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Susan J. Negus, Ph.D.

BOARD MEMBER INTROSPECTIVE:

DR. Susan J. Negus

by Scott C. Tips

Born on a scorching-hot April day that would set records for Los Angeles for nearly 40 years, Susan Negus must have absorbed that fiery energy into her inner being. Outspoken, articulate, curious, and always active, Susan radiated a warmth and energy towards others even from her early childhood. And from that early age she always stood out from the crowd. Riding Into Fame

At the tender age of three, Susan rode her first horse. It was love at first sight and ride, because for the next twelve years she kept at it nearly day in and day out. Susan not only rode horses for pleasure but also in competition. Then, in a kind of Southern California version of a teenage Elizabeth Taylor in the film National Velvet, Susan won the National Championship in English Bareback Equitation at the age of 15.

For Susan, horses represented freedom and a tamable energy. She continued happily riding for two more years until something even more interesting, something that had always been present but never particularly appealing, suddenly became visible – boys. Relegated to second best, horses and horse-riding quickly faded into the background; but the drive and energy that Susan had developed as a competitive rider never disappeared.

Join Jumping into Knowledge

Yet, as appealing as boys might have become to young Susan, they were never a threat to her even-deeper quest for knowledge. Instead, they were just a part of that quest. Susan loved learning; and, impatient at the slow pace of the teaching at Claremont High School in the Los Angeles, California area, she enrolled in a local Junior College while still a high-school student there.

After graduating from high school, Susan continued her studies at the Junior College. She was especially interested in a course in American law that she took there, and Susan briefly flirted with the idea of attending law school and becoming an attorney. Fate intervened, though, in the form of a make-up exam that she had to take at the College’s office. While in the school office, she met a man who engaged her in a conversation about the University of Southern California (USC), a well-respected, but expensive, private university in the heart of Los Angeles. Its business school, he argued, was the best.

After looking into USC further, Susan took this advice to heart. She formally applied to the USC School of Business and over the following year and one half studied business and finance all the while working to pay for her own education. This accomplishment was not inconsiderable since USC was astronomically more expensive than its State-supported competition. Still, Susan persevered and once again achieved her goal, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Finance.

Plunging into Work

Even before earning her degree in 1986, Susan had begun working as a financial analyst for private companies. With her diploma, though, she plunged still deeper into the world of high finance. There were few industries that escaped Susan’s touch. Aerospace, real estate, commercial solar energy, and food companies were among those that opened their books and records to Susan’s eyes and review. She quickly earned a reputation for being thorough and precise. Nothing escaped her gaze.

Susan especially liked the challenge of analyzing companies that were being acquired. She became involved in corporate acquisitions of companies throughout the World. Even Nestle and its food commodities were subjected to Susan’s intuitive scrutiny at one time. Through a series of seemingly random events, Susan gained some extensive and unusual experiences at her jobs. She would later find that those experiences would prepare her for what she was to do in the future.

Escaping into Health

For Susan, as challenging and exciting as the world of high finance and deal-making could be, there was definitely an important element lacking. So, early on, and with a serious health issue settling around her personally, Susan searched for answers that led her – as it inevitably has for so many others – into the richly-textured world of alternative health.

Since she had been a young girl with a handicapped mother, Susan had never quite understood the reasoning behind a conventional medicine that would cut out organs and poison the body in order to “heal” it. In fact, at an early age, she had wanted to be a doctor so that she could help people – and her mother – find true health. These thoughts and wishes resided within her – though never far from the surface – until they burst forth during her own healing crisis and while working in finance.

Tightly managing her time, Susan researched and studied, in depth, many different areas of health and natural healing. She was especially interested in nutrition, herbs, homeopathy, physiology, and the workings of the subconscious mind. She also explored how the body operates and the effects of chemicals and nutrients upon it. Susan resolved her health problem using alternative methods and care; but, as part of her studies, she decided to enroll in a Masters program in homeopathy with the British Institute of Homeopathy – a degree that she soon acquired. Soon thereafter, she earned a Ph.D. in Holistic Health with studies at Clayton University of Natural Healing.

Turning Health into Business

In 1994, Susan, along with her partner Dr. Howard Davis, founded a California-based company devoted to health and gave it the name Dreamous. Their first product was invented in a dream and then verified scientifically. Thus the name Dream–ous (from a dream made famous) Their goal was to get healthy, natural products to individuals so that they could achieve and maintain their health. Together, they developed a new technology in health and beauty products that are so innovative that their line of products still stands untouched in the marketplace. (Seewww.dreamous.com)

Since its founding, Dreamous has acquired a reputation for, among other things, developing and private-labeling cold-processed (i.e., unheated) beauty-care products that preserve intact the natural ingredients found within them. Susan is the company’s nimble president, while Dr. Howard Davis is the scientific research genius.  

Making Time for Advocacy

Because Susan has dedicated her life to educating and helping people live a healthier life, she has always been open to other ways to help those in need. To that end, she joined the board of directors of the Southern California-based American Holistic Health Association (AHHA) in 1993, and has served continuously on its board ever since.

Starting earlier in this decade, Susan joined the National Health Federation; and, in the early 2000s, she attended two Codex committee meetings in Germany on its behalf. As part of that experience, she wrote two articles chronicling the events that transpired during those important times, which articles are found in the recently-published book, Codex Alimentarius - Global Food Imperialism.

In spite of the constant demand on her time needed to run and build a private company, Susan not only found time for the NHF and AHHA but also for a Christian group called CBN. CBN promotes ministries throughout the World, and as part of that, Susan has traveled to the Ukraine, Spain, Italy, and Israel. As Susan describes it, it has been an enlightening but humbling experience as she has seen and participated in the lives of others.

As if that were not enough, several years ago, Susan was elected to the Federation’s Board of Governors, a position she still actively occupies. Her knowledge and influence in corporate finances has helped the NHF on many occasions.

For a native Los Angeleno born in the unseasonal heat of the sun, and for someone who has won championships, put herself through college by sheer, hard work, peered deeply into the financial soul of Fortune 500 companies, and founded an innovative holistic-health company, Susan has throughout managed to retain a generous and gracious “sense of self.” We count ourselves fortunate to have her on our side.