If you watch movies as much as I do, you start seeing a thing called a trope, which is a reoccuring theme or motif. You see tropes all the time, the small child that everyone protects or the single scientist who no one listens to. Tropes give you the ability to get into the story without needing too much information.
A trope that has started to develop recently is a the tough, no-nonsense woman. You see characters like Black Widow from the Marvel Movies or Trinity from the Matrix movies or Wonder Woman from the DC Movies as tough women that can not only get into the thick of things, but teach their male counterparts a thing or two. This trope has been around a while but has only gained traction in the last decade. United Insurance Agencies has had our tough, no-nonsense woman far before the movies decided to elevate this archetype.
Ann Land is retiring at the end of this month after working at UIA since 1990! She will be retiring as the VP of Commercial Lines. She did not come in to that position but “fought in the trenches” from a customer service agent all the way to where she is today. A sad truth in insurance is agents can become bitter and cynical towards customers after working in the industry so long, but Ann has been praised as, “…always put(ting) herself last and others first, whatever the issue or project. She always treats our customers with the finest respect and best first class service,” by Ron Thomas the owner of United Insurance Agencies.
Ann will be sorely missed and though we know she will have a ball in retirement, she is certainly leaving an Ann shaped hole in the agency.
Because we wanted to give all of you just a glimpse of the Ann Land we know and love, here are a few Q&A’s that Ann was kind enough to sit down and answer for us.
JD- How long have you been with UIA?
AL- almost 29 years!
JD- How long have you been insurance?
AL- Almost 29 years!
JD- If you could go back in time and tell yourself about the last 29 years, do you think you’d still get into insurance?
AL- Sure!
JD- What is the biggest change you’ve seen in the insurance world?
AL- Imagine working without Internet, email, cellphones and spreadsheets!
JD- What skills that you picked up as an insurance agent do you think you’ll continue to use in retirement?
AL- Persistence, dedication and commitment to whatever it is you want to accomplish.
JD- Lastly, for people that are thinking about insurance as a career, what tips or words of wisdom would you like to impart?
AL- Be kind, be empathetic, be willing to adapt to change and be curious!
I’m sure you have realized just a bit of why we love Ann around here through her answers. We wish her the best of times as she enjoys retirement.
Ann, you may be a tough, no-nonsense lady, but you’re certainly more than a trope to us.
Farewell!