Carla joined Santé Life 3 years ago and loves helping clients feel confident and secure throughout the protection insurance process. Her focus is on making a real difference and ensuring clients have the cover they need, when they need it.
What attracted you to working in protection?
I wanted to expand my knowledge in employee benefits and risk protection was the perfect fit.
What do you enjoy most about helping clients?
I enjoy taking the stress away from clients. If there’s something I can do on their behalf, especially those long, boring forms, I’ll happily handle it. I like simplifying the process and keeping things as stress-free as possible. My focus is on providing wrap-around support: not just completing the sale, but being there when things crop up along the way. I take pride in offering the same high standards I’d expect as a client.
Can you share a moment when you felt you really made a difference for a client?
Not every case is straightforward, but one that stands out was helping a client urgently secure new cover when their existing policy couldn’t be changed and time was tight. I worked closely with them and was able to arrange a similar policy at almost the same premium they’d had for years. It gave them peace of mind knowing everything was in place should the worst happen, and seeing that relief made it a really rewarding moment.
What’s your favourite part of your working day?
I’m a bit of a data nerd, so I love working with a good, chunky spreadsheet. There’s something satisfying about organising complex information and presenting it in a way that’s clear and easy to use. On top of that, I really enjoy talking to clients and building long-term relationships, that personal connection is just as rewarding as getting the data right.
What’s one thing you wish clients knew about the process of getting protection cover?
Most people only start thinking about protection when something happens to them or someone close to them. Hindsight is a great thing, but most often for individual policies, the earlier you take out cover, the better your premiums will be, and the stronger your long-term protection
Can you give one piece of advice for someone new to protection?
Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. I moved from private medical insurance into protection and within two years, became qualified through my GR1. Embrace the knowledge around you, lean on your team and focus on building strong client relationships. It’s an incredibly rewarding industry if you throw yourself into it.
Tell us something fun about you outside of work?
When I’m not helping clients with protection products, I’m in the gym learning to protect myself through martial arts. I’m an avid kickboxer working towards my black belt and I recently won my first white-collar boxing fight.
If you weren’t working in employee benefits, what would you be doing instead?
That’s a tricky one! I’ve always loved working with dogs, so I’d probably be a dog trainer. There’s something special about seeing that moment when they finally understand what you’re teaching them, it’s a real sense of achievement.
