I’m often asked, which is best – big broker or small? My short answer is – neither is “better” but one is absolutely better FOR YOU.

About 10 years ago, my husband and I were working for the same insurance company. A new CEO took over and with that came a bunch of changes, one of which being that we all had to reapply for our positions...

Focusing in such a niche space means I see lots of the same stuff day in and day out. 90% of the roles I work on are commercial agency service or commercial underwriting. Here are some of my best interview tips for those positions.

At a time when there’s stiff competition for jobs (especially those that are fully remote which tend to have more applicants), standing out is key. You only get one chance to make a first impression (it’s so true!!), so your LinkedIn profile and resume must be on point.

If I were starting a new career in insurance today knowing what I know now (after 17 years in the industry), here's the advice I'd give myself:

It’s no secret that this is a weird and wild job market. Are you seeing it? Everyone’s in need of people, yet it seems no one’s hiring. Roles are urgently in need of filling, yet hiring processes are dragging on for weeks, sometimes even months.

Today’s employee juggles a lot. Whether that’s caring for children, caring for elderly parents (or for some – both!), we are shouldering more than ever outside of the office. There’s also been a shift in recent years as to how we approach this thing called work life balance.

A candidate recently told me that when she gave her notice, her boss said to her: "I think you will find the grass is not greener where you're headed. If that turns out to be the case, call me." I know how she was feeling after that comment…

Most every broker is looking for new producers. But, where to find them? 🤔

Underwriters love to dodge phone calls and send emails instead. I was absolutely guilty of it in the early days of my career because it was easier to figure out the answer and respond by email, than feel uncomfortable not knowing the answer on the phone.

Culture matters - people want more out of life and work than ever before. Culture isn't a ping pong table in your breakroom. It's giving people the flexibility to juggle a career and a homelife. Being generous with time off and remote work. Getting rid of toxic employees even if they are top sales people (yes, really!). Supporting causes that are important to your teams. You'll be surprised how much harder people will work when they feel valued and appreciated.

It takes time and effort to get in front of a client to earn the opportunity in the first place. Put the same amount of effort into getting a great option from your Under Writer or you're working way harder than you need to.

People do business with people they know, like and trust. Producers have lots of choices when marketing a new account - they are going to gravitate to those they like working with.

Spending your entire career at one company was once the thing to do. It was stable. You had a pension. You were respected for your loyalty to the company.

Do you mentor and guide other women without regard for how it could help you? Do you share your wisdom or keep it guarded for fear of someone one-upping you?

Having worked with many different producers in my underwriting days, and along side many others when I became a producer myself, I've come to realize there are essentially 2 types of people:

Insurance can feel like the wild west at times. Some of the stuff I have seen and stories I've heard lately.... I'm dumbfounded.

"SALES" makes many (dare I say, most?) people cringe. 😬

If you're a producer not focused on selling by BOR, you're making life way harder than it needs to be.

One of the best bosses I ever had gave me the boot - for my own good.