Wetenkamp’s career in insurance was unexpected. After working at In-N-Out Burger and at the DMV, he took a job with AAA Insurance when they started offering DMV services. This opened his eyes to the opportunities for career growth and serving the Hispanic community.
Jorge Wetenkamp
Agency Owner
Saint George, Utah
Wetenkamp’s career in insurance was unexpected. After working at In-N-Out Burger and at the DMV, he took a job with AAA Insurance when they started offering DMV services. This opened his eyes to the opportunities for career growth and serving the Hispanic community.
In 2021, he started an independent agency and the business has grown “far beyond what I set my goals as three or four years ago,” Wetenkamp says. After hiring his first employee in January 2024, he’s currently onboarding two new agents that will allow him to grow, as well as focus on servicing his existing book.
“Now, it’s about buying back my time, so all new leads will go to my new agents,” he says. “At the beginning, you grind nonstop—you work late, do whatever it takes. But once your business is established, you start thinking about balance.”
Previous experience in hospitality and the DMV?
You learn quickly how to de-escalate situations, calm people down and—most importantly—not to take it personally. Those tough jobs toughen you up. They teach you patience, resilience and how to handle difficult conversations—skills that translate perfectly to the sales world.
How are you managing the hard market?
Honestly? By being a punching bag. Some clients are more understanding than others, but communication is key. They don't always know how the industry works, such as how rates are calculated and why costs increase. A big part of my job is educating them and breaking it down in a way that makes sense.
Serving the Hispanic market?
Spanish is my first language—my mom is from Mexico, and it's a huge part of my culture. My wife's parents are also from Mexico, and we speak Spanish at home with our son. So, when I started my agency, I saw a niche in serving the Hispanic community.
What I noticed was that many clients felt underserved. When they came in for a quote, they'd often say, “Wow, I didn't know what liability meant," or, “No one's ever explained deductibles to me before." A lot of them had been brushed off or just given a price without really understanding the details.
Agents sometimes assume that Hispanic clients either won't understand or only care about the lowest price, but I found that's not true at all. Many of my clients have walked in with a $25,000/$65,000 policy limit and left with something like $50,000/$100,000. They're happily paying more because I took the time to explain things.
Why did you start your agency?
One of the biggest needs I noticed was within my Hispanic client base. Many of them work in construction and would ask me, “Can you do general liability? Commercial auto?" Unfortunately, I always had to turn them down because the company I was with focused on ideal clients—perfect records, top-tier policies—and personal lines. I saw a huge gap that needed to be filled.
Having tough conversations in the hard market?
You have to take those uncomfortable calls when someone says, “Hey, my auto insurance just went up 30%, my home policy jumped 28%—what are you doing? I thought you were independent. Can't you switch me?"
It's all about having those conversations, staying calm and helping clients understand. As independent agents, we're the face of the carriers. When rates go up, it's our fault. But on the flip side, when rates stabilize or drop, we get all the praise.
I've found that people appreciate transparency. If I can explain why it's happening instead of just saying, “Sorry, it's inflation," it's a little easier to swallow. That's why I focus on personal outreach: phone calls, emails, real conversations. Carrier notifications feel impersonal but when I take the time to explain things directly, clients feel heard and valued.
Working in fast food?
Explaining price increases and economic trends can be tough, but you know what's worse? Having ketchup and French fries thrown at your face. And that's not an exaggeration—it literally happened to me.
Working in fast food, you deal with the good, the bad, and the ugly. People get frustrated, sometimes irrationally so. I had drinks thrown at me, got cussed out—you name it. It's hard work, repetitive and often underappreciated. But it taught me a lot.
In-N-Out was an amazing company, and I loved my time there. It instilled a strong work ethic in me and showed me what it takes to move up in an organization. That experience gave me a deep appreciation for hard work. But long-term? The time management, growth opportunities and work-life balance in insurance are way better. I'm grateful for the lessons, but I wouldn't go back.
How would your clients describe your reputation?
It all comes down to honesty. I'm not the type of agent who gives you a quote in 15 minutes and moves on. I take my time—sometimes 30 to 60 minutes, even for a simple auto policy. I walk clients through the details, and I want them to leave knowing exactly what they bought.
My goal is for them to be able to explain their policy to someone else. They shouldn't be spending hundreds of dollars a month and not know what they're paying for. I've had clients leave understanding deductibles and liability options, regardless of the language. I've even helped Portuguese speakers who didn't speak much English, and we still managed to communicate.
People appreciate that I take the time with them. I show them the options and explain why I'm recommending a particular company or price. It's about making them feel valued.
Referrals or marketing?
Right now, I'm overwhelmed with referrals. It feels great to know that, over the past few years, I've been doing the right thing because people keep sending their friends, family and coworkers my way. I'm not on the radio, not running ads—just good old-fashioned word of mouth.
Will Jones is IA editor-in-chief.
