Alicia Binsfield had the perfect influence and guide while growing up: her father, COF Agent Larry Feldt. Larry has been an agent for 35 years, mainly with Catholic fraternities. During her early days with her dad, she helped with mailings and other tasks. Her dad always wanted her to come in full-time, but she was initially very indifferent.
Alicia has been licensed for about a year and plunged into the field full time in November 2023. “Luckily, I have one of the best teachers. What inspired me about him is that he is so conscious and driven and always puts his clients first, whether suitable for him or not,” said Alicia.
She described how her father, Larry, sets the bar high for her. It’s not about selling something to someone; it’s about caring for them.
Alicia is a strong individual actively working on embracing vulnerability and sharing her true self with others. Although challenging, she remains committed to putting herself out there. You can push through some of those feelings once you are out in the world, meeting the families you advise.
Alicia finds joy when she sits at the kitchen table and interacts with the children in the families. This has been the most rewarding part so far, and it serves as a reminder to the agents of why what they do is so important.
General Agent Brian Marketon of the Minnesota Agency advocated for Alicia to join their team.
Every Monday, Brian holds Zoom meetings and training is provided on some questions for cases. It is easy to start and question yourself and your processes when first diving into the field.
Her inspiration stems from all her colleagues. “The [Catholic Order of Foresters] agents are good people, and Catholic values are so apparent that they incorporate Catholic fundamentals in meetings,” Alicia said.
Alicia advises new agents to be patient with themselves during the initial processes and to persevere. Knowing what you accomplish at the end of the day makes it all worth it. “When you have faith in yourself, the support of your co-workers, and inspiration, what is going on is the love of families and the security of helping these families,” she explains. The agents believe in you, so you cannot help but want to be as dedicated as them. This dedication sticks around forever.
Article by Connor McEleney and Kim Johnson