We recently had the chance to connect with Mariana Fernández and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Mariana, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
I feel that now I’m being called to speak up more, in both my faith and my profession. For a long time, I stayed quiet, unsure if people wanted to hear my perspective. In the insurance industry, which for many years was mostly dominated by men, I didn’t think I had anything valuable to add. But as I’ve grown, I’ve realized that my voice matters, not just as a woman or an immigrant, but as someone who deeply believes in purpose, service, and integrity. Today, I speak up more about my faith, about what I believe is right, and about the values that guide my business. And by opening up professionally, I’ve discovered a new world, one full of strong, successful women and an incredible community that supports one another. It’s no longer just about growing my agency, but about helping others rise, too, and letting God’s light shine through everything I do.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Venezuelan and I’m the Exclusive Agent and Marketing Specialist of Highland Insurance Group, an Allstate agency based in Maryland. This agency started from scratch almost 4 years ago, and what began as a dream has grown into a thriving bilingual agency that proudly serves hundreds of families and small businesses.
What makes Highland special is our heart. We’re a 100% Hispanic, bilingual team, and we see insurance as more than a transaction, it’s a way to protect what people have worked so hard to build. Our mission is to educate and empower our clients so they can make confident decisions about their coverage, while also creating opportunities for other immigrants and women in the industry.
Right now, we’re focused on expanding our reach, mentoring new agents, and continuing to build a culture rooted in kindness, excellence, and faith, because I truly believe success is not only about growth, but about how many people you help along the way.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
Kindness. That’s my favorite word. I truly believe that most of the conflicts we see in life, whether small or big, could have been avoided with a little more kindness. When we’re not kind to others, it’s often because we’ve forgotten how to be kind to ourselves. We become impatient, defensive, or quick to assume the worst in others, instead of assuming the best, instead of assuming positive intent.
Kindness restores what pride or fear can break. It reminds us that everyone is fighting their own battles, and that empathy doesn’t make us weak, it makes us human. In my life, in leadership, and in business, I’ve seen how choosing kindness changes everything: it softens hearts, rebuilds trust, and turns challenges into opportunities to connect again.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes and no. Yes, because I believe that everyone, at some point in life, feels that way, tired, overwhelmed, or discouraged. There have been moments when I’ve felt that too. But deep down, I’ve always known that giving up is not an option. My faith in God has given me the strength to keep going, to trust that if one path closes, it’s not the end, it’s simply God redirecting me toward something better. I’ve learned to believe that everything happens for a reason, and that every challenge carries a lesson. There’s a phrase I love that says, “If you lose, don’t lose the lesson.” So yes, there have been moments of fatigue, but never true surrender, because I know that as long as I keep my faith, there’s always a way forward.
However, I do “give up,” if that’s the right word, on anything that costs me my peace. I’ll never pursue something that disrupts my peace or the peace of my family. No goal or success is worth sacrificing that. To me, real success means walking in peace, with faith, purpose, and gratitude for the journey.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
I hope they would say my faith and my family, those are the two things that guide everything I do. My faith keeps me grounded and gives me peace, and my family is my greatest blessing and motivation.
But I’d also love to think they would say that I truly value my team. More than numbers or results, what matters to me is seeing my team grow and live the kind of life I want for myself, one with balance, peace, and purpose. My biggest goal as a leader is not just to achieve success, but to create an environment where everyone around me can thrive, feel supported, and reach their full potential.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
Absolutely. I believe in doing the right thing, even when no one is watching, and even when it’s not the easiest choice. What matters most to me is how I feel when I look in the mirror, what my husband and my son know to be true about who I am, and the example I’m setting for my child. I want my son to grow up knowing that giving your best is the right thing, not because someone is watching, or to get validation from others, but because it’s what integrity and faith call us to do. At the end of the day, my greatest accountability is before God, and I want to live in a way that honors Him through my actions, my work, and my heart.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.highlandinsurancegroupllc.com
- Instagram: @highlandinsurancegroup
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariana-fern%C3%A1ndez-06011141/
- Facebook: @highlandinsurancegroup
Image Credits
Melisa Pasero Photography
