Hidden Gems: Meet Susan Leach of Cruise Planners

Today we’d like to introduce you to Susan Leach.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started? 
Up until 5th grade, my life was as normal as normal can be for a child in the 1960’s. I went to school in Illinois, my dad worked for Motorola, and my mom was a homemaker as most moms were in that era. In the middle of 5th grade, my dad was transferred to Honolulu, Hawaii. Our family of 3 children with one on the way moved to this new and “foreign” land back in the 60’s in the midst of the Vietnam War. This very shy, white girl was thrust into a culture and school where I was the minority. I had a hard time acclimating because I was so different due to my white skin, red hair, freckles, and glasses. I definitely stood out. I was bullied, and no one spoke to me for weeks. As I look back now, those 2 tough years in Hawaii changed my life for the good. I learned to love the people, the food, the Hawaiian and Asian culture, the beauty of the island, and most importantly, learned to be more comfortable outside my Midwest “bubble”. 

I used that life experience to embolden myself to get out of my shell and go out of my way to welcome new people in the workplace or neighborhood because I never wanted anyone to feel or be treated like I was treated. 

Back in Illinois, I didn’t know what I wanted to do after high school in the 70s, and not everyone was automatically going off to college, so I worked. I ended up at a high-end jewelry store (a luxury division of Zale Corporation), where I advanced from a salesperson to a national buyer of China, crystal and silver. I was transferred to the home office in Texas at the age of 19 and became a national silver buyer. I spent two years in Dallas and learned that it is a different culture there, too. I acquired a love for country music and great Tex-Mex food! 

I returned back to Chicago and continued my career there, and after having received a national award, I decided to leave while I was at high point and go to college. I sold all of my belongings to help pay my way through college. I was placed in charge of the international dormitory as the resident assistant to help with my college bills. I met students from all over the world every month and my job was to make them feel welcomed (even though most spoke no English) and get them set up in their rooms. I met a charming, handsome guy from Brazil, and we ended up falling in love. Instead of accepting a teaching job at the end of my senior year, I moved to Brazil and spent a year there teaching English as foreign language at an expat school. I learned Portuguese, the Brazilian culture, and saw extreme poverty and wealth co-mingled for the first time in my life. 

I returned to the US after a year (solo) and with my mix of Hawaiian, Texan, and Brazilian experiences began a new career at Motorola. I started that job as a single mother because my Brazilian relationship resulted in a daughter. It was tough and not as accepted back then as it is now, but I worked through the shame and struggles as a single mom in the 80s. 

I ended up working for Motorola (just like my dad) for 21 years advancing through roles in Human Resources. I was blessed to travel the world on business and on each trip, grew more and more in love with the world and its people. They transferred me to London for an expat assignment with just a week of notice. The family (and my husband, who had to become “Mr. Mom”) spent a year outside of London, where I had all of Europe as my HR responsibility. We traveled to places that we never dreamed of during that year. I traveled throughout Europe for work, and the entire family went to Egypt, Switzerland, Holland, and all over the UK on school breaks. I have now traveled to over forty-three countries and counting. 

We moved from the Chicago area to Dowagiac after finding the perfect piece of property to build our dream log home on Susan Lane off of Leach Road. I was praying for God to give us a sign that we were making the right move, and he gave us two road signs. God is good and has a sense of humor! I retired in 2018 and was a “lady of leisure,” enjoying an unstructured life, learning how to weave, and enjoying life on the lake here in Dowagiac. 

We continued to travel for personal enjoyment and especially love to cruise. Every time I had come home from a trip (which I would document on social media), I’d have friends reaching out to me for travel advice, and then I’d refer them to my travel agent to book their trip. After this repeated itself many times, 

I started researching “How do I become a travel agent?” It was time! 

I purchased a Cruise Planners travel franchise on St. Patrick’s Day of 2023 to get me fast-tracked with a system, travel partners, and training, and it’s been amazing. Yes, it is a franchise, but it’s entirely up to me to establish my brand image, reputation for personal service and deliver value with excellence. I can work as hard as I want or take it as easy as I want…I am choosing hard! 

The internet travel sites are overwhelming, and I am helping to unravel the “deals” and provide personalized service. I’m a travel concierge, matchmaker, and “project manager” to deliver the right experience and take the stress away from the client because I handle the details. The best part is that my clients don’t pay any fees for working with me. My services are complimentary. I get a “$$ thank you” from the travel partners without any pass-through to the client. 

I’m now combining all of my life experiences from my grade school days, through corporate life, and through my travels to help other people plan the most memorable and perfect journeys tailored just for them. I care deeply about providing a hometown level of friendliness, kindness, and professionalism with everyone that I assist. Travel is my passion. Everyone that knows me also knows that my other passions are my family and weaving. I’m still madly in love with my husband of almost 34 years, who adopted my daughter (now our daughter), and then we had a son together and now have 4 grandchildren…and a cute golden retriever. 

Life does not end at retirement. For me, it was a new beginning and a new chapter in my life to use all of the life’s experiences to assist others. My business is a happy business. Who else gets to talk about happy things like cruises, all-inclusive resorts, luxury rail journeys, tours, and exotic locations around the world all day? 

I don’t know if I will ever stop doing this because I plan on traveling as long as I can and will continue to help others do the same. Dowagiac is a small town, but I have national reach, and it’s amazing the number of great people that I have met in this town and across the country in my short 6 months in business. So how is business? Business is very good! I’d be honored and delighted if I could assist anyone that reads this with their next adventure. 

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I learned from some notable people along the way. At my young age, I had a veteran of sales and giftware take me under his wing and teach me the art of selling, display, pricing, and customer service. His name was Alan Zell, and he was one of the founding brothers of Zell Brothers jewelers in Portland, Oregon. 

At Motorola, I had many mentors, and I am pleased to say that I am still connected to many of them today. One of them was Susan Waldman who taught me and coached me in Human Resources as I was moving along in my career. Monica Skelchy and Jack Beavers had the trust in me to select me to go to London for a year with Motorola. I am still grateful and connected with them today. 

I was recruited away from Motorola over to Sears/Kmart Corporate headquarters as Vice President of Human Resources Operations. one of my former colleagues from Motorola who went to Sears called me asked me, “Would you like to be my Vice President” because I’d really love to be reporting to a kind and knowledgeable executive. She was helping the recruiter scope me out.

I was honored to work with Dean Carter who was the Chief HR Officer who taught me so much about leadership and who I admire greatly.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.dreamweaverjourneys.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cruiseplannersusanleach/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cruiseplannerssusangleach
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-leach-b94bb41a8/
• Other: https://www.cruiseplanners.com/travel-agents/view/27867-Susan-Leach