Constance Kluesener Gorman
Q & A
Did you always want to become a writer?
When I was in high school, if someone would have told me, “Someday you are going to be a chemist”, I would have said, “No Way! I’m not smart enough to become a chemist. But, yet I majored in Chemistry in college and became an R&D chemist.
If someone would have told me when I was in high school, “Someday, you are going to own three businesses”, again I would have said, “ Are you kidding me? I have no idea how to operate a business!”. But, yet, I got an MBA and created and operated three (3) businesses over a period of 25 years.
If someone would have told me when I was in high school, “Someday, you are going to become a teacher”, I would have said, “ Are you crazy? Teaching is not a respected profession and the pay is horrible !” Yet, I had a calling from God to become a teacher, earned an Ohio certification in H.S. Chemistry and all Mathematics, and have taught in public schools and tutored privately for the last 15 years.
If someone would have told me when I was in high school, “Someday you will be an author and write a series of books”, I would have said, “I’m a science and math person! Write a book? On what?” Yet, I became an author and embarked on an interesting journey in the world of books.
Where were you born?
Cincinnati, Ohio
Where did you grow up?
Cincinnati, OH in a suburb called Western Hills.
What High School did you attend and year of graduation?
Oak Hills High School, Cincinnati, OH- 1973
What was the first thing you ever wanted to be?
A farmer
How might someone have described you in high school?
“That girl knows how to have fun”
What were your favorite TV shows then?
Bonanza, I Dream of Jeanie, Bewitched, Lost in Space, Outer Limits, 60 Minutes, Twilight Zone, Unsolved Mysteries,Home Improvement, (listed as I progressed in age).
What was your first job?
A retail clerk at a men’s clothing store. I ran the Teen Shop.
What colleges did you attend?
Miami University (Oxford, OH) – B.A. Chemistry
University of Cincinnati – Masters Business Administration
McGregor School at Antioch University- Teachers Education
What were the best decisions you ever made?
To close my women’s retail store just before the big box companies came in the market and pushed the little stores out of business. I didn’t lose my shirt like everybody else!
Being a stay at home mom, while creating businesses that suited family life
What was the worst decision you ever made?
Telling the principal of my school that God told me how to create the mentoring program for my high school. I assumed too much! He then tried to kill the project.
What was the worst life experience you ever had?
My sister and I were in a car accident. I lived. She died.
What were the best life experiences you ever had?
Jumping on a plane to Fiji – for free!
Backpacking through Thailand and Cambodia with my daughter
Building my house and acting as the general contractor
Creating and operating companies on a shoestring
Experiencing God’s miracles
What might people be surprised to know about you?
I experience a miracle from heaven every day. Really.
What is the hardest thing you ever did?
Putting myself through college when I didn’t know what in the heck I was doing initially.
What would be a perfect day for you?
Having a long lunch with someone from a different culture and having intense dialogue about life experiences.
What advice would you have for someone wanting to become an author and write for a career?
Most authors must have a ‘day job’ until they become established in the publishing industry and media circles. The majority of authors (and I mean 99%) do not work at their craft exclusively.
Favorites
Favorite books: Too many to mention, but here’s some of the most memorable:
Hawaii
The Eye of the Needle
The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers
Little Women
Jane Eyre
Guns, Germs and Steel
Gone with the Wind
Favorite TV show (current): Joyce Meyer Ministries (TBN), CNN News with Anderson Cooper, Big Bang Theory (they could lose the sexual innuendos, though. It's funny without that stuff. I can relate!)
Favorite food: Chocolate of any kind
Favorite hobby: Reading for pleasure, and exercising—walking, tennis, swimming and cycling
Favorite place: my backyard
Favorite movie: The Sound of Music
Favorite music: Beatles
Favorite travel destination: Places that stimulate me mentally and visually
Dream Interviews: Diane Rehm, Diane Sawyer, Anderson Cooper
Dream Job: President of the United States
Role Model: Padre Pio
Favorite Sports Teams: Cincinnati Bengals
Favorite Athlete: Rafael Nadal (tennis), Brett Favre (football)
Most Memorable Achievement:
Awarded funding from a venture capital company for one of my businesses.
Building my own house after the builder screwed up the first three steps
Graduating from college and navigating all the financial aid processes
Favorite Quote
Life was meant to be lived !