Insurance and improv don’t go together – try telling that to this former agent
July 25, 2017 by Sam Boyer
When it comes to things that don’t naturally mix, insurance and improv comedy would have to be right up there with oil and water.
But for one Zurich business development leader in Chicago, the two activities actually complement each other nicely.
Marissa Jennings, who recently completed an acting course at the famed Second City in Chicago and is now taking improv comedy classes there, says the lessons learned in improv can be carried over into insurance.
“I think there are actually some key learnings from the program,” she said. “When you’re learning to develop a character, you really learn about body language and centers of energy and understanding someone’s personal story, and how you can replicate that on stage. And I love hearing people’s stories and getting to know a variety of different people, and I think you can take that into your day-to-day work life.
“And I think it really pushes you out of your comfort zone … trying new things,” she added. “With improv you really just learn more about team building, which is such a great skillset that anyone in corporate America can learn. It’s about being present and really learning to listen to others.”
Improv, though, is something Jennings has only come to recently. After working a day as an extra on a mini-series pilot, she realized she wanted to give it a go. It’s become a hobby in recent months – but insurance is in her blood.
Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, Jennings started in insurance during college at her parents’ “small agency,” where she also picked up her P&C agent’s license. At that point it was a job, something to get her through college at John Carroll University. But, while completing her MBA at DePaul University, she joined The Hartford in Chicago and took on a position managing an underwriting team.
“It was something completely different,” she noted. “I continued on with [The Hartford] and was able to push myself and learn more about the industry.”
Between The Hartford and since moving to Zurich, it’s the “people aspect” that Jennings loves most about the industry and the roles she’s enjoyed.
“I love the opportunity of working with a wide group of brokers along with all the different business units internally to help grow the business,” she explained. “So I love the people aspect to it. It’s different every day, there’s different challenges. You’re not behind a desk every day, you’re out and about meeting a lot of people.”
And with all that interaction with brokers and clients, who knows, maybe she’ll throw in some improv jokes. After all, she’s learning from the best at Second City.
