Navigating Risk: Building a Business in Insurance
For women building a business in insurance, uncertainty becomes personal. Becoming an independent short-term broker means backing your expertise, building a book of business, earning the trust of clients and taking greater responsibility for the future you want to create.
Econorisk profiles two women who have taken different routes into broker entrepreneurship. Liné Rietz has built her career and grown within the Econorisk network, whilst Mariaan Jackson left the certainty of a salaried role to take ownership of her client relationships and success.
Their stories reveal what it takes to grow an insurance brokerage, remain grounded with clients’ needs and continue moving forward when the safest route is not always clear.
Liné Reitz: Building with the Right Support
United Risk Solutions, Econorisk Broker Partner
United Risk Solutions is an established Broker Partner. The business joined Econorisk in 2020, just before COVID-19 changed the environment in which businesses operated. At the time, the team consisted of Liné and her director, Nicci Lilley. For them, the value of the Broker Partner Programme lies in having the infrastructure of an established insurance business without losing the focus and personal relationships that define their business.
The support of the Broker Partner Programme has helped United Risk Solutions grow, but Liné’s own route into insurance was far from straightforward.
Before entering the industry, she worked in imaging, an environment she describes as heavily male-dominated. Moving into insurance meant encountering many of the same assumptions about whose knowledge would be trusted and whose contribution would be taken seriously.
“It is very much a man’s world, an all-boys club, for sure.”
For women entering these spaces, credibility is not always assumed. Liné found that she first had to demonstrate the depth of her knowledge before her input was valued. But she does not see being a woman as a disadvantage in insurance. Her ability to relate to clients and approach difficult conversations with empathy strengthens the technical knowledge and commercial judgement she brings to the relationship. It gives her what she describes as a softer touch without making her soft in business.
That distinction becomes especially important when a client experiences a loss. Insurance is rarely at the centre of a happy conversation. Clients turn to their brokers after accidents, theft, damage or another event that has disrupted their lives. In those moments, they need more than someone who understands policy wording. They need a broker who can listen, explain what happens next and help them navigate the situation with greater confidence.
For Liné, the ability to understand what a client is going through makes women a stronger part of the insurance offering. Empathy and authority are not opposing qualities. They can work together to create more considered advice and stronger relationships. That belief has only deepened working within a female-led business, under Nicci Lilley, whom she describes as knowledgeable, strong and fiercely independent, someone who holds people to high standards while still leading with genuine care.
“She leads with an iron fist that has a beautiful soft glove on it.”
Redefining Success
Asked what her definition of success looked like at the beginning of her career, and what it looks like today, Liné notes that earlier on, success for her was closely linked to earning more and reaching the financial milestones traditionally associated with having made it. As she has matured and grown within the industry, that measure has become less important than the value she can offer the people she serves.
Insurance is often described as a grudge purchase. Clients pay for something they hope they will never need, without necessarily seeing the support that exists on the other side of the policy. The broker’s value is in the spotlight when something goes wrong. For Liné, success now means being present at that moment – helping the client understand the process and making an already difficult experience easier to manage.
“That is what I see as success now. Being able to help people and add value to their life.”
Econorisk is proud to be partnered with United Risk Solutions through the Broker Partner Programme, a collaboration built on shared values, personal service, and a continued focus on providing exceptional insurance solutions. We admire Nicci’s leadership, combined with the unwavering support of Liné and the dedication of the wider team.
Mariaan Jackson: Taking Ownership
B-Sure, Econorisk Broker Partner
Mariaan Jackson is the General Manager at B-Sure. B-Sure joined the Econorisk Broker Partner Programme in August 2018. The partnership has grown from strength to strength, focusing on quality business, expert advice and seamless operations.
For Mariaan, one of the biggest risks of her career was leaving the certainty of a salaried role at a direct insurance company. She moved from a conventional nine-to-five into a position where her book of business, client relationships and future success became her responsibility. It was a shift from employee to entrepreneur.
“I came from a direct company, working for a salary in a nine-to-five, to taking ownership of my own book, my own relationships and my own success.”
A fixed salary offered predictability. Building her own book required Mariaan to trust her knowledge, reputation and ability to create lasting relationships with clients.
Asked how she navigates uncertainty in her career, Mariaan does not believe that a truly safe route exists. Every career decision carries uncertainty, including the decision to remain where you are. She believes you may have to take the risk before you can discover what else may be possible. That conviction has shaped the confidence she brings to her business. She describes herself as knowledgeable, passionate and comfortable taking the lead. Her confidence is not based on having every answer in advance. It comes from understanding her field and knowing the value she can bring to the people who rely on her advice.
Leading with Empathy
Mariaan centres her practice on being available to people, whether they are trying to save money, looking for better cover or simply need someone to speak to after a difficult day. For her, empathy is not separate from commercial strength. It helps her understand what matters to each client and respond in a way that is both informed and personal. What began as employment has therefore become closely tied to her identity. Insurance is no longer simply a job she performs; it is a career she has taken ownership of and a role through which she can make a difference to the people around her.
Making Room for Mistakes
Asked what advice she would give her daughter, or another young woman considering a career in insurance, Mariaan begins with independence. She wants young women to think for themselves, trust their judgement and remain open to learning when they get something wrong. Mistakes, in her view, are not evidence that someone does not belong in the industry. They are part of developing the resilience and judgement required to build a meaningful career. Mariaan speaks from experience. She is open about the fact that her own route has included failure, but she does not treat those moments as contradictions of her success.
“It’s okay to fail. I’ve failed many times in life before I got to this position and, guess what? I’m okay. I’m here. I’m successful.”
Her advice balances ambition with perspective. She believes women should strive for excellence without expecting themselves to be perfect at every stage of the journey.
Women Building on Their Own Terms
There is no single way to build a successful business in insurance. What matters is the ability to stand behind your knowledge, create relationships grounded in trust and remain willing to make decisions before every outcome is certain.
For women considering becoming brokers, the route may not always feel safe. But with the right support, confidence and willingness to keep learning, uncertainty can become the starting point for something you build on your own terms.
