Melanie Bakala

After 16 years in the banking industry, in a job I loved, my company was in trouble – as were so many other banks in 2008. Not one to wait and let things happen to me, I started searching for my next career. This is when I found the State Farm agency opportunity. They decided to take a chance on me, and gave me the opportunity to run my State Farm Agency in Shelton, WA in April, 2010.

While I loved banking, being a State Farm Agency is truly my calling. Every day I get to protect people. Every person has a dream for their family and their future. But things happen. People get sick or hurt and can’t work for 4 months. Trees fall on homes during wind storms. People get rear-ended by uninsured drivers. Someone’s husband doesn’t survive a car accident.

This is why I’m so passionate about helping protect people and secure their dreams for their family’s future. And it’s hard. Time is becoming more and more of a commodity every day. The industry has told people it is all about price. I fight these two things every day. We always make sure people understand the coverage they have, and the coverage they don’t have. We always talk to people about protecting their incomes – because one, small interruption can affect a person for years.

In 2016, I was given the opportunity to open a 2nd office in Lacey, WA. This gives us the opportunity to reach even more people to make sure their dreams are protected. I have a fantastic team of licensed insurance professionals who work alongside me every day in providing exceptional service, and making sure every customer is given the opportunity to understand what they have, and what they need.

We aren’t pushy. That’s really not our style. But we do talk to everyone about the making sure they are protecting their homes, cars and their incomes. It is simply what we do. Our office of insurance professionals provide exceptional experiences for our customers, and working with integrity is the most important thing we do. We always treat our customers with respect and are focused on providing them comprehensive protection.