What’s the good news, ladies?  Feeling the love

It’s February. Who’s feeling the love?  I know I am, because I’m in the middle of our annual #PancakesForRoger fundraiser for the Veterans Clinic that we support each year. And you are showing up for our veterans in a big way*!  I was recently down in Miami for the You Powered Symposium hosted by one of our past features, the legendary Emma Fox. I gave a talk about “Passions & Smarts:  Using Your Insurance Expertise for Increased Advocacy & Revenue” and had so much fun!  There are so many cool things that we can do in our industry that do not always fit inside the standard “I sell insurance” box. When our revenue starts rising, it allows us to advocate and support causes that are near and dear to us.

As I shared in my talk, I attribute a lot of my success to the times when I have been open to opportunities that have come my way.  The three ladies who are being featured this month have done the same, but they are all with the same company, which fosters new opportunities and promotes women from within.  If that’s not some “good news, ladies” I don’t know what is!  I’m happy to introduce you to Kyleen, Mona and Sarah, all from Voya Financial.  Read on to see how these three women have reinvented themselves, the teams they work with and the clients they serve!

Kyleen Engelstad, Voya Financial

“Six months ago, I chose to make a shift in my career. I left a successful and blossoming voluntary benefits practice — which I built from the ground up as a benefits broker and that I was extremely proud of — for an opportunity to focus on one of my passions. Although it was a difficult decision, I had to make the leap.

In September 2022, I took on a new role and challenge, leading claims strategy at Voya. I get to work on something that gives me a lot of energy and that I know directly impacts our insureds. In my short time here, I have already dug in and created a multiple-year strategy and helped kick off several initiatives that are focusing directly on how we can impact our insureds lives before, during and after a claim. It’s incredibly rewarding!”

Mona Zielke, Voya Financial

“I am really proud of two things that I know have made an impact in 2022 — taking attritionin our contact center from over 48% down to an all-time low of 27% at year end, and being on the team that helped set the new Voya Vision, which was just rolled in January 2023 — “Clearing your path to financial confidence and a more fulfilling life.”  My passion is around making a difference for our customers and our employees. It is what keeps me coming to work every day!”

Sarah Thacker, Voya Financial

“Many people I admire found success as either a “builder” or “maintainer.” Builders thrive by making something meaningful from nothing or from rehabilitating a mess. Maintainers are at their best when they take over from there and sustain the momentum. I’m a builder.

I sometimes call myself professionally restless, but maybe that’s underselling it. Having moved up through 14 jobs in nearly as many years across five different departments, I’ve learned what always makes me willing to take the next step into the unknown: I know that I can take something and make it better. I’ve done it a lot in my career, and it’s something that makes me incredibly proud. Maximizing the impact for our customers is now tied to my ability to maintain a healthy claims organization. It’s not about building alone anymore for me. It’s about seeing where people will do their best work and giving them that opportunity.”

*Want to support our annual Pancakes for Roger campaign that runs the month of February?  For every pancake-loving pic we get on public facing social media accounts using the hashtag, #PancakesForRoger, Combs & Co will make a donation to the University of Missouri School of Law Veterans Clinic, which provides free legal services for veterans and their families who are navigating the VA claims and appeals process and more.  Would love for you all to enjoy some pancakes, get your state on our Pancake Map this month and help our some of our Veterans in the process.

And as always, if you know of any fantastic women in our industry, I’d like to know them too.  Please help with this effort and shoot an email to scombs@combsandco.com, as I’d love to connect, bring them into my circle, and share their successes with our followers!