Maleah Claxton Stays Plugged Into Her Community.

by | Apr 2023

SOME CAREERS begin with a dream or a plan, but Maleah Claxton’s insurance career began, she said, as sheer dumb luck after moving to a new town and needing a job. A Shelter Insurance office hired her part time to answer the phones and file, but one month later, she was told it wasn’t working out.

Claxton said, “I kind of freaked out. I said, ‘What do you mean, it’s not working out? I’ve been in business. I’ve done this; I’ve done that.’ And she said, ‘Calm down, Tiger. I think you’re doing great. I want you to get your license and work full time.’”

And so she did. Four years later, she was offered her own Shelter agency and chose Shelbyville to call home in 2006. Claxton and the Shelbyville community connected right away.

“It took about a year for me to fit in,” she said. “People were like, ‘Who are you?’ And then about a year after that, people would say, ‘You remember when we did this thing in high school?’”

Photographed by Ashleigh Newnes.

With a grandfather who lived with polio, Claxton is passionate about the work of the Rotary Club and has been active in the local chapter since moving to town. She has served in connection with The Imagination Library, the Habitat Ball, the Bedford County Election Commission, the local Chamber of Commerce board, the Shelbyville Women’s Club, and chairman of United Way Bedford County. While her children were in school, she was happy to participate in everything happening in their schools.

Taking care of her community is at the heart of everything she does.

She said, “I really enjoy helping people get what they need at a price point that they need, but more than a price point, what they need if something actually happens, especially with life insurance. It’s an act of love to help your family in the future. But I never want anybody to leave my office without understanding what [insurance coverage] they’ve got. Everybody’s different. There’s no one-size-fits-all.”

An avid reader, Claxton added a Little Free Library lending box outside her office during COVID, and it remains today for any who want to take or leave books for others to read. It’s on the Little Free Library World Map.

Photographed by Ashleigh Newnes.

“I had a lot of books I needed to get rid of, and I thought since nobody could go to the library during COVID, they could use them. There are books for adults and children in it. It’s not to get folks to do business with me but to help the community,” Claxton said. 

Being married to someone who also works in sales makes life easier. Her husband, Donnie, is a building materials sales representative, so they understand the need to be available to customers outside the average 9-to-5 jobs. Still, they are able to balance work with quality time together.

“We usually both take our stuff with us most of the time. We will leave everything at home every now and then, but it’s hard because, in my business, people need things immediately. As long as my assistant, Susie Emery, is there, she can help them or email me,” said Maleah. “And at the end of the night, if I’m on vacation, I’ll sit down and see the emails that need immediate attention. But I’ve gotten lots of phone calls when I’ve been on vacation when things have happened. People apologize for bothering me, but I tell them it’s no bother. This is what I signed up for.” 

Don’t be surprised to find Maleah at Heritage Jewelers on the square in Shelbyville. Her love of jewelry pairs with her salesmanship, and she is in her element. 

“I will go up there and meet customers and help the owner, Linda Brown, on holidays or during events and on the weekends for fun. Because I’m a jewelry lover, it’s good for both of us. I’m a salesperson who likes jewelry, and she needs help. It’s great because I get to see and know different people. Sometimes husbands will text me for ideas for gifts for their wives, and I’ll remember they liked my ring, and that automatically gives me an idea of what they’d like. I don’t have a whole lot of hobbies. I’m not a golfer; my husband’s a golfer. I read, and I like to work and do community service. I guess that is my hobby,” Maleah said. 

Finding a way to connect with the community through every aspect of her life brings local small-business life full circle. GN 

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