When Bailey Baker was recruited to work at State Farm by a family friend, she had no idea what she was getting into. So, she did her research. Looking for a career she could retire from, she interviewed State Farm agents and others in the industry, to see if insurance was a good fit. What she found was her calling: helping people protect their lives and livelihoods.

Baker and her team offer a wide array of products, from home and auto insurance to life insurance to pet insurance, and her clients are just as varied. "We have a pretty big range: all generations, all areas. Texas is our client, basically,” she says.

The Importance of Education

Baker’s focus is on educating her clients to help them make the best decisions for themselves and their families. “We're helping people understand what insurance is doing for them: how it can protect them in different scenarios, and help them live more confidently, have more peace of mind, and be more knowledgeable in this complicated world [of insurance],” she says.

Baker believes a good agent should have integrity, a positive attitude, and attention to detail. Above all, an agent should like working with people. That's Baker’s favorite thing about being an insurance agent: talking with her clients about products and services they wouldn’t have known about otherwise.

She recalls one such instance, working with a young client going through several life changes. He was newly married and changing careers. As they worked together to set up his plan, Baker explained his options and helped him make the best decision for his family. This is not unusual, she says. She often finds that clients are having conversations with her about insurance for the first time. No one else in their lives has talked to them about protecting their families with insurance.

The Benefits of NAIFA Membership

Baker discusses the many benefits of NAIFA membership, from chapter events and professional relationships to leadership training and political advocacy.

At her first NAIFA luncheon, Baker heard a moving story by renowned author and speaker Rosemarie Rossetti. Rossetti shared that she wouldn't have been able to accomplish all that she has without her disability insurance policy. Baker describes sitting with seasoned industry professionals, taking in the same information, and bringing what they learned back to their own practices.

Baker speaks on the value of the relationships she’s built within the NAIFA community. “Just being able to rub elbows with some of these people who really take this seriously and have been involved for a really good reason - being around those folks and having those relationships with other NAIFA members has taught me so many different things that I've been able to implement in my business and learn about myself as well.”

Baker graduated from NAIFA’s Leadership in Life Institute (LILI) in 2020. She talks about how LILI made her a better agent and a better leader. “My business is relationship-based. I wouldn't be serving my customers adequately if I didn't have relationships with them,” she says. “LILI taught me a lot about that, and a lot about myself and who I am as a leader in my business.”

Baker also notes the importance of NAIFA’s political advocacy and the Insurance and Financial Advisors Political Action Committee (IFAPAC). “Being a member of NAIFA and donating to IFAPAC - to me it that's career insurance,” she says.

Local Community

Baker married her husband, Brandon, earlier this year and they have a 16-year-old Bichon Frisse named Sophie. A Texas native, she stays involved in her community, volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, the Boys and Girls Club of San Antonio, and the San Antonio Food Bank.

When she’s not serving the people of San Antonio, Baker is out exploring its shops and restaurants, especially within Pearl, San Antonio’s historic cultural and culinary district.

Thank you, Bailey, for your service to our industry and association. We’re #NAIFAproud to call you one of our own.