Her Story
About Ellen
I have been in the insurance industry for 45 years, having owned my company since July 1, 1980. My role is that I own the company, which is a brokerage house, a small group advisory house. We deal with companies that have 1 through 50 employees. I recently sold the assets of my company in October to two men, so I am now a division of their company called Prism Benefits, Inc. My main expertise today is selling. My typical day used to be on the road 75% of the time talking to clients, but now the typical day is sitting in front of a Zoom call talking to 3, 4, or 5 accounts a day. Before entering insurance, I was a schoolteacher for 6 years. When I moved to Massachusetts 53 years ago, 8 months pregnant, I couldn't get back into teaching, so I started working on a temporary basis through a temp agency. In one of the temp agencies, one of the men asked me if I'd be interested in working 8 hours a week as a part-time administrative assistant at an insurance agency. I learned life insurance but hated it, so I segued into medical insurance and loved it. Then I left and started something on my own. My most notable professional achievement is starting a business from the ground up and turning it into a successful entity.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Ellen
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to hard work and honesty. These are the two main staples to become successful. Throughout my 45 years in business, I've built my company from the ground up by maintaining these core principles. Hard work and honesty have been the foundation of everything I've accomplished, from starting as a part-time administrative assistant to owning and eventually selling a successful insurance brokerage.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is that hard work and honesty are the two main staples to become successful. This advice has guided me throughout my entire career, from my early days as a schoolteacher through 45 years of building and running my insurance brokerage. These principles have been fundamental to everything I've achieved professionally.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
It's not the easiest industry right now to go into, because there's a lot of uncertainty as to what health insurance will look like in the next 10 years. It's on an unsustainable rise, and the average person can no longer afford it. So unless there's some drastic changes, either done by the government or by the insurance industry itself, I don't know that I would say to somebody, this is what you want to jump into right now. However, there are plenty of opportunities to get out there and sell, but not on your own. You need to align yourself with some kind of organization or find the right people to work with.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge in my field right now is the uncertainty about what health insurance will look like in the next 10 years. It's on an unsustainable rise, and the average person can no longer afford it. Unless there's some drastic changes, either done by the government or by the insurance industry itself, the future is uncertain. On the opportunities side, there are plenty of opportunities to get out there and sell, but not on your own. You need to align yourself with some kind of organization and find the right people to work with.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me in my work and personal life are hard work and honesty. These have been the foundation of everything I do, both professionally and personally. They are the two main staples that have guided my success throughout my 45-year career and continue to be central to how I conduct myself in all aspects of my life.
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