1.03 | Showing Up With Amy Waninger

I do my best thinking when I’m driving. 

Surely you know that feeling - when the miles and minutes just slip by and before you know it, you’ve reached your destination.

I had so much to think about after I met Amy Waninger over a cup of coffee during a road trip back to Chicago following a soul-refreshing trip to the beach in Florida last spring. 

As someone who fancies herself evolved and self-aware, I realized what a blind spot I had as we unpacked my own biases in that coffee shop just outside of Indianapolis. 

I felt supported, humbled and grateful as I hit the road again, lost in my thoughts and realizing what was possible as I headed the rest of the way home.

Our conversation continues in the next episode of Bound & Determined. We chat about putting people first, leadership blind spots and showing up - even when we’re not invited. Listen to the full episode here.

Amy is a diversity and inclusion expert and the founder of Lead At Any Level; you can download her eBook, 21 Insights for Inclusive Networking, here.

I love a road trip - do you? Tell me more below!

A Dime A Dozen

Insurance agents are a dime a dozen.

Chances are good that you are one - or you know (at least) one.

The same might be said about realtors. And attorneys. And bankers. I know a dozen of each without pausing to count.

But of the hundreds of fellow service providers in my network, only a couple would I recommend.

Why?

It’s certainly not because an attorney is an attorney. Her qualifications are a given.

I sing her praises because she is patient, she is warm and she instills confidence in her clients.

It’s exactly how I feel when I’m in her presence.

And it feels good.

As you’re swapping business cards at your next networking event, filling the “insurance” or “realtor” or “banker” seat at the table, remember that as service providers, we’re a dime a dozen.

But what’s not a dime a dozen?

You.

We’ve all got ‘em - tell me your best story about that person you wouldn’t recommend to your worst enemy! Can’t wait to read in the comments below.

I'm A Hugger. Are You?

My ex-grandfather-in-law - I’ll give you a second to picture that limb on my family tree - gave the best hugs.

They were strong, just like him, and they lasted just a moment longer than I’d expect.

He seemed to hug with his whole self and I’d leave his embrace feeling so cared for and so supported.

Of all the memories I carry with me of him, it’s his hugs that I remember best.

Of course a hug given in a professional setting could leave an unintended impression - and even be construed as inappropriate and crossing boundaries.

Hugs, after all, are something we give, rather than take, and those boundaries are the ones we, as the receiver of the hug, set.

It feels organic to end many of my business meetings with a hug, and I’m working on being better about asking for permission before I lean in.

“I’m a hugger. Are you?”

I’d love to know your thoughts below!

It's Not Creepy, It's Social Media

I’ll take “It’s Not Creepy, It’s Social Media for $200, Alex.”

Clue: “I’m Following You.” "What is Instagram?”

Up until a year ago, Adjunct Advisors, LLC was nowhere to be found on the 'gram.

After all, thoughts of insurance don't usually evoke beautiful imagery, do they?

Car accidents!

Fires!

Hurt people!

Fear!

Anxiety!

Stress!

Sigh.

I still see all of this in my feed as I scroll - and likely always will.

But, as I flex a bit of my own creative muscle, I see those with me in the industry do the same.

I see more and more insurance professionals using the platform not to push a product or make a buck, but rather to invite their customers to see the humanity of the work we do - and us!

So curious: As a consumer of insurance, do you follow your insurance agent or provider on Instagram? As an insurance professional, do you make a point of following your clients there? Tell me more below!

What's In A Title?

If you make your living earning commission from the sale of insurance products, you might be an insurance agent. You might also be a producer, or even an account executive or a broker. Even still, you could be a risk management consultant or a risk advisor.

The title may vary from one organization to another, but the job function is the same.

In the insurance industry, unless you are in - or inching toward - the C-Suite, titles rarely translate.

In fact, I’ve been largely oblivious to titles in our industry as my own career path has taken shape. The focus has been on the function of the job - the responsibility, authority and opportunity.

This isn’t always the case, though, as I was reminded when a friend in an unrelated industry recently turned down a job offer. The title was Manager, not Director, a title she’d earned in her last position, and one she wasn’t willing to let go.

And yet another negotiated a substantial raise with the stipulation that the VP title she coveted must be bestowed within 6 months - and it was.

Titles can be a non-negotiable - or they can be a non-issue.

What weight do titles hold in the industry you serve? Let me know in the comments below!

Elevating Your Insurance Career | Spot On Insurance

It’s a true delight to have spent an hour with Arleen Taveras and Ted Taveras on the latest episode of Spot On Insurance, sharing more about the path that led to the founding of Adjunct Advisors, and the resources I offer to agency principals as we develop and empower the Insurance industry’s next generation of sales leaders.  

You can stream the episode through iTunes here: http://apple.co/2mxR5um

Or listen to the episode in its entirety here:  https://spotoninsurance.com/podcast/elevating-insurance-career/

Ready to take the next step? Contact me today to discuss the individualized sales solutions available to your team!