Recently, I attended the Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Adams Pointe Courtyard by Marriott.
The program included speakers from the new Missouri Mavericks hockey team and information on the Independence Events Center. The program also included a look at the chamber’s new Web site, which can be found at www.bluespringschamber.com.
But the real reason for the visit was to chat with Carolyn Pittsenbarger about her new business venture.
Career in finance
Pittsenbarger is a lifelong resident of Blue Springs and has been providing financial services for the last 30 years. On June 1 she joined Bott Insurance Agency, owned by Patty Bott at 1500 N.W. Mock Ave. It’s is an independent insurance agency, providing auto, home, business, workers compensation and specialty lines insurance. There is room for expansion at this location, and Bott is looking for an additional insurance producer.
“For 25 years, I worked in banking, and in 1994 I decided to step out on my own,” she said. “I took a job with Equitable Life Insurance, and it was a jump going from a salaried position to 100 percent commission. Two years later I became an independent broker and opened my own company, Financial Success.”
Although she is part of the Bott Insurance Agency, her license to sell securities is through Brokers International Financial Services. Brokers International also offers a women’s mentoring program and interestingly, she said, there are 85 percent men to 15 percent women in the securities field.
Total financial center
“I’ve known Patty Bott for years. At one time, we were located in the same building and became business friends,” she said. “We found that we had like ambitions, work ethics, and were both community minded. We both know in sales that there must be products or services available or people will stay away. Based on this premise, that’s how the concept for a total financial center grew.”
Pittsenbarger offers financial services for life, health, annuities, retirement, and estate concerns. She said her slogan, “Financial Services for Life and Legacy,” covers it all. Her business is based on the principle that education and understanding of your client’s current situation are vital.
Many of her clients are age 55 plus, and she has a special interest in helping the beneficiaries of these policy holders.
“It’s the children and grandchildren that need help in determining financial and insurance services,” she said. “I try to reach this younger market through their parents, social networking, and e-mail.”
Her marketing plan includes recession proofing, which means using every opportunity to cross-sell with more services through the development of referrals from clients.
“Everyone needs to find good value for auto, home, and life insurance,” she said. “We do the shopping for you.”
“I really like my job; it’s not a boilerplate,” she said. “The same product doesn’t fit everyone. I sometimes feel like an investigator, which keeps work fresh and new every day, never dull. I have about 125 clients, and I have room for more growth. However, I will never be that large that I can’t give individual attention to my clients.”
Leading by example
“The best leadership skill is leading by example,” she said. And she practices this daily. She and Bott are both active members in the Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce. Pittensbarger said it’san excellent way to network, but you must follow up leads found at events.
She is a member of the Blue Springs Rotary Club and graduated from the Independence LEAD program in 1987 and the Blue Springs LEAD program in 1991. Pittsenbarger resides with husband, Larry, a retired Blue Springs School District counselor. You may reach her at 816-220-7660, e-mail at cpittsenbarger@bottinsurance.com, or visit the Web site at www.bottinsurance.com.
