July 26, 2025 • 48 mins
🚨 What if the very system you’re counting on to protect your business… is already failing you?
On this episode of The Real Money Podcast, I sit down with Ciara Gravier—insurance expert and founder of The Bunker Insurance & Risk Management—to talk about the cracks in the insurance industry that no one’s warning you about.
From navigating post-hurricane chaos in Florida to helping business owners build smarter, more resilient strategies for risk management, Ciara is pulling back the curtain on what really protects your business and your money when disaster strikes.
We’re not just talking about policies—we’re talking about power, preparation, and long-term protection.
🎧 Tune in to learn:
✔️ Why the industry is under immense pressure
✔️ How to avoid common blind spots in coverage
✔️ What real risk management looks like for entrepreneurs
You can’t afford to wait until the storm hits.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:03):
Hi, I'm Lisa Chastain and welcome to the Real Money
Podcast. Some of the most successful
women in the world hate talking about money, and that's exactly
why we're here. My mission is to remove fear
around finances by creating a simple, effective way to manage
your money and build the financial freedom you deserve.
(00:23):
As a keynote speaker, best selling author, and passionate
coach, I will be sharing my insights on overcoming money
challenges, coaching women live on air, and interviewing some of
the most accomplished women to learn from their experiences.
So say goodbye to fear, say goodbye to budgeting woes, and
welcome to real money. What if the insurance industry
(00:51):
you're already relying on to protect your business is broken?
Today, my guest is Ciara Graviere, and she is blowing the
whistle on what's happening behind the scenes, especially in
the wake of Florida's catastrophic hurricanes, and
what every business owner needs to know before the next storm or
fire hits. Ciara is the founder and CEO of
(01:12):
The Bunker Insurance and Risk Management, with over 15 years
in the industry and with elite designations, especially around
cybersecurity. She's not just talking about
insurance, she's shaping how we manage risk, protect our wealth,
and build sustainable businesses.
She's in the top 1% of insuranceagents in the United States
(01:34):
today, and we're having a deep and meaningful conversation
about what you must know when itcomes to insurance today and for
the rest of your life. Welcome to the Real Money
conversation with Ciara. Let's dig in.
OK, so Ciara, we met from a friend of mine in Florida and
she's like, you've got to talk to Ciara.
And I was like, yes, cool. And then we had a conversation
(01:56):
and I said, I love you. And we're on the we're on the
same page. We're on the same page about a
lot. And one of those things is where
the insurance industry is headedand anybody listening to this in
this moment can relate to the pain of insurance, the
commercial insurance paying if you're a business owner or have
(02:19):
multiple properties or even personal insurance.
We've seen our rates go up and up and up and up.
And I have teenage boys and so I'm paying as much as a car
payment or mortgage in insurance.
And my dad always told me growing up never to never be
insurance poor or over insured. But you know, watching what
(02:41):
happened in LA and the fires andyou're in Florida in the wake of
all these hurricanes. What the fuck is going on?
What the fuck? And I and yeah, go ahead.
We're rated, we're ranked like anotch above car salesman like we
are the public's least favorite advisors.
I'm actually doing releasing some content soon about like
(03:04):
trying to change the perspectiveof the insurance agent because
aside to what it's turned into, right?
And depending where, where you are in Florida, you know, it's,
it's the wild, Wild West with insurance companies and the
lawsuits and the fraud. It's wild.
So it's never a fun conversationto have.
Nobody enjoys it. Nobody likes to pay it, which I
(03:26):
understand. I am a consumer as well.
But the reality is, is that at that moment when you need it,
Mandy, you wish you would have just paid a little bit more
attention or chosen the representation just a little
more carefully. And so really, I'm super
passionate about that, right? Because people think, you know,
(03:46):
you could just buy it online. I mean, you could, right?
But but most people don't know what any of these coverages
means, right? And the coverages aren't just
coverages. They're, this is how I always
explain it like coverages and policies that you're purchasing
their words on a document until there's a claim and then you
(04:07):
find out that it's kind of Swisscheese on a document, right?
It's, it's, it's telling you what's covered until you go to
the exclusions part and they take it all back.
So it's a contract and it shouldbe treated as such.
So I especially when you're in business, right, like personal
lines, obviously like having young drivers, you need an
umbrella. And if if Vegas, which I think
(04:29):
it is, is a little bit like Florida as far as lawsuits?
Yeah, it is. Yeah.
We have, we have attorneys on every billboard across town,
depending on what side of town you're in.
Some of them are in Spanish, some of them are in English, but
they're everywhere, everywhere. That's because it's become
overly litigious. Is insurance the reason for
(04:49):
that? Some people believe it is like I
I actually insure an attorney that says I don't believe in
purchasing malpractice because that's what allows me to get
sued. If I don't have it, what are
they going to come after That's risky for me.
I mean, I sell insurance, so I'mrisk adverse.
But I think that there's, there's I think that if the
(05:09):
consumer, whether you're buying your personal insurance or you
own a business and you understand your tolerance of
risk, the conversation is different, right?
Risk insurance is there to to transfer the financial burden of
risk. So, for example, insurance in
Florida, if you own a home, do you want to if you don't have a
mortgage, you don't have to haveinsurance, OK, Do you have the
(05:32):
money in the bank to replace your roof or your home if there
is damage? And maybe, you know, my dad, my
dad has lived here all, almost all of his adult life and he's
never had a hurricane claim. He's 73 on a, on a fixed income.
And he says, you know what, I'm going to risk it.
I don't have a mortgage and I have a stash for, for any major
(05:52):
damage. And you know, the odds are that
I don't need it. Yeah, OK.
But we're talking to the majority of Americans right now
who do not have ultra high net worths, do not have a tremendous
amount, I mean in excess of 100,200 three, $100,000.
And if you lose your house in a hurricane or a fire and you are
(06:12):
not insured and you don't have that money sitting in the bank,
you're fucked. So honestly, the simplest answer
to that is if you cannot afford the premium, you can't afford
the loss. So if the insurance policy, if
you're complaining that a $15,000 insurance policy is too
expensive and that's going to that's going to be hard for you
to pay, well, what is it going to be to pay when the house
(06:33):
burns down? Yeah, right.
Yeah. So then you need to purchase
that insurance and understand how the deductibles play.
Right. That's right.
So what we're not here to do on this episode today is argue
whether or not you need insurance, because both of us
believe that it's a very necessary thing depending on all
the things that you own, right? Even renters having a little
renter insurance. I'm, I'm in a commercial
(06:55):
building having protection there.
I have cyber security insurance because I'm an online
personality giving out quote UN quote advice, right?
So there's all these reasons andthe world has just become really
savvy to insurance and people who there's going to be people
who do the right thing and people who do the wrong thing.
And everybody is going to know how this system works.
There are people that are going to use it to their advantage,
some people that are going to use it to other people's
(07:17):
disadvantage, right? There's all of that in between.
Let's take a step back because you've been in insurance for a
long time. Yeah, for almost over 20 years,
yeah. No one grows up saying they're
going to be an insurance agent ever.
Ever. What made you decide to go in
insurance? So I actually graduated high
school. My parents, my dad came to this
(07:39):
country from Cuba when he was 14and his dad walked into a bank
and on a loan, on a handshake, got a $600.00 loan to start a
tow truck business. And not speaking the language
just tried. And my dad got caught up in the
(07:59):
American dream of working for corporate America.
And his dad kept telling him they're owning your soul.
They're owning your soul with a company car like you sold, you
sold out your whole life for a company car.
But you know, at the time my dadsaid, you know, this is what I
came here for, right? I have a career.
And so, but at 49 and my mom was47, they had had enough.
(08:22):
My mom worked for Equifax all ofher life.
He ended up being at that point and working for UPS and as an
account executive and and they were just exhausted and they
were tired of working for other people.
And they said, you know what, we're gonna open up an insurance
agency and never owned a business, never sold a piece of
insurance. However, I do remember even like
(08:45):
sitting at the dinner table, they were always good insurance
purchasers. Like, I knew our insurance
agent's name. We talked about it at the dinner
table. Like, yes, we added the ring
yet. So they were always responsible
and believers of insurance, but you know, they just did it.
They took money out of the four O 1K and opened a business and
(09:08):
we started with Allstate. And so the long, the long answer
to your short question is I didn't have a choice.
I was going to the Art Instituteof Fort Lauderdale at the time
and I didn't get a scholarship. I was going for interior design
and they were like, we need you to work in the business.
Sorry, we can't afford to keep paying.
Sending you, we'll send you backwhen we make it.
And that never, I mean, we made it, but they never sent me back,
(09:30):
you know. And so eventually we, we did
very well. We opened up an Allstate, but in
Florida, I don't know if it's like this in Vegas.
And at the time Allstate doesn'trent any property insurance.
They only did the auto. So it was very difficult for us.
We're leaving a lot of money on the table and we would win the
trips. And we opened a second location
and we realized, wait a minute, everybody has what's known as an
(09:51):
independent on the side. Yeah, He's been owns the
Allstate. The mom or the wife or the
sister own an independent on theside.
Yeah. So we got back from the Bahamas
one year and I opened the independent upstairs.
My dad was downstairs. Eventually got rid of the
Allstates. We sold those and then we had
that agency for 12 years and we sold that one in 2018.
And then I opened this one November of 2019.
(10:13):
So insurance, it's so funny. You go to a conference and
that's always the question, likewho here walked into insurance
for fun? Like did it on their own?
One person out of 600 people, Like never.
It's never ever, ever something that's chosen.
But honestly, it's a great career and it's, it's a noble
profession when you do it right,right, because you really are
(10:33):
helping people protect their biggest assets and their
financial, you know, freedom really so.
I agree. OK, so I I've had other
insurance conversations on the podcast.
This is my first time really digging into commercial
insurance and what really where.Where you and I connected
(10:53):
originally was having this conversation about what's going
on in Florida on the heels of somany hurricanes and really
looking at what happened in LA. People just were not insured.
They were not able to get coverage.
Break it down for us, what is going on in the world of
insurance right now where peoplecan't get coverage or in in my
(11:14):
words, I feel like this is a disruption that's needed to
happen, but also it's it's creating a lot of havoc what's
going on in the industry right now.
The biggest mistake that we makeas consumers is looking at
insurance, which it makes sense.It's the natural way of
thinking. Like for example, South Florida,
well, South Florida hasn't had ahurricane, right?
(11:35):
All thankfully we've got lucky because the last couple years
they've we've missed it by like 35 miles, right?
South Atlantic too. You're on the South Atlantic
side. Right.
So, so it, it's shocking, right?But we, we haven't missed it.
So the mindset is, well, I haven't had a claim.
Why does my insurance keep goingup?
Why are the carriers dropping me?
Well, insurance is on a global scale, right?
(11:59):
And there's reinsurance that comes into play.
There's been over 20. I, I, I believe the statistic,
the number is $29 billion in losses in 2024 in the world. $29
billion. It's it's a statistic that is
it, it's shocking. So when when insurance is
purchased on a global scale, that's where the fires affect
(12:21):
us, just like hurricanes affect you guys.
OK. Right, so it doesn't matter.
Doesn't matter. Our insurance carriers buy
insurance for their insurance for their right.
That's the process of the reinsurance.
So when they're not, when the them not being profitable starts
many layers deep and statistically and they have the
actuarial numbers to the scienceof how much they have to have
(12:42):
insured, how much premium they can charge.
And you know, every state comes into regulation with what's
acceptable. And I know that State Farm had a
big issue during the fires. And, and I, I obviously am in
this industry. I'm not saying that they did it
right or wrong, but you know, the media also makes it seem
like State Farm just randomly dropped these people.
(13:03):
Well, no, there's regulations and notifications that have to
be sent out. I don't know what it is in
California. Here, it's like 120 days out,
you start getting notices, your insurance is going to be
cancelled. We're not renewing you this
date. So it's not that the fires were
coming and State Farm said cancel, cancel.
And these people had no insurance.
OK, so they were given notice. Why do insurance companies
(13:25):
cancel people? Multiple reasons.
If actuarial leave, they can't cover the losses that are
projected right by their geniuses that they have at their
Home Office, that this is their entire life.
They'll get off certain areas, high risk areas.
And so for example, here State Farm doesn't do homeowners or
(13:46):
property insurance, not commercial, not not a home, none
of it, neither does all, none ofthe carriers do not Progressive,
not GEICO, not none of them. They only write personal auto in
the state. And so they just don't, they,
they don't have the funds or they don't want to appropriate
the funds to the, the disaster area that is Florida.
(14:09):
So, and I think that that's what's happening now in
California. They're pulling back.
I know that California has the, the fire plan, right, that that
is in play. We kind of have that here with
citizens insurance, which is ourgovernment funded, but it's a
wheel, right. Citizens will pick you up and
then take you out in, in three to six months.
You're with another carrier because they're the carrier of
(14:30):
last resort. They don't want to be the
permanent carrier. So it's actuarial stuff.
Some of them get acquired. I mean in 2023 we lost 8
carriers here that went insolvent, you know. 8 carriers
that went insolvent. What?
And so we're going to break thisdown 'cause my real money
community is a learning community.
Insolvent means they didn't havethe money to pay out what they
(14:53):
needed to pay out and they closed their doors and whoever
was insured under them lost their coverage.
Lost their coverage with notification, though.
It's not overnight. Yeah, yeah.
So it's not, it's not like like you had time to find, you know,
if you open your mail and which is shocking how many people
don't. So you know, there's a
(15:14):
responsibility and a burden on the insured, right?
So that's kind of part of this conversation too.
It's be aware of what's happening with your insurance,
check in with your insurance agent.
And that's why, you know, I'm onthe side of this is not
something that should be handledalone and buying it online.
It's too complex. Buying it online, but then also
I've heard from our other friendAshley, who we know in common,
(15:37):
I've heard horror stories of people who have a coverage maybe
or maybe they bought it online, maybe they didn't, but they're
really not protected and they even have an insurance agent.
How can someone know the difference between a quote UN
quote good agent versus someone that they may not want to work
(15:58):
with? Cause in my opinion, not now.
I know because I've had multipleconversations in the industry,
but how do you know? Yeah, I would say, I mean, ask
them a couple questions as far as obviously experience matters,
right? If I was a consumer that didn't
know what I was doing on, you know, purchasing insurance and
(16:20):
most of my peers do this becausethey're on a hamster wheel of,
of, you know, customer service and that and that area of
business, which you, you know, there's always that element to
business. But I would say if, if I was
handled as a number, you're getting the quote, the apples to
apples jargon of, well, send me your policy and I'll match what
(16:42):
you have here. But how do you know if what I
have in place is right? What if I'm calling you because
my, my circumstances in my life has changed?
What if I've had a baby? What if I bought a second house?
What if I opened a business right?
And no, like if someone just wants to copy the work or your
current policy that you have, that's a red flag for me.
(17:02):
Yeah, me. Too, It's a conversation we need
to get to know you. Like why if someone calls us for
a quote, we're always asking outside of price.
I know everyone is price sensitive.
I know that the it's expensive, we know that.
But what else is there? What's under that?
Have you never been explained what you're buying?
I I would ask them about exclusions specifically.
(17:23):
Like is there any language that's excluded here that I
should know about? For example, if you own a
business, even cyber, cyber is the perfect line to describe
this with. You could have coverage for
ransomware under most cyber policies, but the language of
the payout of a claim can be either pay on behalf or
(17:46):
reimbursement. So it's not that there's not
coverage. There's coverage.
But on a pan behalf the the insurance company pays the
ransom and all everything involved on your behalf.
The reimbursement language meansyou, the insured has to pay for
it upfront and then submit for areimbursement from the carrier.
(18:08):
Both have coverage right? But which one do you want?
Which one is it worth paying maybe an extra 200 bucks a year
for right depending on behalf? What, what a great reminder and
this, I'm going to throw this right back to our listeners
today, is that just because whatI'm hearing you say is just
because you have coverage doesn't mean that you have the
(18:28):
right coverage. And I see this all the time with
life insurance where someone says, oh, I'm paying 60 bucks a
month and I think that it's $100,000.
But to your point, what are the exclusions?
What are the what are the terms and conditions of this policy?
Before you get in, know what you're buying.
(18:49):
And the same thing goes to insurance when it comes to your
property, your auto and your business and.
Your business. What?
OK, so it it sounds like shameless plug for you, right?
You need to have a good attorneyand I'm talking to, I'm talking
specifically to those of you whoare, who are thinking, OK, so
(19:11):
you may be in a nine to five today.
You may be making sixty $80,000 a year, but you have big dreams
and you need to know who needs to be on your team, Who are the
people, what is essential? Well, everybody says you need to
have an attorney and ACPA totally get that.
And you need a good insurance broker.
And the the the big names aren'talways the best names.
(19:33):
Just because you see them every other commercial doesn't mean
that they're going to adequatelyprotect you.
What's the difference between anAllstate and an independent
broker? So Allstate State farms, those
types of agencies are what are known as captive and they can
only represent 1 carrier. They can only represent those
products independent agents likemyself, like Ashley are.
(19:56):
We get to choose who we work with and who we represent, and
we can provide options. Yeah.
So we're not married to it's kind of the same thing as like
the financial advisor that is married to a bank or Merrill
Lynch, let's say versus an independent advisor that can
that's not committed to minimumsof business that you know, I
don't have minimums. I get to, I get to offer you
(20:19):
what I believe based off of our conversation is the best
solution for your for, for your circumstances.
So that, that's the freedom of, of working with an independent
agent. And we, we're not the ones that
have the Super Bowl money budget, right to, to run the
commercials. And, and also with the large box
agencies too, there's a lot of misconceptions of like, you
(20:40):
know, that you need to be with those alphabet houses.
And the reality is, is that there's a lot of turnover there.
There's a lot of you're, you're a small fish and in a ginormous
pond and working with an independent agent that's local.
I mean, we're the people that are going sponsoring your kids
soccer games, right? Like we are in your communities
and we're you're not, you're a big fish in a small pond with
(21:02):
us, you know, so the service is different.
The the attention is different. It is.
You're the first person people call when.
They right. And and to your point, I 100%
agree with unfortunately, we're not, we're never put on in that
category with the attorney or we're always like last resort.
Oh my God, my insurance. I need this right.
So I would encourage the listeners to consult with your
(21:26):
insurance advisor the same way you chose your attorney, right?
Or your doctor. Maybe you probably interviewed a
couple of attorneys before you. You, you picked 1, you know,
just know what you're looking for and, and, and make sure
that, that it feels good and that they're comfortable, you
know, answering your questions. Yeah.
All right, so let's let's talk about cheap policies versus best
(21:47):
policies because I know this is going to trigger a lot of people
because price shopping is a thing online and you're looking
for the cheapest insurance. But heads up, two things that
I've learned, and I'd love for you to speak into this, a cheap
policy on the front end could besomething that over time they
might sell you something cheap, but then in the next 90 days
(22:07):
raise your rate. So you're that person, you're
like, Oh my God, I thought it was going to be X amount per
month. And then I just got it raised.
What happens? Well, that's they're going to
hook you in with a cheaper rate and then over time they're going
to raise it. So there's one thing to
remember, but also you're not getting the best coverage.
Sometimes you're getting bare minimum coverage, which really
isn't good at all. So in Vegas we have state
(22:28):
minimums and they're crap. It also whether it's your
personal assets or your businessassets, right?
Like people forget that it's notjust protection against like a
claim, not it's not just a car accident that these insurance
companies are covering when you're purchasing your auto
insurance. It's also your defense when you
(22:52):
own a business and you're buyingcyber liability insurance,
right? The mentality of that's never
going to happen to me because I'm too small.
No, it happens to us all the time because we're so small
because we don't they, these cyber criminals know we don't
have the infrastructure to have an IT team.
So they practice on us before they go after the targets.
The thing is that we don't survive to tell the story,
(23:15):
right? So, and that scenario of a cyber
claim, it's not just fixing the data problem, it's your defense.
It's any regulatory fines. So when you're thinking about
insurance, it's not just the immediate expense that you think
of naturally a car accident, well, bodily injury, right?
Or am I sent someone to the hospital?
(23:36):
That's covered? Far more than that is covered.
If that thing explodes and goes to court, your attorney fees are
covered. Imagine hiring an attorney for
any, any sort of a negligence oraccident.
How much does that cost you? So I, I just, I, I want to
encourage the listener to use insurance as a tool, especially
(23:59):
in business. It's not just an expense on a on
AP and L it's not just a line item.
It can be a tool, especially if you're in the government
contract space, especially if you're in construction or in,
in, in places where your insurance can open a door and
get you a big job or, or or doesn't, right?
That's right. So it, it's it when you, when
(24:21):
you, we all got to pay it. And no, there's that we all
don't want to pay it. Understood.
But when you, when you look at it from a different lens and you
realize that it can be a mechanism to grow a business, it
really does change. And and you should be working
with an insurance agent that does more for you than just sell
you a policy, right? There should be some risk
(24:43):
management conversations. There should be some some
advisory type conversations. Not just I need to save $400.00
this year or I'm moving. All kinds of people are
listening to this. My audience primarily are
thinking about all the things and growth minded.
So we're not thinking about justwhere we are, but we're thinking
about where we're headed. And what I like to do is pull
all of my professionals togetherand say, OK, let's look at this,
(25:05):
look at where I'm at today and make some decisions based on
where I'm going and then check in every single year, OK, where
are we at? Do we need more?
Do we have enough? Because I don't have candidly
$3,000,000 sitting in the bank today, right?
And most people don't. I carry GAP Insurance until my
(25:26):
car's paid off. All these things you need to
think about because you think it's never going to happen to
you, and then it does. And so to your point too, Lisa,
when you said about like if you're in corporate and you're
thinking about maybe going out on your own, all that stuff,
even if you're in corporate and you stay in corporate, when I
hear that someone say, oh, I don't need to buy life
insurance, I have it through work.
(25:46):
No, Yes, you do. Because when you leave work or
you change jobs or you decide togo out on your own, that life
insurance policy ceases to exist.
Yep, you need so, so then you, you could have gotten that job
at 25 and now you're 42 and you're leaving and you've
already survived breast cancer and guess what?
It's going to be nearly impossible for you to get
(26:07):
insurance on your own. You have it in that scenario
because it's a group like there's, it's so complex,
there's so many layers to it. And so I'm, I'm on the same team
as as you of, of, you know, having the right people around
you can literally make or break your business.
Yeah, your business and your life.
We're going to shift focus and we're going to talk about you.
(26:28):
We're going to more about you. From launching your own firm to
becoming one of the top percent of agents nationwide, what are
some of the pivotal moments thattransformed your money mindset?
That's that's I, I would say it's constantly transforming and
what I think I want. I first of all, I never I never
(26:51):
stop and celebrate like the achievements, right.
So I think that that plays into a part of the go go, go.
And I I really, really need to celebrate the wins when it comes
to even my finances, right? And like even personally and the
(27:11):
business, I don't do that enough.
And I think that I actually think that that would probably
help me achieve more if I did, if I took a moment to stop and
and say, wow, man, you made it see like good job, right?
So that's one thing that I actually struggle with.
It's never enough. But I opened this business
(27:34):
November of 2019, but not one client with 0 clients.
And then you know, March 2020 came around.
And so I, I think that survivingthat first year in business and
the insurance business is a great business to any of your
(27:54):
listeners. If you're looking for a business
to, to grow and to enjoy residual income, it is a great
business. It's insurance is something
that's needed. People might as well buy it from
someone that they like, right? It's you know, it's, it's, it's
a great, it has created many, many, many, many legacies in
this country, right? But I would say that that really
(28:18):
the, the, the money mindset, it's something that's constantly
shifting for me as far as like how big of a teen, I don't have
any children. So I always feel like I that's a
caveat because most people work super hard because they have
children, right? And they need to leave a legacy
and they need to send them to college and save for the
grandkids. I don't have children.
(28:40):
So sometimes I ask myself like when is enough enough?
Because who are you doing this for?
Where are you going to leave it?Right.
Yeah. So, you know, it's it's
depending on the day. I guess I would say it's, it's I
know that I want to create a, you know, the day that I do exit
this business, it's because I have a number in in mind revenue
(29:01):
wise where I want to be in the multiple I want to sell it for
and I am that doesn't change. I love that you have your eye on
the price and I wish more business owners would do that.
Really think for yourself. What is what is it that you're
reaching toward? Because more and more and more
and more is a trap. It, it's, it is, it is.
And honestly, to be very candid,it is taking a toll on my
(29:24):
health. It really has.
And I think that even though I have this idea of where I want
to be when I exit, I think that's also a mistake that most
business owners are probably women, because I don't think
that people, we, we don't have the same level of education in
this business world than the others.
(29:47):
But I really do believe like it it, you have to accept the fact
that there's going to be an exitof your business, whether it's
forced or sold. But you could pass away.
You can get sick and have to sell on an emergency.
There could be a a partnership and the partner buys you
whatever. So many, there's so many ways
that your business can end that if you think about the exit
(30:13):
during the present time, I thinkit shapes your decisions
different. I agree, I agree.
I'm in that conversation right now 'cause as a consultant, my
entire brand revolves around me.And so now I'm thinking, OK, how
do I grow and sustain and at some point exit this entire
(30:35):
work? That body of work that I'm
doing, I'm in the process of nowreimagining it.
So it's not just me, right? Yeah.
But it's so important because ifit is just about you, like you
said, at some point something's going to happen and it may not
be your choice. Right.
And that all goes. That all goes because
entrepreneurs are risk takers. But where is your ass on the
(30:57):
line that you need a backup or asafety net underneath?
And so many entrepreneurs just ride the line.
And this whole conversation is about, are you protected?
Are you adequately protected? And yes, there are some massive
shifts happening in the industry, but good protection
(31:19):
still exists. Good protection still exists.
So, loaded question for the Palisades fire.
Even for these hurricanes that happened in Florida the last
several years, When someone isn't insured, is it their
fault? My answer might be a little
biased honestly because I know Iknow as someone that is on this
(31:44):
side of it, how many times I have to remind someone of a
payment. I mean, I, I have someone
dedicated to 4-5 sixth reminder to make their monthly
installment. So I mean, I without know
obviously everyone's circumstances is different, but
(32:06):
I do I do believe that there is a burden of responsibility on
the consumer to know your situation with insurance, make
sure that your bills are paid right.
Like, so is it? It's truly not that someone
can't get insured. Correct.
It's more so that either they'rethey're toeing the line of risk,
(32:29):
they didn't pay attention to thedetails, they didn't know what
they didn't know which it you know, it happens, but it's, it's
the due diligence of the homeowner of the business owner
to make sure they're covered andprotected and that that still
exists. Now, if you don't want to pay
it, I get it, but it doesn't mean that there isn't coverage
(32:51):
out there for you. Correct and and you know the
consumer that has had 3-4 claimsdifficult in Florida if you have
a water claim if you have a second water claim very
difficult or nearly impossible to afford to get homeowner's
insurance it's. Different though because you can
get insurance but it's but the affordability is different.
(33:14):
Correct. So there's so many scenarios
when it comes to that, but I, there's people in my space that
won't, that won't remind their, their, their, their insurers
that they have payments because we're not your personal
assistant. No, it's not our responsibility.
No, I do it because I feel like it's part of my, the service
(33:35):
aspect of, of, of why the bunkerexists, right?
Like, I understand what it's like to run a business.
I understand that sometimes, youknow, a bill will fall or
there's a change that was made that wasn't, you know, anything
can happen. So we do it.
That is my decision. But ultimately, if you want to
(33:56):
control your destiny when it comes to your finances, be
responsible. Yep, and don't leave it to in
the hands of an insurance company that you're a number to
cause that's at the end of the day, we're all just numbers to
them, right? That's right.
You know so and that representation matters, right?
Yep. Choosing your insurance agent
matters. That's why you would go to an
insurance agent and not buy it online.
(34:18):
Yep. I'd rather, I would personally
rather pay more to have the relationship and the coverage so
that I can call with questions and someone's got my back.
And as business owners, we need people who have our back.
And I remember my dad, my dad's best friend growing up, Kit
Bell, Shout out to Kit. He's no longer with us.
(34:39):
He was our insurance agent. We could always go see him,
always call, you know, change things as needed.
And insurance was something my parents always said, hey, don't
be overinsured. Don't be insurance poor, but
always have insurance. So with that, let's talk about
the future of insurance because it seems really shaky right now.
I mean, the whole future, the future of the country seems like
(35:02):
it's on the rocks right now. But where is insurance headed in
the wake of all of these changesas an industry?
Technology is always a threat inour space because it's a legacy
agency and slow to adapt. So that's number one #2 for the
insurance industry as well, which if any of your listeners
(35:22):
are considering a second career,the the retirement rate that's
happening. We can't find people fast enough
because this is not a sexy industry.
No, it's. Not and it's a difficult
industry for the first three years.
It's a lot of sacrifice. It's a lot of hard work and
sacrifice for at least two to three years, the year 4 till
(35:43):
Infinity. If you're doing the the, if
you're a good insurance agent, you know your stuff talked, you
know, technician wise and you can create relationships 'cause
this is a relationship business.You're, you're good.
You would have more business than you know what to do with if
you can get past the first threeyears because you don't have a
book of business at that time, right.
(36:04):
So it's a little difficult, but I would say the, those are the
biggest threats that are coming towards us.
I mean, the insure attacks that are coming in the, the websites
that are telling you get 6 quotes fast, No, they're not
giving you quotes. Those are data mining companies
that you're giving your data to.And then you're going to have
(36:25):
nine agents calling you harassing.
Don't just don't do that. Don't fall for that.
But I would say that those are the two bigger, bigger things
for our space. Obviously catastrophes are
growing and, and I mean, there was an earthquake in Georgia
maybe about 2-3 weeks ago that my uncle lives there and he felt
it in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I mean, that's when, when was
(36:45):
that? When was that a thing?
Are insurance policies in Georgia equipped to handle an
earthquake? Probably not.
Probably not. So that creates a whole other
thing, right? It it that the the natural
disasters and catastrophes will always be something that the
insurance industry will have to pivot with.
Just because you have insurance doesn't mean you're adequately
(37:08):
insured. Just because you have an
insurance agent doesn't mean that person is looking out for
you and your best interests. Insurance is a very personal
conversation. And the question for you today
to my listeners is do you have what you need when the thing
that you think will never happendoes?
(37:29):
And I hope that that's a wake upcall and a thought provoking
conversation that we can continue to have here on the
Real Money Podcast. So as listeners, let us know
what it is that you want to knowmore about.
We can break this, we can break this conversation down into a
ton of detail. We wanted to spare you the
details today because we wanted to talk about what what risk
(37:50):
really is, what it really means,and also how to find the right
insurance agent for you and you.Do you insurance people more
than just Florida or are you Florida specific?
Yeah, I'm licensed in a couple states.
I'm licensed in California, South Carolina, but I can't.
It's an easy thing. And even if someone was to reach
out to me and I couldn't do it, I have a ton of friends.
That's right. Are really, really great agents
(38:12):
that I could refer them to. I, I have to say, I really love
that about you and Ashley in particular is that you have
these great, this great community of insurance agents
where it can be very competitiveand cutthroat, but you all
really like, support each other and share the love because
listen, there's 300 million people here in America alone.
We can all do this work together.
(38:33):
I will say that I got it. The the reason I am in finance
today is because I got it an e-mail from Farmers Insurance
when I was job searching that said I could make $400,000 a
year and it perked my ears out and not you know what look.
At you. Look at you, Yeah.
Did you ever charge insurance orno?
I never went that route. I ended up joining my friend's
(38:55):
financial firm, but that was thethat was the thing that piqued
my interest enough to go. Shit, people in insurance make a
lot of money. They, it's so funny too, because
I sit on the board of a local association here.
We're trying so hard to get these kids out of college that
they all want to go the stock market route because it's sexy.
But this industry is very, very generous relationship wise.
(39:19):
I mean, friendship wise, yes, you can create an incredible
living. It's definitely a good industry.
And so I, I really, really encourage people to at least
give it a shot because you can, you can grow professionally,
personally, it's, it's worth it.I love it.
All right, before we jump into the the rapid fire round, which
is really fun. It's kind of a this or that
(39:40):
conversation. I know me too.
I love games. OK, what are the things that
people must know right now when it comes to their insurance?
We talked about a lot, but let'sjust high level it for them.
What do you have? What do they have to know right
now? So first I would look make sure
that your carrier has a good rating and you know you can
check that. A and best rating does is the
(40:03):
most respected you want an A rated carrier to be insured with
because that is based off of their financial stability first
of all. Second of all, your limits.
Look at your limits. If it's just if you only have
what the state requires, I guarantee you that it's not
enough. Umbrella policies are not for
only rich people. Don't forget it's not just about
(40:26):
the assets that you have in the bank.
If you have AI don't know speaking for Florida, right, OK,
in Florida they can't touch yourprimary home.
But if you have a secondary home, if you have some money in
the bank all up for grabs at thetime of a lawsuit with involving
an accident, a car accident and those attorneys, they are
ruthless. They will go after every penny
(40:48):
you have put an umbrella. They're not expensive.
They're not. I think that's also one of the
biggest misconceptions is that people think it's so expensive.
It can be if you're a bad driver.
And unfortunately when you have young drivers that are
inexperienced, yes, but that's when you need it the most.
If you have toys, if you have ATVs and jet skis, the amount of
horrific accidents that happen on these toys you need to have
(41:12):
because it doesn't matter if it's your sister or your, your
friend, their child gets injured.
They're coming after you. Yep, you need to protect
yourself and it's not as expensive.
So I would say the majority of people need umbrellas and and
really just check on on those limits.
You want to make sure that you have enough limits.
(41:32):
You want to make sure that another common exclusion,
depending on where you live, youknow the breed of dog that you
have. Some of these insurance
companies have unacceptable dogsthat they will not insure.
They will not give you liabilitycoverage on your home if you
have a certain breed of dog. Did you buy a dog in the last
year? Have you told your insurance
agent? Those are the series, those are
(41:53):
the, the conversations that a good insurance agent should be
having with you. And that would be if if you
haven't had a conversation aboutyour limits changing, your
circumstances changing, even outside of that.
Like I, I don't do personal insurance anymore, but when we
used to, I would have conversations about estate
planning. If you have two, three
(42:13):
properties in the state of Florida, they're not in a trust.
They're going to probate. Your family's going to have to
fight the state for years to getall of your hard work back.
Yeah, talk about that. Your insurance agent should be
referring you to these professionals that can help in
the asset protection. It's not just paying a policy.
So if if those conversations have not been had, think about
(42:36):
it. Try to find a new one.
That's right, find a new one. And this is exactly why I love
working with women, because women tend to take these
conversations deeper, farther, faster, and look at the whole of
your situation and make sure that holistically you're good.
Now, I'm talking to my avoiders right now.
And if you're an avoider, you know who you are.
(42:57):
Putting your hand, burying your head in the sand and pretending
like these things don't exist isonly causing more stress for
you. You cannot bury your head in the
sand. Let's open up the conversation.
Let's have it now and let's makesure that all of your assets,
all of your income, combined with your insurance policies to
(43:18):
make sure that you can sleep well at night.
And I will tell you, having my estate planning done, having all
of my insurance, having Ashley on my side as my insurance
agent, I sleep better at night knowing I have an umbrella
policy. I sleep better at night knowing
that my kids adequately protected.
There are a lot of myths in thisindustry.
Make sure you know the difference between what is a
(43:38):
fact and what is a friend telling you something.
And the only person that's goingto know that are people like
you, Ciara, where you've got allthese certifications, you're in
the conversations, you're going to conferences, you're up to
date, the real deal. It's definitely the Facebook
groups of I'm paying. My friend told me that they have
(43:59):
everything insured for $129 a month.
No, why are we taking advice foranything in Facebook groups like
that? Come on.
We're past that. And honestly I would say the
same thing now with the AI conversation.
Right? Like yes, we all get life advice
from from chachi PT but that shouldn't be the only decision
you know or the only factor. You, you educate, you consume
(44:22):
you, you educate yourself. But then go to a professional to
clarify what you've read or you're understanding it
correctly. Help me make the decision.
Guide me to what you think is iswhat I need.
AI cannot do that. Bottom line, you get what you
pay for. In everything right in life, not
just insurance. That's right.
(44:42):
OK. You ready to have a little fun?
Yeah. All right.
This is a light hearted conversation.
I love either or and this and that conversations and questions
because they just get me thinking.
So the first one I have for you is Insurance Nerd or Risk Rebel.
I'm insurance nerd. Yeah, yeah.
I'm not. I'm not.
I'm not very risky, no. Hurricanes or cyber attacks?
(45:02):
What keeps you up at night? Hurricanes.
Hurricanes. Early mornings or late nights?
Turning into early mornings I I'm I, my brain is exhausted by
the end of the day. So I'm I'm a 530 girl now.
Me too. Welcome to the 530 Glass I.
Love it. Delegate or DIY?
(45:22):
Oh, I am also working very hard on the delegation piece.
I read Who Not How by Dan Sullivan.
It changed my life. So delegate it's it is a way
better way of life. Yeah.
I love it. I love it.
White walls or black walls? White.
White OK personal growth book ortrue crime podcast.
(45:45):
Personal growth all the way, yeah.
Love it. I love it.
So great conversation. Thank you so much for joining me
today. How can people get to know you
and learn about the work you're doing with the bunker?
Yeah, so I'm on all socials. I'm on Instagram at Bunker your
risk. I'm on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is probably my preferred platform.
(46:08):
Siara Gravier, I'm there my websitesbunkeryourrisk.com and
yeah, I'm I'm, we have a YouTubechannel where we're doing a lot
to try to like you. You know, I really, I and I've
stumbled across this wording this year.
You know, how it changes, right,The more you think about it and
you think and you think, and, and I really am trying to
insulate my insurance with the right professionals.
(46:31):
Because when the professionals are working, helping the
business owner work towards this, towards the right goal and
the same goal and we're all helping them row.
I mean, isn't that what this is about helping people achieve
their dreams? Oh, you know, being a part of
someone achieving a business, you know, that's a big deal.
And I, I take a lot of pride in that and it makes me happy to be
(46:52):
able to be on someone's team to help them, you know, change
their legacy. It's a big deal.
We've got more female business owners and more coming than ever
before, More money coming woman's way than ever before.
We get to figure this out together.
And thank you for being a part of the real money community for
that reason. Yeah.
Thank you, this is fun. Yeah, it was.
(47:12):
All right, everyone, This is my final episode this season and
I'm so, so grateful to have the had this conversation with you.
Ciara, thank you so much for being with me today.
Thank you to the Real Money community.
We'll be back in the fall with some new episodes, new
conversations. Hit her up on social media, let
her know what questions you have.
Let's keep the conversation going.
And we'll see you in the fall with a new Real Money
(47:34):
conversation. See you then.
Thanks for listening to Real Money.
If you enjoyed this episode and would like to help support the
podcast, please subscribe and let us know what you love about
the show. Your feedback is invaluable as
we continue to empower women to take control of their financial
lives. Until next time, keep thriving
and remember you deserve real money.
Hi, I'm Lisa Chastain and welcome to the Real Money
Podcast. Some of the most successful
women in the world hate talking about money, and that's exactly
why we're here. My mission is to remove fear
around finances by creating a simple, effective way to manage
your money and build the financial freedom you deserve.
(00:23):
As a keynote speaker, best selling author, and passionate
coach, I will be sharing my insights on overcoming money
challenges, coaching women live on air, and interviewing some of
the most accomplished women to learn from their experiences.
So say goodbye to fear, say goodbye to budgeting woes, and
welcome to real money. What if the insurance industry
(00:51):
you're already relying on to protect your business is broken?
Today, my guest is Ciara Graviere, and she is blowing the
whistle on what's happening behind the scenes, especially in
the wake of Florida's catastrophic hurricanes, and
what every business owner needs to know before the next storm or
fire hits. Ciara is the founder and CEO of
(01:12):
The Bunker Insurance and Risk Management, with over 15 years
in the industry and with elite designations, especially around
cybersecurity. She's not just talking about
insurance, she's shaping how we manage risk, protect our wealth,
and build sustainable businesses.
She's in the top 1% of insuranceagents in the United States
(01:34):
today, and we're having a deep and meaningful conversation
about what you must know when itcomes to insurance today and for
the rest of your life. Welcome to the Real Money
conversation with Ciara. Let's dig in.
OK, so Ciara, we met from a friend of mine in Florida and
she's like, you've got to talk to Ciara.
And I was like, yes, cool. And then we had a conversation
(01:56):
and I said, I love you. And we're on the we're on the
same page. We're on the same page about a
lot. And one of those things is where
the insurance industry is headedand anybody listening to this in
this moment can relate to the pain of insurance, the
commercial insurance paying if you're a business owner or have
(02:19):
multiple properties or even personal insurance.
We've seen our rates go up and up and up and up.
And I have teenage boys and so I'm paying as much as a car
payment or mortgage in insurance.
And my dad always told me growing up never to never be
insurance poor or over insured. But you know, watching what
(02:41):
happened in LA and the fires andyou're in Florida in the wake of
all these hurricanes. What the fuck is going on?
What the fuck? And I and yeah, go ahead.
We're rated, we're ranked like anotch above car salesman like we
are the public's least favorite advisors.
I'm actually doing releasing some content soon about like
(03:04):
trying to change the perspectiveof the insurance agent because
aside to what it's turned into, right?
And depending where, where you are in Florida, you know, it's,
it's the wild, Wild West with insurance companies and the
lawsuits and the fraud. It's wild.
So it's never a fun conversationto have.
Nobody enjoys it. Nobody likes to pay it, which I
(03:26):
understand. I am a consumer as well.
But the reality is, is that at that moment when you need it,
Mandy, you wish you would have just paid a little bit more
attention or chosen the representation just a little
more carefully. And so really, I'm super
passionate about that, right? Because people think, you know,
(03:46):
you could just buy it online. I mean, you could, right?
But but most people don't know what any of these coverages
means, right? And the coverages aren't just
coverages. They're, this is how I always
explain it like coverages and policies that you're purchasing
their words on a document until there's a claim and then you
(04:07):
find out that it's kind of Swisscheese on a document, right?
It's, it's, it's telling you what's covered until you go to
the exclusions part and they take it all back.
So it's a contract and it shouldbe treated as such.
So I especially when you're in business, right, like personal
lines, obviously like having young drivers, you need an
umbrella. And if if Vegas, which I think
(04:29):
it is, is a little bit like Florida as far as lawsuits?
Yeah, it is. Yeah.
We have, we have attorneys on every billboard across town,
depending on what side of town you're in.
Some of them are in Spanish, some of them are in English, but
they're everywhere, everywhere. That's because it's become
overly litigious. Is insurance the reason for
(04:49):
that? Some people believe it is like I
I actually insure an attorney that says I don't believe in
purchasing malpractice because that's what allows me to get
sued. If I don't have it, what are
they going to come after That's risky for me.
I mean, I sell insurance, so I'mrisk adverse.
But I think that there's, there's I think that if the
(05:09):
consumer, whether you're buying your personal insurance or you
own a business and you understand your tolerance of
risk, the conversation is different, right?
Risk insurance is there to to transfer the financial burden of
risk. So, for example, insurance in
Florida, if you own a home, do you want to if you don't have a
mortgage, you don't have to haveinsurance, OK, Do you have the
(05:32):
money in the bank to replace your roof or your home if there
is damage? And maybe, you know, my dad, my
dad has lived here all, almost all of his adult life and he's
never had a hurricane claim. He's 73 on a, on a fixed income.
And he says, you know what, I'm going to risk it.
I don't have a mortgage and I have a stash for, for any major
(05:52):
damage. And you know, the odds are that
I don't need it. Yeah, OK.
But we're talking to the majority of Americans right now
who do not have ultra high net worths, do not have a tremendous
amount, I mean in excess of 100,200 three, $100,000.
And if you lose your house in a hurricane or a fire and you are
(06:12):
not insured and you don't have that money sitting in the bank,
you're fucked. So honestly, the simplest answer
to that is if you cannot afford the premium, you can't afford
the loss. So if the insurance policy, if
you're complaining that a $15,000 insurance policy is too
expensive and that's going to that's going to be hard for you
to pay, well, what is it going to be to pay when the house
(06:33):
burns down? Yeah, right.
Yeah. So then you need to purchase
that insurance and understand how the deductibles play.
Right. That's right.
So what we're not here to do on this episode today is argue
whether or not you need insurance, because both of us
believe that it's a very necessary thing depending on all
the things that you own, right? Even renters having a little
renter insurance. I'm, I'm in a commercial
(06:55):
building having protection there.
I have cyber security insurance because I'm an online
personality giving out quote UN quote advice, right?
So there's all these reasons andthe world has just become really
savvy to insurance and people who there's going to be people
who do the right thing and people who do the wrong thing.
And everybody is going to know how this system works.
There are people that are going to use it to their advantage,
some people that are going to use it to other people's
(07:17):
disadvantage, right? There's all of that in between.
Let's take a step back because you've been in insurance for a
long time. Yeah, for almost over 20 years,
yeah. No one grows up saying they're
going to be an insurance agent ever.
Ever. What made you decide to go in
insurance? So I actually graduated high
school. My parents, my dad came to this
(07:39):
country from Cuba when he was 14and his dad walked into a bank
and on a loan, on a handshake, got a $600.00 loan to start a
tow truck business. And not speaking the language
just tried. And my dad got caught up in the
(07:59):
American dream of working for corporate America.
And his dad kept telling him they're owning your soul.
They're owning your soul with a company car like you sold, you
sold out your whole life for a company car.
But you know, at the time my dadsaid, you know, this is what I
came here for, right? I have a career.
And so, but at 49 and my mom was47, they had had enough.
(08:22):
My mom worked for Equifax all ofher life.
He ended up being at that point and working for UPS and as an
account executive and and they were just exhausted and they
were tired of working for other people.
And they said, you know what, we're gonna open up an insurance
agency and never owned a business, never sold a piece of
insurance. However, I do remember even like
(08:45):
sitting at the dinner table, they were always good insurance
purchasers. Like, I knew our insurance
agent's name. We talked about it at the dinner
table. Like, yes, we added the ring
yet. So they were always responsible
and believers of insurance, but you know, they just did it.
They took money out of the four O 1K and opened a business and
(09:08):
we started with Allstate. And so the long, the long answer
to your short question is I didn't have a choice.
I was going to the Art Instituteof Fort Lauderdale at the time
and I didn't get a scholarship. I was going for interior design
and they were like, we need you to work in the business.
Sorry, we can't afford to keep paying.
Sending you, we'll send you backwhen we make it.
And that never, I mean, we made it, but they never sent me back,
(09:30):
you know. And so eventually we, we did
very well. We opened up an Allstate, but in
Florida, I don't know if it's like this in Vegas.
And at the time Allstate doesn'trent any property insurance.
They only did the auto. So it was very difficult for us.
We're leaving a lot of money on the table and we would win the
trips. And we opened a second location
and we realized, wait a minute, everybody has what's known as an
(09:51):
independent on the side. Yeah, He's been owns the
Allstate. The mom or the wife or the
sister own an independent on theside.
Yeah. So we got back from the Bahamas
one year and I opened the independent upstairs.
My dad was downstairs. Eventually got rid of the
Allstates. We sold those and then we had
that agency for 12 years and we sold that one in 2018.
And then I opened this one November of 2019.
(10:13):
So insurance, it's so funny. You go to a conference and
that's always the question, likewho here walked into insurance
for fun? Like did it on their own?
One person out of 600 people, Like never.
It's never ever, ever something that's chosen.
But honestly, it's a great career and it's, it's a noble
profession when you do it right,right, because you really are
(10:33):
helping people protect their biggest assets and their
financial, you know, freedom really so.
I agree. OK, so I I've had other
insurance conversations on the podcast.
This is my first time really digging into commercial
insurance and what really where.Where you and I connected
(10:53):
originally was having this conversation about what's going
on in Florida on the heels of somany hurricanes and really
looking at what happened in LA. People just were not insured.
They were not able to get coverage.
Break it down for us, what is going on in the world of
insurance right now where peoplecan't get coverage or in in my
(11:14):
words, I feel like this is a disruption that's needed to
happen, but also it's it's creating a lot of havoc what's
going on in the industry right now.
The biggest mistake that we makeas consumers is looking at
insurance, which it makes sense.It's the natural way of
thinking. Like for example, South Florida,
well, South Florida hasn't had ahurricane, right?
(11:35):
All thankfully we've got lucky because the last couple years
they've we've missed it by like 35 miles, right?
South Atlantic too. You're on the South Atlantic
side. Right.
So, so it, it's shocking, right?But we, we haven't missed it.
So the mindset is, well, I haven't had a claim.
Why does my insurance keep goingup?
Why are the carriers dropping me?
Well, insurance is on a global scale, right?
(11:59):
And there's reinsurance that comes into play.
There's been over 20. I, I, I believe the statistic,
the number is $29 billion in losses in 2024 in the world. $29
billion. It's it's a statistic that is
it, it's shocking. So when when insurance is
purchased on a global scale, that's where the fires affect
(12:21):
us, just like hurricanes affect you guys.
OK. Right, so it doesn't matter.
Doesn't matter. Our insurance carriers buy
insurance for their insurance for their right.
That's the process of the reinsurance.
So when they're not, when the them not being profitable starts
many layers deep and statistically and they have the
actuarial numbers to the scienceof how much they have to have
(12:42):
insured, how much premium they can charge.
And you know, every state comes into regulation with what's
acceptable. And I know that State Farm had a
big issue during the fires. And, and I, I obviously am in
this industry. I'm not saying that they did it
right or wrong, but you know, the media also makes it seem
like State Farm just randomly dropped these people.
(13:03):
Well, no, there's regulations and notifications that have to
be sent out. I don't know what it is in
California. Here, it's like 120 days out,
you start getting notices, your insurance is going to be
cancelled. We're not renewing you this
date. So it's not that the fires were
coming and State Farm said cancel, cancel.
And these people had no insurance.
OK, so they were given notice. Why do insurance companies
(13:25):
cancel people? Multiple reasons.
If actuarial leave, they can't cover the losses that are
projected right by their geniuses that they have at their
Home Office, that this is their entire life.
They'll get off certain areas, high risk areas.
And so for example, here State Farm doesn't do homeowners or
(13:46):
property insurance, not commercial, not not a home, none
of it, neither does all, none ofthe carriers do not Progressive,
not GEICO, not none of them. They only write personal auto in
the state. And so they just don't, they,
they don't have the funds or they don't want to appropriate
the funds to the, the disaster area that is Florida.
(14:09):
So, and I think that that's what's happening now in
California. They're pulling back.
I know that California has the, the fire plan, right, that that
is in play. We kind of have that here with
citizens insurance, which is ourgovernment funded, but it's a
wheel, right. Citizens will pick you up and
then take you out in, in three to six months.
You're with another carrier because they're the carrier of
(14:30):
last resort. They don't want to be the
permanent carrier. So it's actuarial stuff.
Some of them get acquired. I mean in 2023 we lost 8
carriers here that went insolvent, you know. 8 carriers
that went insolvent. What?
And so we're going to break thisdown 'cause my real money
community is a learning community.
Insolvent means they didn't havethe money to pay out what they
(14:53):
needed to pay out and they closed their doors and whoever
was insured under them lost their coverage.
Lost their coverage with notification, though.
It's not overnight. Yeah, yeah.
So it's not, it's not like like you had time to find, you know,
if you open your mail and which is shocking how many people
don't. So you know, there's a
(15:14):
responsibility and a burden on the insured, right?
So that's kind of part of this conversation too.
It's be aware of what's happening with your insurance,
check in with your insurance agent.
And that's why, you know, I'm onthe side of this is not
something that should be handledalone and buying it online.
It's too complex. Buying it online, but then also
I've heard from our other friendAshley, who we know in common,
(15:37):
I've heard horror stories of people who have a coverage maybe
or maybe they bought it online, maybe they didn't, but they're
really not protected and they even have an insurance agent.
How can someone know the difference between a quote UN
quote good agent versus someone that they may not want to work
(15:58):
with? Cause in my opinion, not now.
I know because I've had multipleconversations in the industry,
but how do you know? Yeah, I would say, I mean, ask
them a couple questions as far as obviously experience matters,
right? If I was a consumer that didn't
know what I was doing on, you know, purchasing insurance and
(16:20):
most of my peers do this becausethey're on a hamster wheel of,
of, you know, customer service and that and that area of
business, which you, you know, there's always that element to
business. But I would say if, if I was
handled as a number, you're getting the quote, the apples to
apples jargon of, well, send me your policy and I'll match what
(16:42):
you have here. But how do you know if what I
have in place is right? What if I'm calling you because
my, my circumstances in my life has changed?
What if I've had a baby? What if I bought a second house?
What if I opened a business right?
And no, like if someone just wants to copy the work or your
current policy that you have, that's a red flag for me.
(17:02):
Yeah, me. Too, It's a conversation we need
to get to know you. Like why if someone calls us for
a quote, we're always asking outside of price.
I know everyone is price sensitive.
I know that the it's expensive, we know that.
But what else is there? What's under that?
Have you never been explained what you're buying?
I I would ask them about exclusions specifically.
(17:23):
Like is there any language that's excluded here that I
should know about? For example, if you own a
business, even cyber, cyber is the perfect line to describe
this with. You could have coverage for
ransomware under most cyber policies, but the language of
the payout of a claim can be either pay on behalf or
(17:46):
reimbursement. So it's not that there's not
coverage. There's coverage.
But on a pan behalf the the insurance company pays the
ransom and all everything involved on your behalf.
The reimbursement language meansyou, the insured has to pay for
it upfront and then submit for areimbursement from the carrier.
(18:08):
Both have coverage right? But which one do you want?
Which one is it worth paying maybe an extra 200 bucks a year
for right depending on behalf? What, what a great reminder and
this, I'm going to throw this right back to our listeners
today, is that just because whatI'm hearing you say is just
because you have coverage doesn't mean that you have the
(18:28):
right coverage. And I see this all the time with
life insurance where someone says, oh, I'm paying 60 bucks a
month and I think that it's $100,000.
But to your point, what are the exclusions?
What are the what are the terms and conditions of this policy?
Before you get in, know what you're buying.
(18:49):
And the same thing goes to insurance when it comes to your
property, your auto and your business and.
Your business. What?
OK, so it it sounds like shameless plug for you, right?
You need to have a good attorneyand I'm talking to, I'm talking
specifically to those of you whoare, who are thinking, OK, so
(19:11):
you may be in a nine to five today.
You may be making sixty $80,000 a year, but you have big dreams
and you need to know who needs to be on your team, Who are the
people, what is essential? Well, everybody says you need to
have an attorney and ACPA totally get that.
And you need a good insurance broker.
And the the the big names aren'talways the best names.
(19:33):
Just because you see them every other commercial doesn't mean
that they're going to adequatelyprotect you.
What's the difference between anAllstate and an independent
broker? So Allstate State farms, those
types of agencies are what are known as captive and they can
only represent 1 carrier. They can only represent those
products independent agents likemyself, like Ashley are.
(19:56):
We get to choose who we work with and who we represent, and
we can provide options. Yeah.
So we're not married to it's kind of the same thing as like
the financial advisor that is married to a bank or Merrill
Lynch, let's say versus an independent advisor that can
that's not committed to minimumsof business that you know, I
don't have minimums. I get to, I get to offer you
(20:19):
what I believe based off of our conversation is the best
solution for your for, for your circumstances.
So that, that's the freedom of, of working with an independent
agent. And we, we're not the ones that
have the Super Bowl money budget, right to, to run the
commercials. And, and also with the large box
agencies too, there's a lot of misconceptions of like, you
(20:40):
know, that you need to be with those alphabet houses.
And the reality is, is that there's a lot of turnover there.
There's a lot of you're, you're a small fish and in a ginormous
pond and working with an independent agent that's local.
I mean, we're the people that are going sponsoring your kids
soccer games, right? Like we are in your communities
and we're you're not, you're a big fish in a small pond with
(21:02):
us, you know, so the service is different.
The the attention is different. It is.
You're the first person people call when.
They right. And and to your point, I 100%
agree with unfortunately, we're not, we're never put on in that
category with the attorney or we're always like last resort.
Oh my God, my insurance. I need this right.
So I would encourage the listeners to consult with your
(21:26):
insurance advisor the same way you chose your attorney, right?
Or your doctor. Maybe you probably interviewed a
couple of attorneys before you. You, you picked 1, you know,
just know what you're looking for and, and, and make sure
that, that it feels good and that they're comfortable, you
know, answering your questions. Yeah.
All right, so let's let's talk about cheap policies versus best
(21:47):
policies because I know this is going to trigger a lot of people
because price shopping is a thing online and you're looking
for the cheapest insurance. But heads up, two things that
I've learned, and I'd love for you to speak into this, a cheap
policy on the front end could besomething that over time they
might sell you something cheap, but then in the next 90 days
(22:07):
raise your rate. So you're that person, you're
like, Oh my God, I thought it was going to be X amount per
month. And then I just got it raised.
What happens? Well, that's they're going to
hook you in with a cheaper rate and then over time they're going
to raise it. So there's one thing to
remember, but also you're not getting the best coverage.
Sometimes you're getting bare minimum coverage, which really
isn't good at all. So in Vegas we have state
(22:28):
minimums and they're crap. It also whether it's your
personal assets or your businessassets, right?
Like people forget that it's notjust protection against like a
claim, not it's not just a car accident that these insurance
companies are covering when you're purchasing your auto
insurance. It's also your defense when you
(22:52):
own a business and you're buyingcyber liability insurance,
right? The mentality of that's never
going to happen to me because I'm too small.
No, it happens to us all the time because we're so small
because we don't they, these cyber criminals know we don't
have the infrastructure to have an IT team.
So they practice on us before they go after the targets.
The thing is that we don't survive to tell the story,
(23:15):
right? So, and that scenario of a cyber
claim, it's not just fixing the data problem, it's your defense.
It's any regulatory fines. So when you're thinking about
insurance, it's not just the immediate expense that you think
of naturally a car accident, well, bodily injury, right?
Or am I sent someone to the hospital?
(23:36):
That's covered? Far more than that is covered.
If that thing explodes and goes to court, your attorney fees are
covered. Imagine hiring an attorney for
any, any sort of a negligence oraccident.
How much does that cost you? So I, I just, I, I want to
encourage the listener to use insurance as a tool, especially
(23:59):
in business. It's not just an expense on a on
AP and L it's not just a line item.
It can be a tool, especially if you're in the government
contract space, especially if you're in construction or in,
in, in places where your insurance can open a door and
get you a big job or, or or doesn't, right?
That's right. So it, it's it when you, when
(24:21):
you, we all got to pay it. And no, there's that we all
don't want to pay it. Understood.
But when you, when you look at it from a different lens and you
realize that it can be a mechanism to grow a business, it
really does change. And and you should be working
with an insurance agent that does more for you than just sell
you a policy, right? There should be some risk
(24:43):
management conversations. There should be some some
advisory type conversations. Not just I need to save $400.00
this year or I'm moving. All kinds of people are
listening to this. My audience primarily are
thinking about all the things and growth minded.
So we're not thinking about justwhere we are, but we're thinking
about where we're headed. And what I like to do is pull
all of my professionals togetherand say, OK, let's look at this,
(25:05):
look at where I'm at today and make some decisions based on
where I'm going and then check in every single year, OK, where
are we at? Do we need more?
Do we have enough? Because I don't have candidly
$3,000,000 sitting in the bank today, right?
And most people don't. I carry GAP Insurance until my
(25:26):
car's paid off. All these things you need to
think about because you think it's never going to happen to
you, and then it does. And so to your point too, Lisa,
when you said about like if you're in corporate and you're
thinking about maybe going out on your own, all that stuff,
even if you're in corporate and you stay in corporate, when I
hear that someone say, oh, I don't need to buy life
insurance, I have it through work.
(25:46):
No, Yes, you do. Because when you leave work or
you change jobs or you decide togo out on your own, that life
insurance policy ceases to exist.
Yep, you need so, so then you, you could have gotten that job
at 25 and now you're 42 and you're leaving and you've
already survived breast cancer and guess what?
It's going to be nearly impossible for you to get
(26:07):
insurance on your own. You have it in that scenario
because it's a group like there's, it's so complex,
there's so many layers to it. And so I'm, I'm on the same team
as as you of, of, you know, having the right people around
you can literally make or break your business.
Yeah, your business and your life.
We're going to shift focus and we're going to talk about you.
(26:28):
We're going to more about you. From launching your own firm to
becoming one of the top percent of agents nationwide, what are
some of the pivotal moments thattransformed your money mindset?
That's that's I, I would say it's constantly transforming and
what I think I want. I first of all, I never I never
(26:51):
stop and celebrate like the achievements, right.
So I think that that plays into a part of the go go, go.
And I I really, really need to celebrate the wins when it comes
to even my finances, right? And like even personally and the
(27:11):
business, I don't do that enough.
And I think that I actually think that that would probably
help me achieve more if I did, if I took a moment to stop and
and say, wow, man, you made it see like good job, right?
So that's one thing that I actually struggle with.
It's never enough. But I opened this business
(27:34):
November of 2019, but not one client with 0 clients.
And then you know, March 2020 came around.
And so I, I think that survivingthat first year in business and
the insurance business is a great business to any of your
(27:54):
listeners. If you're looking for a business
to, to grow and to enjoy residual income, it is a great
business. It's insurance is something
that's needed. People might as well buy it from
someone that they like, right? It's you know, it's, it's, it's
a great, it has created many, many, many, many legacies in
this country, right? But I would say that that really
(28:18):
the, the, the money mindset, it's something that's constantly
shifting for me as far as like how big of a teen, I don't have
any children. So I always feel like I that's a
caveat because most people work super hard because they have
children, right? And they need to leave a legacy
and they need to send them to college and save for the
grandkids. I don't have children.
(28:40):
So sometimes I ask myself like when is enough enough?
Because who are you doing this for?
Where are you going to leave it?Right.
Yeah. So, you know, it's it's
depending on the day. I guess I would say it's, it's I
know that I want to create a, you know, the day that I do exit
this business, it's because I have a number in in mind revenue
(29:01):
wise where I want to be in the multiple I want to sell it for
and I am that doesn't change. I love that you have your eye on
the price and I wish more business owners would do that.
Really think for yourself. What is what is it that you're
reaching toward? Because more and more and more
and more is a trap. It, it's, it is, it is.
And honestly, to be very candid,it is taking a toll on my
(29:24):
health. It really has.
And I think that even though I have this idea of where I want
to be when I exit, I think that's also a mistake that most
business owners are probably women, because I don't think
that people, we, we don't have the same level of education in
this business world than the others.
(29:47):
But I really do believe like it it, you have to accept the fact
that there's going to be an exitof your business, whether it's
forced or sold. But you could pass away.
You can get sick and have to sell on an emergency.
There could be a a partnership and the partner buys you
whatever. So many, there's so many ways
that your business can end that if you think about the exit
(30:13):
during the present time, I thinkit shapes your decisions
different. I agree, I agree.
I'm in that conversation right now 'cause as a consultant, my
entire brand revolves around me.And so now I'm thinking, OK, how
do I grow and sustain and at some point exit this entire
(30:35):
work? That body of work that I'm
doing, I'm in the process of nowreimagining it.
So it's not just me, right? Yeah.
But it's so important because ifit is just about you, like you
said, at some point something's going to happen and it may not
be your choice. Right.
And that all goes. That all goes because
entrepreneurs are risk takers. But where is your ass on the
(30:57):
line that you need a backup or asafety net underneath?
And so many entrepreneurs just ride the line.
And this whole conversation is about, are you protected?
Are you adequately protected? And yes, there are some massive
shifts happening in the industry, but good protection
(31:19):
still exists. Good protection still exists.
So, loaded question for the Palisades fire.
Even for these hurricanes that happened in Florida the last
several years, When someone isn't insured, is it their
fault? My answer might be a little
biased honestly because I know Iknow as someone that is on this
(31:44):
side of it, how many times I have to remind someone of a
payment. I mean, I, I have someone
dedicated to 4-5 sixth reminder to make their monthly
installment. So I mean, I without know
obviously everyone's circumstances is different, but
(32:06):
I do I do believe that there is a burden of responsibility on
the consumer to know your situation with insurance, make
sure that your bills are paid right.
Like, so is it? It's truly not that someone
can't get insured. Correct.
It's more so that either they'rethey're toeing the line of risk,
(32:29):
they didn't pay attention to thedetails, they didn't know what
they didn't know which it you know, it happens, but it's, it's
the due diligence of the homeowner of the business owner
to make sure they're covered andprotected and that that still
exists. Now, if you don't want to pay
it, I get it, but it doesn't mean that there isn't coverage
(32:51):
out there for you. Correct and and you know the
consumer that has had 3-4 claimsdifficult in Florida if you have
a water claim if you have a second water claim very
difficult or nearly impossible to afford to get homeowner's
insurance it's. Different though because you can
get insurance but it's but the affordability is different.
(33:14):
Correct. So there's so many scenarios
when it comes to that, but I, there's people in my space that
won't, that won't remind their, their, their, their insurers
that they have payments because we're not your personal
assistant. No, it's not our responsibility.
No, I do it because I feel like it's part of my, the service
(33:35):
aspect of, of, of why the bunkerexists, right?
Like, I understand what it's like to run a business.
I understand that sometimes, youknow, a bill will fall or
there's a change that was made that wasn't, you know, anything
can happen. So we do it.
That is my decision. But ultimately, if you want to
(33:56):
control your destiny when it comes to your finances, be
responsible. Yep, and don't leave it to in
the hands of an insurance company that you're a number to
cause that's at the end of the day, we're all just numbers to
them, right? That's right.
You know so and that representation matters, right?
Yep. Choosing your insurance agent
matters. That's why you would go to an
insurance agent and not buy it online.
(34:18):
Yep. I'd rather, I would personally
rather pay more to have the relationship and the coverage so
that I can call with questions and someone's got my back.
And as business owners, we need people who have our back.
And I remember my dad, my dad's best friend growing up, Kit
Bell, Shout out to Kit. He's no longer with us.
(34:39):
He was our insurance agent. We could always go see him,
always call, you know, change things as needed.
And insurance was something my parents always said, hey, don't
be overinsured. Don't be insurance poor, but
always have insurance. So with that, let's talk about
the future of insurance because it seems really shaky right now.
I mean, the whole future, the future of the country seems like
(35:02):
it's on the rocks right now. But where is insurance headed in
the wake of all of these changesas an industry?
Technology is always a threat inour space because it's a legacy
agency and slow to adapt. So that's number one #2 for the
insurance industry as well, which if any of your listeners
(35:22):
are considering a second career,the the retirement rate that's
happening. We can't find people fast enough
because this is not a sexy industry.
No, it's. Not and it's a difficult
industry for the first three years.
It's a lot of sacrifice. It's a lot of hard work and
sacrifice for at least two to three years, the year 4 till
(35:43):
Infinity. If you're doing the the, if
you're a good insurance agent, you know your stuff talked, you
know, technician wise and you can create relationships 'cause
this is a relationship business.You're, you're good.
You would have more business than you know what to do with if
you can get past the first threeyears because you don't have a
book of business at that time, right.
(36:04):
So it's a little difficult, but I would say the, those are the
biggest threats that are coming towards us.
I mean, the insure attacks that are coming in the, the websites
that are telling you get 6 quotes fast, No, they're not
giving you quotes. Those are data mining companies
that you're giving your data to.And then you're going to have
(36:25):
nine agents calling you harassing.
Don't just don't do that. Don't fall for that.
But I would say that those are the two bigger, bigger things
for our space. Obviously catastrophes are
growing and, and I mean, there was an earthquake in Georgia
maybe about 2-3 weeks ago that my uncle lives there and he felt
it in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I mean, that's when, when was
(36:45):
that? When was that a thing?
Are insurance policies in Georgia equipped to handle an
earthquake? Probably not.
Probably not. So that creates a whole other
thing, right? It it that the the natural
disasters and catastrophes will always be something that the
insurance industry will have to pivot with.
Just because you have insurance doesn't mean you're adequately
(37:08):
insured. Just because you have an
insurance agent doesn't mean that person is looking out for
you and your best interests. Insurance is a very personal
conversation. And the question for you today
to my listeners is do you have what you need when the thing
that you think will never happendoes?
(37:29):
And I hope that that's a wake upcall and a thought provoking
conversation that we can continue to have here on the
Real Money Podcast. So as listeners, let us know
what it is that you want to knowmore about.
We can break this, we can break this conversation down into a
ton of detail. We wanted to spare you the
details today because we wanted to talk about what what risk
(37:50):
really is, what it really means,and also how to find the right
insurance agent for you and you.Do you insurance people more
than just Florida or are you Florida specific?
Yeah, I'm licensed in a couple states.
I'm licensed in California, South Carolina, but I can't.
It's an easy thing. And even if someone was to reach
out to me and I couldn't do it, I have a ton of friends.
That's right. Are really, really great agents
(38:12):
that I could refer them to. I, I have to say, I really love
that about you and Ashley in particular is that you have
these great, this great community of insurance agents
where it can be very competitiveand cutthroat, but you all
really like, support each other and share the love because
listen, there's 300 million people here in America alone.
We can all do this work together.
(38:33):
I will say that I got it. The the reason I am in finance
today is because I got it an e-mail from Farmers Insurance
when I was job searching that said I could make $400,000 a
year and it perked my ears out and not you know what look.
At you. Look at you, Yeah.
Did you ever charge insurance orno?
I never went that route. I ended up joining my friend's
(38:55):
financial firm, but that was thethat was the thing that piqued
my interest enough to go. Shit, people in insurance make a
lot of money. They, it's so funny too, because
I sit on the board of a local association here.
We're trying so hard to get these kids out of college that
they all want to go the stock market route because it's sexy.
But this industry is very, very generous relationship wise.
(39:19):
I mean, friendship wise, yes, you can create an incredible
living. It's definitely a good industry.
And so I, I really, really encourage people to at least
give it a shot because you can, you can grow professionally,
personally, it's, it's worth it.I love it.
All right, before we jump into the the rapid fire round, which
is really fun. It's kind of a this or that
(39:40):
conversation. I know me too.
I love games. OK, what are the things that
people must know right now when it comes to their insurance?
We talked about a lot, but let'sjust high level it for them.
What do you have? What do they have to know right
now? So first I would look make sure
that your carrier has a good rating and you know you can
check that. A and best rating does is the
(40:03):
most respected you want an A rated carrier to be insured with
because that is based off of their financial stability first
of all. Second of all, your limits.
Look at your limits. If it's just if you only have
what the state requires, I guarantee you that it's not
enough. Umbrella policies are not for
only rich people. Don't forget it's not just about
(40:26):
the assets that you have in the bank.
If you have AI don't know speaking for Florida, right, OK,
in Florida they can't touch yourprimary home.
But if you have a secondary home, if you have some money in
the bank all up for grabs at thetime of a lawsuit with involving
an accident, a car accident and those attorneys, they are
ruthless. They will go after every penny
(40:48):
you have put an umbrella. They're not expensive.
They're not. I think that's also one of the
biggest misconceptions is that people think it's so expensive.
It can be if you're a bad driver.
And unfortunately when you have young drivers that are
inexperienced, yes, but that's when you need it the most.
If you have toys, if you have ATVs and jet skis, the amount of
horrific accidents that happen on these toys you need to have
(41:12):
because it doesn't matter if it's your sister or your, your
friend, their child gets injured.
They're coming after you. Yep, you need to protect
yourself and it's not as expensive.
So I would say the majority of people need umbrellas and and
really just check on on those limits.
You want to make sure that you have enough limits.
(41:32):
You want to make sure that another common exclusion,
depending on where you live, youknow the breed of dog that you
have. Some of these insurance
companies have unacceptable dogsthat they will not insure.
They will not give you liabilitycoverage on your home if you
have a certain breed of dog. Did you buy a dog in the last
year? Have you told your insurance
agent? Those are the series, those are
(41:53):
the, the conversations that a good insurance agent should be
having with you. And that would be if if you
haven't had a conversation aboutyour limits changing, your
circumstances changing, even outside of that.
Like I, I don't do personal insurance anymore, but when we
used to, I would have conversations about estate
planning. If you have two, three
(42:13):
properties in the state of Florida, they're not in a trust.
They're going to probate. Your family's going to have to
fight the state for years to getall of your hard work back.
Yeah, talk about that. Your insurance agent should be
referring you to these professionals that can help in
the asset protection. It's not just paying a policy.
So if if those conversations have not been had, think about
(42:36):
it. Try to find a new one.
That's right, find a new one. And this is exactly why I love
working with women, because women tend to take these
conversations deeper, farther, faster, and look at the whole of
your situation and make sure that holistically you're good.
Now, I'm talking to my avoiders right now.
And if you're an avoider, you know who you are.
(42:57):
Putting your hand, burying your head in the sand and pretending
like these things don't exist isonly causing more stress for
you. You cannot bury your head in the
sand. Let's open up the conversation.
Let's have it now and let's makesure that all of your assets,
all of your income, combined with your insurance policies to
(43:18):
make sure that you can sleep well at night.
And I will tell you, having my estate planning done, having all
of my insurance, having Ashley on my side as my insurance
agent, I sleep better at night knowing I have an umbrella
policy. I sleep better at night knowing
that my kids adequately protected.
There are a lot of myths in thisindustry.
Make sure you know the difference between what is a
(43:38):
fact and what is a friend telling you something.
And the only person that's goingto know that are people like
you, Ciara, where you've got allthese certifications, you're in
the conversations, you're going to conferences, you're up to
date, the real deal. It's definitely the Facebook
groups of I'm paying. My friend told me that they have
(43:59):
everything insured for $129 a month.
No, why are we taking advice foranything in Facebook groups like
that? Come on.
We're past that. And honestly I would say the
same thing now with the AI conversation.
Right? Like yes, we all get life advice
from from chachi PT but that shouldn't be the only decision
you know or the only factor. You, you educate, you consume
(44:22):
you, you educate yourself. But then go to a professional to
clarify what you've read or you're understanding it
correctly. Help me make the decision.
Guide me to what you think is iswhat I need.
AI cannot do that. Bottom line, you get what you
pay for. In everything right in life, not
just insurance. That's right.
(44:42):
OK. You ready to have a little fun?
Yeah. All right.
This is a light hearted conversation.
I love either or and this and that conversations and questions
because they just get me thinking.
So the first one I have for you is Insurance Nerd or Risk Rebel.
I'm insurance nerd. Yeah, yeah.
I'm not. I'm not.
I'm not very risky, no. Hurricanes or cyber attacks?
(45:02):
What keeps you up at night? Hurricanes.
Hurricanes. Early mornings or late nights?
Turning into early mornings I I'm I, my brain is exhausted by
the end of the day. So I'm I'm a 530 girl now.
Me too. Welcome to the 530 Glass I.
Love it. Delegate or DIY?
(45:22):
Oh, I am also working very hard on the delegation piece.
I read Who Not How by Dan Sullivan.
It changed my life. So delegate it's it is a way
better way of life. Yeah.
I love it. I love it.
White walls or black walls? White.
White OK personal growth book ortrue crime podcast.
(45:45):
Personal growth all the way, yeah.
Love it. I love it.
So great conversation. Thank you so much for joining me
today. How can people get to know you
and learn about the work you're doing with the bunker?
Yeah, so I'm on all socials. I'm on Instagram at Bunker your
risk. I'm on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is probably my preferred platform.
(46:08):
Siara Gravier, I'm there my websitesbunkeryourrisk.com and
yeah, I'm I'm, we have a YouTubechannel where we're doing a lot
to try to like you. You know, I really, I and I've
stumbled across this wording this year.
You know, how it changes, right,The more you think about it and
you think and you think, and, and I really am trying to
insulate my insurance with the right professionals.
(46:31):
Because when the professionals are working, helping the
business owner work towards this, towards the right goal and
the same goal and we're all helping them row.
I mean, isn't that what this is about helping people achieve
their dreams? Oh, you know, being a part of
someone achieving a business, you know, that's a big deal.
And I, I take a lot of pride in that and it makes me happy to be
(46:52):
able to be on someone's team to help them, you know, change
their legacy. It's a big deal.
We've got more female business owners and more coming than ever
before, More money coming woman's way than ever before.
We get to figure this out together.
And thank you for being a part of the real money community for
that reason. Yeah.
Thank you, this is fun. Yeah, it was.
(47:12):
All right, everyone, This is my final episode this season and
I'm so, so grateful to have the had this conversation with you.
Ciara, thank you so much for being with me today.
Thank you to the Real Money community.
We'll be back in the fall with some new episodes, new
conversations. Hit her up on social media, let
her know what questions you have.
Let's keep the conversation going.
And we'll see you in the fall with a new Real Money
(47:34):
conversation. See you then.
Thanks for listening to Real Money.
If you enjoyed this episode and would like to help support the
podcast, please subscribe and let us know what you love about
the show. Your feedback is invaluable as
we continue to empower women to take control of their financial
lives. Until next time, keep thriving
and remember you deserve real money.
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