I wanted to interview Susan because she embodies multiple dimensions of our theme Mother (including being one). She is optimistic, pragmatic, empathetic, nurturing and tenacious. She’s equally comfortable walking a runway in Paris, travelling on tour with her husband, Duff, and playing Scattergories at home with her family. What I especially loved about her was how grounded she is. She has deep gratitude for her life— but make no mistake, she worked her ass off to get here.

The McKagan family. “Grace, my eldest, is 23, and she's currently back at school at Stanford online. She’s a very talented singer and she's about to embark on her UK tour for the Redding and Leeds festival. Our youngest daughter Mae just turned 21, and she's also extremely ambitious. She goes to The New School full-time in New York City. She models a ton, and she's working part-time at a high-end fashion designer store. She's already launched her first clothing collection in New York City. We kind of pride ourselves in being sassy and funky and artsy and weird a little bit for sure. We embrace it.”

Susan and Duff are supportive of their girls pursuing similar career paths to theirs, but they’re emphasizing having an education in business as a backup. “When I was modeling in my twenties, it was the nineties and Duff was in a band, and it was a different world. Career paths have changed, particularly in the entertainment fields like modeling and music. That’s why I’ve encouraged my girls to finish their education, to keep learning and don’t bank on it. Having a good education is very important.”