Kumiko Ikegami uses her past career as a nurse to ensure good financial health for clients.

I cared for patients for nearly two decades before I pivoted to financial services. In the neonatal intensive care unit, my patients were babies who needed special care or were born prematurely. 

Parents of children with special needs are very concerned about their children’s future. I explained this to a branch manager, and he encouraged me to join his team to be the catalyst and bridge between the medical and insurance industries.

How does your experience cross over?

I had a brave ambition to connect and introduce insurance to the medical field, but when I started prospecting, most of the medical professionals I knew already had insurance advisors, and many of them were with my company.

Ultimately, my ability to connect with people helped me develop my clientele. I am proud of what I do and happy to be deeply involved in the well-being of my clients and their families. While
I was working in the hospital, when the patient was discharged, we had no connection with the patient or their family. In this profession, I really like that there is a lifelong relationship. Supporting clients in many ways for a long time is my ideal style of nursing care. Therefore, I feel like I am still a nurse.

Many of my clients are in their 20s and 30s. People of this age don’t like to think about insurance. As a nurse, I saw many young patients become disabled. I tell clients the odds of this happening may be small, but if you become disabled, your employer and government are not going to provide what you really need. I encourage them to have a plan B, just in case.

Kumiko Ikegami is a five-year MDRT member from Nagoya, Japan. Contact her at kumiko.ikegami@prudential.co.jp.