Susan Elford Coach & Consultant

10/16/2026

First it was: "You don't have enough experience."

Then it was: "Are you planning to have children?"

And now it's: "So… when do you think you'll retire?"

If you're a woman in your 40s, 50s or beyond, you may recognize this pattern. The assumptions never really stopped, they just evolved. What changed is the stage of life they're pointed at.

The bias isn't always obvious. Sometimes it's who gets passed over for development opportunities. Whose expertise gets quietly set aside. The assumption that because you've reached a certain age, you must be winding down.

You're not. And you don't have to let someone else's assumptions become your internal story.

The assumptions never stopped, they just evolved. I wrote about this in full on the blog this week, because it's a conversation worth having out loud.

🔗 Read the full post, link in bio.

10/16/2026

10/14/2026

Mark your calendar. ☕

Aligned Mornings is back, and I'd love to see you at the table.

Thursday, October 29 | 8:30 – 10:00am
Location TBA in Calgary

If you've never been, here's what to expect: a small group of women, a topic worth talking about, good food, and the kind of conversation you actually leave thinking about. Sometimes we're 8 around the table. Sometimes we're 3. Either way, the right people always show up, and you always leave with at least one new trusted connection.

No agenda. No awkward networking. Just real conversation in a setting that actually feels good to be in.

Save the date and drop a ☕ in the comments if you're in, I'll be in touch with details as we get closer.

Spots are limited and they go fast. DM me if you want to make sure you're on the list.

10/11/2026

It’s Canadian Thanksgiving! 🍂 Perhaps today you're prepping the turkey, setting your table, or enjoying a lovely walk in the fall colours like I did last week.

I will be enjoying a lovely treat this year - wait for it: I’m not cooking dinner! This is the first time in 20 years that I have been a guest at someone else's table for Thanksgiving. I’ll be a grateful guest at my brother-in-law’s who is doing the honours tomorrow. Woo hoo! Don’t get me wrong, I do love a beautiful gathering with delicious food around my dinner table, and the time it frees up for me over the weekend is coming at just the right time. I can be both, right? Grateful to have people to cook for and grateful to be a guest. 😉

What are you grateful for this year? 🎃🦃🍁

10/04/2026

Thinking about making a change? Before you do anything else, read this.

A career change can be the most energizing, aligned decision you ever make. But it can also be a very expensive way to avoid the real question. And the real question is almost never "what should I do next?" It's "who am I now, and what do I actually want?"

These five signs don't mean you shouldn't make a change. They mean clarity needs to come first. Because when you make decisions from a grounded, values-aligned place, the right path becomes a lot easier to see.

Head on over to the website to read more about this in my latest blog.
Save this one.
Share it with a friend who's in the middle of figuring it out.
And if you see yourself in more than two of these slides, let's talk. 👇

10/03/2026

Hey hey hey! It’s my Friday roundup! Lots of goodness in this week. Amazing film at the Calgary International Film Festival Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF) I saw WWW: The Women’s Group which was such a fantastic and local story about a real group of women in the Calgary community of Kensington. I highly recommend!

And today I hosted our Quarterly CEO Strategy Lab inside the Aligned Business Collective that I host. Everyone left inspired and motivated to tackle meaningful work that will move their business forward through until the end of the year.

How was your week? Share your highlights below! ⬇️

10/02/2026

We inherit more than we realize.

Work ethic. Values. Attitudes toward money and success. Beliefs about what makes a life worthwhile. Ideas about what ambition should look like, and whether it's okay to want something different.

Some of what we inherited serves us beautifully. And some of it stays with us long after it's stopped fitting.

As you think about what comes next in your career or business, it's worth asking: which beliefs are yours, and which ones were handed down?

10/01/2026

"Follow your passion" is good advice, but it's incomplete.

Passion without alignment leads to frustration. Purpose without strategy leads to burnout. But when you combine clarity, intention, and a business built around what you're actually here to do? That's when everything starts to feel different.

I'm sharing a free resource as part of the Profit Through Your Purpose Giveaway, a collection of tools and guidance designed to help you reconnect with your direction and build something that actually fits you.

If you've been quietly wondering whether there's more for you than this, there is. Come find out. Link in comments. 👇

09/30/2026

There's something powerful about knowing where you come from.

Not just in the literal sense, but in knowing the values you were raised with, the work ethic you inherited, the quiet lessons that shaped how you see success and what you believe you're capable of.

That foundation doesn't disappear when you reinvent yourself. It's actually where reinvention begins.
What's one belief you've inherited that has served you well, and one you're ready to let go of?

09/28/2026

You're not stuck. You're just out of alignment.

And here's the thing, no amount of strategy, planning, or pushing harder will fix that. If you've been feeling like something is "off" in your business or career, that's not failure. That's your purpose trying to get your attention.

When your work is rooted in what you're actually meant to do, the decisions get clearer, the clients feel right, and the business stops feeling like something you have to survive.

That's the shift. And it's available to you.

I'm part of the Profit Through Your Purpose Giveaway, and I'd love for you to join us. Grab the link in the comments to grab your free access. 🎁