Sylvia Gordon, President of Gordon Marketing, Best Inspiring WomenLeaders of 2021 Profile

Sylvia Gordon
President of Gordon Marketing


Sylvia Gordon, President of Gordon Marketing, Best Inspiring WomenLeaders of 2021

“The Creative Influencer”

Sylvia Gordon is the creative engine for Gordon Marketing and works in unison with her sister Rebecca Gordon to take the company to new heights. “While we break up job responsibilities and have many overlapping skill sets, everyone agrees that I am the creative engine. I was putting on neighborhood plays (and collecting fees from the parents to my mom’s embarrassment) when I was 8 years old,” says the pioneering leader. “Theater and art are my passion, which is why I was extremely reluctant to follow my family into insurance. One day I realized that we can incorporate fun into insurance distribution.”

“Gordon Marketing and works in unison with her sister Rebecca Gordon to take the company to new heights.”

According to Sylvia, when you own the company, you make the rules! “We built our brand around the anti-corporate model. There is a surfeit of competitors trying to out-professional each other, so we went the opposite direction,” she says. “We have very different atmosphere attracted enough agents to propel us to one of the largest national marketing firms for insurance distribution.”

Being one of the very few women at the top of her field, Sylvia has broken the mold that insurance is limited to the proverbial WASPs. “I’ve been discriminated against, forced into degrading situations with Insurance companies, I have a duty to do everything in my power to make our industry more inclusive,” she says. “I want to bring women of all races together and mentor them towards greater heights. Our company is predominately woman led, and I’m proud of the leadership track we have had for women these past 25 years. The receptionist is now a senior manager, the next receptionist runs a department and so on.”

Sylvia’s father, Dick Gordon, was a captive agent that his company abused. He decided to start a competing company to treat agents the way he should have been treated. It turns out that was the recipe for success! Most people in insurance distribution have never sold a policy across the kitchen table to a client. “I not only have sold insurance, but to this day continue to sell a few polices every month so that I know the products we are training agents to sell. When I train, I train from the agent’s perspective and not an ivory tower CEO out of touch with the agents we support. I talk the talk, and walk the walk,” she says. “There are not many businesses left in the USA where you can find three generations working in the same business. I doubt that there are any FMOs with as many family members actively involved in insurance as we have.” Sylvia and her team don’t aspire to attract all agents because they know not everyone can fit in a family-focused, woman-led, offbeat and fun brand—that’s cool with us. “There are enough agents that enjoy what we have to offer to keep us growing strong.”

The duo, Rebecca and Sylvia, are proud of how agile they have been. “We are not reluctant to change, we are eager to adapt. I’m the largest voice for Medicare (the biggest “Influencer,” if you will) on Tik Tok. It spins off free, organic leads every single day. We have a large presence on many Social Media platforms and that is how most agents know us. The graying sales force doesn’t Tik Tok, but their clients do. That is why we go there first, so we can train agents how to do it themselves,” she explains. “I’ve spent 20 years being one of the only women in the room. Women are better suited to succeed in health insurance and I feel that we will dominate this industry one day.” Change is the only thing that has been constant in Sylvia’s career. “That scares some people, but I’ve always loved it (as I get bored easily). COVID-19 was terrifying as a business owner, but we never closed our office and we proved that we were able to adapt and thrive. 2020 was our biggest year ever!” IE


Company

Gordon Marketing

Management

Sylvia Gordon
President

Description

Founded in 1980 by Dick and Margaret Gordon, Gordon Marketing has made a national name for itself from humble beginnings. Gordon Marketing is an independent, family-owned and operated brokerage company located in the heart of Indiana. We specialize in Senior, Health & Life products for independent agents across the nation.


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