Meet Hayden Sumner | Licensed Agent & External Benefits Advisor (The Healthy Insurance Dude)

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

Hi Hayden, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
[This is the letter my mom wrote me in 8/11/2020.]

“Once upon a time.. The most beautiful little girl was born & So.. YOUR FAIRY TALE BEGINS. (I have tried to teach you everything I know, but in case I forgot anything..
Live and continue learning by these words. You are and always will be my greatest love.)”

It’s okay to cry when you are hurt. It’s also okay to smash (some) things; BUT wash your face, clean up your mess, and get up off the floor when your’e done. You don’t belong down there.

If you are going to curse, be clever.
If you are going to curse in public, know your audience.

Seek out the people and places that resonate with your soul.

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

Five second rule. There are literally worse things in fast food.

You are a woman, you do not need a man. (But, it’s okay to want the right one.)

Practice passion and compassion.

Ask for what you want, the worst answer you can get is “No.”

Wish on stars.

Stay as sweet as you are.

Fall in love, often. With music, art, ideas, food + far away places.

Fall hard and forever in love with yourself.

Always use you manners.

Reserve “I’m sorry” for when you truly are.

Nap!!

Question everything, except your intuition.

Happiness is not a permanent state.
Wholeness is. Don’t confuse the two.

Pain, my baby is unfortunately inevitable, but suffering is a choice.

Never, ever walk alone after dark.

BE less sugar, more spice.

“I can’t..” Is a cop out.

Hold your hero’s to a high standard. Be your OWN hero.

If you can’t smile with those gorgeous green eyes.. Don’t smile.
Insincerity is nothing to aspire to.

Never lie.

YOUR BODY, YOUR RULES!

If you have an opinion, know why,

No matter where you are, you can always come home. Always!

Be happy and remember your roots,
Family is everything.

Say what you mean + mean what you say.

No one will ever love you more than I do.

Be kind and treat others well.

Accept compliments.

If you fall, get up. Straighten your crown and remember whose daughter you are..

-All my heart.

(These words saved my life.)

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
College dropout.. Womp womp. At one point, I thought this was the end of the road for me.. Nope! In today’s generation.. Being a college grad doesn’t necessarily guarantee a career or even a future of utilizing your degree! That said.. New passages led to new options.. Lots of options. I didn’t know which direction to take. Inspired by the wiser female role models in my life.. I’d always had a passion for beauty and wellness. Hair, skin care, make-up, etc; Being a woman brings me joy! I knew that much. Blossoming other women’s confidence feeds my soul! Bingo. A very close family friend, Tory (Who has been a hair stylist for over 20 years!).. Encouraged me to try cosmetology school! Before you ask.. No. I was not a beauty school dropout, as well. I graduated from Paul Mitchell The School Arlington. Then, I joined an apprenticeship with a salon in Fort Worth! Moved into a tiny studio apartment with a 75lb German Shepard.. Eating spoonfuls of peanut butter for dinner, pinching pennies, and biting bullets to make sure my dog was eating gourmet meals in order to keep her coat shiny. Needless to say.. Sacrifices were made. I was able to flex my creative muscle and utilize a natural artistic talent.. Hair! But, eventually.. I wanted to explore other fields. (I still have my cosmetology license and do family and friends hair on the side.. For fun!!) But, at the time.. I needed a change. I decided to take a step back and work in the food service industry to keep the lights on. In between motives.. Serving in a restaurant was the quickest way to make money. Being a server was second nature.. I love talking to new people and helping others out! Perfect. Bills paid. But, I was discouraged.. I wanted more for myself! But.. This was not an overnight miracle. I remained patient for opportunity to arise. Then, God.. Swung a door wide and I mean WIDE open.. “You want me to be a health insurance agent?!”.. “WHAT?!” (This must be a mistake.. I don’t know anything about health insurance?!) ..“Just. Trust. Me. & Go”.. So I did. I walked straight into an open interview around a big fancy table with big fancy chairs and a big fancy boss.. and nearly shit my pants. Glass windows, a concierge, a taxidermy LION?! “Are you f**** kidding me.. Why am I here?!,” I thought. (Because spirit led me and told me.. I was supposed to be here.) I picked up the material quickly. I fell in love with the lively energy of the office. I studied. I got licensed and appointed.. I found my field. Now, here I am.. A Licensed Health Insurance Agent & Benefits Coordinator with The Healthy Insurance Dude Team. I get to LOVE what I do.. I get to genuinely help people as an advisor to the best options out there. Give me your budget.. Give me your situation.. Give me 15 minutes. My job is to have your best intention. My job is to make sure you are in the most compatible and fitting spot possible for your health insurance.. Without breaking the bank or being misinformed. Not just for individuals.. But, for families and small businesses all over the country as well. It’s SO fun!! *Typing as fast as I can out of pure joy and excitement!!!* I get to save people money! Most importantly.. Build a plan that will actually be there for you when you need it. Accidents, sicknesses, and critical illnesses are unpredictable. Health insurance in America.. Sucks! I totally get it. I wouldn’t be excited over nothing.. We make things simple. 15 minutes!!! Guaranteed lifetime safety and a new friend! I’m not just an agent. I don’t just sell 1 product.. I point you in the best direction and have access to every plan possible. WE CONTINUE to ensure your plan is working FOR you, your family, or business. People are unaware of their options.. That’s where real people get to provide real help. Hello.. I’m Hayden Sumner with The Healthy Insurance Dude Team. Let’s be friends.. We’ve got your back!!

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.
IF YOU LOVE LIVE MUSIC + GOOD FOOD. (Come to Fort Worth!!)

Stockyards
Joe T’s
Snooze AM Eatery
Wabi House
Electric Bike Tour
Sundance Square
Billy Bob’s
Maria’s Mexican Food
Trinity River
Fort Worth Water Gardens
Kimbell Art Museum
Modern Art Museum
Walk around the Trinity River
Watch a sunset
Find a dive bar!!
..There are SO MANY cool things to do around here!!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
4 hours away from my hometown, my family, and everything i’d ever known.. Off to college I went! 18 years old. A 2020 Martin High School graduate & Covid-19 freshman at Stephen F. Austin University. Young, dumb, and eager for newfound adventure, independence, and discovery. There I was.. In the midst of a worldwide pandemic, starting my college career..
A socially distanced snowball of short comings was inevitably ahead. A future built on a foundation of uncertainty and shaky ground.. A world turned upside down. In a new far away town.. No familiar faces. Just me, myself, and a laptop of 6 college courses that I was banging my head against the wall to stay awake for. Leading to a progressive fight with depression and anxiety.. Online education was undoubtedly not for me. Achieving a college degree felt impossible! Living all by myself, for the first time.. Was an uphill battle in confined spaces. Living the typical- “American college dream”.. was far out of the ordinary. Attempting to adapt to Covid procedures and grasp my new reality of young adulthood.. Teaching myself accountability, responsibility, and how to fold a fitted sheet without my mom’s help.. was not easy sailing. Going into a major of “Business Marketing and Management..” was a challenge within itself. Education via Zoom. Stuck in a shoebox of a dorm room.. With an increasing struggle to obtain education and balance a healthy lifestyle. As a “hands-on” student.. Learning without being in a physical classroom was extraordinarily difficult for me.. I was destined for disaster. A mental state deteriorating by the minute it felt.. I began to spiral in negative thoughts and hopelessness. I became blind to the light at the end of the tunnel. Depleted and defeated. I wanted to give up. I had failed myself, my family, my future.. and began questioning my worth all in all. The hole I had dug was deep.. I feared this cycle of desperation would never end. But guess what? IT.. DID. My hero. My cheerleader. My mother, Rachel.. Wrote me a letter of life advice and key reminders. THE letter.. that changed. My. Life. Forever. (I will be inserting pictures of these particular quotes and favorite affirmations:) These words are held very close to heart.. Entailing some of the most life changing advice i’d ever needed to hear in that moment.. My mental had been redirected. My roots had been replanted.. My heels dug deep right into that hole and I remembered who I was. I was lit by a fire of ambition and determination to make myself proud. I had found my faith. I had remembered my worth.. A breakthrough had happened. Now.. I live by these words to remind myself of the victories and battles i’ve overcome.. The strength endured to keep pushing.. and most important reminder to NEVER give up on yourself. As I wear my heart of my sleeve.. I refer back to the letter that pulled me out of the darkest of places.. Thank you for never letting me give up on myself. Whenever I need extra motivation.. your words ALWAYS help me shine! My brightest star.. Cheers!!
All my love. Thank you, Mama.

Website: https://www.thehealthyinsurancedude.com/

Instagram: https://hay.sumner

Other: BOOKING LINK! https://hello.thehealthyinsurancedude.com/widget/booking/WyNd1Yr9XfWiyc0vUF1M

Image Credits
Perry & Jayme Lunsford. (The Healthy Insurance Dude & Dudette) https://www.thehealthyinsurancedude.com/