Suzanne Saunders - Taking setbacks in stride and moving forward

The year 2017 was not the best of years for Suzanne Saunders, C&W Business regional account director, finance vertical. Although her customers and colleagues saw her smiling face as she carried out her work as an energetic, award-winning, strategic thinker who has a track record of building productive sales teams and engaging with C- Suite executives across the Caribbean and Latin America, Saunders was literally trying to hold it all together.

During the year 2017, in close ­succession, she had to deal with the death of several family ­members, including her mother and her aunt who, incidentally, died on the same day as her son’s father.

The ardent Christian credits her ability to weather the storm to her strong faith in the Lord.

“I think that in your faith you have to know that situations change, but God doesn’t change. We go from day to day always ­wondering if we will make it, but once you know the ‘WHY’ and ­believe, the faith that we have is what keeps us going,” she told Family and Religion.

It is a faith she wished she had a few years ago when she had to deal with two failed marriages which have now given her the ­insight to reach out to fellow women to be strong and not be afraid to ­recognise when a ­relationship is not working.

“A lot of marriages are not working and some women are too afraid to step out and so they stay and are abused or are totally unhappy,” Saunders shared.

Suzanne, who is mother to a 28-year-old university student, said she embraced Christ after the failed relationships, and for her it is a fulfilling walk.

LEAN ON GOD

“I have learnt to lean on God, my faith just gets stronger each day,” she said.

Looking back, she said it was not easy as a single mother ­juggling her job and taking care of her growing son, but is grateful for the input from her late mother and his father.

Her son, Dominic Brooks, aka Vyral, is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in recording arts and sound engineering at the Full Sail University in Orlando.

She accepts that music is his first love and said she is giving him all the support he needs as he charts his own path in the music industry.

“From high school (St George’s College) I knew he would be involved in music,” Saunders quipped, and as a mother, she is willing to give him all the support she can.

When it comes to her job, Saunders said being a Christian makes a big difference as she ­approaches it like “working for the Lord”.

“For me, I start my day with God. It has to be prayer and worship and putting my mindset where it should be … the best testimony you can give is living your faith,” she said.

A member of the Transformed Life Church, Suzanne spends a lot of her time being part of the Resource Committee, hosting Life Groups, and was part of a group of volunteer members from different backgrounds, who came together to find a dedicated space for the church and help to raise money towards the building fund.

“That committee and Transformed Life Church, along with my son, are what have kept me going through the struggles of life as they come day to day. God has kept me and I can truly say He is with me all the way,” she said.