What do you do?
The majority of my time is spent in my independent insurance agency. I work with business owners and individuals to protect their assets. I translate a very complex product that is in an insurance contract into the terms that matter to my customers and help them make smart decisions.
How did you get your business idea?
I would say that I got my business idea by accident. I got a call from a recruiter who thought I would be a great fit in selling insurance because of my experience and skills. I hadn’t figured out what I really wanted to do, so I told myself that I would sell insurance until I found my passion. As time passed, there was a client of mine whose house burnt down and at that moment I saw that we were selling a promise. We fulfilled on that promise. That convinced me to start my business.
How did you make your first sale?
I made my first sale by getting called by a recruiter. I sold to myself and this opened a lot of doors for me. I think it had a lot to do with my entrepreneurial spirit and my experience.
What is unique about owning and running a business in Murfreesboro?
The most unique thing about Murfreesboro is that it is the “biggest small town in the world”. It has allowed me to build relationships with other business owners that I might have not met in a bigger area. Networking in Murfreesboro is one of the reasons I believe I’m so successful in my business today. I love that small-town feel.
How do you advertise your business?
I advertise my business by networking. I believe that it strengthens business connections and allows me to gain more knowledge about what people want and need. I learned a lot about networking in college. I think it is very important and I love how the network builds confidence in my business. I also can get career advice and support.
As a business owner, what keeps you up at night?
Trying to manage my time better is one thing that keeps me up at night. As I have gotten older, time has been more important to me. You can’t get back an hour but you can always make more money. I want to spend more time with my family while still running a successful business. Time management is something that I’m working on to be able to have enough quality time with my family.
What is one way you had to Pivot or change course to grow your business?
I believe the way you pivot the course of a business can make all the difference. One thing I believe I had to change is being more open-minded. This led to more opportunities and I saw an improvement with networking.
If you could wave a magic wand and make one problem go away in your business what would it be?
Time management would definitely be a problem I would like to solve in my business. Although my business is successful, there is still always room for improvement. I believe that spending time on our business to make the customer feel as happy and secure as possible is the main goal. Being able to balance time in and out of the office is something that can be a struggle. This can be fixed with a proper time management plan.
If you could travel back to the day you started your business, what advice would you give yourself?
When I first started my business, I was very frugal with my money. People who know me very well will tell you that I am a person who likes to conserve their money. I believe that fear of failure was holding me back and I probably should have had more of an entrepreneurial drive. It takes failure to learn and I believe that is one thing I wish I would have accepted at the beginning.
Helping out business owners:
What’s the one thing you’re doing right now from a marketing perspective that’s getting you more customers?
I would say being consistent with your business and having systems in place to connect with your consumers will help you get consistent revenue. Having a system that works will always make a business successful but you also need the mindset that the customer’s always right and that they matter the most. Building on those two things from a marketing perspective will help people get more customers and has worked for me.
What’s one business lesson you’ve learned that you’re willing to share?
I would say that you have to be able to fail in order to learn. I know a lot of people who are scared of failing but that is what you have to do in order to learn from your mistakes. If you ask a lot of professionals or even famous people, they will tell you that they had to fail over and over again to be able to understand what they need to do in order to succeed.
What’s a podcast book or website you recommend that inspired you to grow your business.?
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie has helped me get inspired to grow my business. This book has the entrepreneurial feel that I wish the younger generation had. I recommend this book to anyone who is starting out and wants to know how to win people over and get them involved in your business.
What do you use for your daily to-do list?
I use a shared calendar. I believe this method is very effective because everybody can see what’s going on. You’re not leaving anyone out of the loop so I believe that’s more professional.
Learn more about Compass Insurance Group by visiting their website.
