Courtney Kastelic is a Senior Disability Sales Manager for Principal Insurance Company and a new NAIFA member. Growing up in a middle-class family, Kastelic became aware early on the stressful impacts money has on a family, which piqued her interest in the financial services industry.

Upon starting her career with Principal, Kastelic was unsure where she should begin in the industry. During her Rotational Leadership Development Program, she was placed in a disability insurance position but never dreamed this would become her full-time career. By the end of this rotation, she had discovered a place in the financial services world that she had a great passion for—one that involved getting to know people and helping them prepare for the unexpected. She says that she is grateful to her mentors along the way, recognizing that a sales role could be a great fit and encouraging her to step into it!

Kastelic says one aspect of her career that she thoroughly enjoys is “the opportunity to go out and spend time with so many different people from so many different walks of life.” She loves “getting to know the ins and outs of her clients' lives” and in her new role of selling group disability insurance, “the ins and outs of her clients’ businesses and what makes them tick.”

The most important lesson she has learned during her time in the industry is that “it’s better to be upfront and admit that you don’t know something but that you have an incredible team who will work with you to find the answer. This creates genuineness among your clients and proves your willingness to work to find a solution.”

Kastelic is thrilled to be part of NAIFA and says she looks forward to gaining knowledge from others in the industry, networking with other members to keep her skills sharp, and gaining new perspective.

Welcome to NAIFA, Courtney!