FEBRUARY 2008: BIZ LIFE, SECOND ACTS
Cruising
from high tech to the high seas
Many people dream of escaping the corporate world, though few
are brave — or crazy — enough to actually break
away. Steve Levich spent more than 20 years in the computer
marketing business, working his way to the upper management at
Intel. When Intel downsized in 2000, it offered severance
packages to employees who volunteered to leave. Levich saw a
way out.
“I was getting burnt out with the corporate environment
and working 10- to 12-hour days,” he says.
“You’re not really in control of your
destiny.” News of the departure didn’t go over well
with Levich’s wife, Beth, a veteran insurance claims
adjuster; major life changes weren’t in her plans. But
Steve was already scoping out franchise options, ready to
start up his own business.
It didn’t happen right away. Levich remained jobless for
a year and considered everything from making pizzas to a
muffler shop as his next business venture. Finally he found
Cruise Holidays, a Portland-based cruise vacation planning
company with 140 franchises in the U.S. and Canada. Levich knew
Cruise Holidays, recently purchased by Carlson Companies, had
deep pockets and was a stable investment. He also saw that the
job would need technology and marketing skills, which he had.
In addition, Beth was a pro at sales.
Admittedly, Levich knew nothing about the travel business. But
a benefit of working in the industry, he explains, is that
clients and cruise lines want you to have first-hand experience
with the products before you sell. “When people walk in,
they want someone who has experienced it all,” he says.
And the Levichs have that. Steve estimates they spend three
months on cruise trips every year.
“Once you become a major player in the industry,
you’re invited to every inaugural,” Levich says.
During a “cruise to nowhere,” professionals learn
about new ships over the course of a three-day party. Cruise
Holidays is now a $4 million business after just six years and
has won several awards from the parent company. The Levichs
employ nine people, including their oldest daughter, at their
northwest Portland office near Beaverton.
Of course, the franchise began as a gamble. Levich points out
they don’t get paid until the travel happens, so in a
business that revolves around pre-booking, there were no
profits for the first year or so. While he felt more in control
than when he worked for a corporation, Levich knew he was
working against the market. “But it gets you up early in
the morning to go out there and get clients,” he says.
They focused especially on group sales, which have become the
core of their client base.
Does Levich ever tire of cruises? Hardly. “I have a list
of destinations I’ve never been to, and the list is
long,” he says. Having escaped the corporate world, he
doesn’t dream about retirement anymore.
AMBER NOBE
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