After 11 years of rising in the ranks at American Family Insurance, Kelley Burnett opened her own agency during 2017 in Edina. Since then, the award-winning Burnett & Associates has been successfully advising and educating its customers on the best ways to protect themselves, their families and their assets.
“American Family's mission and vision is to inspire, protect and restore dreams,” she says. Kelley’s grateful to be able to carry out this mission in the town in which she and her family live. “I love being a part of the community that my kids go to school in, that I live in, and engage in on a daily basis.”
People in Edina, she explains, are really passionate about supporting local businesses and the entire community. “I’m so appreciative that I landed in a place that values that. I'm also thankful to work for such a great organization like American Family. We're customer driven, and every decision we make is all about how it's going to impact our customers, which is very important to me.”
In addition to owning her own business in town, she’s involved with the Edina Rotary and the Edina Chamber of Commerce. “These organizations have been a great way to connect with community members and give back in a way that is bigger than oneself,” she says.
Kelley highly values the staff that helps her accomplish her goals on a daily basis. “I have the most amazing team and I couldn't do this without them,” she says. “We have fun and support one another on the daily, all while still serving our clients.”
Engaging with people on a daily basis, whether with her team or with her clients, is something she enjoys immensely. She’s also passionate about educating clients. “I think this really differentiates our agency,” says Kelley. “Some agencies bring on a client and then never speak to them again, and the policy just renews and renews. But, we are constantly and proactively engaging with our customers because needs change over time. We are there along the way to guide and educate them on coverage identifying what’s best for them now and in the future.”
To protect assets, Kelley advises that it's critical for clients to understand their policies and what's covered, and having an expert who can explain the differences is extremely helpful. “Every policy is different, so it's important to meet with an insurance agent to understand what type of tailored coverage you need for your specific needs and to also continually update it because life changes all the time.”
With her degree in risk management and insurance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, combined with her many years of experience in the industry, she is able to confidently share her knowledge with others, which she’s happy to be able to do.
While Kelley works hard supporting her team and her clients, she is thankful for the support she gets from her family – husband Zach, 12-year-old daughter Elsa and 9-year-old son Jack. “I'm a small business owner, and so there are moments when I can’t be at everything and they give me grace.”
On the other side of the coin, being a business owner also has many benefits. “One of the greatest things about my career is being able to have flexibility to schedule things around my, my children’s and my husband’s needs,” she says.
Kelley is also able to take time off to participate in one of the family’s greatest joys. “One of our passions is to experience different cultures and places and we do that through travel,” she says. “We love to show our kids different parts of the world. We are also huge college football fans and enjoy attending as many games as we can.”
For all your insurance needs, contact Kelley Burnett or a member of her outstanding team at Burnett & Associates and American Family Insurance. “I love that this is a very noble profession,” says Kelley. “We are here for our clients at their most devastating moments, whether it’s a house fire, a leak or an accident. We show up to make them whole again, and provide comfort that everything is going to be okay.”
7301 OHMS LN. STE 300 | 952-933-8495 | AmFam.com/Agents/Minnesota/Edina/Kelley-Burnett