Suzilla: Family Business Podcast

Rainbow in the Room

We run an inclusive insurance office. This includes the LGBTQIA+ members of our community. We have been doing so for over a decade because things like supporting Gay Marriage and Section 1557 of the ACA are platforms of treating people well like people. We are going to talk about what we currently see, book bans, anti-healthcare legislation and what we are doing as a small business.

What’s your back up plan?

Since we have an insurance business we ask What If Questions all the time to each other.

Your partner gets sick, vendors fail, and equipment breaks down. How many backup plans do you have in place for your business and your family? It hasn’t been too long ago when the country got our backside handed by the lack of plans and safety nets. Let’s get into creating plans that do not infringe on current operations and increase your flexibility.

As a small business owner, how valuable is your time?

When politicians come to town, they want to take their pictures with us. Charities have their hand out and we sponsor events. We are called the backbone of America. How valuable is the time of a small business owner to lend a hand or volunteer?

May the 4th Be With you Nerd Business Owners.

We are big-time nerds around Wenatchee Insurance. We met at a convention. Have Star Wars tattoos. We also nerd out when it comes to insurance. Being a Nerd business owner is incredibly useful and I often seek them out for a single trait. I will give you a hint, it is the opposite of IG famous….

Building a Black Sheep Business

We built an independent insurance agency that is definitely different. We have put ourselves into our business for over a decade. 

What if all the stereotypes surrounding business are true? Everyone is out for themselves. The boss is exploiting the workers who are all quiet quitting. The customers are going over to the next company because they are cheaper and go to the same church.

It’s your business so build it differently. Care about your coworkers. Work on putting the best product forward for the client. Be truthful in your dealings. Be the black sheep and the customers will respond.

Marketing moments with archetypes, how to turbo your messaging.

Supernova had a big week were we talked about Marketing archetypes. If you followed Suzie Health Solutions through the years then you would have seen a variety of archetypes used.

How do they work in business? How do they work in the real world? Would politics be better if one or both of the parties played from a different archetype? What were the colors on the brand wheel? We have had the fortune of working with most all the positions over the last twelve years. In the end we picked the most comfortable pair up with Wenatchee Insurance. 

It is helping us go from marketing notions to a marketing plan. Oh boy this is going to be fun.

Difference in the workplace

The minute that someone steps into our insurance office a person knows that they are in for a different experience. We set out over a decade ago to not make something that sucked. As our kid puts it has no soul. When we look for partners, we look for a different mindset. We want people that care about people, our community and profits. In that order.

When presented this year in a Business Contest with the triple bottom line, we laughed because that is how we always ran our business. We look at our clients as 50 year clients. If we don't win their business' right now then we will later. It's the long term focus that provides the unifying gel. 

America needs more gambling

I am not talking the poker chips and scratchers. We are getting into risks and rewards today. Comfort & safety versus growth & discovery. How if we remove all of the risk then we never win. If we never reward others, then we never win. Who could use some more wins in their life? How about your kids’  life?

If you are being honest then there are accurate rewards and responsibilities. If a bank executive can pocket millions of dollars and ride off in the sunset leaving the bank in ruins is that responsibility?

If a kid is prevented from learning history will they behave compassionately? What happens when they learn a few years down the road that they were blocked from the truth?

Spend a little bit of time discovering things. Taste something new on the menu. Talk to the quiet person in the room. There are rewards to be had by living free and risking. 

Capitalism Meltdown

We operate a little different. In an industry where women make about half as much as men we focus on inclusive capitalism. If you want an to work with a different kind of insurance agency in Washington State then let us know. 

There reaches a point when you take complexity and distill it to the point of destruction. It no longer functions as originally intended. It’s like boiling coke to a syrup and still maintaining it is a cool refreshing drink. It just doesn’t work that way. As we wade into our contest, we are seeing more approaches to capitalism that if we utilized would create an ethical dilemma. We are going to peal back the layers of Capitalism.  

SuperNova and starting a business.

Suzie Health Solutions has been around for over 10 years working with Health insurance. Recently we decided to start improving Property Insurance in our area and Launched Wenatchee Insurance Agency.

We are in a small business renaissance in the United States thanks to some Legislation like the American Rescue Act and Inflation Reduction Act more people than ever before are leaving corporate life. We recently stumbled into Supernova Business Launch Competition and it is an amazing primer for people that are starting a business to work through issues.

Pick you allies. One groups that deserve a shout out is GSBA. As we do, they believe that Equality is good business. They represent over 1300 small businesses and have already started enriching our business. 

So yes, this is the time to build a small business and tap into the groups that provide meaningful support.