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

Alright, Tracy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about the best boss, mentor, or leader you’ve ever worked with.

I’m thrilled you asked. As a mentor, leader, and guide, Bret Brummitt has played an instrumental role in shaping my career, and I feel deeply grateful for the opportunity to work for him. Bret has offered the tools, trust, and encouragement needed to achieve my goals.

Bret often doesn’t go out of his way to point out that he is the Founder of our company. I believe it’s because he doesn’t view himself as being more important than his team, but he’s earned that title through a lot of hard work and dedication. He is the reason we are all here. He is present and works alongside us every day which is refreshing in comparison to the many companies where you rarely see their executive members/founders. He shows up every day in a big way for all of us.

From the very beginning, Bret stood out not just for his wealth of knowledge and experience, but for his values and the foundation of his company. He’s very good at thinking outside the box and finding solutions where others are unable. The well being of people comes first. He’s transparent and honest. When you meet Bret he’s one of those people that you just know is genuinely a good person. He is extremely humble, composed, and he’s involved in every aspect of his business. He shows unwavering patience when teaching and is dedicated to his team. He works incredibly hard. He’s always educating himself and others and is a walking book of knowledge. I’m always amazed by what all he holds in that brain of his! He’s also very laid back and joyful to be around.

He built a company that is a true reflection of himself as a person and I think that’s what makes it so special. He is a very genuine person who cares deeply about the communities we serve. He volunteers a lot of his time and supports so many great causes. Our company is founded on caring for others and making a difference in the community as a whole. Bret truly listens. He invests in his people whether it’s a client, an HR manager, a team member or his family.

Bret is invested in mental health, wellness, access to care and quality care for our clients and also for our team. His goal is to better the lives of others both in and outside of the workplace and he is always looking for ways to improve. In stressful situations he isn’t rattled. He has a very calming presence about him. I always joke if that he ever gets panicky thats when the world should follow suit because he is so level headed.

He takes the time and effort to create a team that works well as a whole which makes coming to work every day really enjoyable. The way a team functions is huge when it comes to the success of a company. The utilization of more in depth personality assessments alongside his other hiring processes contribute to that success and I appreciate his efforts and consideration of the team dynamics. He’s also brought people together who live out our company’s mission naturally in their daily lives and that has resulted in what I call the Dream Team. He is always asking for his team’s input and opinion and thinks every decision through. No decision he makes is ever just about Bret. It’s about the impact it would have on all of us. Work life balance is also important to him and as a mother of two this is very much appreciated. We’re valued, appreciated, trusted and everybody works hard and looks out for one another. Bret’s leadership style fosters a beautiful culture that most companies lack.

I have truly appreciated his trust in me and the opportunity to participate in so many different opportunities that have grown my skillset. I recently shared a goal with him and he was instantly finding courses to help me achieve it. If you have a goal he’s going to support it. I also obtained my Life and Health License with Bret’s support.

Bret is the kind of leader who inspires loyalty, confidence, and a desire to do one’s best every day. It’s been an absolute privilege to work for him!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I grew up in New York and always had an interest in business, which led me to pursue a degree in the field during college. After graduating, I began my career in finance, specifically payroll to get my feet wet. Over time, I transitioned into the healthcare industry in a finance capacity, eventually taking on managing physician contracts which then led me into a decision support analyst role, where I further utilized my analytical skills relating to hospital metrics. The healthcare world gave me insight that sparked my desire to contribute to the healthcare system’s deficits in a more personal way.

After taking a career break during my children’s younger years, a chapter that brought its own growth and perspective, I returned to the workforce with a renewed sense of purpose. I realized I wanted to do work that was not only strategic and analytical but also more people-focused. I was looking for something that allowed me to use my interpersonal strengths and have a positive, tangible impact on the community. That’s what brought me to my current role as an Account Manager in the benefits space. In this position, I manage a range of responsibilities including meeting with new prospects, managing client renewals, open enrollment coordination, new client onboarding, and daily account support. I work closely with clients to ensure their employee benefits programs are running smoothly and that they feel informed and supported every step of the way. I also obtained my Life and Health license to better serve clients with expertise and compliance in mind.

My role is the perfect balance of relationship-building, problem-solving, and making a difference in people’s lives through the work I do which is exactly the direction I was looking for in my career evolution. I truly enjoy talking with my clients each day, finding a sustainable benefits package that is valuable, customizable and affordable for them and maintaining those professional relationships. I love meeting our clients and hearing what their goals are and how I can be a part of achieving them! I love stepping in when they have a problem they need assistance on whether it’s a complex claims issue or coverage issues. It’s been rewarding to investigate their renewal packages and find the best options for them. I enjoy figuring out what to do with the renewals and how to approach any challenges presented.

I care about the people that entrust their businesses, employees and families to us. I’m invested in their well being. Whether they have claims issues for a child or need help navigating the costs of a benefits package, I’m here and I’m going to do everything in my power to help.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our clients alongside insurance. We work with a lot of health, dental and vision insurance but we also do everything from direct primary care to group life, accident, critical illness, flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, pet insurance and wellness reimbursement accounts. The list of benefits we offer is quite long and we are always open to more. There are so many vendors and unique things you can offer now and our company is about finding the ones that are tailored to your unique company and demographics. We like to find innovative solutions and to create very intentional benefits packages.

The benefits and healthcare world can be complex to navigate. I’ve seen this first hand and with the growing costs of both, our team is dedicated to being on your side to help you navigate things and ease that burden. Education and transparency are also very important to us and I believe those two things really put employers ahead as they navigate things.

We are a smaller company and I absolutely love that about our team. You aren’t just a number to our team. When you call you’re going to get one of 8 of us. We invest in our clients and get to know them and their goals. I enjoy the personal touch in everything we do. Generous Benefits foundation is based on the reality that great benefits trickle down and result in a flourishing community.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

While taking a planned break from my professional career to raise my children, I received some life-changing news that resulted in a painful period of change requiring me to swiftly change course. The journey challenged my resilience, strengthened my faith and ironically led me to the career I adore.

I returned to the workforce during this time which was both exciting and an emotionally complex transition. I felt a strong desire to re-engage with my professional identity and pursuing my career was not only necessary for financial stability and personal fulfillment but at the same time being away from my children during work hours sooner than planned was difficult and I knew shifting that dynamic required adjustment not just for them, but for me. Being a Mother is something I’m eternally grateful for and I’m extremely close with my daughters. I fought through fertility issues to get them here safely and I’m so grateful for them! During this time I also had several deaths to grieve including my Grandmother, my step-father, my best friend’s mother, a childhood friend and my dog which added another layer of stress.

After saying many prayers, I set out hyper focused on making sure I chose a path that both met my professional goals and allowed me to remain a present mother. I wanted to conquer both. I loved my time in the healthcare realm but found myself desiring more personal interactions and the ability to impact the community on a deeper level. The financial and analyst role was a more secluded role and I was also looking for something with more growth potential. I enjoy building professional relationships and nurturing those relationships so I needed something where I could use those relational skills to be truly fulfilled. I had always been interested in pursuing a role in benefits and being able to help people in that area.

Returning to the workforce wasn’t just about resuming a job, it was about rebuilding my professional identity with a new perspective and purpose and I really took this time to define that for myself.

That time period required a lot of strength as I was navigating many things at once and I had to really trust my faith and intuition and where it was leading me. During my search I prayed often for a company who met certain criteria. I created a list of my goals and non-negotiables and narrowed things down from there. Generous Benefits appeared in my search one day and I felt extremely drawn to them. Over the course of several weeks I continued to be led back to Generous Benefits over and over until I reached out to Bret and decided to apply. From the first interview with Bret, I knew I wanted to be a part of his team and mission. In fact, I felt so led to this company that I told my oldest daughter I was sure this company was THE ONE after our first interview and I stopped searching. As the hiring process continued this proved more and more true and I was offered the position!

I have been extremely fulfilled and happy in this career and it has checked off every box for me. I couldn’t be happier with my decision but I know that if I hadn’t trusted my faith and went with my intuition when it led me to this company that I wouldn’t be here in this role today. I have already accomplished so many goals within my career and have more on the horizon. I absolutely adore my team and my clients. I love being able to impact our community in a positive way and I truly enjoy building and nurturing the professional relationships we have.

Being an account manager in the employee benefits space is a dynamic and people-centered role that blends customer service, industry expertise, and project coordination. Each day brings a mix of responsibilities, from meeting with our new prospects, guiding clients through open enrollment and managing renewals, to answering benefit-related questions and resolving issues that arise with carriers or employee coverage. Our team is remote which was something I really desired. I believe it allows us to be more efficient and it saves overhead costs that would impact our clients while still allowing those relational skills to be front and center.

My career has also allowed me to remain present with my children who are extremely proud of my work and my biggest fans! Work life balance is very important to Generous Benefits. My family matters to them. My daughters are thriving in school. My oldest child will be a junior next year and is attending a collegiate program for nursing. She will graduate with her highschool diploma and associates degree as well as her CNA! As a young adult that’s going to be entering the workforce soon and in the medical field she sees the value in what we do. My youngest is entering second grade and loves reading, math and science. She wants to be a nurse like her sister some day and loves to tell people about our company! She’s definitely the most benefits educated on the playground! They are going to change this world for sure!

This company holds a special place in my heart because I believe finding Generous Benefits was very divinely influenced. When life throws us a curveball it can be stressful and scary but we have to pivot and find a path forward and more often that not it turns out better than before! It also set a powerful example for my children about resilience, ambition, and the importance of following one’s goals.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I think my reputation in the market has been built on a foundation of strong professional relationships and my dedication our mission. I think one of the qualities that truly comes through in my work is my ability to build and sustain meaningful professional relationships grounded in trust, mutual respect, and a genuine understanding of others’ needs. I don’t just want to connect with people, I want to invest in those connections, taking the time to listen, add value, and follow through with integrity. I try to put myself in the shoes of others every time we speak. I try to respond to emails quickly and take pride in not allowing tasks to ever become past due. You can trust me to do what I tell you I’m going to do.

Success isn’t just about what you achieve, but how you achieve it and for me, that starts with showing up consistently, building trust, and treating people with respect and empathy. Strong relationships are what sustain success over time. I fight for our clients and business and I believe my clients know I always have their back.

I work hard to not only meet expectations but to exceed them. If you give me a goal or a task, I don’t want to just accomplish it. I want it to be a home run and knock it out of the park. I’ve been that way since I was pretty young. I bring determination and a strong sense of purpose to everything I do. All of my clients are equally important to me. Every issue is equally important to me. I want my clients to know that no matter what they need or who they are, I’m going to give it everything I’ve got.

I’m known for being someone who learns quickly, adapts fast, and stays focused on delivering results even in high-pressure situations. Whether it’s navigating complex challenges or supporting a colleague, I try my hardest every day to lead with integrity and a willingness to go the extra mile. I hope in everything I do that’s felt sincerely by those who work with me.

I’m also extremely blessed with a talented team! I wouldn’t be where I am without them! We work efficiently and seamlessly together and work hard to deliver. We have a really special crew here!