In this episode of The Ill Noise Business Playbook, I sit down with Marie LaCaria of American Family Insurance, and one thing becomes clear pretty quickly: Marie doesn’t wpant to be “the boss.” She wants to bring people with her.
For Marie, success isn’t about getting the whole pie. It’s about recognizing that there’s enough opportunity to go around and finding ways to help the people around you grow, too.
We talk about the relationships that have shaped Marie’s career and why she has built her business around connection, collaboration, and community. Marie shares how she approaches leadership, creates an environment where her team can develop, and why she’d rather work alongside people than simply tell them what to do.
We also get into something that comes up often on the Playbook: collaboration over competition. Marie believes businesses can accomplish more when we support one another, share opportunities, and stop treating every other business as competition.
That philosophy extends beyond her office. Community involvement and giving back are important parts of how Marie does business and how she chooses to show up for the people around her.
This episode also features Dawn Block of CENTURY 21 Integra, whose relationship-first approach to real estate makes her a natural partner for this conversation. Dawn’s Featured Partner Spotlight begins at approximately 4:15.
What stood out to me most about my conversation with Marie is that she doesn’t separate relationships from business. Relationships are the business.
Her story is a reminder that leadership doesn’t have to mean standing above everyone else. It can mean creating opportunities, helping people grow, sharing the pie, and bringing others along with you as you succeed.
That’s a pretty powerful way to build a business—and a community.