About Susan

The Short Story…

Susan G Schroeder is a Creative Consultant, Marketing Advisor + Storyteller with over 20 years of experience using her creative and entrepreneurial instincts to bring high-quality, impactful products and services to market. Susan has extensive experience in ideation, tried-and-true marketing models, and the new digital strategies. She works closely with business owners and creatives as a thought-partner to help capture that spark and develop, launch, and amplify their work in fun and sustainable ways. 

The Professional Story…

With over 20 years of experience in product development, marketing, graphic design, branding, and publishing, Susan G Schroeder has spent her career using her creative and entrepreneurial instincts and background to bring high-quality products and services to market. A storyteller at heart, Susan’s professional experience started in the children’s publishing division at Chronicle Books. From there, she founded SGS Design Studio and continued to design and develop consumer products and brands for a wide range of clients. In 2007, starting with an idea and a prototype, Susan co-founded and launched the Kimochis educational brand across the globe—developing a Pre-K through 6th grade curriculum, a line of toys, series of picture books, and a toolkit for military families that was adopted by US Department of Defense schools. In 2017, Susan joined the leadership team for The Hivery Inspiration Lab + Coworking Space as the Marketing Director, developing The Hivery’s original Virtual Membership platform, creating a successful event sponsorship program, and launching The Hivery’s second location in San Francisco. Most recently, Susan founded SGS Workshop, a creative and marketing consultancy that coaches and supports entrepreneurs, non-profits, and creators through the processes of building, launching, and amplifying their work. Susan is well-versed in graphic design, marketing, product development, entrepreneurship, and turning an idea into reality. She has also had first-hand experience with brain injury, breast cancer, the cardiac ward, loss, and grief. As a result, Susan is resilient and empathetic, a compassionate listener and a natural encourager. She brings humor, and a knack for seeing the big picture—while simultaneously connecting-the-dots—to all of her work.

Susan graduated with High Honors from the University of California, Davis with a BS in Agricultural/Managerial Economics and a minor in English. She attended Rice University and University of California, Berkeley for publishing and graphic design course work. Susan lives in Northern California with her husband, two daughters, and two very large dogs.

Team Schroeder as captured during 2020 front porch photos with talented photographer friend, Kim Thompson Steel who was more than 6ft away. Moose is pictured with us and Bailey was just about to join our family. 

The Personal Story…

I’m a mom and a partner, a friend and sister, snowboarder, gardener, and dog-lover. I have two young adult daughters. I’ve seen my fair share of loss and grief. I know what it’s like when life falls apart and what it’s like to pick up the pieces and rebuild. I have had numerous personal health crises from brain surgery, to breast cancer, to time in the cardiac ward all while running a business and building a family. I’m a writer, designer, and art-lover. My first “published” story (from when I was about 6) was entitled Winnie-the-Pooh and Sue—an epic tale with a very abrupt California-inspired earthquake ending. Growing up, I spent hours upon hours cutting photos and words from magazines to create collage-art. I got 2nd place in an essay contest about the US Constitution and was an editor of my award-winning high school yearbook (that was graphic design in the early days, pasted layouts and handheld photo croppers). No one told me that yearbook could be a job. So, while I’d been writing, creating, and designing since I was a kid, I realized you could make that into a career much later than most of my peers, but just in time to apprentice for the talented Karyn Nelson who became my dear friend, side-by-side working mom partner, and graphic design mentor.

Married to my college sweetheart, I’ve been lucky to feel 19 years-old for a very long time. With him, I have been blessed to have the opportunity to create a family, play house, pretend we know how to be adults, go on adventures, and rely on each other through thick and thin. Islands in the Stream with Dolly and Kenny is my current theme song.

SGS Workshop is my way of sharing the culmination of my experiences with you. It’s a way to let you know that you’re not alone, your work matters, and building relationships and sharing your passion is really what marketing is all about.

What’s your theme song? Where has life’s journey taken you? Are you looking for a marketing plan, a new product, a new brand, a launch strategy, or a listening ear? I’m here for you. Let’s build something together!

Here’s our sweetie-girl, Bailey, also captured by Kim Thompson Steel. When Big Dog Rescue called and said, “We need a family we know who can handle a big dog…” they weren’t kidding. Remember, it’s not polite to comment on a lady’s weight.