Meet Valeri Orsini | Insurance Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Valeri Orsini and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Valeri, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
I just started work life balance in 2024. I am having a really difficult time adjusting to it because of always being accessible. Quite a few clients have my cell phone number. I always respond to their questions after hours, on the weekends or on vacation. I know its not a healthy way to live but because I’m a small business owner, I do not want my clients searching for another broker if they are unable to insure a new business or property right away.
The world has made it where response time should be within 24 hours be it text, email or a phone call. I have also conditioned my clients in this way so I am partial to blame.
I also bring my laptop with me on vacation which my family and friends get really irritated. I have conditioned them in a way where I review emails the first two hours of the morning while they are eating breakfast or getting ready for the day so they don’t nag me about being on my computer. I’m working on stopping that as well.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My company is where it is today because of our strong work ethic, resilience through pandemics and recessions. My business partner, Mike Fusco and I embarked on a journey that we had no idea how it would turn out. We both worked long hours, made our own mistakes in the business which helped us grow and not make them again. We have now been in business for 13 years. We both have had to take on other employee’s responsibilities when they are no longer with the company. The ball did not drop when COVID came onto the scene. Large companies started to poach our staff which they were successful at times with their work from home spiel. Working from home caused a ripple in our younger staff being able to grow with the knowledge of the business. Our senior staff was no longer in the office to teach the younger staff on how to grow. In order to grow, you need to hear your peers speak on the phone when problem solving with clients. I think the younger generation is going to lose out on socialization working from home. How will they connect with clients?
I have been trying an online mentorship program in the office where the younger staff can be online all day with me for a week. I can hear about their weekends, families, vacations, etc so that we can connect more on a personal level. You lose that human contact working from home.
We showed our clients you can count on us and that we are here to protect your assets. We always answer the phone which is rare these days. I feel like we are the Nordstroms of insurance brokerages. You will always get better service from us due to always picking up the phone, returning your voice messages promptly and most importantly we understand the marketplace.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I like going to the top of the Symphony Towers at the University Club. The club has the best views of San Diego. We would definitely go bar hopping in North Park. There is something for everyone like beer, whiskey and wine.
Petco Park is an amazing stop for a baseball fan. The food at our stadium is not like the run of the mill food at others. If they had a passport we would walk across the border and go to some restaurants in Chapultepec and maybe drive down to the Guadalupe Valley to go wine tasting. There is always some type of festival all year round in San Diego so I would find one of those. Little Italy has a great scene if you like the Farmers Market or great Italian food. The San Diego Zoo is great exercise which doesn’t feel like exercise at all when checking out all the animals.
There are some fun booze cruises put on by Tiki Tours. If they were visiting in the summer we would go on one of those and then stop at the Brigantine in Point Loma for dinner.
Last but not least, walk downtown in the gaslamp for some people watching.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My mom deserves a shoutout because of the upbringing she has instilled in me. I would not be where I am today if I did not have her as a mom. She taught me financial independence and responsibility which helped start my company. I watched the long hours she worked which taught me that in order to be successful you must put in the time and hard work.