One of the greatest gifts that anyone can provide to someone else is helping them have the information they need to succeed.

 

That’s exactly what Co-Owners Tats Shepherd and Heidi Holle-Williams achieve each day with the Shepherd Insurance Group and their motto, “We Guide. You Decide.”

 

“When a customer calls and we work with them, we educate them and empower them to make the right choices for themselves,” Heidi emphasizes.

 

Tats and Heidi offer the power of being insurance brokers … giving them access to more than 600 insurance companies to find the right solutions for their clients.

 

As Tats says, “We had both been with State Farm Insurance. We had a vision for what we wanted to deliver to our clients, but as captive agents it was difficult because we could only sell that one company’s products. We appreciate being able to work for our clients — not a company.”

 

That’s how Shepherd Insurance Group was started.

 

That approach has led to a tremendous record of results and success. In fact, about 70 to 80 percent of their business is derived from referrals from their lender and REALTOR® partners.

 

“We have three hallmarks to the way we work with clients here at our agency,” Heidi says. “The first is just to be easy to work with. People think this is a hassle. They don't want to shop around for insurance. We usually cannot only save money, but we're trying to make the process easy and keep it from being a headache for them. They only need to call one place.”

 

The process of finding the right coverage is just the start. Once that valuable insurance is in place, Tats and Heidi are there through time.

 

“We don't farm them out. We don't give them an 800 number. We're there throughout the whole process,” Tats says. “You know as long as you have insurance, you're going to call us for billing questions, claims, policy adjustments if your family grows, and we're there for you if you upgrade your home, if you upgrade your car, and so on. Their policies stay with us. And they stay with us.”

 

Tats and Heidi are proud to be surrounded by a group of top-flight professionals who share their vision of client care.

 

“Together we provide that personal touch … that personal service and our team really believes in our mission. We have several superstars, including Melissa and Suzann,” Tats says.

 

“We often refer to them as the glue that keeps us going in this place,” Heidi says with a smile. “They provide outstanding service. And that’s really our approach. We always strive to have people readily available to help them quickly.”

 

Heidi and Tats brought their own experiences with them as they first entered the insurance world years ago.

 

Heidi had earned a music degree as she came of age.

 

“I wanted to be an opera singer and perform in the New York Metropolitan Opera,” she says. “That was my goal. And the only reason I got into insurance was because I got tired of waiting tables. No one had ever bothered to ask me any questions or teach me about what I had. And needless to say, with a music degree, it was a bit of a learning curve.”

 

Tats found success in another path prior to getting into the insurance field, as well. She worked in the catering business.

 

Today, they take great pride in serving their referral partners with a relentless level of service.

 

“Our partners work very hard showing homes at night and on weekends,” Tats says.

 

“They’re very responsive when it comes to answering text messages and making sure they are there for their clients because the whole process is so stressful. So we assure them that when they send their clients to us that we're responsive, we're caring, and that we are an extension of them, so that the whole process is smooth.”