As New Sunshine’s Senior Sales Trainer, Susan Carlton spends more than 200 days on the road each year to train salon owners, managers and staff, as well as distribution company sales teams. Her friendly, engaging style has inspired many to develop the confidence they need to sell higher-end products, and this has won her many close friends over the years. It has also underscored the challenges and accomplishments she’s faced while carving out a niche for herself in this world. ist Magazine needed to discover the story behind this friendly, unique and inspiring career woman…
While Susan Carlton describes herself as a “people person,” her character is defined by the strength and determination she’s exhibited throughout her well-traveled life.
Susan discovered two things very early in life – she wanted to be successful, and she had a talent for sales. During her journey, she faced many challenges that threatened to knock her off course, but she steadfastly remained true to it. Even after suffering the greatest tragedy a parent could ever face in their lifetime, she emerged from the experience a more centered person, dedicated to sharing what she’s learned with others. This selfless worth ethic is a testament to who she is, where she comes from and what she always wanted to be – a person who defines success not by the dollar signs, but by the difference she’s made in other people’s lives.
Down on the Farm
Susan Merle Moore was born May 19, 1951 to Roy and Merle Moore of Wauchula, FL. She was the eldest of the couple’s four children – her sisters Jan and Shirley, and brother David – and she grew up working in her parents’ orange grove. “We never had to worry about finding after-school jobs,” said Susan, “because our jobs were waiting for us the minute we got home. We had a good, solid upbringing with parents who always made sure we had what we needed, and got what we wanted when they could afford it.” As a young girl, Susan’s dreams were entrepreneurial in nature, and she has her father to thank for that. “He said the farmer gets paid too little, but the person buying an orange at the supermarket pays too much,” she explained. “The middleman, he said, makes all the money, so I knew I wanted to be the middleman.”
While Roy Moore put his blood, sweat and tears into his farm, Susan says he was also smart enough to know that each year’s crop was a gamble against Mother Nature. Because of this, Roy found other sources of income throughout the year, including tractor sales. “Although he sold more Ford tractors than anyone else, he never considered himself a great salesman,” Susan recalled. “He said he sold so many because he used them himself and knew a lot about them. I finally realized what he meant when I was in the ninth grade and sold 500 holiday greeting cards for a school fundraiser.” Since Susan loved the holidays, she says selling the cards was easy for her, and that taste of success sealed her fate. “That was when I knew I wanted to be in sales,” she said.
Tough Times, Tougher Lady
After graduating from Hardee High School in 1969, Susan’s plan was to become a professional salesperson like she’d always wanted. Her early life choices, however, although they postponed those dreams, also sharpened her strength and resilience. “When I was in school, I dated someone with a ‘bad boy’ reputation because he smoked, didn’t go to church and rode in rodeos,” she said. “When I was 19, we married and I gave birth to our son, Todd. He used to say that my independence was one of things that attracted him to me, but it’s too bad he didn’t mean it.” The couple lived in Sebring, where Susan had a job in the trust department of a local bank while her husband worked on his uncle’s farm. It wasn’t long before her husband began to prefer that she stay at home and this, among other equally serious problems, led to their divorce. “Once the trust is gone from a relationship, that’s it,” she added.
As a young, single mother in the early 1980s, Susan planned to attend law school at the University of Tampa. She didn’t pursue this goal, however, because she met a businessman whom she thought was in need of saving. “He owned a failing hardware store and hired me to find out what was going wrong,” she explained. “On my first day, I witnessed the manager stealing more than $1,300 in revenue and merchandise, and he was promptly fired.” The store owner was impressed with Susan’s job performance, and he managed to present himself as the perfect boyfriend and fiancée. The couple married in 1983, but things fell apart once he discovered that she had a mind of her own. “In hindsight, I was too easily influenced by what he said he wanted, when I should’ve paid more attention to his actions,” she said. After seven tumultuous years of marriage, Susan divorced her second husband to begin what would become – and remains today – a life of her own.
The third phase of Susan’s adult life was marred by the deepest tragedy a parent can ever face – the death of their child. “When I learned my son had been killed in a car accident by the careless actions of another driver, I went numb,” she said. “Todd was my world, and at 27, he was too young to die.” For the next year, Susan says she lived in a fog of shock. She had owned and sold a tanning business, but the industry still needed her… and she needed the industry. “I accepted a job offer from Wendy Beach at Beach Distributing a year after Todd’s death,” she explained. “I taught salon owners how to sell lotion and it was a positive way to cope with my loss. That, along with my family, friends and my deep faith, kept me going.” After five years with Beach Distributing, Susan was offered a similar position at California Tan, where she remained after the company was acquired by New Sunshine, LLC in 2006.
“It’s truly been a pleasure getting to know Susan and learning from her over the past six years. She is one of the best sales trainers in this industry, and she does an amazing job of making the information she provides practical and usable. Over the years, Susan has become a friend who’s always provided guidance and an ear, and I’ve learned a great deal from her on both professional and personal levels. I will always appreciate her kindness to me, my wife and children, and she will always be a part of my family.”
Steve Trautman, Senior Field Sales Rep
New Sunshine, LLC
Happy Times
These days, Susan finds herself traveling and training salon professionals more than 150 days a year for New Sunshine. While her job keeps her busy, she still finds time for some of her favorite things. “I read as much as I can, especially murder-mysteries and crime fiction,” she said. “I also enjoy spending time with my girlfriends Marci Bryan and Debbie Johnson from high school, and we still get together at least one weekend a month to hang out at the beach or enjoy a spa day. We always have a lot of fun together.” Family is also very important to Susan, so being “Favorite Aunt Susan” to her four nieces, one nephew and their children is a role she was born to play. “I might be 62, but these wonderful kids are the ones who help make me feel young!” she exclaimed.
During her seven years as a traveling trainer for New Sunshine, Susan has enjoyed many successes, and plans to build upon these achievements. “Webinar technology has come a long way in the past couple years,” she said, “and I’m looking forward to hosting more of these sessions for New Sunshine customers everywhere. What’s great about this electronic medium is that it allows salon professionals all across the country to log in from wherever they are in order to learn more about New Sunshine’s many wonderful products, and how to sell them. I’ve always loved sharing this information with people and webinars allow me to help more and more people. Besides, I realize that there’s no way I can retire and become an eccentric cat lady – I’m allergic to cats!”
Many people develop an idea of who they want to be at an early age. With the right amount of love, support and determination, these people can go on to achieve great things. But what about those whose efforts are met with resistance? In the case of Susan Carlton, adversity only strengthened her resolve to become the best version of herself. In a time when “living the dream” has become a catch-phrase, it’s great to see that Susan has made it a reality.
What’s Up with Susan?
- Current TV Faves: Criminal Minds, NCIS, NCIS Los Angeles,
- Major Crimes, and Rizzoli & Isles.
- Listening to: Whatever the rental car radio picks up, as long as it isn’t rap or
- political talk shows. At home, it’s easy listening or ‘60s & ‘70s rock.
- Favorite Foods: Fresh fruit, shrimp, steak, and asparagus fixed any way except
- with cheese sauce on it. Oh, and I have a love-hate relationship with
- ice cream. On the road, it’s anything that I can eat while driving
- without ruining my clothes.
- “Pet Peeve”: Rude people and anyone doing the road-rage thing.
- Weekend Stuff: When I’m not working, I catch up on my favorite shows that I’ve
- recorded, get away with friends or enjoy grilling and pool with family.
- “Dream Vacation”: Australia by way of Hawaii, or the Fiji Islands with a week
- or two stop in France and Sicily, but until I win the Powerball jackpot,
- I’ll take Siesta Key, FL.
