License to Lead: Meet Young Agent Jackson Doyle
Jackson Doyle
Commercial risk adviser
Itasca, Illinois
Age: 26
Go-to drink order: Large black Americano from Starbucks
Favorite movie: “Rounders”
No. 1 item on bucket list: Travel to Ireland
Why insurance?
I went to Illinois State University College of Business and my adviser was really close with two of the partners at J. Krug. My adviser recommended J. Krug to me when I was going through internship ideas and jobs. I was navigating college in the midst of COVID-19, and as I learned a little bit more about the industry, the compounding effect of building a book and the freedom of the job, I was hooked.
Find Your Tribe
Building an asbestos and abatement contractor niche?
I connect well with contractors because I like being straightforward. I knew there was a limited marketplace for asbestos and abatement contractors because people hear those words and are like, “Oh, I want no part of that.” We have formed good relationships with wholesalers that have their own original programs that has given us a little bit of an edge. Knowing that we had that competitive advantage, I stepped up and started making the calls and letting people know that we have access to those programs.
Role model or mentor?
Tom Krug is our president here at J. Krug and Jeff Schulz is our vice president of the commercial lines division. Both of them were big reasons why I took this job. We have a young environment, and they have an open-door policy where you can ask them any question. The core value of lending a helping hand and never being too busy to help a producer—whether it’s someone who’s seasoned or who’s been working there for two weeks—is everything I want in a mentor, especially as a guy that didn’t go to school for insurance.
Biggest industry challenges?
in the midst of the marketplace that’s forever changing in insurance, you never know what’s going on with rates. There are a lot of uncontrollable factors for an agent. We do our best to navigate the challenges with a high level of communication and education, letting our clients know what’s going on so that there are no surprises.
What do you love about insurance?
I love my job. I like that we are providing something that everybody needs. Not everybody wants to talk about insurance, but at the end of the day, every business that you come across needs it.
Work-life balance?
It varies. When it’s renewal time, there’s really no work-life balance. You want to make sure all of your clients are satisfied and that you get everything squared away. But high level, there’s a lot of freedom that comes with being an insurance producer because your main responsibility is your book and how you’re able to maintain that and satisfy your clientele.
There’s also a lot of perks that come with the job, a lot of golf outings, happy hours, events where you’re meeting a bunch of different people. You’re not constantly sitting behind a desk. Everyone you talk to could be a resource or lead to an opportunity.
Future goals?
I have been open that my goal is to stay with Krug. My goal is to become a principal and join the partners. I believe in our core values and our vision here. All the things that drew me to the job are all the reasons that I would like to stay.
Hosting a podcast?
It’s “Whiskey and Risk” and I run it with Max Katzbeck, another producer here. We bring on prospects, current clients, or business owners in industries we partner in, and we get their view of not only how they’ve gone about running their business, but how insurance plays a factor in their decision-making and how insurance has helped them out on a bad day.
AnneMarie McPherson Spears is IA news editor.
