Filed under: BenefitsPro, Branding You, Broker Innovation Lab, Charity, Combs & Company, Combs & Company Blog, Feature Friday, Giving Back, Health Insurance, Insurance Women, Marketing, Successful Women, Susan L Combs | Tags: Combs & Company, Dawn McFarland, Ellevate Foundation, Feature Friday, Innovative Broker Lab, Nancy Giacolone, Pancakes for Roger, Stephanie Berger, Susan L Combs
“Be teachable. You’re not always right.” – Anonymous This quote got me thinking about all the people I look up to, both inside and outside of our industry.
By Susan L Combs | June 10, 2024 at 08:13 AM
Click here for original article on BenefitsPro!
If you roll in my circle, you know I’m a massive fan of pictorial quotes that catch my eye on social media. I actually have an album on my phone whereI save these nuggets of information for when I need an internal pep talk or see a friend struggling. I was taught by my late father that if you get a good piece of information, it’s your obligation to share it with someone. After all, if it helped you, it will probably help someone else.
So here is one I heard recently that I thought was such a good reminder:
“Be teachable. You’re not always right.” – Anonymous
Talk about taking a little wind out of your sails, huh? The quote got me thinking about all the people I look up to, both inside and outside of our industry. When I started thinking about what they have in common, I realized that they are always open to learning. Whether sharing an article they read, taking on a new designation, or just learning a new product or process, they are open to making themselves better and helping those around them.
I will tell you, starting a non-profit over the last year has definitely been a reminder of this simple phrase. Serving on non-profit boards, even in a national capacity, doesn’t come close to running one. I’m sure my good friend Stephanie Berger would echo this after launching her Ellevate Foundation in recent years. So many different rules and nuances make it as different from running a for-profit company as different as comparing bicycles to oranges.
What do you do?
I often hear my dad in my head when I screw something up: “Suz, this is a teachable moment.” As long as we find lessons along the way, it can soften the blow of feeling like a failure. But we must remain open. Every time I show someone how to do a task, I think it’s important to give them the freedom to shift the process so that it makes sense to them. I typically say something like, “We’ve got to get from A to B; I don’t care how you do it, just get to B.” Then I show them how I do it, and often they come up with a different way and get the same result. It’s important to check your ego at the door and let someone work in a capacity that makes sense to them.
I also think it’s important to surround yourself with people who give you the grace to learn, even when people see you as being at the top of your game. For example, I’m the last person you want handling your Medicare account, but I have friends like Dawn McFarland or Nancy Giacolone, who let me ask what I deem as “stupid questions” and don’t make me feel like an idiot when I do.
Embracing the mindset of being teachable is essential for personal and professional growth — and sometimes, for avoiding epic fails. Whether saving inspirational quotes, running an insurance brokerage consulting firm, or starting a non-profit, life constantly reinforces the value of remaining open to learning and adapting. It’s about recognizing that we don’t have all the answers and that’s perfectly OK.
My dad was great at reminding me of the teachable moments when I would make a mistake, which sounds a lot better than “You really effed that up!” – though I heard that too when I needed a reality check. Whether you learn by feather or by sword, it’s through these moments that we evolve. By surrounding ourselves with supportive people who encourage us to ask questions and explore new ideas, we not only enrich our own lives but also contribute positively to those around us.
What’s something new you learned recently?
Filed under: BenefitsPro, Broker Innovation Lab, Combs & Company, Combs & Company Blog, Mental Health, Motivational, Successful Women, What's the Good News, Ladies? | Tags: Combs & Company, Innovative Broker Lab, Insurance 101, Susan L Combs
I’ve talked to countless colleagues from around the country who are at their wit’s end with abusive clients, ill-mannered employees of clients, overworked staff, and personal exhaustion.
By Susan L Combs | February 01, 2024 at 07:51 AM
Click here for original article on BenefitsPro!
I’ve been reflecting a lot lately about the most recent 4th Quarter. I’ve talked to countless colleagues from around the country who are at their wit’s end with, let’s call it for what it is: abusive clients, ill-mannered employees of clients, overworked staff, and personal exhaustion. In our office, we did a postmortem earlier this month and vowed that “we aren’t doing things that way EVER again.” But the thing is, we didn’t change anything from years prior – the change came from the people and personalities of those we encountered. This is making us take a step back and figure out which systems, policies and procedures we can put in place so we don’t have a repeat in 2024.
But one word keeps coming up: boundaries.
Now, I know many of us pride ourselves on our lightning-fast response time, but the expectations of instant gratification in all aspects of our life seems to be reaching a whole new level. I can’t tell you how many times our office gets an email after 8pm from someone, only to have them “follow up” again by 7 the next morning. If the tables were turned, do you think they would want one of their clients treating them this way?
I began taking only scheduled phone calls about 10 years ago, which was really hard to do in the beginning. But man, this was one of the best decisions I ever made for myself in business. I found that if I was working on a project for a client, and then I answered the phone, it would shift my attention from what I was doing. I would then have to take the time to help or delegate and then shift my brain back to the project I was working on. It was incredibly inefficient.
I have other colleagues who only check their emails twice a day and block out their calendars so their office knows exactly when that will take place — and clients also come to know that routine eventually. I’ve never been one to do that, but I block my calendar like nobody’s business, and stick to it about 90% of the time. My office knows which blocks can be shifted if a call or meeting needs to be scheduled, but they also know not to delete any blocks.
I also think it’s interesting that different parts of the country have different expectations. We are in NYC, where everything was needed yesterday. And for the most part, we seem to always have this magic wand to make that happen. But heading into 2024, we are going to start being harder on deadlines and what is expected from our clients, because our office is the one who suffers with the extra hours and extra stress while our clients carry on during the holidays footloose and fancy free.
I saw a sign this morning that said, “Sure, let me drop everything to fix the problem you caused.” And it honestly made me laugh out loud, because if you are in this industry, you know how true that can be. You can educate, you can explain, but people want what they want when they want it, and they want you to make it happen at all costs. I still laugh when I remember a client firing me and threatening to sue me because I wouldn’t put his unborn child on the health insurance before the birth. Yeah, he really didn’t have boundaries….
So, what are your plans for 2024? Are you making some shifts in your office? Are you adding new staffing roles? Working with new vendors? I’d love to hear what’s going to set you up for a successful 2024!
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Filed under: BenefitsPro, Combs & Company, Combs & Company Blog, Innovative Broker Lab, Insurance Women, Mental Health, Pancakes for Roger | Tags: Combs & Company, Feature Friday, Innovative Broker Lab, Susan L Combs
We work in a people-facing business and don’t have the luxury of burying our heads in the sand. But this doesn’t mean that there aren’t times when we’d love to do just that.
By Susan L Combs | August 03, 2023 at 07:29 AM
Original Article on BenefitsPro
I can’t tell you how many people I have encountered over the past few months who have talked about how burnt out they are. Let’s face it, we work in a people-facing business and don’t have the luxury of burying our heads in the sand. But this doesn’t mean that there aren’t times when we’d love to do just that. I know there are days when my business partner Colleen Blum and I look at each other and say “When are we buying that ice cream truck?” We laugh and get back to the grind, but that 30 second check-in with someone else who “gets it” is sometimes all you need.
But what if you don’t have someone to do that with? Or at least you don’t think you do.
“How do you motivate yourself when you just aren’t feeling it?” was a question asked by one of our readers.
I started thinking a lot about what I do to stay motivated and when I asked myself this question, the first thing that came to mind is: I reach out.
To be honest, this is not something that I’ve always done; during my first 5-10 years in business, I carried the load along. I internalized and just kept grinding. But after 18 years as a business owner, I’ve learned better.
You aren’t a snowflake; feeling unmotivated is a common challenge that many people face. However, with the right strategies, you can regain your motivation. Here are some things I do to keep marching when I’m running on empty:
1. Move a muscle, change a thought: I know this might sound a little dumb, but when you get stuck, sometimes you just need to move. If you follow me on social media, you know I’m into CrossFit and start most days by working out. This lays the groundwork for me to take on the day, but if I feel unmotivated during other times, I walk around the block, walk down the hall or go check mail. Sometimes, just a little movement is all you need to shift things and get back at it.
2. Gratitude and goals: I have a girlfriend who owns her own law firm and Monday through Friday, we send each other a list of things that we are grateful for, followed by a list of what we want to accomplish for the day. We have been doing this for over two years and it’s a great way to start the workday in a good frame of mind—with gratitude and a list of goals for the day. I take the “goals” list and drop them into my “to do” list in Outlook and then check them off as I accomplish them. Nothing motivates me more than checking things off a list! (#loser)
3. The power of anticipation: It’s so important to look forward to something, whether this be a gift to yourself, a vacation, a conference, a random day off or a freakin’ popsicle. Have something in the distance that you know is coming when you get to that date on the calendar, land that client or hit a revenue goal.
4. Do something that has nothing to do with your business: This is something I learned from my dad. He was a Major General in the Air Force and a civilian judge, so he was on the road a lot. But one of the first things he would do within 24 hours of getting home was to go out to our farm and be a farm boy. I have a very analytical brain; I like math and I love me some spreadsheets. But during open enrollment, when the work increases and I need to give my brain a break or use it in a different way, I always have a creative project to work on when I get home so I can put my phone away and just focus. One year, it was making, bottling and labeling vanilla extract; another time, it was making Christmas ornaments. Currently, it’s knitting temperature blankets for my nieces. We all deserve to shut down, and this has been a perfect way for me to recharge for the next day.
5. Celebrate the wins: I made a reference earlier to sharing burnout with someone who gets it. And while some people might think they don’t have someone like that in their life, I promise that you do. There are things related to my business that I’m not going to pick up the phone and talk about with my mom or siblings, because they don’t know this part of my world. But my tribe is vast and strong. Having people in your corner who you can reach out and celebrate things with is crucial—especially if you are a one-person shop. When you land that big client, call a colleague in the business:, I promise that we will help you celebrate!
6. Take care of you. My close friend, Mike Veny, is a mental health motivational speaker. In an era where the topic of self care is coming at us from so many angles, he really simplified things for me. He said, “Self care is what you do for your health when you aren’t in the presence of a medical professional.” All of the suggestions in this article can be looked at as a form of self care, but sometimes the most important thing to do is say no to someone else so you can say yes to yourself. Don’t feel guilty about that.
I asked a few members of my crew to share what they do to motivate themselves when they are running on empty. Check these out!
Nancy Giacolone: “One of my favorite tricks is to work out in the morning, as it increases my dopamine and endorphins, and I am automatically more energized and motivated. The other trick I use is to rearrange my day. What gives me energy? Do that thing first! Then I can carry that positivity and energy into other tasks or parts of my day.”
Eugene Starks: “ I always find I recharge when I spend time with family and friends. Another big way I avoid burnout is by working-out. Setting aside time to work on myself in this way puts me in the right frame of mind for the challenges I face weekly. Another rule I have is that I never drink alone to relieve stress. I find drinking alone never reduces stress. I enjoy drinking in fellowship with friends because the fellowship brings down my stress.”
Erin Issac: “The most powerful thing I do is remember what I’m working towards and what I want the future to be. That moment ahead of me can help me take one step closer, or it might just be part of the motivation for change. Either way, taking action is what’s going to eventually get me there. Take the suck and let it inspire you to do more. That’s one thing, but it’s usually coupled with a few others: take a break, move your body, don’t try to soothe with social media or sweets. The other thing I always have is a lifeline — that friend, mentor, cheerleader who can remind you who you are and what you’re doing this for.”
Lester Morales: “By having a strong external “why” and an internal look in the mirror, I force myself to be accountable. Knowing the purpose of what I am doing, whether it be an internal or external driving force, moves me forward. I get up every morning and think, ‘Today, I’m going to make my parents proud.’ When I think of doing anything that is hard during the day, that is my motivation. My parents instilled in me my strong internal drive. I promised myself long ago that the person I have to be most accountable to is myself. For example, if I tell myself that I’m going to get up and work out, the only person I am cheating is myself if I don’t do it. How are you accountable to other people if you don’t start with yourself? You can’t pour from an empty cup, so if you are taking care of you, your ability to take care of others magnifies.”
What do you do to motivate yourself when you’re running on empty?
Filed under: BenefitsPro, Combs & Company, Combs & Company Blog, Exciting News, Innovative Broker Lab, Motivational, Successful Women, What's the Good News, Ladies?, Women in Insurance | Tags: Cheryl Canzanella, Combs & Company, Evelyn Gellar, Guardian, Innovative Broker Lab, Inspiring Women, MassMutual, PennMutual, Samantha Clark, Successful Women
For our third installment highlighting women who are changing our industry, I’m going to introduce three more three amazing ladies. These three are rock star recruiters from Guardian, MassMutual and Penn Mutual.
(Be sure to read our first and second installment of the series.)
I met each of these women by being part of organizations like WIFS, NAIFA and GAMA. I’ve found that when you connect with women who are involved with industry organizations, they mean business and are always looking to develop themselves and the people around them.
Click Here to see what Samantha, Cheryl and Evelyn are up to this year!
Filed under: BenefitsPro, Combs & Company, Combs & Company Blog, Innovative Broker Lab, Insurance Women, Marketing, Motivational, Successful Women, Susan L Combs, What's the Good News, Ladies?, WIFS, Women in Insurance | Tags: Broker Motivation, Combs & Company, Innovative Broker Lab, Susan L Combs, WIFS
I’ve enjoyed all the positive feedback on this new series, “What’s the good news, ladies? Women who are changing the industry.” It really has been fun! For our second installment, I wanted you to hear from four women who come to the industry from entirely different backgrounds.
Juli McNeely, who took over her father’s practice and helped bring it to the next level; Kristin Alfheim, an award-winning financial advisor who runs a successful practice in Green Bay; Meghan Wilke, who took her production experience to the home office level for Mutual of Omaha; and Julie Yunker, who is thriving under a big transition that happened earlier this year with MetLife.
Now sit back, relax and get ready to be inspired by some astounding and accomplished women as they share some of their high points from this year.
Click Here to read all about these amazing women!
Filed under: BenefitsPro, Combs & Company, Combs & Company Blog, Innovative Broker Lab, Insurance Women, Successful Women, Susan L Combs, What's the Good News, Ladies?, WIFS, Women in Insurance | Tags: Combs & Company, Innovative Broker Lab, Inspiring Women, Insurance Women, Successful Women, Susan L Combs, What's the Good News, Ladies?, WIFS
With so much negativity in the world these days, I often find myself actively searching for the “good stuff” and celebrating those who share this information with me. I recently caught up with my friend and colleague, Emily Viner, VP of Agency Growth & Development for Guardian, and we were discussing Guardian’s study on closing the gender gap in sales and how they are working hard to change the landscape for women in the industry.
According to Viner, “Our industry struggles to recruit women into sales roles, but the issue is much broader than us. The study provides a clearer picture of how to position a career in sales as a satisfying and successful venture for those who are interested in a new opportunity. We now have a roadmap showing how to best highlight career benefits to women and address concerns they may have. We need to start sharing that message with young women and girls as well as experienced women looking for their next career move.”
I get excited any time I hear of a company working on a new strategy to get more women into the industry. I often hear that women in our industry account for about 14 percent of the production positions, and the percentage is even smaller in management roles. But I feel like we’re on the brink of something big here. Over the next several months, you are going to be wowed over and over again with a new series called “What’s the good news, ladies?” I know I have some amazing rock star women in my life who are getting it done, so I reached out to some of them to share with you some of their high points from this year. Buckle up and Click Here to read all about them!
Filed under: Combs & Company, Combs & Company Blog, Get Creative, Innovative Broker Lab, Marketing, Marketing Yourself, Motivational, Succession Initiative, Susan L Combs | Tags: Combs & Company, Innovative Broker Lab, Marketing, Succession Initiative, Susan L Combs
So I have the pleasure of writing for the Succession Initiative for LifeHealthPro and they come to me with questions from their readers and I get to respond to them! Here is the latest one:
The Challenge…
Meeting The Challenge…
Hi Terry,
First off, I basically equate that to a mother not teaching her son how to cook and do laundry because she knows he’ll find a wife to do it for him! Learning how to prospect is a life skill in sales. You have to get it down pat in order to be successful in this career. Being handed leads are the reward after you have proven yourself, you know?
OK … now to get off of my soapbox and offer a solution.
Network.
Network with everyone and anyone if you are starting out. Book lunches, coffees and drinks with other salespeople and business professionals in different fields. Get your elevator pitch down and be specific about who you want to be introduced to that are good lead sources for you (CPAs, attorneys, etc.) Be specific about your ideal client, too; if you say “business owners,” they are going to hear Charlie Brown’s parents talking and you’ll go nowhere. Click here to read more!
Filed under: Combs & Company, Combs & Company Blog, Giving Back, Innovative Broker Lab, Marketing Yourself, Millennials, Susan L Combs | Tags: Broker Motivation, Combs & Company, Innovative Broker Lab, Marketing, Susan L Combs
Dear New Millennial Broker,
So you know I love to give advice by now, right? I recently spoke at Baruch College, a business school in NYC where I serve as a mentor. I didn’t go to school there — I mentor there because the students inspire me.
The theme for the night was: Dream Big, Do More.
How powerful!
I find we so often start thinking about how to improve ourselves or start off the New Year right, but oftentimes we forget to go back to the basics of what got us to where we are today. Dream big, do more. To learn more click here.
Filed under: Branding You, Combs & Company, Combs & Company Blog, Marketing, Millennials, Susan L Combs, Uncategorized, WIFS | Tags: Benefit Selling, Broker Motivation, Combs & Company, Get Creative, Innovative Broker Lab, Marketing, Susan L Combs
I was supposed to be heading back from Atlanta today, but Snowmageddon had a different idea of me and I was unable to leave NYC after about 30 inches of snow fell in my neighborhood. So I did the next best thing as a Millennial/Gen X-cusper and Skyped in for a two-day board meeting for WIFS, the national organization where I currently serve as the Immediate Past President. My biggest takeaway was the concept of Start Stop Continue, which was introduced to me by leadership coach, Whitney Siavelis.
Such a simple thing really, but I think will be tremendous in both my practice and my board work and I wanted to share it with you! It’s a way to be more intentional with what you are doing and realize what is working and what isn’t. Click here to continue reading.
Filed under: Co-Ops, Combs & Company, Combs & Company Blog, Health Insurance, Innovative Broker Lab, Susan L Combs | Tags: Combs & Company, Farewll to the Co-Ops, Innovative Broker Lab, Susan L Combs
Talk about a cluster! If you are in Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, New York, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee or (insert state that has probably been added in the past hour) I am feeling your pain over the co-op shutdown.
In New York, we were under the impression we had until 1/1 to secure coverage for our clients, only to get an email around 4pm on Friday, October 30th that Health Republic of New York was being shut down as of 11/30 by the state of New York. As if it wasn’t busy enough during open enrollment! To add insult to injury, guess who hasn’t been paid by the co-ops since September? How we all love to work for free! Click here to continue reading.
combsandco 