At the Intersection of What If & Why Not

What if?

Why not?

Ah, so many decisions I’ve made in life and in business come at the intersection of these two simple, yet impactful questions.

What if I could press the record button on the conversations that I’m having every day - the ones that leave me feeling inspired, encouraged, informed and heard?

What if all the wisdom I’m accumulating didn’t rest with me, but could be shared with others?

Why not?

After so much research and even more learning, I’m so proud to announce that Bound & Determined: The Podcast has come to life.

On the podcast, we’ll hold space to grow with, learn from, support, and celebrate all of the women in insurance.

In this premiere episode, Allison Hamilton-Rohe and I talk about style - and after you listen, I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s so much more than the clothes we wear.

Listen to the first episode here.

Bound & Determined will resonate most with a listener who identifies as female and is working within the insurance industry. If this describes someone you know, I’d love you to pass this on!

“Gin and soda, with a lime, please.”

“Gin and soda, with a lime, please.”

My cocktail of choice, if you’ve been with me socially, or at a corporate event, I’ve undoubtedly had one in my hand.

It was strange to place a different order last night.

“Club soda, with a lime, please.”

In just 6 short days I’ve become keenly aware of how often alcohol shows up in my life...which is exactly why I decided to give Dry January a shot - pun intended!

Never a believer in resolutions, I much prefer shorter-term challenges rooted in curiosity - and pushing my own limits.

What would it be like to _______?

How would I feel if I didn’t _______?

Would I really be able to stop _______?

In years past, it was eating vegan (which stuck) and wearing the same dress for 30 days (#fail).

If it’s true that growth comes when you leave your comfort zone, then I’m growing!

Love to know: Are you participating in a Sober January challenge? Or have you resolved to re-assess something else in your life? How’s it going? Check in with me in the comments below!

P.S. My choice to abstain from alcohol is just that - but struggles with alcohol aren’t a joke. If you need help, please reach out: 1-800-662-HELP

O

Too many years ago to count, in lieu of exchanging Christmas gifts, the adults in my family adopted a grab bag of sorts with a few simple rules.

This year, I smiled as I unwrapped a jar of oregano, an “On This Day” calendar, and a subscription to O - The Oprah Magazine.

My brother knows me so well!

Love or hate her, Oprah has been a household name for nearly my entire life.

I recall being a young girl, at home on a random weekday, when The Oprah Winfrey Show aired at 9 a.m. on our local ABC affiliate, channel 7.

For the next hour, I’d be glued to the TV.

Over the years, of course, Oprah would launch ventures too numerous to count, reaching her audience in so many ways - never reinventing and always maintaining relevance.

As I thumbed through that copy of O yesterday, I could’ve sworn that Oprah Winfrey had sat down herself and written the entire issue just for me.

And I was reminded, of course, that Oprah’s gift is her ability to connect with her audience - an audience of one or one million.

And that billion-dollar business she’s built? It’s the outcome of her ability to put that gift to work.

New year, new opportunities. What’s one thing you can do to connect more authentically with someone today? Share with us 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.

The Value of a Handshake

I was 15 years old when I learned a proper handshake.

Mr. Bartkus - our English teacher and a local politician - had us line up in front of the class and shake his hand, one at a time.

He offered feedback and guidance as we perfected our technique:

“A little less firm,” as you might be mistaken as overly aggressive.

“Not enough pressure,” as you might be considered weak.

“Too short,” as you might appear eager.

And, for goodness' sake, it’s a “handshake,” not a “fingershake.”

Like so many things in life, the perfect handshake is hard to describe.

But you know it when you see it.

I’ve shaken a lot of hands in the years that have followed, introducing myself to potential bosses, boyfriends, and clients with confidence.

With so many other things to consider in those potentially emotion-filled circumstances, my handshake wasn’t one to fret about.

Were you taught the proper handshake, or did you figure it out as you went? Tell me your story 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!

#HaveHerBack | Allison Hamilton-Rohe

I’ve been knee-deep in a closet renovation that’s taken way too long.

Isn’t that so true of every home improvement project?!

I’m finally ready to move back into the closet - now with fresh paint, new lighting, and a much more efficient configuration.

But not everything will be making its way back.

The last of the suits I own will be donated, along with my “office heels” and a plethora of black slacks that were a miss as I searched for “the one.”

But the blazer that’s been with me for meetings, on dates and out to dinner with friends?

It is so quintessentially “me” and it is staying.

I’m inspired by my friend, Allison Hamilton-Rohe, as I take a second look at how my clothing reflects the way I see myself.

In her words: “Women are an unstoppable force, but their number one source of shame is how they look -- I want to change this paradigm so every woman can walk out the door feeling beautiful and confident every day.”

Learn more about Allison's work during a styling session that you can sign up to win here.

She’ll also be joining me on season one of Bound & Determined: The Podcast; you can learn more here.

Over to you: what makes you feel unstoppable? Let me know in the comments below!

Don't Take It Personally

“Don’t take it personally.”

I’ll bet you’ve heard this advice at some point in your own career - most likely delivered by a well-intentioned boss or mentor-type on a day that wasn’t your best. 

While the intent is good, it’s so much easier said than done, right?

After all, we bring our whole selves to the work that we do. How could it not be personal?

It was allowing myself to take my work personally that led to the alignment I’d been seeking between my beliefs and my business - and that has led to the work I do today to support women in insurance sales.

My roots in the insurance industry were planted as a curious young woman working for Westfield Insurance; to say it’s a full-circle moment to be invited to chat about the intersection of my personal and professional journey in a candid conversation on Westfield’s podcast, Closing the Gap, is putting it mildly!

Have a listen as host Chris Cline and I chat about the journey - including the missteps I’ve made along the way, what I didn’t do with the check I received from my first client - and a frank call to action for insurance agency leadership today.

Life Skills

Can you snap?

Tie your shoes?

Ride a bike?

These seemingly simple activities are included in a compilation of tweets that highlight life skills people never learned.

Number 26 hit particularly close to home:

“The billing lady at my OB tried to explain something about my insurance deductible for about 20 minutes and I almost cried. You could explain deductibles 1000 times to me and I’ll understand it for about 30 seconds, tops.” ”

And then the comments.

Our customers are willing to take to a public forum to share the confusion and frustration they feel about insurance, but so often they are reluctant to admit what they don’t know to the person who is best positioned to bridge that gap - their insurance agent.

And so often they simply don’t know what they don’t know. Insurance is a language we’re not taught - but yet navigating this system is an essential life skill.

When we meet our customers where they are, we see confusion and fear replaced with confidence.

Confidence in insurance? Yes, please!

Read the rest of the funny and humbling and validating tweets here.

What’s a skill you wish you’d learned - or one that you’re really glad you did? Let me know below!

Grab Your Blue Blockers!

I started wearing glasses in the second grade.

The frames were pink and made of plastic, and they had the tiniest image of Bugs Bunny, embossed in silver, on the arm.

I remember seeing the world for the first time when I put them on.

You know, really seeing the world.

I loved those glasses for their ability to help me see things in the distance, but as I got older, I hated them.

Alas, my vision was getting worse, and “Coke bottle” glasses would just never be fashionable.

At age 12, I was fitted for contact lenses and never looked back (pun intended)!

Flash forward to earlier this year when I learned about blue-light blocking glasses. They’re meant to filter the light that our devices emit, and, as I spend hours every day in front of a device, I was intrigued.

The jury is out if wearing my “blue blockers” will provide any benefit in the long-term, but I’m willing to take the chance.

Self-care may be a massage or an extra hour of sleep - but can also be putting glasses like these on before you sit down at your screen. How are you preserving your physical health while at work? Let me know by leaving a comment below!