I often ask other professionals how they found their way to our incredible industry and I absolutely love hearing all the different paths people have taken. I feel that this is perhaps one of the most amazing things about insurance and the careers that surround it. For some, it is a family legacy and for others a new beginning. For me is was completely by surprise. I have always been a part of the sales and service field in some shape or form. I was at a point in my life where I thought I had everything figured out but as you may know, life has a way of challenging us to adapt to something new when we least expect it. That is just what happened to me.
I found myself comfortable in a retail management position when I was introduced to the world of insurance. I was right in the middle of a big product launch and not even considering a carrier change when a man came into my store. He informed me that this would be the first time in his life that he ever used a smart phone or even considered anything other than what looked to be the first flip phone ever made. He was the perfect client in my eyes, someone that I could introduce to a whole new world of opportunity. That kind of situation is what really gets me excited. Little did I know, I was the one to be presented with a new world of opportunity. I had spent an unusual amount of time with him due to some unforeseen complications, but I am not a quitter.
I was determined to not let him leave my store until he was completely set up and ready to go. By this time, my support team had basically given up helping us find a solution and they had deemed it a malfunctioning device. I knew this could not be the case. We had gotten to know each other a little and he shared with me how a banker became an insurance agency owner. While in conversation with him, I realized the solution. Did I mention I am not a quitter? I informed him of what needed to be done and followed him to what would be my first real introduction to the life of an insurance agent. After a few minutes of wrapping up the problem I was offered a position as a Personal Lines Producer at the agency.
Just when I thought I had everything figured out life presented a brand new opportunity. Although my carrier has evolved since then that same mind set is what keeps me intrigued with the industry 8 years later. That determination to overcome a challenge, the desire to help a person who is trusting me to come through for them, and not accepting failure. I cannot help but wonder had I accepted failure that day, would I still have found my way to this awesome industry?