Maggie Allister

Today our featured agent in Maggie Allister located in Eden Prairie. Maggie is an insurance agent with Horace Mann.

Maggie’s singular goal is to make every client a client for life.  As a successful insurance agent, she has extensive knowledge of the insurance industry and the various policy options available to her clients.  For the past 10 years she has helped many clients in the Twin Cities find the right policy to provide peace of mind.  She has a business background in marketing and provides a strong foundation to properly evaluate risks and determine the right course of action for her clients. Maggie acts as an advocate for her clients and takes the trust they place in her very seriously.  Clients receive added value at every turn, from coverage to premium cost.

As a result of her professionalism and high quality of service she gives her clients, Maggie maintains a strong referral base.  Clients receive an exceptional level of personal attention and communication.

Tell us about your background?

I grew up in Minnetonka and I was always thinking about a career in marketing. My mom worked at a marketing agency and I thought it looked like fun. In college, I took the standard marketing and business classes. Growing up I remember my parents were always looking to capitalize on different business and investment opportunities.  That must have rubbed off on me and gave me my entrepreneurial spirit.

Where is your office located?

Our office is located in Eden Prairie, but we have client’s in all parts of the Twin Cities metro area.

How did you get started in the insurance industry? 

For the first few years after college, I hopped from one industry to the next. This includes but is not limited to finance, entertainment, and digital marketing. But regardless of where I went, something felt off. I knew I wanted to do my own thing, but hadn’t settled on exactly what just yet.

It’s safe to say that the scrappy spirit required to build a business was passed down through my family tree. I was absolutely enamored by the idea of executing my own visions, taking full responsibility for my actions, and making my own future.  The insurance industry is a great place to practice a variety of skills as a small business owner while helping people in need.

Throwing caution to the wind, I took what little savings I had saved up from my previous gigs and decided to take a plunge into the world of insurance.  Calling this bootstrapping would be an understatement.

But it’s important to realize that money isn’t everything, especially when you’re just starting. Grit and hard work are far more necessary to succeed. As long as you can find a way to keep the lights on (so that you can put the hours in), nothing can defeat you except your own mindset.

You mentioned you hopped around to different jobs in your earlier years.  What did you do before you started working in insurance?

I had been in marketing for 7 years. I worked as the Director of Marketing for a fitness facility in Minneapolis, handling all of their in-house and online marketing. I have worked for fitness facilities, restaurant chains, corporates fitness apparel, you name it, I have seen inside their walls!

So when you got started, how did you differentiate your company from others?

We aim to create the best experience for our customers. From your initial proposal through our final delivery of your policy, we make sure our customers are treated as if they were the only ones we have.

What has been your most effective way to connect with your clients or prospective clients?

We keep in contact with all of clients through email or phone calls on a regular basis.  We pride ourselves on quick response times.  If you contact us online our agents will get back to you the same day. 

For our existing client family, we have a summer open house and provide grilled items and drinks.  We have fun activities for the kids and everyone really enjoys spending time together.

Now some frequently asked questions from our readers: 

If it’s raining all night and my sump pump fails and my basement floor is flooded will my policy cover water removal and replacing damaged drywall and carpet?

Your homeowners insurance will typically cover the dry out and removal of any damaged materials like carpet or drywall.  The policy will also typically cover repairing those damaged materials with carpet and paint similar to the value of the damaged materials

My kid is going through a phase of stuffing things in the toilet and flushing it.  If I don’t catch him doing that and I get a big puddle in my bathroom that damages my vanity and trim, will my homeowners policy cover that?

I’ll start with a disclaimer.  Each policy is different.  Please call us if you need to know specific answers about your own policy.  With that being said, typically, if the flood in your bathroom is too big to clean up yourself or its been soaking on the floor for some time, your policy will cover a contractor to come out a dry out the floor, vanity and trim and replace any of those materials that are not salvageable.

I understand you make giving back to the community a priority.  Tell us about that?

I place great importance on giving back.  Our office regularly spends time at the Salvation Army Food Shelf which helps feed people in need in our community.  We also donate to Bridging which helps provide basic home essentials to families.

What is the best way to get in touch with you if I want to discuss my insurance options?

As I mentioned before, the best way is to go to our website.  We respond quickly within the same day.  If you have an emergency please give us a call and we can help you right away.