What’s the good news, ladies? Reading Rainbow

Super excited to be boarding a plane to Austin this weekend for the BenefitsPRO Broker Expo!  It’s always a lot of fun to connect with friends and colleagues from around the country, to share ideas and learn from each other and, of course, to meet up with some of our WTGNL Wonder Woman Crew!  It’s so rewarding to look at the lineup of Expo speakers this year and see so many of our past features!  And if you haven’t heard, LaVar freakin Burton is going to be our keynote on Tuesday!  So before I go all Reading Rainbow on you, I want to introduce you to three incredible women in our industry who recently crossed my path: Angela, Kelsey and Tonya.  These women are striving for greatness in our industry every day and not only are they showing up for themselves and their companies, they are showing up for their clients and advocating for them every step of the way.

Angela Theesfeld, Vice President, Davidson Camp Insurance Services, LLC

“As a partner at my firm, I have revitalized our new business sales and increased our business by over 22% over the last 12 months. I feel incredibly honored to be part of a woman-owned business, and I take great pride in mentoring others.  In December, I was honored by the local San Antonio Association of Health Underwriter’s with the Dave Clark Lifetime Achievement Award for my volunteer work on behalf of the insurance industry.

I currently serve as the Legislative Chair for the state of Texas Association of Health Underwriters and guide the state’s legislative priorities. I have a passion for this industry and am excited to help impact change at the state and federal level. I have some big ideas for new legislation to impact the uninsured in our state! Hopefully, 2022-2023 we will see those ideas come to fruition.”

Kelsey Martin, VP of Business Development, EVHC

“The word believe comes to mind when I think about the past 12 months.  Last April, I made mybiggest career leap to date. I accepted the responsibility of building a market in a space I wasn’t an expert in…yet.  As I left everything I knew for something I didn’t, I held on to believing in myself. Believing in my relationships. Believing in my skillset.  Believing not only in my potential, but in my ability to thrive.  That belief fueled me to focus on inches at a time, rather than miles.  I’ve deepened existing relationships and cultivated new ones through the value I’m bringing to the table.  I’m giving brokers and employers a fighting chance with their health plans because they can now access a down market self-funded solution.  If I take away anything from this past year, it’s that those inch-sized steps add up to miles.”

Tonya Booth, President, Biz Benefits

“As an insurance broker in the industry for the last 38 years, I have grown to truly love our job and truly understand the value it brings.  Keeping our members informed on ways to access their care and providing tools for transparency and quality outcomes are key to the goals of our success.  Conviction is the foundation for what I do day in and day out.

Oftentimes in our industry, we have to be a voice for those who aren’t able to be heard. We must listen to our gut when things don’t seem right.  It’s OK to go against the norm; I don’t like to settle for status quo and whatever I can do to bring a more personal touch in handling each situation brings so much joy and satisfaction.  People don’t always remember what I may have said and they may forget what I did, but they seldom forget how you made them feel. ”

Can’t wait to see so many of you at the BenefitsPRO Broker Expo. Be sure to come see me share some knowledge during the “Broker of the Year Alumni: What’s Changed?” session with my friends Ed Ligonde and Derek Winn. I will also once again host the always fun “Fast & Furious” session with my stellar judging panel of Erika Ensign (past feature), Kim Perez (past feature) and Nick Giacolone (not a past Wonder Woman feature but his mama Nancy is also speaking this year!).  Also looking forward to hearing from other past features Kim Eckelbarger, Jennifer Spiegel Berman, Jessica Waltman, Emma Fox, Allison De Paoli, Chelsea Whalley, Wendy Keneipp, Amy Evans, Suzy Johnson, Megan Chiarello, Tanya Boyd and Colleen Blum! If you will be in Austin, please find me and introduce yourself. And as always, if you know a rockstar woman who fits the title of “Wonder Woman” shoot me an email to scombs@combsandco.com as I’d love to connect!