Your Name: Suzi Freeman

Age: 50

Business Name: Teen Warrior Academy & Luxe Family Retreats

Town: Gilbert

Hours of operation: Varies

Personal background highlights: 

• Arizona Native
• Mother of five, including a military mom, police officer mom and twins mom
• Grandmother of two
• Held the title of Ms. Arizona Elite for 2022 & 2023 
• Husky Mom
• Proud women business owner
• Real Estate Investor (multi-family properties and single family)

Professional background highlights:

• Founder of the Teen Warrior Academy & Luxe Family Retreats
• Teen Mentor 
• Certified Neuro-Linguistics Master Practitioner
• Certified Master Life and Success Coach
• Certified as a TIME Techniques Practitioner
• President of the National Association of Women Business Owners Phoenix Chapter (NAWBO)
• Certified as a QPR Instructor (Suicide & Recognition Prevention Training)
• Certified over 300 students, teachers, professors, doctors, and families in QPR

What I do:  I specialize in mentoring and coaching teens and their parents. I am focused on mental and emotional wellness, which includes teaching skills and techniques to help teens and tweens reduce stress and anxiety and avoid depressed feelings and suicidal ideation. We work together to help families build a strong bond while discovering and recognizing individual and family values.

We offer programs that start with Executive Functions, stress management, and specific modalities such as sound healing, journaling, meditation, and more.

What I like most about doing business is helping teens and tweens grow and develop skills that will serve them throughout life. We never know when we will encounter something, trauma, undue stress, and more. Knowing that these teens and tweens learn to recognize, reduce, and carry on most calmly is a joy.

Changes I’d like to see in this area: I would love to see schools and parents implement more lessons and time around kids learning and perfecting executive skills, stress management, self-care skills, and more.

What I am promoting: The Teen Warrior Academy 12-week programs and mentorship circles/pods.

What I’m excited about and why: I am excited about opening a physical location that will give teens and tweens a place to go to seek relief from the daily grind, learn skills, talk with a mentor or a coach, and receive the help/advice they need to conquer the everyday stress that comes at them.

Favorite community cause and why: I recently met the Compassion Alliance founders. I love how they offer a program that gives first responders access to mental health care; being a Mom of a police officer, this hits so close to my heart, and I am grateful for this organization.

When I started my business/employment here: I started my business in this field in 2017

Where was before and why I left: I was a stay-at-home mom with my twin daughters.

My family: 29-year-old daughter and son-in-law; they have two kids, a grandaughter, 3, and a grandson, 1. My 27-year-old son is in the Navy but is attached to the Marines as a corpsman and an instructor at the Marine Mountain Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport, California. My 25-year-old son graduated from ASU in 2021 and then joined Tempe Police; he has been an officer for more than three years. I have twin 12-year-old daughters and a husky named Shadow.

My interests and hobbies: I love to travel. I prefer the lake and mountains over the beach. I also love to paddleboard and ride roller coasters. I like experiences over material things.

People who inspire me (and how): My kids inspire me the most. I watch them make unwavering choices in career and life for paths that make them happy rather than chasing a job for the money.

My guiding philosophy: “Empowerment through elf-Responsibility & Growth.”

My advice to today’s youth is to stay positive. Tomorrow is a new day. Remove the victim mentality and try to find a new way to look at every opportunity. Ask for help! Take chances, and be kind to everyone! 

What led me to start this business: I started in 2017 when my son entered the military. I began to see how many people in the military were suffering from depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation, not to mention attempting and dying by suicide. I also knew that my younger son was going to become a police officer soon, so I needed to be ready as a mom with an understanding of mental health, suicide signs, symptoms, etc. I started to learn, got certified, did more and more research, and through many different journeys, personal growth, and more, I realized that the reason so many young people get to a suicide ideation point is that they are not taught skills, awareness, techniques and they are not introduced to different self-healing modalities. I soon realized if we can teach them young, they will never get to that point of hopelessness. This began my journey to education, certifications, and more so that I could be a beacon of hope to these teens/tweens and my own family.

Why I chose to start this business: I want to give back to society and share my gifts, talents, and knowledge. There is a desperate need in our community for this type of education and training. I want to create a small beacon of hope for teens and tweens who will accept it. 

How my business supports the community: My business helps teens and tweens be better humans, thus creating better harmony in their homes, schools, and communities. I also give back by donating suicide prevention signs to schools and hosting free workshops to teach teens and tweens about mental and emotional wellness, suicide prevention, and more.