Insurance has a reputation for being impersonal, but Kathy Schultze has built her agency career around warmth.
“Relationships are the backbone of my business,” she says. “Listening to people, understanding their needs, and even educating about the insurance business – I’m always asking not, ‘How can I sell?’ but ‘How can I connect?’”
Schultze says that this is particularly important in a business like insurance, which she says is “very competitive,” but her focus on humanity has served her well. Since opening her State Farm agency office in 1984, with zero clients, it’s grown to encompass 11 team members (with more positions open), and hundreds of valued clients across Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, some of whom have been with the agency for decades.
Her relational approach is also part of the reason why Schultze chose and has remained with State Farm: “They have a phenomenal claims service,” she says. In the case of a loss, rather than handle the settlement remotely, State Farm claims representatives will actually “go to someone’s house,” says Schultze, and provide personal assessment and support. In an age where more and more admin tasks are handled by automated systems, she knows that this counts.
State Farm also, she says, has one of the largest varieties of insurance products (96) and enables clients to bundle in a way that maximizes cost efficiency and creates a package of coverage that’s exactly right for each family, business, or individual. “One of the things my clients value,” Schultze says, “is that I can be a single point person for all of their insurance needs. I help protect what matters most, with coverage for your car, your home, your life, your pets, and more. I can also offer the building blocks to plan for tomorrow, whether that’s saving for college or preparing for retirement with an IRA or 401K.”
In keeping with her focus on relationships, Schultze also approaches her work with a “generational” mindset. “I’m beginning to serve the children of some of my original clients from years ago. When the kids are shopping for homeowner’s, car, or renter’s insurance, parents will tell them, ‘Just call Kathy.’ As a mother myself, it means a lot to me that parents trust me with their kids.”
Her generational approach has even played out in her own family: her daughter, Sara, is herself a sales leader with State Farm. Her husband of 48 years, Tom, is part of the agency, working on its business and commercial side, and she has a son, Michael, who is pursuing a career as an artist. “Family is very important to me,” she says. She also makes a point of mentoring younger insurance agents, adding that she “loves to see her team blossom and grow.”
In the community, she has been active taking leadership roles on nonprofit boards, including the Carroll Creek Rotary Club, the Frederick Rescue Mission, Habitat for Humanity, and Heartly House. “Part of the reason I even got started in insurance,” she says, “is because of my parents’ example. My dad would always say, ‘Go make a difference.’” Schultze’s focus on people and creating the safety required to nurture generations continues to shine through. KathySchultze.com
Kathy Schultze’s Top 3 Tips for Homeowners
- Make sure you have the right insurance coverage for your home – not the market value, but the replacement cost if something were to happen. Only insuring for market value is a key mistake many first-time home purchasers make.
- Invest in personal liability insurance – making sure you’re covered for enough liability to protect your assets. This is a common “blind spot” where people can get caught short.
- Before signing on with an insurance company, make sure to do your research and investigate the company’s financial strength. You would be surprised at how many times smaller or less-established companies default on coverage. It’s not just about the price – it’s about the integrity of your insurance provider.
“Relationships are the backbone of my business.”
“When the kids are shopping for homeowner’s, car, or renter’s insurance, parents will tell them, ‘Just call Kathy.’”