Episode Summary
In this episode, Sharon Carter asks - and answers - the age-old question "If not now, then when?" Sharon is an insurance agent, but she is so much more than the title she wears. Have a listen to learn more about Sharon's life before insurance - including her experiences navigating the corporate world as a woman of color, the value of being - and receiving - mentorship, and the humanity she brings to the often intimidating process of buying life and health insurance.
In This Episode
0:00 – 01:20 | Welcome to Bound & Determined, where we hold space to share the stories of women in the insurance industry.
01:21 – 02:29 | Meet Sharon Carter. Sharon is currently living and working in New York - and feeling this cold weather a little too close to home!
02:30 – 04:49 | Sharon shares more about her career path and her journey to the insurance industry – it wasn’t a straight line. Sharon reinvented herself 6 years ago after furthering her education and working in accounting and finance at the start of her career.
04:50 – 07:29 | Job changes, including mergers and lay-offs, spurred the career change Sharon was looking for. Welcome to insurance! Sharon’s prior skills translated in many ways, and she committed to learning more about insurance – and what she wanted out of her work.
07:30 – 09:29 | Approaching her 40th birthday, Sharon asked herself “If I don’t do this now, when will I?” Sharon shares more about her life at that time and the strength of her faith as she made the decision to pivot in her career.
09:30 – 11:34 | We chat more about mentorship; Sharon has been a mentor, helping to create exposure for inner-city youth.
11:35 – 15:39 | Sharon shares about her experience in corporate America as a woman of color, including the micro-aggressions she and her colleagues experienced.
15:40 – 16:39 | Sharon created an outlet for the dissatisfaction she was feeling in her work and a way to give back through the camps and coaching she provided to girls and their parents.
16:40 – 18:19 | Sharon is fueled by a genuine desire to help people – in the mentorship work she does, and in the insurance work she does, too. Such an opportunity for change we have in the insurance industry to change the experience for others joining the industry.
18:20 – 21:59 | Alignment in our work and our beliefs can be a challenge. Life circumstances often dictate the choices we make – and the changes we make. Sharon and Meg relate as they are both not married and have no children, but recognize that’s not the case for all women contemplating change.
22:00 – 24:29 | We talk about the power of a niche and identifying who your clients are – the ones that can pay you, but also value you for the important work you do. Technology has made this big world so much smaller!
24:30 - 28:49 | Meg gets a crash course in life insurance! Working with someone like Sharon, who can make the complex simple, is such a blessing. Listen as she shares more about her customer’s journey.
28:50 – 29:39 | Meg issues a poignant reminder that insurance agents are paid when they sell a policy – that’s how the industry works - but that doesn’t mean they don’t honor their clients’ needs front and center.
29:40 – 31:59 | Sharon provides food for thought for a young woman embarking on a sales career. What will satisfy you? Excite you? Can you see yourself doing this work in 20 years? To make progress, we have to be honest with ourselves.
32:00 – 33:32 | There’s a pressure to get it all right, right? A reminder that there are others looking to us for support, and there truly is enough to go around.
33:33 – 35:23 | Sharon is creating her own path, with flexibility and upward income potential – all while honoring who she is and working with those who value her.
Sharon Carter is an insurance agent, helping individuals and their families to secure their futures. Learn more about Sharon and connect with her here.
Meg McKeen is the founder of Adjunct Advisors, LLC, offering a fresh perspective on insurance sales through private coaching, workshop facilitation, and corporate speaking. Learn more and stay up to date when you subscribe to the twice-monthly newsletter Meg curates, To Taking the Risk.
Don’t miss monthly Office Hours with Meg, the third Wednesday of the month at 10:00 a.m. Central.
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