Growing through the Pandemic
March 2020 hit and not only did the entire world go into lockdown, but…
I found out I was pregnant and due in the middle of open enrollment.
In the world of benefits, the 4th quarter is everything. In a few weeks, we do 50% of our business for the year. There was no way I could run a normal open enrollment season and have a baby at the same time! I had always planned on hiring agents and expanding my team; I just didn’t know it would need to happen so quickly. In addition, to expecting a tiny human, I was diagnosed with Hyperemesis Gravidarum. HG is basically like the worst hangover you’ve ever had for months on end. The all-night tequila shot kind of hangover. I rallied myself and my team. By July, we had 3 licensed agents training to handle open enrollment without me. And they did. They gave me 3 weeks of uninterrupted maternity leave during their first OEP. They crushed it, along with the help of our carrier reps and general agencies. In a male-dominated field, most of our direct industry partners are women. These gave me the gift of time with my newborn son – one of the greatest gifts I’ll ever receive. I will be forever grateful.
March 2022 was the 2nd anniversary of my agency. Our staff has grown from 3 to 11. I’m proud to say we’re up 65%. The challenges will always be there, but it gets easier. Perseverance and a lot of lessons learned keep you going. I am so proud of where we are now. A life-changing roadblock, both personally and globally, could have crushed us. But, instead, it propelled us forward.