Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Heather Jefferson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Heather thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?
After closing and ending a chapter with my previous insurance agency after 7 1/2 years, I decided to start a new and uncharted chapter in starting a newly formed independent insurance brokerage. Names in my life have great meanings and carry a lot of significance! At that time, I started thinking of names that carried significant meanings in my life. And one of the most important areas/portions of my life – family and friends! After thinking back to my childhood, a very significant series of events occurred that stemmed from the ultimate meaning of my company. I vividly remembered an insurance agent coming to my grandparents’ house on a weekly basis to collect life insurance premiums for the majority of members of my family. Now, realizing this moment initially helped me form the name of my company that would be used decades later in my life. In addition to words that could depict helping others, my family/ friends and legacy!
I started thinking of synonyms for family, for friends, for connections, for togetherness – and after some research and reading definitions of words. I landed on the word “heritage”. I researched this word and its definition: (1) valued objects and qualities such as cultural traditions, unspoiled countryside, and historic buildings that have been passed down from previous generations. (2) Heritage is the full range of our inherited traditions, monuments, objects, and culture. (3) is something that is possessed by one person and passed on to someone else who follows after. So after reading these definitions of “heritage”, I quickly made a decision to make Heritage the name of my independent insurance brokerage, Accompany with the words “insurance” and “brokerage”. Since my brokerage would be built on the foundation of various insurance products available through multiple insurance carriers under one brokerage.
Heather, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My journey of entrepreneurship started in the year of 2011. In the year 2011, I was a Senior Sales Account Executive at a company, and my position required me to assist other Sales Account Executives and Senior Account Executives on how to appropriately create digital sales plans for local commercial clients. I also accompany various Sales Account Executives and Senior Account Executives on their sales meetings with their clients to help close and finalize their digital sales components to achieve more company sales and more sales conversions to that particular company. After about a year working in this position, my inner desire of continuing at this company and in this position had come to an end. On an early Monday morning, after a team meeting I typed up my letter of resignation and walked that letter into my General Manager’s office. He was completely surprised by this gesture and to be honest, I was also a little shocked by what I had just done. But there was no turning back at this point. And looking in hindsight this was the beginning of my path to entrepreneurship. After leaving this company, I performed some freelance work for a handful of companies until I received an email from a captive insurance company to start my own insurance company, become my own boss and to become an insurance agent.
In 2012, I studied for and took the State of Texas Department of Insurance exam to become an Insurance Agent. The first test I decided to take was the Property and Casualty exam for the State of Texas Department of Insurance. After a couple of months of studying and quizzing myself on the Property and Casualty exam, I took the several hours exam and I did not pass the exam by 6 points, literally 3 missed answers. This was definitely a defeat to my spirit and my intent to continue on the path of entrepreneurship. I was second guessing my decision to change my career path from being an employee to being an entrepreneur. After speaking with my mother and gaining encouraging words, as I always do from her, she told me to have a day or two days of sorrow and disappointment because I’m entitled to that after all the studying and devotion I dedicated towards this test. And she told me after those few days, buckle down again and restudy all the materials and retake all the study quizzes, so the next go round of taking this test will be a huge success! And that’s what I did exactly, and retook this exam and passed the exam by 14 points, 7 answers. This was the type of boost in confidence I needed to continue this path of entrepreneurship and take the Life and Health exam for the State of Texas Department of Insurance. I passed this exam by 20 points, 10 answers on the very first try. And by taking and passing these exams, this gave me the opportunity to open my captive insurance agency.
Within the first year of being a fully licensed insurance agent, I was able to work towards and achieve two major Life Insurance awards that warrant me, physical/desk awards, several award vacations to San Diego, CA, which I was able to take my mother and my son, and an award vacation to Las Vegas, NV, where I enjoyed very fine dining and amazing sightseeing views. While I was on these award vacation trips and while in the midst of other top insurance agents across the country and within my sales district. I enjoyed my vacations but I also took the initiative to congratulate other winners of these awards and speak with them on how they have achieved success within this company and industry. And I would use and implement at least one thing that each insurance agent I spoke with to help mold and develop my insurance agency and unique style into my business plan and model. After being with the insurance company as a captive agent for seven and half years, God placed the desire and urge to leave this company and close my captive insurance agency to open an independent insurance brokerage to be able to help more people and help educate more people about insurance.
At the end of 2019, I opened my own Black-Owned, Woman-Owned Independent Insurance Brokerage in the Arlington, Texas area, Heritage Insurance Brokerage PLLC. I’m currently dual licensed, insurance licensed to sell and solicit business in the states of Texas and Louisiana for Property & Casualty and Life & Health, and also am seeking additional dual licenses in other states within the next three months. At the present time, In December 2022, I completed my 3 year work anniversary, I have been in business as an independent insurance broker! I have been able to help a lot of clients, new and past clients with all types of insurance products to help protect their assets, their families future goals and help make sure their businesses are protected from unseen property claims, professional errors and making sure their employees are covered from incidents that could happen at their business location(s). The first couple of months of 2021, I started a Sports and Entertainment division of my insurance agency – HIB Sports and Entertainment. I have a Former International Basketball Player hired to run this division and help educate sports professionals the importance of adding PTD/LOV Insurance (Permanent Disability Disability/ Loss of Value) to their portfolio to help protect your current and future assets. The main focus of this division is to target and ensure that athletes are protected and make sure their future earrings are not diminished due to temporary or permanent disabilities or injury.
I’m extremely excited about the near future for my independent insurance brokerage Heritage Insurance Brokerage PLLC in addition to the HIB Sports and Entertainment division.
Heritage Insurance Brokerage PLLC specializes in all lines of personal lines of insurance (Renters Insurance, Homeowners Insurance, Mobile Homes, Manufactured Homes, Auto Insurance, Motorcycle Insurance, Watercraft Auto Insurance ~ boats, jet skis, etc., Motorized Auto Insurance ~ golf carts, slingshot, etc. Also commercial lines of business (General Liability Insurance, Errors & Omissions Insurance, Professional Liability Insurance, Business Operating Insurance, Business Tenant Insurance, Worker’s Compensation Insurance, Commercial Auto Insurance). And the last sector of business Heritage Insurance Brokerage PLLC specializes and my most passionate product sold is Life & Health Insurance (individual, family or group Term Life Insurance, individual, family and group Whole Life Insurance or Burial Life Insurance/Final Expense Life Insurance, individual and family Universal Life Insurance, Universal Index Life Insurance, Annuities, 401(k) Rollovers and Long-term Care Insurance.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Everyday in my professional life, I make a strong effort to ensure that I provide 5-Star customer service to every potential client and my current customers. Allow my Christian beliefs and very caring spirit to be displayed to every potential client, every current client, every business partner, every personal or business referral that comes my way. Customer service and educating clients are very important to me personally and professionally.
In the insurance industry an agency owner has to learn how to pivot on a monthly basis. There are times in the insurance industry that some products are less attractive and sought out by clients due to the higher than normal premium on the products. That’s why having multiple insurance carriers that I work with within my brokerage is very vital to my brokerage’s success. Also having various lines of insurance products is also important to be able to be a one-stop shop for clients on a personal insurance level, on a life insurance level and also on a business insurance level. It truly delights me to be my client’s all around insurance broker on all levels of their life!
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
My journey has not been an easy road by no means at all – But God it has been definitely worth it! My biggest passion in life is helping others. This is why my chosen path to entrepreneurship is a perfect path for me! The struggle I have experienced is being a woman in the insurance industry, being a minority in the insurance industry and being a small business trying to find and acquire funding when I initially started my brokerage. Working capital will help expand my business, promote my business and hire more producers to help the goal of my insurance agency. Even though the journey has not been smooth and all peachy, I would not change my experience or path at any step during my process. There are two famous quotes I try to implement and remember everyday are, “Anything in life worth having is worth working for.” – Andrew Carnegie. And “Success has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It’s what you do for others.” – Danny Thomas. These quotes are the essences of my work ethic and daily work motivation and drive.
There have been a lot of times throughout my entrepreneur career that I can remember, me asking fellow business owners, other colleagues for assistance and have not been able to receive that assistance. However, that has not and will not stop me from pushing on and continuing my amazing and very rewarding entrepreneur path!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.HeritageInsuranceTX.com
- Instagram: @heritage_insurance_tx
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeritageInsuranceBrokerage/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/heritage-insurance-brokerage-llc
- Twitter: @HJeffersonAgcy
- Yelp: https://biz.yelp.com/home/B54XzfkgBB2iEPFTFbg8Bw/
Image Credits
Felicia Jacobs – Image Credits