More than a decade: Tonya LeGrande and Associates looks back at 10 years in business

Tonya (LeGrande) LaBenz's story began over 20 years ago when she was working at a cancer center in Lincoln. There, she said, she loved the people but the work wasn't quite speaking to her.

"I was a patient advocate and obviously that was one of my fav positions in life and I was able to help people who didn't have insurance get their treatments paid for and find them funding for those things, that was my experience and where I started," (LeGrande) LaBenz said.

At that job, an acquaintance introduced her to the idea of working in insurance outside of health care. After some coaxing from others, LeGrande-Labenz got her insurance license in 2007 and began selling insurance for a different company.

"This one lady who's a client today who was an agent at the time said 'Tonya, it's like a ministry, you're taking care of people who don't know what to do and you're helping them and one of the greatest rewards you can do is help people' so I got my license," (LeGrande) LaBenz said.

From there, (LeGrande) LaBenz sold insurance for a larger company, working in what she now refers to as "corporate America" and while the work itself was what she enjoyed doing, she didn't exactly agree with their way of doing things.

"Corporate America was like 'we want you to sell so many policies of this or that' and I am a believer that I want to sell for the person I want to provide service. I'm not looking at 'I can sell so many of these policies,' I want to provide something to their benefit." (LeGrande) LaBenz said.

(LeGrande) LaBenz worked with someone else shortly after that position but their belief systems didn't quite line up, so she went out on her own and in 2013 opened Tonya LeGrande and Associates. In 2015, her mother got her insurance license after 40 years in health care and joined the team.

"It's scary and this building I'm in, it was just me in there. We're busting at the seams now because we're growing," (LeGrande) LaBenz said.

(LeGrande) Labenz said the driving force behind what she does is the relationships she has with her clients.

"Knowing that they trust us and that we're taking care of them, that's all that it's about, like we're going to look out for you show you what your options are and were *we're* going to help you make an educated decision," (LeGrande) LaBenz said.

April Sobota, an agent who once worked at the front desk, said the difference between LeGrande and Associates that has contributed to their being open 10 years is the level of attention the agency gives to its clients in perpetuity, mainly their annual policy reviews.

"I think just the extra mile and extra things we do, writing those reviews. A lot of family members know we're there for their loved ones and that we'll take care of them," Sobota said.

(LeGrande) LaBenz said that their relationships with clients are also a big factor in that.

"That yearly review is the difference, and having a personal relationship with the client, saying 'Hey, there's change coming, let's look at it,'" (LeGrande) LaBenz said.

Carolina Magana, the office support who greets people on the phone and as they come in, said that those relationships are also the best part of the job.

"(My favorite part is) talking to clients. We never stay on just one task, we're always changing, if they have an issue, we try to help in whatever way we can," Magana said. "We're a good team."