We had the good fortune of connecting with Susan Binkley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Susan, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I am an avid risk taker and cannot imagine being any other way. Every business I have started began with a trust fall because I knew nothing about it when I began. One of my first ventures was running a large horse boarding operation on a 120-acre farm. Since I had absolutely no idea how to drive a tractor or get up hay, I found a farmer to teach me. Then I opened a bakery and had never baked a thing so I found someone who could bake and hired her. Then in 2003 I established Blue Monarch, a successful long-term residential recovery program for women and their children, despite the fact I knew nothing about addiction. I actually think this was a good thing because I had no preconceived notions of what recovery should look like and I am typically an out-of-the-box thinker and problem solver. So, I feel this gave God an opportunity to develop a recovery program from scratch and make it into what he wanted it to be. Perhaps I am not afraid of failure and that is why I am willing to take risks. I think I would be more upset with myself if I never tried. I try to pass this concept along to the amazing women we serve at Blue Monarch. They really struggle with feelings of inadequacy and have often been told they are worthless since they were small children. So, it doesn’t take much to discourage them, and they naturally shy away from taking on something that is unfamiliar. I love to teach them “the sky’s the limit” and to dream beyond anything they have ever imagined, and I constantly remind them they cannot fail if they at least try. As a result, we have graduates of our program that include a medical assistant, a dental assistant, a massage therapist, a pilot (who really believed the sky was the limit!), and our own Executive Director is a graduate of our program, along with seven other amazing employees at Blue Monarch. Surely life would be very boring if we never took risks. I can’t stand to even imagine that.

What should our readers know about your business?

Blue Monarch is a long-term, residential recovery program for women and their children. We have served close to 1,000 women and children since 2003, and over 350 children have been reunited with their mothers who had lost custody. We are unique in that we focus on equipping moms to parent their children sober (sometimes for the first time) and we also address the child’s recovery as much as the mother’s. Our program encompasses a large wheel with lots of spokes, each spoke necessary in helping to create a healthier lifestyle, free from addiction and abuse. And each spoke provides tools to help our moms successfully transition into their new lives outside of Blue Monarch. We believe addiction can be healed and we see evidence of this all the time. We are located on a beautiful 108-acre farm in Middle Tennessee and our families enjoy all the benefits of living on lots of land with goats, chickens, horses, and a wonderful dog named “Sam.” In many ways our place feels like a sanctuary to the moms and kids who come to us for help. We believe we have a priceless opportunity to change the “norm” for the children we serve as they experience life in a healthy, nurturing atmosphere that they will hopefully want to provide for their own families one day. We see this coming true as we have teenagers return to visit who lived with us as toddlers, and they even say they want their children and grandchildren to live like they did at Blue Monarch.

The beginning years of Blue Monarch were extremely difficult. My staff was a skeleton crew, funding was completely unpredictable, and I wore a hundred hats. We are in a rural area with very little exposure to the public, so we face fundraising challenges that don’t exist in large cities. But in looking back, the times were the hardest when I tried to solve everything in my own strength. I have definitely learned the tremendous power of prayer! And I have learned the importance of being the gatekeeper. My worst experiences have never been due to the population we serve, but the people I have allowed in as staff members or volunteers. If there is one lesson I try to pass along to people starting organizations like Blue Monarch, it is to never underestimate the importance of being the gatekeeper, which takes great discernment and wisdom. My worst decisions have been made out of desperation.

As a visual artist, I have always enjoyed creating spaces for people to enjoy. And I believe we should never settle for ordinary if we can have extraordinary. For that reason, Blue Monarch’s campus is colorful and as inviting as a seaside village. Recovery shouldn’t have to be dreadful. I love for our families to be proud of their home and for our kids to not be ashamed to get off the bus at our driveway. It’s important for them to believe they deserve a beautiful home and that the ones who support us agree.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

Well, first I would recommend a tour of our Blue Monarch campus. It’s amazing. Then we’d have lunch at Simply Southern in Pelham for a delicious meat & three with iced tea. After that we would check out a cool shop in Monteagle, Oakes & Oliver, and tour the incredible campus of University of the South in Sewanee. Then we would visit Mountain Goat Market in Monteagle to grab an incredible sandwich or pizza before they close for the day.

Since we ate our hearts out the day before we would check out Foster Falls State Park and the amazing waterfall, and then hike the Fiery Gizzard trail the next day, followed by lunch at The Blue Chair in Sewanee.

Before the week was out, we would make sure we stopped at Top of the Rock Restaurant in Kimball, to enjoy the breathtaking view from the back deck. And of course, at some point we would have dinner at High Point in Monteagle and ask for a table by the fireplace.

In between all the eating, we would visit the square in Winchester, check out the tiny town of Bell Buckle, and hike some of the other incredible South Cumberland Plateau trails and take in the various waterfalls.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to the amazing and courageous women we serve at Blue Monarch. They are truly pioneers as they strive to break destructive cycles in their families and change their family trees.

Website: https://www.bluemonarch.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bluemonarch10

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BluemonarchTN

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpsrdeziGH9Hd5N00arCR8Q

Other: https://www.bluemonarch.org/from-my-front-row-seat This is a link about a book I wrote about my past 20 years’ journey at Blue Monarch: From My Front Row Seat

Image Credits
Michelle Barnett Photography Dona Masters Photography

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