Grabbing the Circular Rope: Lessons From Relocation's Female Leaders

March is Women's History Month, and WERC's Mobility News marked the occasion with a piece worth reading more than once. In Grabbing the Circular Rope: Decades of Wisdom From Some of Relocation's Female Leaders, journalist Jana Lee Lowenstein, CRP, GMS-T, SGDS, sat down with four women who have collectively shaped the talent mobility profession over decades — including our own Sandy Lee and Susan Benevides of Plus Relocation Services (PLUS).

The article's central metaphor is both apt and telling. In relocation, there is no straight career ladder with obvious entry and exit points. There is a circular rope — one that people grab at unexpected moments, hold on through cycles of change, and never quite let go of, because the work of helping people navigate life's most disruptive transitions has a way of becoming something much more than a job.

From Real Estate Roots to Global Mobility

For Sandy and Susan, that rope began in a family real estate company founded in 1968. Sandy found her footing early by turning a liability into fuel — being underestimated proved to be a motivator that sharpened her resolve and her instincts. Susan, on the other hand, initially resisted joining the family business, pursuing a career in broadcasting before eventually stepping into leadership. Over time, she helped grow PLUS from a traditional real estate brokerage into the global relocation management company Plus Relocation is today.

It's a story of evolution that mirrors the industry itself — and one that required not just business acumen but the kind of patient, relationship-driven leadership that defines the best of this profession.

Leading With Authenticity

The COVID-19 pandemic was, for Susan, a defining leadership moment. Rather than managing through distance or defaulting to process, she leaned into emotional connection, showing up for employees as a person first, simply asking whether they were okay. She views this as a core strength of female leadership: the willingness to lead with vulnerability and to treat people as people, not headcount.

Sandy has navigated similar tests of character. Whether facing gender-based dismissal early in her career or the weight of building something that lasts, she has consistently brought the same person to the boardroom that she is everywhere else. That authenticity — the commitment to being consistent, present, and real — runs through the entire article as the common thread among all four leaders profiled.

The Themes That Bind Them

The other women featured — Beth Archibald of Archibald Relocation and Lynn Breedlove of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Premier Properties — echo many of the same principles. Archibald, who founded her company during the 2008 downturn and co-authored the industry-standard Broker's Market Analysis (BMA) form, believes that strength is demonstrated not by avoiding mistakes but by owning them. Breedlove, whose legendary voicemail greeting — "How may I offer you outstanding service?" — has been unchanged for years, argues that a leader's reputation is built in the second mile: doing more than is required simply because you can.

On work-life balance, all four are refreshingly candid. Perfect balance is a myth. Intentional boundaries are not. And on mentorship, Susan speaks with particular conviction — crediting her cheerleaders (including, as it happens, Archibald) for many of her career milestones: WERC president, multiple Distinguished Service Awards, and induction into the WERC Hall of Leaders.

Technology That Works for People

For all four, technology earns its place by strengthening the human side of relocation. Sandy and Susan point to personality-based tools as a way to align employees with roles where they can thrive. Archibald offers a useful caution: automation is growing, but the personal touch — the care and empathy in moving someone from point A to point B — is what has always set this industry apart.

That's ultimately the article's most enduring message, and one that Plus has always believed: relocation is, at its core, about people helping people. This Women's History Month, we're proud to see Sandy and Susan recognized among the leaders who have embodied that truth for decades.

Read the full article at WERC's Mobility News.