5 Careers, 5 Women, 5 Questions... Ashley Feader

Ashley Feader: Account Manager, Small Commercial, Jones Brown Inc. Insurance Brokerage 

1) What is something you love about your current position and what is something you loathe? 

I really like “owning” my own book of business and being able to decide the strategic direction of my work. I enjoy helping clients find solutions that help them run their businesses. Most small business owners are uneducated when it comes to insurance, so it is my job to help them understand a very important part of business planning. I really enjoy my team here at Jones Brown as well – great people help a great deal!

Some of the things that I could do without in my position are clients with unrealistic expectations (impossible to avoid in any industry though), spending my work day at a computer all day long, the limited creativity in the role, and the fact that the product I sell is something that everyone needs but no one wants to pay for! 

The work-life balance is great in this industry and allows parents to see their kids, take them to soccer, and be home for dinner. The compensation is decent and there is tremendous opportunity to advance if you are dedicated. Insurance is definitely not a dream job for most people, but it definitely has some perks.

2) Where do you get your wonderful sense of style from and who inspires you?

I change my mind on this daily. I appreciate so many different style orientations that I have always found it hard to stick to one (or to pick the one that is the best for me). I love understated elegance, hidden sex appeal, smart dressing, and well-made clothes. I don’t like things that necessarily appeal to the masses all the time. I admire Gwyneth Paltrow for her elegance and simplicity, Ralph Lauren’s sense of luxury (his clothes always tell a story of who the woman is, where she is from, and his clothes are WEARABLE), Elle Macpherson’s never-ending youthful style and free spirit (who WOULDN’T want to look like that at 50?), Theory’s ability to provide variation in its “uniform” of a good suit and good basics, Lanvin, Chloe….I could go on and on, but when I think of who inspires me fashion-wise, it always comes down to the personality of the woman wearing the clothes – I love Parisian women, New Yorkers, the developing style in Hong Kong and China, the Sartorialist, and Stockholm Street Style – real woman are the real inspirations!

3) What is your favorite weekend ritual, do you do anything outside of work during the week?

I’m a home-body. Period. I love coming home to a good glass of wine and a good meal with my hubby during the week – nothing beats that. Weekends are spent transforming our home, dreaming about vacations and travel plans, playing with our puppy, having dinner or coffee with friends, and sleeping in. Some think it’s boring, but this is my idea of heaven.

4) Why did you choose the career you did; who would you love to meet one day (has that person indirectly influenced your career choices)?  

Like most people in insurance, I fell into my career. I was looking for a job in the middle of the recession in 2008 and I was hired in the industry. The rest is history. I would absolutely love to meet Nancy Meyers (film director – Something’s Gotta Give, It’s Complicated, Father of the Bride, etc.). The film industry has always interested me, and Nancy has found a way to combine her love of interior design with filmmaking. That combination just may be my dream job! 

I can’t say that anything or anyone influenced my career choice other than the need to get a job and make money after school. Sigh….

5) What is one piece of advice you would give to friends/readers who are struggling in their careers?

Make sure you really know who you are and what you want before you switch careers. I would absolutely love to be an interior designer, filmmaker, writer, etc., but I know that I value my stability, my income, and my free time too much at this point. Maybe one day I’ll have the opportunity to pursue something else without having to sacrifice my life, but I am not there yet. It isn’t sexy or exciting, but you really need to look at your career on paper. Your dream job may fulfill you professionally, but what will it do to your livelihood and your relationships? Most of us can’t have it all, and it’s about deciding what is most important to you.