An Insurance Agent Who’d Rather Talk About Your Kids Than Your Deductible

By Nell Thomas

A Charlotte-Area Mother Turns Her Father’s Playbook Into a Bilingual Digital Agency

Maria Sofia Davis greets prospects with a video-chat grin that competes with her four children’s crayon drawings taped behind her laptop. The founder of R&C Insurance Group launched the virtual agency in January after watching families sign policies they barely understood. “I wanted coverage to feel like conversation,” she says, toggling between English and Spanish without missing a beat.

The Leap From Kitchen Table to Compliance Binder

Ms. Davis, a Cuban-Uruguayan American who has lived in greater Charlotte for two decades, spent 2023 earning her license while shadowing her father, a 12-year insurance veteran. She incorporated R&C this year, betting that a home-based model could serve busy households from Pineville to Pensacola. The firm is licensed in North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida; most meetings happen on Zoom, though local clients can still grab coffee at a Pineville park bench.

Bilingual at the Breakfast Table

About 15 percent of Mecklenburg County residents identify as Hispanic. Ms. Davis sees the language gap daily: “Too many families sign what’s put in front of them, hoping Google Translate got it right.” R&C issues quotes in English and Spanish, mails side-by-side policy comparisons and—her favorite perk—adds a pronunciation key for confusing terms like “actual cash value.”

Virtually Everywhere, Yet Persistently Local

The agency has no storefront. Instead, Ms. Davis pops up at church fairs and park festivals with a folding table, a stack of tablet sleeves and a QR code that launches a free policy review. She answers late-night DMs the way other parents check homework. “Insurance is life maintenance,” she jokes, “like wiping peanut butter off the sofa—only with legal consequences.”

Faith, Family and the Fine Print

Ms. Davis and her fiancé Brian juggle soccer practice for Carter and Leo, ballet for Ruby and toddler wrangling for Krew. Weekends often end with a Disney-plus marathon and a silent prayer that no one spills juice on the homeowners-policy binder. The family’s multicolored calendar reminds her clients that coverage must evolve: marriage, babies, side-hustles, hurricanes. “Life doesn’t wait for renewal dates,” she tells them.

Advice for Ballantyne Neighbors

Review annually, even if nothing exploded.
Speak up. If you can’t explain your policy, your agent didn’t finish the job.
Bundle with caution. The cheapest combo isn’t always cheapest after a claim.
Ask in your first language. Misunderstandings are costlier than premiums.

Community Ties

R&C sponsors local back-to-school drives, underwriting backpacks instead of billboards. Ms. Davis also records 60-second Instagram explainers—one myth per Reel, usually filmed while the Crock-Pot hums. For Spanish-speaking parents, she posts coverage tips subtitled en español.

CTA: Ready for a free policy check-up? Visit rcinsurancegrp.com or DM “REVIEW” to @rcinsurancegrp.

Need more neighborhood scoop? Send photos and stories to ballantyne@strollmag.com—because everyone has a story worth sharing!

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About the Author

Nell Thomas writes until her keyboard begs for mercy, then refuels at Einstein Bros Bagels, 13736 Conlan Cir, Ballantyne (drive-thru open till 2 p.m.). Current order: a “Power Protein” on a toasted Everything, side of honey-almond shmear, and a large hazelnut roast—because deadlines wait for no decaf.

You’ll also find Nell’s work at our big sister newsroom, The Charlotte Mercury. On Strolling Ballantyne you can binge-read local sagas, from wellness deep dives to Zoning Board zingers. Start with our partners: infrared bliss at Perspire Sauna Studio Ballantyne and bagel-centric joy at Einstein Bros. Trust us—carbs pair well with journalism.

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