"In my opinion, the pandemic catalyzed Americans to pursue entrepreneurship."
Meet Gabriel Brakha, a multilingual, results-driven, and accomplished senior-level executive with over 20 years of experience in International Marketing and Business Development in the United States, Europe, and Latin America. He possesses expertise in negotiations of key accounts, strong competitive analysis, cross-cultural communication, and exceptional teamwork skills.
Gabriel has been recognized for establishing multi-channel distribution networks that have resulted in significant revenue growth. He is fluent in English, Spanish, French, Hebrew, and conversational Portuguese.
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Table of Contents
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to Valiant CEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company.
Gabriel Brakha: Thanks for interviewing me. I’m originally from Israel but now call South Florida home. I’ve lived in eight countries around the world and eventually settled in Florida to start my business. I like to explore different cultures and help people with their health insurance needs through VITALSURANCE, which was established in 2011. The company was initially started with one or two other people and expanded to 60 employees, and we offer plans in the United States and abroad. I specialize in providing medical and life insurance for companies and corporations, and take pride in our multilingual status as our team speaks six languages. My company is also known for designing specialty plans for expat groups.
Who has been the most influential person(s) in your life and how did they impact you? How did that lead to where you are today?
Gabriel Brakha: I admire Richard Branson as an intellectual entrepreneur who has an adventurous spirit. The way he positioned Virgin Airlines on the map was an amazing feat that has encouraged me to strive for greatness within my own business. His stance on equity in the business world reminds me of the lessons I learned from my strategic marketing professor in college, who also shared that sharing your crazy passion with the world works wonders. I couldn’t wait to apply this information to the way in which I run my business as a leader.
2020 was a challenging year for all of us, particularly for businesses. How did the pandemic impact your business? Please list some of the problems that you faced, and how you handled them.
Gabriel Brakha: In a sense, the business wasn’t significantly affected because medical insurance is a universal need among all people, so we remained stable in that sense. The pandemic provided us with an opportunity to reinforce the relationship our clients have with their insurance plans. For instance, one of the carriers we represent offered extra incentives to members, such as $500 for a family and $300 per employee for the group. During this period, people didn’t want to cancel their insurance plans because our carriers continued accepting claims without issues or consequences for necessary services, such as hospital visits.
The pandemic led to a myriad of cultural side effects, including one that was quite unexpected that is informally known as “The Great Resignation”. Did this widespread trend affect you in any way?
Gabriel Brakha: Though I’m aware of the mass resignations taking place, this movement hasn’t affected VITALSURANCE since the agents have been meeting with clients via Zoom. Virtual meeting options have always existed within my company and continue to thrive during this period, which is a benefit for which I’m most grateful.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 4 million Americans quit their jobs in July 2021. How do you feel about this trend? Explain.
Gabriel Brakha: In my opinion, the pandemic catalyzed Americans to pursue entrepreneurship. People started thinking out of the box and were driven to open their own businesses, which will probably increase in the coming years. We’ll have to see how people succeed with their own ventures over time, but individuals who fail to attain an independent measure of success will probably return to the workforce at some point.
According to a study by Harvard Business Review, Employees between 30 and 45 years old have had the greatest increase in resignation rates, with an average increase of more than 20% between 2020 and 2021. That can be quite an alarming rate. What advice would you share to increase employee retention?
Gabriel Brakha: Hiring managers should understand that employment is a two-way street dependent upon a positive relationship between an employee and manager. To increase employee retention, keep the lines of communication open at all times. Invest in strong medical and life insurance benefits to retain your team. From time to time, check in with your employees to ensure they are satisfied with the overall work experience. Hiring a motivational speaker or team-building consultant on a periodic basis works in gauging the level of satisfaction of your team, along with seasonal surveys. Conduct an attitudinal audit to find out what’s going on with your employees.
According to a Nature Human behavior study, In 2020, 80% of US workers reported feeling that they have too many things to do and not enough time to do them – a phenomenon known as “time poverty”. What is your take on the work-life balance? Explain.
Gabriel Brakha: Adopting positive time management skills into your daily practice is paramount. This process will never be perfect in attaining a consistent work-life balance, but you can get close to it by planning out your days in advance. Select your priorities and understand that everything cannot be completed at once. Though we live in a real-time world where anyone can contact you at a moment’s notice, prioritizing a schedule that works for your lifestyle is key to maintaining a healthy balance and mental health.
A more recent survey by Joblist asked about 3,000 respondents if they’re actively thinking about leaving their job. That survey found that 73% of 2,099 respondents who answered this question on their employment plans are considering quitting. How are you preparing for the future to counter this potentially persistent problem?
Gabriel Brakha: I’m preparing with the understanding of our changing economic landscape. The only thing that remains the same in this life is change, so as a leader, I’m preparing for this realization by keeping this certainty in mind. As people’s life circumstances change, it’s expected for them to transition from job to job. The American market is very dynamic, so people are always moving. Maintaining employee loyalty requires incentivizing and rewarding longevity, professional growth, high-level performance, and personal integrity. We as leaders should hold ourselves accountable for making our employees feel like vital contributors to our companies, which will increase company morale and advancement in the long run.
Thank you for all that, our readers are grateful for your insightful comments! Now, if the Great Resignation isn’t your greatest concern, what is the #1 most pressing challenge you’re trying to solve in your business right now?
Gabriel Brakha: Since we’re currently hiring, the most pressing issues are recruiting new producers for our agency and figuring out the right marketing investment mix in order to reach our expected ROI.
Before we finish things off, we do have one last question. If you had $10 Million Dollars to spend in one day, what would you spend it on?
Gabriel Brakha: I would spend it on charitable activities for the homeless community and kids undergoing cancer treatments. I’ll establish a platform pairing homeless individuals with jobs, and develop a program for children with cancer to engage with celebrities, clowns, firefighters and police officers all committed to motivating them.
Jed Morley, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Gabriel Brakha for taking the time to do this interview and share her knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Gabriel Brakha or his company, you can do it through his – Linkedin Page
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