Jenna L. Hayes

I attribute my success to always having to work hard. My dad died when I was 11, and my mom when I was 27, so nothing's ever been given to me. I was a later-in-life kid, and my parents worked hard to raise the two of us girls. Seeing that, I knew I couldn't be a slouch or a lazy person. I needed to know the importance of responsibility and accountability, because if you don't have that, then you're not set for life as an adult. My parents' example taught me that hard work is essential, and that foundation has carried me through my entire career.

In the insurance industry, which is very much male-driven, especially in the roles I've been in, the best advice I received was to put myself above others through education. I took a lot of extra courses through NICTA to learn strategy, how to repair items, how things break, and storm-related cause and effect. All of that helped me be the adjuster and claim representative that I was. I know this sounds cheesy and corny, but knowledge is power. I'm 5'3, and I'm not intimidating to anybody just from my appearance, but what you know matters. Roofing contractors would get on claims, and as soon as they knew certain adjusters were on those claims, they would back off or they would know what they could get away with and what they couldn't. Education and knowledge gave me that power.

The insurance industry and the investigative industry are extremely rewarding, but you gotta stick with it. Know your worth and what you can bring to the table. Prepare yourself and learn as much as you can about the trade to make yourself successful. Being a self-starter and taking those steps will open so many doors for you. Education and preparation are key to succeeding in this field, especially as a woman in a male-driven industry.

Fraud is alive and well. There are so many cases of fraud, and cyber security is a major concern. Scammers have evolved from robocalls and emails to text messages now. They do phishing attempts, like claiming you have an unpaid toll in a certain state, and they try to scare you with tactics about wage garnishment or fines and imprisonment. The dark web and the dark side of the community are always finding new ways to target people. There are always new methods they're trying, so it's important to keep on your toes, educate yourself, be mindful, and share that knowledge with your loved ones so they don't fall victim to it. Even with traffic lights and vehicle location recording technology, there's no anonymity in this world anymore. We can track vehicles through their VIN or license plate and see where they've been, where they regularly park, even if they've been on a highway or parked in front of a subway sandwich shop. This technology helps us investigate fraud, but it also shows how much data is being collected on everyone.

Consistency is most important to me, as far as putting out a consistent product and knowing that my work product is a reflection of professionalism and my integrity in this industry. You're only as good as the reports and the work product that you put out there. I've been doing this for 26 years, and I've mentored quite a few people over the years. They still save my phone number for follow-up calls, what-ifs, and hypotheticals, and that makes me feel good that I'm still a source of information for quite a few people. Knowing that I've touched lives along the way is important to me.