Her Story
About Ciara
Ciara CatesWilson is a leader and sales team coach in the insurance industry with seven years of experience. She began her career as a CNA right out of high school before moving into customer service and tech support roles, eventually transitioning into insurance where she specializes in Medicare sales. For the past six years, she has led a sales team, coaching and developing agents into top performers while monitoring compliance. Ciara holds an insurance license, which was instrumental in her career progression, and she has completed some college courses though she does not hold a formal degree. She is a member of the AAPC, a medical coding organization, which complements her work in insurance. Ciara attributes her success to taking the time to own her craft early as an agent and knowing how to find answers independently. She values keeping her word, leading by example, and being reliable, advice she extends to treating team members as people rather than numbers and leading from the front. Outside of her professional responsibilities, she participates in local donations around the holidays in the Charlotte area.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Ciara
01What do you attribute your success to?
I'm really taking the time to own my craft early in my years as an agent. Having a leader is great, but knowing the information yourself and not having to necessarily reach out every time you have a question, and knowing where to find the answer on your own goes a long way.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Treat your team like people, and not like a number. And lead from the front.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Own your craft, for sure.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Challenges include navigating many different personalities and staying flexible with a team of 20 different people and needs daily. Opportunities include moving up into director or operations manager roles, compliance, or VP-type roles. There is always room to grow.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Keeping your word, doing what you say you're gonna do, leading by example, and being reliable. If I'm asking my team to do something, I should be willing to do it as well, such as getting on calls to demonstrate good sales techniques.
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