Her Story
About Camela
I've been in insurance for a solid 25 years, starting at Blue Cross of South Carolina. I've worked on both the broker side and the carrier side, which I think is what has given me a leg up as far as working as a broker at this point. As a client services executive, I'm paired with a producer, and we strategize employee benefit plans for groups. When you take on a new job or have your open enrollment, there is a broker team that works with your HR department to put those plans together, and that is what I do. My main area of expertise is figuring out where the gap is and how to fill it - what's missing, why is it missing, and making it usable. This is something that I'm passionate about. I never imagined that I would be excited about employee benefits, but I am most proud that I am able to take something that's so complex and make it relatable for everyday people, because employee benefits is something that impacts everyone every single day. I have a degree in marketing and management, and ironically it's probably coming in more handy now than it has ever before with the usage of social media and AI advances in the last couple of years. I'm currently working on getting my fiduciary certification as well, so that my clients know I am 100% telling them the right thing. I am a licensed insurance professional as well.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Camela
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would probably attribute my success to having parents that told me to just do it. And probably being told that I couldn't do something, for whatever reason, or that I shouldn't do something for whatever reason. That's been my biggest motivation, and probably my biggest contribution to where I am now, because I feel like I'm pretty self-disciplined, and I don't wait for somebody to hand me anything. If I feel like it's a goal that I want to achieve, I'm going to go out there and get it. That's what I teach my daughters, and that's what I teach all the other women around me.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Stay home until you have enough money to buy something. Don't get caught in the apartment trap - that's a money suck right there. But seriously, figure out yourself first. Surround yourself with people that can teach you something. And pair yourself with a partner whose strengths are not yours.
03What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
My biggest values are probably doing the right things - integrity, but let's just go ahead and do the right thing to start with, so that we don't have to worry about remembering lies. You're not going to remember the details a little bit later, so let's just go ahead and do the right thing, let's get it done. That's not to say that mistakes were never made, but let's just go ahead and do the right thing the first time. I love what I do, because I get to teach people, and there's so many women that are in charge of their lives at this point in a way they never thought they would be, on how to put themselves in the best possible position possible. I love being able to do that every day.
Keep Exploring
More Influential Women · Georgia
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.