About Me
“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So, you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.”
The Why Behind the Work
I’m Susan Hearn, Founder of Kenekts, and I’ve guided teens into their dream schools and helped professionals rediscover their paths. My portfolio of work can be found by clicking here.
But this journey began long before I started coaching others. Below is the story of how I found my own F.R.E.E.D.O.M., which is my acronym that stands for:
Finding Passion. Realizing Goals. Eliminating Fear. Embracing Change. Designing Pathways. Opening Minds. Manifesting Abundance.
Let me explain…
Finding Passion & Realizing Goals
My journey is rooted in helping clients uncover and pursue their passions and goals through storytelling crafted with multimodal strategies. My aim is to ensure they feel truly seen and heard.
Driven by a deep passion for diverse thought leadership, social justice, and brand marketing, I’m dedicated to amplifying voices and making an impact.
It’s in my DNA. My father, Albert Leon Hearn, rose from a regional beer salesman to an executive of Marketing for Schlitz Brewery in the 1970s and '80s, when opportunities for Black men in corporate America were rare.
He pioneered groundbreaking campaigns that blended Black music and brands in unprecedented ways, turning entertainment into a powerful tool for brand marketing.
He collaborated with legends like The Commodores, Teddy Pendergrass, The Temptations, Kool & the Gang, and Average White Band and even sponsored events featuring a young Michael Jordan. One of his most iconic creations is the Schlitz Malt Liquor Bull crashing through the wall—a revolutionary concept for its time.
Here's the complicated truth y'all don't often hear about: My father was navigating one of the biggest paradoxes of his career. That malt liquor he was marketing? It silently devastated our community - the same community he fought so hard to uplift. Talk about a heavy weight to carry.
But here's where my father's brilliance came in (and trust me, this man was playing 3D chess while others were playing checkers). He looked at those marketing dollars and thought, "If this product is taking from our community, these dollars better find their way back to build it up."
Every time he stepped on stage at an HBCU, every check he directed to the NAACP, ] Operation PUSH, or the Urban League - it was his way of trying to tip the scales back in our favor. Was it a perfect solution? No. But in a time when Black executives could count their peers on one hand, he was determined to work the system from the inside.
Letha & Leon
My dad was a dedicated provider, always striving to give us the best.
My mom, Letha, was smart and spicy, with a knack for cutting through the noise. I am my mother’s daughter. While my dad taught me marketing, networking, and an awareness of social justice, my mom gave me my edge.
I was introduced to corporate politics at an early age, ear hustling as my dad shared with my mom his nightly frustrations about the acute micro-aggressions he faced as a Black man in corporate America.
He dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur, but his day job’s demand for constant travel meant our time together was limited. Still, he always made sure I felt loved - his nightly calls from the road were a routine I could count on.
Over the years, I watched as Dad developed health challenges I now know were tied to both his home life and career stress and his personal choices around diet and self-care. He suffered from ulcers as early as my grade school years, and by my senior year of high school, his health began to decline further.
High blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes left him increasingly unwell. While I was in college, he passed away at just 56 from a heart attack.
This loss profoundly shifted my perspective on work, mental health, and self-care.
It became my goal to follow in his footsteps as an innovator in marketing and culture —but with a new personal approach prioritizing balance, well-being, and intentional living.
Eliminating Fear
The world seemed to stop when Dad left this Earth. As a daddy’s girl, I was filled with fear and uncertainty. But, supported by my mother’s belief in me and my father’s genius commitment blending creativity and social good, I left college in 1992 and stepped into my first marketing role at Black Entertainment Television (BET).
It wasn’t just a job—it was a front-row seat to the power of Black culture and entertainment as vehicles for change.
Working on culturally defining moments like the inaugural BET Awards and BET Experience, Black Girls Rock!, Hip Hop Awards, and the Soul Train Awards, I saw how Black media doesn’t just entertain—it shapes narratives, empowers communities, and amplifies voices.
Inspired by my father’s commitment to blending creativity and social good, I left college in 1992 and stepped into my first real marketing role at BET in the early '90s. It wasn’t just a job—it was a front-row seat to the power of Black culture and entertainment as vehicles for change.
Working on culturally defining moments like the BET Awards, Black Girls Rock!, and the Soul Train Awards, I saw how Black media doesn’t just entertain—it shapes narratives, empowers communities, and amplifies the voices that deserve to be heard. It was my first deep dive into how storytelling can elevate individuals and entire movements.
BET became like family to me, and even after my time there, I continued to serve as a consultant over the years, contributing to various initiatives that aligned with my passion for cultural empowerment and social impact.
Those experiences strengthened my belief in the power of storytelling to inspire action and foster community growth, keeping me connected to the legacy BET built-in shaping Black excellence.
After BET, I carried forward my father’s ethos of combining creativity with advocacy by stepping into a leadership role at the Madison Avenue Initiative (MAI) led by Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network. Our mission was clear: challenge the inequity in advertising and ensure Black and Hispanic-owned media got their fair share of corporate spending.
This work was about more than securing dollars—it was about creating systemic change. We pushed for better representation of Black agencies and outlets, ensuring their contributions were recognized and valued. Through strategic partnerships, internships, and creative workshops, we built lasting pathways for underrepresented voices in marketing and media.
Armed with well-earned wisdom and a deep understanding of cultural influence, I transitioned into the role of brand and communications strategist, focusing on urban and youth marketing.
In this next chapter, I led efforts to develop impactful branding strategies for major athletic and video gaming brands, shaping their connections with diverse audiences.
It was a time of tapping into the pulse of youth culture and aligning corporate strategies with the rise of new digital media technologies, ensuring the messaging resonated authentically with urban communities.
Embracing Change
This experience laid the foundation for my next chapter as I ventured into entrepreneurship and tech. I carried with me the exact drive for purposeful, impactful storytelling, but now, with a focus on the digital age.
It became the perfect stepping stone, bridging my passion for culture and media with the untapped potential of tech innovation.
These elements empowered me to push boundaries and craft digital experiences that resonate deeply and drive real-world change.
In the early 2000s, I refer to a time in life ‘Before Facebook' (B.F.) I was an early adopter of digital content as a marketing means through fertile ground communication. We were early settlers in this space.
Partnering with a former Oracle executive out of Silicon Valley, I became one of the few Black women I knew to be at the forefront of this burgeoning digital commerce and social revolution.
By the time Facebook and Instagram launched, I had already introduced these innovations to businesses in media and entertainment when many were still unaware of their transformative potential.
I had a front-row seat to Facebook's rise and witnessed how the algorithms forever changed how we interact online, reshaping society and creating new opportunities for connection.
This new era ushered in a shift towards Social-Emotional Branding™, where compelling storytelling touches both the brain and the heart.
Brands began connecting with people on a deeper, more personal level, crafting narratives that resonate emotionally and intellectually, creating more meaningful, lasting connections.
Designing Pathways
I’ve gone on to work with some of my generation's biggest brands, movements, and visionary entrepreneurs. By blending creativity with purpose, I design pathways that meet my clients where they are and challenge them to see where they can go, encouraging them to think beyond the conventional.
Opening Minds
My approach continues to open minds to new possibilities, helping people break free from limitations and embrace innovative solutions. It’s about sparking curiosity and fostering growth.
It’s about more than just shaping today’s leaders—it’s about empowering individuals at every stage of their journey with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to thrive in a rapidly evolving world.
Whether you’re leading a team, building a business, pivoting careers, or simply exploring new possibilities, my goal is to help you unlock your potential and make a meaningful impact.
Manifesting Abundance
I believe abundance isn’t just about financial success—it’s about striking a balance between achievements and personal fulfillment without compromising authenticity. I use my gifts and talents to craft stories and strategies that inspire action and resonate on a deep level.
By focusing on sustainable growth, authentic connections, meaningful impact, and the importance of well-being, I’m committed to guiding those I work with—directly or indirectly—toward a richer, more rewarding experience in both their professional and personal lives.
Can we Work Together?
I believe the best work happens when there's genuine alignment - when we're both excited about the possibilities and clear about what success looks like.
Before we explore working together, let's make sure we're a good fit:
Do our approaches feel aligned? I focus on strategic positioning through practical skill-building, not quick fixes or generic personal branding.
Are you ready to do the work? This isn't about polishing what you already have - it's about clarifying your unique value and learning to communicate it effectively.
Do you value authenticity over perfection? We're building real capabilities and genuine confidence, not manufactured personas.
If you're nodding along thinking 'yes, this is exactly what I need,' then let's talk. I'm excited to see what we can build together.