Happy Holidays! Is it me or did this year just seem insanely fast? I know they say that the older you get, the faster it goes and, as some of you know, I hit 40 this year and it seems to hold true! I'm excited to get to spend Christmas in Missouri. My niece is 2½, so it's going to be really fun to see things through her eyes this year. She's starting to "get it." Still not going to sit on Santa's lap, but she's all about the decorations!

How many of you have your business planning done for 2020? It's been so exciting to hear about such great ideas from women across the country. This month, I'd like to introduce you to Laurie and Meg. These two dynamic women are looking toward 2020 with some fantastic opportunities in place!

Laurie Montalto McGonigle, Kelly & Associates Insurance Group (KELLY)

"Let me start off by saying, I am a "one woman" show. In 2018, I was tapped by Frank Kelly III, the CEO of KELLY, to develop a new strategic initiative, Enhanced Benefit Sales. This was an emerging business for us and gave me the ability to be an entrepreneur. I set forth to learn new products and to understand a business that our organization had never truly administered before.

I basically started at ground zero and learned about products and services about which I had very little knowledge. I am responsible for the administration, marketing, sales and the technology that drives this segment of our business. I handle all tasks, small and large, from administration aspects to hosting lunch and learns and weekly educational webinars.

The business has grown significantly. Through my efforts, we added nine new lines of business to our core employee benefit lines and over 30 new carrier & vendor partners that can be administered on KTBSonline, our proprietary billing and eligibility platform.

In the last year alone, I increased the overall revenue for the enhanced benefits lines by over 50 percent. Last week, we were able to announce a new carrier partnership that we have been trying to secure on our platform for over a decade. I was told it was my perseverance and tenacity that finally made it happen.

One of the things I'm most excited about is helping brokers round out their books. Many who have never sold supplemental accident, critical illness, pet coverage or legal plans are starting to ask for quotes and incorporating these products into their renewal strategies. Gaining momentum and looking forward to 2020!"

Meg McComb, McComb Insurance Services

"I founded McComb Insurance Services in 1984. I'm thankful for every agent, business owner, and family member or friend who encouraged me along the way. My 2019 New Year's goal was "give back," and here's what I did:

I completed my term as Chair of the Media Relations Committee for the National Association of Health Underwriters in June. My dynamic committee really stepped up the impact of social media by training hundreds of NAHU agents nationwide to participate in three successful media campaigns. I'm honored to now serve on NAHU's National Education Foundation, and look forward to impacting American health awareness.

Since 2017, I've served on the Public Affairs Committee for the Vietnamese American Chamber of Commerce, because I live near Little Saigon in Orange County, California. Working alongside a group of smart, hardworking individuals who are proud Americans is truly inspiring!

This fall, I was appointed to the Board of Directors for the Cal State Fullerton Center for Leadership, and am honored to serve the university with an amazing group of business leaders. Their TV show, "Leadership Voice", featured me this month. I shared how I built McComb Insurance Services through networking, integrity, and Dale Carnegie's motto: "You can get anything in this world if you help other people get what they want." I'm excited to be a mentor for a CSUF honor student in 2020!"

As always, if you know of great women in the field who are working hard to make this this industry even better, send an email introduction to me at scombs@combsandco.com. I'd love to connect! Happy Holidays!

Instant Insights /

What's the good news, ladies? December

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