From Small-Town Bar to Children’s Author at 65

From Small-Town Bar to Children’s Author at 65

From Penny for your Shots by Penny Fitzgerald

February 26, 2026 · 1h 1m · Episode 125

About this episode

Susan Lienau shares her journey from running a small-town bar to becoming a children's author at the age of 65.

What if the dream you’ve been carrying for decades is still waiting for you? Susan Lienau is 65 years young. She’s spent over 40 years running a small-town bar in northeast Iowa. She’s helped launch a community museum, serves on the city council, co-owns an Airbnb—and somewhere between raising four boys and welcoming six grandchildren, she finally decided to write the children’s book she’d imagined her entire life. Not because it was convenient. Not because she suddenly had “extra time.” But ...

People in this episode

Host: Penny Fitzgerald

Guest: Susan Lienau

Topics covered

  • pursuing dreams
  • children's literature
  • entrepreneurship
  • life changes
  • community involvement

Keywords

  • children's book
  • small-town bar
  • entrepreneur
  • community museum
  • Iowa

Mentioned in this episode

Places: northeast Iowa, Iowa

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