We had the good fortune of connecting with Heather Jefferson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Heather, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My thought process behind starting my own business was to leave a lasting family legacy to generations to come. I wanted to establish a business that would not only provide financial security but also serve as a source of tangible inspiration and most importantly a practical blueprint for others in my family to follow if they choose to pursue entrepreneurship. I wanted to display to my family members a lot of the attributes that helped build my business and what is needed to keep progressing within my business everyday: resilience, independence, innovation, dedication, networking, listening to customers, continue to keep learning, strategic planning, and perseverance – just to name a few characteristics needed to be an entrepreneur.

I love to gain knowledge in various areas of business and life that I can master, implement what I have learned and pass that knowledge onto the next person to make their life more advanced, help better their lives for their families and many generations to come. I’m using my business as a stepping-stone for my son who will also be an entrepreneur once he completes college. I set forth this path to help break generational cycles in households that are not financial incline to make strategic financial decisions that will pay off years down the line, to help bridge the gap for others that lack certain resources and knowledge, and also to show that a person that’s the same gender or ethnic background did it – and you can too do it!

What should our readers know about your business?
I truly believe what sets me apart from other Insurance Brokers and Insurance Agents is my inner drive and determination to give a client the best customer service and customer care during our time talking on the phone, meeting in person or during virtual meetings.

My mottos in my brokerage – are to treat a customer the way I/you would like to be treated, and each client should capture your full attention while we are talking and assisting them.

Another thing that sets me apart from other Insurance Brokers and Insurance Agents is my ability to take complex insurance products and coverages of insurance products and explain to customers at various levels of clients’ understanding. Provide real-life examples and scenarios that customers can understand why I recommended or suggested a certain type of insurance product or certain level of insurance coverage. 

And lastly, I believe I’m very personable which a lot of people are drawn to me and their level of trust in me goes hand and hand with me being very personable with my clients. I personally don’t make suggestions or recommendations to clients if it wouldn’t be a policy that I wouldn’t personally purchase for myself or for my family. 
I try to keep lines of communication open with my clients, also provide the opportunity for clients to ask questions or concerns so they can totally understand the insurance policy they are purchasing – I am really big on educating my clients on insurance products.

Also, I like to make myself available outside of the normal business hours (via text message) if needed by my clients for quick questions or concerns. These additional added-value characteristics that I provide to my clients seem very simplistic and rudimentary – but they definitely do not go unnoticed to clients through many past years of customers surveys, customers feedback and customers raving online reviews over the (13) thirteen plus years being in the insurance industry.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This is a great question…. ooh, here’s my itinerary for the week (Sunday to Saturday):

Sunday: (Morning) We would attend church at a local church in the Arlington, TX area. (Afternoon) Go have Sunday Brunch at The Biscuit Bar at 1707 N. Collins Ste, Suite 101, Arlington, TX. (Evening) Go catch a movie at Studio Movie Grill 225 Merchants Row, Arlington, TX.

Monday: (Morning) We would go to breakfast at Cracker Barrel 4300 S Bowen Rd, Arlington, TX. (Afternoon) We would go to a relaxing afternoon at local spa Avante Salon & Day Spa 1223 E Debbie Ln, Mansfield, TX. (Evening) We would have dinner at the Social House 1705 N Collins St, Ste 101, Arlington, TX.

Tuesday: (Morning) We would go to breakfast at the Egg Bar Brunch & Bar 457 E. I-20, Ste 121, Arlington, TX. (Afternoon) Go hangout at Chicken N Pickle Grand Prairie 2965 State Hwy 161, Grand Prairie, TX for an afternoon of Pickleball. (Evening) We would go to Texas Live! 1650 R. Randol Mill Rd, Arlington, TX and have dinner and enjoy the amazing scenery.

Wednesday: (Morning) Swing by Breakfast Brothers and go have breakfast 130 E Bardin Rd, Ste 128, Arlington, TX. (Afternoon) Go hangout and play some games at Andretti Indoor Karting & Games Grand Prairie 3750 State Hwy 161, Grand Prairie, TX. (Evening) Go experience an outdoor movie at Coyote Drive-In in Fort Worth, TX 223 NE 4th St, Fort Worth, TX.

Thursday: (Morning) We would have breakfast at my house, I would go pick up fresh baked cinnamon rolls from Cinnaholic 5001 S Cooper St, Ste 115, Arlington, TX. (Afternoon) We would go have lunch at El Primo’s Mexican Grill & Cantina 2300 Matlock Rd, Ste 21, Mansfield, TX. (Evening) Go to The Green Jacket Indoor Golf and Sports Bar 2000 Matlock Rd, Ste 100, Mansfield, TX and listen to some music, play indoor golf, have a quick bite to eat and a couple of mocktails.

Friday: (Morning) We would have breakfast at Our Place Restaurant 915 W Debbie Ln, Mansfield, TX. (Afternoon) Check in The Statler Dallas, Curio Collection by Hilton Hotel 1914 Commerce St, Dallas, TX and relax and rest before heading up stairs to the rooftop. (Evening) We will have dinner by the pool looking out over the downtown Dallas Skyline, (Rooftop) The Statler Dallas, Curio Collection by Hilton Hotel 1914 Commerce St, Dallas, TX.

Saturday: (Morning) We would have breakfast/room service The Statler Dallas, Curio Collection by Hilton Hotel 1914 Commerce St, Dallas, TX. (Afternoon) We would head to Truluck’s Ocean’s Finest Seafood and Crab Restaurant 2401 McKinney Ave, Dallas, TX for a late lunch after checking out and prior to her flight early evening!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My thanks go to my grandparents (deceased), my mother, my stepfather (deceased), my son, my aunts (my Sudo mothers), my two brothers, many cousins, other amazing family members, my prayer partners and several handfuls of very close friends.

Both of my maternal grandparents were entrepreneurs and owned their own businesses. Both grandparents had very thriving businesses while I was an adolescent, teenager and into my young adult years of life. While growing up, my grandparents made sure they showed me different levels and aspects of their businesses – from writing contracts, ordering supplies, paying merchant’s invoices, accepting payments from clients, negotiating with clients, paying employees, depositing money into business banking accounts and investing money to help build nest eggs for the future.

My mother and stepfather showed me and demonstrated to me a very strong work ethic while I was an adolescent throughout my years into my high school. My mother showed me that hard work can afford you opportunities that aren’t given to below par or average workers. She taught me to always go beyond the normal or what could possibly be expected of me. My mother was granted the opportunity to transfer/relocate within a company to help train others and establish a new division of a company she was working for at that time. And to top all of that – she also completed her college degree, with honors at this same time.

I also inherited the act of service, such as helping the less fortunate people by being selfless and showing extreme measures of empathy. These are just some additional traits I have learned and acquired from my maternal grandmother, Rosa Lee Jenkins, my maternal grandfather, Woodrow Jenkins and my mother, Freda J. Hoston.

Website: https://www.HeritageInsuranceTX.com

Instagram: @heritage_insurance_tx

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/heritage-insurance-brokerage-llc

Twitter: @HJeffersonAgcy

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeritageInsuranceBrokerage/

Yelp: https://biz.yelp.com/home/B54XzfkgBB2iEPFTFbg8Bw/

Image Credits
Photographer: Kyle Hankerson on IG: FlicksbyKyle (Location: a Mansfield Local Park in Mansfield, TX)

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