Meet Trailblazer Silvia Calderon

Today we’d like to introduce you to Silvia Calderon.

 

Silvia, please share your story with us. 
My husband always wanted to serve in the military, but I was against the idea of not having him around – especially after seeing my brother-in-law’s family suffer through his deployments and constant military outings. However, my husband’s desire to serve was always present so he joined.

At that time, we only had our son and were thinking about growing our family. The idea of having a non-present dad for my kids was killing me. Up until this point, everything was about me and my career. I was the one with the degree and the “big job”. Now, it was my husband’s time to pursue his dreams. We tried our best to balance our busy lives. How attached was I to my job? Very. My husband commuted for 5 to 6 hours daily to get to his military base in San Diego and he never complained. 2 deployments and 2 new babies later, I realized that we needed to make a drastic change. My strict financial planning and the way I used to meticulously plan every move had to away. My heart will guide our new journey.

I was completely in love with the company I worked for but my love for my growing family was stronger than anything, so from one day to the other, we sold our house and relocated to San Diego. We started all over again.

I was always told that the military life would change me. My friends would ask if I was going to continue working now that I was going to be a “Navy Wife”. I always laughed and said: “I am not giving up my career. I am not made to be simply recognized as someone’s wife. I am myself. That’s it”. I was very wrong. Life changed drastically once I started to fear for my husband’s life. Life changed once my husband started to shine and grow in the way he was meant to. A mixed feeling of pride and fear. We learned to appreciate LIFE. Not a pretty house or a cool car.

In our new journey, we are more dedicated to our kids and to our community. it is not about how many friends we can get. It is about how many lives you can touch in a positive way.

This is how my company came to be. There were so many different options on how to start an insurance agency. I shot for the hardest one. Why? It was the only way I would be able to touch more lives. Selling in a cubicle by myself would not create a big impact. Building a team from scratch and developing new talents while building my book of business from zero, and establishing relationships to help my new community, all at the same time, would be the “real” deal. This is where my heart is! Having to open an office as an independent agent and hire staff from day 1 is a big challenge. And for anyone in the insurance industry, it sounds a little “crazy”. This is not even considering that I am a Navy Wife (and I say it with pride) and a mother of 3, coming from a foreign country – Spanish being my mother tongue. I look as Peruvian as it can be, in a white-men-dominated industry.

My family and my team are a huge part of my motivation to keep pushing myself outside of my comfort zone, to be open to learn new things and to re-learn others, to work harder every day, and to appreciate every moment.

As we celebrated our 1-year anniversary in my agency, we reflected on what makes our agency strong and I am sure this will apply to your business or place of work as well. Our team is what determines the growth of the business and the quality that we can provide to our clients, the level of involvement that we can have in our community, and the work atmosphere that we create for ourselves. A strong team makes a strong business.

My business is thriving, and it is all because we all put our hearts in everything we do. Big or small task, big or small account, we never give less than our 100%. We are rapidly growing and have been recognized for our performance. Funny thing, we don’t push ourselves for sales. Sure, we have sales goals. But it is determined that our happiness and the happiness (and peace of mind) of our clients come first. That’s the secret.”

Accomplishments and Affiliations:
• Recognized by the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce for her participation and contributions to the Business, Hispanic, and Military Communities in Oceanside.
• Recognized by the San Marcos Chamber of Commerce for her participation and contributions to the Business Community, local teachers, and the American Cancer Society.
• Active member of the San Marcos Chamber of Commerce, Oceanside Chamber of Commerce, and the Greater San Diego Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
• Board of Directors for “Las Valientes – God’s Heart Ministry”, a non-profit providing legal services to women coming out to domestic violence.
• Team Captain in the Carlsbad-Encinitas Relay for Life – 2018, supporting the American Cancer Society.

Licenses:
• Property and Casualty Broker – Agent
• Life and Health Broker – Agent

Has it been a smooth road?
Quitting a job after 11 years. One of the hardest decisions ever. After building strong relationships and having the opportunity to be mentored by a truly extraordinary woman, you feel like you can’t just let go. Letting go is probably the hardest thing to do. We are emotion-driven. We love, and we get attached. Sometimes you just need to breathe and follow your heart. Don’t think. If you make a mistake you get back up and learn. You will never fail yourself as long as you do your best. You only fail when you give up.
Quitting my job also meant giving up my financial stability. How did I push myself to do it? I had to re-evaluate my priorities. I started to pay attention and decided to live a more conscious life. To be present. I realized that most of us live each day pushing through tasks and been busy. It can’t be that way. We need to enjoy ourselves and do what makes us happy, not what makes us the most money.

Getting out there and market myself. I was always behind a big name and in a position of power. Big media companies and industry leaders looked for me. Now I have to be the one looking and working to establish relationships. I am still learning. But if I had to share some advice I would say to just be yourself. We are all vulnerable and most of us don’t see ourselves as “perfect”. If you pay attention, you will discover that people are just people. We are all mothers, sisters, daughters, cousins, wives, etc. we go through the same struggles and have the desire to succeed. Most people are nice and have good intentions. Just be you. Don’t worry about making a sale, rather think about making a friend. No matter what you do for business or in your personal relationships, we all benefit more if we just help. Give yourself first and don’t keep score.

Balancing being a mom and a businessowner is a BIG challenge. School, doctor’s appointments, playtime, activities, etc. are part of every parent’s lives and it is still a mystery how we all juggle work tasks and family time. What works for me is to keep in mind that my kids feed on my love and vice-versa. They give me the energy and motivation to push through my limits. At the same time, they need my love and energy to grow happy and strong. It doesn’t matter how tired or stress I am. Once I cross my house door, I am the happiest person on earth, and I celebrate life with my family. Every day.

We’d love to hear more about Silvia Calderon Farmers Insurance Agency.
I am an insurance agent who is passionate about helping others. I love the insurance industry because it gives me the opportunity to make a positive impact in people’s lives by advising and guiding them in protecting their current and future assets, and most importantly in protecting the future of their loved ones.

My business is the Silvia Calderon Farmers Insurance Agency. We offer insurance for auto, home, life, and business. As part of the Farmers Group of Companies, we are able to broaden our solutions to also serve markets that would not usually be a good fit for a preferred insurance carrier. This allows us to offer insurance for mobile and modular homes, vacation rentals, classic vehicles, multi-million dollar homes, exotic cars, etc.

We specialize in helping families and small business owners with the insurance protection they need. Our job is to create the best insurance package for you, look for the most savings, and assist you whenever you need us.

Our business is built upon the quality of the relationship we have with our customers, so we focus 100% on customer service!

Finding a mentor and building a network are often cited in studies as a major factor impacting one’s success. Do you have any advice or lessons to share regarding finding a mentor or networking in general?
Find someone who is already there, where you want to be.

When networking, stay focused on what you are trying to accomplish. Set a goal and have a clear action plan. Measure results. Networking is a business-leisure that usually happens before and after “work hours”. make it count.

If you are going to be part of a group, don’t just be “part of it”. Be a leader. Contribute to work. Build a reputation for yourself.

Contact Info:

• Address: 330 Rancheros Dr. Ste 204. San Marcos, CA 92069
• Website: https://agents.farmers.com/ca/san-marcos/silvia-calderon
• Phone: 760-690-3882
• Email: scalderon@farmersagent.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/calderoninsuranceagency
• Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/silvia-ines-calderon-93954a69

Image Credit:
Silvia Calderon

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