A Conversation with Alison Murphy

Alison Murphy of Risk Strategies inspires us. Early on, Alison’s parents instilled important core values like empathy, courage, and hard work into her life, and those guideposts have shepherded her near three decades in the insurance industry. The Boston, MA resident shares the merit of living up to those ideals as well as how using your voice is key to advocating for yourself and amplifying your colleagues.

Q: Who inspired you growing up? Who inspires you now?

Alison: Without a doubt, there have been two people who have always inspired me to live a better life every day – my parents. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about how lucky I am to be their daughter, to have been blessed with their unconditional love for the entirety of my life. Together, they’ve taught me core values—empathy, kindness, courage, hard work, adaptability to name a few— that have helped shape the person I am today. My parents believed in me as a little girl and instilled in me that I could accomplish anything I set my mind to. Because of this, I was equipped to take risks and go after things I was passionate about, without being afraid to fail. It was due to these risks that I was able to grow and evolve as a leader. My parents fostered my independence, imaginative thinking and taught me not to fear failure and not to let other people’s judgements affect me. I am grateful for the times they pushed me out of my comfort zone, allowing me to discover my true potential and growth edge. In my career, this has proved to be a really good life lesson. My parents modeled how to excel at relationship skills, the art of conversation and most importantly, treating every single person you meet the way you would like to be treated.

Q: What words do you live by?

Alison: “It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent.” —First Female Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright

With Women’s History Month upon us, I’m inspired by so many words of wisdom from Madeleine Albright. She is an incredibly important figure in history, as the first female Secretary of State in her time. Albright was a trailblazer, which is why so many of her words resonate with me. This quote has meaning for me personally as early on in my career, I struggled to find my own voice. With experience and intentional practice, I learned to use my voice not just for myself, but also to support and encourage other people. We have an opportunity as people to amplify and elevate each other, make room for each other’s successes and be there when we inevitably fail or make mistakes. Madeleine Albright is my hero when it comes to finding inspiration. People need and deserve each other’s support and like Albright, I strive to be someone who makes an impact and leads through partnering, learning, challenging, and empowering others.

Q: What advice would you give your younger self?

Alison: I have two children who are curious about life and work, and who like to talk and ask questions about what I do. A lot of what we discuss is advice I would have benefitted from early in my career. So here is some advice I wish to share. Have confidence in yourself and be willing to work hard to achieve your goals and dreams. You already have everything you need within you to be successful. Highlight your strengths and what you bring to the table. The world of work is competitive and ever-changing. Strive to be your best and do not get complacent. Remain curious. Challenge assumptions and challenge them again. If you make a mistake or suffer a setback (and we all do), do not let it define you —learn how to recover from them. Don’t wait too long to take risks. Trust your instincts enough to know when it’s time to jump in with both feet. And take time to do things that develop your whole self, whether that be traveling, reading a book, going to lunch with friends and spending time on things that offer balance. And perhaps, I would have told myself to use more sunscreen.