Power Women In Insurance

In this episode of the Power Women In Insurance, Teresa sits down with Michelle Schaefer, Owner of Farmers Insurance. Michelle and Teresa chat about her journey from being homeless, to being a Farmers Agency Owner in Oklahoma. They also discuss how she’s impacted her local community with the statue she helped create in front of her office called, “You Go Girl”.

Episode Highlights:

• Michelle shares her background. (1:08)
• Michelle shares her experience when she first got into the insurance industry. (15:13)
• Michelle mentions her two prime directives. (16:32)
• How has Michelle used video as an integral part of her business? (20:15)
• Michelle shares her thoughts on the future of insurance agencies. (26:00)
• Michelle talks about bringing value to the industry and overcoming call center conversations. (33:19)
• How has Michelle seen the insurance industry change over the past 25 years? (35:40)

Key Quotes: 

• “I am not afraid to tell somebody…You know what? You want cheap coverage. If you have a claim, you’re not gonna be happy. You are not a good fit for me. There are a dozen other Farmers agents who will write this. I’m not writing this.” – Michelle Schaefer
• “Farmers Insurance is not always very competitive in this market…But, people stay with me because they know I’ve got them. I’ve worked enough tornadoes to tell them that. On the worst day of your life, you want somebody to come in and say…Don’t worry about this. We’ve got this.” – Michelle Schaefer
• “We really know how to take care of our people and the whole point of having good insurance is that when something bad happens, we can go…Don’t worry about it. You’re covered.” – Michelle Schaefer

Resources Mentioned:

• Michelle Schaefer LinkedIn
• Michelle Schaefer Facebook
• Farmers Insurance
• Excalibur Insurance Group
• Contact Teresa Kitchens