Here's a question I get all the time: 'Pamela, what are you looking for in a protégé?' And I love this question because the answer surprises people. They expect me to say 'five years of experience' or 'a finance degree' or 'a perfect GPA.' Nope. Not even close. Let me tell you what actually matters to me.
First and foremost: hunger. I'm looking for someone who wants it. Not in a vague 'I want to be successful someday' way — I mean someone who wakes up and genuinely wants to build something. Someone who sees an insurance agency and thinks, 'I want to learn how to run that.' You don't need to know anything about insurance yet. That's literally my job to teach you. What I need is the fire.
Second: coachability. This one is huge. The Protégé Program is a mentorship, which means you're going to receive feedback — a lot of it. Some of it will feel great, and some of it will make you squirm a little. (I call that growth.) If you're the kind of person who hears constructive feedback and gets defensive, this won't be a fit. But if you're someone who hears it, absorbs it, and comes back better the next day? Oh, we're going to do incredible things together.
Third: character. I can teach you insurance. I can teach you sales. I cannot teach you integrity, work ethic, or how to genuinely care about people. Those have to be in you already. Our clients trust us with the things that matter most — their homes, their businesses, their families' futures. I need a protégé who takes that responsibility seriously, even when nobody's watching.
And finally: a willingness to be developed. This program isn't just about hitting numbers. It's about becoming a professional, a leader, and eventually an owner. That means showing up, doing the work, being open to coaching, and trusting the process even when it's uncomfortable. If that sounds like you — regardless of what your résumé says — then I want to meet you. Some of the best agency owners I know started with zero insurance experience and a whole lot of heart. That's the kind of person I'm looking for.
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About Pamela De La Cruz
Agency Owner & Lead Insurance Advisor
With over 20 years in customer service, Pamela founded De La Cruz Agency with a simple belief: every client deserves honest, personalized coverage. She leads her team with a focus on integrity, community, and making insurance genuinely approachable. When she's not helping families protect what matters most, you'll find her mentoring the next generation of insurance pros.
