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35: Identity, Risk, and Building Without a Blueprint with La Jefa Laura G
34 Plays6 days ago
What happens when you stop shrinking yourself and start building from exactly who you are? In this episode, Krystle sits down with Laura—better known as La Jefa Laura G—a first-gen Chicana entrepreneur, insurance broker, and advocate for immigrant and first-gen business owners. Laura opens up about navigating the in-between of culture and identity, creating a business without a roadmap, and why protecting your business is just as important as growing it. This conversation is honest, empowering, and packed with real talk for women building something bigger than themselves.
Join us as we discuss:
- The power of owning who you are — How Laura embraced her first-gen Chicana identity and turned it into the foundation of her brand, voice, and mission.
- Building a business without a blueprint — The reality of figuring out entrepreneurship in real time, leaning on mentorship, and finding community as a first-gen business owner.
- Protecting what you’re building — Why so many small business owners are underinsured, where risk gets overlooked, and how education can save entrepreneurs from costly mistakes.
If this episode hit, take 10 seconds and help it travel—follow the show, leave a quick rating, and share it with a woman who’s ready to be heard.
Follow us @gritcitywomen | www.gritcitywomen.com
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Transcript
Introduction to 'Gritty is the New Pretty'
00:00:03
Speaker
Welcome to Gritty is the New Pretty, where resilience meets real talk. I'm your host, Crystal, entrepreneur, leadership coach, change maker, and outdoor enthusiast.
00:00:15
Speaker
Join me as I sit down with powerhouse women leaders, entrepreneurs, and small business owners who share their raw, unfiltered stories of success, struggle, and the grit it takes to make an impact. From navigating change to redefining success, we'll explore what it takes to rise, lead, and thrive.
00:00:35
Speaker
Expect raw conversations to fuel your journey, whether you're breaking down barriers in life or in business. We're redefining success, not by perfection, but by the strength it takes to rise again and again. Because in this space, gritty is the new pretty.
00:00:53
Speaker
Hit subscribe and let's get gritty with it. This episode is sponsored by Hey Becks Creative House, founded by brand strategist Becky LaFranche, known for building crave-worthy brands that blend story, soul, and strategy.
00:01:09
Speaker
Explore the work at heybecks.com.
Meet Laura Hepaji, First-Gen Chicana Entrepreneur
00:01:16
Speaker
On today's episode of Gritty is the New Pretty, we have Laura, also known as Laura Hepaji, a first-gen Chicana entrepreneur, advocate, and mentor for immigrant and first-gen business owners navigating entrepreneurship without a blueprint. Her story is about identity, courage, and building something powerful.
00:01:35
Speaker
Welcome, Laura. Thanks for having me, Crystal. Why don't you go ahead and start off with telling us about you? ah Yeah, so, I mean, how can I top your intro, first of all? You described me better than I can ever describe myself. um Well, I was born and raised in Corona, California, in the Inland Empire. um my mom is a, she was she immigrated to this country, which was 10 years old. My dad is a border was a border kid, and so he hopped back and forth ah throughout his youth with classes and stuff like that. But I pretty much was raised in Corona my whole life until we moved out here six years ago. um And we did a two-year stint in South Carolina, which was kind of random. But yeah, yeah.
00:02:27
Speaker
Honestly, i grew up just kind of being a quiet kid, sometimes being really loud now, knowing that it was undiagnosed ADHD. So um my moods were tended to be a little shifty. i never felt like I fit in because I wanted to look like my classmates that...
00:02:46
Speaker
Definitely didn't look like me. um There were these cute little girls, like little white girls, and I always felt like I didn't fit in. And then when I'd be at home, I felt like I didn't fit in with my parents because i felt like they kind of had a ah guide of what what their idea of a good child was, and I felt like I couldn't be myself. So I navigated through that my entire youth, and it wasn't until about maybe 10 years ago that I kind of really engulfed myself in figuring out who I was.
Embracing Mexican and American Identities
00:03:15
Speaker
so Wow. I really resonate with that quite a bit growing up and not being like your peers and not looking like your peers. I grew up in an area that was very small and rural for most of the time. And um I didn't really realize the difference until I looked through my yearbook And I was back then they were black and white when we actually had yearbook yeah and I was flipping through it and I realized like I was the darkest person in the
00:03:51
Speaker
in the yearbook. And I was like, oh my gosh. And I think I was really tan because of the summer. And then the black and white just made it look so different. And I like, it kind of shocked me. And, but I had realized that a lot of it really made sense about the way I felt growing up and in elementary school and being around my peers and just really wishing I looked different.
00:04:13
Speaker
So I'm happy that you've come through that and you've really yeah come to embrace yourself. Yeah, it's funny because like... In high school, i felt like when I would hang out with like my Latina friends, I wasn't exactly like them because I was almost sheltered in a way. Like my mom, when she immigrated to this country, she lived in like Southgate, Compton, l LA, like out there. And it was a lot, it's a lot different. I mean, we've all heard the things, watched the movies, whatever.
00:04:46
Speaker
But growing up, like when I... would hang out with like my Latina friends. I mean, granted, we didn't live out there. We lived in um the Inland Empire, which was about like in traffic two hours away. And um but I still felt like a disconnect because i almost felt like I hung out with non-Latinas so much that I was definitely more of a coconut. Brown on the outside, white on the inside. And I still get that to this day. I have some cousins that I love so much, but they'll say things and I'm just like, oh my gosh, they're so right.
00:05:21
Speaker
a I mean, I'm not going to deny it. Sometimes I am a coconut and I'm okay with it, but that's also a part of me. so Right. You are who you are. Yeah. Yeah. But then that's why I turned it into La Jefa Laura G. Like, I'm still there's okay, so I'm obsessed with Becky G. And she has this documentary that just came out. And she said it so perfectly when she says, I'm 100% Mexican, but I'm also like 100% from here too There's no, I'm not from here or I'm not from there because you hold both identities so close. You're 100% this and 100% that. And that like really shook me to the core. And I'm like, she's absolutely right. I don't have to.
00:06:05
Speaker
say that I'm a certain way, like I'm 100% both of these things and I need to own it. And I think that's where a lot of like people that are like me that are first generation born here um identify more as their chicaana or Chicano heritage, you know? um So that's something important that I wanted to bring into my branding when I decided to open up my own business.
Cultural Identity in Business Branding
00:06:28
Speaker
Tell us more about your branding and what elements you brought into it, because I think your branding is spectacular. I love it so much. It's definitely something that I admire about what you're doing, really embracing it and all the colors. And so tell us about that and more about why it's important and how you're intertwining it into your business.
00:06:52
Speaker
Yeah, it's actually pretty funny because I would have never thought that an insurance agency would have those types of colors, especially being independent and like kind of having a starting from scratch because I work with so many carriers. um I wanted to brand because I knew I wanted I didn't know how to do that. So when I hired the person to help me, said,
00:07:16
Speaker
just kind of went into it with her whole soul and heart. She did research on the Chicano heritage. She found out things about, I took some Chicano studies classes classes at ASU and she found out some things that I didn't even know. So I was like, girl. um But I don't know. It just, I just was talking to her about things that I wanted to do as an insurance agency owner that I hadn't seen in the industry before.
00:07:46
Speaker
Being bilingual, I feel that there is a little bit of a a gap in the way that we present certain things to clients. And I mean, I go through this all the time because I do speak more Spanglish than Spanish, which is a little blend of both both languages of English and Spanish. um But that was my first language growing up. So I know like when I would visit grandma and grandpa and they would have me translate things, I'd be like, you know, ah a kid. But it was I would be describing words. And so I wanted to make sure that when
00:08:23
Speaker
a client that maybe doesn't want to speak English or prefer Spanish walks through my virtual doors that I was able to educate them by not only selling them a policy but letting them know like hey this is what's going on behind those doors like you have a brick and mortar there can be a flood there can be this there can be that and I wanted them to be able to truly educate themselves and know that it's not just about getting some coverage it's about making sure that the policy that gets sold to you helps you with those gaps so you know like, okay, this happened. I don't have to take care of it myself. That's something I could call my provider and they could handle it for me. So that was something really important I wanted to to do. um i feel like I'm still kind of learning as this journey goes, but shout out to Bex, which did my branding because she really just –
00:09:20
Speaker
Every color, every name of those colors, everything has a meaning behind it. And it just blends so beautifully together. And I was just like, yeah, that's me. So I'm just really proud of La Jefa Laura G and that branding. And I, you know, I always say, like, I hope to be her one day because I'm still learning. i feel like she's a part of me that I'm still learning about. And
Navigating Insurance for Non-Native Speakers
00:09:46
Speaker
so I'm really excited to to keep learning about her.
00:09:50
Speaker
That's so great. Hey, Bex is one of our sponsors for the podcast. So it's great to hear hear her shouted out here. And she's been on the podcast. So if anybody listening is interested and takes a look at Lora's website, you know, it came from our sponsor, Hey, Bex Creative House. And she does incredible work. And I, like I said before, I do really love what you're doing. And It is so important that people understand their policy. i
00:10:26
Speaker
I speak English and I read English and I still don't understand some of the stuff that you just sent me in an email about insurance. I'm like, you're going to have to talk to me about this. So, um you know, when...
00:10:37
Speaker
you speak a second language or your your first language is not English and the policy is in English and you maybe don't have the best translation, you don't know what's in your policy. So how do are they even being able to utilize their policy in a time of need to the fullest extent? They might be paying out of pocket for things that are covered in the policy, right? Yeah.
00:11:00
Speaker
Yeah. And that's the thing that I'm trying to bridge that gap, you know, um, I'm really, this year, I've been really kind of refocusing my attention on doing just that. By the end of this year, I should have a couple workshops in person that I want to do and partner up with other Latino or Latina members of the community and really do an educational workshop where we're just focusing on the education and not at the end of it let's sell you something. You know, I really want to focus on so making sure that other Latina community members understand, especially if they're business owners, understand their risk and understand that e no one policy or no one business fits those same needs. Because that's something really important that I've noticed in my journey is that a lot of business owners also don't realize that their needs may not match my needs. Even though we may be in the same industry, i don't have a brick and mortar, but you might. So even though your friend has XYZ, you may not qualify for that because you want to protect that building. So it's, I've been leaning more on that this year.
00:12:19
Speaker
How did you get into the insurance business?
Journey into the Insurance Industry
00:12:24
Speaker
That's a really funny story. um I was what one of my best friend's sisters likes to call a child bride. I got married at 19 and i I was pregnant. And ah my one of my really good friends from high school, she worked at the state farm office and she knew that, you know, I speak Spanish. And one of the gals there, she was going on maternity leave. And so she was just like, hey, Laura, I know you speak Spanish. We're just looking for someone to cover her while she's on maternity leave. So I was like, okay, that sounds great. I need to be off my feet anyways. Like I shouldn't be doing what I was doing. I worked in retail and up at odd hours and I was like an office job perfect for a pregnant person, you know, and I was young. So I was like, oh my gosh, how hard can this be? um And it was only for a little bit. So I walked in through those doors at State Farm in Corona and I stayed there for eight years. Wow.
00:13:20
Speaker
Wow. Yeah. Yeah. um Yeah. I was a fast learner. I still am. And um I really had like a knack for it. and My boss at the time, i guess she saw something in me that maybe I didn't see then because it wasn't licensed yet. So I wasn't like selling anything. But eventually I got licensed and was great. I spent great years there and I'm very proud of the person that I've turned into because of that journey. So um sometimes, you know.
00:13:54
Speaker
When you're somewhere for that long and you're young, you think of all this negative, the negative side of things of like, I should have done this, I should have done that. But in reality, it was kind of like my college, you know, because I i i learned so much from the agent, from my the other team members. And I took a little bit of each and every one of those people that i that were in that office I took them with me because my business now is built on a lot of similarities that I learned from that job.
00:14:28
Speaker
Right. So now you you went from that organization or that company into being a business owner yourself. So you are an insurance broker?
00:14:41
Speaker
I don't exactly know. So you're going to have to teach me and our audience about it. Like, what's the difference between State Farm and what you do? Or is there a difference? There is. So State Farm, your your big companies that you see on TV, like State Farm and all the other big guys like that, those are captive agents. That means that they can only provide you coverage within those companies themselves. Me, that I'm independent, I am an independent broker. However, I do not charge broker fees because that's kind of my way to also give back to my community. There's a lot of small business owners that are just getting started that can't
00:15:17
Speaker
maybe can't afford a broker fee. So I told myself I would never do that um because I wanted to educate. That's my first and foremost is education first. And I believe that education should be free. So,
00:15:30
Speaker
An independent agent or broker works with multiple companies. However, companies like those big guys that you typically see, the All States of Farmers, they don't... They're captive agents. That means that as an agent, you can only work with them, but also they won't want to work with someone like me that has other carriers. So me, I have...
00:15:51
Speaker
ah hundred Over 130 carriers at my disposal because I partnered up with a network, which is another brokerage, a bigger brokerage. And then so they take care of all that for me. But my age my clients are my clients. my If I were to leave them, I could take my clients with me, but I would never leave them because they're amazing. And i mean, that's kind of like how i wanted to make sure that I had options because I have seen how conservative a lot of the other companies are where they don't take everybody. And it's like, OK, but where do I go? And it's like, can't help you. I don't know. Like, you're going to have to Google it. So when they come to me, whether they're a restaurant that doesn't sell alcohol or maybe a bar, those are higher risks.
00:16:34
Speaker
that maybe those companies will say no to, I can find them coverage through one or many different carriers. So that's why I like being independent. I like what I'm doing now because it's I feel like I have options and I'm kind of like your one-stop shop.
00:16:51
Speaker
I love that you do that because being a small business owner that has a unique niche and a podcaster and also the president of a nonprofit, I have no idea where to start with any of that
Client Education and Policy Customization
00:17:04
Speaker
stuff. And i have worked with a larger insurance company in the past and it was fine, but I still felt like I didn't know what You know, i like you said, the education piece is really important. I was like, hey, this is what I'm doing. and they're like, all right, here's what you need, blah, blah, blah, pay me. And I was like, okay, I'm paying you. But at the end of the day, I really didn't feel like I understood it or knew it. it was sort of just like I've got it and I feel better, but kind of, kind of better. Yeah. Yeah.
00:17:40
Speaker
So how do you, if you don't charge a brokerage fee, fee how do you make a profit? um I just get commission from the carrier. So i so when I sell the policy...
00:17:53
Speaker
Yeah. So sometimes in the documents I sent, because I'm very transparent, I send my clients everything that I'm very transparent. So it'll say on there, I get like X amount percentage, but I do have a commission split with the brokerage that I'm a part of, which is fine. I don't mind that. um the End of the day, like, I mean, they always say that the, that the, ah that the, I guess like, i don't know how to word it, but like that the, that the agents that aren't in it for the money are usually the ones that are like not making as much. And I believe it. Like, I honestly believe it. Like I'm not, I'm in it more to educate because I have seen in the past things happen, you know? And then I see how like the client felt that they weren't,
00:18:43
Speaker
being protected the way they should have been. and you know, so I didn't, I wanted to make sure that if something were to happen with my client, that everything is logged, everything we talked about, which is why i go so deep in their questions. And I like, it's definitely not your average quoting process. I definitely do a risk analysis and I ask questions that a lot of the time they're like, clients will be like, I've never gotten asked this before. Why, why do you need it? And I'm like, oh, well, I need it to find out if the coverage that we're going to get for you will like, do you have tools and equipment? Like for example, a lash artist that has all their like things, you know, and they're like, Oh, well I only had a professional liability. Well, that's not covered under that. That's all right here. It's all your negligence and things like that. That's your actual like service. Or if you, you say something and you don't deliver it right away. And, um,
00:19:39
Speaker
your actual equipment is is not covered. That's a different policy. So that's why I ask all the questions because I'm not going to sit there and assume either that maybe my marketing person doesn't own like thousands of dollars or a social media person doesn't own thousands of dollars worth of computer laptop equipment or cameras because i assume that they just use their phone.
00:20:02
Speaker
So yeah that's why I like to ask. That's why I say I'm a nosy thing. I'm always up in their business. Well, that's what I would want from somebody that's going to make sure that I'm covered and I'm protected. I want someone to ask me all of those questions because i don't know you know. I'm coming to it to you for protection and I don't know the industry. i don't know what's out there and what's available. So I think it's a great service. And I admire that you are more focused on the education.
00:20:36
Speaker
But you got to make that money. Yeah. Yeah. and Yeah. I mean, yeah, it's true. But I don't mind like having 5,000 clients to get to that goal than having 10 clients and have that goal. And you can do it differently. There's different ways to do it. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. And so it's a slow growth, but it's definitely worth it. So even when it's very, very slow and I find myself kind of like, oh, my gosh, I have to do something different or, What can I do?
00:21:10
Speaker
My husband always like kind of reels it back in for me and he's like, hey, are you out on the streets? No. Are you, you know, like, are you living paycheck to paycheck? No. Take your
Strategic Business Growth and Work-Life Balance
00:21:21
Speaker
time. Like if you can, as a business owner, if you have that.
00:21:26
Speaker
if you have that availability to to you to take your time, don't rush it. Take your time because I feel like slow and steady is, if you don't have to, is really good.
00:21:38
Speaker
Now, I come from a, i don't know how to say it. I come from um from a background where it's like, it is withvona if you don't If you're not hustling it, you know, you're lazy. So I have that mindset in everything I do.
00:21:57
Speaker
So sometimes I have to reel myself back in and be like, it's almost like teaching, educating myself to to not do that. Because I come from that kind of mindset and that kind of, you know, mentality where it's like, I'm not lazy, though. And I'm not just because it's I am taking a few weeks off. to to figure out my next steps doesn't mean I'm being lazy. It just means I'm being strategic. And that's something I definitely have had to learn over the last few years.
00:22:23
Speaker
Yeah. And who doesn't want to have the ability to take time off to focus on themselves or their family or their strategic aspects of their business? I think that's why a lot of women, especially Latino women, are leaving the corporate work force to start their own businesses because we want that flexibility to do the things we want and to be with family and to live that life. And then i think there's just a lot of other reasons too of why we're finding that it's a better fit. i um
00:22:57
Speaker
In my last career, I did some research on it and um Latinas were the highest... demographic that we're becoming entrepreneurs and leaving the workforce because of many reasons. But a lot of it was like lack of mentorship. They were were less likely to have mentors and that work life flexibility, being able to have the different balances, being kind of pushed over for promotions. And um you don't want to work for some people. And you're like, I'm going to go do my own thing. And it made perfect sense to me because, you know, I'm just like, I think that's a very strong group of women, like you said, culturally that are like, we were going, we're going to do the thing, like we're hustling. um
00:23:49
Speaker
But we're going to do it so we can live the life that we want and be empowered to help a healthier balance in our lives and to feel proud of what we're building and build something with meaning like you are.
00:24:02
Speaker
yeah and i that's Yeah, you are too. And that's the thing too, is like, i felt so alone when I first moved here. It was literally like a few months right before COVID. And so my only friends, I guess you could say here were my husband and my two kids. Like I didn't know anybody here. So then we moved to Bonnie Lake and it was like, wow, this is not what I'm used to. You know, like I'm used to seeing Latinas or Latinos left and right.
Community and Support Networks for Entrepreneurs
00:24:35
Speaker
I'm used to hearing Spanish in all the grocery stores and being able to like speak Spanish because my husband doesn't speak it. My kids understand it.
00:24:45
Speaker
They speak more Spanglish than anything. And there was a part of me that was missing that. And so I was able to, over my last five years of becoming an entrepreneur, find my find my community you know whether it's virtual where there's I have a virtual or not I have but I'm a part of a virtual community with a lot of Latinas from Southern California all over California all over the U.S. that we get together and co-work once a week and just virtually like this and it's been so amazing to be just in the same virtual room with them because I get
00:25:20
Speaker
I get to hear what they're struggling with. And I'm like, oh my gosh, me too. And there's just something about the camaraderie that really makes me feel better and kind of also gives me ganas. Like it makes me like be like, OK, I'm to do this. I'm going to I'm going to get to my goal because i got that like kind of like that little energy spurt, you know, and then.
00:25:43
Speaker
Going to events out here, I'm like meeting Latinas and different little things like you and and a couple other ones. And then I just, you know, found out like one of my clients, I was working with her and she's from San Bernardino, which is like literally 40 minutes from where I grew up. And I'm like, oh, my gosh, another 909-er.
00:26:00
Speaker
So I'm like, yay. I'm like, oh, so it's just funny. And she's also Mexican. So it's just great because there's similarities there that we talked about that I'm like, oh, my gosh, your family does that, too. OK, it's not just me. I'm not crazy. Like so it's it's been a journey, but i'm it's almost like kind of rediscovering who I am. And then this next phase in life, I'm really loving who she's becoming. so
00:26:27
Speaker
What is a common theme that you notice among business owners and entrepreneurs that they struggle with in regards to risk in their business?
Insurance Gaps in the Beauty Industry
00:26:41
Speaker
oh That's a great question. um me think about that.
00:26:47
Speaker
It really just depends on the type of industry. But a lot of what I've seen, just because I work with a lot of people in the beauty industry, a lot of it is that they don't realize the certain things can go wrong because it's never happened or maybe they just didn't really take that too much into consideration. um Like I help teach education courses with a nail school locally here in Puyallup and they get taught like about the infections, about everything. And I love that. Like I love that they go into that depth. But then like when we're talking about the education part of that, the risk part of that, I noticed that a lot of the times they're like,
00:27:32
Speaker
What do you mean they can still sue me even though, like, they know that there's, like, certain chemicals on, you know, the nails or whatever that we're putting on their nails, you know? It's like, okay, well, what if she didn't tell you that she's allergic to whatever chemical, you know? That's a potential risk right there. So it's little things that they, like...
00:27:51
Speaker
You don't think about the bad, bad, bad things that can happen. Like you're aware that like things can happen, but you don't think about like, well what does happen if that happens and I'm not insured properly? And so I noticed that a lot of the time people in the beauty industry are maybe missing a part that has that gap.
00:28:13
Speaker
So maybe they're missing professional liability or errors and omissions because they don't realize that their service isn't just like an actual like giving me nails or doing my lashes. But it's also like could be potentially negligence of them um messing up or them telling me one thing. And then i come home and then I get stye or something, you know, and I'm like, that's your fault.
00:28:36
Speaker
So it's been really great to kind of fill that gap for a lot of the beauty industry providers because I do see that sometimes, especially the newer ones. They're like, oh, I didn't realize that that can happen.
00:28:50
Speaker
That makes sense. And I mean, if they're teaching it in school that someone can get an infection from a manicure, and I believe that that is possible with some of the tools if they're not sterilized properly, There are things that can happen and diseases that can get spread.
00:29:09
Speaker
And they're not putting you know that together with, oh, if let's say, for example, I accidentally didn't sanitize my tools and someone got an infection.
00:29:21
Speaker
and even if it wasn't, let's say you did sanitize and someone got an infection and they don't know where it was from, they could still blame you for it. yeah Like, even if they didn't have, if they didn't know for sure, like someone could still go around and say,
00:29:34
Speaker
I came in and I got a manicure pedicure from you last week and now I have this infection or I've contracted this disease. Whether that's true or not, they could still claim that. I think we know in today's society that there are a lot of people going out. I'm not saying it's true for everybody, but that lawsuits can happen. And some people are waiting for opportunities to have those lawsuits because they think they're going to get paid out and be able to get a paycheck.
Risk Management and Proactive Client Support
00:30:04
Speaker
And I'm not saying that's happening with everybody's situation, but I think that there are some situations where that happens. And as business owners,
00:30:12
Speaker
You got to protect yourself from that and just your own mistakes if you make them. Yeah. And that's like I have really bad anxiety. Like I think of worst case scenarios all the time. And I feel like that's kind of been my superpower because i like always think of the worst case scenarios. And I'm just like, oh, have you ever thought about this? And they're like, no. I'm just like, oh, well, that can happen. Not saying like it's a legit thing. Like you still, obviously your attorney is going to figure out whether you can go to court for something like that, or they're going to determine that, Hey, this is not going to fly, but at least to have something in place that you know that you're protected. i think that's super important um because you may not use it, but when you will, like when you do, it's going to be there and it's going to be a godsend for you because
00:30:59
Speaker
I don't know, i think thinking worst case scenarios, we don't want to as a business owner because you're doing everything right. You have the contracts, you have everything in writing, um you know you're doing everything right, but there's going to be that one person that just doesn't care.
00:31:16
Speaker
And that's where i come in and, well, the carrier. yeah Yeah. Risk is, i think everybody takes on some sort of risk when you become an entrepreneur and a business owner. And sometimes you get caught in the vision and I think people that are more likely to pursue owning a business and being an entrepreneur are less risk adverse, I would say, meaning that they're more willing to take on risk or accept some risk um compared to some people who may not want to start a business because they'd rather not, you know, pursue it and have to deal with any sort of liability.
00:31:55
Speaker
But I think it's easy to put your head in the sand or your head in the clouds and not think of those worst case scenarios. You know, you kind of ride in the wave and you're like, oh, everything's fine. Everything's fine until it's not.
00:32:07
Speaker
Yeah. And that's just kind of something I've seen. Like there's like I said, it just depends on the industry. That's been my big one is the beauty industry that I do see that a lot of them do have like.
00:32:19
Speaker
They have what they need, but they're not also like a lot of the time they see the gap that they don't have. They're missing one or the other. um So whether they have like a policy that covers their tools, their studio, but maybe they're not protecting their errors and omissions. So like any type of negligence, you know, like um like I said, like.
00:32:43
Speaker
something that went wrong or you told me that, I don't know, you told me that this was going to be two inches, but this is seven inches. I don't know. Just trying to, I'm just trying to like make up some, luckily, no, none of my clients have had claims yet, but I have seen claims in the past where I'm like, Oh yeah. remember that. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
00:33:04
Speaker
ah For the claims that you see, are you surprised by them? Or do you think that like, oh, I'm so glad my client had this coverage? Or are you sort of like, this is silly? like Tell me about those claims. I mean, you don't have to give them names. No, yeah, yeah. um Like I said, i've been blessed that I haven't in my career, in my five years of entrepreneurship, I've been blessed that i haven't seen any claims through my virtual doors. But in the past or I get this insurance journal um magazine. And so they'll talk about certain claims, um like big ones, like there was a Costco one or whatever. It's national news. So everybody probably knows about it. And I'm just like, oh, my gosh, you really don't think about that kind of stuff, like salmonella from the rotisserie chicken. And it's like, oh, and then you think like, oh, yeah, they're going to sue Costco.
00:33:54
Speaker
But it's not Costco. It's going to be Costco's insurance. So then it's like, oh, oh, I didn't think about that. And so then like then it gets me thinking I use it as an like a learning tool for myself. So when I hear about these claims that I'm reading about or or watching on TV, yes, it's like these multimillion dollar companies. But I'm looking out for my clients and I'm just like, i didn't think about that with their restaurant. Like I'll double check and make sure like that they're they've got certain things in place, you know, that like or making sure that a food truck or a restaurant has the correct type of policy in place that's specific for their type of industry. Because a lot goes into when they when carriers figure out how much you're going to pay them.
00:34:39
Speaker
the type of The way that they rate it, like depending on your industry, that's a big portion of it too. So I always double check too when I hear things and I'm like, I want to make sure that this is rated as a food truck and not...
00:34:51
Speaker
I don't know, a salon. You know what i mean? Like, right and it's, it's obvious. Like I know that I did it right. I mean, i just, i I double check it every time I, I do it, but you can't help. But when you hear something bad happening, you're just like, I'm just going to triple check, make sure that, you know, everything is in the right place at the right, at the right little spot that it needs to be. Cause I just would hate for something like that to happen to one of my clients.
00:35:17
Speaker
Yeah. Well, and that shows that you care and that you take pride in doing your job and doing it well. And I would feel much better having you handle my insurance if I know that you're thinking about those things even after I already have a policy. If you're like, oh, I heard about this. I want to go double check and make sure that We've learned a lesson here and apply it to my current clients. I think that's phenomenal. And I love that you do that because I would imagine that in a bigger company, you're not getting that kind of service or care.
00:35:50
Speaker
I mean, i i don't know. Like I said, I only worked at a – but um I definitely do it. i don't I don't remember doing this when I – you know, in my younger years. So yeah I think now also it's my name is literally on that virtual door and that's my risk. And I'm like, ah a claim like that could literally bankrupt me. Yeah.
00:36:12
Speaker
Well, my business can bankrupt my business. Like, I want to make sure that like we're covered here, all the little gaps and things. So, I mean, I do that with my own with my own business, too, you know, because, um you know, doing more workshops or doing more public speaking things. I'm like, oh, is that something that is covered? Like I don't or is it just insurance agency things? So every time I see because I do follow almost all my clients on social media, if I see that they're adding new services or, you know, like they do have like a podcast that maybe we didn't chat about. I'm like, oh, that raises a little bit of a flag. And then I go to their policy and I'm like, I just want to make sure that if the client is doing that, like, I just want, I want you to know that I have your back and that's, I'm not trying to be like, Ooh, policy pusher. I just want to make sure that like, if something were to happen, that, that claim hits me and um we're not like, Oh, but you told me I was covered. Yeah. But you didn't tell me you had a podcast girl. So yeah it's, it's more like, I, I just want to be like around and I want to be involved with my clients. So like that,
00:37:21
Speaker
we know in the future, if there were something that happens, like I just want to make sure that we're covered in all the right spaces. So that's kind of like more of what, what I like to do. And that's why I follow my clients and I like to watch their journeys. Cause a lot of these clients I've seen since maybe they were startups and now they're like a full blown nonprofit doing their thing. And I'm just like, a so yeah. I love that.
00:37:45
Speaker
I love that. I think that's great. I think that's how people should do business. And, um, that kind of support and care, it's, I guarantee that bigger places aren't doing that. um
The Importance of Mentorship and Support
00:37:59
Speaker
Okay. So what's your biggest piece of advice for grit city women?
00:38:06
Speaker
Don't do it alone. you need You need that accountability. You need a group of mentors, whether they're in the same industry or not. I have been blessed to have amazing mentors in my industry that have been their own business owners for 20 plus years. And don't be shy. They're there to help you. And at first, like, at first, you know, maybe i was like,
00:38:31
Speaker
shy and didn't want to ask for help or advice, but a couple of them, they'll check in on me still. And it's been great to just do that. So I really think that whether wherever you are on your journey, whether it be business or maybe following a passion project, don't be afraid to let others in as far as mentorship goes, because you're able to be vulnerable. And maybe with whatever you're going through at the time, they've already been there, done that, that they can help guide you out of it. And especially this year, i had a lot of stuff happen earlier in the year.
00:39:07
Speaker
i think I'm so grateful for those mentors, because I've been able to kind of get out of that little hole that I put myself in and kind of just jump back into it and find a new love for my, for my business and, and just take it on in it from a different perspective and different angle.
00:39:30
Speaker
I love that. Mentorship is bi-directional, or I guess you could say a symbiotic relationship. And I think a lot of people, think about it as a one way I'm taking from ah mentor, but mentors often also learn from their mentees and they're on a journey as well in their life and in their career and in their leadership. And so it is very much a bi-directional relationship. So I love that you're saying, don't be scared to reach out and lean on them when you need to. I've had mentors in my life that I definitely give credit to
00:40:09
Speaker
me being where I am, to be honest. And that's one of the reasons why I'm so passionate about coaching too, because I've had coaches that have supported me in so many ways and helped me get to where I am and to be who I am. And so that's great advice. Thank you.
00:40:29
Speaker
You're welcome. Thank you so much for joining us and your wonderful advice and insight. Thanks for having me. i had a lot of fun today.
00:40:42
Speaker
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