In today’s episode, Lorie Jones chats with Lisa Levy-Dylan, the accomplished chief operating officer at the Buckner Company.
Lisa shares her journey from accounting graduate to a leading role in the insurance industry, offering practical advice on balancing career and motherhood. Listen as she discusses overcoming challenges in a male-dominated field, the significance of education and goal-setting, and the evolving workplace environment for women.
This episode is filled with insightful stories and valuable tips for anyone looking to make their mark in their career.
Show Highlights:
- A shining example of a woman’s steady journey in finance. [00:03:49]
- A key tip for solo-contributor-to-manager transitions. [00:07:48]
- Why education is an indispensable career ingredient. [00:08:50]
- Explore the idea of women finding fulfillment at work. [00:11:51]
- Strike a balance in facing technology growing pains. [00:15:55]
- Discover how making your voice heard can be polite. [00:18:01]
- How family-oriented employers empower working mothers. [00:19:56]
- Discover the evolution of women’s role in the workplace. [00:24:55]
- Mentoring wisdom for young career women. [00:28:07]
For more information or to connect with Lisa, visit https://buckner.com/our-people/management-team/
If you enjoyed this episode, please go to Apple Podcasts and leave a review!
For more information about Lorie Jones, go to http://fearless-females.com/.
00:00.71
loriejones7
Well thanks so much for joining us this morning. We're here with Lisa Levy she's from the buckner company and she is the chief operating officer. So thanks so much Lisa for joining us today.
00:13.62
Lisa Levy
Thank you for having me.
00:17.39
loriejones7
I'm super excited to talk to Lisa I told her this operation next to finance I think operations is my very favorite thing so I'm a little bit strange that way. But I bet we'll get a butt. We'll have something to talk about. So.
00:24.78
Lisa Levy
Push. Simple.
00:31.54
loriejones7
The first question I have and that I always have is I love reading everything and anything. Do you have a favorite book.
00:41.97
Lisa Levy
Well I I kind of do It's kind of probably a weird book for this time day and age. But um, my favorite book that I've ever read is gone with the wind. Um, yeah, it was. It was just a mixture of.
00:49.54
loriejones7
How really.
00:57.66
Lisa Levy
History and very eloquent writing and you know a true love story that went on through the ages but also with the history of the south and the people and the struggles that they went through both African American and um. I Guess plantation owners Both? um and I just I Just love that book and every time I I have read it over and over and over again and now I hear it's probably blacklisted on things but you know that's the way of what we're doing but I just have have.
01:28.51
loriejones7
Yeah.
01:35.30
Lisa Levy
Always loved that book. Um I mostly read you know? um like I guess mysteries or John Grisham I love his books because he also weaves the reality of the legal system in with a lot of fiction. So I'm always interested when he has a new book come out and and try and read that through.
01:54.84
loriejones7
You know, tell a good story he does he tells a good story and I find it really interesting that gone with wind is your favorite It used to be my favorite. It's the one I Would you know now I I read so many different ones that I have a hard time picking a favorite but but the thing about gone with wind is it's like thick. It's like a thousand page.
02:14.11
Lisa Levy
Yeah, it's it's long, but it is I I learned something new from it every time I read it. It's It's a it's a great book.
02:14.79
loriejones7
Is I ah oh I love that. So Lisa tell me a little bit about what you do how you got there like tell me about your journey just a little bit. Um, what made you choose insurance.
02:34.54
Lisa Levy
Well, you know I don't think anybody ever goes out of high school or college thinking. Oh I just want to be an insurance. A lot of us to like I don't even know where that is I only have to buy it I don't like it. Don't think about it. Um. I guess I took a job right out of high school for the summer it was a summer kind of intern job to fill in at a very small agency while the person there who was I guess. The main office managers. She answered phones. She did the accounting she typed letters all of those kind of things she was going to italy for the summer and they needed someone to fill in so she had reached out to several counselors at high schools and asked if they had someone. Might want to apply for a summer kind of job so to speak so I applied and I was hired and so that was a really interesting summer it. It was back then we actually had typewriters and we type letters or I would take dictation from. Owners that had to dictate letters and they taught me how to rate personal lines which is your own personal auto or home things like that. But then when she got back in August she was I need somebody to help me get caught up. Can she stay on I I know even part time and.
04:00.85
Lisa Levy
And I was set to go to the University Of Utah that fall so I worked in the afternoons and then just flowed into working full time and then I did 2 2 classes first thing in the morning seven thirty and Eight Forty five and then I was at work usually by 10 work till 5 and then I took night classes a night class each week for 3 hours to get through school so that's how I started and I I really enjoyed the insurance. It was interesting. It was. Everything you touched was a little bit different as far as the accounts that you were helping place insurance for everyone was a little different so it it was very interesting and then when I graduated from college. I was pregnant with my first child and back then I couldn't even get an interview because I was visibly pregnant so talk about how things have changed over the years because that was totally blatant discrimination. But um, you know I could not get any interviews. Even though I had done my cpa stuff and everything it was like nope you're pregnant. Sorry you're gonna be a mom. We. Don't want to hire you. We don't even want to interview. So I just stayed in insurance and I used a lot of what I had learned in my accounting degree in.
05:20.70
loriejones7
Wow.
05:31.00
Lisa Levy
Analyzing statistical things with insurance and analyzing financials and things like that and helping clients. So It just dovetailed into what I ended up doing so for the most of my career I've been actually servicing and handling. Work for large commercial clients negotiating terms conditions of their coverages that they purchase. Um, That's what I've done the majority of my career I also had been an underwriter for a while with a traveler's insurance company and now.
06:07.83
Lisa Levy
I guess I don't know if I was crazy or what but when Terry Buckner came and said hey would you be interested in. You know, overseeing our operations which is basically putting me in charge of his biggest asset which are all of his people. You know I must have had a really bad day or something I said sure. Um. Happy to do that. So it does have its challenges. Um, it's in kind of a whole different animal than what I've been doing for the last thirty years so
06:36.64
loriejones7
Ah, that's ah, actually a really good point and you go when you go into management you go from doing all the things to be in charge of the people that do all the things and you're not doing the things anymore was that like a hard transition or.
06:50.95
Lisa Levy
Yes, it. It's hard because it's kind of like okay I need to train you I need to show you how to do these. But then when somebody would come and ask I'd be like it was just easier for me to do it myself. I'll just take care of It. You move on, go to the next thing I'll just take care of it for you and I had to kind of learn to say No yep. These are the steps you need to take and I'm now empowering you to do that and take care of it and I trust what you're going to do and had to like become kind of hands off a little bit. So.
07:19.53
loriejones7
Yeah, yeah, I I had that transition myself and that's a really difficult one to do with you? Ah ah I did have some practice for it though as you do it with your kids growing up like teaching them to load the dishwsher takes 4 times as long as just doing it yourself. But.
07:41.24
Lisa Levy
But ah, yes.
07:42.30
loriejones7
So well that's really interesting. What if you had to look back Lisa and kind of say. Um, what maybe is the best investment that you made in you like can you look back and say oh my gosh I'm so glad I did that I would not be where I was today without it.
08:02.13
Lisa Levy
Yeah, probably even in high school just studying hard and realizing that even though you wanted to have fun and be with all your friends and everything things were gonna happen after that and you were gonna have to take care of yourself really for the rest of your life. So um. Just studying hard um taking a lot of classes that would ultimately put me in a well-rounded knowledge base so to speak and then just sticking to it and you know that I guess you know just. All all the studying paid off for for what I did I still did things in high school I was you know on the drill team and you know work jobs but just the knowledge helped you get through I guess even today. Ah, for a lot of young people. They think why do I have to go to college. What do I need you know having that degree means something um right wrong or in differentffent I think a lot of times you get more by hands on experience and learning and doing that way. But whatever it is. They want that degree so I was glad that I did that ah a bachelor's in accounting. Yeah.
09:17.88
loriejones7
What degree did you get in college when and they count. Okay, okay, yeah, so I I agree and I think if you could ah tell my oldest son that exact thing I would be very appreciative because I think that. Ah. Learning how to learning how to do all the things that there's something about just having an an idea of all the you know all the different things that you can do and the possibilities out there.
09:45.41
Lisa Levy
Yeah, it was I mean I hated some of those classes I took but I thought you know it's probably good that I learned a little bit about economics or I learned a little bit about psychology or I learned a little bit about this and it has paid off over the years so
10:00.78
loriejones7
So You said something interesting. Um you were talking about. You know when you looked for your first stop. You were pregnant and I think it's funny that that means that you ended up in insurance because no, that was kind of like but but why there wasn't. As many women in the workforce back Then. So Did you just you you really wanted to continue working or what made you choose to.
10:24.55
Lisa Levy
Um, yes I you know I I was bored staying at home I like to be involved I'd like to um, you know challenge my mind and things like that. So I was married and I you know. Plan to have a family that kind of thing but I also wanted to have a house and you know yeah you needed to have jobs or whatever to qualify for those kind of things even back then and so you know just I just enjoyed working and the being around others and helping people from. You know from the insurance standpoint side of you know the consultative. You know here's how we can help you protect your assets or whatever it is you want to try and protect um just being around people out in the workforce and you know instead of just sitting home by myself watching Tv.
11:20.10
loriejones7
Yeah, yeah, yeah for sure there were yeah um so if you looked back on your career and kind of your journey. Did you ever get some really bad advice.
11:20.75
Lisa Levy
Yeah I guess but.
11:36.79
loriejones7
And if you did did you take it or did you not.
11:40.63
Lisa Levy
Um i. The only thing I could really think of back then is I had people that said, oh you should just stay home and be a mom and and there's nothing wrong with that and I think staying home and being a mom is probably 1 of the hardest jobs that there. Ever is out there but it just wasn't for me I I just was so bored not because my kids were weirder but just I just needed more stimulation more challenges. Whatever so I did not take that advice. I. After I had my first child I did stay home for seven months and then I just was just missing the business environment. So I did go back to work and have stayed working ever since. So.
12:30.47
loriejones7
Did you find some challenges mixing you know balancing that home with kids because I know that a lot of a lot of us you know professionals that have been through this just you hear the stories about you know, um I had to leave my kids and go to work and I. I Had one woman who like it was her really a hard thing for her where she left him with a babysitter. She didn't know or something like that. So So how did you navigate that? oh.
13:01.64
Lisa Levy
Um I was kind of lucky um I had some really great people that lived where I did when my kids were small and that did daycare in their homes and I left. Them with her for a couple of years and then as they got older I was lucky that I also had my mother not too far away and where she was able to watch them during the day you know they'd go to school and then she would watch them after school. And I also you know felt like okay I'm I'm helping because she could use a few extra dollars here or there so I felt like I don't just want to hey mom here's the kids I felt like no I'm I'm paying her as if she were a child care professional and just watching and then I had the confidence that. Ah, somebody I knew I really trusted had them and I didn't worry as much as I got older. Of course after they got out of elementary school. It was like oh mom. We don't want to go to Grandma's and so then you kind of got that little latch key type situation I don't know that I could do that today. Um, like he said you know thirty years ago or twenty five years ago things were a little different. Um, but I had very.
14:16.20
loriejones7
And.
14:24.91
Lisa Levy
Ah, close neighbors and friends that you know okay and and we had rules that soon as they got home from school I got a phone call and everybody was fine and you know so don't know that I could do that today with kind of unfortunately the way. Society has become but I was able to kind of multitask and or you know deal with that kind of situation back then that allowed me to keep working.
14:49.47
loriejones7
And was your company pretty accommodative in that way.
14:54.80
Lisa Levy
Ah, yes, if if the kids were sick and you needed to stay Home. You know you had your sick Time. Of course I used my sick time or my vacation time to stay home with them but whenever they weren't feeling well or whatever I did take a day off and stay home with them so that they weren't just. Like okay goodbye and so it was it was kind of a give and take and turned out. Okay.
15:12.70
loriejones7
Yeah.
15:19.72
loriejones7
So um, what about looking back if there's a situation that you ran into where you're like ooh if I known then what I know now I would have handled that differently is there something you can think of that. Maybe you learned a few lessons from you could share.
15:39.63
Lisa Levy
Ah, um I couldn't really pinpoint a lot of things maybe just potentially dealing with people a little bit differently sometimes I would be you know hey this is the way it is. It's gonna be that way and. Versus maybe listening a little bit better and hearing their side of the story and then maybe mutually compromising and doing things. Um, that was to the benefit of both a lot of times they either won or I either 1 you know? So so it's kind of that mutual thing. I think if I look back I'd probably learn more technology when it first came ah instead of I was like I just fought that I'm like oh I use a phone to make a phone call I don't need one of those little phones that hanging with me all the time I don't need to do that. Ah and now I find that.
16:20.85
loriejones7
Um, yeah.
16:34.55
Lisa Levy
In this world, especially it's you don't know those kind of things it it is hand toap for both working and in your private life. So at 1 regret is I didn't learn technology better if you're.
16:44.75
loriejones7
Um, yeah yeah I hear that I I spent a lot of time learning databases when I was in college for whatever reason I don't know but it just has over and overhelped through my career. The fact that i. I had that technical background. Um I wonder what the modern day equivalent of the you know the computer in that technology I wonder what? that's going to be is like Ai you think like maybe there'll be some resistance to Ai.
17:15.22
Lisa Levy
I Think it's inevitable that that's going to come more and more into play. It's cool, but it's also very scary. What can be done with that and how it can be manipulated to the bad side. So hopefully.
17:32.58
loriejones7
Um, hopefully we take it and and make it into a good thing. So if you had to go back or if you got to go back and talk to your 20 year old self say when you started down your.
17:34.76
Lisa Levy
Um, we'll only see the good in it.
17:49.70
loriejones7
Your path and your journey. Um, what would you tell her.
17:55.31
Lisa Levy
Um I would just say be proactive and you you need to have tenacity and you need to go for what you want and not be afraid of making your voice heard and um, even though it may go against. Culture or things if you believe in something strongly you know stand up for it and make your voice heard.
18:21.57
loriejones7
So how have you done that like I know there's times when I like hesitate to speak out. Um, so how do you learn to make your voice heard.
18:35.70
Lisa Levy
Well I sometimes I've been told I don't mince any words I kind of just say what I think and and and what I mean I don't try to be um, vicious or malicious or hurtful. About it. But sometimes after you look back an hour or 2 after what you said oh that was probably taken in the wrong context or taken poorly so you got to learn that art of. Getting your point across but in a way that it doesn't offend or hurt other people as well. So that's the biggest thing I've I've tried to improve upon over the last many years so
19:14.38
loriejones7
Um.
19:23.36
loriejones7
Well when you find the magic trick for doing it all the time you need to share that with me. Um, what scared you most when you started out um in your career and and does it still scare you.
19:38.85
Lisa Levy
Um I think most was because I was having a family when I first started out was being there for my kids and then still being able to succeed and meet the goals that I had set for myself I I was very concerned that. Um, you know they would have a great home life and that I was there for them to hear their needs meet their needs all of those kind of things but not to the detriment of me, not get to to accomplish some of my goals so it was a lot of give and take um. But that was what really scared me the most was being able to do that and you know I I married quite young I have two great kids but the marriage did not last that long about 6 years so I was a single mom for quite a while and so my biggest thing was just. I wanted to make sure that I was there for them first.
20:36.36
loriejones7
I I hear from a lot of single moms and that that too is one of their biggest things any advice for how you managed to come out of that on the other side. So beautifully.
20:51.48
Lisa Levy
I think you have to have their best interests first and um I was also lucky that I had employers that were also very family oriented and understood that the family was maybe. First and foremost before the career and so they worked with you to help accomplish that and you know I can't say that that's probably the way it is in every city or company. Um, but. Utah is ah is very family oriented and I think so that culture kind of comes across in the workforce a lot of times. Yep.
21:29.68
loriejones7
They help you put your family first. Any hard decisions along the path where you had to choose between family and career or did it not really ever come up.
21:46.80
Lisa Levy
Um, yes, a couple of times where you know do I go on this trip for this client or this thing um or do I I need to stay home because I need to take care of the family. So I did miss out on going some places that you know probably would have advanced my career in some ways but at the same time I think my employers appreciated the knowledge I had and realized that I could still. Support the client or do the things um in the back room so to speak from afar versus having to actually be there in person. So right.
22:28.75
loriejones7
So they were willing to work with you on that? Yeah yeah, well and it sounds like you chose family.
22:40.36
Lisa Levy
Tried to. Yes.
22:44.21
loriejones7
Yeah there's a lot of that and that and in today's workplace too. Um, they're getting I feel like companies are getting better at understanding that women. In general have caretaking roles if. It's not a child It's a parent or perhaps ah you know an animal or just something that that requires um our ability to be there and be present and. Think they have gotten a little better at that.
23:16.65
Lisa Levy
Yeah I I think so I mean I think women have that innate ability to multitask a lot better sometimes than than men. Um. Because we are so used to having to juggle so many balls. It's like okay we were at work all day. But then we've got to get home and we've got to fix meals or we've got to help the kids with homework or we've got to get laundry done or we've got to do this or do that and so you kind of compartment car compartment all lights. Um.
23:49.14
Lisa Levy
Duties that have to be done between certain periods of time and you sacrifice other things like maybe you don't get to go to the movies or you don't get to to go with friends or something like that because you needed to get these other tasks done. So.
24:02.60
loriejones7
Yeah, good Good planning good um operations skills Huh What? um, did you face any it I can I tell you the answer to this question is yes because you told me that you ah. Sat in front of somebody who wouldn't hire you because you were pregnant but did you face any unique challenges because you were a woman.
24:25.24
Lisa Levy
Um, yeah, that was pretty much that and also although Utah is a very family cultured you know area. It also has you know the preconceived concept that you know. Women's places in the home, especially when I started in my career as you mentioned there weren't that many women actually working in you know front facing type positions of a woman was working they were maybe a secretary or nurse or you know. Back kind of background type positions and so um, that was a challenge to to kind kind of overcome that in the stigma that was here in Utah and and in fact I remember. 1 position I had where my manager actually said to a client. You know this is my best person and I'm going to send her with you to help negotiate these deals but is that going to be a problem because. You're going out with her on the road and you know so he was very conscious of that person's you know, didn't want to make something look out of place or wrong or whatever and um, so you know you just kind of went with the flow and.
25:58.29
Lisa Levy
Tried to make things the best you could so um and and that person is said I appreciate that. But maybe as long as somebody else is along as well. So there's a group of us and so that's what ended up being is we would go as a group so it wasn't just.
26:15.50
Lisa Levy
Somebody that it didn't look wrong even though it wasn't wrong. It just didn't look out of sort. You know, kind of thing so those were always challenges that you had to get around and I don't know that that's the case at all now it was you know like said thirty years ago but
26:17.90
loriejones7
Um, yeah.
26:31.90
loriejones7
So did you drive any change in your environment through the you know 30 years that you've been a different way that they treat women now because of of.
26:32.15
Lisa Levy
Probably not at all now.
26:49.30
loriejones7
You know something you've done.
26:52.28
Lisa Levy
Um I don't know that anything I did personally but I think as a group as women in general I think we've all been vocal and said that no this isn't right? We're doing as much if not more and we should be recognized equally.
27:07.30
loriejones7
You.
27:09.82
Lisa Levy
So I think it was in general but nothing specifically that I did.
27:14.15
loriejones7
Just curious I was I I think it's interesting I didn't I didn't join um the workforce until like twelve or thirteen years ago um but I really admire those that have been in for. You know, longer than I have I feel like you guys broke ground for us so made it a little bit easier for for us to come along and hopefully we'll make it easier for the next generation.
27:42.37
Lisa Levy
Now I think it it has continually been I mean when you look back and you think back. Ah, you know what did our congress look like you know in the 70 s and eighty s it was you know, probably 98% male and that was just if you were going to be in politics. It was. You were a male and now it's gone. You know it's about fifty fifty or 6040 or whatever you know it's just in general I think like you said women have all come out as a group saying. No, we are just as qualified. You need to look at us on our own merits not because of our race or our gender.
28:27.12
loriejones7
Lisa what is the thing that you are the most proud of.
28:33.13
Lisa Levy
Ah there's probably lots of things. Um I'm proud of my 2 sons being very successful and raising families themselves. Um I'm you know proud that. I have accomplished what I have in my career even though it's winding down I you know I keep saying oh am I ready to retire can I give it one more year two more years how many more years and keep thinking well as long as I have my health and I enjoy it I don't know why I wouldn't want to keep. You know, doing some sort of thing. Um, but you know pretty much just that I set goals for myself and I accomplish them and I think that that's what I'm most proud of.
29:14.56
loriejones7
Do you have anything still left on your bucket list As far as you know goals that professional goals that you're like if I do this one then I guess I can retire.
29:29.53
Lisa Levy
Ah, um, not really I don't think some days I think oh if I can get through this week without anyone quitting or having an issue that I will have made it.
29:44.38
Lisa Levy
But with people it's always a struggle there they have lives too and you you you need them here to do what we're paying them to do but you also empathize that they need to be other places sometimes and and you want you want them to be there and you want to help them be there as well. So.
29:58.55
loriejones7
Yeah, yeah, that's always a struggle It is especially in a management position is trying to support and help your team as they grow. But you also need to get the work done somebody has to work right.
30:15.35
Lisa Levy
Right? It does. Unfortunately, it doesn't do itself. Ah.
30:16.28
loriejones7
Yeah, so any advice for a young woman who's just starting down your path in in insurance so that she can be successful like you are.
30:30.39
Lisa Levy
Um, I would say you know stay in school. Get your get your degree I don't know there's some schools I think that have a quote insurance degree I don't know um, not many, but. It doesn't matter a finance degree a business degree a marketing degree but something that gives you the ability to get knowledge and round your skill set out. Um and then from there I think. Whether they want to be an insurance or a marketing manager or you know, ah an attorney a doctor. Whatever they may want to do I Think if they set goals for themselves and and stick to that and. And not be afraid to Forego some things to get to that goal. Um, you know the world is open to them and they can do whatever they want.
31:32.78
loriejones7
Um I Love that idea that you can do whatever you set your mind to um and don't let people tell you you can't well.
31:41.46
Lisa Levy
That's right exactly.
31:44.87
loriejones7
Thank you so much for spending some time with us today. Lisa is there. Um, if if I have someone a listener that wants to get in touch with you and ask you questions how do they? How did they find you.
31:57.47
Lisa Levy
Um, I'm at the buckner company. Um I have a website and our contact information is on that website so they can definitely reach out if they they want to. We have a great company here. A lot of great people. We have. Several female What we call client advisors that are actually out selling and and meeting with clients all the time we have a lot of team managers that are over people that are all female. So We we really promote. Opportunities for for females here.
32:33.42
loriejones7
I Think that's great and insurance is fun right? I Always told people finance is fun.
32:40.25
Lisa Levy
It is I mean sometimes it's scary. But really I mean I learned something new almost every day and like I said every client that you deal with has their own unique. Ah. Exposures or their own unique needs and being able to satisfy those or help them through their worst problem when it happens is very rewarding and I I haven't been sorry that I ended up in insurance. Because I couldn't get hired when I was getting right out of school I think it's been a great career and I think it's great for for all young people if if they are looking for ah a steady long-term career where they can make good money and support a family. The insurance industry whether you're on the underwriting side or the agency side during client service. There's just a lot of opportunities.
33:38.62
loriejones7
Yeah, well I love it. Good public service announcement and and and and you're right? Lisa like you look at things and I don't know a single person that's like I'm going into insurance. In fact.
33:50.12
Lisa Levy
No.
33:52.12
loriejones7
You know you know my son is in insurance and he's you know we mentioned it to him insurance and he's like really and now he tells me all about all the cool insurance things he's doing so.
34:01.47
Lisa Levy
Ah.
34:04.25
Lisa Levy
Yeah, he's He's a great asset to our firm we're we're lucky to have him.
34:10.65
loriejones7
Well thanks for spending some time with me Lisa today I really appreciate your answers and thank you for for taking the time things all right I'm going to push. Ah.
34:16.17
Lisa Levy
All right? Thanks so much.