Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan James.
Hi Megan, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My journey into the insurance industry actually came from a very unexpected turn in my life. I had a career I loved as a design consultant when I was hit by a drunk driver. I spent nearly three years away from work recovering, and when I was finally able to return, I found myself essentially starting over.
I put my résumé online and was given an opportunity with Sterling Life Insurance. Insurance was a completely new direction for me, but it quickly became something I was passionate about. I spent five years with Sterling and became one of the top-producing sales representatives in my region. Unfortunately, despite my personal success, the region was struggling and I was eventually laid off.
At the time, I was devastated and had no idea what my next step would be. What felt like another setback ended up becoming one of the biggest turning points of my career. A longtime regional manager from Sterling, who had also been laid off, became an FMO and helped me make the transition into becoming an independent, self-employed insurance broker.
Starting over independently was scary, especially because I couldn’t simply take my existing book of business with me. What happened next meant more to me than any sales award ever could: many of the clients I had served over the years found their way back to me. That showed me that this business wasn’t just about selling insurance—it was about the relationships and trust I had built with people.
In 2014, I began building my independent business as MCJ Insurance. Over the past 12 years, that business has grown from essentially rebuilding from the ground up to serving nearly 700 clients today.
Now I’m entering another exciting chapter. What began as a business centered around me has grown into something much bigger, so I’m transitioning from MCJ Insurance to 814 Health and Life Insurance Agency. I have my first licensed agent joining me, another expected to become licensed in January, and I’m beginning to build a team that can serve even more people in our community.
Looking back, some of the moments that felt like the biggest setbacks in my life—the accident and later losing my job—ultimately pushed me toward opportunities I never would have imagined for myself. I’m incredibly proud of what I’ve built, but I’m even more excited about where we’re headed next.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely has not been a smooth road, but I think the difficult parts are what made me the business owner I am today.
I entered this industry after spending three years recovering from a serious accident, and then, just as I had built a successful career with Sterling Life Insurance, I unexpectedly lost that job. Becoming self-employed meant starting over again—this time without the security of a salary, benefits, or a large company behind me.
Building an independent business from the ground up required a lot of persistence. In the beginning, I was the agent, the marketer, the scheduler, the customer service department and the person handling everything behind the scenes. As my client base grew, that became a different kind of challenge. Nearly 700 clients is something I’m incredibly grateful for, but providing each person with the level of personal service I believe they deserve takes a tremendous amount of time and organization.
The insurance industry itself is also constantly changing. Medicare, health insurance and carrier requirements change from year to year, so continuing education and staying current are a huge part of what I do. My clients depend on me to understand those changes and help make something that can feel very complicated much easier for them.
One of my biggest lessons has been learning that growth also means knowing when you can’t—and shouldn’t—do everything yourself. That’s a major reason I’m now building 814 Health and Life Insurance Agency as a team rather than continuing to build a business centered around just me.
There have absolutely been setbacks, long hours and moments when I’ve wondered how I was going to manage everything, but every challenge has forced me to grow. I think that’s also why I appreciate where the business is today so much more.
As you know, we’re big fans of MCJ Insurance — transitioning to 814 Health and Life Insurance Agency. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
My business specializes in helping individuals, families and seniors navigate health and life insurance in a way that feels personal and understandable. My primary focus has been Medicare, but I also work with individuals under 65 through the Health Insurance Marketplace, as well as life insurance and other health-related coverage options.
One of the biggest things that sets my business apart is that I am an independent broker. I don’t work for one insurance company, so my job is not to push one particular carrier or plan. I work with multiple insurance companies and help my clients compare their options based on their individual needs. I want people to understand what they’re choosing and why—not simply enroll them in a plan and move on to the next person.
Education is a huge part of what I do, especially with Medicare. It can be incredibly overwhelming for someone approaching 65. People are suddenly receiving phone calls, mail and advertisements from everywhere, and many don’t know who they can trust. I spend a great deal of time educating my clients, answering their questions and continuing to be a resource for them long after they’ve enrolled.
I’m probably most proud of the relationships behind the business. Today I serve nearly 700 clients, and much of that growth has come through referrals and word of mouth. To me, that’s one of the greatest compliments a business owner can receive. When someone trusts me enough to send their mother, father, friend or neighbor to me, I don’t take that lightly.
As MCJ Insurance transitions into 814 Health and Life Insurance Agency, I want to preserve that same personal approach while building a team around it. The name “814” represents the community where the business was built, and that’s intentional. I want us to grow, but I never want growth to come at the expense of the personal service that got us here.
Ultimately, I don’t want people to feel like they’re calling an insurance company. I want them to feel like they’re calling someone they know and trust—someone who will still be there when they have a question months or even years later. That’s the foundation I built MCJ Insurance on, and it’s the foundation we’re carrying forward into 814 Health and Life.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I think both good luck and bad luck have played a huge role in getting me where I am today. Some of the things I once considered the worst luck of my life ultimately changed the direction of my life for the better.
Being hit by a drunk driver and spending nearly three years recovering certainly felt like terrible luck. Later, after rebuilding my career and becoming successful at Sterling Life Insurance, being laid off felt like another devastating setback. At the time, I couldn’t see anything positive in either situation.
But both forced me in directions I probably never would have chosen on my own. The accident eventually led me to the insurance industry, and losing my position at Sterling pushed me toward becoming an independent broker and ultimately a business owner.
There was also some incredible good fortune along the way. Having a longtime regional manager from Sterling make the transition to becoming an FMO and then help me get started independently came at exactly the right time. I was also incredibly fortunate that so many of the clients I had built relationships with over the years sought me out again when I became independent. That gave me the foundation to rebuild.
I believe luck can open a door—or sometimes unexpectedly close one—but what you do afterward matters most. I’ve had doors close that I desperately wanted to stay open, only to realize years later that I never would have built the life and business I have today if they hadn’t.
So, strangely enough, some of my worst luck turned out to be some of my greatest blessings.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mcjinsurance101.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1C5J1syMxq/?mibextid=wwXIfr
