There’s Nothing Boring about this insurance gal
Jacki Schaffer is not a woman you’d expect to be in the insurance business. With so much pizazz and effervescent energy, she really belongs on stage.
Jacki reached out to me recently for a headshot. New job = new photo, she said. Her hair, normally dyed with one (or several) rainbow-colored tones, is an external expression of her internal energy. Although we photographed Jacki as a blonde, she lives up to the stereotype — they really DO have more fun!
Read more to get a glimpse of her fun and unrestrained spirit and her “unconventional” business advice.
Tell Me More About You and Your Business
I’m Jacki the Insurance Girl!
I’m a producer at an all-woman agency in Westlake called Bay Shore Insurance and I’ve been helping people with their auto and home insurance for the last 6 years.
I specialize in helping first time home buyers set up their required hazard insurance and handle communication with their lenders. I’m a trusted referral partner of over 50 local lenders and realtors in Cleveland and surrounding areas and am known for the FREE pre-inspection CLUE report (5-year loss history). I offer to the clients of my lending and realtor partners on every home! The CLUE report maximizes the value their buyers get from their home inspections, includes options for equipment breakdown coverage beyond the first year, and puts buyers’ minds at ease about their new home.
I’m also a member of and miss my networking at multiple professional organizations including BNI, Plexus the Cleveland LGBT+ Allied Chamber of Commerce where I serve as Co-Chair of the Membership Committee, and the Cleveland chapter of LGBTQ+ real estate alliance where I currently serve as the Founding President.
WHAT ARE Some THINGS YOU’VE LEARNED ABOUT YOURSELF?
Being myself is the best way for me to prospect business. Sales can be a tricky industry and it can play with your head and your emotions. There are a lot of eyes on you and people assess reasons to or not to work with you.
For my first couple of years, I really tried to present myself in a way that was consistent with the traditional quiet, stuffy, conservative insurance agents we all know and love, and I wasn’t loving my job. In the end, it didn’t feel authentic and therefore I wasn’t giving myself an opportunity to thrive.
One day I dyed my hair purple and started making jokes in my elevator pitch at networking events about being an insurance agent with purple hair and a crazy thing happened: people started seeking me out to discuss insurance. I realized that if I present my real self the people who are choosing to work with me are the best fit for my services, and I have loved what I do since.
I LOVE making connections for people. I have always been a connector but didn’t know what that meant or how much I actually enjoyed it. Prior to selling insurance, I was always the friend who “had a guy for this” or “had a lady for that”, but I have learned that in the sales world, the interest and ability to make connections for other people is an amazing way to build a solid reputation, make lasting connections, and grow real relationships.
I have set myself a personal goal to make 365 connection in 2021, it’s January 20th and I’m at 26 business connections made and feeling great about this year.
IS THERE ANY ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO OTHERS BASED ON WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED?
I would encourage people to think outside the box when it comes to doing business. Don’t be afraid to bring some of your hobbies and things you enjoy outside of work into your business plan. You may be surprised at how often you can turn your existing interest and networks into business opportunities.
I built a networking & hiking group because I was tired of being on the computer all day. I had coffee with two friends who come from different religious and cultural backgrounds than me and we all said we wished our professional networks were more diverse, so we joined forces and reached out to 7 people each from our existing network and hosted a 24-woman networking event with multiple faiths, cultures, and races represented. Put your time into the things you love and you’ll love what you are doing.
WHERE CAN WE LEARN MORE ABOUT YOU?
Bay Shore Insurance website
Jacki’s Facebook page
Let’s get connected! Contact Jacki for a coffee or zoom 440-522-9844.
LEARN MORE ABOUT PORTRAIT SESSIONS and headshots
To learn more about portrait packages or to book a headshot or business portrait, please contact Michelle Loufman.
