Kimberly Foltz, MA

Resilience and perseverance have played a significant role in my journey. My career has brought wonderful opportunities, but it has also brought challenges, changes, and moments when things did not go exactly as I had planned. I learned to keep moving forward, remain open to what each experience could teach me, and trust that a setback did not have to define what came next.

My faith has kept me grounded and reminded me that success is about more than a title or an accomplishment. It is also about how you use the opportunities you are given, how you treat people along the way, and how you use your experience to help others grow.

I have never wanted to become too comfortable. I continue to challenge myself, stay curious, and remain willing to learn something new. For me, success has come from continuing to take the next step, even when that step required courage, perseverance, or faith.

A mentor at Travelers taught me an important lesson early in my career: strong leadership requires more than technical expertise—it requires an awareness of how you show up.

He cared enough about my development to give me honest guidance not only about my skills, but also about how I communicated, carried myself, and was perceived by others. Before I attended a training program in Connecticut, he told me, "You're going to be in a fishbowl." His point was that as your responsibilities grow, people notice not only what you accomplish, but how you conduct yourself along the way.

That advice stayed with me. It taught me to pay attention to professional presence, remain self-aware, and value the people who care enough to tell me what I may not see for myself. Some of the most valuable mentors are not the ones who simply encourage you, they are the ones willing to help you see where you can become better.

My advice to young women entering the insurance industry—or any profession—is to have the courage to pursue what you want and not allow fear to make decisions for you. Sometimes the biggest barriers are the ones we create in our own minds. Be willing to step outside your comfort zone, raise your hand for opportunities, and pursue leadership roles even before you feel completely ready.

Surround yourself with people who will encourage you, challenge you, and give you honest feedback. Seek out mentors but also recognize that some of your greatest lessons will come from people whose leadership looks very different from your own.

Most importantly, never stop learning. Growth often happens when we take on something that stretches us. I still look for opportunities that challenge me because I never want to become so comfortable with what I know that I stop discovering what I can become.

One of the biggest challenges - and opportunities in the insurance industry today is turning strategy into meaningful execution while keeping pace with rapid change. The industry has tremendous access to new technology, data, and artificial intelligence, but innovation only creates value when organizations can successfully integrate it into their operations and use it to improve the experience for employees, agents, and customers.

Progress often depends on understanding what prevents a good idea from moving forward. I enjoy identifying those barriers, bringing the right people together, and finding practical ways to move initiatives from concept to implementation. 

I see tremendous opportunity for insurance professionals who remain curious and adaptable. The pace of change rewards those willing to learn, adapt, and think differently. Organizations and leaders who embrace change while remaining focused on people will be well positioned for the future. 

Faith, continuous growth, service, and helping others succeed guide me both professionally and personally. My faith provides the foundation of how I try to live and lead, reminding me to serve others, remain grounded, and approach each opportunity with purpose.

I believe strongly in maintaining a growth mindset and say, "Feedback is a gift." Staying willing to listen and learn has shaped me throughout my career, and I try to encourage that same openness in the people I lead and mentor. 

Service is equally important to me. Whether through my church, the insurance industry, or my work with Future Business Leaders of America, I believe we have a responsibility to use our experience to open doors for others. At this stage of my career, one of the most rewarding things I can do is help someone else recognize their potential and take the next step in their own journey.

Ultimately, I try to lead with faith, continue learning, serve others, and leave people better because our paths crossed.