Episode Summary
Ania Caruso joins Meg McKeen on Bound & Determined℠ for a rich conversation about the importance of our building our support systems - and our resilience - and navigating rejection and taking risks before we feel ready.
In This Episode
Welcome to Bound & Determined℠ Ania Caruso!
00:00 – 05:09 | Ania shares more about a recent trip she took – we need to remember to fill our cups before we can give to others. Slowing down and refocusing gave Ania the energy she needs to tackle the rest of 2021.
05:10 – 07:29 | Ania reminds us that we don’t have to make a choice between parenting and having a career. Ania’s heritage informed her career choices and she’s observed the choice that many women feel they have to make between being a parent and a professional.
07:30 – 10:29 | Let’s talk about allyship. In insurance sales, such an opportunity exists for women to be successful, and having strong allies that see that potential can be an asset.
10:30 – 12:49 | Ania returned to the office after having her second child – and was presented with a significant career opportunity. She talks through the decision she made to pursue the role and how an ally helped her to see the possibility, too.
12:50 – 14:54 | Insurance sales has historically had a masculine energy about it. Meg shares more about her belief that we don’t have to be what we’re not in order to succeed in sales. Ego is a common thread in success in insurance sales and isn’t a requirement for success.
14:55 – 16:42 | Ania shares more about the feelings she experienced as she got started in her new role. Fear and doubt – and excitement and confidence – they’re all there! Having a strong support system, including her husband, has been key to Ania’s success.
16:43 – 18:29 | Ania introduces the concept of developing your personal board of directors and shares ideas for creating your own.
18:30 – 20:59 | Meg’s board of directors includes a mentor and friend with a different viewpoint on sales – which can be such a valuable counterpoint. Mentors, after all, aren’t always right.
21:00 – 23:59 | Here’s how to create your own board of directors if you’re not sure where to start. And don’t forget that your board of directors will change as you do.
24:00 – 27:35 | Meg shares a clever way that someone looking for mentorship was able to give back for the time and ideas shared. Remember that mentorship works both ways, and we have much to learn from everyone.
27:36 – 34:29 | We unpack Queen Bee Syndrome, common among women in male-dominated fields. Success is such a personal thing
34:30 - 37:41 | Growth is important - but it’s hard work. Ania shares a story about the assumptions we make – and how often they’re not right! Practice, by continuing to put ourselves out there, is so key.
37:42 – 40:41 | Let’s talk about sales. Sales comes with rejection – yes, it’s a numbers game, but, it’s also about problem-solving and mastering the soft skills. Curiosity and listening are so important, too.
40:42 – 41:34 | Creativity is welcome – and necessary - in insurance sales. Ania shares more about the skills she believes are important, too.
41:35 – 44:39 | Meg shares more about her start in the insurance industry. She hasn’t always loved the insurance industry and it definitely chose her – rather than the way around! We have an awesome responsibility to listen to our clients
44:40 – 47:59 | “Don’t take it personally.” Have you heard this advice? What if we did take our work personally? What would the relationships we create look like then? Even those we assume know what they’re doing when they make a decision to buy insurance from us really don’t.
48:00 - | There are so many ways – tactics and methods – to find success in insurance sales, but as salespeople, we won’t be for everyone. Knowing when to walk away, and feeling supported by the organization you work for, is key.
In Ania’s words: I am passionate about building authentic relationships in the risk & insurance industry while being a problem solver for all stakeholders around. I am a strategic risk leader as well as casualty nerd that seeks innovative & client-centric solutions in the ever-changing world of risk management. I get excited when I can give back to the industry community via mentorship and championing DE&I. In my spare time, I love to hike and bike with my two kids and husband as well as cooking for anyone that enters my home. Learn more about Ania when you connect with her on LinkedIn.
To learn more about the work Meg McKeen does to support insurance salespeople, through private coaching and workshop facilitation, visit Adjunct Advisors.
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