Mitch Southwell has experience working for a captive agency, but it made him feel stagnant—“like we were losing more business than we were selling,” he says. “As far as what consumers want, it’s nice to be able to have the option to keep them in-house and
After starting her career doing wealth management for professional athletes, Carrie Shaw transitioned into insurance to round out her financial skills. Now, she says, “I have a chance to make an impact on a level I never thought possible.”
For Phalesha Kyes, the best part about an insurance career is the opportunity for community service. “There’s just no limit to what we can do to help people in this industry,” she says. “Insurance has such a negative rap, but I want to prove everyone wron
When Ben Jones, Jr. bought into the family agency, he made innovation a priority. “The majority of my time is spent on business development and trying to perfect the client experience,” he says. “I’m trying to bring new technology, new ideas and more crea
Fourth-generation agency owner Adam Heuer believes his fellow millennial agents need to be more involved with legislative activism. “People are going to complain and want things to be different, but they need to do something about it,” he says. “We need m
When Brett Garry graduated college with a degree in finance, his dad told him to get some real-world experience before joining the family agency. Today, he’s grateful he spent four years as an underwriter, learning how to “speak the language” of the insur
Veneé Galloway traces her origins as an insurance agent back to a personal tragedy that showed her the value of life insurance: “That’s how I transitioned into insurance—screaming from the rooftops, ‘Do this for your family!'”
When Anais Babajanian traded in her public accounting career to take over her mom’s Houston-based independent agency, it was “a complete 180,” she says. “Now, I’m adding value, and I’m in control of how successful I am.”
Nicole Carrigan didn’t plan on building a career in insurance, but working for a family-owned business in a small tourist town gives her the opportunity to “help those I know and care about,” she says. “I have heavy roots in my community.”
Ten young agents under the age of 33 share their thoughts on the insurance industry’s appeal for the next generation of employees and clients—and what needs to happen for independent agents to thrive in the future.