Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
Welcome to the Bottom Line Me podcast. I'm your host, Ann Allard. Today's episode is a very special one, especially for me. I'm being joined today by someone who's shaped Old Republic titles, Agency University, including this podcast with lots of clarity, compassion, and steady vision. As many of you know, Brenda Nelson is going to be transitioning out of the Agency University department head role, but she plans on continuing with the company for most of this year.
So she's beginning a new chapter, and that chapter is going to lead her to what she's talking about a lot these days, and that is retirement. So, Brenda, hello.
Welcome back.
[00:00:58] Speaker B: Thank you. It's good to be here.
[00:01:00] Speaker A: It's so good to see you and to have an opportunity to spend some time with you so that you can. Hopefully we can both reflect on your leadership journey and explore some of the lessons that you've learned along the way and perhaps share them with not only me, but with our entire audience. So, so again, thanks so much.
So I think a good place to start would be to take a look back, you know, the moment when you stepped into this rule and what that journey was really like for you. So let me ask you this. What originally drew you to joining the Agency University department, and has that changed for you over time, your perspective on why you decided to join this team?
[00:01:49] Speaker B: Well, it's interesting, when you're approached for a new role, you don't really see yourself as a good fit. You really don't. You ask yourself, why me?
And then you realize that a person that you trust saw me in that position and they saw me as a fit. So why don't I see myself in that role?
So as far as Agency University, which was shared success back then, after some thought, I realized that it would be exciting to work with that team, you know, but what drew me to the role, truly drew me to the role, was the idea of continuing building a training and education department for Old Republic, for Old Republic Agency specifically, you know, to give our agency reps some real tools to take out to their agents.
And I was excited to take what's already been accomplished at shared success and build on that and to help set a Old Republic apart from the other underwriters in the area of training and education. So it was kind of, at first it was like, why me? And then it was like, why not me?
[00:02:55] Speaker A: So, yeah, it sounds like you connected the dots to your passion, which has always been in my experiences with you, training and education. So. Yes. Yeah. So. So let me ask you this.
When you look back, what moments or decisions that you made stand out? Anything in particular?
[00:03:18] Speaker B: Well, it's funny if you mean what defines as far as taking the role. You may laugh at me, but after a lot of the discussions, I was leaning towards saying yes to lead au. But. But you know when you have one of those aha moments. I do. I had one of those when I was flying back from Philly and I was in. I was perusing an airport gift shop and there was a magnet that said, if not now, then when.
And I think I laughed out loud because it was like the magnet was asking me the question, but it had like a hey, Demi in front of it. Hey, Demi, if not now, then when?
So shortly after that, I accept, accepted that position. But that little magnet still on my fridge, that's amazing.
[00:04:04] Speaker A: It's. I like to call those quantum flirts from the universe. You know, these things show up for us when they're supposed to.
[00:04:11] Speaker B: Yeah. And it's. It's funny. It was. There was no delay. It was like I was leaving Philly after discussions and it was at the airport. So.
[00:04:18] Speaker A: Yeah. Anything in particular surprise you about leading this department?
[00:04:26] Speaker B: Well, I think that's kind of easy to answer because it was the team.
I knew it was a great group of people, but to find out that every single one of the team was self motivated, they were creative, they think outside the box.
We've added people since the beginning of my tenure there, but all of them have the same qualities. So I think surprised me. Just because that group was put together and every single one of them had talent and you don't find that awesome?
[00:05:01] Speaker A: Well, that's really nice to hear.
So let's talk a little bit more about lessons, growth and leadership.
Is there something that you wish you had understood earlier in your leadership journey that now you know and that you wish you had learned it early on?
[00:05:21] Speaker B: Yes.
I think leading a group of creatives is interesting and I had never done that before.
I mean, that sounds bad. I have led creatives before, but not in this where they come up with an idea and I watch the process. It's fascinating.
It's incredible to see the excitement and the collaboration and the overcoming of roadblocks along the way, all the way to the final launch.
So I guess it isn't so much something I wish I had understood earlier, but something that I hope I did. And that was to be a good advocate for each one of them, for the whole team, that I gave good direction and that was truly leading them to be their best and fully develop Every idea that they had, great.
[00:06:11] Speaker A: Let's talk a little bit about challenges, because they exist. They're all the better.
And I think for anybody that's listening, you know, if they're in a. In a growth mode or a leadership position, challenges are something we face on a daily basis. But was there any specific challenge that you faced that ended up teaching you more than you had expected?
[00:06:37] Speaker B: Yes, I will say definitely, I love my company.
It's a family. It's a big family.
And with big families come rules and processes and procedures.
And here you had a group of people who wanted to create. They have ideas, big ideas. But you have to go through the right channels.
And I think at first, that was perceived by me as a roadblock, Really. I think the whole team viewed it as a roadblock. Here we've got these great ideas, and you're putting this roadblock in front of me. But as time went on and we worked together with the whole. The whole family, we saw the why and the reasons for the process.
Does that make sense?
[00:07:22] Speaker A: You know, I think that's such an interesting perspective because there's no question, you know, and you know me pretty well, and, you know, I. I'm always the one that's going to challenge, you know, status quo. But there, it's a.
[00:07:36] Speaker B: It's a real.
[00:07:36] Speaker A: I think it's really critical that there's a leader who can identify what the why is and help the team kind of shift or pivot to where they need to be. It's an important lesson that I've learned repeatedly from you, and I hope that I will continue to. Even long after you have exited the building.
[00:08:00] Speaker B: Well, one of the things with that is that you can say, this is the way it's done.
[00:08:05] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:08:05] Speaker B: This is the way we're going to do it.
[00:08:07] Speaker A: Right.
[00:08:07] Speaker B: But I think when you gradually learn the why and you learn it together with your team, it's better than, you know, I have a tendency sometimes when told there's a rule, I, you know, fold my arms and say, what?
But does that really pertain to me? But in a family like we have, it does. I mean, you have to have those.
[00:08:30] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. Without. Without a doubt.
Do you think that over time, you know, how long have you been on. On the Agency University team? Now, I should know that. But I.
[00:08:41] Speaker B: Off the top of my head, January of 2020 is when I started with Agency University leading. But before that, I was always a part of shared success.
[00:08:51] Speaker A: Right.
Right at the beginning of the pandemic, you jumped in both.
Wow, do you Think your leadership style has evolved in these five years and if so, share a little bit about that with me.
[00:09:07] Speaker B: Yeah, I do think it has. I'm a better person for having led this group. I really do believe that. I've learned so much as a leader. I used to think you had to understand everything.
I have to understand everything everybody is talking about. But sometimes I would listen and, and at a certain point not understand completely, you know, what was being said or what was asked. Like, for example, the use of certain software, you know, or technical words being used. The administration of Absorb, our learning management platform.
I came to realize that that's okay. It's okay not to understand all the technical because you have people for that.
Leadership is about guiding and supporting and helping others grow.
So I'm gonna, you know, I say that after not understanding something, I did go and research and I went back and I was like, okay, now I could ask some questions because I understand what you said. It was a real, I mean, very big growth experience for me to lead the team.
[00:10:13] Speaker A: Well, I think, you know, just listening to you though, you know, I think an effective and a successful leader is always going to be willing to say, I'm not really sure, but we're going to find out together. And that that's one of those things I think that can really help to create a cohesive team that works together towards whatever the common goal or goals are. So. So let's talk about transitioning and what's next. You know, love what you shared now. I'd love to look at where you are right now and what it feels like to be in this in between moment.
[00:10:51] Speaker B: Yeah, it's interesting. I want to make the transition as easy as possible.
I think I want to make it easy for those moving into the future with this team.
I'm going to focus on assisting wherever I can, wherever I'm asked. And, you know, I'm available, I guess, is what as I transition to.
I'm transitioning back into the Southwest full time and also transitioning out there for retirement. So. Yeah, that's an interesting position.
[00:11:24] Speaker A: It certainly is. Is there anything in particular that you're planning to focus on for the next however months?
[00:11:33] Speaker B: Well, I, I really want the transition to go smooth. That's the biggest thing. And I want everybody, I mean, I want the group to look at the future of technology and learning in small micro learning pieces and shared knowledge. There's so much ahead. It's a bright future for that, for this department. I mean, it's. There's a bright future yeah, exactly.
[00:11:58] Speaker A: Well, that leads us into a legacy conversation for sure. You know, what's going to last, what carries forward.
I'd really love to explore that with you a little. What. What do you hope remains central in not just Agency University, but in your contributions to the entire company at Old Republic? Is there anything specific that you want to make sure people stop and say, ah, that was Brenda Nelson?
[00:12:29] Speaker B: Well, I definitely want everybody to stay curious on how to improve for the future.
Not look at the short term gains, but the long term, to carry AU and Old Republic into the future. I mean, the great thing about this team is they are accountable to each other and they're accountable to the team as a whole. And all of that builds trust.
And I think if they can continue with that, you know, the culture that I tried to build while I've been here is. Is collaboration, being part of a team, and then every idea is worth exploring.
[00:13:08] Speaker A: Yeah, well, I was just going to ask you that, and you, you know, about what you hope to leave, but you've already answered that, so. You know, I love a lightning round, so I thought it would be fun to go right into a little bit of a lightning round with you so that we end on with some. On something fun and memorable. So here's my first question.
One thing that you can't start your workday without.
[00:13:35] Speaker B: Well, okay, I'm going to cheat and say two things. Coffee and prayer.
[00:13:40] Speaker A: Coffee and. Well, those are two great things to start the day with, for sure. And they go together very well. Yeah, they really do. They really do. All right, what's the first word that comes to mind when you think of leadership?
[00:13:54] Speaker B: Team.
[00:13:55] Speaker A: Team. I love it. One thing that you're grateful for today, my family.
[00:14:01] Speaker B: And I have to add, it's my home family, but also my work family.
When I started with Old Republic. I'm going to interrupt your lightning round. When I started with Old Republic, I went to my very first, I think it was an agency rep meeting, and they said that the most important thing are the three Fs, and it's faith, family and friends, and hopefully the people you work with, their friends, and they'll soon become family.
So I love that. That was a good introduction to Old Republic.
[00:14:29] Speaker A: I love that, too. You know, I promised myself I wasn't going to get emotional because as we both know, there's no crying in title insurance.
It's distracting. All right, I got a couple more for you. A book you'd recommend to anyone who's interested in leadership.
[00:14:47] Speaker B: Well, David Marquette, He's a Retired Navy captain.
He wrote a book called Turn the Ship around, and it's about how he turned a very poorly performing submarine team into the best fleet. And he used a leader, leader model, which is empowering people to make decisions, take ownership.
So it was a really good book.
[00:15:10] Speaker A: Repeat the name of the book again because I turn.
[00:15:13] Speaker B: Turn the Ship Around.
[00:15:14] Speaker A: Turn the Ship Around. I love the title. So I'm going to have to check that out. All right, couple more. A piece of advice that you've received over the years that has really stuck with you.
[00:15:29] Speaker B: Well, it has to do with public speaking.
And, you know, as someone who did a lot of public speaking, when I first start. When anybody first starts, you're nervous. And I really appreciated when someone shared the statistic that people fear public speaking more than they fear death.
And I thought, I'm going to get up there and I'm going to do it. I'm going to knock it out of the park, because, you know, it is. It's true.
[00:15:54] Speaker A: Well, there's no question. It is for most of us. Yeah.
All right. One piece of advice that you find yourself giving often to people.
[00:16:05] Speaker B: Well, I give it to my kids as my grandkids and people I work with that it's don't stress, because this, too, shall pass.
[00:16:13] Speaker A: Now I got to write that down, too.
That's excellent.
One word. Let's end on this one. One word that captures how you feel about the next chapter in your life.
[00:16:27] Speaker B: Excitement.
[00:16:28] Speaker A: Excitement.
I would have bet that that was what it was going to be. Great. Oh, super. Well, that was fun, and I hope our audience enjoyed that. So now we gotta wrap it up with a bottom line, right?
[00:16:41] Speaker B: So, yes, I think my bottom line to all of this is take advantage of what's offered to you.
Whatever position you're in, people see in you things that you don't see in yourself and get out of your comfort zone and take advantage of it.
[00:16:59] Speaker A: That's a terrific bottom line. Terrific bottom line. Well, Brenda, like I said, thank you so much for spending this time and for all the years that we've had. I've had an opportunity to work so closely with you. It's been a joy for me every day. And I know that it's not over for us, but. That's right, as all my Irish people say, you know, until we meet again, may the roads rise to meet you.
And with that, let's just take a minute and thank our audience. Thank you all for joining us today. And until we all meet again, let's all continue to learn, grow and prosper.
[00:17:37] Speaker B: Thanks, Brenda. Thanks, Ann.
