An Interview With Chad Silverstein
The psychology and other curriculum are often advanced by subjective consensus, as in the case of marital therapy, which emphasizes a self-centric love rather than a selfless love. Psychology’s frame of reference for marital therapy curricula emphasizes the self, as evidenced by “I”-statements, boundaries, and expectations in relationships. However, it’s selfless, unconditional love that comes closer to the agape love in Christian religions, a love also noted under various terminologies for different religious traditions. This selfless, unconditional love, based on expectations not of others, but of self, to love unconditionally, will herald real progress in marital dynamics.
We are starting a new interview series about the world of entrepreneurship beyond the classroom — a realm where theory meets grit, and education meets real-world challenges. We want to hear about critical business wisdom that often goes unspoken in academic settings. I had the honor of interviewing Susanne Cardwell.
Susanne Cardwell is an idealist and visionary, a holder of a Master of Arts in Communications Studies and a Marketing and Sales Director at an engineering firm. One of her key drivers is the creation of a documentary film that advocates for the inclusion of theories and methodologies in higher education that emphasize unconditional love for all as opposed to the victim/oppressor ideology that prevails. Her view is that an ideological positioning based on love for all will eventually be as normalized as the once controversial perspective that washing hands prevents the spread of bacteria and disease.
Thanks for being part of this series. Let’s jump in and focus on your early years. Can you share who was your biggest influence when you were young and provide specific examples of what you learned from them that helped shape who you’ve become and how you live your life today?
As a young child, I had a beautiful, athletic, spiritual, intelligent friend who had an equally remarkable mother. This friend encouraged my participation in sports, and her mother encouraged my spiritual development. When I slept over at my dear friend’s home, her parents would gather my friend and me in the living room, fuel us with hot cocoa, homemade whole-wheat cookies, or curds, and ask us our views on life, God, school, or whatever entered our minds. I felt wholly heard and loved in those moments and began studying the Bible and attending Church with this cherished family. This family created the conditions for a later mentor who is now my dear love, who showed me the beautiful power of spirituality from Christian, Buddhist, and Hindu perspectives and strengthened me through physical training. His wisdom, which he continues to document in books, amazes me to this day, and my childhood friend’s mother continues to be a very dear friend.
Staying on the topic of influence, who has been your biggest catalyst more recently and what can you share that you’ve learned from them that led you to making changes in your life?
Paul Friedman of The Marriage Foundation, a maverick with original ideas, brought his philosophy on unconditional love to marriage and relationships. When I encountered his philosophy, I enrolled in every one of his courses, watched his YouTube videos, purchased both of his books and am now training to be a marital counselor through the unconventional The Marriage Foundation. His principles are the first I have ever encountered to truly capture a practical philosophy and system for selfless, unconditional love. This has shifted my worldview a thousandfold, and I see the merit in applying the wisdom to various domains of life. Another friend had four near-death experiences, where she visited heaven four times temporarily before being resuscitated. The exposure to such accounts, which cross ethnicities, genders, and ages of all people who experience the afterlife temporarily, confirms in my mind that God exists whether He be Christ, Allah, Buddha, or simply “love.”
In this interview series, we aim to reveal what seasoned entrepreneurs wish they had known when they were starting out and capture what the textbooks and college professors left out.
Mistakes are invaluable. Can you name one specific mistake that you made early on, and learned the most from, but wish you’d been forewarned about?
I learned that ego is not a productive thing to fuel. When my math performance skyrocketed to the top of the class, I harbored ego, a quest to do magnificent research, imagining the possibilities of winning a Nobel prize like John Nash did. However, ego is counterproductive. It works against us as it is self-focused. The real merit of spirit is in selflessness, service, helping others, and, most importantly, unconditionally loving others. Those are true indicators of success.
Is there a leadership myth you believed early on that you’ve since debunked through your real-world experience?
I learned that leadership should not be dictatorial, swayed by funding rather than the common good, nor earned by appearances rather than substance. Leadership needs to generate the most benefits, greatest wealth, and optimal love for everyone, as everyone is truly a stakeholder, including strangers we have never met.
What’s the key operational insight you’ve gained since running your business that was never mentioned in any classroom?
Customers are a top priority, and everyone is a customer, from stakeholders to clients to management to colleagues and employees. This definition extends to everyone we might encounter. Everyone is a top priority in the grand scheme of life. When we engage in self-interest, we are doomed to fail. When we engage in contributing to the benefit and welfare of others, we are destined to succeed.
Did college prepare you for scaling a business? What specifically was missing?
University prepared me in ways I didn’t anticipate or realize at first. It gave me a deep sense of philosophical reflection and the ability to learn. It taught me high standards, work ethic, and resilience. It also taught me what was missing in higher education and, subsequently, in some business practices: the spiritual. And the spiritual doesn’t need to be defined by any particular religion. However, each religion holds a piece of the mosaic, according to my dear friend who had multiple near-death experiences — instead, the spiritual needs to be defined simply as unconditional love for everyone. And the more that philosophy of unconditional love for everyone gets entrenched into theory, methodologies, and research, the more it necessarily becomes depoliticized. That means campuses don’t harbor antisemitic climates or any other negative sentiment. This statement demonstrates the present state of politicization of universities: the us versus them theories of oppression and victimization. However, the depoliticization of universities through a more profound wisdom entrenched in the philosophy of unconditional love for all is aimed at universities flourishing in the name of unity, a higher value, which in its ideal state is removed from bias. And ideal states must always be the objective of optimal progress.
Any unexpected challenges in team dynamics that your academic experience didn’t prepare you for? How did you handle it?
Team members moved on to different pastures, and I discovered how each one of those team members is a miracle, a reason for celebration, as they each bring in a new perspective, unique talents, and soul that goes on for all eternity. It’s vital to appreciate and love people, celebrating their strength and cherishing the legacies they left. Every person, without exception, is truly magnificent, and that is what I’ve come to understand about everybody I meet. And I adore my customers to no end, so I choose to see everyone as my customers. Love is the cornerstone to true success in every domain.
Have you had to unlearn any widely-accepted business ‘wisdom’ in your journey? What was it and how did it affect your strategy?
I learned in a book that avoiding doling criticism in the workplace is essential to effective leadership. However, the same book seemed to contradict its standpoint, although I can’t recall the details. It seems like business and war are naturally infused with conflict, and yes, this occurs in all domains of life. However, a passion and goal of mine is to one day discover how business can be completely devoid of criticism yet highly productive, infused with meaning, harmony, and love, similar to the model of unconditional love I wish to advance in higher education.
What’s your advice for new entrepreneurs? What are your “5 Things You Won’t Learn in College But Must Know to Succeed in Business”?
1. The psychology and other curriculum are often advanced by subjective consensus, as in the case of marital therapy, which emphasizes a self-centric love rather than a selfless love. Psychology’s frame of reference for marital therapy curricula emphasizes the self, as evidenced by “I”-statements, boundaries, and expectations in relationships. However, it’s selfless, unconditional love that comes closer to the agape love in Christian religions, a love also noted under various terminologies for different religious traditions. This selfless, unconditional love, based on expectations not of others, but of self, to love unconditionally, will herald real progress in marital dynamics. This selfless perspective, sourced in the teaching of Paul Friedman of The Marriage Foundation, has far-reaching implications for business, as cooperation and selflessness (as in the “servant leader”) are often lauded as primary drivers of successful leadership.
2. The “us versus them” or “victim versus oppressor” dichotomies prevail in many of the qualitative disciplines in higher education, such as Communications Studies and Feminist Studies. Historically, suggesting that handwashing safeguards against the spread of bacteria and disease was viewed with radical opposition but has today become normalized knowledge. Similarly, it’s not commonly accepted that an “unconditional love for all” ideological underpinning is far superior to a “victim versus oppressor” foundation. However, “unconditional love for all” is a more advanced standpoint, as it celebrates unity, harmony, and cooperation. “Love for everyone” leads to more peaceful outcomes, rather than violent global riots politicized by the biases and allegiances of megadonors who, whether unwittingly or not, may severely harm a population sector. An “Unconditional love for all” paradigm in academic research could lead to more stable socio-economic outcomes for business and the general welfare of all. This unconditional love for all paradigms I am referencing could be attributed to a highly unconventional practical approach to marital therapy created by the Jewish Paul Friedman, founder of The Marriage Foundation.
3. Higher education’s acceptance of funding from nonlocal agents, monopolistic corporations, government agencies, or billionaires may superimpose bias that can impact the curriculum. For instance, bias favoring industry or a particular cultural group can lead to unacceptable externalities such as antisemitism or censorship of contradictory evidence. For instance, the rise of autoimmune diseases is met with a need for more knowledge on dietary and lifestyle solutions in medical curricula. The supremacy of pharmaceuticals may crowd out lifestyle therapy curricula, which is problematic, given that lifestyle may hold the most critical path to addressing such conditions. I believe an emphasis on “unconditional love for all” in future theory and methodology building in higher education, informed by the teachings of Paul Friedman of The Marriage Foundation, would proliferate into many other domains of life, including corporate operations.
4. Any idea or construct can be looked at from infinitely different angles. For instance, religion can be perceived as a guiding compass by Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, etcetera. Or religion can be viewed by an infinite number of negative connotations. My point is that there is an ideal perception for anything. It is simply one embedded in love for all. I believe love for all is the purpose of life. Paul Friedman of The Marriage Foundation proposes that humans are souls, where souls are essentially “pure love,” a view corroborated by people who undergo near-death experiences where they temporarily die, experience heaven (or hell) and are resuscitated. In the heaven state, they become pure, unconditional love — their highest selves. That is why we must love all, for each of our journeys, however troubling or magnificent, is part of our journey toward wisdom. That wisdom arises when we learn to love all unconditionally. Life is not nasty, brutish, and short, and people are not innately evil. I propose a new view that sees people, in the tradition of Paul Friedman’s philosophy, as comprised of pure, unconditional love. The view that we are here to selflessly and unconditionally love one another will become as normalized in academia as the view that washing our hands prevents the spread of bacteria. Love for all is the underlying ideological principle that needs to prevail in higher education.
5. The spiritual must be infused in education, defined as “unconditional love for all” rather than framed from any singular religious dogma. However, all religions hold a piece of the mosaic, according to my friend who had four near-death experiences where she experienced the afterlife. It may seem like a pipedream to create a theory or methodology based on unconditional love for all. However, it is just as challenging a task to develop a method or theory based on a “victim” versus “oppressor” dichotomy, perhaps more so, as the conscience may feel violated in formulating an enemy in an “oppressor.” No one is the enemy. There are no such things as enemies in a world governed by love, according to people who experience near-death experiences. Again, Paul Friedman’s philosophy on unconditional love in marriage — a practical philosophy — can be a foundation for building theories and methodologies in higher education. Even in the sciences, quantum physics is opening the door for explanations of anomalous events, such as near-death experiences, where the consciousness leaves the body. This is studied extensively in cardiologist Dr. Pim van Lommel’s book Consciousness Beyond Life. The anomalies, he expresses, should not be side-railed in scientific research, even the ones tied to spiritual conclusions, as science aims to explain phenomena, not brush away things for which there is no scientific materialist explanation. However, developing and introducing unconventional theory in higher education requires persistence and a massive spine, mainly because the disciplines demand adherence to precedent and existing theory, and anything off the “tried-and-apparently-true” path may not be tolerated. However, interdisciplinary studies or philosophy may be a route to introducing new theories. Introducing a new theory premised on more unifying principles, such as unconditional love for all, has implications for the development of all domains of life, including business theory and practice.
How do you ensure your team not just understands but embodies your business principles? Any techniques you wish you’d known earlier?
I have been exposed to an approach to conflict resolution in business, and I’ve adapted it as follows: when team members have conflict, ask them to write out ten things they could have done or could do in the future to optimize interpersonal harmony. Each item must hold 100% accountability for the individual’s role without assigning blame or expectations of the other. This model rings true because we can only change ourselves and not others. Each item that does not meet this criteria of 100% accountability will be deleted and readdressed. Then, the team members would be required to hug (if appropriate) in line with the teachings of Executive Coach Dan Foxx in his audiobook Confessions from the Heart of an Executive Coach: True Stories Behind Closed Doors: Why Some CEOs Win Big, While Others Crash and Burn. Also, in line with Dan’s perspective, these team members will be paired for future projects and travel. They will be required to hug upon every meeting if appropriate. This would not be easy in the online setting, so these champions would be required to tell one another with sincerity that they care about one another while listing at least three positive traits they genuinely like or admire in the other person. Each meeting will require an additional three traits.
If we were sitting together two years from now, looking back at the past 24 months, what specifically has to happen for you personally and professionally, for you to be happy with your results?
I aim to establish a leadership role where I optimize the performance and well-being of my employees in a deeply loving, respectful manner. This may mean offering Fridays as a day where they can individually learn new, relevant skills, develop proposals for new projects, create something beneficial to the company objectives, strategize, experiment, plan, or continue to work as usual or do any combination of these activities. The only requirement would be that the employees document a description, screenshot, status, and potential benefits, ideally every hour or two, as a frame of reference for the team. Building in time for planning, strategizing, project development, and self-development empowers team members to contribute in ways that heighten satisfaction. Plus, team members may develop synergy by examining other members’ activities, ideally driving innovation.
Looking back over the last two years, what key accomplishments make you satisfied with your progress?
I am very proud of the loyalty, discipline, and dedication I demonstrated to my employer. When we leave this world, I believe we have a “life review,” a phenomenon common to near-death experiences. In this life review, we feel the suffering and joy we created for others and our actions’ chain reactions on many others. I want to ensure that what I produce for others is something I’d like to experience should I undergo a “life review.
As someone with significant influence, what’s the one change you’d like to inspire that would benefit the most people?
I’m on a mission to create a documentary film that captures the need for ideological reform in higher education. This reform includes theories and methodologies based on unconditional love for all instead of the victim versus oppressor model that prevails. The documentary film will also include investigations of anomalous experiences, such as near-death experiences, where the consciousness is removed from the body as it ascends to another realm. This investigation of consciousness has been researched in a large longitudinal study by a cardiologist, who I’ve approached to be one of my interview subjects.
As a final statement, and perhaps the most critical statement I could ever express is as follows: According to numerous near-death experiences accounts I’ve studied across cultures and ages, there are two clear messages. One is that the purpose of life is to love. The other is that the reason we exist is to learn. Those messages need to be the overarching vision statement of life and, at minimum, higher education. We are here to learn and to love. What has become of universities is far removed from these goals, but your consciousness reading this has just now shifted the status quo to something greater, something potentially unifying and profoundly inspiring. You have now become, whether consciously or not, an agent of reform.
How can our readers keep up with your work?
Please connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin/in/susannecardwell.
Thank you so much for joining us! We wish you only success.
About the Interviewer: Chad Silverstein, a seasoned entrepreneur with over two decades of experience as the Founder and CEO of multiple companies. He launched Choice Recovery, Inc., a healthcare collection agency, while going to The Ohio State University, His team earned national recognition, twice being ranked as the #1 business to work for in Central Ohio. In 2018, Chad launched [re]start, a career development platform connecting thousands of individuals in collections with meaningful employment opportunities, He sold Choice Recovery on his 25th anniversary and in 2023, sold the majority interest in [re]start so he can focus his transition to Built to Lead as an Executive Leadership Coach. Learn more at www.chadsilverstein.com
Marketing & Sales Director Susanne Cardwell On 5 Things They Forgot To Mention In College was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.