We were lucky to catch up with Katherine Moskal recently and have shared our conversation below.

Katherine, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

Hey there, I’m Katherine Moskal, the driving force behind Katherine Moskal Health Plans. Today, my world as a health insurance specialist feels incredibly distant from where I stood during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. As everything was shutting down, I found myself jobless after ten years as a cocktail waitress, with my husband furloughed and the future uncertain. With empty shelves and no end in sight, I knew it was time to reinvent not just for me, but for my at-the-time new born, Carson, and what lay ahead for us.

Back then, the obvious choices seemed to either snag a typical 9-to-5 or maybe go back to school to chase a degree in elementary education. I even toyed with the idea of finishing my real estate license. But life had a different plan. I came across a job ad that was almost too good to be true. It dangled the carrot of making $100k a year from the comfort of my home. It seemed impossible to me at the time. In the throes of a global meltdown, this was both a scary and exhilarating prospect. Little did I know, this wasn’t just a job, it was building my own agency.

Deciding to dive into the health insurance field was a huge risk. I was a total newbie, way out of my previous comfort zone. But driven by a cocktail of desperation and hope, I pushed my doubts aside and pep-talked myself: “Katherine, you’ve got this. Bet on yourself.” And that’s exactly what I committed to.

Fast forward a few years, after some initial wins, I faced a new challenge: taking on a team leader role. Despite my usual hesitation about management, preferring to focus on personal and family growth, I saw it as an opportunity to positively influence the lives around me. Buoyed by my earlier gambles, I trusted myself again to step up. Sure, it was scary, but confronting that fear only sharpened my determination to succeed.

Every risk I embraced taught me more about the value of self-trust. These ventures into the unknown didn’t just shape my career; they reaffirmed the incredible power of resilience and believing in oneself.

Now, as I share my story, I want to light a spark for anyone who might feel cornered or fearful. Whether you’re eyeing a career pivot or navigating personal hurdles, remember: often, the real risk lies in hesitation. Embrace your fears. They’re just signs that you’re on the verge of something amazing. Betting on yourself? Trust me, it’s a bet you’ll always win.

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 back background and context?

When I first stepped into the health insurance industry, it was out of necessity, but it quickly became a passion, especially when I saw a gap I could fill: supporting women small business owners. These incredible women juggle countless responsibilities, and often, sorting through health insurance options falls to the bottom of their to-do list.

At Katherine Moskal Health Plans, we specialize in crafting health insurance solutions tailored for women entrepreneurs. We take the complex, often overwhelming world of insurance and make it simple and accessible. Our goal is to provide plans that protect both their personal health and their professional ventures, allowing them to thrive without added stress.

What sets me apart? It’s my personal commitment to my clients. I’m not just a voice on the phone or a name in an email. I’m a partner in your health and business journey. I pride myself on understanding the unique challenges you face and finding insurance solutions that truly fit your life and aspirations.

I’m most proud of the community we’ve built together. A network of bold, driven women who support one another, in a group call Colorado Boss Ladies. If you’re a woman entrepreneur in Colorado, you are welcome.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

‘Funding’ my own business (if you want to call it that) was definitely a bootstrapping journey. We didn’t have access to a big pool of capital, so we had to be creative and extremely frugal. My husband continued to work, and every penny he earned went into covering our basic living expenses. I turned into a coupon queen to stretch our dollars as far as they could go.

In the early days, every bit of income from my business was immediately reinvested back into it. This meant there were months when things got really tight—so tight, in fact, that one month we had to cover our mortgage with a cash advance from a credit card. It was a risky move and definitely not something I’d recommend as a standard practice, but we were committed to making it work. So at the end of the day, we funded it from the cashflow of our household. That’s it. No SBA loans, or fancy startup investments.

Looking back, those challenging early days were critical. They taught me the importance of perseverance and strategic financial planning. It was a tough path, but we kept our eyes on the goal, knowing that these sacrifices would pay off in the long run. And thankfully, they did. Now, I get to share these lessons with other entrepreneurs, hopefully making their journeys a bit smoother by learning from ours.

Do you have any stories of times when you almost missed payroll or any other near death experiences for your business?

A year into launching my business, I hit a really tough spot that almost made me call it quits. It was tax season, and as I went through the numbers, the small amount of profit I had made hit me hard. I remember looking at those figures and thinking, “All those hours for this?!” I felt completely defeated and considered throwing in the towel. It seemed like all my efforts had barely made a dent.

But before making any drastic decisions, I sat down with my husband to go through everything once more. That conversation, along with some deep self-reflection, was a turning point for me. I realized that every business struggles in its initial phase and that giving up wouldn’t help me achieve the dreams I had when I started.

Choosing to persevere was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Since then, there have been months where I’ve earned more than I did in that entire first year. Looking back, I’m so grateful I stuck with it. That challenging time taught me the value of resilience and the importance of pushing through even when the results aren’t immediately visible. It was a near-death experience for my business, but it reinforced my commitment and ultimately set me on a path to greater success.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.moskalhealthplans.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KMHealthPlans
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherinemoskalhealthplans
• Other: Colorado Boss Ladies Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/443585260768496/