Overview

When everything that defines us is stripped away, what remains? At the height of her career as the Chief People Officer of a Fortune 500 company, Susan Miele had built the life she once imagined: professional success, a strong marriage, and a home filled with promise. Her career wasn't just what she did; it was who she was. But when a series of unexpected disruptions-physical, emotional, and circumstantial-began to unravel the stability she had worked so hard to achieve, the foundation of her identity shattered. What followed was a profound reckoning. No longer tethered by titles, roles, and the visible markers of success, she was left confronting a deeper question: Who am I when everything I thought defined me is gone? Blending memoir, theory, and storytelling, 'Paused offers a candid exploration of identity-how it is built, dismantled, and continually remade. Drawing from lived experience and research, Miele explores how moments of rupture, whether professional, personal, or biological, reshape our sense of self and illuminate the narratives that no longer hold us. 'Paused illustrates the universal struggle to find meaning when certainty disappears, showing that wholeness is never permanent but provisional, something we create, lose, and reassemble again and again. Clear, candid, and deeply relatable, this book invites readers to reflect on their own evolving identities and consider how meaning, purpose, and self-understanding can be rewritten at every stage of life.

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Reviews

""Beautifully written and deeply relatable, Susan is an amazing storyteller that gets to the heart and gives you pause, to think about yourself and your own identity. 'Paused reminds us that we are not our titles or our roles, we are more. It's a book that meets you wherever you are in your own becoming."" - Nettie Nitzberg, MEd, Co-author of Arrive, Drive, and Thrive ""Reading 'Paused feels like a conversation with a wise friend, compassionate, candid, and deeply human. Susan Miele shows that even when certainty disappears, we can still find meaning and begin again."" - Jami M. Debrango-Palumbo, President, Strength in Heels ""'Paused reveals how true transformation begins when we bravely interrogate and redefine our sense of identity. Miele's compelling journey shows that growth emerges by letting go of old stories and embracing the opportunity to rebuild ourselves."" - Don Khouri, PhD, Author, When To Say Yes ""This is a psychologically rich and profoundly human book. 'Paused brings to life the concepts of identity, embodiment, and authenticity with both intellectual precision and heart."" - Dr. Dohrea Bardell, Director, Mature Peace Research Institute ""One of the central challenges of midlife is re-defining our identities. In 'Paused, Susan Miele offers up the depths of her own navigation to light the way for us all."" - Edi Pasalis, MBA, MTS, Certified Menopause Coaching Specialist

Author Information

Susan A. Miele is a writer, scholar, and former Chief People Officer whose work explores how identity is dismantled and redefined through life's transitions. Drawing from her own experience and her PhD in Human and Organizational Systems, she writes at the intersection of personal transformation, theory, and leadership, challenging how we think about belonging, success, and change. A lifelong learner and dedicated yogi, Susan infuses her writing and speaking with mindfulness and compassion. Her work invites readers and organizations alike to see disruption not as loss, but as a profound opportunity for growth. She lives in Portland, Maine.

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