Wendy Wildeman, senior account executive at Rogers Insurance in Calgary and one of Insurance Business Canada’s top brokers of 2015 has a simple message for those looking for success: “Listen. Work hard and listen.”

Wildeman, who saw revenue of more than $2.8 million from her programs designed specifically for condominium and strata property management firms in 2014, sees the clients as being the ultimate source of information for the savvy broker: “Clients will tell you what they want; all you gotta do is listen! That was drilled into me early on in my career; spend more time listening to your clients than talking and you’ll keep them for a long time.”

Wildeman goes on to say, “I believe that on the average, women tend to be better listeners – so maybe that has been my secret.”

She says, “You’ve got to be a caretaker, that’s what the client wants. They just need someone to take that monkey off their back. Make sure your clients can’t live without you -- or you run the risk that someone else will fill that void.”

And this attitude has certainly served Wildeman well, culminating in not only professional success, but in lasting friendships.