Her Story
About Tena
Tena Garcia is an experienced insurance professional and Agency Manager at Breeden Benefit Group, based in Austin, Texas. With more than two decades in the insurance industry, she has developed deep expertise in agency operations, claims management, and client relations.
Over the past seven years with Breeden Benefit Group, Tena has taken on a comprehensive leadership role, overseeing nearly every aspect of the business. Her responsibilities span accounting, human resources, client onboarding, renewals, and claims processing. She is known for her hands-on approach, attention to detail, and strong understanding of complex insurance operations.
Tena works with a specialized client base that includes convenience stores, gas stations, and jewelry businesses across the United States. She manages group life insurance programs and handles highly sensitive claims, including those involving felonious assaults in retail environments. In addition, she supports clients with Medicare transitions and term life policies while helping expand the agency’s presence into new sectors such as hospitality.
Her role demands constant adaptability, balancing day-to-day operations with urgent, real-time situations. What drives Tena most is the opportunity to support individuals and families during some of life’s most difficult moments. She has worked closely with clients facing traumatic events, guiding them through the claims process with empathy, professionalism, and care.
Tena’s dedication, resilience, and commitment to service define both her career and her impact within the insurance industry.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Tena
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to everything I’ve overcome in the past five years—and doing it on my own. After a 20-year marriage, I went through a divorce, and with three of my four daughters still living at home, there were significant adjustments that needed to be made. With my oldest living in Northern California, it was just me and my three younger daughters at home and me.
Even though it wasn’t an easy transition, I continued to push them forward. Two have already graduated from high school, one is attending Texas State University, another is pursuing a veterinary technician program, and I have one still to go.
As everyone began adjusting to life in a house full of girls, I was hit with a major bump in the road: my 16-year-old daughter was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma. It was one of the most challenging times of my life. I worked wherever I needed to at home, in the hospital, and in doctors’ offices. During her chemotherapy treatments, I continued working. There was no option to stop, you just keep going.
Through everything I’ve faced, I’ve made it a priority to show my daughters that no matter how tough life gets, you can overcome anything. You have to believe, keep pushing forward, and never let anything hold you down.
If there’s one thing I hope they take from me, it’s the strength to rise above any challenge life puts in front of them.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Stand your ground. If you believe in something and genuinely feel your approach is the better fit, especially for a specific client, don’t back down. Speak up and make sure your voice is heard. I truly believe that mindset is what helped me get to where I am today.
It’s also a message I share with my girls every single day: always strive to better yourself. Get your education, push yourself, and build a life where you never have to depend on anyone else for your stability. Be in a position where you can take care of yourself—financially and independently. That has always been something I’ve instilled in them.
03What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honestly, you sit there and you learn to pray about everything. You do not take a day for granted, because you never know when your day is gonna come. And I have learned to say never say never, and whenever I say never say never, I mean that in several different ways, from what I see on a day-to-day basis and what I have experienced in my personal life. You never know when your day is gonna come, so I live every day to the fullest. I have always expressed that whenever times get tough, you can overcome anything, you just have to believe. You've got to keep on pushing and don't ever let anything hold you down. Life is gonna happen, and no matter what is thrown at you, you gotta keep on going. There's no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Every aspect of my life, if I could change it, I definitely would so I wouldn't have gone through as much as I have, but in a way, it has made me who I am.
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