Q&A with Catherine Kramm

Catherine Kramm, CIC, CISR, CLCS is a producer with The Coup Agency, a full-service insurance and real estate firm with offices in Lewisburg and Milton, PA.

Q. How did you get your start in insurance?

A. Insurance was never the plan. When I moved to Lewisburg in 2009, I really didn’t know what I wanted to do. My husband had been insured with The Coup Agency, which is how he found out they were hiring a Customer Service Representative. The office actually hired someone else who already had earned her P&C license, but she decided insurance was not for her. It was a few months later that Jeff Coup called me to say what had happened and asked if I would like to come in for another interview. He offered me the position, and I quickly accepted. I really liked the idea of being part of a family business that had been serving the community since 1926.

As soon as I earned my P&C license, I was encouraged to start working on my CISR designation. Within my first year of employment, I earned my CISR and began working on my CIC designation. After a year of working as a Customer Service Representative, I was promoted to a personal lines producer, and the following November I added commercial producer to my title.

After a couple more years, Jeff Coup shared his plan for retirement and asked if I would be interested in joining a few others to purchase the agency. This was an opportunity I never saw coming, but I was very excited to play a bigger part of the Coup Agency legacy. Over the next few years, I began to take on more roles within the office, and with Jeff Coup retiring in 2022, I am now the office principal. I’m excited to move forward in this new role and keep the Coup Agency legacy thriving.

Q. What does your typical workday look like?

A. A typical day starts with checking my emails and voicemails and seeing what reminders I have set for that day. I like to spend the mornings getting office work done and the afternoons meeting with clients and working on new business. It’s a tough market right now, so we are spending a lot of time remarketing our renewals. Luckly we are an independent agency with several carriers to make sure we always have the best option for our clients.

Q. What’s the best part of your job?

A. The best part of my job is working with new people. I love to meet new clients and find out who they are and what is important to them. There is no cookie cutter policy that is right for everyone, so I like to take the time to figure out what is most important to each insured. No two days are the same, and that’s what keeps me coming back. Everyone hopes they never have to use their insurance, but when they do, I want to make sure they are covered. Clients call us when the worst happens, and when we can make sure they are covered and can be made whole, that is what matters most.

Q. You – as well as the rest of The Coup Agency team –obviously value professional development and designation programs. Tell us what drives your commitment to education.

A. As soon as I was hired, Jeff Coup encouraged me to pursue my CISR certification. After my first class, I completely understood why these programs were so important. Each class was hyper focused on an individual topic, so I was able to better understand all of the different areas of insurance. Every class I went to taught me something that I was able to bring back to the office and use to help Coup Agency clients.

I encourage all of our new hires as soon as they have their P&C license to start working on the CISR program. Yes, there are free classes that we can send our employees to that earn them their continuing education, but they learn so much more that will help the agency grow in the long run if they are working toward as designation. Every single employee at the Coup Agency has earned at least one designation or is working towards their first. The amount of knowledge you get from these classes is invaluable. We want our employees to be as well rounded as possible with their insurance knowledge. The courses available through the different designation programs are our key to successful employees.

Q. The CIC designation, in particular, can be daunting. What advice would you give someone who is just beginning the coursework?

A. The CIC program was intimidating. When I was taking the classes, they were 2 ¹/² days with an essay test the following morning. What I recommend is that you ask questions and take the class seriously. If you pay attention and study, you will pass each class. There is a lot of material, but each instructor tells you what to focus on. They give so many examples that helped me to fully understand what was being discussed. The CIC program forced me to take the time and truly focus on each of the coverage topics separately to make sure I fully grasped the subject. The CIC program will make you a better agent for your clients.

Q. You’ve taken IA&B education courses with some of our most beloved instructors over the years. Is any faculty member, course, or anecdote particularly memorable?

A. I had the privilege of taking several courses with Jerry Milton. He always had the best stories and examples that kept insurance entertaining and educational. He was one of those instructors who could talk about anything and make you want to hear more about that subject through his stories. Jerry was my favorite instructor by far.

Another memorable moment was during my pre-licensing course with IA&B. I will never forget the example our instructor gave to help us understand the difference between an HO3 and an HO5. She told us a story about a deer jumping into a home through a bay window and tearing up everything. We were told if we had sold our client an HO3 then there would be no coverage for contents because Deer was not a specifically listed peril. But if we sold them an HO5, then there was coverage for the entire loss. I still use this example today to explain the difference in coverage to my clients.

Q. We understand that you live in Lewisburg, PA. Tell us about the town!

A. Lewisburg is a great town to live in. Our Downtown Historic District is lined with signature three globe green lampposts, and Market Street is filled with so many restaurants and shops that there is always something to see and do. There are events year-round, such as the Heart of Lewisburg Ice Festival and the Lewisburg Arts Festival. In addition to everything the town has to offer, it is centrally located, so it’s quick and easy to get just about anywhere in Pennsylvania.

Q. When you’re not working, how do you spend your time?

A. When I’m not working, you can find me with my family. My husband and I have been married for 13 years and have two children. Our daughter Reagan is 11, and son Breckin is 9. Right now our kids have us rather busy running from football practice to dance class. I feel a little like an Uber driver these days shuttling from one practice to another, but I love watching them grow as individuals and support their teams.