Retired Teacher Gets Lesson in Business

To download a pdf copy of the magazine click here: DOWNLOAD

by Ruth Waltman

Six years before I was scheduled to retire from my teaching job of 32 years, a sense of panic started to set in. Not the kind of panic you would associate with someone who hadn’t financially planned for retirement—although money is always a concern when one retires. It was more the type of panic you feel when you’re going through a transition and don’t have a real sense of what direction you want to pursue. I had worked in Windsor, Ontario as a high school English teacher and it wasn’t until closer to my retirement that I started to think about what the future would hold.

You see, I’ve never been the type of person to “do lunch” on a regular basis. Heading into retirement I wanted a plan—something that would give me a sense of self-worth. My late father, who had passed away from cancer during my teaching career, had been an admired businessman and I guess you could say I inherited a bit of his entrepreneurial spirit. So one day when I was flipping through the Windsor Star, our local paper, I spotted an advertisement for part- and full-time sales consultants for a cruise ship vacation sales company. I wasn’t sure why it appealed to me exactly, but it did. I applied and shortly after found myself heading to my first job interview in 29 years.

It was during that interview that the thought of having a part-time job, entirely separate from the crowded classroom to which I’d become accustomed, became appealing. In addition to the change of pace, I also looked forward to becoming my own boss, something I didn’t experience as a teacher.

I remember wishing my father was still around to provide me with some advice, but he wasn’t. After two months of careful consideration and research, I decided to take the leap. On the day of my 50th birthday, I signed on for the training. I spent Monday afternoons in a nondescript office and did research at home on the side, a different environment from the classroom. Two months later, I had my first sale—a 16-night cruise through the Panama Canal—to a woman I’d met in the beauty parlour.

I discovered I was a pretty good sales person and I genuinely enjoyed my new role. My identity had been wrapped up in marking exams and planning lessons for so long and now, in my 50s, I was discovering strengths and abilities I didn’t know I had. Plus, I was able to have more control over my financial future and was benefiting from my new choice of income.

Then something unexpected happened. An opportunity came up to retire early from my teaching job and I decided to take it. On the last day of my teaching career, fate threw me yet another curve ball. Three men owned the franchise for which I was working at the time. Two were silent partners and the other was my manager. I hadn’t finished cleaning out my school desk when I received a call from head office informing me the two silent owners were looking to get out of the business. They wanted to know if I was interested in buying them out. All I could think was: what would Dad say?

Looking back, I realize how naïve I was when I made the decision. Sure I deliberated with my husband, but I had no idea how much work running my own business would entail and at the same time I couldn’t have imagined it bringing all the rewards that it has. The first thing we did was move the office to a better location. We encountered many challenges, but as soon as I became my own boss, I’d wake up each morning excited to go into work and if I wasn’t excited, I had the authority to take the day off!

It’s been 12 years since I embarked upon my new lifestyle choice and, although I’m working harder than you’re probably supposed to in retirement, I love my job. I was attracted to teaching because I wanted to help kids and make a difference in their lives. Running a vacation business, I still get that same sense of satisfaction when I help a couple or family book a dream vacation. And, of course, there are other perks. Since I’ve started in the industry, I’ve been on almost 40 cruises and my husband and I don’t plan on slowing down our globetrotting hobby anytime soon.
In the end, my decision to throw in my marking pen was a good one for me. If there’s one thing I’ve learned through this whole experience, it’s that it’s never too late to create your own lifestyle. If I’m able to run my own ship and still take time to occasionally cruise on one, well, that’s success—at least in this teacher’s books.

Ruth Waltman is a Franchise Partner of Expedia CruiseShipCenters, Windsor. She can be reached at rwaltman@cruiseshipcenters.com