“Use words that generate distinction”

Co-foundednearly 40 years ago by JohnWord and Rusty Brown, Word & Brown General Agency has become one of the nation's most successful health insurance general agencies. Today, it is led by CEO Jessica Word. The organizationmission is to simplify access to betterhealth insurance choices. Word & Brown provides high-quality healthcare access to thousands of families. Word & Brown maintains a significant presence in the insurance industry, with a renewal rate of over 93.5% for its brokers and their client businesses. This impressive retention rate is due to both the culture of "Service of Unequalled Excellence" embraced by their employees and their ability to provide high-quality service.

There has been considerable growth since Jessica assumed the role of General Agency President in 2013and became CEO in December 2021. Jessica is proud of the strong organizational achievements at Word & Brown, which offers professional opportunities to hundreds in its Orange County, California, headquarters and remotely throughoutCalifornia and Nevada. Additionally, there are dozens of employees who telecommute from across the nation.

Jessica asserts that words have the power to both inspire and destroy. Selecting the appropriate language is crucial, as words hold influence and possess the ability to make a significant impact on society. She carefully considers her choice of words. As Jessica points out, it is important to think abouthow others may ‘interpret your words’ since it is impossible to predict their reactions.

I love the light. We all have cracks, and without the cracks we wouldn’t be able to see the light come through, nobody’s perfect.

Jessica has a strong affinity for technology. She aims for Word & Brown to be at the forefront of the innovation of tools and technology that add value for brokers and their clients. The company continuously revamps and improves their cutting-edge quoting engine for brokers, enabling them to efficiently generate a custom roster of health plans and optional benefits. The company is constantly developing enhancements to boost speed and accuracy.

With regard to leading, Jessica is a firm believer that leadership should prioritize people, which is why she spearheaded the introduction of the Word & Brown "One Team" philosophy. This idea is built on the belief that every individual significantly contributes to crafting an exceptional and positive customer experience for brokers, their business-owner clients, employees, and fellow colleagues. This philosophy is now the leading driver in all major interactions with clients and employees.

In the context of culture, Jessica says the signs of a potentially toxic organizational culture include decreasing success, growing conflicts, poor employee morale, high turnover, and challenges in recruiting new hires. If we fail to address these issues, they will escalate and result in more significant problems, asserts Jessica. If employees are resisting previously agreed upon shared goals, it is imperative to address this issue promptly, in Jessica’s view.

Besides, collaboration in the workplace is important as it can improve communication, boost productivity, and enhance customer service, says Jessica. Collaboration among employees leveraging their diverse skills and experiences enables quicker attainment of shared objectives. The increased diversity of ideas leads to increased innovation, which in turn attracts a larger customer base and drives greater revenue.

Like Eleanor Roosevelt, Jessica believes that a powerful leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves, not just in the organization leader.

The leadership team at Word & Brown isfocused on motivating employees and providing them with tools and technology to effectively serve internal and external customers. Regularly soliciting employee feedback to assess their satisfaction with management and available support services is a standard practice. Jessica notesthat employees are encouraged to have open discussions with their managers or those in leadership within the organization to address challenges.

Jessica also explains that all organizations encounter constraints, including financial limitations, resource allocation challenges, and lack of expertise. Staying adaptable is essential to meet changing customer demands, employee expectations, and industry regulations. During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Jessica committed to preventing layoffs at Word & Brown.

Despite the challenges posed by a global pandemic, she prioritized strategies to retain employee jobs and ensure safety, resulting in not only meeting but exceeding Word & Brown’ssales and revenue goals for 2020. Despite other companies requiring a return to in-person work, Word & Brown has maintained a remote-friendly environment valued by employees, which also enables the organization to continue to attract more business and high-quality new hires.

In terms of competition, Word & Brown has ambitious digital transformation objectives, some of which cannot be discussed due to competitive reasons. Jessica believes their "one team" philosophy is instrumental in fostering support from employees throughout the organization. It is vital for all team members to be aligned on their goals, the necessary actions for successful implementation, and the timing for achievement. ‘The primary objective is to simplify processes for our customers and their clients while maintaining our commitment to providing unequalled excellence without barriers,’ according to Jessica.

Jessica suggests that engaging with customers and employees through conversations and surveys is a crucial step in gathering valuable feedback. Ask them about their perception of your unique selling points in the current, competitive business landscape. Also find the needs and desires of individuals and analyze your sales and customer data to aid in the generation of inventive solutions to tackle their issues and aspirations. Furthermore, conduct a comprehensive analysis of costs and benefits associated with creating innovativeprograms and services to address identified needs.

At Word & Brown, they prioritize nurturing fresh ideas and supporting the employees who bring them life. They continually seek opportunities to streamline processes for the benefit of brokers and their clients, as well as to enhance employee engagement. Unfortunately, Jessica is unable to provide further information that could potentially undermine their current efforts or benefit their competitors.

Throughout her journey, Jessica has faced numerous instances of uncertainty. However, those specific moments have ignited the most creative ideas at Word & Brown. She emphasizes to all aspiring leaders that their unique perspective is their superpower.Heradvice is to‘Leverage your unique qualities to drive personal and organizational growth.’ Jessica is thankful for the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues at Word & Brown who are making a significant impact in in the insurance industry.