Debbie LaChusa

About me

What a journey it's been!

After a long career in marketing it’s time to pursue my passion: writing.

In 2018, my husband and I sold our home in San Diego, packed up our lives, and drove cross-country to Western North Carolina. After a 37-year career in marketing—24 of those years in business on my own—I was ready to semi-retire and spend my time writing, hiking, and doing volunteer pet therapy with my two Golden Retrievers, Hope and Faith. 

I spent the next few years settling into our new homeexploring the mountains, teaching online, and writing when I found the time and motivation. 

In 2021, I decided I wanted to write a memoir. And then life got in the way. My parents’ health began to decline and our daughter gave birth to our first grandchild. I spent much of 2022 traveling to spend time with Dad, Mom, and our new grandson. 

In June 2022, Dad passed away. After returning home from his funeral I felt a renewed motivation to write. I enrolled in a memoir writing course, closed my online course business (my courses are still available on Udemy) and dove into my new career as a writer. 

I’m currently writing and publishing memoir essays on my blog and Medium.com

In the past my writing style has fallen somewhere in between journalism and journaling. Writing memoir is about telling a story.

Debbie LaChusa

Fun Facts

A few things you may not know about me…

  • I’m a fraternal twin 
  • I married my high school sweetheart and we’re still together!
  • I became a grandma in 2022
  • I used to run marathons
  • I started my career working in advertising agencies
  • I’ve been a pet therapy volunteer since 2014
  • My spin bike leaderboard name is Sugar Face
  • I’m learning how to play piano
  • I left my home city after 56 years and moved across the country
  • Becoming a writer is my fifth career