Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jessica Schulte Walker. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jessica, appreciate you joining us today. Getting that first client is always an exciting milestone. Can you talk to us about how you got your first customer who wasn’t a friend, family, or acquaintance?

When I first started in the insurance business, I had to go out and find clients (which scared me to death at the time). I decided to put together a simple brochure, staple my business card to it, and went out and hit the pavement.

I headed to a business park in Encinitas and started walking into random offices, introducing myself. “Hey, I’m Jessica! My family has an insurance agency, and I help companies with their employee benefit insurance packages.” Some people barely looked up, some smiled politely, and others just wished I was there to deliver lunch.

But then I met this woman who actually gave me the time of day. She liked my approach—maybe it was my energy, maybe it was my persistence, or maybe she just appreciated that I had the guts to walk in unannounced. Either way, she took my brochure, asked a few questions, and a couple of days later, she actually called me back.

That call turned into my first real client that I got myself. And the best part? Even though the company eventually sold to new owners, I still have the account today—proof that my team’s service speaks for itself.

If there’s one thing I learned, it’s that sometimes all you need is the nerve to put yourself out there.

Jessica, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I never thought I’d end up in the insurance industry, even though I grew up with parents who built a business in it. After graduating from LMU and working in marketing in Los Angeles, my dad asked if I’d consider coming back to San Diego to learn the family business. I figured I’d give it six months—just enough time to see what it was all about before moving on to something else. But pretty quickly, I realized how much I loved it. Helping people navigate the often-confusing world of insurance, especially during tough times, gave me a sense of purpose I hadn’t felt before.

Our agency has a pretty incredible story. My dad started it in the 1970s after getting laid off on Christmas Eve—with a newborn at home (me). That moment changed everything for him. He decided right then that he was never going to work for someone else again. So, he started from scratch, running the business out of our house. My mom soon jumped in to help, answering phones and supporting him however she could. Over time, they grew the agency from a small home operation to an office in Encinitas, and eventually, to a larger space with a great team of 11 employees who share our family’s values of dedication and care.

Getting to where I am today wasn’t easy. I had to build my book of business from the ground up, which meant a lot of hard work, long hours, and resilience. And life threw its fair share of challenges my way—having newborns during the rollout of the ACA, going through a divorce, managing lupus, losing my dad, and even dealing with a serious car accident my mom was in. But all of that has shaped who I am and how I show up for my clients.

What sets us apart? We genuinely care. My team and I don’t just sell insurance—we build relationships. We help businesses take care of their employees, and we support people when they need it most. There’s nothing more rewarding than being there for a client during something as difficult as a cancer diagnosis or a major health challenge.

At the end of the day, our agency is built on determination, family values, and a commitment to doing right by our clients. My cousin Matt and I are proud to carry on what my parents started, and we’ll keep working hard to make a difference for the businesses and people we serve.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The best source of new clients for us has always been word of mouth from our current clients. When you genuinely care about people, do the right thing, and go the extra mile, they notice—and they tell others.

We don’t just see clients as accounts; we see them as people, and we treat them the way we’d want to be treated. Whether it’s helping a business owner find the right benefits package for their team or guiding an employee through a difficult health situation, we make sure they feel supported every step of the way. That level of service builds trust, and in turn, our clients refer their friends, colleagues, and other businesses to us.

At the end of the day, the best compliment we can receive is when a client says, “You need to call Jessica and her team—they’ll take care of you.” That’s how we’ve grown, and that’s how we’ll continue to grow.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I had to unlearn? That networking was just a bunch of fake small talk.

Early in my career, I avoided it like the plague. I thought networking events were just surface-level conversations, people handing out business cards with no real connection, and a whole lot of forced smiles. It felt inauthentic to me, so I steered clear of it.

But over time, I realized I had it all wrong. Networking isn’t just about collecting contacts—it’s about building relationships. Once I shifted my mindset, I started to genuinely enjoy it. I stopped looking at it as just a way to bring in referrals for our office and started appreciating it for something even bigger: surrounding myself with a network of intelligent, trustworthy people who could help my clients in meaningful ways. Now, when a client needs a financial advisor, a CPA, a business consultant—you name it—I have a solid group of professionals I trust to send them to.

Looking back, I laugh at how much I resisted it because now, I truly love it. It’s not just about growing my business; it’s about connecting great people with other great people—and that’s something I’ll never take for granted.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.schulteinsurance.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/insuranceguruforyou/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SchulteInsurance/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jschulte/
• Twitter: https://x.com/insurancegurus
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/schulte-insurance-agency-encinitas

Image Credits

Headshot San Diego Headshots