Columnists

As of 2010, Simple Marriage has gladly expanded it’s voices by adding five columnists who are passionate about marriage and family. Once a month they’ll each add their take on an aspect of marriage and family life that’s sure to assist you in your marriage.

Melissa Gorzelanczyk

Melissa is a step mom, wife, editor, columnist and laundry fairy who decided to focus on amazing work this year by doing what she loves: writing. Her mission at Peace & Projects is to inspire people to live their best life by sharing what makes her tick: fitness, organizing, simplifying, loving, learning and getting stuff done.

She and Mr. Right are dedicated to making their blended family work for almost eight years now. So are: Little Boy, Little Girl and The Dog.

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Susan Heid

Susan’s path in supporting others was clear even in her early years as a Girl Scout. Her tenacious spirit, no nonsense approach, and generous heart continues today fueling her passion to empower moms in their most important role. She is a proud mother of 3 awesome kids – ages 17, 13 and 9 and is married to her very own prince charming.

She understands and empathizes with the overwhelming job of being a mom – whether you are a single mom on the go, a stay-at-home mom juggling your responsibilities, a career mom always feeling shorted, or a step-mom working to blend a family – she’s been there, done that! Susan’s training as a PCI Certified Parent Coach®, a Certified Family Manager® Coach and a ScreamFree Certified Leader gives her a unique combination to encourage and support busy moms in the art of Home and Family Management. She helps moms get the BIG picture on how their home is functioning and then helps them gain relief with a personalized plan of action to give life changing results. Empowering Moms and Strengthening Families is her passion, and you can find her at her other day job, The Confident Mom.

A true “Seattleite” — Susan loves coffee, cloudy days, and can even pronounce Puyallup and Sequim and yes, she does think the “bluest skies you’ve ever seen are in Seattle.”

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Beth LaMie

Getting laid off from a corporate job a few years ago was a blessing in disguise for Beth. In fact, it opened up a new career in writing when she became a Personal Historian, first for her own family and friends, then for a variety of clients. As Beth saw the impact her life stories had on people’s lives, she became passionate about helping others preserve more of them. Her book, Granny’s Guide to Fun & Fabulous Family Stories shows people from 8 to 98 how to have fun while they capture their legacy, as does her blog.

Beth enjoys writing, reading, quilting and traveling with her husband in their motorhome to visit their friends, kids and grandkids from California to North Carolina.

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Pearl Mattenson

I am a leadership & relationship coach. This is maybe my 3rd or 4th career (I have been an educator for 25 years doing everything one can do from Principal of a school to professional development to consulting on diversity as well as school change issues). My careers evolve and cascade and force me to keep becoming a beginner. Everything I do has this in common- it is all about making the world a better place and helping others live meaningful lives. It is also all about going deep, being honest and laughing. A lot. Even when it is hard. Especially when it is hard.

I am a parent of 2 teen-aged boys who had the good sense to be boys and not girls because they knew my hormones were more than enough for one household. My husband and I have been together so long we are working on how to do the whole “staying connected even when things change” story. And then of course there is the voracious reading, hiking, snow-shoeing and 5:30 am interval training classes. It’s a lot. And I laugh.

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Dustin Riechmann

Dustin has been blessed with nine years of marriage to his high-school sweetheart, and spends as much time as possible chasing their two young children around the house and the area bike trails. He and his wife are regular presenters at both marriage retreats and marriage preparation courses. He passionately believes that normal couples can achieve the extraordinary in marriage and in life. That’s what his blog, Engaged Marriage, is all about.

Much like his approach to marriage advice, Dustin brings a “normal guy’s” perspective to the idea of excelling in the areas of career and finance. He and his wife both maintain full-time careers while balancing their busy lives at home and in the community. Together, they paid off $58,500 in debt to simplify their lives and achieve financial freedom in their household.

Dustin believes that we can all find work that fires up our passions, and every couple needs a solid financial plan that serves their family and provides a high quality of life. By simplifying our financial lives and living with a plan, we can achieve new success with our money and, more importantly, our marriages.