Before I owned my travel agency, I worked there for two wonderful people, Ted* and Liz,* partners; but, not married to each other. Liz and I worked side-by-side and Ted, a school councilor, worked at night and on the weekends. They were lovely to me and very fair employers. In 1991, they decided to sell their agency. They wanted to retire and were willing to sell it to me and a former outside sales agent, Ann.* They were almost giving us the agency as a gift. The price was so unbelievable low!

When I had worked with Ann in the past, I didn't like her. She had made some mistakes and I didn't think she had her head on straight. I told Ted and Liz I would prefer to never work with her in the future. But about one year before Liz and Ted told me they were going to sell the agency, Ann had changed. She was a totally different person. She was focused and was doing a good job. So when Ted and Liz asked me if I was willing to have Ann as a partner, I said, "Sure."

Ann confessed to me that she was in two 12-step programs and she thought it was best I knew before we became partners. I was proud of the "new" Ann and believed she deserved a second chance. Ann was tall, slim and looked like a blond Jamie Lee Curtis. She was a divorced mother of a young son. She left teaching at the local Catholic grammar school to be a co-owner of our agency. She was independently wealthy and assured me she had money to start up the business. She was a whiz at accounting and back-office details.

I was short and round. I looked like Mimi on the Drew Cary Show, except I don't wear make up. I knew the travel business inside out. My knowledge made up for my lack of extra money. I was qualified to be the manager, a requirement to get approved by ARC (Airline Reporting Corporation.) I had a good working relationship with Airlines, Cruise Lines and Travel Wholesalers- all of which was important when owning and managing a Travel Agency. I could sell my little heart out. I have been known to sell people a cruise, when they just wanted to buy a ticket to Boston. I was the kind of person who would see a customer outside and go outside and ask them about their grandson. Our agency had many loyal customers. The agency was the oldest on Long Island and we didn't want to change its name and the reputation the agency had. The agency was well thought of in the Travel Industry.

We worked well together. Ann sat in the back and I greeted customers. She asked if her son's nanny, Mary, could work

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