Everyone has a super power. Superman can fly, Thor can control lightning and Elastigirl can stretch her body until she’s just one millimeter thin. That said, no superhero became as powerful as these by just jumping right in; they needed practice, training and perseverance.
That’s what Amerisure offered at the Women Producer Power Conference at their Farmington Hills headquarters on June 18-19, 2019. Women from different agencies attended the event, which was aimed at helping women P&C producers hone their skills through training workshops, presentations and discussions.
The program welcomed women that are just starting out their careers, to the ones with books of business exceeding $3 million — all taking charge and rising to the top in a previously male-dominated field. The event provided these women with an opportunity to network, advice on accelerating their books of business and tips to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
The day began with a sales training workshop hosted by Brian Jenkins of BluePrint Consulting Group; an integral provider of Amerisure’s PEaK Producer Development Program. After taking the time to understand each producer’s strengths and roadblocks, he described the six steps to making a sale — and provided the attendees with advice on how to use their trustworthiness and compassion to connect with clients.
Jenkins’ presentation was followed by a roundtable discussion, moderated by Jennifer DeMello-Johnson, Amerisure’s vice president of agency services group. The featured panelists were leaders within their companies and the industry. Panelists included:
- Caroly Hofstee, president and chief executive officer of HUB International Midwest East Limited
- Jayashree Ishwar, chief underwriting officer of Amerisure
- Catherine Kosin, senior vice president and Detroit market leader of Oswald Companies
- Angela McBride, chief administrative officer of Amerisure
- Rochelle Miller, vice president of operations and business development for The McNish Group
- Jody Sarchett, executive vice president, sales, at Lovitt & Touché
Topics ranged from diversifying your network to helping other producers achieve success. The roundtable discussion provided attendees with advice on how to grow their books, maintain a work-life balance and find inspiration in every day events. Beyond this, they discussed fears and risks about professional development.
“Stretching is scary,” said Ishwar, “but if you can take a calculated risk, you should do it.”
While being career and goal oriented is important, maintaining a work-life balance is just as necessary to be successful. Keynote speaker, Kristen Johnson Brogan of On Target Living, presented on increasing your capacity by staying happy and healthy to encourage a positive attitude and environment at work.
From stepping outside, to taking stretch breaks at work, Brogan’s goal was to encourage healthy lifestyles that result in more productive work days.
At the end of the conference, each producer that filed out of the room left with more information and a stronger network of other female property & casualty producers. Each took a step towards perfecting their powers, even while their capes were packed away in their luggage.
For more information on Amerisure’s Producer Development Programs and how you can stay connected with Amerisure Women’s Power Producers, please contact Erin Horton at [email protected]
