by Rose Freeman, C.A.I.B.
Willow Insurance Corp.

I’m the owner of Willow Insurance Corp, a journey I started when I bought an insurance brokerage in Shell Lake in 2013.  While I have a background in corporate finance, I did not have any previous brokerage experience, so I only had a short window to complete my education and licensing requirements, shadow the existing owner and whip up a business plan. 

Less than a year later, I owned a brokerage and was expecting my first child. Once the baby arrived, I was running my business from home for a month with only one other staff member working at the office, so the two of us returned to the office. A few short years later, another opportunity arose for the purchase of a second brokerage in Debden, and while I was now pregnant with my second, I decided to expand Willow Insurance Corp., this time returning to the office with a one-week-old.

As a full-time entrepreneur and mother, I manage four staff split across two locations, and each location offers a full suite of commercial and personal insurance products, as well as other services such as passport photos, travel insurance and hunting and angling licenses. As a fully licensed broker with a finance education, I look for ways to improve the business. That’s why this year, I increased my involvement with the Insurance Brokers Association of Saskatchewan by joining the Leaders Forum, a year-long pilot program designed exclusively for brokerage leaders to provide guidance and mentorship as they grow their skills and businesses. 

I am also happy that Willow Insurance Corp. is able to give back to our communities by sponsoring many local charities, including our ongoing support of the local rinks, 4-H clubs and our annual Hey Days fair in Shell Lake.