North Bay fires bring out best in people, State Farm agent McDonald says
In the movies, insurance agents are often portrayed as, let’s say, less than cool. Think of cringe-inducing character Ned Ryerson in “Groundhog Day,” constantly pestering weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray) to buy life insurance, ultimately earning himself a punch in the face. Or nerdy small-town agent Tim Lippe (Ed Helms) in “Cedar Rapids.”
In real life, of course, you may not love it when someone makes you think hard about your own mortality by trying to sell you life insurance. But when life turns ugly, you really, really want your insurance agent at your side to help you and your family get your lives back on track.
Cutting insurance checks near fire zone
That, says real-life State Farm agent Paulina McDonald, is the most gratifying aspect of her job. Paulina, whose agency is at 107 S. Sunnyvale Ave. in downtown Sunnyvale, recently returned from serving State Farm customers whose lives were torn asunder by the devastating wildfires in the North Bay, which by some measures was the worst disaster in California history.
Cutting those checks right on site that will help people replace the clothes and vehicles and homes, gives them some hope for a normal future. And it made her feel proud of State Farm and her work.
As terrible as the fires were, she said, the most amazing thing was seeing the way an entire community pulled together to help one another through the dark days.
“It was a reminder that there’s a lot of good people out there,” she said. “It was an experience I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”
Paulina got into the insurance business almost 27 years ago, leaving commercial banking at the urging of a friend and State Farm agent who was nearing retirement. A couple of years later, she moved her agency downtown into the historic district, where she’s remained ever since. In that time, she said, much has changed in the field, as so much business is conducted online and by phone today.
Building relationships
Nevertheless, Paulina prides herself on her personal touch, on building relationships with clients over many years. She said she’s even served three generations of some families, helping them through “life events” in times of joy and sorrow — as parents die, and their kids grow up from babies, through graduations, and become young parents themselves.
She’s proud that her business and personal insurance products give people some peace of mind as they anticipate and encounter the inevitable bumps and misfortunes of life.
If that sort of career sounds cooler than the Hollywood image of insurance agents, Pauline urges you give her a call at (408) 749-8045 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. She’d love to give someone else a start on a satisfying insurance career, just as someone did for her 27 years ago.