Becoming an insurance agent can be a life-changing event forsome, especially when the opportunity turns into a calling. Thefollowing five 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 here totell us about your life as a successful agent. For moreproducer profiles, see Vol. III.

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Chris Beardslee, account executive
Allied Insurance Managers
Rochester Hills, Mich.

How and when did you decide that an insurance career wasfor you?
After watching the automotive industry shrink, I was looking for acareer that would have a strong future and similar challenges. Thislead me to working for a technology company that specialized inagency management and marketing platforms for insurance agents.During my time working in the insurance technology field, I gaineda deep appreciation for the effort that goes into developing andadministering a rounded commercial property and casualty program.Later, stepping into a property-casualty role, I immediately setupon developing programs that could bring broad coverage and agreat offering to commercial customers while utilizing theinsurance educational technologies that I sold previously.

What do you love most about being an insuranceagent?
I began my career in the automotive industry working with engineersto design parts that solved specific problems that they were havingin manufacturing. The insurance industry interested me because Icould use that problem solving background and knowledge to helpbusiness owners evaluate issues with their business environments.Most business owners don't understand the every day businessexposures that insurance policies can't or inadequately cover.Working with business owners in all different industries to lookpast the building blocks of insurance to risk management and safetycreates a lot of problem solving opportunities. I enjoy having thetough discussions with customers on what the correct businessdecisions should be.

What's your favorite client successstory?
I had a customer with a large building exposure. His business washaving difficulty staying afloat but the building he owned was animportant asset. He was adamant about saving money on the insuranceat the expense of coverage. While we reviewed the current insurancepolicies from another agent I explained the importance of thedifferent coverages, including how the different buildingvaluations worked. The insured wanted to remain with an ACV policyas the premium doubled if he were to move forward with replacementcost. Having removed myself from the bidding process due to ourdisagreement on coverage, he came back to me about how I wouldplace his insurance. I told him that he needed to pay the extramoney and properly insure his building. I won. Two years later theinsured has a pipe break in his building pumping 50,000 gallons ofwater into the structure. The insured was reimbursed 100% for hislosses (Claim totaling over $1 million) and his company was madewhole.

What career advice would you give to new agents? Do youhave a mantra for success?
Always do right by the customer, because everything you do has animpact on future opportunities. Every customer you have is areferral builder or a lost opportunity should you not service themproperly. The old saying is that you spend more making newcustomers than you do keeping existing customers. I would add thatfor every existing customer you lose, you are also losing a wholenetwork of new customers that you won't have access to again.

What career would you want if you weren't an insuranceagent?
My dream career would be as a professional golfer. You travel theworld spending your days playing some of the most beautifullandscapes in the nicest possible weather.

What public figure (past or present) do you most admire?Why?
I would have liked to meet Steve Jobs. It would be great to discusshis passion for his products and how he created a world-renownedcustomer experience. It would also be interesting to hear theprocess in developing entirely new industries with ipods, itunesand phone applications.

What are your hobbies? What do you most enjoy doingoutside the office?
First and foremost, I enjoyspending time with my family. My wife and I have an 8-month-old sonthat just learned to crawl, so most of our time is spent keepinghim busy. Other hobbies include sports such as golf, kickball andbowling. I am also an avid college football fan.

David Keller, partner
Keller National
Cleveland Heights, Ohio

How and when did you decide that an insurance career wasfor you?
I was the kid in high school that wanted to become an insuranceagent. I played hockey with a guy who's dad owned an agency and Iwas impressed with the big house and the nice cars. During college,I began my career with his agency.

What do you love most about being an insuranceagent?
I like that every day presents new challenges and opportunities. Ienjoy meeting new people and learning about their unique businessesand presenting them with solutions to minimize their exposure torisk.

What's your favorite client successstory?
I wrote a start up restaurant last year. Within his first week ofdoing business, he had a pipe burst in his location. We were ableto get the disaster recovery specialists out there within a fewhours and ultimately save the hard wood floors. The claim was paidwithin the week. More importantly, he did not have to close hisdoors.

What career advice would you give to new agents? Do youhave a mantra for success?
It is imperative that you develop a process for prospecting andpost sales follow up. You have to be 100 percent committed to thisprocess and consistently implement it every day.

What career would you want if you weren't an insuranceagent?
I would probably be a commercial real estate broker.

What are your hobbies? What do you most enjoy doingoutside the office?
I coach a travel hockey team. I enjoy teaching them systems andwatching them develop not only as players, but as a team.

Want to share your own insurancestory? Click here totell us about your life as a successful agent. For moreproducer profiles, see Vol. III.

Barry Paul Rose, president
Barry Paul Rose Insurance Agency Inc.
Chatham Township, N.J.

How and when did you decide that an insurance career wasfor you?
I entered the insurance business begrudgingly, shortly aftergraduating from Seton Hall University with a degree in Music andArt History. My dad owned a small agency and was very successful.He sacrificed and worked long and hard to build it from scratch andboth he and my mom encouraged me to join with him when I became ofage. As an uninformed and immature young man, I knew very littleabout being an agent. I was very reluctant to pursue a career ininsurance, as I always felt it was an industry that offered fewopportunities to exercise creativity and appealed most to white menwho liked to wear Brooks Brothers suits and wing tips. Now, as aseasoned pro, with more than 30 years of experience behind me, andas a parent, I look at things very differently. I've come toappreciate how little I understood about the industry back then,and I'm sincerely grateful for the extraordinary opportunity myparents provided me. Contrary to my original thinking, my careerhas proved to be meaningful, lucrative and very enjoyable.

What do you love most about being an insuranceagent?
I love the opportunities it affords people to earn a good living,be creative, and grow professionally.

What's your favorite client successstory?
Every commission I earn is a success story. Helping folks iswonderful, but we're not social workers. We're producers andagents, and as such, we really shouldn't forget that our raisond'etre is to make a profit selling insurance. At the end of the dayhow well we do that is the true measure of our success. Though Ifeel strongly that helping people and making money are not mutuallyexclusive, for those more concerned with helping people than makinga profit, I'd reccommend that it'd probably be best for them (andthe agencies they work for) to pursue someother vocation.

What career advice would you give to new agents? Do youhave a mantra for success?
Our mantra: “WE LOWER INSURANCE COSTS, PERIOD!” It's bold and itcuts to the quick. Our clients and prospects respond to it and ourcompetitors criticize us for it. You can't ask for more from amantra!

What career would you want if you weren't an insuranceagent?
If I weren't an insurance agent, I'd most enjoy owning awindsurfing concession on a beach in the Carribean. I have noaffinity for windsufing, but it's pretty hard to beat laying on thebeach all day.

What public figure (past or present) do you most admire?Why?
I most admire all the men and women who serve in our country'smilitary, as well as their families. For me, they are mostinspiring. We simply can't honor enough their sacrafice, braveryand courage.

What are your hobbies? What do you most enjoy doingoutside the office?
I enjoy shooting handguns and rifles, trap & skeet, lovecatch-and-release game fishing, and really enjoy playing “theblues” on my vintage Selmer sax.

Want to share your own insurancestory? Click here totell us about your life as a successful agent. For moreproducer profiles, see Vol. III.

George Tomlinson, producer
Concklin Insurance
Lombard, Ill.

How and when did you decide that an insurance career wasfor you?
Found a friend about 2002 that thought I might be an asset to hisagency sales force.

What do you love most about being an insuranceagent?
Freedom and self-employment aspect of the business. Book“ownership” is an asset, as well.

What's your favorite client successstory?
One of my clients experienced a “limit” loss, and we provided thecoverage that saved him from company and personal bankrupcy fromthe incident. He is still operating today.

What career advice would you give to new agents? Do youhave a mantra for success?
Partner with an owner/business that values your efforts.

What career would you want if you weren't an insuranceagent?
Commodity trader or college coach.

What public figure (past or present) do you most admire?Why?
U.S. servicemen and women. They risk their lives to maintain ourfreedom.

What are your hobbies? What do you most enjoy doingoutside the office?
Golf.

Want to share your own insurancestory? Click here totell us about your life as a successful agent. For moreproducer profiles, see Vol. III.

Amy LaVenture, commercial marketing manager
Wallace, Welch & Willingham
St. Petersburg, Fla.

How and when did you decide that an insurance career wasfor you?
I got my start in the insurance industry through the InVESTprogram. My high school, St. Petersburg Catholic, offered theprogram and it opened my eyes to the wide variety of careers withinthe insurance industry.

I actually began my career in insurance while still in highschool. Through InVEST, I was hired to work in an agency in anadministrative support role. I continued to work at that agency inhigh school and some time in college. Once I graduated college, Ihad no idea what I wanted to do for a career and decided toreconnect with the agency I worked for. They hired me on full time,I got my license and jumped into the world of commercialmarketing.

I am so grateful to InVEST for giving me exposure to theindustry. I feel like after I graduated from college, I had anadvantage over my peers because of the training that InVESTprovided.

What do you love most about being an insuranceagent?
I really enjoy that every day brings a new challenge. As a resultof that, I am constantly learning and developing in my career.

What career advice would you give to new agents? Do youhave a mantra for success?
I would tell a new agent to be open to learn and take the advice ofmentors. Our jobs as insurance agents is to be advisors to ourclients. The more we learn, the better we can serve our clients.

Want to share your own insurancestory? Click here totell us about your life as a successful agent. For moreproducer profiles, see Vol. III.