Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandy Hubbard.

Hi Brandy, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.

I am going to start off by telling this back story because I truly believe it made me into the woman I am today. The challenges, although difficult, taught me tenacity and endurance and I am grateful.

I was born and raised in the big City of New York. I was fortunate enough to skip a grade in middle school because had I not, I would have been pregnant in my last year of high school. However, since I did go from the 7th grade to 9th grade, I graduated high school a year early. I went straight to work directly after graduating because I knew I was going to be a young mother and needed a way to care for my baby. I had found out 2 weeks before graduating high school that I was approximately 6 weeks pregnant!

So many people tried to encourage me not to keep my baby because I would ruin my life, etc. However, that was not an option for me. I held myself accountable and was determined to allow this life inside me to live. I tell this back story because it sets up the stage for how my future would be and to also encourage any young moms out there and let them know that you can endure any challenges that may be thrown your way. It’s important for teenage moms to know that their life is NOT over as many may want them to believe. It’s important for them to know that they can still have a successful life! It’s not going to be easy. AND I want to be clear that I am in no way encouraging teenage pregnancy. However, if it should happen to you, you can not only survive but also thrive if you work hard and put in the work.

Being a mom at such a young age taught me not only grit but grace as well. It built a fire inside of me where I was determined to succeed. Little did I know that it was setting me up for developing the necessary skills I would need as an entrepreneur later in life.

I started out as a legal secretary. Towards the end of my working career, I was a legal assistant for several years. I was tired of the long hours and feeling unappreciated. I was sick and tired of living paycheck to paycheck. More importantly, I wanted time freedom and the ability to earn what I was truly worth! That’s when I knew that I needed to be on an entrepreneurial track.

I was fortunate enough to find a great mentor. I found a true servant leader. As an entrepreneur I believe it’s VERY important to find a mentor that can pour into you and help you reach your goals. Here it is almost 25 years later and I’m still working with Mr. Stewart. I have had other mentors along the way which has greatly contributed to where I am today! You can’t do it alone. Teamwork definitely makes the dream work!

And lastly, I’m truly honored to have been asked to participate in this article by Canvas Rebel. I am inspired by Juan Casimiro, CEO/Founder of Canvas Rebel and all he does to help entrepreneurs and am willing to do whatever I can to also be an inspiration to others.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

It has absolutely NOT been a smooth road. It still isn’t. Entrepreneurship is NOT for the faint of heart. I often speak to other successful entrepreneurs, and they also agree that entrepreneurship is hard! But working for someone else is also hard. You have to choose your hard! With that being said, to me entrepreneurship definitely outweighs working for someone else. However, if I am transparent, there are still days where I may say to myself… do I really want to do this! When this happens, I immediately think of my WHY and how passionate I am about helping people and wanting to help them get their financial house in order.

In addition, other challenges have been keeping an influx of people to see. In my line of work, this can be hard at times. The no shows can also be challenging. Having enough funding for the business. These are just some of the things many entrepreneurs face.

Also, in my line of work, people not really being too concerned with planning for their future when they really should be. Educating people in the community on the importance of life insurance and how it is not just for burial purposes. Teaching how life insurance can create generational wealth and help close the income gap in society, and how our country is in a retirement crisis and so much more can be very challenging.

Going back to my passion, and knowing how important the work I do is, keeps me grounded.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?

I am a licensed Life, Health and Annuities agent. I have been in this line of work now for almost 25 years. I host FREE financial workshops in the community which is geared to helping families get their financial house in order.

I specialize in helping people to protect their income, eliminate debt and create legacies for their families. My main goal is to help educate people on the many strategies that are available to help them. I take the time to explain why life insurance is needed and how it is NOT just for burial purposes. I educate them on the many tax benefits life insurance offers and the various strategies that can be used to help them to eliminate debt including student loans, mortgages, credit card debt and so much more all through life insurance. We have shown clients how to pay off 30 year mortgages in 9 years or less!

So many people were taught that life insurance should only be thought of for burial or final expenses, when in fact, life insurance has so many benefits for the living! We even show clients how to create a supplemental TAX-FREE retirement!

It’s really concerning when I see some agents just teach one form of life insurance. Life insurance is not a one size fits all. Term insurance is not the answer for everyone. Term Insurance has it’s place. However, permanent life insurance has it’s place as well. The key is educating people on the differences and helping them to get the best coverage for the needs of their family.

What sets me apart from others is that I take the time to ask questions and get a full picture of what that person really needs. I take the time to do a needs analysis and help the person figure out what their Human Life Value is which many people have never heard of.

If you call an agent or a company to get a quote for $50,000 and they just give you a quote… RUN! Whoever you decide to do business with should be asking you questions to make sure you get proper coverage for your needs. Too many today, are either underinsured, only have coverage through their job, or do not have any coverage at all!

I also work with clients to help them prepare for retirement. I teach them TAX-FREE strategies. I also show clients how to keep their money safe, while achieving growth at the same time. I help people with 401K, 403B, TSP rollovers as well. Our country is in a RETIREMENT CRISIS! I sit down with my clients and really explain available options and help them to truly understand.

I am most proud of the fact that I am truly interested in my clients. I am NOT just out for a commission! I treat them as family, and I treat them as I would like to be treated myself. I genuinely care and it shows. As a result, I was nominated for Entrepreneur of the Year 2024 by Black Brand – one of Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce for Hampton Roads Virginia. I was also awarded the SUPER BOWL ring for the insurance industry for helping so many families in my community many years ago which I still proudly wear and is pictured in my first picture of this article.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?

I believe success looks different for everyone. Many may associate success with money and material things. However, I learned a valuable lesson from my son years ago. As parents, we tend to want the best for our children. Many of us tend to say I want them to have more than I had and their lives to be better. When in reality, what our children want and need most is US! Our children need quality time with us. We could live in a barn and our children would be happy.

But… back to the lesson my son taught me years ago — was I wanted to buy him something really nice. I bought him this really nice, motorized truck for him to sit in and drive around that was pretty expensive at that time. The lesson was he played for hours with the BOX that the truck came in. He was more happy playing with the cardboard box! He was also just over the moon when I bought him those little $1 matchbox cars. As I mentioned earlier, I had my daughter as a teenager, so I didn’t have much money to give her more expensive gifts. However, by the time my son was born almost 11 years later, I was doing well and wanted to get him nice things only to really realize it was my time that was most important.

So, I said all that to say that success to me is having the ability to spend quality time with my husband, kids and now grandkids.

Success is about achieving personal goals and experiencing a sense of fulfillment in my life. Success to me is also being able to make an impact on other people’s lives. Success to me is reaching back and lifting others up. And last but not least success to me is being able to contribute to the financial needs of my family while not neglecting the more important things!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bhubbinsuranceclub.com
• Instagram: @hubbardbrandy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brandy.hubbard.169
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandyhubbard