Episode 26

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Published on:

1st Jan 2023

Susan Koenig S3E26

In this New Year’s Day conversation with coach, attorney, and end-of-life doula Susan Koenig, she talks about what she has learned from a life as one of eight children raised on the edges of poverty, experiencing the deaths of several people close to her, and the joy that can be found by being attentive to life. Koenig also shares how we might frame our aspirations for the year ahead in this season of reflection and resolutions.

The fifth of eight children and raised a Catholic, Susan Koenig grew up in Little Italy in Omaha. She is an executive coach, attorney, author, and certified end-of-life doula. As an attorney, Koenig is the founder of the divorce law firm, Koenig|Dunne. Her book, Divorce in Nebraska, has been replicated in over 30 states. Koenig’s brother Tim died of AIDS in 1994. Her late husband, John, received a cancer diagnosis with a prognosis of death in two and a half years. With no options for surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy, they embarked on a holistic healing journey of over a decade. Koenig shared her reflections in her TEDx Omaha talk, The Energy of Eulogy. Koenig has three grown children and makes her home in Little Bohemia with her partner, Kevin, and their two cats. Her word of the year for 2023: TRUE

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About the Podcast

Lives Radio Show & Podcast with Stuart Chittenden
Every Sunday at 9am on KIOS 91.5FM, Omaha's NPR affiliate, Season Three of Lives will tackle the big questions: What is a good life? Why are we here? How might we feel more connected? These and other big questions about how we live will be explored each week. Through intimate conversations, fascinating guests will share their spiritual, philosophical, artistic, and cultural approaches to exploring the wonders of our human experience. Join me as we delve into the practical and profound possibilities of living well.

As well as listening to this Season Three of Lives being broadcast on KIOS, listen back to Seasons One and Two, featuring fresh voices and diverse perspectives on culture, community, business, and more. From the Midwest and beyond, inspiring guests share compelling stories spanning the fields of politics, business, media, community activism, arts and humanities, philanthropy, and more.

On air since January 2017, Lives Radio Show & Podcast initially broadcast on the community radio station Mind & Soul 101.3FM in north Omaha, housed at the Malcolm X Center, and more recently broadcast with 1st Sky Omaha.

About your host

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stuart chittenden

I'm Stuart Chittenden—an existential coach, Certified Humanist Professional, and the creator and host of Lives Radio Show & Podcast. My work centers on helping people explore who they are, what matters most, and how to live well in a world that often rushes past those questions.

Throughout my journey—from law in London to brand strategy and community dialogue in the American Midwest—I’ve always been drawn to what lies beneath: the quiet, often unspoken work of making meaning. Lives is one of the most enduring expressions of that calling. For over eight years, I’ve invited guests from all walks of life into deep, human conversations about identity, purpose, and how we shape—and are shaped by—our stories.

Whether through coaching, workshops, or the microphone, I create space for reflection, connection, and the rich conversations that help us live more fully.