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In today’s episode, I’m chatting with Susan L. Combs. Susan is the President of Combs & Company, a full-service insurance brokerage firm based in New York City. She started the company at just 26 years old with a drive to “do more, do better.” A self-described Missouri girl in a New York world, Susan draws on the lessons of her Midwestern upbringing and more than two decades in NYC in her book, Pancakes for Roger. The insights in these pages come from family, friends, colleagues, and life in general—but the most important teachings are from her late father. When she’s not running her business or helping others navigate challenges, you can find her flipping tires at her CrossFit gym, cheering on the Missouri Tigers, KC Chiefs, and Royals, or slaying the dragons that have come her way.

Episode highlights:

• What it really looks like to own four businesses and manage them with intention.
• How a book that began with one chapter about her father became a collection of his wisdom—“Dad-isms”
• Why writing Pancakes for Roger pushed Susan far outside her comfort zone and how that stretch sparked growth and change.
• The importance of having creative outlets, even (and especially) for high-achieving business owners.
• Growing up in a family that believed if you have good advice, it’s your duty to share it.
• Reflections on legacy, gratitude, and being able to say she has no regrets about her relationship with her father.
• Susan’s book flight of impactful reads that have shaped her leadership, creativity, and perspective.

This episode is a thoughtful conversation about leadership, courage, creativity, and the enduring influence of the people who shape us most.

Connect with Susan:

• Website
• Instagram

Books and authors mentioned in the episode:

• Crescent City by Sarah J. Maas
• Phillip Margolan books
• The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins
• The Rose Code & The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
• The Library Book by Susan Orlean
• Gone Before Good by Harlen Coben and Reese Witherspoon
• Verity by Colleen Hoover

Book Flight

• Signs: The Secret Language of the Universe by Laura Lynne Jackson
• American Sirens by Kevin Hazard

✨ Find Your Next Great Read! We just hit 175 episodes of Bookish Flights, and to celebrate, I created the Bookish Flights Roadmap — a guide to all 175 podcast episodes, sorted by genre to help you find your next great read faster.

Explore it here → www.bookishflights.com/read/roadmap

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