Some professions tend to attract particular genders. Those stereotypes are increasingly shifting, but one that is still primarily male is the health insurance broker profession. Solstice had the opportunity to interview Inez Romaguera, a broker in South Florida, about being a female in a male dominated field.

How did you become an insurance broker?

I became a broker after being an account executive for an insurance carrier. I had worked for six years on the carrier side, and one of the few female brokers that I was assigned to work with asked me if I would be interested in coming to work as a broker in her agency.

What were your initial observations going into this profession?

I knew having worked on the carrier side that there were a lot of brokers who were not on top of their clients’ needs. They relied too much on letting the service representatives do all the work and they were not up to date on a lot of legislative issues affecting employee benefits. I knew that this would be one of my main differentiators against my competition. Also my knowledge of underwriting and what insurance carriers wanted would also be beneficial to my clients.

As a female in this industry, what challenges do you face?

Unfortunately, there were not too many female brokers when I became a broker in 1999. Every industry meeting I attended we were greatly outnumbered. The male brokers just assumed you were working for a male broker and you were part of the service team.

Now there are a lot more of us and we have finally—after years of hard work and results—managed to get a lot more respect.

Do you find yourself having to overcome certain stereotypes as a female in a male dominated industry? How do you overcome it?

Unfortunately, some of the most financially successful female brokers do not have a great reputation in our industry. They are seen as cut throat sharks. I am sure that they developed that perception after having to compete with the male brokers and had to work twice as hard to get business.

I decided when I became a broker that I would not let that common perception change who I was. I have managed to build a very nice practice by still being myself. I treat everyone with respect and fairness and I still get what I want for my clients.

The other stereotype is that if you are young and attractive, then you must be getting business from flirting.

I used to dress like one of the guys when I used to work as a broker in another agency. I wore dark pants business suits. I wanted to be taken seriously and I did not want anyone to ever judge me by how I was dressed.

One of the first things that I did when I started my own practice was to go dress shopping. There is no reason why you can’t be a fabulous feminine broker.

Can you share an example of a situation you encountered where you felt being a female impacted your ability to conduct your business?

There was a time that I approached a perspective client in the construction industry. He was used to “working with the guys” and meeting with a female who was more knowledgeable in a topic may have been a threatening experience. I figured this out in the first two minutes of my meeting. I changed my approach and I talked about his daughters that I noticed in a picture. His demeanor changed immediately when we talked about what he wanted for their future. I think imagining his daughters in my role may have changed his perception and allowed him to be open to working with me. It worked and I landed a very nice account.

Any tips for other females in this profession, especially “up and coming” female insurance brokers?

You don’t have to be “one of the guys” in order to be successful in this business. Don’t feel you need to change who you are in order to be respected and treated as equal.

Inez is Owner and President of Strategic Benefits, LLC, an employee benefits brokerage firm specializing in strategic development, implementation and ongoing monitoring of employee benefit programs. She has been a Board Member of the National Association of Women Business Owners/ Ft. Lauderdale Chapter for the last six years. The organization encourages the growth and support of women owned businesses.