Welcome back to Spotlight hustle, where we spotlight Black women turning personal transformation into collective healing.
Today’s story belongs to Susan Hollywood, a holistic health coach who is redefining what wellness means for Black women — not as a luxury, but as a birthright.
Her journey began in Wolverhampton, shaped by humble beginnings, unwavering faith, and an unshakable belief that healing begins from within.
From Wolverhampton to Wellness
Susan’s story starts in Wolverhampton, where love and lack existed side by side.
Her mother sewed her skirts by hand. Her father told her she could do anything she set her mind to. Between the two, she learned resilience — the kind that doesn’t come from comfort but from determination.
“We didn’t have much,” she recalls. “But knowing we were poor gave me the drive to want more — not just for myself, but for the life I’d one day build.”
Her childhood wasn’t defined by excess, but by an invisible abundance — faith, humor, and the quiet power of self-belief.
Finding Purpose Through Healing
Susan always knew she wanted to work for herself. But it wasn’t until she became a mother that her ambition deepened into calling.
“I didn’t just want to work,” she says. “I wanted to serve.”
Her calling took shape through her own health battles — a five-year journey that tested her physically, emotionally, and spiritually. From 2017 to 2022, she faced challenges that forced her to slow down and listen to her body’s wisdom.
That journey birthed her career as a certified holistic health coach, officially launched in 2023.
Her focus? Supporting Black women in their perimenopause years, a stage often dismissed or misunderstood.
“I realized I was entering a transition no one had prepared me for,” she shares. “And for Black women, that transition can be even more turbulent because of stress, silence, and inherited health challenges.”
Through her practice, Susan blends compassionate listening with the use of plant essence remedies to address emotional imbalances — often the root cause of long-term physical symptoms.
Her approach is gentle yet transformative. “Even an initial consultation,” she says, “can shift a woman’s perspective on herself and her body.”
The Power of Listening
Susan’s superpower isn’t just her knowledge — it’s her intuition.
She has a rare ability to ask the right question at the right time, helping women uncover truths they didn’t know they were carrying.
“Timing is everything,” she says. “When the right question lands, it creates an awakening — an ‘A-ha’ moment that changes how you see yourself.”
This intuitive listening has become her signature style — part spiritual, part practical, and wholly human.
Resilience and Renewal
Her transition into holistic health wasn’t without obstacles. The biggest challenge she faces now, she says, is the mindset many Black women inherit — the belief that strength means endurance, not restoration.
“We’re conditioned to keep going, to hold everything together,” she explains. “But that kind of strength is costing us our health.”
To Susan, true empowerment starts with education and awareness — helping Black women reconnect with their bodies and release the guilt that comes with slowing down.
“What keeps me going,” she adds, “is knowing this work isn’t just a business. It’s a calling guided by divine purpose.”
Faith, Rest, and Reconnection
Susan’s mindset today is deeply spiritual. Her inspiration doesn’t come from hustle culture — it comes from stillness.
“I used to rely on personal development books,” she says. “Now, it’s divine guidance. The clearest insights come after rest, prayer, and reflection.”
Faith and relaxation aren’t opposites in her world — they’re partners. Together, they form the rhythm that moves her forward.
Representation that Heals
In a field still overwhelmingly white, Susan’s work is both necessary and pioneering.
“There are very few Black holistic practitioners,” she notes. “And even fewer who focus exclusively on Black women.”
Her work isn’t just about wellness — it’s about visibility. It directly addresses the gap in representation, aligning with the UK Equality Act 2010 by making inclusive, culturally aware care accessible.
Her presence sends a powerful message: Black women deserve holistic care designed for them, by someone who understands their lived experience.
A Day in Susan’s Life
Susan’s days flow between her professional and personal worlds — a balance she’s still learning to perfect.
On non-client days, she comes home from her day job, decompresses with her husband, and tends to her business tasks after a quiet dinner and time in front of the TV.
On client days, her mornings start intentionally — journaling, walking, and preparing her consultation space with care.
After sessions, she takes time to reflect and design personalised remedies for each woman she works with. And when the day ends, she grounds herself in prayer, walking, or simply silence.
“I’ve learned that quiet is sacred,” she says. “It’s where I find alignment.”
Why We Love Susan’s Story
Because she’s proof that healing is leadership.
Because she’s showing that holistic health isn’t a privilege — it’s protection.
Because she’s teaching Black women to treat their well-being as a form of generational wealth.
Looking Ahead
Susan dreams of a world where Black women thrive — not just survive.
Her long-term vision is to empower generations of women to live healthy, fulfilled lives through holistic practices that break intergenerational health disparities.
For now, her focus is on perfecting her service — one client, one conversation, one transformation at a time.
How to support her:
- Spread the word about her work.
- Refer friends, family, or colleagues who could benefit.
- Share her message — that Black women deserve to rest, heal, and rise.
Rapid Fire Round (Fun + Real)
- Coffee or tea? Herbal tea.
- Morning person or night owl? Morning.
- One word for this season? Golden.
- Book you love right now? Black Rednecks & White Liberals.
- Mantra you live by? My own affirmations.
- Favorite activity? Walking — it clears the mind and opens the heart.
Final Word
Susan Hollywood isn’t just teaching women to heal — she’s teaching them to come home to themselves.
Her story is a gentle reminder that wellness isn’t found in doing more, but in being more present.
Through her work, she’s rewriting the narrative for Black women — one that replaces exhaustion with restoration, and survival with serenity.
Because for Susan, healing isn’t just personal — it’s revolutionary.
Join the Movement
The conversations didn’t end at the Summit. They’re shaping the future, and you’re part of it.
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