Business Spotlight: Ashley Bullard – GEICO Insurance Agent

With a 97 percent national customer satisfaction rating and 24/7 fast and friendly service, Ashley Bullard’s local GEICO office in Portland is a preferred choice of Mainers seeking affordable pricing and a personable local agency handling all types of insurance.

Ashley Bullard is the local GEICO
agent for Maine and lives in Raymond.
COURTESY PHOTO

From a location at 91 Auburn St. in Portland, Ashley leads a team of insurance agents who sell and service auto, home, renters, condo, cycle, boat, RV, jewelry, umbrella, snowmobiles, jet ski, and ID Theft policies.

“The best thing about what we do is that customers have a local agent but can have sensible pricing with a national brand,” Ashley said. “We are a local agency but the only local GEICO office in Maine.”

As a resident of Raymond, Ashley said she understands the insurance needs of those living in the Lakes Region.

“We are very competitive for our products,” she said. “While we exclusively sell GEICO Auto policies, our property policies are sold through A rated (and higher) partners that allow us the ability to have multiple options to fit the clients need while still being able to ‘bundle’ these policies to offer a multi-line discount.”

In business for six years and with three employees, Ashley’s office is licensed in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont and specializes in home and auto insurance with the backing of GEICO, one of the largest insurance providers nationally.

“GEICO was established in 1936. It stands for GEICO Employees Insurance Company,” Ashley said. “While we initially targeted government and military personnel, we now provide service for everyone. GEICO insures over 28 million vehicles in all 50 States and D.C. We still offer special pricing for Active Duty/Retired Military and Federal/Local government employees.”

She began her career as a Sales and Service Agent for GEICO in 2013 at a local office in Virginia. In January 2018, she was an office manager and helped open another GEICO Local Office in Virginia.

“Later that year, GEICO posted a list of new places they were opening offices and Portland made the list,” Ashley said. “I was selected as the candidate for this location not only due to my sales and management experience but my love for Maine. I first fell in love with the state in 2007 and after a few more trips here, I knew I wanted to make it my home. In addition to my experience with GEICO, I previously had been an Office Manager for a construction company, a manager at Chick-fil-a, and worked at L.L. Bean in Virginia.”

In addition to holding a Property & Casualty License, Ashley and her team go through extensive GEICO training that includes ongoing weekly classes and seminars so that they can offer the best products and service to our clients. The agency has a 4.6 Stars rating on Google and 5 Stars on Yelp.

According to Ashley, her agency helps customers understand the value they receive for their coverage and takes the time to explain how the insurance they purchase protects them against financial losses from unexpected events.

And as a local business owner, Ashley said she feels it is important to give back to the community by supporting local charities and getting involved in events, activities and organizations which benefit the community.

“We want everyone to know they can still support the local community using a local agent while getting a competitive rate with a national brand,” she said. “My agency sponsors many local organizations including local children's sports teams, STRIVE, University of Southern Maine Athletic Program, CPL Mark Goyet Memorial Foundation, The Summit Project, MidCoast Humane Society, and Sweetser.”

Online reviews for Ashley and her team are exceptional.

“Cannot say enough about having a local insurance office, where you can actually walk into and get answers and help. Yes, you can get the quote, get the policy, pay for the coverage, but you can do it in person! It takes all the frustration and anonymity out of getting online low coverage. The agents are even nice, which is a definite bonus.” Ryan A.

“Ashley and her team are beyond amazing. They're dedicated to their customers. When Ashley was working with me, I felt like I was her only customer. The dedication and professionalism are unmatched.” Chelsey P.

“Excellent customer service from Ryan and Ashley! Walked out in an hour with new car/homeowners insurance. Ryan has definitely been in the business awhile. He understands your needs and will get you an excellent rate. I saved over $60 a month on just my car insurance alone. Highly recommend Ryan and will be working with him for many years to come.” James B.

For more information about Ashley Bullard – GEICO Insurance Agent, call 207-387-6838 or visit them online at www.geico.com/portland-bullard <

Business Spotlight: Play Warriors, Inc.

Coping with grief, stress, hospitalizations and serious illnesses can be overwhelming for adults but even more complex for children trying to cope with obstacles in life. Play Warriors, Inc. in Windham helps transform those experiences into supportive, calming and nurturing situations by providing age-appropriate preparation, therapeutic play interventions, and coping strategies with opportunities for self-expression and connection.

Located at 840 Roosevelt Trail, second floor in Windham, Play Warriors was launched in Bridgton in 2019 and relocated to Windham in July. Owned and operated by Kimberly Leighton, MS, CCLS, Play Warriors offers child life therapy, therapeutic play groups and outings, peer support groups, no-cost integrative therapies, legacy items, and monthly CPR/first aid classes.

Kimberly Leighton, left, owns and operates Play Warriors in
Windham, which helps children cope with grief, stress,
hospitalizations and serious illnesses by providing therapeutic
play interventions, coping strategies and many other services. 
SUBMITTED PHOTO  

Child life specialists assess a child’s level of understanding and address any misconceptions, with regard to what they are going through or are about to experience. Leighton states that play is a non-threatening and universal language for children and serves as a tool for building and forging relationships with them, sharing information, and providing opportunities for learning. “When children can begin to understand what is happening to them, it’s less scary.” She works with kids as young as two and into their tween years.

Leighton says she may be the only child life specialist in private practice in Maine. “I opened this business to bring child life therapy to rural Maine to help at-risk families and educate the public about the role of child life in community settings. “I really want to expand child life services in Maine. This summer I had the privilege to supervise four college students from outside the state. In the coming years, I hope to help Maine college students find this rewarding career as I did at the University of Maine Farmington (UMF) 20 years ago.”

"I hold a master’s degree in child life therapy, and an undergraduate degree in early childhood education. Over the past 20 years, my professional journey has been dedicated to serving Maine families,” Leighton said. “I have gained diverse experience, including owning and operating two large childcare centers in Gorham and Portland, teaching pre-K through Grade 3, and working for non-profit organizations supporting vulnerable families. Five years ago, I ventured into private practice to support a determined mom help her daughter's home infusions. McKenzie Barker became the very first play warrior and is now the mascot for the company, appearing in ads and on t-shirts in her Play Warriors superhero costume and pink glasses. Kimberly worked with McKenzie to publish her very own book, “I Am a Pompe Warrior” about her life with Infantile Pompe Disease, soon to be available on Amazon.

Leighton said the best thing about her job are the families that she works with. “I’m passionate about what I do and believe in helping people and taking the time to listen. Watching them get back on their feet brings tremendous joy to my life as well.” Leighton said.

She said that her late husband, Dr. Peter Leighton, a local addiction medicine physician, encouraged her to open Play Warriors. “He was my biggest supporter. A year after opening the business and right at the onset of the Covid pandemic, his brain cancer returned and he passed away only one year later,” Leighton said. “During this time, our community supported our children in so many ways. It is my hope to give back to others what we have received.

Now, three years later, Kimberly is inspired to help widows with widow coaching, and she is a newly certified grief yoga teacher. When Kim isn’t at Play Warriors, she works part-time as a child life specialist at the MaineHealth Bleeding Disorders clinic and owns and operates a short-term rental company, Boho Ridge, Inc. “I like to stay busy. That is a coping skill that I’m working on!”

Pricing for Play Warriors is similar to that of counselors and other practitioners with a master’s degree. Some services are reimbursable for children in foster care placement, and free for children in treatment for cancer and their siblings with help from a partnering non-profit, Lucy’s Love Bus, Kimberly hopes to transition Play Warriors into a non-profit organization within the next few years. “I would love all of the services to be free for all families.” Play Warriors is hoping that as the word gets out about the new location, other practitioners and volunteers join them in providing more pediatric therapeutic services, integrative offerings, classes, workshops, meal trains and more.

Testimonials posted on the Play Warriors website are exceptional. For more details, call 207-387-7366 or visit www.playwarriorsinc.com. Find them on Facebook and Instagram. <