Inspiring Conversations with Alma Romero of Alma Divine Insurance

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alma Romero.  

Hi Alma, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I am a first-generation Mexican-American from Aurora, Illinois. Growing up I saw all the struggles my parents faced from the language barrier to having to take on many odd jobs to just make ends meet. Having experienced this always pushed me to try and make a name for myself. I was set to join the Marines right after high school, but God had other plans for me. Right before I fully completed the recruitment process, my mother was hit by a drunk driver on her way to work and was left in a wheelchair and had to go through a lot of physical therapy to be able to walk on her own again. Unfortunately, we did not have the means and resources to hire someone to assist her with her daily tasks, so I decided to take on the responsibility and put my future on hold. I was dating my boyfriend Sergio at the time (husband now), and we got married on September 11, 2012. We had our beautiful daughter, Emma; she brought us the light that we needed. We eventually moved to my husband’s home state of San Jose, California in the Fall of 2014 to spread our wings and see what the future had in store for us. We ended up working as casino table games dealers. It was a fun environment at first until we saw the ugly side of gambling and how it consumed those who chose to participate in it. We worked in this industry for about 5 years, and we came to the realization that this industry was not for us, and we weren’t helping anyone by choosing to be employed by establishments that were destroying families. We, unfortunately, became homeless in the process and were living from hotel to hotel. It was definitely a scary time but learned a lot of lessons in the process. We realized what we really wanted out of life and who was actually there for us. We ended up relocating to San Diego, California with my husband’s sister, who I will forever be grateful for helping us out when we needed it the most. Everything seemed to be going great; I was working at the school my daughter attended, and my husband had landed a real estate job, and then Covid happened in 2020. We stuck it out in California for as long as we could and then we got a phone call that my mother got Covid and was hospitalized. We were afraid of what would happen to my mom, so we took the risk and left California for Nashville, Tennessee, where my parents were currently living at the time. Fortunately, she was able to recover. We thought for sure that Nashville would be our last stop and that we would finally settle there, but again God had other plans for us. We ended up making our way back to Illinois and ended up in the industry we told ourselves we would never go back to, the casino industry. At first, it’s always fun but eventually reality set and we realized that it no longer sat well with our souls. Then in January 2022, we got the call that my younger brother, Gabriel, was brutally murdered. He was my only sibling and I felt like that day a part of me died. This was a very difficult time for us; we decided to make some changes in our lives. My husband and I took the risk and left our jobs as casino dealers and joined the health/life insurance industry. We’ve come across a lot of people who are in this industry for the money, but for us is about helping others. I use my experiences as inspiration to help others who might be in a situation or help them prevent hardship. For example, when my mother was in that horrible accident, I wish we would have had health insurance to help with the overwhelming hospital bills that were accumulated. And more recently my brother’s passing. We never know when our last day on Earth will be and how our children, parents, and/or family will continue on if they depend on us for survival. My husband and I are making it our mission to reach out and help out as many people as we can, especially the Hispanic community, who I believe are very underserved when it comes to health and life insurance. Our goal is to educate and make the Hispanic community and anyone, in general, aware that there are solutions out there. We are currently licensed in 8 states, including Michigan, and the goal is to do this nationwide to raise awareness of the importance of health and life insurance. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Being a business owner can be an exciting and rewarding experience, but it also comes with its own set of challenges and struggles, so you can say it has definitely not been an easy ride. On the professional side of things, in the insurance industry, you are required to stay up to date with changing regulations. You got to be able to deal with rejection while remaining positive to be able to reach the people who really need the help. My husband and I always try to do the right thing for others and as long as we keep our faith up and have God lead the way no obstacle is too challenging. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We are insurance brokers who specialize in health, life, final expense, and mortgage protection. What sets us apart is our willingness to educate and help people instead of just trying to sell someone something. I’m a firm believer in always putting myself in the person’s shoes and seeing it from their perspective, I like to treat others with the same respect that I would want to be treated with. Our goal is to build strong relationships with the people we help and make lifelong friends. We are currently licensed in the states of Michigan, Illinois, Texas, Ohio, New Mexico, South Dakota, South Carolina, and Virginia. But we can definitely help people from other states. We are partnered with other like-minded individuals who are licensed in different states as well. If anyone is in need of our help, definitely reach out! 

Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Honestly, being through the things I’ve been through I’ve learned to cherish the little things. My favorite childhood memory is when my brother and I used to ride our bikes to our neighborhood park and swing on the swings and talk about the dreams we had and the things we wanted to accomplish when we grew up. And I know my brother is with me in spirit, and I’ll accomplish the dreams we had, for the both of us. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://usabg.com/aromero
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/almadivineinsurance/
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/the_insurance_couple/