Meet Susan S. Cavagnaro | Lawyer/Fashion Stylist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Susan S. Cavagnaro and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Susan, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
“Don’t pick a job with great vacation time. Pick one that doesn’t need escaping from.” Unknown

I am sure you have heard this one. Another that is unknown is “do what you love and it will Never feel Like work”.

I have had an interesting career. I have worked for myself the better part of twenty years. I am a lawyer that requested to be part time when I had children.

So I reoriented and pivoted so my compensation was based on my performance rather than salary which gave me ultimate flexibility. I started my career as a fashion stylist when my second baby was one year old. I had a career but an intellectual one. I have a creative side that I wanted to use. I feel
Like I knew instinctively I didn’t want to dread Monday and live for Friday.

I wanted to raise my children the way I was raised and that meant being present. Being your own boss means you can work smarter not harder. That “sculpting”
Of my career means that I don’t need to escape. I do what I love. And it never feels like work.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What sets me apart and what so many others do well when working in an entrepreneurial environment is to make what you do not about yourself—but about others. In my case, about my clients whether they are in my legal career or my fashion career. Any time I get nervous about “performing”… I regroup and make it about the client. All nerves, apprehension, or performance anxiety evaporate if you don’t make it about you. Any business (and everything in life) is about relationships. If you pour into people, you can never go wrong.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I just finishing renovating a home in Buckhead with my new husband. It’s an oasis for me. I designed it so any one who entered would be at ease. It’s on a very tract of land so it’s super private. When someone visits, the most important thing is to spend time with them. When I was younger and had visitors, there would be a booked itinerary. Now, with age, experience and a lot of meditation, I am much more comfortable living in the present and making it about the person who has taken the time to come spend time with me. We would hang out at home and cook. But, being a fashion stylist, I love all things “beautiful” whether it’s a dress or a butterfly. Or a smile at a restaurant I go to often. Atlanta is a big city but you can find places where the people make you feel like home. A few don’t misses for me would be:

Howells kitchen and Bar
Peros
Westside Market
Atlanta Botanical Garden
Platesculpt exercise studio
Streets of Buckhead
Marietta Square
Bobby Jones Golf Course
Any small business like Boxwoods, Rebecca, the Blake, Lucy’s market

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
This story is dedicated to my mother Sally who passed away 9 years ago and my daughter who is named for her. Life doesn’t come with an instruction manual. It comes with a mother. Everything I do is to reflect the values she instilled in me and pass them On to my Sally.

Other: Susan Cavagnaro 404-664-8806