Susie Runolfsdottir

Why this persona fits the audience

Runs an in-person cooking school plus a paid digital membership for alumni, where her five-person team posts recipe archives, class replays, and meal-planning templates through Circle and a shared content calendar.

• Age: 46
• Location: Atlanta, Georgia, US
• Occupation: Cooking school owner
• Income: USD 110k-160k from business revenue
• Education: Bachelor's degree in hospitality
• Company size: 6 (including herself)
• Years in role: 15

“Every dish tells a story, and my greatest joy is helping others learn to tell their own.”

Susie Runolfsdottir, 46, is the proprietor and lead instructor of 'The Atlanta Culinary Studio,' a thriving in-person cooking school she founded 15 years ago. A graduate of the University of Georgia's hospitality program, Susie initially worked in high-end restaurant kitchens before realizing her true passion lay in teaching and fostering culinary confidence in others. Her school, known for its hands-on, approachable instruction, quickly gained a reputation for excellence, attracting a diverse clientele from novice home cooks to aspiring professionals. Five years ago, recognizing the desire for continued learning and community beyond the physical classroom, Susie launched a paid digital membership for her alumni. This platform, managed by her five-person team, serves as a hub for an extensive recipe archive, recordings of past classes, and downloadable meal-planning templates, all curated through Circle. Susie is deeply invested in her work, often reinvesting a significant portion of the business's revenue back into curriculum development and platform improvements. Her approach is meticulous; she believes in building a strong foundation of culinary knowledge and empowering her students and community members. Recent decisions have focused on refining the content strategy for the digital community, aiming to increase subscriber retention and explore new content formats like live Q&A sessions with guest chefs. She navigates the challenges of a dual business model – balancing the tangible, immediate feedback of in-person teaching with the scalable, ongoing engagement required for a digital community – with a strategic, conscientious mindset. Her reputation is paramount, not just for the school, but for the quality of the learning experience she provides, which she sees as a long-term service to her community.

Background & daily life

A day in their life

Susie's day typically begins at 7:00 AM with a quick check of her email and the online community forum. By 8:30 AM, she's at the school, prepping for a 'Seasonal Soups and Stocks' class, which runs until noon. After a brief lunch, she meets with her digital content manager to review the week's upcoming posts and discuss engagement metrics for the alumni community. The afternoon is often spent on administrative tasks, including reviewing invoices, scheduling future workshops, and responding to prospective student inquiries. She aims to leave the school by 6:00 PM, but often finds herself back on her laptop after dinner to finalize lesson plans or respond to urgent emails, finally winding down around 10:30 PM.

Lifestyle

Susie lives in a comfortable, though not ostentatious, home in a leafy Atlanta suburb with her husband, a software engineer, and their two teenagers. Weekends are often a blur of kids' activities, but she carves out time for farmers' market visits and experimenting with new recipes. She prioritizes healthy eating, often meal-prepping on Sundays. Financially, she's pragmatic, reinvesting most of her business profits back into the school and community platform. Socially, she enjoys intimate dinner parties with close friends but has less time for extensive travel than she'd like.

Work life

Susie's days are a dynamic mix of teaching, managing her team, and strategizing for the future. She spends mornings in the kitchen, either leading hands-on classes or developing new curriculum. Afternoons are often dedicated to administrative tasks, reviewing content with her team, responding to high-level client inquiries, and planning marketing for upcoming workshops. The pressure is constant to innovate and maintain the school's reputation, but she finds deep satisfaction in her students' progress and the vibrant alumni community she's cultivated. Her team relies on a shared content calendar and project management tools to keep everything on track.

Relationships

Susie is married to David, who supports her entrepreneurial spirit and often handles household logistics. Her two children, 15 and 17, are her biggest cheerleaders, though often distracted by their own social lives. Her core team of five is like an extended family; she trusts their input and values their dedication. She also maintains strong relationships with local farmers and purveyors, who are crucial to her school's ethos.

How they decide

Susie is a methodical decision-maker. She thoroughly researches options, weighs pros and cons, and often seeks input from her trusted team and a few close colleagues in similar industries. She values evidence of success and practical application, often delaying decisions until she feels fully informed and confident in the long-term implications.

How they sound

Susie's voice is warm and encouraging, with a clear, articulate cadence. She often uses culinary metaphors and emphasizes 'learning' and 'growth.' Her speech is generally polished and professional, though she might occasionally use slightly more informal language with her team or close friends. She avoids overly technical jargon unless explaining a specific cooking technique.