Ciara Bolden

I would say my children, because again, that just lets them know, like, hey, it's okay to make changes, you know, to better yourself. My daughters were there when mommy graduated, so yeah, I just want them to see that, hey, there's literally nothing wrong with changing plans in your life for you to get better. They're my motivation to keep pushing forward and showing them that you can pivot and make positive changes in your career and life.

First and foremost, I was always told to try to work somewhere where basically pay isn't the main factor. You want to work somewhere that you enjoy. I really enjoy working in the insurance field, and I take constructive criticism very well, because that's to help me grow. That's pretty much what I'm looking for - just to grow over time, if not just with my employer, but in the insurance field in general.

You won't know unless you try. It's okay for you to, quote-unquote, fall short, but you won't know anything until you give it a try. Yeah, there's nothing wrong with making changes, and just, yeah, just go for it. The only thing you can say is, oh, it wasn't for me, that's it. Don't be afraid to try something new, even if it's an industry you never looked into before.

I will say that probably one of the biggest challenges is finding the right insurance company for you. I know that agents are in high demand, so most of the time when an insurance company is reaching out to you for employment, they're mostly asking if you're interested in becoming an agent. A lot of people aren't interested in that because it's strictly commissions, and I know that it is a very small number with the company that I'm at now, as far as agents that stay. Like, that's actually a revolving door - at New York Life, it's the agents that come in, and that lasts. So I do think that what is the biggest hiccup with any insurance company is just being able to keep agents. But I believe, as far as call center or just customer service, I believe that's pretty simple, just making sure that you have the right skills, able to communicate, speak clearly, things of that nature should be pretty simple.

Personally, my values are making sure that I'm a woman of my word. I'm a mom as well, so just being a positive influence to my daughters, to my nieces, my great-nieces - just being a positive individual for all young ladies that are around me. Professionally, I value being someone that's dependable, that's reliable. You know, hey, we need to get this done - that's what it is for me. Accountability, dependability, and integrity are all part of my makeup.