Meet Heidi Starostecki of Progressive Insurance

Today we’d like to introduce you to Heidi Starostecki.

Heidi, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started my career in banking customer service with the intention of moving into corporate training. I completed one year before applying. I wanted to make sure I was a subject matter expert before applying for the trainer position. I had the opportunity to mentor new hires during this time and felt it was the perfect timing. Unfortunately, there was a very large candidate pool and only one opening. I was not selected for the position. These types of positions didn’t come along frequently so I decided to start looking for something new. After some soul searching I decided HR and recruiting would be a nice transition. I took a position with an international staffing agency that specialized in the banking industry. To my surprise, they hired me to work onsite, at the bank I just left. It was a great transition because I knew the positions I was recruiting for inside and out as well as the leadership staff. It was a perfect match and a great opportunity for me. I spent the next 10 years with this company and relocated twice for them which landed me in Arizona. I had a coworker, who left the agency to work for Progressive Insurance two years earlier, reach out me to see if I would be interested in recruiting for Progressive Insurance. At the time I wasn’t looking and was very happy in my role, however after doing some research on the company felt it wouldn’t hurt to meet with them and learn more. I can remember the day of my interview, sitting in the lobby at Progressive Insurance watching people come in and go out of the building wondering to myself, why is everyone so happy, smiling and laughing. What are they serving up in that building? After learning about the fantastic company benefits and opportunity to strengthen my skills I decided to take the leap and join Progressive Insurance. 13 years later I know why everyone was smiling and laughing. People truly love their job and are happy to come to work every day, as do I.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In the beginning of my career it wasn’t a smooth ride for me. I had to make some tough decisions. I’m a single parent of two, as well as I take care of my aging mother who has had a great deal of medical issues over the years and lives with me part of the year. I wouldn’t trade a day or moment I’ve had with all of them and hope one day, my children will understand why. My daughter, Megan graduated from NAU and my son, Cameron is approaching his junior year at ASU Barrett, the Honors College studying Mechanical engineering. I struggled internally at times and had to choose my career over family which led me to miss extracurricular activities with them. I truly believe that hard work pays off and it has. I work for an awesome company that supports work life balance and I currently have the option to work from home. Everything we do is virtual and we’re supported by cutting edge technology to help me do my job successfully.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Progressive Insurance – what should we know?
Progressive provides insurance for personal and commercial autos and trucks, motorcycles, boats, recreational vehicles, and homes. Home insurance is underwritten by select carriers, including American Strategic Insurance Corp. and subsidiaries (ASI), our majority owned subsidiaries.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
My success stems from being focused, motivated and never allowing “no” to define me. In my role as a recruiter I’m seen as a strategic partner. I’ve had to demonstrate the ability to cultivate relationships with both applicants and business partners. I’m approachable, sales minded; I follow through and communicate effectively.

Contact Info:

• Website: progressive.com/careers
• Email: hstarostecki@progressive.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/progressive
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/progressive

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