Renee Porter, 38

Deciding to take a break after college graduation, Renee Porter switched gears from her degree in science and went into commercial insurance. She started working for her “bonus mom,” Jeannette Blanton, in 2010.

“My first day consisted of her dropping a ream of paper on my desk and saying, ‘Call these people and ask them how many employees they have and when their insurance expires,’ ” Porter says. “What I didn’t know at the time was that the ream of paper consisted solely of pool industry-related companies that I would get to know and love throughout the years.”

Porter explains she wasn’t a natural salesperson at first. Over time, she learned everything she could about the pool industry to fully understand the scope of what her clients do. “Then I was able to sell a solution to protect their life’s work,” she says.

Now as the vice president of Higginbotham in Ennis, Texas, Porter’s goal is to “educate clients over time so they can instill values such as integrity, honesty and safety through best business practices, proper risk management actions and a solid insurance program that fits their unique exposures.”

Her favorite part about her job is the relationships and culture of humility.

“As much as this industry has grown, it is still very tight knit,” she says. “I’m able to walk into a conference, exhibit hall or association chapter meeting throughout the country and see familiar faces I trust. Regardless of the time that may have gone by, this industry embraces me with genuine care. There is a consistent culture of humility, where others are willing to share their mistakes and tough lessons learned.”

Porter wants to implement more accountability measures, especially for the sake of those trying to elevate the industry.

“As my loving dad told me in my first month as an insurance agent, ‘Most people will regard you just above a used car salesman,’ ” she says. “We get a bad rap because one spoiled apple ruins the whole bunch. I encourage everyone to surround themselves with experts in their craft and continuously seek further education. I would like to be remembered as one of the industry’s reputable and trusted resources for anything surrounding running a company safely and efficiently.”