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Meet Jacqui Richard of Phil Richard Insurance in Danvers

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacqui Richard.

Jacqui, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
It’s really quite a long story, starting from when I was a child. As the oldest of 4 daughters, I always told my parents I would never work an “office job” or for the family insurance agency, Phil Richard Insurance. Nothing against them (we’re very close), I just had my own dreams and ambitions of sustainable communities and farm life to chase. Those dreams lead me out to Colorado, where I lived, working and enjoying my “early retirement.” Three years in, around the age of 26, I decided to leave the unhealthy long-term relationship I was in and the simple life I had built out in Colorado to move back home for a fresh start. Having matured by then, I was excited to get involved in the family business I had stayed far away from. So, with my tail between my legs, I asked my Dad for a job. Always hopeful but never thinking he would hear the words, he agreed with no major expectations, thinking I would build up a nice book of business for myself and retire to my dream farm someday.

After getting licensed, I wrestled with my role a lot, as I’m sure many do in their professions. I wasn’t working towards the wholesome life I’d been building up for and wasn’t sure if my job would ever be rewarding or purposeful (to me), something that truly helps people in the way I envisioned. In the meantime, while working at the agency, I noticed many inefficiencies in our office environment which were preventing everyone from working to the best of their ability. Come to find out, I wasn’t the only one who noticed these inefficiencies but was the right one to speak up. So, I did, which is exactly what lead me to where I am today. Before we were able to be the charitable business we wanted to be, we needed to maximize the efficiency of it.

Through doing so, all the strengths of my fellow co-workers shone through and we additionally improved our overall morale by realizing our gifts and empowering each other in them. I’m where I am now because of my amazing colleagues at PRI (including my parents). With their support, our progress as an agency allowed us to develop a Community Outreach Team, led by Mary Rawson, which really propelled us out in to the community. As a result, a demonstrated commitment to the North Shore of MA continues to provide opportunities to help, as well as support on the causes that are near and dear to my heart, which I will now always find a way to incorporate into business. I believe in the importance of community; that business should be personal and in the inherent good of people. To get anywhere it’s important to ask for help but don’t take no for an answer and stay convicted in your beliefs and passions. This is how I operate and is a major contributing factor to what got us here. I strive to be a young female professional who demonstrates integrity and raises the standard of how people conduct their business.

While I’m the “face” of the business, there’s power in numbers and absolutely no way I would be where I am today without a somewhat rebellious attitude and amazing people behind the scenes who work tirelessly towards our efforts, believe in me and support my (sometimes unique) ideas and efforts. Now, I’m able to get out and practice a little anarchy every day.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In all honestly, it has not been a smooth road. In fact, it’s been quite the opposite. Personally and professionally, life is hard. You get into your later 20s and suddenly time moves swiftly, sometimes taking you down with it temporarily as you inevitably re-evaluate your life a million times. The reason this interview is happening is because of struggle. I’ve always been a little different; an out-of-the-box thinker, which is a blessing and a curse. Sometimes, it’s a challenge to relate to my peers, especially nowadays. I’ve realized, when you make someone question their idea of convention, be prepared for adversity.

Often, it feels like you must fight to be heard and supported. On top of that, being a “millennial” is hard. There are lots of negative traits circling us, which is unfortunate because we work harder than most people I know and were born into a very different socio-economic situation than our predecessors, which holds us back in a lot of ways. I’m always entertained and equally frustrated when someone older than me tells me who I am based off the research they’ve done — they’re always wrong. I’ve had to keep fighting those stereotypes developed by people who are not my peers. In addition, I’m a woman. I’d be doing my gender a disservice by not including the challenges that come with that — let alone being a single, 29 year old, female with no children. I’ve had to learn how to screen people for meetings; met a lot of older men through my father’s extensive network — most are great but some take advantage of their position in life (sadly, not even aware of what they are doing). Business meetings with this kind of gentleman have been uncomfortable in the past. The ones where they touch your arm too much or bring up inappropriate topics, refer to your looks — it’s hard to know what their intentions are but you don’t want to miss a potential business opportunity (or ruin a good relationship for someone else).

Now, I’ve learned how to gauge intentions pretty well and always make sure I’m being smart about the interaction or just avoid it at this point because coincidentally, those men never end up sending me business. I’ll go to networking events and someone’s hand always manages to land on the small of my back — a micro-instance that is just uncomfortable enough for me to handle but not so much, that it’s worth addressing the person’s inappropriate behavior in front of people at an event. I’ve decided, the best way to counter-act it, is to just say “ow” out loud to eliminate some of my discomfort and in turn, make them a little uncomfortable. The question always comes up of why I don’t have a boyfriend — people are usually ‘surprised’ to hear it and inevitably ask why. Regardless of my answer, they’ll tell me, you’ll find the right one someday or “you’ll want a family someday.” Maybe I will, maybe I won’t, but on some levels, it is frustrating that it always seems to be expected. If I was sure I didn’t want either, it’s now a shaming statement because years ago, I left a man who made me feel too small when I knew I was bigger than him — it made me re-evaluate everything, so my reasons run deeper than I care to share at a business event.

That instance has led to lots of turmoil that I’ve had to work through in my personal life, questioning my direction, knowing it’s solely up to me to decide now. I over-extended myself for months on end with commitments I made that it left me with a case of Shingles on my face (that has since healed with the help of ACV and Aloe Gel) and friends and family wondering if I’m ever available for them. Every step has been a challenge but struggle is beautiful because it shows us what we’re made of, what we’re capable of and ultimately, what propels us forward. So, while it has not been a smooth road at all, I’m finding a balance and know nothing is permanent except the good we bring to the world. I’m trying to stay vulnerable and open; grateful for every single bump because it’s shown me how strong I am and the potential I’ve yet to reach. Hopefully, my struggle will inspire someone else to keep pushing forward because there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and I no longer must fight to be heard — people want to listen now.

Phil Richard Insurance – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am beyond proud to say I work alongside my parents (Dad=CEO, Mom=CFO) at my family’s independent, full-service insurance agency, Phil Richard Insurance. We offer insurance products for property and casualty (home, auto, flood, etc.), as well as commercial insurance for small, medium and [some] large businesses. We’re at a critical time in the insurance industry where direct writers with large marketing budgets create issues for local independent agents struggling to stay afloat. Despite this, due to our diligence, support and relationships with our clients and colleagues, Phil Richard Insurance is thriving and growing! Our specialty is helping people who truly want to maximize the value of their insurance policy and eliminating the work and research on their end. We have more than the average amount of companies to quote with, which makes our pricing some of the most competitive on the market.

Unlike many agencies, we specialize in helping people who are just getting started or looking to gear up in their lives. Whether it’s a first-time home buyer, new business or a startup that is seeing growth, our value is in educating consumers and empowering them in their purchase decision. It’s always a wonderful thing to hear from other local professionals — we’re known for being fair and doing business with integrity. Phil, my father, has worked tirelessly for 29+ years to build this reputation and maintain it. That is what I’m most proud of — the family at our agency. Not just my immediate family that works there, but everyone, because that’s how we operate. I’m proud to say we support each other in our personal and professional lives, which transfers over to our clients. The number of positive reviews we get for each employee is astounding and it’s because they know their value; their hard work is directly benefiting not only themselves but the community they live in. To me, that’s huge and the secret of our success. Ultimately, what sets us apart is we are not just a brick and mortar insurance agency, we’re a truly valuable resource for our community and aspiring thought leaders in the insurance industry.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
This interview is very humbling and totally up there but I’d have to say, the proudest “moment” of my career has definitely been the internal progress of our office; going to my father, owner of the business for 29 years and telling him, his business could be better. Further, getting his support and seeing the strengths recognized in my colleagues come to fruition and transform the agency right before our eyes. Hands down, I think this will always be the proudest moment, as it’s a testament to community; what happens when people are empowered to organize amongst each other. It is also the precursor to any success I will experience or have already… for example, this led to the Community Outreach Team being developed, which brought on so many other proud moments — one of them would be winning $10,000 to donate to Tough Warrior Princess, one of the organizations our office sponsors, also the department that allows me the excuse to stay heavily involved in the community.

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Image Credit:
Maria Terris

Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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