Change is constant: A Q&A with Naama O. Pozniak

Naama O. Pozniak is CEO of A+ Insurance Services, focused on implementing the best plans for clients and providing up-to-date information on key issues.

Paul Wilson: How did you get started in the benefits industry?

You always hear, “No one dreams of being a broker,” but you know what? I did. I grew up in Israel, and my uncle owned an agency there. So as a kid, an agency owner was part of what I wanted to become.

I served in the Israeli Air Force and then moved to LA for school right after. It was incredible, because I moved to LA in 1988, got my license the same month, and then in 1989, I got another license in property and casualty.

Related: You’re not just a broker; you’re a business owner

I was a captive agent with Prudential for a few months and then realized it wasn’t for me. I really loved the health side, but the view at the time was “People in that profession don’t make money.” I said to myself, it’s not just about the money; for me, the bottom line is making a difference. I feel like it was a great choice and it’s been a wonderful journey for me in this industry over the past 30 years. It’s been an amazing experience and it’s changed my life.

PW: How has this journey shaped your mindset?

It has made me very authentic and straightforward. I think I also became tougher, which has helped me work with insurance companies in a different way. I have always served on a number of advisory boards for insurance companies and focus groups.

Israelis live for today. We make the best out of every opportunity, so I really try to live in the moment. I think that’s something that really shaped me as a child. We’re also very social. We get together, we share information. I’ve never chosen the road most traveled. I’ve always chosen the new, the exciting.

Volunteering was very important in my family. Helping and supporting the community has definitely shaped who I am.

PW: How has your life and practice been impacted by in yoga and meditation?

I was drawn to Buddhism and Hinduism because no one is excluded. It’s a community where everyone looks at you as a human being. We are not who our business cards say we are—that can change overnight. It really doesn’t matter who you are or where you came from.

I had gone through a really tough time personally but part of it was also looking at our broken health care system. It just doesn’t work. So it was a combination of these things and just being drawn toward simplicity and love.

Since then, I’ve gone through so much training and education. Through my involvement in the industry, I’m very close to many people who work in insurance. They saw me going through a transformation. When somebody begins the journey, even a little bit of meditation, people can see the difference and sense the calm and quiet that comes to you.

I submitted to teach a class in California, which usually takes 30 days to be approved. It was approved in three business days. I strongly feel that this will be a big part of my responsibility to give back to the industry, to teach people how to start this process. The feedback I’m getting is unbelievable.

PW: Would you say this falls under wellness?

Yes. The hardest thing for people is to quiet their minds. There are studies now that show if we can quiet our mind, it will allow us to heal. Wellness often discusses exercise and other things but we never talk about the mind. Studies show that most chronic disease starts with stress. Seventy-five percent to 90 percent of doctor visits are due to stress-related issues. Stress costs the health care system about $1 trillion and they know that. It’s more costly than cancer, diabetes, heart disease or anything else you can imagine.

PW: How much do you bring this up with clients and prospects?

I speak about it in my community, with my individual clients and with my group clients. I took part of the class I created for the industry and in between open enrollment, I build sessions for employees.Employers allow me to come in to the conference room and hold a session for 20 minutes to teach employees about meditation, tools on how to start, the right apps to download. The class is designed to give tools so you can start the journey. There’s no one way to explore the practice.

PW: How realistic is it that this will become mainstream and accepted? Will the cynicism start to melt away?

I’m already seeing that. It’s a long process and I’m not trying to push it because I don’t think that’s the right way. The response I’m getting from other brokers has been amazing. “Naama, I’m taking a few minutes a day to do this and it has changed my life” or “My kids have started doing it with me.”

It’s all about the body-mind-spirit connection. And we’re starting get more evidence to back it up and that’s helping us get more acceptance.

PW: What’s your perspective on the industry now?

I think the health care industry is a total miracle and I love what’s happening right now with the conversation around self-insurance. I do wish the conversation would be a little more positive; I would take all the negativity out of the conversation and leave the positives. How can we make things happen? Not such a focus on who’s not making things work or what’s gone wrong in the past. Instead of so much judgment, a focus on empowering as many as we can.

PW: What are the opportunities and challenges you face as a smaller brokerage?

One of my challenges is managing people and trying to juggle running the agency with my personal development. Balancing time and prioritizing what’s most important is challenging.

Change is a constant part of what we do, and I love it. With a small practice, you can be more flexible and better able to adapt to the environment. But you never know what will be next. People who accept and stay open to opportunities will find success.

I’m fascinated by exploring ways to improve things. As health care leaders, we must take a big role. We need to be open to the possibility that sometimes, you’re wrong. We need to be positive about the insurance carriers, too, because they could still come along.

PW: What are some trends and strategies you’re keeping an eye on?

I love the movement toward direct primary care. I created a network of doctors around me who aren’t just prescribing medication and who I know will do anything possible to actually help people heal. I’ve personally taught many of these doctors meditation and yoga. I know who they are, and if you take my book of businesses who work with these doctors, I guarantee it’s healthier. I believe strongly in building a community within your provider network and I’m fascinated by integrated medicine.

We shouldn’t wait until we’re diagnosed with a disease. People are getting preventive care at a higher rate than ever before. But prevention isn’t everything; it’s also about teaching people to take care of themselves. We need to better understand how we can fulfill people emotionally, physically and spiritually to help them become happier.

I love technology to the degree that it brings encouragement and helps create community. We’re trying to create a community of health conscious people to lower costs. You know who does it well? Google. They’re creating community along with a lot of start up companies I work with in Silicon Valley. I really like the fact that we have technology that can show us where the issues lie. I’m talking to a California legislator now about transparency. I really like that trend right now in health care.

PW: What are your favorite things about your job?

Constant change. It’s so dynamic and something is happening all the time. I love the education that’s required; I feel like I already have a Masters degree! I’m fascinated with seeing different products, innovations and technology.

And I love the people. My clients and my team mean more to me than I can express. I just went to an event yesterday and met several of my clients.They were talking to other people and saying, “Naama has a team that no one else has.” On our team, every person really cares and wants to serve.

PW: Finish this sentence: The key to success in this industry going forward is…

Practice consciousness that will allow you to enter a state of kindness, generosity, compassion and goodwill.

Read more from our Face of Change series:

• Hunger and hustle: A Q&A with Fernando Martinez
• Always moving forward: A Q&A with Laura Frances
• Something has to change: A Q&A with Kassi O’Brien