Today we’d like to introduce you to Christopher Becerra.
Hi Christopher, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve been selling insurance for a decade, and CIB has operated for nearly six years. The previous firms I worked for helped me to learn the business – first as a captive agent focusing on personal lines, then as a commercial broker focusing only on commercial lines. Upon returning to my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, I worked for a brokerage on the west side. It quickly became apparent that my clients weren’t getting the level of service expected, and I already knew both sides of the business, so I started my brokerage. During the past six years, we’ve built a reputation for delivering exceptional service, and I’m incredibly proud of what my team and I have built here.
Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have been many of the usual challenges of starting a business, many of which are not unique to the insurance industry. Some of these challenges have been:
- No client base
- No brand awareness
- No immediate income (cash reserves are critical to any startup)
- Finding good talent to grow with the company
- Fine-tuning the systems and operations
Additionally, we all have personal factors and situations that arise in our lives that make things a bit more challenging. Since the inception of CIB, I’ve had bad break-ups, lost friends, moved personal residences, moved offices (a few times), lost my dog, and struggled with managing money and making everything work. At times, I’ve been completely overwhelmed with anxiety about mountains of work that need to be done. I’ve been equally wholly overwhelmed with pride in my team and the level of success we’ve attained.
Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We’re a small, local independent insurance brokerage headquartered in downtown Berea, Ohio. Our specialty is property insurance. We’ve established a reputation for having broad markets, affordable rates, and the best service for our clients. We’ve grown from zero to a $1.4M business book in the past six years. Being laser-focused on delivering top-notch service to our clients has been instrumental in attaining these heights. For those of you reading this – we have access to approximately 30 markets throughout Ohio, Michigan, and Delaware. Best of all, we work for you and not the insurance carriers!
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Find someone who’s exceptional in the skills you’d like to master. Watch what they do, talk to them as often as possible, and do your best to replicate their system(s). If you can, strike up a friendship with this person as they can likely teach you much about life, not just business.
Contact Info:
- Website: cleinsurancebrokers.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/cleinsurancebrokers
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cleinsurancebrokers
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clevelandinsurancebrokers
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/cleveland-insurance-brokers-berea-4
Image Credits
Christopher Becerra
