Writer / Matt Keating Photographer / Kerch Creative
Ashlin Hadden, owner of Ashlin Hadden Insurance Agency in Noblesville, believes unique, grassroots marketing campaigns are some of the best ways to meet new clients. “When I started in the insurance industry, I was bombarded with people who ran away from me because no one really liked insurance agents,” Hadden says. “I was told that most people think insurance agents are worse than a used car salesman. I wanted to change that. I wanted to show people that insurance agents are not all like that.” Hadden, who started her agency in 2008, also wanted people to know she was involved with her community. “I wanted to change the stigma of insurance agents,”she says. “I started by doing events with the local parks departments, schools, and pet events. I wanted to focus on events that were special to me, so kids and pets are what we focused on.”
day my kids said something about a train and I thought, ‘What if we had a train in the community?’ I started the hunt for a trackless train.” Once she found one, ideas for rides came next.
Hadden has also started using a train to promote her business.
“I found some really fun holidays that could tie in to what we were doing,” Hadden says. “For September it was National Talk Like A Pirate Day, so we thought it would be neat to try to convert the train into a pirate ship.”
“This year, with COVID-19, I wanted to do something really out of the normal,” she says. “My kids and I felt trapped in the house, and I was feeling very blue. One
Hadden says the community response to the train has been positive. “The community has responded so well,”
she says. “We were taking it for a test drive and we saw someone taking pictures. When I got back to the office, I had a voicemail. It was from a woman from The Enclave Senior Living at Saxony. She asked me if there was any way that I can bring the train to their residence. I was so excited to bring some smiles to their faces. We decided to do a September Ride for Grandparents Day.” Hadden says children have also enjoyed the train. “The neighborhood kids have just loved it,” she says. “I have heard so many kids say, ‘This is the best thing all year,’ or, ‘I have never ridden a train before.’ To see the joy in their eyes and the excitement in their voices
atNoblesville.com / OCTOBER 2020 / NOBLESVILLE MAGAZINE / 29
