GODFREY – The RiverBend Growth Association has chosen Godfrey-based Karen Wilson State Farm as the July 2023 Small Business of the Month.
As its business name suggests, this local State Farm Insurance office is owned by Karen Wilson. Located at 225 Tolle Lane in Godfrey, Wilson has been in business for 20 years and currently has three employees.
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“I downsized to two team members for a while,” Wilson noted, “but realized that a third person is crucial to an efficient and customer-focused office. We feel this has been beneficial to all. She said that continuing education is required because of the licensing her team members must have. “However, coming from the world of education, I always encourage continuous learning. Seminars, trainings, self-help books, webinars are a very important part of our culture.
“We are a woman-owned and operated business and proud of it. Although we are all familiar with the company I represent, I am the business owner. I make decisions on how the business is run, whom I hire, and how I market. When I started in this business there were fewer women agents than there are today. There have been many years of building people's confidence in the Karen Wilson Agency. I am extremely proud of our accomplishments,” Wilson further noted.
Wilson also shared that she had grown up in an insurance family. “I worked in my dad’s office in high school and college, and also in my brother’s office for a short time when he first opened his agency,” she said. “I went on to raise my three children and teach middle school and loved every minute. But one day, an opportunity came along to go back to insurance, and I grabbed it.
“I felt my experience as a teacher and administrator would serve me well in helping people manage the risks of everyday life and recovering from the unexpected. It also gave me more freedom to be involved in the community. I liked that idea,” Wilson said.
