PowerLiving with Kimberlee Langford
From pancakes to Purpose - Turning Loss into Legacy with Susan L Combs
Send us Fan Mail A hospice kitchen table doesn’t sound like the start of a movement, but that’s exactly where Susan L. Combs takes us and it’s impossible to forget. We talk with Susan about the moment her dad, Roger, asked for pancakes near the end of his life, how she carried that request with both tenderness and realism, and how it became Pancakes for Roger, a gratitude ritual that grew into a veterans nonprofit with measurable impact. Before we get there, we zoom out to Susan’s bigger philosophy: do more better. She walks us through building Combs and Company, working in healthcare benefits and health plan design, serving as an expert witness, and her walk as an industry mentor. Then we dig into what she believes is most broken about healthcare and employee benefits: small employers get treated like an afterthought even though they make up the overwhelming majority of businesses. If you’ve ever felt lost in insurance jargon, renewals, claims, or plan changes, you’ll recognize why she says people need an advocate, not another dashboard. We also connect the dots between CrossFit, leadership, and community. Susan explains why doing hard things together builds trust, how patience beats instant gratification, and why PRs can teach you to stay in the long game. We close with her Wonder Woman work spotlighting women, including female veterans, and why story ownership, consent, and voice matter when you put someone’s life on the page. Follow Susan on LinkedIn and learn more: PancakesforRoger.org - and thru September, the application window for otheir Veteran Housing Grants is accepting applications: emergency housing support, critical home repairs, or vital accommodations, we are here to help provide up to $1,500 in direct vendor-paid assistance. Housing Support & Improvement Grants Applications: https://pancakesforroger.org/grants Stack Attack Dragon Slayer Ruck: https://competitioncorner.net/events/22249/details Subscribe for more conversations like this, share this with a friend who cares about veterans or benefits, and leave a review with the biggest lesson you’re taking from Susan’s story.
