The Secret Life of...Susan Smith

"The views were breath taking and I had permanent smile the whole way," Susan recalled.

Susan Smith is best known among the ABCN community as the vivacious and friendly Executive Director of The ALLIANCE Academy. Under her leadership and direction, business centers throughout the world have enjoyed the opportunity to learn and get training and coaching from one of the Office Business Center industry’s most experienced leaders. Outside of serving as The Academy’s Executive Director, Susan's time is spent with family and friends...and with a great companion she calls "L'il Wood." 

What most ABCN Members probably don’t know is Susan’s secret passion for motorcycles. Susan's love for the open road started when she was just 12 years old, with an orange Honda Express Moped she received as a Christmas present. "My best friend and I thought we were the coolest kids in the neighborhood and rode from sun up to sun down every day," she said.

Her first real experience with a motorcycle came much later and with less success: "When I was married, I decided to borrow my husband's bike. I cranked it up, but never made it out of the drive way because it fell on top of me. I was stuck there for two hours!" While this kind of incident might have crushed another's enthusiasm,  Susan wasn't so easily deterred from her dream of riding a real motorcycle, solo. Her opportunity finally came just this March.

"I was researching IRS laws on writing off a company vehicle and learned that you also needed a personal vehicle to obtain the maximum discount.  I discovered that a motorcycle applied under the IRS code and decided it was finally time to get that bike." With this critical information in hand, Susan quickly went out and bought a Harley 1200 Sportster and signed up for a five-day riding course with the Rider's Edge. She passed the course with flying colors and was even voted "Most Likely to Wear Leather" by her class. After just a few weeks of practice, Susan gained the confidence to put on her leather and head out to public roads.

Now, just five short months later, Susan is a Harley pro. She has since traded in her first motorcycle for a Harley Softail Heritage, which she affectionately refers to as "L'il Wood," in reference to the nickname her biker friends have given her, "Hollywood." Susan said, "My bike weighs 780 pounds, but feels weightless going down the road. We are a match made in Harley heaven and I plan on keeping her forever!"

Most recently, Susan took a four-day bike trip to travel the Blue Ridge Parkway to Virginia. The incredible scenic route featured elevations over 5000 feet. "The views were breath taking and I had a permanent smile the whole way," Susan recalled.

On most weekends, Susan takes a long ride to relieve stress. "It really does make you appreciate the surrounding beauty,” she said. Susan lives in Georgia, where she takes advantage of her close access to mountains and long country roads.

"There are so many things I love about riding," she enthused. "The freedom of feeling the wind on my face (now I know why my dog sticks her head out the window), the smell of fresh cut grass, country roads, fruit stands, and hearing someone shout, 'Look, that's a girl on that bike!'"

Susan counts buying a motorcycle among the best decisions she's made. Her only regret? Waiting so long to get her bike! Susan loves enjoys motorcycling so much that it often leaves her with less time for her friends and family: "I received an email recently from my best friend that said 'Pray for rain, we miss Susan.' If it is not raining, I am on the bike!"