From Small-Town Roots to Industry Impact: Bonnie Wood's Inspiring Journey
Meet Bonnie Wood, a Retail Business Architect in the retail division at Brown & Brown Insurance, whose journey from a tiny Texas town to the forefront of insurance tech and advocacy is as inspiring as it is impactful.
Small Town, Big Lessons
Bonnie grew up in Onalaska, Texas — a town so small it had no stoplights when her family moved there (they have three now). Her upbringing was steeped in entrepreneurship. Her mother ran a real estate business, and right next door, her father owned a bait and tackle shop. It wasn’t long before Bonnie was recruited to help.
“My very first job was answering phones at my mom’s office,” Bonnie recalled. “I hated it. I was nervous talking to strangers.” But that early experience built a skillset that would prove foundational — today, Bonnie can strike up a conversation with just about anyone.
Breaking Into Insurance
Bonnie’s career in insurance began with a big leap — from Onalaska to Houston — where she took a job as a secretary at Aon Insurance. At first, she was overwhelmed. “It took six months just to understand what was happening,” she laughed. “But I’ve been in insurance ever since.”
Today, she acknowledges one major misconception about the industry: “That it’s a scam,” she said with a chuckle. “The truth is insurance helps people recover from things they never expected to lose. That’s powerful.”
A Survivor’s Mission
Bonnie is a breast cancer survivor, and that experience has shaped a new mission for her. She’s become an advocate for early detection and survivorship, sharing her story within Brown & Brown’s women’s group and beyond.
One cause she's particularly passionate about is raising awareness and support for cold capping — a treatment that can help prevent hair loss during chemotherapy by cooling the scalp to protect hair follicles. It’s not covered by insurance and can be financially out of reach for many patients.
“I was fortunate enough to afford it, but so many aren’t,” she explained. Bonnie is working on creating/supporting a charity or foundation to help provide cold capping for others.
Finding Her Voice in NetVU
Bonnie became a part of NetVU early in her career, encouraged by a strong mentor who saw the value of connecting with others in the industry. That mentor, Angela Ford, helped Bonnie find her voice — quite literally.
At her first Accelerate conference in 2009, Bonnie raised her hand to answer a question. “Next thing I knew, I was answering all kinds of questions,” she said. “I had the time and focus to really dig into the software, and I found joy in sharing what I learned.”
That one moment sparked years of involvement and leadership in the NetVU community. Bonnie now helps train others, leads sessions, and shares hard-won lessons from her own experience. “These are things that actually help people. That’s what motivates me.”
Insights for the Future
When asked how she sees the industry evolving, Bonnie is candid: “Everyone’s talking about AI and automation, but if your business processes aren’t solid, no technology is going to fix that.” She believes that while innovation is crucial, it must be built on a strong operational foundation.
She’s also intrigued by the wave of mergers and acquisitions across the industry. “It’s exciting to see mid-sized and large agencies working together and evolving. Collaboration is everything.”
A Hidden Talent (in Tap Shoes!)
Outside of work, Bonnie is tapping into something new — literally. Inspired by her kids, who are active in dance, she recently took up tap dancing herself. “I started in the fall, and my first recital was just a couple of weeks ago,” she said proudly. “It’s fun, it keeps me moving, and I wanted to show my kids that trying something new — just for the joy of it — is always worth it.”
Final Thoughts
Bonnie’s story is a reminder that growth often begins in unexpected places — whether it’s answering phones in a small-town real estate office, standing up to share at a conference, or stepping into a pair of tap shoes.
Her advice? “Be yourself. Don’t try to be someone else. Prepare, show up, and let your real self shine through.”