Women in the Workplace | Joanna Mendonca

Please tell us about yourself, your company and your career in insurance.

I’m incredibly proud and fortunate to be part of the third generation of my family to own and operate our brokerage. I’ve been in the insurance industry and at Staebler for over 15 years now, and I’ve held many positions from HR & Operations Assistant to Commercial Service Team Leader to Business Development and beyond. In January 2020, I became a mom and striking that balance between your home and work life has been a challenge that I will no doubt be working on for the rest of my life. However, it brought into perspective the balance that all working parents have to strike and emphasized how important it is that our profession and work support our lives rather than hinder them.     

What advice has helped you along your career path?

I have benefited from so much good advice along the way, not to mention the tough lessons learned. The most helpful advice I have is to be humble. Of course, it’s so important to have confidence in your abilities, intelligence, skill, and value, but always remember to be humble and kind. Socrates was credited with saying, the only true wisdom is knowing you know nothing. I think Socrates had it right. Stay humble, and remember that you cannot know everything. Let that knowledge drive you to ask questions, grow, and continuously learn.

What are three pieces of advice you would give to women in the workplace?

Know what you want. Do the work and know clearly what you want for your career and future. You’ll have to make decisions in your career and I believe it’s easier when you have clarity on what you want—the kind of leader you want to be, the legacy you want to leave, the values that are important to you, the things you enjoy, and the things you’re good at or not so good at. 

Put up your hand. Offer your time and expertise, apply for committees or positions, raise your hand and raise your voice. Ask for those roles and responsibilities you want. Do not hesitate to put yourself forward or say it out loud. No one can help or support you if they do not know what you need or want.

Err on the side of kindness. This is a piece of advice my mother gave me, and it has served me well. When you are presented with a choice, err on the side of kindness. Whenever you can, be considerate and generous. You will never look back and think oh, I wish I had been less kind. In any situation, the kindest route is a good place to start.

Looking back, what has been the most rewarding part of your career? 

I have found it most rewarding to get involved in industry groups and associations outside our brokerage, such as the IBAO’s Young Brokers Council and my local affiliate, the Insurance Brokers Association of Waterloo Region (IBAWR). It’s been rewarding to connect with my industry peers and talk shop or debate hot topics. I’ve shared my perspective with others and learned from colleagues with different experiences than mine. I have grown my network and have so many connections and built relationships that I can reach out to for advice and insight, which they readily and freely offer. The broker channel is such a supportive and collaborative place. Although we are competitors, we are open and willing to help each other. 

What keeps you excited about going to work every day?

Making a real difference. At Staebler, we take a lot of pride in having a robust in-house training program that allows us to bring in new team members with no prior insurance experience or education. We have so many stories of people who joined our team with no previous insurance experience and have become successful brokers and leaders in our organization. It’s wonderful to introduce others to this profession because we really do important work. This is something our industry has to offer—meaningful work, making a real difference, caring, compassion, integrity, and advocacy. Insurance brokers are the gladiators of the industry! We go to battle every day for our people. 

What is the most challenging aspect of your business?

It is hard to choose the most challenging thing because it can depend on the day and the context, but one of the most challenging aspects of our business is the people. Our customers have a variety of needs, interests, and styles. Our team has a variety of strengths, skills, and wants. Our business partners have a variety of considerations, strategies, and demands. It is a constant challenge to respond to all the people involved—to guide and support them, engage and motivate them, and negotiate and work with them. So, the people are both the most enjoyable and the most challenging aspect of our business, consistently.

How do you stay on top of the ever-changing world of insurance?

I find it helpful to have peers and colleagues around me that are just as passionate about the world of insurance as I am. When you are passionate about something, you think about it, read about it, talk about it, and you’re interested in it. You use your network to stay plugged into what is happening in the industry, and have a healthy curiosity about our profession, and what is new and exciting.

What habit did you develop that was most helpful to you throughout your career?

Using my calendar faithfully! I have dropped enough balls in my life that I am now obsessive about putting things in my calendar. And not just meetings. If I have to prepare a document or read and sign a contract, I put it in my calendar. If I want to watch a video or listen to a podcast, I put it in my calendar. When I have a meeting, I’ll put it in my calendar along with timeslots for travelling back and forth. It doesn’t mean I always get to things, but at least if it’s in my calendar, it’s on my radar, and I have a plan to get it done. And you know what they say—if you fail to plan then you plan to fail! So make a plan, and put it in your calendar.