Risk & Business Magazine Nesbit Agencies Fall 2020 | Page 14

IN THE DRIVERS SEAT In The Driver’s Seat With Alisha Paradise And 208 Hair Lounge On Main Ashley was referred to Nesbit Agencies' Alisha Paradise after struggling for many weeks to secure a policy through her insurance carrier. Her previous agent was not an independent agent and was unable to find the insurance that she needed for her restoration and demolition company. This resulted in Ashly having funds on hold for several jobs that were contingent upon this insurance. Thankfully, Alisha knew a variety of carriers willing to take on that degree of risk. When Ashley called Alisha, she was in the midst of securing a new job that required insurance within the week. Thanks to Alisha’s diverse network and strong underwriting connections, she was able to secure a policy for Ashley’s company within 48 hours. Generally, securing a policy takes several weeks. Because Alisha has established very fruitful underwriting relationships throughout her career, she was able to speed that timeline up to meet Ashley’s needs. Alisha also rewrote the workers’ compensation policy for Ashley’s company, which had not been adequately written by the previous agent. Ashley was so impressed that she began using Nesbit for several more policies. One by one, Alisha continued to find and fix the holes in her previous policies. For example, the salon policy Ashley had in place was too basic and did not include many of her services, such as microneedling. Alisha was able to secure triple the coverage for the salon with little effect on the monthly premium. Less than two weeks after that, Ashley transferred her personal umbrella, home, and vehicle policies to Nesbit. Those policies had been written correctly, but Alisha was able to offer Ashley a better rate for all three. Then, Ashley told Alisha about her yacht. Ashley was in the middle of a substantial claim with her current carrier after a vessel collided with her yacht in its Lake Superior marina. As it turns out, the agent who underwrote that policy had misrepresented the location of the boat, although it was clearly written into the appraisal documentation. This was an incredibly unfortunate situation for Ashley, but Alisha was able to help Ashley launch a claim with the state insurance department for agent error. This was a process Ashley knew nothing about and that her insurance company, nor any other insurance professional, had volunteered as an option. In the meantime, Alisha rewrote the policy correctly. Ashley had told Alisha when they first started working together, “If you can pull this off, I have a ton of referrals to send your way.” She wasn’t joking. Ashley has been sending Alisha business almost nonstop since they began working together in July of 2019. Alisha admires Ashley’s community involvement above all else and does whatever she can to support her. She notes that at her monthly hair appointments, Ashley always has insurance questions for other people seeking coverage. In several cases, Ashley has paid the full premium herself to ensure that these people in her community, particularly veterans, have the coverage they need. When asked who she would like to feature in this issue of Risk & Business, Alisha did not hesitate to suggest Ashley for her strength and commendable role within her community. While Ashley continues to thrive as an entrepreneur and valued contributor to neighborhood initiatives, Alisha is excited to work hand-in-hand to meet the insurance needs of the diverse and growing network that continues to come her way. + Alisha Paradise has been with the Nesbit Agencies for almost two years and has been in the insurance industry for over six years. She started her insurance career by learning the industry as a Customer Service Representative in our East Bethel Saarela Insurance office and quickly evolved from CSR into one of the Nesbit Agencies most productive Producers. She handles all types of insurance but especially loves the commercial side due to its complexity and the importance it represents for all business owners. You can contact her directly at 763-434-4836 or [email protected]. 14