Susan L. Combs - Champion for the #PancakesForRoger Movement

Susan L. Combs

Susan L. Combs is President of Combs & Company, a full-service insurance brokerage firm based in New York City. Susan started the company at twenty-six years old with a drive to “Do more, better.” This internal mantra has resulted in numerous successes and firsts, like being named the youngest National President in the over eighty-five-year history of Women in Insurance & Financial Services (WIFS) and the first female Broker of the Year winner for BenefitsPro. She is also the bestselling author of Pancakes for Roger.

Susan is “a Missouri girl in a New York world,” and it’s the lessons she learned during her Midwestern upbringing and two-plus decades in New York City that are the basis of this book. The insights contained in these pages come from family, friends, colleagues, and life in general. But the most important teachings are from her late father. It was his steady guidance in life that set Susan’s foundation and it was his passing that inspired her new movement, Pancakes for Roger (www.PancakesForRoger.com).

When Susan’s not running her business or trying to help others through their own challenges, you can find her flipping tires at her beloved CrossFit gym, supporting the Missouri Tigers, KC Chiefs, and Royals, or slaying the dragons that have come her way.

I’m excited for you to connect with Susan, check out her work and impact, and follow along as she continues to champion for the #PancakesForRoger movement - a moving tribute to her late father. Though he passed away in 2018, his legacy lives on in her new book, appropriately named Pancakes for Roger and a portion of the proceeds from her book benefits the University of Missouri School of Law Veterans Clinic in his honor.

I'd love it if you'd introduce yourself, what you do, and what you're working on.

My name is Susan L Combs and I am a self-described Missouri girl in a New York world. I grew up in a town of about 1000 people in the northwest corner of Missouri but I moved to New York City over 20 years ago. In a nutshell, I'm the owner of an insurance brokerage and consulting firm called Combs & Company, LLC that I started in 2005 when I was 26 years old. At the brokerage we are known to handle the “weird and unusual” risks that don’t fit into the standard insurance box. We work with a myriad of businesses with niche markets in entertainment, food based businesses as well as international companies opening up their first US location. And most recently I became a bestselling author when I publish “Pancakes a Roger: A Mentorship Guide for Slaying Dragons” in February of 2022.

How did you get started?

So when it comes to the brokerage firm, how I got started is I had a mentor that believed in me and he pushed me to go out on my own. I'd been working for a large firm that offered me an opportunity to go through management training program only to be very vague when it came to benefits and money, which lead me to the decision to strike out on my own.  

As for the book, I had had people after me to write one for a very long time. And after losing my father to Agent Orange related throat cancer I really needed something in my life that gave me a healing outlet that I found with writing.  I don't think I realized how much I needed to write the book until I was finished, the entire process was very cathartic for me.

What Inspired the work you’re doing?

In terms of insurance, my inspiration comes from the people we help sleep better at night. There's a lot of uncertainty in the world by working with individuals and companies I'm allowed to give them a better Peace of Mind that they may not have had before. 

As for the book, my dad, Major General Roger E Combs, was my inspiration.  He was my first mentor, cheerleader and strategist in my life.  I was one of his caretakers towards the end of his life and this allowed me to soak up all the final days, hours and minutes I could with him.  

The movement behind “Pancakes for Roger” was set up to celebrate the life and mentorship of my late father, Roger E Combs, who was was a highly decorated Vietnam veteran who was diagnosed with Agent-Orange-related throat cancer in his later years.  When he was on Hospice, he had a feeding tube and was on Oxygen so his nutrition was limited to being provided through this tube.  One morning, his Oxygen levels were low, which lead to come confusion for him.  He and I had a regular routine, but one morning, he beat me to the table where we usually did his tube feedings.  But things were different that day because he got out his placemat and set the table for himself and looked at me and told me he wanted to have “Pancakes for breakfast” something I knew wasn’t possible given the feeding tube.  It broke my heart because this was a man it never asked for anything and he was asking me to give him pancakes. I remember looking at him and saying “Dad there's nothing in this world I want to give you more than pancakes, but we are on Hospice and have a DNR (do not resuscitate) order and if you choke, we’d be done and I don't think we're quite ready to be done here.”  I ended up heading up his tube feeding formula as we did and set it on the table and he looked up and said to me, “What’s that?” and I said, “There’s your syrup.”  His Oxygen levels had started rallying and he understood.  I went on to share encounter with my father to many people and encourage them to go have some “pancakes for Roger” as a reminder to appreciating the little things in life because at the end of the day that's what makes the biggest impact.

What is your biggest passion? Do you feel like you're living your passion and purpose?

“Pancakes for Roger” has become a passion project for myself. After we shared the story on social media along with a picture of me enjoying some pancakes and encouraging people to go have some “Pancakes for Roger” if they were so inclined, things kind of took off. I've worked closely with the University of Missouri Law School Veterans Clinic since his passing, which has become a big love for me. Each year for the month of February, since my father’s birthday is that month, for every pancake loving picture that gets posted with the hashtag #PancakesForRoger my company makes a donation to the Veterans Clinic in his honor. This clinic is doing incredible work for our Veteran community by providing free legal services and navigation of the VA claims and appeals process to our Veterans and their families. Part of the proceeds of the book also will go to the Veterans Clinic in perpetuity.

What is your joy blueprint? What lights you up, brings you joy, and makes you feel the most alive?

To be honest, it depends on the day. Some days the biggest joy in my life are my two nieces, Josie and Evie. It’s incredible watching the excitement of a 4 year old and a 2 year old learn something new or just being kind people and getting a glimmer into the women they will become. Some days it's working with Veterans, advocating for them or simply connecting them with the Veterans Clinic to help them on their journey. Some days it's mentoring women in my industry and help them to understand the Sky's limit. I think that's one of the most important things about joy is understanding that it's not one size fits all and that you can find the joy in different aspects of your life as long as you're open to it.

How do you live intentionally? Are there tools/resources/practices that you rely on to help you stay mindful and grounded?

I think after my father passed, I understood the concept of living intentionally greater. It gave me a different perspective on my life and what I mean by this is I truly take the time to spend with people, places and things that really matter in my life and make the greatest impact.

What would your younger self think about what you're doing now?

I think she'd be pretty impressed. I work a lot as an expert witness now and that is something that my 26 year old self that started my firm would have never seen coming. I was always one of those kids growing up that I was street smart but not so much book smart so the thought of actually writing a book wasn't even on the radar.

Do you have a go-to mantra or affirmation?

How much time do you have? I kind of live and die by motivational quotes and matras so I’ll give you two.  One that I’ve borrowed and one that is mine.  

When I was at the airport getting ready to fly back to NYC after my father passed in Missouri I was scanning through quotes because I just needed something to hold onto.  The one I landed on that I went back to on a weekly basis that first year my dad passed was by Mandy Hale, “Tues the wait.  Embrace the uncertainty.  Enjoy the beauty of becoming.  When nothing is certain, anything is possible.” This got me through some of my darkest days that first year and I will always be grateful for it crossing my path at the right time. 

As for mine, “Take the time, be quick to listen, fierce to love, slower to say yes to everything and find the serenity when you can.” This kind of summed up my journey caring for my father as he was dying.  I got so much understanding on what was truly important and the legacy I want to leave behind.

What is your biggest dream?

Honestly, this one also depends on the day. I’m a big gratitudes and goals person and send these to my friend Kat every workday to keep us both in the right headspace. But if I’m going to put out what one of my mentors, Anne Deaton, would call a “stretch” something in your life that you feel that is bigger than yourself, I would say that “Pancakes for Roger” becomes a global movement that helps so many Veterans along the way. I believe at some point in my life, it will turn into a non-profit and make a greater impact when the time is right. I had a wonderful example of a mentor and leader in my father from the very start in my life and after he passed, I saw so much more of the impact he made in his life. He was one of those guys that was good when no one was watching, and that’s a legacy I think is worth emulating. If I can be half the person he was, I think that would be the biggest dream I could accomplish.

To connect with Susan and learn more check out her website www.combsandco.com and more information about the book at www.pancakesforroger.com and on LinkedIn here Instagram @combsandcompany Twitter @InsuranceVixen Facebook @SusanlCombs and YouTube here

Joy Corner is an interview-style blog series brought to you by Seek The Joy Podcast. Our mission continues to be a desire to share your stories, truths, joys and inspiration in your words. We invite you to join our corner, and share your joys, passions, and moments of inspiration as we continue to seek the joy, together. Join this series here