Christina King is the founder and president of C&A Benefits Group, an independent benefits consulting firm specializing in self-funded solutions for employers.

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

I moved to Central Ohio in early 2000 and was offered an opportunity at a benefits agency. I was an accidental agent, just like most in the industry. Right away, I loved it. I remember my boss telling me that I was a natural and that I was born to do this. From the beginning, I was passionate about what we were doing.

I worked for other agencies, and watched what they did well and what they did poorly. I saw them make decisions based on overrides and bonuses from insurance companies, rather than considering the best interests of their clients, so I started to become frustrated. My husband, who has always worked in venture capital, said, "I don't know why you're giving 60% to 75% of everything you make to someone else. Why don't you go out on your own?" I was scared, because I was used to selling behind an agency name, but I decided to take the leap and started C&A out of my home. I had clients who followed me over the years, so I knew many of them would probably follow me as I went out on my own. I started with a dozen clients or so.

I started C&A during a recession, probably not the best timing, but anytime there's chaos, there's opportunity. I remember talking to another business woman and saying, "When I started working with you, you had 17 employees; now you have 75. How did you do it?" She said, "Listen to your clients' pain and figure out how to fix it."