Power Player
“When they changed the rules that
you had to have qualifications to
deal in insurance, there
“When they changed the rules that
you had to have qualifications to
deal in insurance, there arose an
opportunity to work with a guy
who had the portfolio of clients
but no qualifications to run it.
“I worked for him for five years on a
super low wage. I worked very hard
to ensure I had all my office work
completed before I approached the
boss to do something less female-
traditional., but I learnt so much.”
This sacrifice laid the foundations
for Jody to flourish. By the time she
was getting into national claims,
she realised she was in the love with
insurance. “There is just so much
people don’t realise about how
vital having the right insurance is,”
she said. “It is not something you
are taught in schools. You might
catch an ad on television but until
you really need it, you don’t really
understand how important it is.”
Jody learnt not to get too upset
about the way she was treated.
Growing up on a farm with just her
dad toughened her up. “I knew it
was just men generalising and when
they realised what I could do, their
opinions changed. When they saw me
drive a forklift, unloading and loading
trucks, that changed their attitudes
towards me,” she laughed.
The insurance space has changed
a lot over the past 20 years; it is
no longer the bloke in a suit.
Her success comes down to two
things - her passion for insurance
and her absolute desire to get her
clients the best deal and coverage.
“I always think about how my clients
react and feel, what they want, and
put myself in their shoes. I think
that is really important; after all
I am business owner as well and
understand their struggles. In
business, you have to take into
account people’s situations and
what is best for them,” Jody said.
1. Find out what is out there -
what insurances are available
for the occupation. There are so
many out there. Compared to 10
years ago, there are so many risks
– things like cybersecurity and
management liability.
2. What breaks the bank …what
could happen that would hurt
you and your business that you
couldn’t recover from?
3. Find a broker – someone who
puts themselves your shoes and
sees your business from your
perspective. Someone you can
trust enough to tell them everything
about your business and you.
A U T H O R AN N E T T E D E N S H A M
Jody Williams, Director
oraclegroup.com.au
Jody said there are three key
things people should consider
when deciding on insurance:
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