Bravera Bank
Dynamic Duos: Melissa Myers and Kourtnie Murdock
Cooperstown Account Executive Kourtnie Murdock and Account Manager Melissa Meyers make the perfect combination, just like sugar and spice! Together, this duo balances each other out while highlighting each other's strengths.
How long have you worked together?
Kourtnie: Melissa started working at Bravera almost 2 years ago, so for roughly 2 years.
Melissa: Since I started on Jan. 3, 2023.
Why did you choose "sugar and spice" for your pairing?
Kourtnie: Melissa is the perfect example of sweet as sugar. She makes sure she looks at every situation in the most positive light. I, on the other hand, am a little spicier with my attitude. Spicy nice is what my sisters call it! I am going to be the one who looks at situations a little more questionably.
Melissa: Kourtney has a quick wit and spicy temperament, whereas I tend to have more of a soft and sweet personality. Kourtney encourages me to draw boundaries and keep people from using my kindness, and when she needs a listening ear or a filter to be sure she isn’t coming across too spicy, I am there for her. We talk through situations and make suggestions on how to push a point a little more firmly for me or soften the message for her. Together, we are the perfect blend of sugar and spice to make everything nice!
What have you learned from each other?
Kourtnie: Melissa has helped me be a little more mellow and possibly holds back some of my attitude. However, it is the opposite for Melissa. I think I’ve helped her be bolder in her communication. It is okay to have expectations of certain situations and honestly, not every situation is going to be a positive one.
Melissa: Kourtney has taught me so much about the complexities of personal lines and the overlap with farm coverages. She has taught me that not everything has to be so serious and it is ok to be a little sassy and have fun with my co-workers.
What makes Bravera a great partner for customers?
Kourtnie: Bravera makes a great partner for customers because Bravera has so many options and is constantly expanding what it offers. In insurance, for example, we offer all the products you'd need for any situation. Whether it be business, farm, crop, home and auto, or health or life insurance, we have so many options, and employees who are willing to help and offer advice.
Melissa: We are encouraged to find solutions for our clients that make sense in our region. One size does not fit all, and as Bravera, we understand that. Kourtney and I work with clients in our hometown and across our service area. We are given the tools and resources to make it possible to serve all of our clients with the same level of care as we would our neighbors.
What are the best parts of your job?
Kourtnie: Honestly, just having the support we have from our co-workers. We don’t necessarily work on things as a team, but we can bounce ideas off each other, go to our co-workers for advice, talk over different situations they may have dealt with, or see how they would handle it.
Melissa: Learning new things, working with my clients and colleagues.
If you could give each other a gift, what would it be?
Kourtnie: Probably something for crafting. She is the best at crafting and is so awesome at sewing new projects or coming up with fun ideas.
Melissa: My gift to Kourtney would be a long trip to a quiet place with a beautiful view, lots of Dr. Pepper and snacks, comfy places to sit, and unlimited book downloads.
How does working together help you better serve our customers?
Kourtnie: Melissa and I work together with customers in our small community who have commercial accounts, and personal lines accounts with us. We easily take information and pass it along, and we also work well together on our larger markets as well. One thing that we typically trade off on is our dwelling fire policies and builders' risk policies. I write her dwelling fire policies for rental properties/non-owner occupied properties for any commercial accounts, and she writes my builders risk policies for anyone needing one on my personal lines accounts.
Melissa: Some coverage blurs the lines between personal and commercial policies. For instance, If Kourtney’s personal lines client is building a new home, they need a builder’s risk policy, which is written under a commercial policy. Some commercial rental properties are covered under dwelling fire policies, which are personal lines policies. We work with the other’s clients on these policies, each contributes our expertise to ensure the client gets the best coverage and service while sharing the workload. We often talk through complex client situations as well. It is not unusual for a local insured to use equipment for a business part of the year and personal use at other times. Our communication and cooperation is essential to ensure proper coverage and placement. We ask questions and knowledge as we find answers.