Diana Miller, a Benefits Pro 2025 Advisor of the Year finalist, shares her remarkable journey from growing up in Bogotá, Colombia to becoming one of America's top five benefits advisors through grit, analytical thinking, and cultural perspective.

• Benefits advising requires wearing multiple hats to serve employers, HR professionals, and employee populations
• An advisor's true value is revealed during challenging times when problems need solving
• Diana's "secret sauce" includes grit developed through childhood adversity, strong analytical skills, and cultural empathy
• Growing up in Bogotá during the drug cartel wars required constant security protection from armed guards
• Attended an English immersion school that prepared her for global opportunities
• Earned a scholarship to study in the US, choosing Dubuque, Iowa primarily based on weather expectations
• Experienced culture shock including a memorable incident trying to bribe a police officer
• Transitioned from marketing representative to advisor by going beyond expectations and providing strategic input
• Frustrated by seeing employees walk out of enrollment meetings due to poor benefits, sought better healthcare solutions
• Motivated by creating positive healthcare experiences for her community and designing better systems for future generations