Meet Amalia Briano | Insurance Agent

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

Hi Amalia, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
The first year in business is the hardest and busiest by all means. I started with zero customers so a lot of hours were put in to build it. I also started in 2020 when many things weren’t open as they are now. However, as the business has grown and allowed room for things aside from the business I had to shift my priorities like really dig deep and figure out what brings me joy, and what doesn’t. If I was going to drag my feet to a party, meeting or restaurant I wouldn’t do it- because when I did I regretted it.

I have a 3 year old with my fiancé so setting schedules around family visits to his and mine, friends, and ourselves (sometimes just doing nothing) has helped with work/life balance. Learning to differentiate quality over quantity also is very important, and I set that expectation with my fiancé before I opened up my business with regards to time with him and my 3 year old. This expectation allowed us to be accepting of that intentional time, and avoid the “you don’t spend enough time” guilt to have room in our home. Being intentional with your time, quality over quantity, and setting priorities will help keep a healthy work life balance, which is necessary to avoid the wind taking you anywhere or consuming you.
Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Some of the lessons I’ve learned along the way as a business owner are

1. Becoming the boss you’d want to work for! Burnout is real and I’ve felt it at times from working so much so I do everything in my power to help avoid that on my team. Time off incentives, extra PTO, and even closing on Saturdays permanently have been game changers not just for myself but also for my team. I genuinely worry about my teams well being, I want them to be well so that they’re giving their best with every customer interaction. They’re my front line so I make sure to take care of them any way I can.

2. Sticking to your business plan! Especially when things get hard, always go back to it. Sometimes we lose track of our original and creative ideas when things get hard. My business plan had every dream and desire for my business before I got into it, it was my foundation so it has been essential going back to it and getting inspired again by what I originally envisioned.

3. Humble yourself always! One favorite quote in my office is “if you don’t ask it’s always a no” it’s huge for sales but it also applies to life, taking that step to learn and ask from others requires humility. Accepting that you don’t know it all will help take you to the next level. Luckily for me in my industry, I’m constantly on the phone or in person with many peers getting ideas and help. There isn’t a week that I’m not calling someone or someone is calling me with “hey I have this situation what do I do?”

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Favorite spots in the city in a nutshell: Cafe Izmir for a cute dinner with delicious tapas or Roman Cucina (their bruschetta and shrimp scampi are my favorite). I would also make sure they meet Mimi from Empamundo and have her amazing empanadas. Seriously the best, both her and the empanadas! A huge favorite also for dinner, The Ranch in Las Colinas, sometimes they have live music but I live for their chicken fried chicken, baby back ribs and their corn bread. For tacos because everyone loves tacos, Fitos Tacos de Trompo and pizza, Eno’s for sure, with multiple orders of their Pig Smiley.

For drinks, I would take them to Truck Yard or Sixty Vines or my new favorite in Bishop Arts: Atlas

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First and foremost I would give a shoutout to CEO Florencia Velasco from The Concilio, I met her in 10th grade in high school. She opened my mind to all I can achieve by simply encouraging me to ask questions and pushing myself. I asked questions non stop, I knew more than I probably should have about testing for a SAT, applying for FAFSA, AP classes, and I was constantly questioning my school counselors on their choices for my classes.

Once I got into the workforce, I questioned more and applied myself everywhere I could, taking free classes, reading books to grow, imagining all the possibilities and believing them all. I always wanted to become an insurance agent, and be the first to graduate in my family. I was able to do that under the mentorship of my former boss, Jon Essary. He hired me and with so much belief in me told me “you’re going to become an agent one day.” He invested in my professional growth and allowed room for my creativity to grow in his office. We all look for growth within a company – working with someone believing in you is definitely a plus.

Last but not least, my fiancé Anthony. He always believed in me and made every effort to make everything from being a student, motherhood and my road to entrepreneurship easy. I wouldn’t have been able to do it as good without him.

Website: www.dallasinsurancelady.com

Instagram: @dallasinsurancelady

Facebook: www.facebook.com/dallasinsurancelady

Image Credits
headshot by Kauwuane Burton Studios murals shots by friend @hellotrinajo