A Conversation with Laura Sherman

Laura Sherman inspires us. From building BKS Partners from scratch, to traveling the world and even swimming with sharks, Laura has lived, and continues to live by her grandfather’s advice of, "the harder you work, the luckier you get.”?

What is an accomplishment or decision you are proud of?

“Before starting BKS Partners and BRP with my partners, Lowry Baldwin and Elizabeth Krystyn, I never thought of myself as an entrepreneur. In fact, insurance is the perfect career path for those who are risk averse. When Lowry, Elizabeth and I first discussed starting a firm, my husband, Alden, and I were newly married and living in Atlanta. Alden and I decided to leave my stable salary and role as a Senior Vice President with a large bank, move to Tampa, where we didn't know anyone, and pour our life savings into a new firm we would all build from scratch. We had no clients, no processes, no people and when we went to obtain insurance company appointments, we found some competitors attempted to block our appointments. We were mocked as being "three people, no plan."

What advice would you give your younger self?

“Embrace change and don't sweat the small stuff. Change is the one constant in life, both in business and in your personal life. Rather than lament the change, embrace it and give it your all. It is easy to view change as adversity, but I attempt to look at it as an opportunity to improve yourself and try new things.”

What is your idea of adventure?

“Growing up in central Ohio, I longed for adventure and rarely said no when it came to trying something new, both personally and professionally. Early in my career, the company I worked for sponsored "Antiques Roadshow" before reality shows were a thing. They asked a few of us if we wanted to travel with the show during the weekends with no additional time off or pay. As a single woman with little extra travel funds, I enthusiastically raised my hand and toured with the show around the U.S., learning about our country's rich history, family heirlooms, crowd management and public relations. Most of my adventures include me embracing my fear and trying something new!”

“Now a days, our family loves traveling and trying new adventures, whether swimming with sharks in South Africa, riding a tricycle down the Alps or ice climbing frozen waterfalls. Each year, our family endeavors to plan a new adventure that includes a new U.S. state and country we haven't yet visited. This year we are planning to traverse Ireland and Montana.”???

Who inspired you growing up? Who inspires you now?

“My grandfather was the epitome of the American dream. He was one of 13 children, born during the Great Depression in rural Ohio. He had an accident that left him with one eye and had to drop out of college to enlist in the army during WWII. He later worked three jobs to make ends meet. He never finished college but worked hard and retired from Owens Corning Fiberglass after working there for 35+ years. He was a man of integrity, faith and a strong work ethic. He always told me, "the harder you work, the luckier you get,” and I couldn't agree more.”

“Today, I am inspired by younger generations. They put their money where their mouth is and their hope and commitment to make the world a better place inspires me daily to try to make a difference in our client's lives and our community.”

What values are you committed to?

“There are so many values that I aspire to uphold, and I fall down on a daily basis, but I always get back on the horse and try again. Here are three of my favorite values we wrote for our firm's Azimuth, our true north, and my personal perspective on each.”???

“Grit: embracing opportunities, overcoming obstacles and getting up and back in the game whenever we are knocked down in order to achieve our objectives. Stepping up to face our challenges and inevitable setbacks with determination, resilience and an opportunity to be better. I have always believed my personal grit is one of the main reasons for my success. Angela Duckworth's book, "Grit" really validated my belief, and I hope to pass it on to our children.”?

“Purpose: acting and thinking beyond ourselves and our self-interest. Having an abiding appreciation for all that we have and our responsibility to give back and make our community and industry better. I truly believe, "with great power comes great responsibility" and for those of us who live in America, we all possess great power, no matter our station in life.?Whether we are newly out of college or an executive, we can turn to help those around us.?

“Dreaming - turning our imagination free, thinking big, looking for a better way and seeing what is possible, but not yet done. Using today's excellence as the springboard for tomorrow's success. I encourage everyone to have big dreams and chart a course on how to achieve them. Nothing is impossible if you set your mind to it.”??