Broker profile: people person fits right in

People person Laura Meyer, Director at Meyer Insure, pictured, says helping clients was a natural fit and you don’t need a navy suit and tie to be a premier insurance broker.

How did you start in broking and set up your own brokerage?

I came out of university as a mature age student and was struggling with small children to enter HR which I had studied. A friend in the industry linked me up with a job in claims, which to be honest is the best place to start for a broker.

I really, really enjoyed it. I am so incredibly interested in people – I am a massive people watcher too – and I just find people and what they do so interesting and that’s why I love the variety of different industries and businesses.

I could not think of anything worse than just doing the same thing day in, day out, and I certainly don’t get that as a broker.

It became clear that I did not want to do anything else. I just really enjoy being that go-to person for my clients and in 2020 I decided that I wanted to take a crack at doing it myself and becoming an AR.

I love being able to get out and visit clients and see them in their spaces and meet their staff, it really gives you a good insight into their ethos and culture. I am really fortunate in what I do. It is a fun job.

What makes Meyer Insure unique?

I approached a number of different broker networks and CBN was the best fit for me, it definitely felt more like a family.

To be honest some of the broker networks are quite aggressive and have a male-focused approach and that is the complete opposite of how I like to do things. The industry has sort of got stuck in the suit and tie, in a very stick-in-the-mud sort of approach.

For larger clients that is totally appropriate and it’s expected but that is definitely not my clientele. For small businesses it is so far disconnected from where they are and what they want and need, so it has been nice to pull it back a bit and try to be a little bit less formal.

We can still be really professional and be technical experts, but be human and personable and approachable and demystify what is a really complex thing. That has been my approach.

It was the definitely the right step for me. It is wonderful, it is really picking up. I am building a wonderful little group of people that I really enjoy talking to and I genuinely feel lucky to be on their journeys with them, it is really lovely.

My clients are entrepreneurs and a lot of women start-ups, in consulting, financial lines, social media/marketing, IT/professional risk, retail and hospitality.

For me broking is really about helping and educating as well. There is such misconception and lack of awareness of how insurance works and what it is for.

You have experienced a claim first hand this year. What happened?

I am based in Creswick but I am not currently there. I am in temporary accommodation and because of storm damage in January I am going through my own major claim right now.

We suffered extensive damage to our house on January 5, there are a lot of claims in Creswick, a lot of people had flash flooding damage, it was pretty nasty.

My partner and I were on a long weekend in the Dandenongs when a storm hit and we were loving it and then the kids rang up and said ‘Mum, it’s a bloody cyclone, your roof is falling in!’ So we immediately left.

A massive storm cell came through and the whole ceiling came down in two rooms. We’re waiting for the second building quote. It has been interesting and I feel very privileged that I know exactly how my claim is going to roll out and what’s coming up. My insurer (Allianz) has been fantastic.

The whole thing has been as stress free as it possibly could be.

I have been in temporary accommodation since then. It is going to be a long haul, I would think we would be back home maybe close to Christmas.

It is a lovely little town and I can’t wait to get back there. I miss meeting up with clients at the bakery.