That’s the question Brannon Green, co-founder of Next Generation Insurance, posed to Zac Dickey.

“I remember being completely against it because we had finally reached a point where we had good-paying jobs,” Dickey says. “We were well-established in the insurance industry. But then we got to know each other a little bit more and realized we had a lot of the same philosophies that were focused on the customer first.”

A large prospect in town believed in the duo enough to promise his business to them if they struck out on their own. In April 2017, Next Generation Insurance—founded by two partners in their twenties—was born.

Green and Dickey put up the money to build the agency from scratch and agreed they wouldn’t take a paycheck for six months. Five months in, they were already so successful they sold their business to Assured Partners, but they still sell locally under the Next Generation brand. “We’re essentially a sales engine for Assured Partners. They have brought us more back-end resources than we would have had on our own,” Green says.

ZAC DICKEY, CO-FOUNDER

When we go to an industry function, everyone there is a lot older than Brannon and I. We thought, “Well, maybe we can bring something to the table that hasn’t been brought before.”

The industry has been the last to adopt new technology. We said we’re going to be different by being willing to adopt the latest technology. We’re not handcuffed by the statement: “We’ve always done it this way.” We have a blank page and we can choose how to operate.

We establish with our clients from the beginning that for us to bring some savings, we have to rely heavily on technology. We have to get a lot of our stuff done in the morning and evening and then see people during the day. Setting up that expectation with the clients ahead of time is really important.

We always viewed this as more than just an insurance agency. Pittsburg is a town that’s on the verge of doing some great things. We just want to do our part.

BRANNON GREEN, CO-FOUNDER

I knew there was a huge need in Southeast Kansas for new, young entrepreneurs—especially in this industry. It’s always been a dream of mine to be a self-made man. We started this thing from the ground up, laid the first brick and wrote the first policy.

The biggest challenge has been being acc­epted, whether that’s by local competitors or other business owners. We’ve had tons of support, for sure, but I think just being new in anything you do in life, you might not be accepted right away. It’s about getting in those doors.

There will always be people who want to stick with the status quo. We knew the industry, we knew how to sell—that was in our DNA. But to really be a part of the town, you have to get involved and get past people trying to push you out, right? That’s what we want to do in Pittsburg. We want to raise our families here and help change the outlook of the town.

Photo by Gil Ford