“I feel like I’m constantly learning every single day,” she says. “I wanted to do something that was more challenging and outside my comfort zone.”
Something that never gets easier is being the messenger when the message is difficult for clients to hear.
“The hardest thing is delivering bad news to a broker when you want to be a people pleaser,” she says. “But the flip side is that in the midst of all of that, you get to build great relationships with people.”
Treat others the way you want to be treated
Almada believes in making time to help others. When a new underwriter joined the team, Almada encouraged her to reach out with questions before or after work. Rather than mentoring, Almada views this kind of help as living out her philosophy of treating people the way she wants to be treated.
“When somebody is new to a career in casualty, I want to be sure I am here for them if they have questions,” she says. “If I don’t know how to answer, we will get an answer together. I feel like you should always provide help first when they need it without making them feel like it is a burden.”
Lessons from dad: an early work ethic
Based in Scottsdale, Almada has lived and worked in Arizona her whole life. She got her first job refereeing youth basketball games at the YMCA on weekends.
“I like to brag that I’ve been working since I was 14,” she says. “I got to hang out with my friends and earn $25 every Saturday.”
The work ethic she developed on those weekends as a teenager was also nurtured by the example her father set.
“He inspires me because of his hard work ethic and his patience,” she says. “I have never in my life met a more patient person – very basic things but things most of us are still working on. It’s something that I struggle with. He is just a super cool guy.”
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