We were lucky to catch up with Jamie Sterling recently and have shared our conversation below.
I truly believe that what makes me stand out in a room from others is my ability to relate and connect to individuals from all walks of life. I am certainly not the loudest in the room, and I prefer not to be the center of attention in a group of people (probably due to the nature of my job). However, I have learned in my 46 years of living that overall, people long for relationships and connection. These two things are what sets us apart as human beings from animals. The ability to talk and interact. Therefore, I strive to make people feel comfortable talking to me and assure them I am really interested in what they have to say, and most importantly, they can trust me with intimate details they may not share to everyone- such as their fears, their goals, or past experiences (good and bad). In order to do this, it requires engaging with the person through eye contact, relating to what they are talking about personally, and asking questions so they feel valued and safe to share details about their case that are important for me to know.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am the owner of Insight Investigations which is a Private Investigation and Security Company. My company provides help to individuals with domestic issues (such as infidelity or child custody disputes); background and employment checks; process serving; skip tracing; missing persons; worker comp cases; surveillance; and help with criminal charges. Just recently my company expanded and opened up the security side in this industry. Insight Investigations now has the authorization to provide training for establishments and their security officers as well as providing security for them if needed.
When not doing investigations, I also teach law classes to young adults as well as teach domestic violence and anger management classes for the courts. I have a Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice from Sam Houston State University and a Master’s degree in CJ from Boston University. When not working, I am a mom who enjoys spending time with her kids at their activities or spending time with friends out on the town and traveling to new places.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The three qualities that have helped me both personally and professionally are:
1. Setting goals- many times I would get caught up in dreaming about having my own company but never made a plan. Once I decided to make a plan and set goals, things started to change. It helped me to write these goals down on paper and set daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly goals I wanted to accomplish. By seeing what I needed to do, meaning having a visual reminder, this helped tremendously in pushing me towards getting things accomplished. And who doesn’t love feeling accomplished and empowered? I love the feeling of having a vision and seeing it come to fruition.
2. Building connections- getting outside my comfort zone and talking to others not only helped me meet new people, but also helped me grow my business. This meant I had to be hands-on. I just couldn’t expect clients to come to my door. I had to network with attorneys and police officers and everyday people to get my name out there. Instead of sitting at home, I pushed myself to get up, get dressed, and go out and meet other people who could help me grow my company and also helped me build a database of professionals who could help me if I had questions.
3. Asking questions- for the longest time, I was hesitant to ask other professionals in my line of work questions or for help. I thought asking questions would make me look bad or that I wasn’t knowledgeable in what I was doing. However, I eventually learned to set my pride aside and start asking questions and advice from others who do this work. I have been amazed at how many times other PI’s have said “That is a great question, I’m not sure either.” And when they did have an answer, I learned a new or different way to do something (as there are often more ways than one way to accomplish a task). Asking questions actually has taught me that it shows someone you value their opinion and that you want to learn, instead of just being stuck in just your own mind set. By asking questions, it really has helped me see things I would never have known which has saved me a lot of time in the long run. And as the saying goes, “Money is time and time is money!”
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
An ideal client for me in this business is one who trusts me to do my job and who doesn’t micromanage me or interfere in the job because they think they are smarter than me. I realize that when people come to me they are usually going through something that is very upsetting and personal. Clients tend to be very emotional, and although I get that, it is imperative for them to let me handle their case because I am an outsider who can look at things objectively. I have had clients who have screwed up their case because they decided to just show up on site or constantly call me while I was working their case, trying to find out what was going on or wanting to give me information. This is what I do for a living. I have 13 years of experience and with that comes instinct and knowledge; therefore, the clients who completely put their case in my hands and not get involved while I work their case, always get the best results and outcome.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.insightinvestigationstx.com/
- Instagram: insightinvestigationstx
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/insightinvestigationstx/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/insightinvestigationstx
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/wespyforyou
- Other: https://youtu.be/3HOsqxjG2oE
Image Credits:
Marc Friedland Corey Lee Stella Images
