Susana’s Biography
At 19 years of age, Susana’s leadership and creative qualities were first noticed by industry professionals. She had worked her way up from being a TV set runner to producing and directing her first insert for “The Breakfast Club” on SABC3. After a short stint as a Creative Director’s assistant she was offered a position as Creative Director. Susana used this as opportunity to better equip herself and went on to study at AFDA, specializing in acting and directing. She graduated with her honours degree with honors in all her subjects. Head hunted while still studying, her first directing job was for an event honoring one of her heroes, Nelson Mandela.
Since then Susana has worked in almost every aspect of the creative industry, from make-up artistry to photography to acting, creative directing, producing, directing, theatre, production design and more, both on and off the camera. Some of her credits include acting on both stage and film in the international mini-series Diamonds to local appearances in films and TV series such as Jack Nimble, Bakgat 2, Isidingo, One Way and For Sale. She acted in and produced the feature films Night Drive and Irish co-production The Good Man, the films were released both locally and internationally. She also produced, Soccer South of the Umlilo, which was aired during the 2010 Soccer World Cup in South African NuMetro cinemas.
Susana also had her own successful radio show called “The Susana Kennedy Show” on 2oceansvibe radio geared at inspirion, motivation, celebration and innovation. She interviewed local and international personalities from human behavioral specialist Dr. John Demartini to rapper MC Hammer to motivational speaker Robin Banks and British entrepreneur Greg Secker. She also interviewed various South African musicians, sports personalities, entrepreneurs, comedians and film makers, all of them with a few things in common – a deep passion and the ability to inspire and transform people’s lives.
Susana’s drive to constantly be the best version of herself coupled with her passion to help others underlies all of her projects with a “pay it forward” aspect. She has worked on anti-poaching adverts, arranged collection of supplies for underprivileged communities, supported various woman empowerment organizations, and currently has two charity projects that she supports and feels very passionate about: Phakam community in Gugulethu, for which Susana is a board member, is a community project that aims to nourish, uplift and empower the Gugulethu community through its feeding schemes, educational programs, abuse support programs and upskilling programmes; the second charity is called “Sunshine Sanctuary and is a transformational rescue and rehabilitation center for animals in the Plettenberg Bay area.
During this time Susana has worked with other expert speaking in producing online courses and content and assisting them with their brand image, all in the name of assisting people in realizing their full potential and living better lives. Susana, believes that through all that she has experienced she has so much to share and is excited to continue on this ever evolving journey called life.
On the 5th of November 2016, Susana will finally launch her own course on “Love, Health & Happiness.” In this course Susana tells her story and shares her experience of what has assisted her in overcoming her three greatest challenges, self-love, healing the body, mind and soul and
Susana’s Healing Journey
In 2013 Susana fell extremely ill and was forced to stop working. After months of misdiagnoses and being put on the wrong medication she almost lost her life. In ICU for the second time that year, but this time with little to no hope. Susana found herself drifting in and out of consciousness. She was being kept alive by huge amounts of medical steroids, cortisone and comforted by morphine. After enduring almost every medical test and various intrusive biopsies she was finally correctly diagnosed with an extreme case of systemic lupus which was causing the seizures and near organ failure. As a last resort to save her life, doctors put Susana on a course of emergency chemotherapy. If it worked it could take up to 18 to 24 months to get her into remission.
With a deep belief that her life work was not yet done, Susana fought hard. She combined various methods and philosophies of healing techniques as well as diverse therapies and coupled everything with conventional medication and chemotherapy. This resulted in a holistic healing process that managed to get her into remission within just 6 months, baffling doctors and other medical professionals.
Susana has been exposed to verbal, physical and sexual abuse, her heart was shattered when she was divorced and ended a 14 years relationship, she experienced a miscarriage, has survived acute depression resulting in an attempted suicide and healed from near death, caused by a life threatening disease. Yet, today she is one of the happiest people you will every meet.
Susana is constantly being asked to share her story and reveal the steps and process she underwent to reclaim her life. For this reason coupled with her vow to the universe, that if she was able to live, that she would make it count, she feels compelled to do what is constantly asked of her and finally tell her tale.
These recent events have created a catalyst that has assisted Susana in realizing her life’s purpose, she deeply believes that she is still alive so that she can make a difference in people’s lives by helping them overcome her three greatest challenges and discover self-love, healing and happiness and by doing so, become the best version of themselves they can be.