The People We Meet Along the Way

As I begin to write my first Chairman’s Voice column for Independent Agent magazine, it causes me to reflect over the 37 years of being a Trusted Choice^® independent insurance agent. Why are my wife Nanette and I here—about to become chairman of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America? I will start at the beginning, but as I look back, it comes to me that it is the people we have encountered over the years—family, friends, employees, clients, competitors and company partners—so here we go.

Nanette and I joined our family agency, which was started from scratch by my dad and mother, Jim and Janie Bramlett, in 1948. We moved back to my hometown of Ardmore, Okla. (Nanette grew up 150 miles away in Okmulgee, Okla.), and began our career on June 1, 1975, just over 37 years ago. My mom and dad had built a very nice insurance and real estate agency. Dewinda Ford was Dad’s account manager, and Mom did it all, especially “the books.” Dewinda is still working at the Bramlett Agency today, more than 39 years later, and serves as our vice president of customer service, as well as account manager on the bulk of my commercial lines book of business. Dew, as I call her, is one of the most kind and loyal people I have ever known. She is just the very best!

We hadn’t been home long when I met a local competitor couple, Rudy and Ann White; Rudy was on the board of our IIABA state association. He and Ann invited us to attend our very first Oklahoma insurance convention. Nanette and I met other sons of independent insurance agents in the age range of 24 to 35 or so. We were all looking for others to share our problems, concerns and ideas. Even the sentiment of, “Why won’t Dad listen to me?!” was thrown around. The Whites had just opened our eyes to a new and much-needed world. I am happy to say that Rudy, at age 85 today, is still playing golf virtually every day, and Ann is also doing great!

We were beginning to figure out being around others “like us” when, the following summer, we attended the first-ever Oklahoma Young Agents Conference. There were about 25 of us in attendance and our program was led by two legends in our business: Oklahoma State Association Past Presidents Dick Teubner and Jack Mandeville. That weekend is where I really saw what my dad had always told me: “Son, when you have become successful, and you will, remember to give back to others. That is how you help those learn what you have learned and you can help others who are less fortunate than you.” That weekend, Jack and Dick confirmed for me what giving back and helping others is all about. (I was lucky to have Dick, IIABA president in 1982, install me as your chairman this past September at the association’s annual Fall Leadership Conference). They were patient with us, thankfully. They were kind and imparted knowledge in such a way we that were not talked down upon; we were empowered to become better people, better husbands, better young agents and better SOB’s—sons of bosses!

That’s how it all began. Many of us from that first Young Agents conference are now partners in our cluster, Bainswest. Vaughn Graham, the newest member of IIABA’s executive committee, is president of the Rich & Cartmill agency in Tulsa, Okla.—an agency that Dick, Jack and others started years ago. A great many have been members of the IIAO board of directors, executive committee and even president or chairman. This is a special group of people now in our early 60’s and 70’s, many still producing for and managing at our agencies.

The thing I do know is because of Mom and Dad, Rudy and Ann White, Dick Teubner and Jack Mandeville and some great Young Agent buddies in the 70’s and 80’s, I figured out what it is to learn my trade, get better every day and begin to give back in my community and my association, both on a state and a national level.

The Young Agents committee is where this all began, and young agents are still the lifeblood of our industry. We are blessed to have a great group of young people joining our ranks and beginning to lead. InVEST, Diversity, Trusted Choice and Young Agents are all great areas in which to become involved in order to continue what others have done before us. I encourage you, as young people, to step forward and lead!

Writing this first Chairman’s Voice column has brought back many great memories. It also tells me it is my time to step up and lead as others have before me. I am humbled and honored to accept the challenge of becoming your chairman.

—Bobby Bramlett, Big “I” Chairman