About Me
Hey there, beautiful soul!
My name is Susan Gates, a Travel Astrologer and Transformation Coach who empowers others to reconnect with and embody their authentic selves through the power of astrocartography and destination-based healing. With certifications in life and soul coaching, breathwork, and hypnotherapy, I merge ancient wisdom and modern tools to facilitate deep transformation.
As the host of the Avoiding Average: Living Life Beyond the Ordinary podcast, I aim to inspire others to rewrite the rules and live from soul, not script. My signature program, The Soulo Pilgrimage, takes clients on a guided coaching and travel journey to a personally aligned location chosen through astrological insight to unlock healing, clarity, and inner wholeness (more details coming soon!)
I am often known for my grounded presence, intuitive clarity, and ability to translate complex ideas into simple, powerful guidance, and I’ve supported clients from around the world. When not coaching or exploring new places/ideas, I am a devoted mom of two, passionate about baking, outdoor adventures, and chasing life’s most meaningful moments.
How I Got Here
I didn’t always know this is what I wanted to do with my life. In fact, it couldn’t be farther from what I expected.
Reflecting back on my life, I ’ve spent so much of my life listening to, seeking to understand, and helping myself and others, sometimes with questions or insights that have surprised even myself and can only be described as divine.
After fighting for so long to become the person I thought I should be (graduated from one of the best engineering schools in the country, employed at a Fortune 50 company, married to my soulmate, homeowner, etc.) I realized I was still unhappy and unfulfilled. Something was missing. I had fallen into the destination trap, and when I ran out of the standard life goals to go after and felt stuck, I realized I needed to look inward.
I went on a spiritual retreat in Sedona to find answers. Since then I’ve discovered more about myself, what brings me joy, and have been able to show up more authentically in my relationships and life. Over the past years, I’ve focused on growing my understanding of astrology, spiritual practices, and mysticism, completing formalized coaching training, as well as strengthening my connection to my higher self and being able to listen to my intuition so that I could figure out what I actually wanted out of life.
As it turns out, helping others is a big part of what I yearn to do.
We have so many opportunities to live the life we want but we often hold ourselves back in some way. Often, it’s because of what we’ve been taught we need to do in order to be successful (i.e. the “Average” life). No two humans are the exact same and we’re not all meant to follow the same path, so why do we feel like we need to do the same things?
I get so much joy and excitement seeing others fulfill their dreams and living their most authentic lives, and I can’t wait to help you do the same with this lifetime.
My Vision, Mission, & Values
My vision is to create a world where people are able to embrace their unique selves and allow their gifts to shine, contributing to an even more beautiful world.
My mission is to help others heal and ultimately embody their most authentic self through a combination of approaches that work with their mind, body, and soul. By allowing each client to move past what they think they need to be and embracing who they truly are and want to be, we will collectively drive change toward a more loving world.
I value learning, growth, authentic connections, and balance, as well as fully embracing the human experience here on Earth.
WHY THE NAME “AVOIDING AVERAGE™”?
Over 12 years ago as I started my career after graduating college, I came upon a comic titled, “11 Ways to Be Unremarkably Average,” which poked fun of the average life. It was basically the standard “do well in school, go to college, don’t stand out, get a job, buy an expensive house, travel to safe places, think about doing something cool but not do it, retire, then die” life path where the person just looked like they were soulless by the end of it.
This resonated with me on a deep level, and I vowed to not allow my life to become average.
I started a blog in 2013 called Avoiding Average™. My goal was simple - try new things and write about it. I enjoyed the project and the experiences and was hopeful it would lead me to a new and exciting place in life.
Sure enough though, I started down the “average” corporate path until life starting dropping hints to help me course-correct. I’ve happily revitalized the blog and have found joy in writing again.
It’s now my mission to help others get back to their true essence and live the life of their dreams, not what society told them they had to do.
While there’s nothing inherently wrong with living an average life (it is pretty safe, after all), what if you stepped out of that comfort zone and embraced the unknown so that you could truly let your gifts and talents shine and live your life authentically?
If you’ve felt stuck or that there’s something more left to uncover physically, spiritually, or mentally, let’s chat about how travel astrology & coaching with me may be a good fit for you.
