From Insurance to Storytelling: The Journey Behind Numbed

As a former insurance broker, I always strived to humanize the sale of a product that is inherently complicated and boring. Insurance companies in Venezuela have not embraced tech adoption well neglecting the long-term benefits. There is no automation in underwriting or claims processes. When lowering operational costs is the goal, the easiest solution has been to punish the middleman by cutting commissions. The result? Disgruntled brokers giving low-performance service without the proper tools to satisfy clients.

In Venezuela’s authoritarian government, insurance laws are already strict, but absurdly restrictive in-company requirements further complicate the broker’s job. With few incentives, there is only one question to ask: Why do brokers keep working for companies that are directly working to cut their jobs? Some would say “amor al arte.” We all start this business by offering products to people we care about, and it’s safe to say that health insurance is the most delicate product anyone could ever sell. This product is the capital access your client has to acquire health. That’s really what you’re doing, buying money in the event you will need it in the future. Obviously, you want your loved ones to be taken care of, and that is why good insurance brokers humanize this product. I still advise, and always will, because ten years ago I made this my vocation. In some way, my work as a broker was about telling stories - turning policies into promises of care and security. That passion of connecting with people has led me to a new path in storytelling, and I can honestly say I’ve never been happier.