Who are the people that our clients talk to, trust, and work with year after year? Get to know more about our agency by getting to know the people through our Employee Spotlight Series.
What do you do here at Wells, what's your background, and how long have you been here?
I'm a marketing executive. I work with the sales executives. They go out to get information from clients around it out. I research it. I look for coverage gaps and try to find ways to fill those gaps.
I started at Wells in 1995. I've been in the industry for five years and came over to the agency side for five years, had some personal issues and left for a few months. Harold invited me back into a different capacity and here I am now and I've been here a total of 28 years.
Why Wells? What brought you here and what do you like most about it?
I really enjoy the camaraderie here and the support that the Wells give you and they're very supportive of whatever endeavors you want to try. The Wells family has always been very supportive of the passions that I have. I'm very passionate about ministry in Ukraine and I started in 2011. They've given me time off. They give me a platform to share some of the stories and the pictures.
What's your favorite part about your specific job?
I think the best part about my job is that it was created just for me. It's not a job that had been in the industry before. I'm very analytical and I like research and I like to dot all the eyes and cross all the T's my coworker is super creative and I'm super analytical, so we made a really dynamic team.
What's the best lesson you've learned throughout your career?
Don't let the fear of failure keep you from trying something new, such as this interview...LOL!
What's the biggest challenge you've had to overcome in your career?
Well, with what I do, it takes a lot of education and it's a constantly evolving market out there. And there's you look on the news and there's new tragedies every day. And part of what my job is, is to figure out how to ensure those that's a very stretching thing.
What's the most memorable moment of your career?
Probably the most memorable moment of my career didn't have anything to do with insurance. It was when I had personal tragedy strike my life and how the wells responded to me.
What do you like to do when you're not working?
My favorite things to do are to just to be outside, whether it's like to sit on my back porch and read. I just remodeled a home I love to fish. I love to kayak, I love to camp. Anything in the mountains, anything near water, just be with family and friends.
What’s volunteer activity/non-profit do you like to work with/support and why?
My favorite volunteer activity would be the my mission trips to Ukraine. I've been going since 2011 and I get to go into the orphanages and play with the kids and perform. I'm really good at making balloon animals, and we also go to we have a school there that we sponsor and a church that we sponsor so. We get to do day camps with the kids, we go shopping and buy food bags and go out and visit widows in the country and it's really funny because when I first started, I was focused on the children and so they asked if there was anybody that would be willing to come with them out in the country to visit the widows. I really wasn't that interested, but I went the first time and I got several babushkas as grandmothers that adopted me that write me letters now, so it's really neat. It really is very empowering to know that you are making a difference in somebody's life.
What's on your bucket list?
I am actually down to one thing on my bucket list. In my middle 20s there was a tragedy that happened in my life. So I sat down and made a bucket list and I've been extremely fortunate to be able to mark off almost everything. The only thing I have left on my bucket list is, I have not seen the Northern Lights. I've been to Alaska twice, but I haven't gone far enough up so my retirement plan is to spend 6 to 8 months in Alaska going up until I can find the Northern Lights.
Favorite Book?
I can give you genres...LOL...Christian suspense novels...
Favorite Podcast?
I don't like podcasts because I like to see people.
Favorite TV Show?
I like Downton Abbey. I like some of the old shows. I love Gilligan's Island, but I'm also watching the Outsiders.
Favorite Band?
On my Pandora, if I were to pick a station, it's probably going to be either Imagine Dragons or Ed Sheeran. It could be 1000 Foot Crutch, it could be Skillet. It could be pretty much anything. I'm a little headbanger actually.
How do you define success?
Success to me is doing what you love. Loving what you do and being appreciated and feeling validated by it.
What's the best advice you've been given?
Your attitude makes 100% of the difference and reality is 90% of what you perceive it to be. And what you make from it and that just because things change doesn't mean that they can't be good.
Brooke has been here for awhile and knows the business well. If you have questions about commercial insurance, feel free to reach out!
910-251-5421