Her Story
About Shawn
My path to insurance was unexpected but divinely guided. Before entering this field, I was a social worker for about 10 years. I initially pursued real estate, taking the exam eight times and missing it by just one point on my final attempt, which left me mentally exhausted and defeated. Months later, I received an email from Bankers Casualty looking for agents, and though I initially thought of door-to-door salesmen and hesitated, my oldest daughter encouraged me to just look into it. My ex-husband supported whatever I wanted to do, and I decided maybe God wanted me to go in this direction with insurance. I became licensed in 2010, and immediately my mom handed me a stack of Medicare papers. Even though I had just gotten my license, I went online and got my Medicare certification through AHIP and Gorman so I could help her as her daughter, though I had to bring in an agent to actually enroll her since I wasn't with a company yet. That experience launched my Medicare specialization. Over 18 years, I've worked with UnitedHealthcare, Allera Group, and most recently completed a contract with Benefits Harbor as a benefits consultant from July 2025 to March 2026. I moved from Jacksonville, Florida to Texas for career opportunities and am retiring here. What I love most about insurance is conducting needs assessments and ensuring people get enrolled in plans that will actually work for them when they need it. I've seen the life-changing impact of supplemental plans, like when a former AFLAC client received $20,000 after a motorcycle accident because she had both hospital indemnity and accident coverage. Even though I'm no longer her agent, I went to the hospital, helped her file the claims, and within 3 to 5 days she had the money to cover her bills while she recovered. That's why I do this work. My oldest daughter is now a broker herself, and we talk daily about the insurance industry. I tell people I'm like an open book - if I don't know the answer, I'll refer them to someone who does, because it's about helping people, not just making a sale.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Shawn
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to having a strong support system and being willing to take steps of faith even when I'm uncertain. When I failed the real estate exam eight times and felt completely defeated, my ex-husband and my oldest daughter encouraged me not to give up and to look into insurance when that opportunity came. Between my oldest daughter and my ex-husband encouraging me, that's what made me take that step of faith and get into insurance. I'm also a person who perseveres - I don't let things get me down. If something comes to an end, that was the end of the journey for me as far as with that situation, but I still have a path to walk as long as I'm still here. I don't think of doors closing as the end - it's just redirecting me to where I'm supposed to be. I've learned that everything happens for a reason, like how the real estate market crashed right after I stopped pursuing it, but insurance turned out to be exactly where God wanted me. I also believe in being of service to others. When you get outside of yourself and give your time to somebody else, that just makes you feel on top of the world. It's not a financial thing - helping people and seeing the impact, like when my former client got $20,000 from her supplemental plans after an accident, that's what drives me. Our lives are not about us, it's about the people who are coming behind us, because everything we experience is a lesson, and we're all on a journey. The grace and mercy of God keep me going.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The race is not given to the swift, but to him who endures until the end!
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
When you look at yourself in the mirror, can you accept and live with the person you see, and does it bring you peace?
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Being respected for your wisdom, experience, and sex.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The most important value to me is being of service to others. I've learned that when you step outside yourself and give your time to someone else, it just makes you feel on top of the world. It's not about financial gain - it's about helping people and making sure they're taken care of. When I work with clients, I want to make sure they get enrolled in a plan that, when they need it, that benefit is gonna work for them. I like to be an extra service kind of girl, like when I helped my former client file her claims even though I wasn't her agent anymore, because I knew the process and wanted to help. I'm like an open book - if I don't know the answer and somebody's working in that area, I will give them contact information to follow up with that person so they can get the accurate information. I also believe strongly in honesty and being genuine. I tell the kids I work with that it's okay to share their gifts and not be afraid, because I thought something was wrong with me when I was younger and was scared to tell people about my dreams and visions. Our lives are not about us; it's about the people who are coming behind us, because everything we experience is a lesson, and we're all on a journey. God uses everyone to reach others, and I see myself as a conduit - even if I'm not with a company anymore, I can still direct people in the right direction.
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