Business Innovators Radio - Empowering Businesses with Expert Insurance Insights: Justine Eckert’s Journey

Episode Date: May 24, 2024

Join hosts Marco Salinas, Francisco Bermudez Jr, and Dale Lane in this episode of Alamo City Innovators as they dive into a fascinating discussion with Justine Eckert, owner of Eckert and Associates Insurance Agency. Justine shares her inspiring journey in the insurance industry, starting at a young age and ultimately founding her own agency in 2015.Discover the critical importance of comprehensive business insurance coverage as Justine recounts real-life scenarios where the right policies made all the difference. From a new restaurant owner’s experience with workers’ comp insurance to a plumber’s unexpected policy limitations, Justine’s insights highlight the necessity of being prepared for any eventuality.Explore the intricacies of commercial insurance, as Justine emphasizes the need for business owners to understand their risks and prioritize protection. Learn about the personalized approach of independent insurance agents and the impact of building strong relationships with carriers and underwriters.Delve into practical tips for navigating insurance rates, coverage options, and claims procedures in the business world. From mitigating risks to safeguarding assets, Justine’s expertise shines through as she shares valuable advice for entrepreneurs and established businesses alike.Discover more about Justine’s diverse portfolio of clients, her entrepreneurial spirit in managing a luxury purse resale business, and her passion for travel. Learn how Justine’s dedication to client relationships and her team’s dynamic approach set Eckert and Associates Insurance Agency apart in the industry.Tune in to this engaging episode filled with insights on commercial insurance, risk management, and the importance of expert guidance in protecting your business.Eckert & Associates Insurance Agency8 Dominion Dr Bldg 100 Ste 204SAN ANTONIO, TX 78257210-693-0046About The Show Sponsor:The Alamo City Innovators Podcast is proudly sponsored by Airtegrity Comfort Solutions, your trusted HVAC experts in San Antonio, TX. With a commitment to exceptional service and top-notch comfort, Airtegrity is dedicated to keeping your home or business cool in the scorching Texas heat.Visit their website at https://airtegritycs.com to discover the range of services they offer. From professional air conditioning installations to reliable repairs and maintenance, Airtegrity has you covered. Their team of skilled technicians is equipped with the knowledge and expertise to handle all your HVAC needs efficiently and effectively.Whether you’re looking for a new system installation, need repairs, or want to schedule routine maintenance to ensure your HVAC system is running smoothly, Airtegrity Comfort Solutions is just a phone call away. Reach out to them at 210-446-0105, and their friendly staff will be ready to assist you.Experience the comfort and peace of mind that comes with Airtegrity’s exceptional HVAC solutions. Trust their reliable service and enjoy the benefits of a well-functioning heating and cooling system. Visit their website or call them today to schedule your next HVAC service. Airtegrity Comfort Solutions, your go-to HVAC experts in San Antonio, TX.Alamo City Innovatorshttps://businessinnovatorsradio.com/alamo-city-innovators/Source: https://businessinnovatorsradio.com/empowering-businesses-with-expert-insurance-insights-justine-eckerts-journey

Today's episode of the Alamo City Innovators podcast is sponsored by Air Tegrity Comfort Solutions for all your commercial cooling and heating needs. Welcome to the Alamo City Innovators podcast, where we shine a spotlight on the movers and shakers of San Antonio's vibrant community. Join us as we explore the stories behind the success of business professionals, non-profit champions, influential political figures and media personalities who are making a difference in and around the Alamo City. And now your host, Marco Salinas and Francisco Bermudez Jr. And welcome back to the Alamo City Innovators podcast. I'm your host, Marco Salinas, and I have my co-host and my dear friend and my sometimes golf buddy and my always cigar partner, Francisco Bermudas Jr.

Say hello, Francisco. Hi, everyone. And joining us today from the Alamo City, we've got a couple of superstars here as guests. First, I'm going to touch on our sub-guests, and he's very humble, and he's okay with that being the sub-guest. It's great to be a sub-guest. And then we'll go to the superstar guest over here. So first, we've got Dale Lane. And Dale Lane is with San Antonio Woman Magazine.

San Antonio Woman Magazine. We've got a couple of issues here that we can show to the camera. if you're not listening to this and you're watching this on YouTube. And so Dale will be talking to us a little bit about what he does with San Antonio Woman magazine. And by the way, I was looking through these magazines and they're really nice. They're really sharp. Awesome. And you guys have some real superstar women in there.

So good stuff. So we'll talk about that in a little bit. And then our main guest for Alamo City innovators today is Ms. Justine Eckert of Eckert and Associates, Insurance Agency. But it's actually commercial insurance, isn't it, Justine? Yes, it is. It actually, it actually is. is yeah so we're going to learn a little bit about you and your journey and what you do and who

you help and all that kind of good stuff right so welcome guys both of you all so much for coming today and i'm excited to talk with y'all and learn a little bit about your stories good stuff right cool okay so justine let's start with you okay when did you get into the insurance world you you didn't just start recently right you haven't just been doing this for actually come in just a little bit before we please. I was actually 16 years old. No, you were not. When I first started. No, you were not. Yes. Kind of by accident. I think everybody from San Antonio has worked at West Telemarketing at some point. Oh, I was, I worked there, yep.

So I started there, and my first project was actually doing insurance for life insurance. And so I would make the sale and then call over the license agent. And at that time, it sounded like easy work as an agent. So that was my motivation, but I found out you had to be 18 to get the license. So I went through their training there on site and got my license at 18. Are you serious? I've been doing insurance. Well, wait a minute. You got to start at West Telemarketing doing insurance.

You want to know what I was taking calls for? Richard Simmons move, groove, and lose. Oh, my goodness. How did you end up in the good section and I'm over here doing Richard Simmons sales calls in the morning on a Sunday morning? I don't know. I guess it was the luck of the draw. Right. Meant to be.

That's right. Yeah, because you made a long, long career out of this, didn't you? Yes, I have. That's pretty impressive. So, okay, so you got started there. And then when you turn 18, you're like, I'm not messing around and you got your license right away. I got my first license. I started off in General Lines, Life and Health. And then two years later, I got my property and casualty license, which would allow me to sell all of the homeowners, auto, commercial insurance.

At 20. At 20, yes. So did you just skip adolescence? Like, you didn't have any, there was no fun. You didn't do parties. You didn't go. I still had my share of fun, you know, but I really got interested in life insurance. And I started off with that, then I wanted to know more.

And so I was good at it. So I figured, well, you know, if I'm good at it, I should just keep learning and stick with it. And stick with it and keep going for more. Holy smokes. Oh, my gosh. I like that. That's really impressive. Now, if I was in an elevator with you and I'm like, hi, nice to meet you, what is it that you do?

Can you give me like your 30 second to one minute kind of elevator slash B&I pitch? Oh, yeah. What would that sound like? What would that sound like? So I do commercial insurance. and I love helping business owners with everything from their general liability to work comp, professional liability, builders risk, and business personal property. There is every aspect of business insurance that we do,

but I really want to make sure that business owners are protected, that they know exactly what risk that they're faced with and how to protect themselves. And so that's where I commit. I love that. That is some really good stuff. Okay, cool. So that's kind of your introduction. We know who you are.

We know what you do. I'm going to switch back over to Dale for just a moment here. Dale, give me your 30-second to one-minute introduction. If I'm a mover and a shaker and I'm a female in San Antonio, obviously you have a magazine that features women, right? That's correct. So what does that look like? What does that sound like if I'm kind of your prospect for something like that?

Uh, San Antonio Woman is a 23 year brand. We think it's the most recognizable brand for women in San Antonio. Uh, my wife and I are married, obviously, and business partners. Um, we've owned and run San Antonio woman for three and a half years. We had another publishing business before that, but we're passionate about, I'm passionate about having my wife boss me around and tell me what to do in the business, but from the brand's perspective, we're passionate about telling the stories of women in San Antonio who are making a difference in our community and making a difference in other people's lives. It's an awesome business. It's an awesome job. So the magazine comes out six times a year. So we have amazing women on the cover. We have amazing women inside the magazine as well. And then we host

some really cool fun launch parties every other month. like bring everybody together to share those stories and there's an energy behind it. And it's pretty awesome. But it's a great way to make a mega living and live in San Antonio and make a difference in our community. Yeah, absolutely. Now, is there a degree of distribution with these things or is it more kind of like you just get it directly from you? You have to be on the mailing list. How does that work?

It's a free publication distributed primarily at every H.E.B. in San Antonio. They do have HB. Yeah, yeah. It's in the racks at H-EB. It's about 900 other locations, businesses and such, where people can pick up the magazine. Wow, I got you. Now, there is a connection between you and our main guest, isn't there? Don't you guys have some? There is. There is. Why don't we talk about that? What is, what is that connection? Well, there's an, we're a, we're a women's magazine, so we're involved with a lot of female-driven community organizations. And one of them is crew, commercial real estate women here in San Antonio. You can share the details of it, but it's an amazing

organization of professional women who all are in the commercial real estate ecosystem. And my wife and I are members. Justine's on the board. And so we support that organization however we can. Okay, that's good stuff. So do you want to talk a little bit about that? What is your involvement with crew? And what is, I guess, a bigger picture of what you do with them? Yeah. So I am on the board of directors as of last year, and I enjoy being involved with all the women and all the different business owners that are there as well. Yeah. My role also is the director of special events. Okay.

So we put on a big forum every year. This past year that was held at the Tobin Center for AI and how it relates to commercial real estate. So that was really eye-opening. I feel like I really don't know as much as I thought I knew. about technology. Moving fast. Yeah, it's really moving fast. And if you're not already looking into that and how you can use it to basically simplify your life and just be more efficient, then you're going to be behind the times. You're going to be totally left behind. Yeah.

It sucks, though, because I've seen like one month to the next, it's like, oh, look at this huge new breakthrough with AI. And it's like a month later, it's already doing that. I mean, it's just insane. I've never seen technology move so fast as it does with AI. Yeah. So yeah, it's really moving along. Now, is that the event that you had seen her at recently? Was that the same function or was that something else?

Yeah, that was the same function. That was the one. Okay, yeah, because Francisco, he wouldn't stop talking about you for like a week. He was like, it was so amazing and she was up there speaking and everybody knew her and they all wanted to talk to her. And I was like, well, I don't think we could bring her on the show, bro, because she's too big. I'm very, I mean, she would charge for this show. Right, exactly. He gave us a big break.

So I really appreciate you taking the time to. Yes, no, you're very welcome. Yeah. I'm just honored to be here. Okay, now let's go back into the nitty-gritty just a little bit. So you help businesses with insurance needs. Do you tend to lean towards certain industries, Justine, or is it just open to any business that needs insurance?

It's really open to any business that needs insurance. We typically see a lot of general contractors, electricians, plumbers, painters. So all different types of industries. We take care of the certificates of insurance when they need that or send off copies of their insurance in order to keep their license in order. So we do all of that. But like this week, we even have a wedding venue that we're working on.

And so just all different types of businesses. A lot of doctors also and dentists seem to lean towards us for commercial insurance. So I just love working with business owners. That's my passion. Wow, that is awesome. Okay, yeah, I want to hear a question from Francisco. Yeah, so a lot of people go into business. not knowing that, hey, I want to be an entrepreneur.

Like a lot of people just fall into it. Yeah. We're very good at fixing ACs. We're very good at helping people out. But a lot of times we're not even sure we have the right insurance or not. So what are some of the things that you see that a lot of business owners are missing out on coverage or some of the risk that they might not even think about? Oh, definitely. And that is such a great question.

So a lot of people when they want to open a business, it's just like, oh, I have this awesome idea. And I know that I can make money doing it. But sometimes they don't consider all of the other things that go along with it. Are they going to form an LLC? Are they going to operate as a sole proprietor? And so there's different benefits of doing that as an LLC because you ultimately have this protection over you, a legal protection, so that they can't come after your personal assets. Now, there are a few exceptions like with the workers' comp, so that would probably be a whole other

podcast in itself. Or they may open it not knowing what the risks are. So I can give you an example of that. We had a lady that was getting ready to open up a business, and she was so excited. She had gone out and bought like 5,000 baby food jars, and she said, I'm going to make baby food. And so it's okay. Well, we can insure that, but at a price, right? So anything with young children or super high risk usually has a bigger price tag.

I bet. And so because of that, she was looking at about a $5,000 minimum premium, which means that that's the lowest the insurance company will charge to do that. and we would have very limited options as far as carriers go. So we talked about it and she said, well, you know, my first year, I'd be happy if I made 15,000. So to spend 30% of her revenue first year on insurance would be really a stretch. So instead we thought we talked about, well, what other things could you do? So she decided to open up a lemonade stand. And the insurance went from like $5,000 for the year down to about $500 for the year.

And so that was really a big difference because we covered all different aspects. It wasn't just the general liability. It was her equipment, her revenue. If somebody was to get sick, if she gets sued. So all different things that need to be covered. We made sure to address that. And so usually my clients will say, oh, wow, I've never gotten so much insurance knowledge. Like, this is great because I want to educate them.

I want them to know when it's time to file a claim. I want them to know how to protect themselves from lawsuits. So we definitely take it a step further. There's no 15-minute, you know, conversations that lead to a quote after that. It's usually a very thorough process that we go through. And I would say that, just to add, like, as business owners, like, I trust myself that I'm going to do a good job. Yes. And now I hire 10 guys, and I'm praying every day that, you know what, hopefully we'll have a good day and nothing happens.

But I've seen stories where people still, like, expensive stuff from homes or from businesses or they injure the homeowner. like what are some of the things that like are those things people get insured or definitely and that's a great question I'm glad you asked so the most common request from any kind of contractor is I need general liability I just need a certificate and so yes you may need that but that's one out of like 20 things that you need and so we oftentimes they think okay well I have all my equipment I don't have to worry about it I'm safe but there's so many different things that could happen right to that equipment accidents happen. We had a client that was a plumber.

And so they were on site. They were getting ready to finish up. And they had moved their sewer cameras. These are like $5,000 pieces of equipment. They moved him to the driveway so he could load him up in this truck. The homeowner came home, drove right over the equipment. Oh, my God. And so there goes, there was at least one sewer cam, $5,000.

I think the total claim ended up being about $8,500. And that was just one loss. And so these are things that could happen where, is he going to ask. his client, hey, I know you just paid me for this job that I did, but I need you to reimburse me $8,500 because you accidentally rolled over my equipment in your own driveway. And so there were some things that probably could have been done better. Like, that's not a good, you know, an ideal place to place that stuff that's, you know, that expensive.

But I think he was thinking, I'm just going to load it up really quick and it'll be safe. Right. And so those are things that we cover. And so that's more like scheduled equipment. So that means when we ensure a piece of equipment for a special equipment for a special. specific dollar amount. And so that's really important to do, especially on those high value items, because a lot of people don't know, they think, oh, my homeowners will cover it because my office is there. Well, I hate to break it to y'all people that on homeowners, there's typically a limit

for business coverage of $500. That's pretty much the standard for here in Texas. And then you also have to meet your deductible first. So on average, that's going to be 1% to 2% of what your home is insured for. So you have to meet that amount first before the insurance kicks in. And and then you only have $500. And then guess what? Your homeowner's insurance rate is probably going to go up the following year. And somehow you're still going to end up paying for that claim that you thought was a great idea at the time. So that's why I always encourage, you know, the owners to have a good inventory of their items.

The cereal numbers, the make, the manufacturer, all of that stuff is really going to be in front. Keep track of it. Wow. And so then we go and insure it. Yeah, no kidding. And for me, I mean, I thought insurance was insurance. Like I see the signs outside when I'm driving, hey, get insurance, get GEICO. And I'm like, okay, well, call these people.

And of course, they might offer commercial insurance. But what's the difference between somebody that just does, works with residential or homeowners, compared to somebody that's just specific for business? Yes. Well, it's just like going to a doctor, right? So if you were going to the doctor, you probably have your family medicine doctor, your primary care doctor. But if you needed something major, like heart surgery.

or brain surgery or you had cancer. Do you think that's the best place to get your care? Probably not. And that's why they refer you to a specialist. Right. And with my experience in insurance and commercial, it's hard to be an expert when you're doing everything. Yeah.

And so I don't like to just skim the surface. I want to go take a deep dive into your business and what you do. And that helps me focus on what my clients, you know, the problems that they have, the risks that they face, and how to provide them with solutions. Yeah. Definitely. Now, you are acting as a broker, right, and representing different carriers. Is that how that works? Yes, that's how that works. So with commercial insurance, I have direct appointments with carriers so I can represent multiple companies.

Okay. So in the insurance world, we call it an independent where we're not captive like, you know, a state farm agent or an all-state agent would be where they have to just represent that one thing. Sure, sure. So does that mean that if I was to sit down with you and say, okay, I need to figure out what I need, your age, able to kind of say, well, we have options because we've got several carriers that, you know, offer certain things. This particular carrier is probably a better fit for your type of industry or maybe sometimes it's just, they're a little cheaper. Maybe we'll try to make it a little bit more affordable. Like, does all that play in? Exactly. It sure does. And we know that certain carriers prefer certain appetite. So they'll say, okay, well, we really like working with specifically

electricians. Yeah. Or we really like working with, you know, flower shops or retail space. Sure, sure. And so that helps, but also the personal relationships that I've built over the years with these underwriters. Okay. Where I can say, hey, you know, Michael, I have this one client, and I know you usually don't like this particular type of risk, but I can tell you that I've, you know, worked with them for so many years. I have referred my clients. I've used them in my own home.

Yeah. You know, they have these specific safeguards in place. And they can also say, okay, well, you know, we're going to make an exception because we know you bring us good business. Sure. And you've also, I spend the time to coach my clients. on like, okay, don't leave your equipment in the car. And sometimes there's, you know, there's really no way around it because you may be in between clients

and then have to stop off to get supplies at Home Depot. And I've had that before where a client got hit. They had a trailer that was locked. The person that broke in and stole their equipment, rammed the back of it to open the trailer, stole all their stuff, unloaded everything in 25 minutes. So that's unfortunate, but it happened. That's happened to you, right?

No, mine, they didn't ram it. They just stole the trailer. Oh, my goodness. They didn't go through all that trouble. Yeah. Wow. They did a better job at Steve. Well, thieves have gotten really brave nowadays.

Yes. Yeah. And lazy. Yes. Apparently. That's true, too. You know, you know what, Justine, on a positive note, I think I've seen the video of your, the guys coming home and the cameras were out in the driveway, actually running over the cameras. And it was a really cool video.

Oh, wow. I didn't. I didn't. I didn't. Where did you see that on TikTok or like that? Wow. Oh, my goodness. Well, I would have loved to have seen a video of it.

I got all the firsthand information and got to file the claim. So I'm sure the adjuster would have enjoyed that. Yeah, no kidding, right? Well, okay, now here's another question. So I know, like, when you're dealing with more of a personal insurance, right, there's certain factors that they look at, obviously, to determine, let's say you want a vehicle. They're going to say, okay, let's look at your accident history, okay? That's going to affect your rate.

They look at your credit score. that's going to affect your rate, right? All those different little factors play in. Does it also work like that on the business site? In certain ways. So like on commercial insurance, you definitely would not want to have an out-of-state driver's license for an employee. Okay. Or even as the owner.

So they do want Texas licenses only. Okay. They're not as forgiving with tickets and accidents. Yeah. What about like DWIs or those types? All that plays in? Yes, it does. And sometimes it just means that you can't get coverage from that carrier.

So if you're already with somebody, it's best to stay there. Oh, got you. So it may not be something that where, okay, if somebody has a recent DWR or recent accident, it may not be a good time to start a new policy. And so some of that is that from, you know, I have to be the bearer of bad news at times. But it doesn't mean that it's, we can't do it right now. It's just maybe the rate would be higher or maybe you would consider, how do we change this in the future? How do we avoid, you know, unexpected surprises with insurance bills, right?

So we could plan ahead and say, hey, well, you know what, Francisco, if you're going to hire somebody new, let me take a look at their driving record first. And also, if they're under the age of 25, we can help offset that if you happen, you know, to find somebody that's married or whatnot. But if the rates are going too high, maybe this is somebody that you want to tag along with somebody else who's just a little bit more experienced in driving. and it's not that, you know, we're not trying to discriminate against age. But when we look at claims and the claims amount that are paid out, it's typically going to happen with younger drivers.

So it's almost impossible at times with commercial, especially with big trucks, to be able to insure somebody who's under the age of 21. So we typically look at, you're going to want to have a driver that's a little bit older. So I guess my takeaway is insurance is always going to be insurance. Insurance got an insurance, right? Yes, exactly. But also if you kind of follow some of those guidelines, I don't have to be. help protect you as a business owner. Okay, but here's something real. I think that if I have to be concerned about all of those factors, again, it just kind of have this love, hate relationship with

insurance in general, right? We need it. It serves its purpose, but they're so like picky about everything. I mean, that's just the way it works, right? They're going to cover their butt first. But if you're working with somebody that already has been doing it for a long time, that has relationships with people, especially like you said in the underwriting department, sometimes you have ways of let's move this around, let's adjust that, my reputation means something, give me a little bit of extra credit here for this, when normally they would have been like, no, we're not even going to touch that. That's where working with somebody like you really, really can make a big difference, right? Yes, definitely.

Because when you're doing quotes online, you don't really understand what you're citing up for. You might get a quote at that moment, but there's also a lot of exclusions. And this is why it's so important to read that policy back, which sometimes is, you know, anywhere between 50 and 150 pages for one policy. And I can tell you that it's very important because we had like a, it was a plumber a couple years ago. And he had Geico. He called in, got a quote over the phone, got his policy because he was originally just saying, well, I need a million dollars of general liability. Well, that's a pretty common ask. A million dollars is pretty typical.

1 million per occurrence. And he did not realize that he had zero coverage for any kind of commercial work. So he was doing commercial new construction. Yeah. And his policy specifically excluded anything that was new construction, anything, any work that was done on a building without a certificate of occupancy. Wow. And so that was something he didn't know, but also most people don't have time, right, to read 150-page package. no, that's all we ever do is just sit around and read find print,

especially Francisco, right? No. That's what your weekends look like? Yeah, no, I'm definitely not reading anything. I can put it in to chat, GPT, and say, tell me, tell me this is the most important part. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. So I can't tell you how important that is, but I want my business owners to focus on what

they're good at. Let them focus on being great providers of cool air, what it's super hot. Your A's not working. Exactly. And let me do what I do. which is the insurance part. So that's where I come in. I love that.

I love that. So when did you actually start your own firm? So I started my own agency back in 2015. Okay. I started off as a farmer's agent. Okay. And so I had my own office there. I loved what I did, but I realized that over the years that I was really in love with commercial

insurance, right? And so I wanted to focus on that and just kind of switch gears a little bit on just being able to. Going all in on that. Yes, exactly. And it gives me an opportunity also to give the best price to my client and the best coverage. Okay. I'm not obligated to just one company to say, well, even though this isn't the best fit for you, this is only what I can offer. Yeah. So this does give me the opportunity to help my clients more. I like that. So then you were with farmers and then you officially started Eckert and Associates. When? When did that start? Yes. So I sold the Farmers Agency a couple years ago in 2022. Gotcha. And then in 2020, is when I started applying for like the agency license and that sort of thing. And so got that.

So Eckerd & Associates, that venture is relatively new, but your experience, your knowledge in that space, obviously, since you were 16, basically. Yes, exactly. So it's been over 20. It's a lifelong affair. Yes, it's been over 23 years. Oh, my gosh. Yeah, that's pretty wild. Okay, can we talk a little bit about some of your non-work life things? You are still a human being.

Yes. Outside of work, you are a work machine. There's no question about that. Justine Eckert is an absolute insurance machine. But when you're not working, you do have some downtime. You do have a family. You do spend a little bit of time with them. Yeah.

Oh, yes. And that also helped me leaving farmers to go commercial because I'm spending more time with my family. Okay. And less time at the office. So my days were pretty long at farmers. I mean, I would spend like pretty much nine to nine most days. Wow. Oh, my gosh.

Did that also, you know, throughout my pregnancy with my daughter. And so now I'm able to come home at a decent hour most of the time before it's dark. Right. And so I get to spend time with my family. And that's really important having that work-life balance. And when I first started my agency, I was single. So I lived at the office. You weren't married at 16?

No, definitely not. My dad would have had something to say about that. That's funny. Okay. Now, so then if you do take some time off and you do get a little vacation, Where do you guys tend to go? What do you tend to do? Are you like a world traveler type?

Do you like to do more staycation types? We love to travel. And so we love to travel to different countries and enjoy the food. So we've done quite a few trips overseas. Tell me which ones that have stood out to you the most. Give me like your top two. So one of my favorites is Barcelona in Spain. Absolutely beautiful.

The food is good. So is the shopping. And then also we loved. going to Toronto in Canada. Toronto, really. Very nice. Nice city to be in very clean as well. But we loved it.

Yeah, it was awesome. That is awesome. Are there any other things that you do when you're not working in terms of hobbies or interests or? Yeah. I know lately you've been doing a lot of working out. Yes, a lot of working out.

I work out four days a week with my trainer. And it's really helped me kind of have that balance. But also, you know, business owners, you're very stressed, right? There's always something going on. I'm a perfectionist, so I want things to be perfect. But, you know, part of that is not just taking care of your mind, but taking care of your body is really important so that you can keep up with everything that's going on. So I do that four days a week. I also have, so I am a little bit of an entrepreneur.

I have another business also. Say what? Yes, doing luxury purse resale. So we sell. I think I saw some of that at your grand opening. Yeah. Some of those were making my mouth water. I'll make, that's amazing right there.

Yeah. So it's kind of a hot. hobby turned business. And I do that when I have some downtime. Yeah. Agency. And my husband is also very much involved as well. And we all enjoy it. That is some cool, cool stuff. Well, we're getting pretty close to wrapping up. You guys have any final questions for Justine before we finish our podcast for today? You know, I don't have a question, Justine, but as a business owner, to me, it's really cool how you see your business and your relationship with your clients as a business owner having a relationship with my partners with my business partners insurance banking whatever it is is really really important

and it's very very refreshing and impressive impressive that you see it see your business like that thank you yeah definitely Francisco go ahead you're always talking about just dean and how now is your chance to we're recording let me get the list no my no I mean So what I know, can any business owner talk to you or does it have to be a certain size of business, 10 million dollar business? And that's a great question. We don't discriminate based on revenue or longevity of the business. We want to talk to people, whether they're in their very beginning stages or they say, well, you know what? I've had my business for 20 years.

And I just want to see if my policy is covering me correctly. So it doesn't matter if you're just starting up and you don't know exactly what that's going to look. like yet because sometimes, like we talked about the baby food thing, right, where someone will have an idea of what they want to do. But then, you know, after talking about the risk and assessing everything completely, they may take, you know, a different direction. And that's okay. We don't mind having those. I don't charge for any of my consultations. You know, we like to visit with our clients every year, especially when they're newer in business because we want to make sure, did you add any new services? Are you thinking about a new location? And that sort of stuff ahead of time. So, yeah,

any size business, whether they're making, you know, a thousand dollars a year or 10 million dollars a year. We love to work with everybody. And you have a couple people working for you, right? You have a little small team? Yes, I sure do. My right-hand woman, though, is Amber, and she is amazing. So she's fully licensed. We have worked together for the last eight years. And so she oftentimes will get clients pre-qualified and do a lot of the back and forth with the underwriters. I swear she's the favorite. So sometimes I'll say, hey, Amber, can you call and see if we can get a favor done on this one. There you go.

So I don't know how I would do. She's like your secret weapon in a way, right? Yeah, she definitely is. So I'll try first, you know, my first request. And if it doesn't go as plan, I'm like, hey, Amber, I need your help. Yeah. It's funny because my guys don't let me talk over the phone with customers. Because they're like, I can't even understand when you're talking.

Oh, my goodness. Francisco, so he's too humble. Yeah. He's too humble. Yeah. He's too humble. admit stuff like that on a recording. It's okay.

The good thing you do what you do best and running it from the top, right? Yeah. Well, listen, Justine, everything you shared was amazing today. Thank you so much for all your insight and all your wisdom. I learned a lot in just a short 30 minute interview about commercial insurance. There's a lot to it. There's a whole lot of little moving parts and you really do need an expert to guide you along. And it probably pays off in the long run because like you said, if you just go, oh, I'm going to save a few bucks and go on.

online and you get the wrong policy and it's going to cost you big. Yes. And that's where you're going to be like, okay, I was all upset because my premium was $200 a month more, you know, compared to what I found online. But now I've got this gargantuan, you know, case against me here. And it could kill my business. Yes. And actually, if we don't have to like for a quick story. A lot of people are scared to ask for pricing because they think it's going to be too expensive, that they can't afford it. And we had a new restaurant owner and we recommend the workers' comp and I think he was more persuaded to take it because of the discount that he was going to have on his other policies. Well, three months into it, he had one of his employees that was bringing over a pot of boiling water to dump it in the sink

and he spilled it all over the front of his body. And so that, I mean, that involved so much medical treatment, medical care. And just within the first couple weeks, I mean, the bills for that were over $100,000. If he didn't have that coverage, there's no way he would have survived that. And so, you know, think about, we always hope that nothing happens, but we have to prepare for when it does. For sure, yeah. So the right business insurance policy can make or break you.

Yes, most definitely. Yeah, right. Well, I'm scared to death right now, so thank you. You're very welcome. That's what I'm here for. That's right. Hopefully anybody listening to this is encouraged to reach out to you for something. like this. How should we reach you? What's the best way to reach you? So the best way is through my office.

We accept calls or text. Our telephone number is 210, 693-0046. You'll also find us on Google. We are on there. So if you just search Eckerd & Associates insurance agency, we're out at the Dominion. But we help clients all over Texas. So you don't have to live here in order to get help. So that's something that we can do for anybody. Good stuff. I've been to your office. Your new office, It's beautiful. Thank you. Very nice. I enjoy the champagne.

I was mentioning earlier for your grand opening. So hopefully you'll have some more little gatherings like that. Yes, I would hope so to also bring other business owners together. That's right. I love networking and helping other people. And sometimes it's just connecting them with the right person. Yes. Thank you very much.

We are going to make sure that we add all your contact information to the show notes at the end of the podcast. And I would be remiss if I didn't also thank Mr. Dale Lane from San Antonio Woman magazine. Really, really impressive magazine. What's the best way for them to reach you if someone wants to talk about getting involved in some capacity? Oh, just go to sawomen.com. Everything's there. It was an honor to spend some time with you. Oh, and it was very much pleasure.

Thank you so much. Yes. I enjoyed this. Thank you guys both. Yeah, the both of you guys are absolutely what we call Alamo City Innovators. So keep up the good work, guys. And that does it for another episode of Alamo City Innovators podcast. We'll catch you next time.

Thank you for joining us on this episode of the Alamo City Innovators podcast, sponsored by Aertegrity Comfort Solutions. We hope you enjoyed the inspiring stories and valuable insights shared today. If you liked what you heard, don't forget to hit that subscribe button on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. Your support means the world to us. And if you have a moment, we'd love to hear from you. Leave us a comment or review sharing your thoughts and suggestions.

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