We had the good fortune of connecting with Ciara Gravier and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ciara, can you tell us about a book that has had a meaningful impact on you?
I recently read “Outliers: The Story of Success” by Malcolm Gladwell and it quickly became my favorite book. The book has such a thought-provoking perspective on what success is. The arguments made that success is not solely determined by individual talent, but rather by a combination of factors, including timing, cultural background, and opportunities really gave me a new outlook on the journey of entrepreneurship I am on. While he highlights the “Outliers” we’ve come to know in our lifetime like Bill Gates, The Beatles, the Asian Rice Farmers, and the Canadian Ice Hockey Players, reading their history made me appreciate that it’s not one single thing that has made these people “successful” but rather a combination of things that play into it. My favorite thing he highlights that contributes to sucess, is the one that you can control, the concept of the 10,000 Hour Rule. You can’t control where you are born, your cultural background, social status of your family, or the level of talent you are born with, BUT what you can control is how much work you are willing to put in. Gladwell suggests that to achieve mastery in any field, one needs to dedicate around 10,000 hours of deliberate practice. Investing time and effort to your craft can help make up for any other factors that maybe you feel are not in your favor. While some people may be born with more favorable factors to succeed, this book made it apparent that intentional and focused hard work is still the best way to achieve your definition of success. We are all born with that equal opportunity, to work hard and I will not let mine be wasted.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I am the Founder & CEO of The Bunker Insurance & Risk Management, a commercial insurance and risk management firm that specializes in helping South Florida business owners move their business from danger to a safe place with us. We aren’t the traditional insurance agency that is looking to match coverages and nickel and dime a business owners insurance program. At The Bunker, we have a risk management approach and take pride in helping business owners that feel lost and underserved by their current insurance representation. Insurance is often viewed as a commodity, but we view insurance as a component of a businesses Total Cost of Risk. We’ve created a proprietary 4-step process called The Bunker Edge that allows us to work with business owners to find unknown exposures the business may have and we show them how reinvesting the current dollars they are spending on their current insurance program can make a direct impact on their bottom line.

Having opened The Bunker from scratch in November 2019 posed a challenge for me being that the pandemic shut the world down 4 months after. It was a challenging time for me professionally and personally, but I was able to use that time to invest in myself. I decided to further my education and I got an exclusive Cyber Insurance designation (CCIC) with Carnegie Mellon University and Chubb Insurance. I also joined a commercial insurance community that provides training, support, and mentorship called Killing Commercial. Joining that program and hiring David Carothers as my mentor has had the biggest impact on my business and my life. His mentorship has empowered me to step out of my comfort zone and take on new challenges. Having him and the entire Killing Commercial family on my side has allowed me to leverage my strengths and excel in areas where I’ve doubted myself.

Insurance is for the most part a predominantly male dominated industry. Surrounding myself with the both the right men and women that are working everyday to change that has also allowed me to grow more confident in my business.

I’ve started a podcast called The Bunker Talk where I’m interviewing successful entreprenuers in our community. They get to share their success, their failures, and all the ups and downs of owning a business. My goal is to help newer business owners learn from others mistakes or to have them not feel alone on the entrepreneurship.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love being in the sun! It will include a beach day, probably stay at the W in Fort Lauderdale, and eat a great meal at Louie Bossi for dinner!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’m very fortunate that I have the most amazing parents. However, I wouldn’t be where I am today without my father. Being raised by a dad that has always believed in you is so powerful. He has taught me resillience, the importance of working hard, and in his eyes- there is nothing I cannot achieve. He has invested time, effort, and resources in me to help me reach my potential and his unwavering support gives me the confidence to continue to pursue my dreams.

My hope for all little girls is to be blessed with a dad like mine. It’s the biggest gift I’ve received in my life.

Website: https://www.bunkeryourrisk.com/

Instagram: @bunkeryourrisk

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ciaragravier/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTNN2VEWXSnRZTMUoKk6F3w

Other: Link to the playlist for The Bunker Talk https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0RfbiEz1HMq0Vlb2yFEbAJQtis0C7AjV

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