We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Leslie Shields. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Leslie below.

Leslie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Crazy stuff happening is almost as certain as death and taxes – it’s technically “unexpected” but something unexpected happening is to be expected and so can you share a crazy story with our readers.

March 2020 hit and not only did the entire world go into lockdown but I found out I was pregnant and due in the middle of open enrollment. In the world of benefits, the 4th quarter is everything. In a few weeks, we do 50% of our business for the year. There was no way I could run a normal open enrollment season and have a baby at the same time! I had always planned on hiring agents and expanding my team; I just didn’t know it would need to happen so quickly. In addition, to expecting a tiny human, I was diagnosed with Hyperemesis Gravidarum. HG is basically like the worst hangover you’ve ever had for months on end. The all-night tequila shot kind of hangover.  I rallied myself and my team. By July, we had 3 licensed agents training to handle open enrollment without me. And they did. They gave me 3 weeks of uninterrupted maternity leave during their first OEP. They crushed it, along with the help of our carrier reps and general agencies. In a male-dominated field, most of our direct industry partners are women. These gave me the gift of time with my newborn son – one of the greatest gifts I’ll ever receive. I will be forever grateful.
March 2022 was the 2nd anniversary of my agency. Our staff has grown from 3 to 11. I’m proud to say we’re up 65%. The challenges will always be there, but it gets easier. Perseverance and a lot of lessons learned keep you going. I am so proud of where we are now. A life-changing roadblock, both personally and globally, could have crushed us. But, instead, it propelled us forward. Once you know to expect ups and downs the roller coaster of entrepreneurship gets easier. Experience has proved, you will survive!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

I am a native of North Texas and grew up just east of Dallas. I was destined for entrepreneurship. Both of my parents were entrepreneurs and I knew after college that was my path. I had a friend who was a sales director for a very large health insurance agency and what she did looked great. She “owned” her own business, made good money, and traveled a lot. My degree and work experience had been in sales and marketing, so it seemed like a good professional fit. While I learned later on that I didn’t truly “own” my own business, it was the bridge that got me to where I am now.

Despite the pandemic and my own personal journey into motherhood,  we successfully launched our agency. We’ve been on an upward trajectory of major growth ever since. The Shields Agency helps individuals, seniors, and small businesses with health insurance and other benefits. We use a consultative strategic approach to find the right fit for our clients. What sets us apart, is that we are an agency of mostly women and Moms, and that’s how we approach our clients. We treat our clients with empathy and compassion for their families and the families of their employees.

I am dedicated to empowering women in insurance. This passion has also led to the launching of my secondary agency, Harbot Consulting, named after my son. His presence in this world was the driving force behind our immediate growth. I am driven to help other women in our industry. Harbot Consulting focuses on helping female-led agencies with transitions, big picture, processes, procedures, backend management, and growth plans. I am proudest of the incredible culture we have created at our companies, based on support, respect and teamwork. I look forward to our continued growth and can’t to see where this journey will take us!

Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?

Since I’m a service-based business, there weren’t a ton of start-up costs. But, as I’ve grown, I’ve often needed to hire more staff before I was financially ready to. One of the best strategies we’ve used is utilizing part-timers and contractors. If you can accommodate a part-time hybrid (work from home and some in-office) schedule there is an amazing untapped talent pool. It’s kept our employee cost down and allowed us to hire more specifically for skill sets.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Facebook built my business! One of the most effective ways to use social media is to get involved in conversations. Remember, both your personal and professional presence represents you. IT IS YOUR BRAND! What you put out there is your messaging. Be specific. My husband and I both own small businesses and decided our son wasn’t part of the “brand”. He’s never been on social. It’s very hard to be an expert on all social media platforms. Start where your prospective clients are and one that you enjoy. You’ll have the most success where you are already active and comfortable. For me, it was Facebook, for others it was Tik Tok. Get good at one and grow into others.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.theshieldsagency.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheShieldsAgency
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesliealiceshields/
• Youtube: https://bit.ly/3bUb3cz