Allstate Insurance Agent Michelle Terelak, Sparks, NV

I’m a local girl, by design. Born and raised in Sparks, Nevada, I earned my bachelor’s nearby at the University of Nevada, and I’ve chosen to raise my family in Sparks, too.

This is a great community where people lend a hand and live a good, healthy lifestyle. And I work on doing the same. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2015, and I’m proud to count myself a survivor. I stay active biking, camping and running with my family, and volunteering at the schools where my two girls attend.

I tell people that I’m a lot like a momma bear. And not just in my personal life. After a six-year stint as a stay-at-home mom, I became an insurance agent in 2003 and built an agency from scratch by building friendships with people, taking care of them, and protecting their families.

The best compliment I get is when people tell me that they love how I care for them. And that’s never more important to me than when someone has a claim. I have two claim managers on staff to help customers from a tender, loving care perspective – to hold your hand, answer questions, and help you have a good experience.

Staffing an agency like this certainly isn’t the norm. But I have certain beliefs about what’s important, and how things should be done. And I couldn’t be more proud to be running a business where it’s our level of care that sets us apart.