Declaration of Independents

Cam Winterburn

Agent/Owner/Principal
Winterburn & Associates Insurance LLC
Pulaski, Tennessee

Three years ago, at 22, Cameron (Cam) Winterburn became principal of a little independent agency in his native Tennessee when he became the exit strategy for two retiring owners. Today, he is building his agency without an established producer providing a prospect pipeline.

Advice to anyone considering an insurance career?

It’s the closest you’ll ever come to being a superhero. The real satisfaction comes when you are able to help clients in time of need. That first time is an eye-opener. In their eyes, you’re a superhero. Without you, they might have lost everything they worked their whole lives for.

Biggest business mistake?

Not embracing my age. For a while I avoided the elephant in the room that was my age, assuming people would consider it a negative. It intimidated me to go up against agents who had more years’ experience than I had birthdays.

But being young and new to the industry meant I wasn’t limited by “business as usual.” Sometimes, daring to be different is what it takes to get noticed.

More on Cam

In fairness, Winterburn was no stranger to insurance. About the time he was born, his father Bruce started working for ratings vendor Rackley Systems, now part of insurance software and services provider Vertafore.

He didn’t set out to work in insurance, earning a finance degree and concentrating on investments. After interning in that field, he came back to something familiar. He set his sights on being a producer. Ownership happened when he became the exit strategy for a pair of retiring agency owners.