Not many people find their path in life so early, but, when Angela Holbert worked as a telemarketer for an insurance company through a high school work program, her boss saw her aptitude for the business and warm ability to talk to people, and, shortly thereafter, she became a licensed insurance agent at the age of 18.
She loved the clients, but she wasn’t happy with the location and moved around a few times at local and corporate offices before giving up a corporate position with State Farm and coming to Charleston to work for a State Farm independent agency.
“Working for the corporate side of insurance actually prepared me well; I got to learn the business side of the industry in addition to the selling side I already knew,” Holbert explained. “My work with tenured agents in South Carolina also helped. Insurance along our coast can get complicated, and I had the opportunity to work with some very knowledgeable agents and learn those complexities.”
Holbert comes from a long line of business owners and knew that one day she wanted to own her own business. After 12 years with State Farm, she proudly opened the doors to her own State Farm Insurance agency last November on Long Point Road. She now has a team of three employees.
“We are licensed to do it all,” she smiled. “We are all constantly learning about our products, which clients they are right for and the best way to help our clients through the products we offer.”
One of the most important aspects of insuring her clients is educating them on their options and guiding them to make a choice that best fits their goals.
“I’d rather educate my clients about the ‘what ifs,’ rather than the ‘what nows,’” she continued. “At the end of the day, my job is not selling insurance; my job is protecting my clients’ income and assets. It’s my duty to know the products well, to get to know my clients and to help them not only make a choice in coverage but to have them understand the choices they make and what it means for their greatest assets.”
Holbert has fallen in love with Charleston and is thrilled to be building a brand for herself locally.
“It’s not something you usually think of when you’re choosing an insurance plan, but your car insurance or life insurance coverage – or lack of appropriate coverage – can literally change people’s lives. That’s why I’m doing what I do, because I want to change my clients’ lives for the better.”
By Anne Toole
