The Team Mom

Category: "Inspire" Stories

Date: July 11, 2025

At Integrity, we take immense pride in highlighting incredible leaders who put service first, both in their business and in their interactions with their community. Leslie McGuffie, COO of Axxess Benefit Consultants, is such a leader. She joined the insurance industry later in life, but service and family have always been on the forefront of her mind.

After graduating from the University of Southern California with a journalism degree, she joined the workforce as a reporter for the Long Beach Press Telegram. There she exercised her love of writing and passion for community-building by keeping her readers informed and engaged with the world around them. Even now, after her departure from the press corps, Leslie still loves to write short stories, both fiction and nonfiction, focusing on tales of triumph over adversity.

Her next season of life was focused on building her family — raising six sons with her husband, Eric McGuffie. Known affectionately as the “team mom,” Leslie was a steadfast figure on the sidelines as her kids played a variety of sports, and she ensured they were raised with a foundation of love, discipline and respect.

As the boys grew, Leslie decided to utilize her amazing talents in the family business by partnering with her husband in building up Axxess Benefit Consultants into the powerhouse it is today — a move later mirrored by four of their sons.

Leslie has learned that many of the same skills it takes to raise six sons, such as patience, kindness, motivation and organization, translate directly into her work of supporting and guiding agents to greater levels of success. We love celebrating leaders like Leslie who share their unique experiences to strengthen our industry. Learn more about Leslie and the whole Axxess Benefit Consultants team on the “Inspire” Podcast!

Related Posts

For All the Right Reasons

Perseverance — it’s what pushes us through the challenges of today, while striving for a better tomorrow. Ellis Suazo, Co-Founder of The Wealth Academy, knows the power of perseverance and has put in the hard work to beat the odds, not only for his business, but for his family.

CONTINUE READING

Shooting for Success

The husband-and-wife team at Phoenix Star Insurance Agency is helping raise up our industry’s next generation of leaders. For many Integrity family members, sports have played a significant role in how they’ve developed into the icons they are today. Allan Ly, CEO of Phoenix Star Insurance Agency, says that’s one of the primary reasons why he is grateful his three kids are enjoying one of his favorite pastimes, basketball.

CONTINUE READING

Architect of Dreams

Cecilia Vargas stands as a beacon for a new generation of leaders transforming the insurance industry, showing a path to success with her unique blend of ambition and resilience.

CONTINUE READING