Today we’d like to introduce you to Brae Coats.
Hi Brae, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
From a really young age I was singing and acting. Carrying it into my middle and high school years, I was in Acting class and Ensemble classes. My Ensemble teacher was putting me up for a scholarship on my voice. I was gonna be famous. I was gonna sing and act and be famous…LOL…But life got in the way. My brother committed suicide when I was 15. It put me in quite a depressive state and then my life felt dark for a very long time. My brother was smart though, had life insurance on himself and named my mom the beneficiary. I didn’t understand much back then, but I did know that at least my mom wasn’t scrambling for money while she mourned her son.
Right out of High School I met my first husband at 17. Got married at 18 and at 19 had my oldest daughter, now 27. Her dad and I divorced when she was 2 and I was left to raise her by myself. I decided I wanted to go into the medical field so I started with Medical Assisting Program. Graduating with a 3.98 GPA, I was on my way. While I was working in Doctors offices, I fell in love with working with patients and I was really good at it. However, being a MA didn’t pay all that well and I struggled as a single mom. I really wanted to go back to school to become a doctor but year after year I just couldn’t go because raising a daughter on very little income was just too hard. I worked 2 jobs for about 8yrs straight just to keep my bills paid and provide. Then in 2008 my biological dad went into the hospital for some pretty bad health issues and it turned out to be cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer. It was so bad that there was nothing they could do. In a few weeks, he was gone. He had no wife, no money, no health insurance, no life insurance, nothing. There was only me and my sister who was a drug addict so of course she didn’t have any money and I was a single mom who only had enough to pay my bills. We had to raise the money to pay for his cremation and memorial service. After years of struggling financially and going thru some tough times, I finally caught a break and landed a pretty good sales job where I was making over $50k/yr! That was 2013. At last I was in the green and not living paycheck to paycheck. Unfortunately, It wasn’t long before I began feeling miserable at work. The pressures of sales quotas and being micromanaged was NOT my thing. It caused me so much stress that my hair was falling out. It was 2015 when I answered an ad about insurance sales and being your own boss. Yes! The guy that called was a friend of a friend from church and I immediately knew that’s what I wanted to do, what I felt led to do. I speedily got my license and started working on the side for about 6 months before quitting my full time sales job. Some years before, my brother had died leaving money behind helping our family and my dad had no insurance to speak of and I knew how important having insurance was. I knew how detrimental it was to my family trying to put my father to rest years before and I wanted to tell everyone from my own experience. Unfortunately, not everyone sees the value so I struggled financially once again for a little while. In the midst of this, I met the man who became my husband. I became an Uber driver to help supplement my income while I was learning. Fast forwarding about a year, I’m still struggling a bit and wondering if I had made a mistake but also determined that it COULD work, I just needed the right company. Well, the day came when a recruiter found me on LinkedIn and wanted to recruit me to sell every type of insurance. Not just life but health, supplemental, Medicare and more. THAT’S what I needed. A way to help people in any and every area! And it’s something everyone needs and wants. In 2018 I got married and had another little girl. Selling insurance not only helps so many but it gives me financial freedom and affords me the time that I need to watch my daughter grow up and never miss a thing like I did with my oldest. I wanted this time to be different. It’s been 10 yrs since I started my Insurance journey and almost 9 since that recruiter found me in a rut. My youngest daughter is 7 and I don’t miss much of her growing up, My oldest is 27 now and has twin babies of her own and I get to watch them every week because I make my own hours. I’m a S-Corp, I’m a successful relationship builder (aka sales agent), a recruiter, partner and training mngr to two Medicare agencies. It took me a long time to get here and I love it! Life is full of challenges with lots of opportunities and reasons to give up. But if we stay focused and determined, success will come. I’m living proof!
Alright, 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?
No, not smooth at all! I had lots of challenges over the years more than I wrote in my story with my family and life. From my parents divorcing when I was 7, to fighting depression off and on for years, my brothers suicide, my mother withdrawing after his death, my dad becoming a crazy person as a result also, to becoming a mother to my younger sister while my mom was checked out, to my sister turning to drugs and being an addict for more than 20yrs and so much with that situation, to becoming a mom so young, to struggling financially for so many years, to feeling like I would never be loved.
We’ve been impressed with Health, Life, & More by Brae Inc, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
What should we know? I’m an insurance agent for Health Markets currently….however, starting in January, I will be focusing more on growing my Medicare book of business and training new agents.
What do you do, what do you specialize in / what are you known for? I specialize in any health insurance and that’s what I’m known for. I know it all pretty well and I’m good at it. Medicare is my favorite to sell.
What sets you apart from others? When you get me, you get more than a sales agent. I can explain the ins and outs of Medicare and how to apply for extra help if you need it. You get someone who’s from the medical world. Someone who’s worked side by side with the doctors. Someone who knows that back office side of things. I know about tests, billing, how labs work, illnesses, how to pronounce and spell medicines and what they’re used for (most of them anyway). I’m married to a pharmacist too. If I ever need help with a clients meds like alternatives if a certain med isn’t covered, I can ask the pharmacist.
What are you most proud brand wise? I’d have to say Humana Medicare Advantage plans this year. I’m really excited about their giveback plans especially for Veterans (VA) and TriCare For Life (TFL) recipients. They have really outdone themselves for 2026. If only more VA and TFL recipients would be open minded to the awesome benefits they can get.
What do you want our readers to know about your brand, offerings, services, etc? I am so much more than an agent. I’m a good listener, I’m empathetic, I’m knowledgeable in both insurance and in the medical field, I’m a friend and most of all, I’m honest. I don’t sell just to sell. I have integrity. If there’s a better plan that what you have, I’ll show you but if you’re in the best plan already I’ll just offer to be your agent. I protect my clients. I treat them like they’re my own family, always telling them the truth.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was singing and dancing as far back as I can remember. I was always putting on shows for my parents and family members. My first play was in the second grade and I can still remember some of my lines. And I was curling my own hair when I was 5 or 6. I’ve always been outgoing, loud, and outspoken. I was never in a click, I loved everyone. My teachers loved me and I was often called the “teachers pet”. I had lots of friends. I’ve always been someone you could talk to. I kept secrets and cried with my friends. I’m compassionate and an animal lover. Typically when you see me, I’m smiling or laughing and sarcasm is my second language. I love to joke around and have fun. I struggle with ADD, having a hard time staying focused and I have OCD. I’m a neat freak and have to have a spotless house which is hard with 3 kids and a husband. I love to host people and feed them. I love to garden. I have lots of tropical plants and flowers. I grow a few of my favorite fruits, veggies and herbs and mainly hydroponically. I love pink, I have 2 dogs Chanel my pomski and Delilah my sweet pitbull. I have a problem with shoes and purses- I have too many! Movies! I LOVE watching movies. My oldest and I like to randomly quote funny movie lines to each other.
