From Farm to Construction Risk: Emily Glanz on Selling, Storytelling, and Staying Human in Insurance

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She grew up in a town of 60 people. Now she’s shaping risk strategies for multimillion-dollar construction firms.

In this episode of Just Some BS, Emily Glanz (VP at Cottingham & Butler) breaks down what it takes to succeed in the insurance industry today—and spoiler alert: it’s not just spreadsheets and policies. It’s communication, empathy, and being bold enough to stay weird.

We dig into everything from cold calling to captive insurance to raising a family while flying around the country—and yes, we also talk about her elite-level tetherball skills and ninja-like fly-swatting reflexes.

🔍 What we cover:

• What growing up on a hobby farm taught her about career grit
• How painting water towers with Sherwin-Williams turned into commercial insurance success
• The REAL key to simplifying complex insurance concepts for clients
• Why fly swatters and tetherball might be underrated leadership skills 😏
• How she and her husband operate as a true unit while balancing work, travel, and parenting
• And why storytelling—not selling—is how real trust is built

This episode is part leadership, part life advice, and part Midwest-meets-boardroom gold.

Where to find Emily

www.linkedin.com/in/emily-glanz-84b554144

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