Breaking Down Barriers – R&P Insurance
Rochelle Carly and Philly McMeekan are bringing a fresh, female and flexible approach to insurance.
The descriptors ‘engaging’, ‘down-to-earth’, ‘exciting’ and ‘innovative’ are not typically associated with the insurance industry, yet are perfectly applied to Rochelle Carly and Philly McMeekan, financial advisers and co-founders of R&P Insurance .
Having launched their business in June 2021, the dynamic duo are causing a stir in their industry, for all the right reasons. ‘Fresh, female and flexible in our thinking, we offer a different solution,’ comments Philly. ‘We don’t agree with the current insurance market and are out there making the changes we think need to happen.’
With the bulk of their clients currently women and the self-employed, the two key drivers of their business are education and transparency. ‘Insurance isn’t a one-size-fits-all type scenario,’ explains Rochelle. ‘For us it is about the client, about you. First and foremost, we like to sit down and ask a lot of questions. We need to learn about you and how you want your insurance to perform, so that we can find the best solution.’
‘We aren’t going to change someone’s current policy just because we can,’ continues Philly. ‘It is about looking at all the options out there and finding a policy that works for that particular client. We go through all of the terms and details to determine the best fit.’ From there they sit down with the client and talk it through. ‘We want you to understand the policy you are taking on,’ says Rochelle. ‘We have seen how the right cover can support clients through a tough time, ensuring finances are not an added stress.’
In turn they are making insurance more personable and achieving their desire to build strong relationships with their clients. ‘Most insurance companies have a distribution model,’ says Philly. ‘As brokers we are able to give you access to multiple companies, not just one, and like to think we are here for the long haul with a client.
‘We aim to make it easy whilst providing great advice, transparency and education through digital signing, flexibility of appointment times and options of Zoom and phone appointments,’ continues Philly. ‘We also provide access to information via social media channels which has helped grow a nationwide whānau of clients.’
Having made the decision to leave their corporate financial careers behind and embark on something together, they are no strangers to the challenges of women in business and the juggle it can present. Something their clients can often relate to. ‘Lockdown (2020) showed us both the intense role of the corporate environment,’ shares Rochelle. ‘The work was all consuming, the expectations high and the family time non-existent. We each wanted to create a lifestyle that would allow us to work without the guilt of being a mum.’
‘R&P Insurance has allowed us to do it on our own, to have the high work expectations, the intense workdays, but be flexible around the needs of families and ourselves,’ explains Philly.
Listening to them talk it is obvious there is no such thing as a silly question, and it is apparent that part of the attraction of R&P Insurance is their down-to-earth approachable manner. ‘Our aim is to break down the barriers; we love working with clients who are keen to take on advice but are independent in their thinking. We are making our own box, and many of our clients are doing the same thing in their field,’ says Philly. ‘We want our clients to be empowered by their insurance decision.’
