“I can’t say what it was exactly that made us click. We all came from very different backgrounds. I think it was a common mindset of being willing to step out of one’s comfort zone,” Diane said. “Everyone was really high energy and we just connected with our shared enthusiasm.”
After great success, Diane decided to do the same thing the following year. The amount of people doubled.
The next year, people were lined up to go. She didn’t even need to send out an email.
At that point, Diane had a tough decision to make — keep her job or take the leap to start her own company.
“It was all the Microsoftees that helped me take the leap. That was my springboard,” she said. “I never intended to start a business.”
Diane bought her first boat, Vassilis, and launched SeaScape. During the first five winters after starting her business, she stayed with Microsoft friends in Seattle and promoted SeaScape to people who were desperate for the sun.
“Microsoft launched the business in an indirect way,” she said, noting that she still keeps in touch with people from the first trips. They joke that they should send Bill Gates a postcard each year thanking him.
Shauna McDaniel, a 22-year Microsoft veteran, joined one of Diane’s early trips and still gets together with other members of the group to catch up.
“There were lasting friendships from that first trip,” Shauna said. She’s since joined Diane on trips to Thailand and Tonga, and they’re prepping for an excursion to the Philippines.
“She’s very much a great hostess on the boat and knows how to make things fun and makes good connections,” Shauna said. “It’s a pretty good bet that you’re going to have a lovely trip if you choose to go do something with Diane.”
During SeaScape’s one- to two-week sailing trips, guests explore local sights, eat spectacular cuisine, meet new friends and even learn how to sail. The off-the-beaten-path destinations sweep guests away from the tourist’s scene — exploring unique hidden gems along the Mediterranean and Southeast Asia. Trips are tailored to each group of guests.
“That’s our niche… you can see inside the culture,” said Diane. “It’s not just being on a boat.”
The trips offer clear-blue views with plenty of stops at local towns, some so small that a larger boat couldn’t event visit. Guests can offboard to ride buggies, explore the beaches, meet with locals or shop.
“We have the insider angle,” Diane said of the stops they make. “We know these people. They are families that we are a part of, and they are so sweet and they just take in our clients.”