Can you believe that this post marks our third anniversary of highlighting so many incredible women in our industry with this column?  A lot has happened in our industry in the past three years; however, so much has remained the same.  I have thoroughly enjoyed sharing these female accomplishments from around the country and I feel like we are only getting started!  Each month, I am contacted with stories of new women changing the face of our industry and it is simply wonderful.  So, without further ado, let's get you some more inspirational stories to continue with your summer fun!  Please welcome, Ricki and Nikki to the crew.  These two changemakers have learned a tremendous amount this past year when it comes to new aspects of the business and also how to manage work/life balance.

 Ricki Hancart, Conner Insurance

“I believe the transition from working in the fully-insured small group (2-99) market into the self-funded large group (100+) space as an account manager has been the biggest business accomplishment I've made in the past 12 months. A member of our team had decided to go a different route with her career, leaving her book of business up for grabs. I only had about two weeks to train with her and acclimate myself to this new set of clients, one of them being in a captive arrangement with six other holding companies, most with common ownership. The level of complexity to this client was much greater than anything I'd experienced to-date. The day the lightbulb went off in my head was a success in and of itself! In addition to all that, I was still managing the small group book of business, while training my replacement until she felt comfortable enough to be on her own. I cannot begin to quantify the growth that has taken place for me, both professionally and personally, during this past year. It's been hard work, but absolutely worth it!”