We had the good fortune of connecting with Sue McCafferty and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sue, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Balance is a funny concept as it can mean different things to different people. As a yogi, working on my yoga mat I have learned many lessons from balancing on one foot, on hands, head or forearms. Balance on the mat is also about working and stretching opposing muscles to develop equilibrium throughout the entire physical body. Balance on the mat can also be attained by moving and flowing to total quiet and stillness combining all of these elements have been so meaningful to me off the mat in pacing my life to a happier and healthier cadence. Over time my priorities have changed from being focused on my work and everything else falling very far behind to recognizing that true success and satisfaction come from having a healthy balance in all the areas that are important to me. Through the training of quiet reflexion and meditation I have reprioritized those areas to include not only my work, but my spirituality, my family and friends, my health both physical and mental. While recognizing that at times one may need to fall out of balance periodically, in order to obtain more balance in the future, it cannot be sacrificed long term. Exactly like a yoga practice must be customized along the way to fit the needs of our bodies as they change, in order to achieve our goals and to succeed it is necessary at times to push, to put in the hours and make sacrifices for a “time” recognizing that one must celebrate the victories and learn from the defeats as one regroups and restores the necessary balance before moving on. As I have become more “grown up” I now strive to have more balance using wisdom from the lessons learned along the way, and have come to realize that in doing so there is a much smoother happier rhythm of life in general. As I balance my life I am happier, healthier and show up ready to serve my fellow man much more effectively.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I am truly blessed to have the opportunity to share my passion of leading people to a healthier life style through movement on the mat with yoga and Pilates! My business takes me from working in the studio, in my client’s home as well as providing one on one and one to many through various virtual platforms including the vast amount of content I create on YouTube. I love to not only provide my clients with a practice that meets their individual needs but I also enjoy taking an educational approach with my clients and subscribers in order to empower them with knowledge they can build on to maintain their motivation and reason “why” to stay active for life.
I am very excited about how this direction for my life has served me not only to succeed in this business but I have tremendously benefited from all that I have learned on my own health and fitness journey to experience a quality of life full of energy and vitality.
The road to getting to this point has been filled with stepping stones that have led me to place one foot in front of the other and each step presenting a bigger step with more challenge with also more opportunity. Gradually I worked from doing a free audition class to being on the regular teaching roster fifteen years ago and quickly building from there. For me it was an easy step by step progression because I learned more the more I had to share and wanted to share with others. This is what inspired me to capture my knowledge and compile it in a large collection of videos available on my channel on YouTube. Through the YouTube platform I want to convey to everyone that there is a form of movement, a reason “why” that is specific to their needs.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The local spots for me take us to the nation’s Capital City Ottawa Canada. This wonderful location is known for its; vast range of museums, international music festivals, its record-breaking ice skating rink, and its beautiful nature. This beautiful city is also known for its bilingual character, its courteous citizens, its internationally influenced cuisine, and a hunger for beaver tails, a local baked delicacy.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My success in life and career has been influenced by so many people, from those who kindly mentored and guided as well as those inspired me to be my very best. Early on the trust and confidence others had in my abilities when I lacked it, was truly the wind beneath my wings which enabled me to take flight. I owe so much to my husband Alan McCafferty who is a very driven and a successful entrepreneur himself as he encouraged me to take risks and to think outside the box when it comes to maximizing my skills and making the most of opportunities as they present themselves. Our lovely daughter Alisha McCafferty deserves much credit as she also works actively in supporting me and my ongoing journey.

Website: https://bendnstretchwithsu.wixsite.com/website?fbclid=IwAR3Xdercpqvi6Pijm8Xu-nnuI0wngh4SxxpjzVTRzQi9hJIqm8olaHWPbMc

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bendnstretchwithsue/

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