My Story
I took a chance on myself — and it changed everything.
For eight years I was a project manager in commercial design — tile, marble, and quartz
for kitchens and baths. I loved my boss and the flexibility that let me show up for my
son, Brayden. But my salary had capped out, and something inside kept telling me I was
made for more.
I'm a single mom — I've raised Brayden on my own since he was one. When I moved to
Nashville, one income wasn't enough, and my little sister, already in insurance, looked
at me and said, “You can do this.” That belief was the push I needed. I studied,
took the licensing exam, and passed on the first try.
Then I jumped in headfirst — no training, no real support, taking inbound calls while
still working my old job. It was hard. So I did what I do: I made a list, went looking,
and found the Life Insurance Academy podcast. One idea stopped me cold —
ethical and principled selling. I wrote it on a notecard that's still on my
board. This was never about making a sale. It's about being responsible for helping
people protect their families.
I heard a woman on that podcast whose values matched mine, and I reached out. That one
message led me home: to Lasting Mark, the Empower Life
Group under Dana Nesen, and my mentor Sydney
Deshotel. In August I made the full jump. For the first time in my career, I had a community that
both cheered me on and held me accountable — and I finally started holding my head a
little higher.
I'm still early in this journey, and that's exactly why I get it. In a world full of
automation and AI, families deserve a real person who listens — and new agents deserve
the home I was lucky enough to find. That's the work I get to do now.
With heart,
Kayt
