaches to IBD management, the results of the pilot program and the effectiveness of the interventions described may vary among individuals. Patients are encouraged to consult with their healthcare providers before making any changes to their treatment plans or incorporating new therapies.

Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor: Reimagining Learning Through Play, Storytelling, and Wonder

Women's Journal Staff on November 28, 2025

By: Yery Montgomery

In an era where standardized testing dominates the educational landscape, Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor stands as a powerful reminder that learning is, at its core, a joyful, human experience. As a speaker, podcast host, consultant, educator, and CEO of Dr. Diane’s Adventures in Learning, she champions a simple yet transformative truth: “Play is serious business.”

Her mission is built on decades of experience across classrooms, museums, libraries, teacher trainings, and leadership development. But her philosophy began long before her professional career—rooted in her own childhood.

“I was a free-range child from another time,” she reflects, recalling days filled with nature walks, books, imaginary worlds, and dramatic play in a garage that doubled as a stage. Those early experiences laid the foundation for her life’s work. “That foundation of wonder, curiosity, connection, and play carried over into my work with children—and adults—in all kinds of settings.”

Today, her work is a vibrant affirmation that learning thrives when curiosity is nurtured, when creativity is celebrated, and when education honors the whole human—not just the test score.

The Power of Play in a Test-Driven World

Educators everywhere feel the pressure of standardized outcomes. Yet Dr. Diane argues that creativity and play are not only compatible with academic rigor—they enhance it.

“What I know in my bones—and the research bears this out—is that we learn better when we approach it through playful inquiry, engagement, and collaboration,” she explains. While standardized outcomes may always exist, she sees them as only part of the learning picture.

Her priority is bigger: nurturing human beings who can think critically, collaborate meaningfully, solve problems, and approach challenges with curiosity and resilience. These qualities, she believes, are best cultivated through play, exploration, and inquiry—not rigid adherence to a script.

Storytelling as a Doorway to STEM and STEAM

One of the hallmarks of Dr. Diane’s approach is her use of multicultural picture books to deepen engagement in STEM and STEAM education. For her, storytelling is not a “break” from science—it’s the gateway to deeper understanding.

“Multicultural and narrative nonfiction picture books allow children to see possibilities—in themselves and in others,” she says. These books open doors to new worlds while also reflecting students’ own identities back to them, creating both connection and curiosity.

When she pairs a picture book with a STEM challenge, the story becomes the spark that ignites learning:

  • It builds shared experience.
  • It nurtures empathy and imagination.
  • It sets the stage for exploration, investigation, and play.

The benefits extend far beyond science and engineering. Integrating picture books into learning enhances vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, and communication—while also making the classroom a more joyful, inclusive, and culturally responsive space.

“Teaching and learning should be FUN,” she emphasizes. Her approach ensures it is.

A Podcast That Expands What Education Can Be

With more than 150 podcast episodes and guests from across the worlds of education, science, literature, conservation, and the arts, Dr. Diane’s Adventures in Learning has grown into a thriving hub of inspiration.

Her background in communications, political science, and theatre comes full circle on the show. “With each episode, I learn something,” she shares. “Our stories are so important—sharing those stories, building those connections, activates our empathy… It brings out the best, most creative aspects of our humanity.”

She credits countless guests with shaping her thinking: Beth Skelton on multilingual learning; Amari Shields and Dr. Crystal Campbell on play-based inquiry; Dr. Annalies Corbin on innovation; Steve Spangler on engagement and hands-on science. Authors, illustrators, conservationists, activists, teachers, and librarians have all helped expand her vision—and that of her listeners.

Each conversation, she says, opens the world to new possibilities.

Where Curiosity and Joy Flourish

Across every educational setting she has worked in, Dr. Diane has noticed common traits in environments where curiosity and joy thrive. These ecosystems share:

  • Opportunities to connect to nature, other people, and the world through play.
  • Freedom to follow rabbit holes and deep dives.
  • Flexibility to pause the agenda when curiosity takes over.
  • Trust in teachers to improvise and respond to learners’ interests.

She believes real learning happens when educators are empowered—not micromanaged.

“Education is a journey, not a sprint,” she says. For schools to truly cultivate curiosity, they must allow teachers time to know their students deeply, honor creativity, and integrate real-world problem solving and collaboration.

Play is essential. So is empathy. And trust. These elements create the kind of learning atmosphere where students—and teachers—feel alive with possibility.

Leading With Play: A Blueprint for Transformative Schools

Through her leadership training and professional development work, Dr. Diane encourages educators and administrators to embrace a concept she calls “leading with play.”

Playful leadership, she explains, means letting go of the need to control every outcome. It means becoming a guide, a facilitator, an observer—someone who sets the stage for exploration rather than delivering the script.

“When you lead with play, you create opportunities for hands-on learning, for collaboration, for creativity,” she says. “You build a culture of trust and respect.”

Playful leaders:

  • Observe, wonder, and scaffold.
  • Design rich, exploratory environments.
  • Encourage brainstorming and experimentation.
  • Allow room for failure and revision.
  • Honor the strengths and perspectives of every person on the team.

The result is a school culture where students, teachers, and teams feel valued—and learning becomes a shared journey, not a checklist.

A Champion for Wonder in Every Classroom

Dr. Diane Jackson Schnoor’s work invites us to rethink what learning can be when we make room for joy. Through play, storytelling, curiosity, and human connection, she reminds us that the heart of education is wonder—and that every child, every teacher, and every leader deserves the chance to experience it.

Links:

Subscribe to the Adventures in Learning podcast: https://adventuresinlearningpodcast.buzzsprout.com

Follow Dr. Diane’s Adventures in Learning @drdianeadventures on Instagram, LinkedIn.

Subscribe to the Adventures in Learning webpage and blog: https://www.drdianeadventures.com/blog