Her Story
About Lisa
I've spent 38 years in the insurance industry, working in all different parts of it - the service side, the brokerage side, surety bonding for about 4 years, and underwriting. My main area of expertise is anything commercial insurance-driven, and I feel well-rounded because I've experienced all the different facets of being an insurance agent. I can walk into a meeting and even if I'm not working on that particular part of an insurance program, I have a listening ear to determine if somebody needs something that I can help them with, either myself or through another department. My typical day involves reviewing insurance programs for strengths and weaknesses, servicing whatever the client might need for their insurance requirements - whether they just bought a car, have a contract that needs to be reviewed, or just whatever the client needs - and trying to keep a watchful eye on their insurance program to make sure it fits what they need. What I'm most proud of is that I can do everything from A to Z. I think that other people in the industry are very focused on one part of it, but I can just step into any role and be able to do it. I've been able to accomplish all of this without a college degree - it was all on-the-job training and the mentors I've had in my life that I'm always grateful and thankful for. I started off with my electric typewriter, typing 60 words a minute, smoking my Marlboro Reds at my desk. I've gotten over generational diversity and seen lots of changes over the decades. I recently took on a new role as Account Executive after being a Vice President, choosing work-life balance that was desperately needed in my life. My goal right now is to do the best job that I can for the clients that I have, and to be in a position to mentor other people again and pay it forward.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Lisa
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to a lot of hard work and just not stopping - not making any excuses to stop. I believe in creating opportunities instead of letting them happen to you. I think that things aren't just handed to you, and that you have to work hard to get them. The fact that I didn't have a college education meant it was nothing but hard work and grit. I learned the best when things were the most stressful. I've been able to overcome barriers and prove myself through years of experience rather than a piece of paper.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I feel like this is the best time I have ever seen women in corporate America, ever, and I tell my own daughter that the time for women is now. It's a totally different landscape than when I first started in the workforce. It's okay to work hard and keep your head down and get the task done - your employer hired you because they know you can do the job. But what you need to do is forge relationships and have personal relationships with everybody. The people of this generation are so focused on texting and not picking up the phone, or not going out to a lunch or a dinner. You need to connect with people, you need to have relationships with people, and the more relationships that you have, and the more friends you make, the more people are thinking about you when there are opportunities that will open up. If you just keep your head down and you text people and you don't talk to them, then they don't give you any second thought. They're so introverted these days, all the young ones are introverted, and they don't know how to connect because that's how they spent their childhood, in a computer. You need to be in the office. You need to get in front of people. Say good morning to everybody when you walk in the office instead of going straight to your desk.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge in my field is still being able to develop and grow, even though I'm years down the road. Developing and growing takes a lot of politics to do at a certain level. In my industry, there should be better, more robust training programs. I've spent the past couple of years training new people coming into the industry, and just finding the trainings and stuff that they need to develop their own skills and their own vocabulary and knowledge of insurance isn't the same like it used to be back in the day when I started in the industry. On the opportunities side, I feel like we have a workforce that is of retirement age or almost retirement age, and the opportunities are there for new college students who want to get into the business, for sure.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Integrity and work ethic are most important to me. Integrity is definitely very important in both facets of my life - both work and personal.
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