Becoming an insurance agent can be a life-changing event forsome, especially when the opportunity turns into a calling. Thefollowing six producers may have come into the business fordifferent reasons, but they're each staying in the industry for thesame: to improve the lives of others.

Want to share your own insurance story?Click hereto tell us about your life as a successful agent. For more producerprofiles, see Vol. II.

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Debbie Turner, President (picturedwith Warren Buffett)
Dean Insurance Agency Inc.
Alamonte Springs, Fla.

How and when did you decide that an insurance career wasfor you?
I was a marketing major at FSU. The company I worked for wasclosed. I responded to a local insurance agency and I was hired. Ihad a company rep come in and ask if I would like to take on adebit route. I contacted the professional that had taught the basicrequired insurance class for a business major. I offered to buy himlunch for advice; by the end of lunch, I was an insurance major.The rest is history.

What do you love most about being an insuranceagent?
Problem solving, taking care of clients,talking with clients. Most of my business comes from referrals andhaving my clients thank me for selling them insurance.

What's your favorite client successstory?
As a CPCU, I was in the process of writing a research paper. I hadrecognized a relationship between the way dogs are underwritten andthe lack of understanding of dog behavior. I mentioned it to acompany person who informed me that I had a product, not a paper.Eighteen months later, I launched a website providing a stand-alonedog bite liability policy.

What career advice would you give new agents? Do youhave a mantra for success?
Education, education and education. Insurance is a career, not ajob. You can do anything you want in the industry.

What career would you want if you weren't an insuranceagent?
Is there any other career?

What public figure (past or present) do you mostadmire?
Warren Buffet, he is self-made. He built an empire; it wasn'thanded to him.

What are your hobbies? What do you most enjoy doingoutside the office?
Dogs, dogs and anything to dowith dogs!

Michael J. O'Donnell, Producer
Concklin Insurance Agency
Lombard, Ill.

How and when did you decide that an insurance career wasfor you?
When I graduated from college I knew that the insurance industryoffered an excellent opportunity to grow your own business. Mymother had been a CSR for several years and offered a tremendousamount of insight to what it would take to be a successfulinsurance producer.

What do you love most about being an insuranceagent?
Being an insurance agent allows you to meet different people everyday. There are challenges and issues that are unique to each clientand you get the opportunity to help people and learn something neweach day.

What's your favorite client successstory?
One of my larger clients decided to start their business about 15years ago and came to me through a referral. They needed someone towork with them that understood their business and the exposures. Hestarted with one truck and a trailer and now has a fleet ofvehicles and employs over 60 people. He trusted me to help him growhis business and make sure that he was properly insured andprotected. Over the past 15 years, his business and our friendshiphave continued to grow.

What career advice would you give new agents? Do youhave a mantra for success?
The best advice I would give to a new agent is to work hard. Don'tbe afraid to pick up the phone. The more people you speak with thebetter your opportunity for success. Always keep your client's bestinterest in mind. Your clients will reward you with referrals andcontinued loyalty as long as you keep your focus on providing thebest possible options.

What career would you want if you weren't an insuranceagent?
I would have gone into education and coaching. It is very rewardingto help people reach their potential.

What public figure (past or present) do you mostadmire?
Knute Rockne. He was an educator, innovator and coach.

What are your hobbies? What do you most enjoy doingoutside the office?
Spending time with our 3 children and following each of theirindividual activites. Our children our extremely active in sportsand school so most of my free time is spent at one event oranother. Golfing is one of my favorite ways to get outside andenjoy the weather as well as snowmobiling in the winter.

Want to share your own insurance story? Clickhereto tell us about your life as a successful agent. For more producerprofiles, see Vol. II.

Teresa Colbert Sheppard, Account Manager
Campbell Insurance
Lynchburg, Virgina

How and when did you decide that an insurance career wasfor you?
As my senior year of High School approached I was faced with a veryheavy class load to prepare to attend nursing school, I thought, noway, make another selection, InVEST was offered at our vocationalcenter so I opted to go in that direction. After graduation I faceda work life confined to factory work, with no college education andit happened when I was laid off from that position my InVESTteacher called to see what I was doing. She had a friend in theinsurance industry who was looking for a recent InVEST graduate torun their first computer system. Long story short, I interviewed,got the job (thanks to InVEST) and have been there with the sameagency since 1980.

What do you love most about being an insuranceagent?
Helping others. I had wanted to become anurse to fulfill my desire to help others–Well, guess what?Insurance is the best way to help others, you help them each day toprotect their most valuable possessions: everything from theirhomes, cars, businesses and lives.

What's your favorite client successstory?
Wow, that's a hard one. Every time a claim is settled successfullyI smile because I know I have done my best to provide theprotection my clients need and deserve.

What career advice would you give new agents? Do youhave a mantra for success?
Education, education, education. Our industry is ever-changing andwe have to continue our education every single day. Don't just goto classes to meet your CE requirements, go to classes to learn howto be a better person, agent, advisor and employee.

What career would you want if you weren't an insuranceagent?
Nurse.

What public figure (past or present) do you mostadmire?
Hellen Keller. Regardless of the obstacles she faced, she overcameeach one and learned something from it and helped others toovercome. She never gave up, she didn't give in, she always foughtto win.

What are your hobbies? What do you most enjoy doingoutside the office?
Spending time with my family, reading, helping out with the youthat my church.

Want to share your own insurance story? Clickhereto tell us about your life as a successful agent. For more producerprofiles, see Vol. II.

Janie Ussery, AdministrativeManager
Ragland, Strother & Lafitte
Dallas, Texas

How and when did you decide that an insurance career wasfor you?
In 1977, I was in an InVEST class at Thomas Jefferson High Schoolin Dallas. We were taught the basics of how insurance agencies andcompanies worked, as well as how to rate and type policies. As apart of the InVEST experience, I was given the opportunity tointerview with an agency and they hired me. I graduated from highschool on a Saturday and went to work for them on Monday. Theyallowed me to work part-time for them while in college, and Ieventually became full-time. I now work for one of the agents whovolunteered to be a guest speaker in my InVEST class.

What do you love most about being an insuranceagent?
I get so much joy in being able to help people. It is rewarding tohelp them at the time of a loss and to be able to put them atease.

What career advice would you give new agents? Do youhave a mantra for success?
Always push yourself to do more than you think you are capableof.

What career would you want if you weren't an insuranceagent?
Working with children with disabilities.

What public figure (past or present) do you mostadmire?
Martin Luther King, Jr. He had a vision for the future of peopleworking together and co-existing peacefully.

What are your hobbies? What do you most enjoy doingoutside the office?
I like to volunteer my time with children with disabilities as wellas help mentor kids in general. Now I'm volunteering with InVEST tohelp promote interest in the insurance field with high schoolstudents.

Want to share your own insurance story? Clickhereto tell us about your life as a successful agent. For more producerprofiles, see Vol. II.

Dan Verdun, Risk Management Advisor
Frenkel & Co.
Jersey City, N.J.

How and when did you decide that an insurance career wasfor you?
After leaving the Marine Corps with an Honorable Discharge in 1995,I worked as a bi-lingual CSR for a Allstate agency in Succasunna,NJ. After 6 months of working there, I realized that the insuranceindustry was a great fit for me.

What do you love most about being an insuranceagent?
What I love most is about this profession is working with andhelping people.

What's your favorite client successstory?
About 4 years ago, I was introduced to an NFL player and his wifethrough his sports agent. They were having difficulty obtaininginsurance for a new home they were about to purchase because of thelocation. I noticed they had several policies (22 of them) in placefor other properties, multiple vehicles, a large jewelrycollection, recreational vehicles, a yacht, etc. After about 2weeks of gathering data and speaking with various underwriters, Iwas able to secure coverage on their new home and consolidated hispolicies–minimizing his liability and risk–and reduced his overallcost by more than $20,000.

What career advice would you give new agents? Do youhave a mantra for success?
My advice to new agents is to listen and pay close attention toyour clients providing world-class service! That will foster aclose-knit relationship with your clients. That creates a level oftrust and they will become loyal to you. That has been my mantrafor success.

What career would you want if you weren't an insuranceagent?
I was always interested in a career in the FBI.

What public figure (past or present) do you mostadmire?
It's really difficult for me to pick an individual because I admireevery member of the US Armed Forces! They volunteered to protectthe people of this nation and others around the world. Because ofthem, we enjoy the fruitfulness of life. They protect us from ourenemies while we enjoy freedom and democracy on a daily basis!

What are your hobbies? What do you most enjoy doingoutside the office?
Spending time with my family is my No. 1 priority outside theoffice. I enjoy golf, going to the Jersey Shore & cookingtoo.

Want to share your own insurance story? Clickhereto tell us about your life as a successful agent. For more producerprofiles, see Vol. II.

Christina Thompson, Agent
Alexander & Alexander Inc.
Leitchfield, Ky.

How and when did you decide that an insurance career wasfor you?
After the birth of my son, I decided that I needed to find a careerpath sooner rather than later. I was 23, had been married for 2years and was going to college and working as a waitress. My mothersuggested that I apply for an insurance CSR position. After severalinterviews and follow-up phone calls, Mr. Alexander finally decidedto hire me. I guess you could say I was a little relentless! Heteases me about it now. I've been working with A&A for 8 years,transitioned into sales and have built a very successful book ofbuisness.

What do you love most about being an insuranceagent?
The most enjoyable part of being an insurance agent is the pleasureof working with my clients who all have different culturalbackgrounds. This makes everyday new and exciting!

What's your favorite client successstory?
One of my insured's truck drivers was involved in a 30+ vehicleaccident during a blizzard one winter. Attorneys were sendingletters out left and right to our client, who was not even atfault. The driver had just came upon the wreck and could not stopin time. We worked with our insured and the adjuster to resolve allthe issues.

What career advice would you give new agents? Do youhave a mantra for success?
Always have a positive attitude and stay persistant. Following upis very important to being successful in the insuranceindustry.

What career would you want if you weren't an insuranceagent?
At this point in my life, I really cannot see myself doing anythingother than selling insurance.

What public figure (past or present) do you mostadmire?
Napoleon Hill because of his positive insight and great writing.One of my favorite quotes is: “The better portion of all sales Ihave made, were made after people said 'no'.”

What are your hobbies? What do you most enjoy doingoutside the office?
My hobbies are reading, writing and spending time with myfamily.

Want to share your own insurance story? Clickhereto tell us about your life as a successful agent. For more producerprofiles, see Vol. II.