Lissette Delgado

Incoming Chair, Miami Young Agents Committee
Agent and Office Manager
JVS Insurance Agency
Miami

Age: 30
Guilty pleasure TV show: House of Cards
Favorite beer: “Wine is my go-to; whiskey when I’m with my dad; martinis if I’m with the girls.”
Preferred social media: Facebook

Why insurance?

This is my dad’s agency, so this has been the only insurance job I’ve had and will always be the only insurance job I have. My sister is actually one of my right hands. It can be tough working with a sibling. She and I have a big wall between us, so that helps. We get along great, and we’re five years apart. She became my best friend after our late teens. Who knows me better? And I have two other women here older than I am who saw my mother pregnant with me. One of my sister’s best friends from growing up, I have her in here too. It’s a very family-oriented office. It’s a great work environment to be among people who are family.

Motivator?

The legislation aspect. Dealing with politicians on a monthly basis and actually writing laws, lobbying for them and seeing them get signed by our governor—that is, for me, a great accomplishment.

But my biggest motivator is of course my son. He’s 10 now. He plays baseball, and I have a picture of him between my two screens with a little note he wrote for me: “You’re the best mom ever.” That reminds me to succeed. And the girls I work with are very important—they’re the ones who help me have a flourishing business.

Biggest role model?

Dulce Suarez-Resnick, vice president of NCF Insurance Associates in Miami. We met through the Latin American Association of Insurance Agencies (LAAIA). She’s an insurance instructor and past president of the LAAIA and the local chapter of the National Association of Insurance Women, and has chaired the legislative committees of both. It was because of her that I got into the large commercial condos and high-rises and all the legislation stuff. She’s kind of held my hand through everything. She knew my father first, and my dad was like, “You’ve got to meet my daughter.” We’re kind of identical. We’re very aggressive, we want things now, we’re both tiny women and we make it happen. I’m following in her footsteps. I can’t imagine myself without her.

Work/life balance?

I am known to work Saturdays, Sundays and late in the evenings. My social life has kind of revolved around the friends and the activities I have within the industry. As far as balance is concerned—I’m a single mom, so there is no balance! Plus, I’m a young woman in a big boys type of world. It’s very tough—I find that I have to put in more hours just so that I can gain respect. But I’m a workaholic anyway, and I really love what I do.

Millennial stereotype that fits you?

Incoming generations are more technologically based. When clients are a certain age, everything is by phone or email. I even Skype or Facetime to help them like that. It’s really cool. I have Twitter, I have LinkedIn, I have Google Plus—you name it. We recently started using Hootsuite for all our social media. Whoever invented it deserves a cookie, or some sort of hug. Hootsuite is pure genius.

Industry’s biggest challenge?

Obviously the age gap—that’s imperative. I’m also hoping to bring more young people into our industry. I work with the Independent Agents of South Florida and I do the InVEST® program, so I will start going into high schools and teaching and licensing kids to come into our industry. That is huge.

This article is the fourth in a series that profiles 10 millennials in independent insurance, based on IA’s July cover story. Keep an eye on IAmagazine.com and upcoming editions of the News & Views e-newsletter for more insights into how young people are working to secure the future of your industry.

Jacquelyn Connelly is IA senior editor.