Annie Durkin

My mom passed away when I was 18 from a very rare illness called sarcoidosis, and my dad actually beat stage 3 esophageal cancer a few years ago. I was very close to the insurance industry from a patient side of things, and I think that actually spurred me to really want to dive headfirst into working for Bennie. How much we help the end user and our advocacy support, and how much we're able to actually help families navigate complex claims in that environment, was really near and dear to my heart because I have been there before. It sometimes feels like the insurance industry makes it as complicated as possible on purpose. I love that we get to work with direct families and help them navigate often some of the most difficult times in their lives. I think that's really what shaped me in terms of how I can even sell what we do or communicate it to other people. I always compare it to when you're stuck on a trip and just want to call an airline direct and you can't get a human on the phone, but with benefits, it's only a million times worse because it's often a complicated claim and it might not be coded or built correctly. I just don't think that actual Americans have enough support when it comes to working directly with people who know the industry, so that's really why I love what I do.

I've had a few mentors, and I can be a very emotional person. One of my past mentors always told me to keep your composure, because at the end of the day, your voice can be the most important one at the table, as long as what you're saying isn't completely fueled in the moment by your emotions. That's actually been really helpful for me to keep in the back of my mind. But she also told me, don't take emotions completely out of the equation, because it is what makes you unique, and it's what makes people listen to you. I think just having learned how to handle my emotions and incorporate them into what I'm trying to communicate without it being overwhelming has made a huge difference, for sure. And also, to remind yourself who you are when you walk into a room. You are just as capable, and it's just as great that you're there as anyone else in that room. A lot of people can have imposter syndrome, but I've noticed it especially in women. Just right before you walk into a room, take a deep breath and remind yourself that you deserve to be there.

I would say, especially for women, I work in still what is very much a boys' club. I think it's changing a lot, but I think it was what deterred me from even wanting to go back into it in the first place. Any woman that finds themselves in the benefit space or in the insurance space, I would say, break down those barriers, break down those boundaries, because we need as many women as we can get. It's that element of compassion that I think is often sometimes lacking, and it's become such a commoditized industry. When I see women who are rising through the ranks and are becoming at the executive level, it tends to have such an amazing impact on the entire organization and industry as a whole. So I would just say keep pushing, and reach out to other women, whether they be in your field or not. I have had so many mentors, and that is really what I would credit absolutely everything with today, is reaching out and leaning on those other women, because women are really open to helping other women, if you just ask.

It sometimes feels like the insurance industry makes it as complicated as possible on purpose. I always compare it to when you're stuck on a trip and just want to call an airline direct and you can't get a human on the phone, but with benefits, it's only a million times worse because it's often a complicated claim and it might not be coded or built correctly. I just don't think that actual Americans have enough support when it comes to working directly with people who know the industry. There was a lot about the industry that could be changed and reshaped to fit more of a mold that speaks to people today. I work in still what is very much a boys' club, though I think it's changing a lot. When I see women who are rising through the ranks and are becoming at the executive level, it tends to have such an amazing impact on the entire organization and industry as a whole. It's that element of compassion that I think is often sometimes lacking, and it's become such a commoditized industry.

I think that humor is actually one of the big ones. I love to laugh, and I think that one of my favorite things has been developing a relationship with colleagues and coworkers and people I meet along the way, and bonding over just actually very human things, being able to laugh together, whether it's about food or something funny. Beyond that, I come from a very big family, and I love to take care of people. Especially when we hire someone new, we have been growing very quickly at Bennie, and oftentimes we're bringing on people who've never worked in the insurance industry whatsoever. I really like to take care of those people, because you really never know just how much help and support, even if you think it's a little bit, will go so much farther in helping them with their career and helping them do well. I'm definitely not a super competitive salesperson. I want to see everyone around me do well, so I think just how much I care about other people is really important to me.