Valerie Jordan, RCLS, CCIS
Valerie Jordan, RCLS, CCIS, is a seasoned executive and entrepreneur serving as President of AgenciesOnline, LLC and Brightly Insurance in Chapin, South Carolina. With a professional career spanning more than three decades in insurance, financial services, and marketing, she has built a reputation for helping independent insurance agencies strengthen their branding, communication strategies, and technological capabilities. Through AgenciesOnline, she provides consulting and marketing solutions designed to simplify complex challenges such as agency growth, advertising efficiency, and client engagement.
In addition to her leadership at AgenciesOnline, Valerie is the Principal of Jordan & Jordan Associates and a key figure in Brightly Insurance, where she focuses on cyber insurance and risk management services. She is a Certified Cyber Insurance Specialist (CCIS) and has extensive experience working with small to mid-sized businesses and PEOs to develop cyber protection strategies, employee training programs, and breach response solutions. Her work emphasizes proactive risk mitigation and helping organizations stay ahead of evolving digital threats.
Valerie’s career began in 1971 in sales promotion and media services at Mutual Benefit Life, where she advanced to head of department before moving into senior leadership roles, including vice president-level positions and executive consulting. Over the years, she has led insurance licensing initiatives for banks, managed multi-division financial programs, and founded multiple successful ventures. Her professional philosophy centers on practical experience, client-focused problem-solving, and making insurance marketing and cyber protection more accessible and effective for modern businesses.
• CCIS - Certified Cyber Insurance Specialist
• RCLS
• Licensed in Property/Casualty, Life, Health
• Associate's Degree in Secretarial Studies from Berkeley Secretarial School
• Best Marketing Award
• Best Website Award
• Various Industry Awards for Companies
• BPI Network
• Forbes Agency Council
• Dress For Success
• K9's for Warriors
• KIVA
• Wounded Warriors
• Wounded Warrior Project
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to really listening and paying attention, because you never know when that information is going to become valuable at some point in your life. Finding good mentors has been absolutely critical for me. They teach you and nurture you along to have the confidence in yourself to be able to go to the next level, whatever that level happens to be, and whatever it is that you want to achieve. Surrounding yourself with really good quality people is so valuable, and it's God-given. I've been blessed to work with wonderful mentors throughout my career who were willing to share their knowledge and help me grow. That willingness to learn from others and then pass that knowledge on to the people I've trained has been key to everything I've accomplished.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received centers on the power of listening, seeking out strong mentors, and surrounding myself with talented, quality people. Over the course of my career, I’ve been fortunate to receive several industry awards for my work, particularly in marketing and website development, which reinforced the value of these principles. While the conversation also touched on advice for young women entering the industry, that portion of the discussion wasn’t captured in the transcript.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
For young women entering financial services, I would say: leverage your empathy to truly understand and serve your clients, listen carefully, and see things from their perspective. Most importantly, find a strong mentor—someone who can guide you, share their knowledge, and give you the confidence to grow. Surround yourself with quality people who support and challenge you, and your career will thrive.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest opportunity in my field right now is in cyber insurance and security. I see such a huge need for security services due to how many breaches and problems are going on in the cyber world. We have a really good solution with services to help companies monitor against breaches and train their employees, as well as provide cyber coverage if they do have a breach. We work with them from a claims standpoint, including buyback if they have to pay ransom. It's such a new field and not that many people are in it yet, which makes it exciting and full of opportunity. That's why I've been focusing on it for the last six months or so, because small to mid-sized companies and PEOs desperately need these services to protect themselves.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The most important values to me are empathy, service to others, and helping people grow. I believe in putting yourself in your clients' shoes and doing what's best for them, not just selling products. Throughout my career, I've focused on making the people I train better than I am, with the goal that they should be able to take my job in three years. If they can replace me, then I've done my job. I'm passionate about helping women advance in their careers and serving as a mentor, because I think women need mentors and a lot of them don't even realize it. I'll help anybody, men or women, but especially women. I also value enthusiasm and the desire to learn and grow. When I recruit people, I look for that enthusiasm and willingness to do well, and then I give them the opportunity to grow and develop their potential.