Her Story
About Alfrida
I've been in the insurance industry for almost 2 years now, which is fairly new for me, but I bring a lot of background in customer service since my husband and I owned our own restaurant many years ago. My role as an account specialist is mainly servicing clients' accounts and making sure that everything is taken care of - providing excellent service to make sure they're insured properly, adequately, and that there are no gaps. We take care of the entire family, from auto insurance to home insurance to health policies, you name it, just to make sure that everyone is well taken care of. Before insurance, my primary career was in education. I have a bachelor's degree in human ecology with a concentration in family and child studies, and I was a certified teacher for early and middle childhood. I stayed home with my children to raise them, and when everyone was back in school, I taught for a few years. After moving from New Jersey to Florida where I reside now, I also worked for a university as an academic advisor, which was another form of teaching and mentoring, but in higher education. When I transitioned into insurance, I had a super mentor who had been in the industry for over 25 years and was incredible in guiding me through learning new systems and processes.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Alfrida
01What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I was given is that you are not selling products to clients - if you serve your clients, then everything will fall into place. So just come from that place of service. That's me to begin with - I want to make a connection with my clients, so you get to know them, you get to know their family, and that's how you serve them best. It's about coming from a connection of service, which is really how you'll be helping people.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would definitely advise them to work hard and take all the resources you have - utilize everyone around you that's been in this industry. Make sure you are asking lots of questions to ensure that you're serving your clients to your best ability. Don't take anything for granted, and I would definitely recommend lots of training - any training that is offered to them, just to better themselves and prepare themselves so they can do a good job. With hard work, dedication, and working hard at serving others, they will thrive. They will be okay in this industry.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Every business has their own challenges, and insurance for sure does, especially in Florida where we have a lot of hurricanes and things that are out of our control. Rates are obviously a challenge too. But you can't be discouraged and say this is too challenging, because every area and every field has their own challenges. You just take one day at a time, and you have to see the positive and the opportunity in those challenges so you can get better and get stronger. That grit is very important in this industry - you can't give up. The problem-solving aspect of it is super important. You have to make sure you're coming up with different ideas on how to tackle that challenge and be flexible.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Family definitely is my number one. I have three amazing teens and actually a young adult who just graduated college, and I have one going to college. Education is very important to me, especially for young women, especially for my girls. I am an advocate for education, getting educated, and independence, so they can be fierce and carve their own path and not rely on anyone. Family values are extremely important to me. Accountability and doing the right thing and helping others - that's very big for me. It's always been part of growing up and was modeled by my parents as well. Those things really draw a picture of who I am as a person. I also value relationship building and making connections with my clients.
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