IAM2424 – Health Insurance Agent and Podcaster Helps Families and Businesses with Financial Protection

Lorena Tomasini

00:00 - 00:27

So what we do is we help families and also business owners with financial protection. And that can be anything from health insurance and then also life insurance as well. You know, if somebody passes away, obviously to have some income replaced. And then on the individual side, as well as in case of a critical illness or chronic illness like cancer, heart attack, or stroke, people can also use part of that death benefit while they're living to help them pay for their regular bills.

Intro

00:29 - 00:52

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkness values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I Am

Gresham Harkless

00:52 - 01:04

CEO Podcast. Hello, hello, hello. This is Gresh from the I Am CEO podcast and I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Lorena Tomasini of MOM. Lorena, it's awesome to have you on the

Lorena Tomasini

01:04 - 01:05

show. Awesome. Thank you so much for having me.

Gresham Harkless

01:06 - 01:34

No problem. Super excited to have you on. And what I wanted to do was just read a little bit more about Lorena so you can hear about all the awesome things that she's doing. And Lorena Tomasini is the owner of MOM Life and Health Insurance Agency located in Miami, Florida. being in the insurance industry for 12 years and part of a mother daughter duo helping other families and business owners with financial protection. She is also the host of the 12 minute podcast where she interviews other business owners and entrepreneurs on how they help solve problems.

Gresham Harkless

01:34 - 01:36

Lorraine, are you ready to speak to the I'm CEO community?

Lorena Tomasini

01:36 - 01:38

I'm excited. Yeah, let's do this.

Gresham Harkless

01:38 - 01:44

Awesome. Let's do it. So the first question I had was to hear a little bit more about what I call your CEO story. What led you to start your business?

Lorena Tomasini

01:44 - 02:22

Sure. So back in 2006, I was studying business administration in college, and I was looking for something to do that had more flexible time than the regular nine-to-five. And my mom needed some help in her business at the time, which I didn't know my mom was an insurance agent, to be honest. And so I started as her appointment setter. And then I went with her to one of the appointments I had set up for her to see what it was that she did, you know. And Since then, I thought it was something easy that she did, you know, she helped families and it was just filling out paperwork.

Lorena Tomasini

02:22 - 02:34

So I then decided to get my license and ever since then we've been working together doing that. So I do have a degree in finance, but I have my own business since 2006, I guess, with my mom.

Gresham Harkless

02:35 - 02:52

Nice. Nice. That's no, that's an awesome story. And being able to work with your mom and learn from, uh, you know, everything that she's been able to do and also be able to start out from the bottom up. It sounds like from starting out with appointment setting and now I'm actually helping out families yourself. So, um, I know you touched on a little bit, but so could you talk a little bit more about what you're doing with the mom? Sure.

Lorena Tomasini

02:52 - 03:27

So what we do is we help, um, families and also business owners. with financial protection and that can be anything from health insurance and then also life insurance as well. You know if somebody passes away obviously to have some income replaced and then on the individual side as well as in case of a critical illness or chronic illness like cancer, heart attack or stroke people can also use part of that death benefit while they're living to help them pay for their regular bills. And then with business owners we help them out with Group plans for their employees like health and critical illness.

Lorena Tomasini

03:28 - 03:36

And then we also help the employer with tax deductible life insurance that they can use to supplement their retirement income in the future tax-free.

Gresham Harkless

03:37 - 03:54

Nice, nice, nice. And I hear, I always hear, and I don't know if you can definitely speak to this, that a lot of times, you know, people aren't prepared for those sometimes big catastrophes that happen in their lives, whether it be health or deaths. And a lot of times because they're not prepared for it, it can sometimes be catastrophic to individuals, but also to businesses, I imagine too.

Lorena Tomasini

03:55 - 04:43

Definitely. So one of the things, you know, on Facebook, we see a lot is like GoFundMe pages. And I think that's great. But to me, that's kind of like the modern day passing a hat around the church, you know, because unfortunately, that family wasn't financially prepared. And that's exactly what these products are there for. So that if that does happen, the family doesn't have to go around asking people you know, stranger is basically for help with that. And it's really about taking financial responsibility. You know, we don't really realize the financial impact that just a diagnosis of cancer, for example, has not only on that person, but on the family, because Nowadays, with all the advances in medical treatments, right, a lot of times people survive them, but financially we're not really ready for what that would mean.

Lorena Tomasini

04:43 - 05:20

Sometimes families have to take time off work to help the person going through that and the person that was diagnosed as well. I always, if somebody's like a teacher, as an example, you can't go teach your regular job and then go do chemo. or vice versa. So these products, what they really do is help people be prepared financially if something does happen, that they don't have to worry about, man, how am I going to pay my mortgage this month or the electricity or stuff for the kids, right? Um, and then, yeah, hopefully they will survive that, but there'll be left off better financially than maybe they were before.

Gresham Harkless

05:20 - 05:44

Yeah, absolutely. And no, that's a, that's a great point, especially with all these advances in technology and health and everything. A lot of times, you know, those illnesses or things that would happen, someone would pass away, but now, you know, people are living, like you mentioned, there's so many other variables that you don't think about, like you're not going to be able to go to work. the person who's taking care, you may not be able to go to work too. And all those things start to kind of hit the financial aspect of families

Lorena Tomasini

05:44 - 05:44

and

Gresham Harkless

05:44 - 05:46

couples and everybody that's involved in that.

Lorena Tomasini

05:47 - 06:26

Definitely. And especially because unfortunately, nowadays, many people don't have much in their savings. And maybe you had those savings set aside for something else, you know, a vacation or something else. So that's why these new life insurance policies, they have living benefits built in. It doesn't cost much more than a traditional policy, but it's definitely something to have included because you never know what might happen, right? Death, unfortunately, you know, is part of life. If we're born, eventually we're going to pass away someday. But it's also planning about planning what happens along the way to be prepared for anything that might happen, whether good or bad, right?

Gresham Harkless

06:26 - 06:30

Yeah, yeah. It's always about beginning with the end in mind, and we all will have

Lorena Tomasini

06:30 - 06:30

the same

Gresham Harkless

06:30 - 06:44

end. So it's important to kind of understand that and take the steps for yourself, but also for your loved ones and your family that's around. I wanted to ask you a little bit more about what I call like your secret sauce, and this could be what you feel like distinguishes you or your organization, but what do you feel kind of sets you apart?

Lorena Tomasini

06:44 - 07:26

I think one of the things that sets my agency apart from others is that we actually do everything virtually. So we have what we call a 3D process, and it's basically we first define what it is that the individual or the business is looking to solve. We do this via phone or video chat like how we're doing now, however the person feels more comfortable. So after that, as a professional, I'm a broker, so I represent different insurance companies to find the exact solution, the best solution for the individual, the family, or the business owner. And then third, what we do is we send out a video call where we go over all the different options available and explain all the details.

Lorena Tomasini

07:26 - 07:59

And then from there, it's up to the person to decide what they want to do, if they want to look at different options. And then we do electronic applications. So that makes it very simple for the person as well. The reason we do this, I've been doing this for 12 years and my mom even longer since 1980. So between both of us a lot of years of experience. But we know what it's like showing up at someone's house at seven, eight o'clock at night and they're there like oh man I forgot you were coming today and let me clean the table here so you can sit you know.

Lorena Tomasini

07:59 - 08:25

So it's for the client it's kind of like oh okay um it's it's more convenient for them to watch a video call since we're so used to video. And then is the other good thing is that a lot of times people will say, oh, I can't meet this day because my spouse won't be there or my business partner won't be there. So with the video, you guys can watch it on your own time. I don't know, that might be at three in the morning for you. I'm not going to be at someone's house at that time.

Lorena Tomasini

08:25 - 08:39

So it's definitely very convenient for everybody. And then for my business, it's been great because I've been able to expand not just locally here in Miami, but the entire state of Florida where I am licensed. So helping more families.

Gresham Harkless

08:39 - 09:06

Yeah, that's awesome. And I love that the 3D process, I definitely want to take that in this day and age with so much technology, it's huge to be able to do that. I definitely agree with you, I would not be at anybody's house at 3am other than my own. So it's very important that, you know, you give people the opportunity to look at everything at their own convenient time. So definitely appreciate you sharing that with us. And of course, I'm sure your clients appreciate that as well. And I wanted to switch gears a little bit and ask you for what I call a CEO hack.

Gresham Harkless

09:06 - 09:10

And this might be an Apple book or a habit that you have, but it's something that makes you more effective and efficient.

Lorena Tomasini

09:11 - 09:17

So recently I went to the 10X conference here in Miami. I'm sure you've heard of him, Greg Cardone.

Gresham Harkless

09:17 - 09:18

Yeah. How was

Lorena Tomasini

09:19 - 09:20

that? Oh, you were there?

Gresham Harkless

09:20 - 09:22

No, I heard about it. I was thinking about going.

Lorena Tomasini

09:22 - 09:56

Okay, okay. So here in Miami he posted like billboards all over the place, you know, so you couldn't really miss out on it. And so I went to that event and then I listened to his book and it was interesting what he was talking about was basically If I think I need to make, I don't know, a hundred calls to achieve one sale, well, you really need to maybe do 10 times that amount. So I would say my secret sauce as a CEO would be not to focus so much on the outcome, but more on the activity that I can control.

Lorena Tomasini

09:57 - 10:10

Like I can control every day calling 50 people or whatever the case may be, right? Following up and doing everything I need to do daily to achieve the goals I want. at the end of the month or the quarter.

Gresham Harkless

10:11 - 10:37

Yeah, no, I absolutely love that. And, you know, that's the one thing you can control. You can't sometimes control all the outside influences, but you can control your activity and the effort that you put in. And it's funny, I read something similar, and I think the book was called Fanatical Prospecting. And it kind of, you know, it stuck with me just like that stuck with you, where I think the person was like, if you make a sale out of every 100 calls, you have to reset that. So when you make 100 calls and you get one sale, then you got to get another 100.

Gresham Harkless

10:38 - 10:57

You don't get to start out from the 99. So you have to start all the way over. So it's important to kind of remember that, you know, in the process. And yeah, I'm glad you reminded us that. Yeah. And now I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO nugget. And this is a word of wisdom or piece of advice. Or if you can hop into a time machine, what would you tell your younger business self?

Lorena Tomasini

10:57 - 11:37

I would say the key to success is really in the follow-up. A lot of times as CEOs or salespeople, right, we think that, okay, we made this contact and it's great, we should be able to close it on the first attempt of introducing somebody to who we are. But that's not reality. People need to get to know you more, trust you, right? I think that's the most important thing, trust. And sometimes, depending on the person, right, some people will be that one touch close and some others might be the fifth or sixth attempt. But definitely book in your calendar or your CRM, whatever you use, follow to make sure that you're top of mind for people.

Lorena Tomasini

11:37 - 11:56

And the other advice I would suggest is always send people thank you cards, whether it's, you know, they give you a referral or their new clients. It's something that people don't really do nowadays and people really appreciate getting something handwritten from somebody. So that's always something good to add.

Gresham Harkless

11:56 - 12:18

Yeah, I would definitely, you know, agree with that, especially in this day and age when nobody ever does it. That's one of the best ways you can kind of break through the noise is to do that. And, you know, following up is definitely key because a lot of times it takes you know, seven or eight touches before somebody even becomes a client, let alone, you know, after the process, after you send in the proposal and all that. So a lot of times the people that follow up are the ones that end up having this success.

Gresham Harkless

12:18 - 12:22

So being organized and having that in place is absolutely huge. So I would agree

Lorena Tomasini

12:22 - 12:22

with

Gresham Harkless

12:22 - 12:22

that.

Lorena Tomasini

12:23 - 12:39

A lot of times in today's society, we're used to like instant gratification. Yeah. So then we're not used to, okay, well, this might not be so instant. You know, it's depending what it is that you're selling, right? Like, like everything, but definitely have processes in place to, for you to be successful.

Gresham Harkless

12:40 - 13:04

Yeah. And it's definitely, you're exactly right. Like the, you know, the instant gratification, I think a lot has to do with social media. Um, but a lot of times you post something, you see how many likes you get instantly right there. And, uh, we've kind of become addicted to that, but not realizing that relationships actually take time and whether that be clients or referral partners or whatever, it takes time to kind of build that. So yeah, it definitely is not a sprint. It's actually a marathon.

Lorena Tomasini

13:04 - 13:28

Yeah. And definitely knowing in your business, what is a key performing indicator or KPIs as they call it, because it might be different. Like for me, you know, if I get 20 people liking something, that's great. But what really matters is somebody actually reaches out, you know, sends me a message or gives me a call. I'm going to consider that more valuable than if I got, you know, 20, a hundred likes on a picture or whatever.

Gresham Harkless

13:29 - 13:41

Exactly. Well, they say that likes never paid anybody's bills or bought anybody food. So, yes, I definitely agree with that. And, you know, those are a lot of times vanity metrics and they don't actually move the needle as much

Lorena Tomasini

13:41 - 13:41

as people

Gresham Harkless

13:41 - 13:56

think. Sometimes those are more branding pieces. Sometimes, you know, depending on, like you said, your KPIs, your strategy, just understanding what that is. But remembering that you're in business to be able to continue to grow your business, help more people and understanding that, I mean, likes don't necessarily translate to that.

Lorena Tomasini

13:57 - 13:57

Right.

Gresham Harkless

13:58 - 14:08

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. And now I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. And we're hoping to have different quote unquote CEOs on the show. So Lorena, I wanted to ask you, what does being a CEO mean to you?

Lorena Tomasini

14:09 - 14:53

For me, and that's a great question. But for me, being a CEO means wearing different hats, whether that's marketing, sales, HR, sometimes, you know, interviewing people. Definitely having a habit of not being a complainer but a problem solver. Like, I can see something's not working and, you know, it's human nature to complain, right? Complain for five minutes about it, but then switch on my problem-solving hat because there's no point in complaining and not doing anything to solve it. So definitely being able to do different things, because if you're a CEO, that's what it means. Whether you're in a big company or a small company, you have to have your hands in different pockets, like they say.

Gresham Harkless

14:53 - 15:22

Yeah, absolutely. And I would definitely agree with you. Like you said, it is, you know, human nature. Sometimes when frustration happens, it's hard not to be frustrated, but it all depends on how long you're frustrated. Because if you hold on to it for a year, then that's going to be year that you lost when you could have been working on something else and putting that energy elsewhere. So I definitely would agree with that. So Lorena, I appreciate you for taking some time out. What I want to do is pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional you can let our readers and our listeners know and how they can get ahold of you and of course, listen to your podcast.

Lorena Tomasini

15:22 - 15:56

Definitely. Well, it's been great being on your show. Very good questions here. I would like to extend the offer I provide everybody, which is a free financial protection review. We go over a few basic questions to discover what are your needs when it comes to financial protection. And that ranges anywhere from health insurance, life insurance, retirement, and so on. But really to tailor something to you, this is no obligation, but at least it'll give you an idea of where you stand. And you can stalk me on social media by following my handle. It's moments22, that's M-A-L-M.

Lorena Tomasini

15:59 - 16:09

INS 22. You can also call me or text me, you know, regular business hours, nine to five Eastern time, 786-236-1792. Thank you.

Gresham Harkless

16:09 - 16:12

No problem. Thank you. And no 3am text either. So

Lorena Tomasini

16:12 - 16:12

we'll

Gresham Harkless

16:12 - 16:25

make sure, we'll make sure to have all those links and information in the show notes as well. But I appreciate you and your mom for, for, you know, building everything you have built and taking the time you have today. And I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

Lorena Tomasini

16:25 - 16:26

Thank you, have

Intro

16:26 - 16:26

a

Lorena Tomasini

16:26 - 16:26

good day.

Intro

16:26 - 16:56

Thank you for listening to the I am CEO podcast powered by CB Nation and Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at imceo.co. I am CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Check out the latest and greatest apps, books and habits to level up your business as ceohacks.co. This has been the I Am CEO podcast with Gresham Harkless Jr. Thank you for listening.