“If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.” Dolly Parton
2021:26
Twenty years ago, Sheila Ronning saw an opportunity to make a positive impact in the lives of women. Like any good businessperson, she saw a market void and developed a program by which she could fill that void. Regardless of the motivations behind the growing market, Sheila knew that Women in the Boardroom could accomplish two objectives with each placement: increase the number of women serving on corporate boards and strengthen corporate governance by diversifying the voices on those boards.
Today, Women in the Boardroom is a go-to resource for companies looking to fill board positions with a quality candidate. (Full disclosure: a board on which I sit used their services to fill an open seat.) On this episode of Did You Know That?, Sheila discusses the genesis of the firm and how women can build and execute a plan to secure board positions. As you’ll learn, this effort goes beyond just kicking in the proverbial glass ceiling.
Learn more about Sheila and Women in the Boardroom via the accounts below:
“It’s about focusing on the fight and not the fright.” Robin Roberts
In 2019, two scientists presented evidence of a malignant tumor in a turtle bone that was 240 million years old. In 2016, a published paper identified cancer in a hominid – one of our ancestors – toe bone from 1.7 million years ago. An ancient Egyptian medical text, dating back at least 3,600 years, details cancer and removal procedures for breast tumors.
So what’s this have to do with anything? Well, first, it helps explain why cancer remains such an intractable disease, even with $200 billion spent in the last 50 years (in the U.S. alone). Second, it provides context as to why I think my next guest is such an inspiring badass.
Not to give too much away, but what should have been one of the happiest days of Morgan Mitchell’s life was overshadowed by a lump she found in her breast. A couple weeks later, at 28, Morgan was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer.
If this interview was about Morgan’s work, or our previous exploits on the football field, or a hike she just finished, you’d never know she was being treated for anything other than being too positive. It’s this strength of character I wanted to bring out during our conversation, in the hopes it might inspire others, and kick off Breast Cancer Awareness month on a positive message.
I cannot believe that 4th Quarter is days away! That means that open enrollment is on the horizon and oof … how it’s going to be different this year? Hope you all have your virtual toolkit ready to go; I know we have been busy planning and gearing up for this in our office to make the process as easy and smooth as possible. But we’re all in insurance, right? So we look at worst case scenario. If you’re like me, you lay awake in bed thinking “What’s the worst than can happen?” And then you lay awake longer. Gah! Good luck, ladies. Feel free to share the best idea or tool you are using; I’m sure many would love to hear about them.
We had such a blast at the virtual BenefitsPRO Broker Expo this year and got to meet some incredible women that way! I’m really excited to introduces you to these fine women this month who are keeping it real in the world of COVID, home schooling and just being rockstars in our industry. Please welcome Sarah, Robin and Sarah to the fold!
“Interesting? Challenging? Uncertain? I’m not quite sure how to describe the last 12 months. For me, it has involved creating a new role for myself within a new firm while learning to be a teacher overnight to my 8 and 9 year olds. Juggling and adapting have become my forte.
One thing I’ve learned is we’re not meant to do this thing called life alone and that it’s OK, even good, to put ourselves out there and lean on others. Connecting has become my mission, even if only by Zoom. I’ve pushed myself to make connections with mom friends and other female colleagues a priority, carving out time to share and encourage each another. In an effort to connect with others, I’ve started a think tank for clients and prospective clients to discuss their good, bad, and ugly and to encourage one another when it comes to topics like COVID, compliance, leadership and employee morale. It’s served as a great sounding board for human resource leaders.
When you make life a party, not a competition, and give yourself and others an opportunity to connect, it allows everyone to thrive together. Here’s to ducking, diving and keeping our heads above water!”
“I am proud to say I recently conquered a goal that had always eluded me. This goal was to move families from managing money and financial advice to working towards the achievement of life’s purpose and leaving a legacy. During the pandemic, I have been helping clients feel less anxious and more in control of their finances but am also now beginning to talk about the people and organizations that are important to them. And talk they did!
Our client families are acting now to preserve their values and goals for future generations. As a result, estate and charitable planning in my firm has increased significantly. We have helped more clients than ever before design settlement letters and ethical wills. An ethical will is a love letter to your family and bequeaths values. It can be as simple as a handwritten letter or a selfie video message.”
“Last month marked my 13-year anniversary in the dynamic health insurance industry. This year has been the most challenging, as the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the nation. Adapting to a new virtual world, companies are expected to conform to an online-driven work environment, including benefits administration. To accomplish this, business owners are relying on trusted brokers.
Working at a leading general agency, it is my job to work hand in hand with my broker partners to provide top-notch benefits consulting for the most sought-after benefits. I have consulted with hundreds of clients and brokers at companies of all sizes and industries to help them keep up to speed on benefits trends and legislative changes.
Relationships are key, and pairing with a strong team with deep knowledge and expertise drives new levels of success. I’m excited for the opportunities to work with dedicated partners to support business growth and boost client satisfaction.”
Know of a rockstar woman in our industry who’s doing things better than the rest? If so, I’d love to connect! You can just shoot me over an email with their information or feel free to make a virtual introduction to me at scombs@combsandco.com Stay safe, sane and mask up, my friends.
Guess what’s next week?! It’s BenefitsPRO Broker Expo time! This is one of my favorite conferences every year and this year we are doing the Fast & Furious Session from the main stage! So if you haven’t already registered, make sure you handle that ASAP! Since it is virtual this year, if you are a broker or agent, you can get in on the fun for no charge and learn what the rest of us already know about this great show!
In July, we kicked off our Wonder Woman Mastermind group, which was the brainchild of this series. We had a wonderful first meeting, where we shared some excellent marketing ideas with each other. If you are looking to be inspired by more women in our industry, please meet Bobbie and Deidre. Both women are breaking down barriers for women in our industry with personal impact and mentorship.
“The past 12 months have been focused on growth, speaking and mentoring! Due to all of our recent exposure and hard work, Benekiva was invited to participate in Mass Challenge FinTech Accelerator. We were selected out of over 300 applications globally and are proud of this recognition! Our impact in the industry has also increased as we’ve grown the number of carriers we work with from three to nine over the past 12 months. Personally, I was invited to speak at over 25 events in the last year, on topics such as InsurTech, innovation, customer experience, digital transformation, Blockchain, startups, women in tech, and diversity and inclusion. I’ve meet so many dynamic people along the way. Lastly, we have been able to mentor many startups and logged over 250 hours to help the startup community nationally.”
“I constantly think about the legacy I want to leave. My goal is to diversify the C-Suite and change the image of what a leader “looks like.” While companies promote diversity and inclusion, data shows the existence of pay disparities and glass ceilings amongst employees. Last December, I took the leap to become a full-time entrepreneur, providing personal brand coaching to ambitious but undervalued diverse talent. Nothing could have prepared me for what was to come. The biggest surprise has been, that in the midst of a global pandemic, unstable economy, and racial unrest, my clients are winning. For example, Uche, a first-generation African American woman, just landed a new job making 20% more pay and with the dream title we planned together. Why am I celebrating this as a personal win? It debunks the myth that top-notch diverse talent doesn’t exist. So. I encourage us all to mentor, hire and promote diverse talent.”
Know a great rockstar woman in our industry who’s doing amazing things? If so, I’d love to connect! You can just shoot me over an email with their information or feel free to make a virtual introduction to me at scombs@combsandco.com. Stay safe and mask up my friends. Hope to see you August 18th-20th at the BenefitsPRO BrokerExpo!
Hello from the Covid-19 epicenter, aka NYC. I don’t know about you all, but the past few weeks have been crazy, exhausting and just plain sad at times. It is definitely not business as usual here and I know that’s true in many other places as well, but I also know we will all make it through this time. One of the things that has kept me going during quarantine is connecting with the incredible women from our industry who are still able to share some great ideas with me about what they are most proud of in the last 12 months. Be on the lookout for another article coming soon that will include many of the featured women in this series who will share what they have been doing to stay connected with their clients during all of this.
This month, I’m going to introduce you to two new friends who have been a great source of information and support for me during this time. I know I have said it before, but it is so important to develop these peer-to-peer mentorship relationships, because when there are rough times like these, we pull each other up and help each other to excel. Please join me in welcoming Chelsea and Jennifer to the fold.
“In the past 12 months, my biggest accomplishment has been learning that my business is not actually about me.
When I owned my first agency, I was infatuated with the idea of developing other agents. While this sounds admirable, I was truly motivated by the energy rush I received seeing others succeed. Even though I was helping others, at the core of it all, it was still about me.
Even in my second agency, there have been times when I put together the best options for a prospect to save them money and time; yet, I still don’t win. When this would happen, I would make it about me (my presentation skills, my sales skills, etc). Perhaps it was, but there’s a good chance that it was about one of the million other factors that business owners consider when making decisions.
The truth, and my biggest lesson, is that nothing is about me. I have learned that the only way to truly scale my business and help as many employees and clients as possible is to let go of the belief that the outcome is directly tied to my worth as an advisor or as a person. With this, I can finally be present and enjoy the work I am doing.”
“I’ve been in financial services many years and I’ve never been more excited to do what I do. My passion lies in supporting women and giving back. In my role, training and developing agents to build their business, I’m able to do both. I’ve seen great success among the women leaders who count for almost half of my business. In the last year, I’m pleased to have been highest-producing field leader at my company, hitting record sales. And helping my agents learn and grow gives their clients peace of mind.
One of the best aspects of our industry is the relationships among the women within it. I am fortunate to be supported and inspired by many great women. In 2019, I was named WIFS Woman of the Year, a wonderful honor. Celebrating success within our field is an important way to create community and inspire the next generation.”
I know that I, as well as the crew here at BenefitsPRO are thinking of everyone during these uncertain times. As always, if you know of great women in the field who are working hard to make this this industry even better, send an email introduction to me at scombs@combsandco.com. I’d love to connect! Stay safe my friends.
So, we made it through the “month of Mondays” and now we’re back at it! Not sure about you, but things have been crazy for me. I’m sitting here on a plane, and it is literally my sixth flight in five days! I swear I have aged five years this week! I’m very excited to introduce you to my new friends, Kimberly, Sharon and Susan! These women were all introduced to me by a fan of this series, Eric Silverman! Eric is a great advocate for our industry and for women in our industry, so I love the extra support he has been providing to this column by making great recommendations for some incredible women in our industry! I really think you’ll be wowed by these women. I know I was. Click here to keep reading!
Happy Holidays! Man, this year went by quick! We are in the home stretch of open enrollment in our office and we are definitely looking forward to a break, as we have been very busy! It has been so much fun to meet so many wonderful women in our industry this year from around the country and feel inspired by their stories. I’m very happy to share the news of Erika, Grace and Pam as we round out the year, and the remarkable things they have been doing in 2017. Have fun getting to know these exceptional women. I know I did! Click here to read more!
March Madness is upon us! This is one of my favorite times of year! It sounds like bracketology will be interesting this year, as there really aren’t any major standouts, so anyone can be Cinderella at the ball! I’ve been also gearing up for speaking season and looking forward to heading out to Denver to speak at the WIFS / NAIFA event. I will then be heading to San Diego for the BenefitsPRO Broker Expo and I’m looking forward to making some new friends from around the country!
This month, I’m very excited to introduce you to my new friends, Paula, Allison and Cerrina! These women are doing fantastic things in the industry and I’m very happy to have them be part of the WTGNL Crew!
Click here to read about Paula, Allison and Cerrina!
Fourth quarter is here and open Enrollment is upon us! Who’s ready? Can’t ever say our industry is boring, can we? I’m gearing up to attend the Women in Insurance & Financial Services (WIFS) National Conference next week in Minneapolis and excited to meet a bunch of Wonder Women there! This month, I’m happy to introduce you to three women that I know will be killin’ it in the fourth quarter! Click HERE to be in awe as you meet Rachel, Michelle and Rachel!
I can’t believe that the summer is coming to a close! So true what they say: The older you get, the quicker it goes! I know our industry has seemed like a tennis match this summer with the various proposals on health care, so I’m sure you all need a break if you haven’t had one already. I’ve never watched so much C-Span in my life.
Since open enrollment will soon be upon us again, I hope you have all had some R&R time to unplug yourselves and your business. I find it is so important to recharge and come back to work with a fresh mindset! This month, I’m excited to introduce you to three women I admire and have had the pleasure of working with either through associations or my practice. Click here to feel inspired as you meet Brittany, Denise and Susan!
I can’t believe that the summer is coming to a close! So true what they say: The older you get, the quicker it goes! I know our industry has seemed like a tennis match this summer with the various proposals on health care, so I’m sure you all need a break if you haven’t had one already. I’ve never watched so much C-Span in my life.
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