When Danielle Chesney was 14 years previous, her mom died of breast most cancers.
Her household didn’t undergo solely an emotional loss; additionally they confronted a mountain of bills.
“Her dying actually impressed me in so some ways,” Chesney mentioned. “Her loss was important in that it was emotional, however it left my household with such a giant monetary burden. We weren’t solely coping with the lack of my mother, however we had been combating funds as a result of she didn’t have life insurance coverage. In order that was form of the start of my journey right here.”
Chesney is a life insurance coverage govt and advertising director with Byrne Insurance coverage Group, primarily based in Louisville, Ky. She has been within the enterprise solely a few yr, however she is pushed to assist households keep away from the struggles her household confronted after her mom’s dying.
“My mother was a stay-at-home mother,” she recalled. “I just lately requested my dad why mother didn’t have life insurance coverage, and his response was, ‘I actually didn’t assume that something might occur to your mother.’ That was such an sincere response; it didn’t cross his thoughts that something might occur to her. And that’s the case for therefore many individuals.
“I completely perceive his perspective. When my mother received sick, it was manner too late to get life insurance coverage, and there was nothing we might do. However with out life insurance coverage, the price of the funeral and the entire hospital payments was so costly. Fortunately, my dad was capable of pay them, however it wasn’t simple.”
Chesney graduated from the College of Kentucky with a level in household science in 2019 and initially deliberate to develop into a wedding and household therapist. She was additionally on the college’s gymnastics group, having competed within the sport for 14 years.
“Gymnastics may be very demanding, and it begins at a really younger age. I discovered a lot from the 14 years I competed,” she mentioned. “You get on the market to compete in an occasion, and in case you fall, it’s a must to get proper again up. That’s form of one thing that I’ve needed to apply in my private life as properly.”
After faculty, she coached gymnastics and finally met Ben Byrne, president of Byrne Insurance coverage Group, by a mutual buddy. “It felt like this may be an important match for me. And I’m actually having fun with it up to now,” she mentioned of the insurance coverage enterprise.
A mixture of expertise and ability
Chesney mentioned she combines her faculty diploma together with her household’s expertise and her teaching expertise to work with purchasers on the perfect options for his or her wants.
“I discovered a lot in my main, and I’ve utilized plenty of it right here, constructing relationships and understanding individuals’s wants,” she mentioned.
So far as her teaching expertise goes, Chesney mentioned she applies it in her insurance coverage profession as properly.
“In teaching gymnastics, I attempt to get to know the person as an individual. I attempt to perceive who they’re as an individual earlier than I perceive who they’re as a gymnast,” she mentioned. “I attempt to make use of that mentality in my insurance coverage position. I need to get to know you, get to know your story. Are you married? Do you might have youngsters? The place do you reside? I need to ensure I can finest serve their wants for all times insurance coverage in order that they’ve all that taken care of within the occasion of their dying.
“Gymnastics is a really difficult sport, and I attempt to present the perfect help for the athletes that I can. In the identical manner, it’s additionally necessary for me to help my purchasers and for us to attach on a stage that allows me to fulfill their wants.”
Chesney mentioned she serves a clientele that’s largely older, however she is doing her finest to make inroads with youthful customers.
“It’s difficult to advertise life insurance coverage for younger adults, particularly for individuals who aren’t married or who don’t have children,” she mentioned. “However I do attempt to convey the significance of it. As a result of the perfect time to get life insurance coverage is while you’re younger. Then in case you do get married or have youngsters sooner or later, you’re lined.”
Serving to others with their grief journey
Chesney’s expertise together with her mom’s dying impressed her to achieve out and serve youngsters who’ve suffered the same loss. After graduating from faculty, she started to mentor a boy whose mom died. By 2021, she had expanded her mentoring to determine Younger Hearts, a nonprofit group that gives mentoring and emotional help to youngsters who’ve misplaced a dad or mum.
“It’s a really small group serving a number of children at this level, however lots of people have supported Younger Hearts, and we’re serving to these youngsters on their journey of grief,” she mentioned.
Younger Hearts offers group actions for the kids it serves, and Chesney mentioned she usually takes the kids out for dinner as a bunch. The group additionally has peer help occasions the place youngsters can join with others who’ve skilled the identical kind of loss. “It’s necessary for the children to have the ability to discover others they will join with,” she mentioned. “We additionally do some particular person actions with the children, and typically we simply all hang around and spend time collectively.”
Rising with the company
Byrne Insurance coverage Group is a family-owned insurance coverage firm using a number of relations. “Everybody right here has a connection, everybody has a narrative,” she mentioned. “I’ve actually loved each little bit of my expertise right here.”
“We’ve introduced in eight new insurance coverage brokers simply in 2023. There may be such a giant progress issue right here. And I see me utilizing my advertising expertise and my connections to assist develop the company — that’s our main objective.”
Chesney mentioned that her mom’s dying continues to affect her insurance coverage profession.
“Shedding my mother after I was 14 compelled me to develop into the individual I’m as we speak,” she mentioned. “I actually needed to wrestle by that emotional ache and emotional loss. However I join with individuals as we speak by my life insurance coverage profession. I see the significance of life insurance coverage as a result of I’ve been by the lack of my mom. I’ve seen how not having life insurance coverage actually impacted households financially. So I attempt to specific that to my purchasers, spotlight the significance of life insurance coverage to them and construct that non-public connection.”