Business Innovators Radio - Interview with Nef El Bey with C & K Healthcare Advisors & Founder of Insured By Nef Discussing Empowerment Through Opportunity for Women

Episode Date: November 5, 2025

Nefertarei El Bey (Nef-er-tar-ee), a woman whose goal in life is to be integral and live a purpose-filled life. She worked in healthcare for over 23 years. Her past experiences prepared me for a variety of development and leadership. She has worn lots of hats: Insurance Claims Management, Customer Service Management, Medical Billing and Coding, Auditor for Subrogation Cases. The list goes on and on.The commonality of all these roles is people. Everyone wants to be heard and understood. All the roles she found herself in were liaisons between the company and the people. This is how she came to know my true purpose, being a servant to man.She is honored to be a community resource, helping individuals understand Medicare plans and final expenses. She’s a licensed agent for health and life in 13 states. She is invested in each client by educating and keeping them informed of updates.Nefertarei is a wife, mother, grandma, sister, auntie, daughter, and most importantly, a child of God. She resides with her husband in Concord, NC. Her ideal weekend is not to have plans and do NOTHING!!! Nevertheless, when you hear her name or think of her now, she is passionate and always grateful to serve.Learn more: http://www.insuredbynef.com/Influential Entrepreneurs with Mike Saundershttps://businessinnovatorsradio.com/influential-entrepreneurs-with-mike-saunders/Source: https://businessinnovatorsradio.com/interview-with-nef-el-bey-with-c-k-healthcare-advisors-founder-of-insured-by-nef-discussing-empowerment-through-opportunity-for-women-everywhere

Welcome to influential entrepreneurs, bringing you interviews with elite business leaders and experts, sharing tips and strategies for elevating your business to the next level. Here's your host, Mike Saunders. Hello and welcome to this episode of Influential Entrepreneurs. This is Mike Saunders, the authority positioning coach. Today we have back with us Neff L Bay with C&K Healthcare Advisors and the founder of Insured by Neff and will be talking about empowerment. through opportunity for women everywhere. Neth, welcome back to the program. Thank you.

Thank you. Hey, I am excited to talk to you. We were following up on our conversation we had previously, and you've just got a passion for serving and helping your clients. And now I want to talk or we want to talk about opportunity for women. What type of empowerment opportunities are out there? So you are a strong, confident voice for women in the industry. When did you realize that you wanted to really help empower women?

And then when you came on board with C&K Healthcare Advisors, what does this platform give to you to serve the women that you work with? Oh, wow. That is a mouthful. So, wow. When I started out, I was just so excited. I got my license. I was going to help everybody. I was going to help the world.

You know, nothing could stop me. You know, I had heard success stories, you know. And so I was like, I'm smart. I can do it. But let me tell you. They don't tell you everything that happens in the insurance world, you know. So when I started off, like I said, I started off doing Medicare. And I was excited.

And so I had gotten with this FMO and I signed my contract. And it said that I was signing as an L-O-A. Right. So I read it. It said, license-only agent. I said, oh, yeah, I am an agent, you know, still. signing my contract. And so when the HR lady was telling me what kind of commissions I was going to be receiving,

she said, we're going to start you at 80%. I was like, oh, okay, that's great. And so she said, so you're kind of starting a little late in the season. However, you know, if you do this amount of sales, you can still walk away making a good $40,000. I said, oh, perfect, you know. Well, let me just let you know. That's not how that went at all.

Okay. So when I got my commission check, it was like a fraction of that, you know, and I was just so upset and, you know, couldn't believe what was going on. And I reached out to my manager and I'm saying, I don't think the commissions is right. And he said, well, you're an LOA. I said, I know. I'm an agent. And so I had to really research that what that was, you know? So that was my first lesson in understanding what is an LOA. So LOA basically means that I am a licensed only agent. And that my commissions, all of my commissions, goes to my FMO and then they give me a percentage of what they want me to have for a sale. So, prime example, let's just break it down. Although that I could get maybe $800 from a sale, if I was not an L-O-A, because I was an L-O-A, say if they're only going to give me $100 a sale, right? Well, my commission is 80%. I only got $80. $80. So that $800 that I was looking for each of.

sell it never happened and that was my first lesson to think like girl you're doing it the wrong way first of all when you're coming out here you need to really like know what you're doing so i hit my head you know a couple times and then i got myself straightened out and so you know i was figuring it out so now i don't want to be an LOA now i want to be an agent you know so i was excited about that i did make money. Trust me, I did. But you saw the amount that was left on the table that if you just knew a little bit more. Yeah. If I knew. Now, now there are some cases where you got to pay your dues, learn the ropes, get educated, learn how to file this, that, and the other. So there's that. But still, if you knew what you now know, you would have done things that's just a little bit different.

If I knew, right? So I had kind of figured it out. And then when I met C&K, healthcare, advisors. Totally different. What I can say about them is that, you know, they are very passionate about what they do and they're helpful, right? So it's not like a big screen up and you're trying to figure out like, am I doing this the right way? No, they're running it out like, Neff, if you want to be successful, this is what you need to do, this is who you need to make contact with here. You know, and my experience with them has been very helpful. Even working with them, I am thinking about a Nigerian proverb that I really love. And it says if you want to go fast, go alone.

But if you want to go far, go together. And that's what I want to do. I'm in this for the long game. And I really want to go far. So having my connections with CNK health care advisors, it has done tremendous things for my business, even not making those mistakes that I made in the beginning with just being on my own. So that has given me the fortitude to say, hey, I can go on and do this thing the right way now. You know, it brings up a word that I think is super important, integrity, you know, leading with purpose, authenticity.

And sometimes those words are just bandied about like, oh, yeah, we do. And then it's like, yeah, no. So talk a little bit about what you experience with dealing with, experience. experiencing, like enjoying the fact that finally there's a company, there's a environment that you can thrive in because you feel like you're being treated, right? There's integrity, feels like a family, and all that. Yeah. So the biggest thing is that, you know, when you're working with clients, and of course, you know, I'm in an insurance industry, but that would be with anything. You know, you can look at it even if he was a real estate agent or whatever you do, right? When you're

looking at that and they're your client, you kind of want to protect their information and things like that. But there are times when you do have questions, right? And so working with CNAK health care, I never felt like that I had to kind of like cover up their information or not tell them the whole situation. And I was able to get the advice that I needed. I didn't feel like they were going to steal my client. I didn't feel like that they were going to go in the back door and try to take them, you know, to their side. It was never anything like that. Working with them, I was able to lay out a situation.

Hey, this is what I'm thinking. Am I thinking about this, right? You know, how would you do it? You know, they would sit there, talk to me about what was the best strategy for my client. And that's the best thing you always want was best for your client. Although I had my ideas, I never ever try to go into any type of business deal with not running through. them first because although I feel like I'm a little season, there's always different perspectives. Perspective. Yeah. And although, you know, we a lot of times come to the same conclusion,

I am always reminded that there sometimes are better ways. And guess what? It helps my client and it helps me ultimately to continue to learn. You know, it's like the scripture teaches, you know, there's wisdom and a multitude of counselors. And when you can have, you know, a group that you can trust. And, you know, like you mentioned, you know, your team and you bounce this idea, it could either confirm what you already thought. Okay, good. That confirms. But it also empowers you too because you're like, okay, yeah, I knew that.

And that was good that I could, that that was confirmed. But also it could be like, oh, you know what? One time I had a case just like that. And what we did was and it could be an aha moment. So I think that the power of a, you or a producer not feeling like I know at all, I'm good to go. Well, it reminds me too. of do you have 10 years of experience or do you have one year of experience 10 times over?

You know, we should constantly be learning and learning and applying and improving. That's a great mindset to keep in mind. It is an awesome mindset to keep in mind. And the good thing about C&K Healthcare Advisors, which has been such a blessing really to my life, is because Paul, for example, he works with me a lot. So he'll call and say, hey, Neff, this is what I'm thinking, you know, or he's telling me about a conference. I need to be going to or a product or, you know, hey, this is what I think would be great for you.

It's times where we've worked on a case and he'll call me back and say, you know that client that you had? Oh, my gosh, you need to do this. And it's times when I have followed back up, offer them different services. But really, that partnership, I think, is key because like I said before, if you want to go fast, do it alone. But if you want to go far, you know, you need to go together and you always need to have someone to help. You know, no one really is an island. I used to be in chorus class and I was in

ninth grade. That was our song we had to learn. I really never really understood the lyrics to that song until as I became older. And really, we are not an island. You know, we need each other. And so really the partnership that I have experienced with DNK Healthcare Advisors has really taken my business platform to a whole other level. So let's talk a little bit about women. If you could talk directly to women who maybe doubts their potential or might feel unseen. You know, so you're talking about potentially increasing your lifestyle, your future. Can you do it while you're working at another job? If you tried to get into this field, yeah, I kind of feel like you get imposter syndrome. So let's talk a little bit about how you have experienced some level of a success. And you see

even more success on the horizon. What do you say to a woman that might say, I want to follow on your footsteps? Let me tell you something. So I think anytime you get into an industry, you just need to understand what it is, right? Well, for me, I got into it, really not knowing the rules to it per se, but I just wanted to help, right? But when I understood that, really, this field is like 93% white male, right? To some other person, it might be discouraging. But for me, it did not discourage me because you know what I thought about? Wow, there's still room for me, right? And so when talking to other women, a lot of times they're stuck in careers. They hate their jobs, you know, they don't feel like that they can get the income or financial freedom that they need.

And that is one thing that I encourage them to do. Hey, come join me in business. Because for one, you'll be able to level up. And what I mean by that is that you will be in a field with that the income is limitless. You feel good about helping individuals and you will have a professional license. That is a great thing. And a lot of times, you know, even if you do go and have a four-year degree or all of that, a lot of times people still feel stuck like that they're not accomplishing what they need to. And I have really encouraged women, look, please join me. It was a time where as a woman, we could not even have a bank account without a man, a husband, right?

Think about that. Wow. That wasn't too long ago, right? That's crazy. We cannot do that, but guess what? We still took care of our homes. We took care of our children. We made sure that our husbands were taking care of.

But to be out there in the workforce and really to make moves and power moves, we could not do that, right? Now the ties have changed. And I'm excited about that. We can now be in there and be a reckoning force, you know? And so I just love that opportunity. I just love that. And so anytime I'm able to encourage a woman, I am. And isn't it true also that,

in this day and age of in the last 15, 20 years, it seems like if you feel like you want to take advantage of something like bettering yourself and starting a business and starting a career like this, the time now is so much more freeing for you and flexible for you versus it used to be you got to quit your job, then go do some training thing, then invest a whole lot of money and then try to maybe possibly succeed. Now you can start into this field even as a side hustle. and then get a little bit of learning and make a little bit of money and then slowly but surely now go okay now I can do this full time so talk a little bit about that um that transition that the opportunity these days that that women have yeah absolutely and this is funny but when um when i was like 19 to 20 i had thought about going to get my PNC license right um so but i had to go to a community college to get that um and so yeah i'm 20 i don't have those responsibilities but it's just the fact that I have to go to class, you know, like every night. With this field, like you were talking about transitioning, you do the free licensing course online. You know, you can even reach out

to your clients online, on a Zoom, you know. Yeah, there are still things that we have to make sure that we take care of as far as integrity is, you know, sake, you know, but you don't have to always be in person. And that is freeing, right? So when you tell a person, hey, you can have a career, you can do everything online. And even with clients, they're like, oh, wow. It's just changing the perspective. It's just a great thing that people need to just not be so close-minded about, but just say, okay, there are other options. You know, COVID kind of like blew the door open with how we do business now.

And so it's the same thing with this. You know, it really is. And I think that sometimes you're, we limit ourselves in our own mindset, you know, and whatever that it is. It's like, oh, well, I guess I could never make six figures. well, there's some people out there that make six figures a month. Right. And so you need to have that belief in your potential to then go, okay, well, maybe I can make six figures.

So what's the path to get there? And you start, you know, with that next step. Let's take that first course online. And then let's, you know, align with a group that can help guide me. And then let me just constantly and never ending improve my networking skills, conversation skills, sales skills. all of that. So I just think that when someone can devote themselves to personal development and doing what you've already said that you approach with your clients, serving, educating, doing what's best for them, man, you're not in sales. Guess what you're in?

Solving problems. Educating. Exactly. I'm a problem solver. That's why I to tell people all the time. And I'm in a people business, right? So I don't look at it so much as a product, but we're in a people business. And with that being said, you know, if you have the skills to talk to someone, make them feel good about themselves or, you know, we do it every day as mothers, you know, as wives, you know, we do it all the time. Listen, starting out, I was just very, you know, vivacious. I was like, I'm going to do this. And I did make 100K, my first season in Medicare. I didn't know how I was going to do it, but I did it because, you know why? Because I believed in myself. And I worked hard. And, you know, so this is, this is, this is. This is.

It's not an easy business, but it's simple because there are strategies. There are formulas that we can do it, get to where we want to. But if you really believe in yourself as a woman, as a male, too, come on male partners. You know, you can be my partners in business as well. But we can do it. You really, it's all about belief. You have to really believe in yourself. You really do.

You know, it's anything that you come across that's new feels, you know, foreign, feels overwhelming. but in reality, if you just kind of look at it, look at it again the next day, try a little bit, what's the first step, what's the second step? It starts unfolding. And I think truly, if you have the, you know, like the old Henry Ford quote, if you think you can or think you can't, you're right. If you have that belief and you think, all right, this, I see, you know, I'm a big reader and personal development and quote guys. So begin with the end in mind. If you want to make that six figures and you're starting January 1 of whatever year and you want to hit six figures by the end of the year and you have a mentor, a guide, a group of people that can help you get there, tell me what I need to do each quarter, which then breaks down to each month, which then breaks down to each week and each day. What do I need to do?

And if you just trust that process and put in the work, you can't sit back and binge Netflix and think six figures here it comes. You need to put in the work, you know. So talk a little bit about that work and that grind that is required so that at some point you can throttle back just a little and then, you know, take the next step forward. So for me, you know, I had, you know, I told you the story about that I was an L-O-A, right? So, oh, my gosh, so disappointed. So my second season, I said, you know what? I'm not going to let that defeat me. So I took a look at, you know, my contract.

And then now I'm in the position that I can't earn like I need to. to. And what I did, I made me a vision board. And you know, that sounds so like cliche or whatever, but you have to write the vision, right? And make it plain. And I put it out there. So I wrote my vision out and I said, how many days do I have for this season? And I wrote it down. I have 54 days. I got 54 days for annual enrollment to be done. Right. And then I said, well, what do I want to do? And so I wrote down my goal. And I threw it out there. I said, I want to make six figures, right? And even when I was asked, what are you going to do? You know, and I said, I'm going to make six figures.

You know, some people laughed. Like, you know, right. It never happened. Yeah, okay. So I kept on going. And what I did was I just really worked and put my head down. So I will make my list. And I would plan the week ahead.

So I would know who I was talking to, events. And really, if I did not have a plan, I can't talk on the phone because I did not plan to talk on the phone with you. But I did not plan to go out to eat with you. I can't do that. And really, it's just about goal setting and goal planning, but I had to be serious about it. I kept my head down. And really, my family really didn't see me during this time. And I'm that, you know, and that was kind of like, but that was a season.

That was a season of time. That's not 24-7, 365. Yeah. It's not. But, you know, even taking that work ethic, moving towards when I got out of that season, what my goal is, I still make goals on what is my weekly goals, what is my daily goals? You know, what do I want to make, you know, in a month? Sometimes I get there.

Sometimes I don't. But I am still moving towards what I want to. Is that anything to feel bad about? You just have to pivot. You know, okay, well, what did I do? And reassess it. But what I can say is this is the land of opportunity. So if you really want it, you really can get it.

100%. And there's never a time that you just kick back and coast and throttle back and go, yay, I made it. Now you sit back at the end of that period and go, okay, what did I learn? Did I hit the goal or not? Was I close? If I didn't hit the goal, I got close. I got closer than I would have if I didn't have the goal.

And then what did I learn? Oh, well, I guess I could have done this differently. So then the next time, boom, I'm going to do it a little bit differently. But having those clear goals, having that inner drive, if you had a boss that was cracking the whip going go, go, go, you would feel totally different than you going, I'm going to do it. Right. And I think that's a big, big motivating factor is we have to be our best. our most driving force ourselves having that internal motivation and rewarding yourself along the way. And I mean, I think we could talk for about six and a half more hours on the same topic.

But, you know, like if you know that you're, you know, 90 day period or whatever sprint period is is going to be rough, every week when you hit that one week's goal, take yourself out for that, you know, pumpkin spice latte or whatever that you like to have and reward yourself and then get right back to it. So I think this has just been so encouraging enough and to hear that, you know, you can do this and you can mentor and guide other people. If someone is listening to this going, I want a little piece of that action, guide me to what's the best way that someone can reach out and connect with you? Sure. So you can contact me at my website at Insure It by Neff, or you can contact me on my business line, which is 980-866-8407. Wonderful. Neff, thank you so much for coming back on. It's been a real pleasure talking with you again.

Thank you for having me. You've been listening to Influential Entrepreneurs with Mike Saunders. To learn more about the resources mentioned on today's show or listen to past. episode, visit www. www. www. influential

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