It's the little things

As I always do, I spritzed my favorite perfume on my wrist before walking out of my bedroom this morning.

I smiled as I considered that, when you’re sheltering-in-place with a houseplant as the only other sign of life, no one would know - good or bad - what I smell like today.

It’s the third Tuesday of the month, which means that in a few minutes, the mastermind group that I’m part of - the Lighthouse Squad - will meet.

This morning, though, instead of from my corner seat on Saya Hillman's couch, I’ll be curled up in the corner of my own. Like I always do, I’ll have my morning smoothie by my side - and my water and my coffee.

We’ll be face-to-face, but with screens between us. I’ll learn from and support my “squadmates.”

We’ll laugh and listen and I will feel their lift.

So much is changing. But so much remains the same.

Today I’m honoring the routine - in insurance, we have a lot of them. Every insurance policy, after all, has a beginning and an end. Will you share with me? What’s stayed the same for you when so much has changed?

“Do I have insurance coverage for this?"

As insurance agents, this is the question we don’t practice answering.

We’ve perfected our elevator pitch and we can cite our proposal from memory.

We know our “differentiators” and our “value adds” and how much lower our price is than our competitor.

But today, as we’re fielding questions about the implications of our current situation from our clients - it’s reasonable to assume nearly every one will be impacted in some way - we truly feel the weight of the work we do.

My thoughts on feelings - and the importance of feeling them - and why now might be (ahem, is) a good time to reevaluate the way we “sell” insurance.

P.S. If you’ve already joined Momentum and have received duplicate emails from me over the past couple of days - thank you for your patience, and your grace. May I never be done learning!

1.06 Trading Places With Olivia Schmitt

I’ve been on autopilot.

You know that feeling - you’re going through the motions and arrive at your final destination...but you aren’t quite sure how you got there?

There are endless reasons to check our realities at the moment, of course - but this one came out of a different direction.

As I was editing my “ums” and “buts” and “ahs” on the latest episode of Bound & Determined, I was stopped in my tracks.

Listening to the episode again, this time capturing a conversation between Olivia Schmitt and me, I was reminded why I started this podcast in the first place. The goal was to press “record” on the conversations I was having in real life. A chance to let a woman in who might not have someone a cubicle away that she can talk to - or an ally in the industry she can call.

We didn’t know when we recorded that we’d need these conversations more than ever today, and I can’t wait for you to listen.

Olivia is the host of You Don’t Know Schmitt! and you can subscribe here.

1.05 | Meant for More With Tiffanie Demasters

Anyone else waking up today with an International Women’s Day hangover?

I am - so much so that I almost didn’t miss that extra hour of sleep - almost!

That it was an exceptionally gorgeous day in Chicago yesterday didn’t hurt, but the day-long reminders that I have such inspiring women surrounding me make my heart smile.

If you subscribe, you’re also waking up to the latest episode of Bound & Determined, and I can’t think of a better guest to join me this day after.

Tiffanie Demasters, PRIS, CIC, CRM, and I talk candidly about her feelings leading up to - and after - her shift from a service role to full-time insurance agent.

We share our frustration about the loneliness many women feel as they grow in their career, and Tiffanie doesn’t stop me when I rant about insurance agent compensation and licensing requirements.

Listen here.

P.S. Are you, or do you know, a woman working in the insurance industry who is the primary caregiver for an aging parent? I’d love an introduction, or please apply to be a guest on the podcast here.

Hey insurance agents!

As we track the spread of coronavirus, now might be a good time to check in with your business insurance clients.

A really good time.

I’ll bet darn near every one of them is impacted in some way as a result:

Think about the event planner whose largest client canceled their international event days before it was to take place.

Stress.

What about the clothing manufacturer whose fabric shipment has been delayed, creating delivery delays of her custom bridal gowns?

Stress.

What about the high school administrator debating the cancellation of their international class trip for seniors?

Stress.

There is - and will continue to be - much discussion around this topic and how the various insurance coverages available will respond - or not.

And you don’t have to have all the answers.

But please don’t turn away from your customers when they need you the most.

A not-so-gentle reminder that the sale of an insurance product is merely how we are paid; our job is to be a resource and advocate for our clients during their most challenging times.

Is your business impacted by the potential spread of coronavirus? Tell me more in the comments below.

1.04 | The M Word With Maggie Germano

My first “real” job provided LOTS of learning opportunities.

Working at a men’s clothing store, I learned the most efficient way to fold a pair of jeans and that it takes no less than 371 straight pins to keep a button-down shirt in its proper position.

I also learned that no matter how I styled it, my body wasn’t made to wear men’s clothing.

At the end of one shift, after inadvertently grabbing my co-worker’s paycheck instead of my own, I learned that his hourly wage was a whole lot more than mine - and that discovery brought a host of emotions to the surface for me.

felt confused - then mad - then confused again and then foolish.

As my relationship with money would evolve, I'd also feel fear and self-doubt - and also joy.

So many emotions.

This is exactly why I asked Maggie Germano to join me on this episode of Bound & Determined.

Maggie is a financial coach and the founder of the Money Circle, a space for women to unpack our very personal relationships with money through open conversation.

Have a listen here.

Over to you: What was your first “real” job? Tell me more in the comments below!

Is it a "Nitch? or a "Neesh?"

Niche.

Is it a “

nitch?”

Or is it a “neesh?”

Lots of us have them, right?

For insurance salespeople, it might be manufacturing businesses, construction firms, or high-valued homes.

But what if a niche was less about the characteristics of the business or the house and more about the person making the buying decision?

What if you worked with female-identifying founders buying business insurance for the first time?

Or overwhelmed, first-time CFOs managing the insurance placement process for the first time?

Or solo parents re-defining what "home" looks like post-divorce?

Imagine when you start speaking to these people how obvious it becomes that you are the right - and the only - option.

“I help newly appointed, and often overwhelmed, CFOs to gain confidence in building an insurance program to protect the organization they serve.”

That it’s an online shoe store or widget manufacturer?

Irrelevant when building a connection.

See the difference?

It's a "nitch" for me! How would you describe yours? Tell me more in the comments below!

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!

Baby's First Download

My podcast “baby” is now one week old.

Though the sleepless nights came before her launch, we’re still in that phase where everything she does is magic.

Every download is the perfect download.

And the 5-star reviews! They just melt my heart.

Perhaps it’s the post-partum (er, -launch) emotions running high, but I’m feeling particularly sentimental today as I think about all the people who helped me bring her to life.

Amanda Boleyn and her Podcast Your Way course, swiftly moving me from “What the heck am I doing?” to “Look at what the heck I’m doing!”

Laura Bean of Laura Leigh Bean for the logo and branding - somehow she managed to take “feminine but not girly” and “strong but approachable” make perfect visual sense.

Amy Gerhartz of Amy Gerhartz Music for making music out of the mess of inspiration that was our starting point.

Will Byington of Will Byington Photos for the show photo (and so many others) - his belief that I don’t have a bad side keeps me coming back.

Bound & Determined is now available on iTunes; don’t miss an episode by subscribing here.

:: Who’s an unsung contributor to your success? Tell me about them in the comments below! ::

1,440

I love a made bed.

At the end of the day - hopefully exhausted in the best way and ready for rest, I move the (way too many) pillows to the side of the bed and peel back the covers before I settle in.

Each morning, I pull up the covers and re-align the (way too many) pillows and set about my day.

And the next day I do it all over again.

Some days, when my morning routine is off, it’s the middle of the afternoon, or even minutes before climbing into it that I finally get around to making my bed.

But every night, it’s a made bed that I climb into.

These are a precious few minutes of each day that I could certainly take back.

But the calm at the end of it that these few minutes at the start of the day provide makes this a non-negotiable for me.

There are 1,440 minutes in each day. Spending just a handful of them differently could, perhaps, change the entire trajectory of our day.

Spill it! Do you make your bed each morning? I suspect your answer will say a lot about your personality and I’m itching to know more!