Debra Coleman

I attribute my success to my grandmother's advice to stay with a company and build my reputation rather than jumping from job to job. She told me that when I was in the food business, I would get mad at managers or coworkers and quit to work somewhere else, doing the same job for the same salary with the same kind of people, so I wasn't really making a change. She said I should try to stay at my job, learn to have tolerance and understanding of other people, and stay with the company to build myself a reputation. I took her advice and stayed with California Casualty for 10 years after she said that to me. I also learned from my father, who was a retired Lieutenant Colonel and pilot during Vietnam, and then worked as an accountant for Weyerhaeuser for 30 years. He set a very good example for me about staying in one position all his life and being a very well-educated, hardworking man. My adoptive mother, who was a real estate agent, also taught me a lot about dealing with people and how to handle the job. I've always focused on being reliable, dependable, and honest with my clients, never lying to them or giving them any BS, even if the truth is bad. The truth will always prevail and come out eventually.

The best career advice I ever received was from my grandmother many years ago, before I worked in the insurance industry. When I questioned whether I wanted to stay at California Casualty or move on, she told me that when I was in the food business, I would get mad at my managers or coworkers and quit my job to go work somewhere else, doing the same job, making the same salary, working with the same kind of people, so I wasn't really making a change. She said, why don't you try and stay at your job, learn how to have a little bit of tolerance of other people, an understanding of why they are this way, and stay with the company and build yourself a reputation. I took her advice, and I stayed with that company for 10 years after she said that to me. My grandmother was a very smart businesswoman herself, and her and I were very close. That advice about building my reputation by staying with one company rather than job-hopping was probably the best career advice I ever received in my lifetime.

My advice to young women entering the insurance industry is to stay committed and patient, understanding that success is built over time through consistency and perseverance. I have learned that credibility is earned through reliability and trust, and in client-focused work, reputation is everything. I also encourage continuous learning, taking initiative to deeply understand clients’ needs while steadily developing expertise. Being dependable and ethical is essential, as honesty and follow-through define professional integrity. Finally, I value teamwork and mentorship, and I believe growth in this industry comes from both learning from others and supporting those who are coming up behind me.

One of the biggest challenges I am currently facing in my field is age discrimination in the job market. As a senior citizen with extensive experience, I have applied for several positions since January and have often been turned down, and I strongly feel that my age may be a factor despite my qualifications. Even after having my resume professionally revised, which has led to some improved responses, I still encounter barriers that I believe are not related to my ability to perform the job. I want to emphasize that I am fully capable and would not apply for roles I cannot do. I also find it concerning that some applications request details such as graduation years, which can indirectly reveal age and contribute to bias.

The values most important to me in my work and personal life are reliability and dependability. I've always tried to set a good example for my niece, who lives with me and is 34 years old. She's learned from me that being reliable and dependable is one of the first things that people look for. She kind of follows in my footsteps - she worked for Progressive Insurance for about 8 years and now works for a credit union doing loans, and she's very reliable and dependable. I also value good listening skills, especially when dealing with escalated situations. You have to let customers vent and not say anything until they're done. I've had clients get really mad, and I just sit there and take notes on how to fix the problem. You can't take customer anger personally - they're mad at the company, not at you personally. I remember one lady who was really mad at California Casualty, and after she vented, she apologized to me for getting mad, but I told her I don't take it personal. I've trained a lot of people in customer service, and I taught them you gotta have good listening skills - don't over-talk, don't cut them off, don't interrupt them, just sit there and let them go until they take that deep sigh, and that's when they're done venting. Honesty is also crucial - be truthful no matter how bad it could be, don't lie to people or give them any BS. The truth will always prevail and come out eventually. Honesty, reliability, and dependability are three of the most important things in working with people in the insurance industry.