As millennials enter the insurance industry, they bring newmethods, talents and skills that are unique to their generation.Through their innovative thinking and modern outlook, these 12agents have firmly established themselves as a valuable assetsto agencies, even among the most experienced andrespected agency veterans. Read what youngagents have to say about recruiting and retaining youngtalent, experiences as a millennial in the industry, pertinentlegislative issues and more.

Jocelyn M. Horton

Account executive, ISU Insurance Services of ColoradoInc
Years at company: 1.5 years
College: University of Colorado at Devner,December 2011
Organizations: BNI, PIIAC Young InsuranceProfessionals Chiar

Read Jocelyn's Q&A from AA&B'sJanuary issue

What advice do you have for millennials struggling in aprofessional environment?
One of the biggeststruggles is learning to escape technology and have that humaninteraction. Technology is so present in our day-to-day lives thatwe have been accustomed to texting and emailing instead of callingsomeone or having face-to-face dialogue. In this business it is allabout the human connection and the relationships you build withyour clients, carriers and competitors. It is pretty hard toestablish a human connection when we are using technology as ouronly means of communication.

I strongly advise new young agents to learn to balancetechnology and human interaction and to find a mentor who can teachthem how to establish that face-to-face relationship.

How do you balance work and personallife?
I am a former college athlete and find my freetime filled with slow-pitch softball, ski racing and otheractivities. Work has been fun thus far and I really don't have tobalance much because I enjoy waking up and going to work everyday.

What was the biggest challenge you faced as a youngagent, and how did you handle it?
I am a recent college graduate, and transitioning into thecorporate world challenged me. Email etiquette, formal attire everyday and organization/time management have been the hard lessons tolearn. I am lucky to have great mentors and have been blessed withpeople who want me to succeed; that is how I've managed to overcomethose challenges.

Andy Barclay, CLCS, ACSR

Producer, The John A. Barclay Agency Inc.
Years at company: 8 years
College: Texas Tech University, 2004
Organizations: Rotary International, LeadershipAustin, Young Men's Business League of Austin

Read Andy's Q&A fromAA&B's February issue

Who is your mentor?
My father. I started in the insurance business almost 8 years agoand he had me obtain my licenses and immediately start on gainingknowledge and designations. There is much to be learned about theindustry that you can only gain understanding of by real-worldexperience. Having a mentor who can advise you on how to handle adifficult claim or which insurance company to call regarding acertain risk is a great thing. Eventually, the training wheels comeoff and if you have a good mentor, you have a good idea how tohandle anything that comes at you.

How does your office reflect how youwork?
I am an avid fly fisherman, waterfowler andTexan. My office has a framed copy of the first flag of the TexasRepublic hanging on the wall. If you visit, you also will see anumber of artistic duck decoys, fishing pictures and pictures of mywife. I like reminding myself that there is more to life than justwork. Work is important, but so are the things that also bring youjoy in life. Creating a relaxed environment keeps me relaxed andfocused at work.

What's your mantra for success?
I believe it is important to get back to people quickly. Clientslove knowing that when they need to reach you, they can. I have mycell phone listed on my business card and am able to access myemail from anywhere using a smartphone. I always try and respond topeople within the hour.

Kim Cahoon, CISR, CLCS

Agent/Producer, Luhn-McCain Insurance Agency
Years at company: 3.5 years
Organizations: San Antonio Manufacturing Assn.,San Antonio R.O.C.K.S. nonprofit animal rescue organization

Read Kim's Q&A fromAA&B's March issue

What are your main priorities as a youngagent?
I enjoy working in the insurance field because I have the freedomand flexibility to dedicate time to both my career and mynon-profit organization, which rescues animals from kill sheltersand successfully rehabilitates, fosters and adopts them into lovinghomes.

How can employers retain young talent?
Offer a structured training program with continuing education anddevelopment, and provide a good mentor to give advice and support.Have advancement opportunities within the company and lucrative,attainable incentive programs.

How did you determine that insurance was a viable careerchoice?
From an early age, I have been exposed to many aspects of theinsurance industry. My grandmother owns the agency and serves aspresident, my mother, Niki, is the CEO and my aunt, Donna, servesas executive vice president. Insurance has always been a vital partof my life.

Whitney Simonetti

Senior corporate marketing specialist, American SafetyInsurance
Years at company: 5 years
College: Auburn University, 2005
Organizations: Treasurer for NAPSLO NextGeneration

Read Whitney's Q&A fromAA&B's April issue

What sales strategies worked for you this pastyear?
Upfront honesty. I went on a sales call with one of our veteranunderwriters and absolutely loved his presentation. He went in withone product sheet to leave with producers, started with his “sweetspot” and followed with the coverages he won't write, answeredquestions and was done in 20 minutes. No glitzy 30-slide PowerPointor sales talk. Producers appreciate you not taking up half of theirmornings, and you will end up saving yourself time if you tellpeople exactly what you will and won't write. Otherwise, you riskproducers flooding you with submissions of all the things you don'twant.

What legislative issues are you interestedin?
The Nonadmitted and Reinsurance Reform Act (NRRA) implementation,through major NAPSLO efforts, has been a dramatic improvement forcompliance issues plaguing our industry. My department is involvedwith producer compliance, and anyone involved in regulatory orcompliance knows what a headache it is for surplus lines.

How do you balance work and personallife?
Oddly enough, the more involved I've become, the more my work andpersonal life have grown into one. I count some of my coworkers asclose friends and now find myself planning trips to visit friendsin the industry.Who would have thought people in insurance could beso fun?

Antonio Canas, CPCU, ARM

Financial Leadership Rotation Program (FLRP) Associate,Nationwide
Years at company: 2.5 years
College: Iowa State University, BS '06, MBA'11.
Organizations: National CPCU Society, CPCUSociety New Designee Committee, Columbus CPCU Society Director ofGood Works, Nationwide's Gen Y Associate ­Resource GroupCommunications Chair.

Read Antonio's Q&A from AA&B's Mayissue

What skills do young agents need nextyear?
A strong technical knowledge will become moreimportant as personal lines become more standardized and largelywritten without an agent. Commercial lines is where the agents willlikely remain in demand, and for that you need to have a lot oftechnical education to serve your more sophisticated customers.CPCU and CLU will become even more important. Networking skills arealso absolutely vital.

What's your mantra for success?
If you'regoing to work 40 years of your life, commit to giving it your allfrom the start. This allows you more flexibility in the laterstages of your career. Manage your personal brand because itprecedes you and will open or close doors. Finally, be a lifelonglearner; the day you stop learning your skills, you startdecaying.

How can employers retain young talent?
This is where the real problem lies. Understand that Gen Y wants towork hard, but they need a combination of challenging work andconstant feedback. A yearly review is not enough for a generationthat grew up under intense guidance from parents, teachers andcoaches. Companies should consider mentoring programs and rotationprograms, along with really pushing their young employees tofurther their education with programs such as CPCU and CLU. Once ayoung professional has made such an investment in the industry, heor she will be much less likely to leave.

Bryan Fontenot, AAI, CRIS

Corporate Account Executive, Brown & Brown ofLouisiana
Years at company: 2 years
College: University of Louisiana at Lafayette,2007
Organizations: Big I, CACRC (Capital AreaCorporate Recycling Council), Forum35 (Baton Rouge youngprofessional society), Maxwell Football Club, That Man is You!

Read Bryan's Q&A from AA&B's Juneissue

How did you determine that insurance was a viable careerchoice?
A childhood friend's mom encouraged me toconsider pursuing a career in insurance, as it was both achallenging and rewarding career path for her. When I was preparingto find a job after college, she thought that a position as acatastrophe claims adjuster would be a great start for me, as I hada deep desire to travel and also learn the technical aspects of thebusiness. I was fortunate enough to get a position doing exactlythat, and after almost 3 years, she reached out to me again as shethought that I was ready to make the transition into the agencyside. Fast forward to now, and I'm forever thankful to her forhelping me get started in such a great industry.

What sales strategies work for you?
Ihave focused more this year on taking a consultative approach withany prospective clients. When I first became an agent, I wasecstatic to have the opportunity to quote for someone. After havinglimited success with, my mentors taught me a much moresophisticated and successful process. It allowed me to do a betterjob of identifying a true opportunity. It also reminded me that mytime was most important to my existing clients, and that I couldnot properly service them if I was exhausting my time “practicequoting.”

What's your mantra for success?
I live bythe mantra “fortune favors the bold.” In life, we're faced withmany challenges and obstacles. We're reluctant at times to stepoutside of our comfort zones, as we fear failure or rejection.Perhaps in sales, this is most evident. I constantly try and remindmyself that by stepping out of my comfort zone, I can unlock doorsto opportunities and experiences that my irrational fears onceprevented me from enjoying. I post the expression in my phone, onmy wall, and in my truck to serve as a constant reminder.

Erin Atkins, CISR

Principal Agent, Hanby Ramey King Insurance
Years at company: 4 years
College: University of Texas at Dallas, '02
Organizations: Soroptimist International ofRockwall, Helping Hands Community Circle, Relay for Life ofRockwall County, Community Heart of Mesquite, Promenade Harbor,HOA

Read Erin's Q&A fromAA&B's July issue

What do you see as your biggest strength?
My youth. I am open-minded to new ideas and technology. I grew upusing computers and so it is easier for me to adapt to new softwareand company changes online.

How did you handle the biggest challenge you faced as ayoung agent?
The most challenging thing about beinga young agent was gaining the respect of my potential clients andcommunity. I was 28 when I started my agency; to most people I wasstill a kid. I began to work on my Web presence and getting moreinvolved in the community. I had to gain my customers' trust andshow them I was serious about my business and the insuranceindustry.

What's an important lesson you learned when joining aprofessional working environment?
Just because youown a business doesn't mean you will be successful. You have tostep out of your comfort zone in order to grow. You constantly haveto learn and nurture your business to achieve long-term success.

Joey Giangola

Broker, Giangola Insurance Agency
Years at company: 4 years
College: Walsh University, '06
Organizations: NAFIA

Read Joey's Q&A fromAA&B's August issue

What skills do you think young agentsneed?
Care about every person you insure as if thatperson is your own mother. But if you want something more tactical,every agent needs passable writing skills. Not “writing business,”but pen-to-paper or fingers-to-keyboard writing. That drivesforward everything you do. Good writing is at the core of emails,blog posts, social media updates, video scripts, website copy andmuch more.

What do you see as your biggest strength in thisindustry?
My biggest strength is the ability totranslate the “traditional” insurance sales process online. Myexperience with online media prior to joining the business offersgiant shortcuts in creating and producing quality, educationalcontent for people to consume. This is a concept some agents andcompanies are slowly getting around to, yet others have yet to evenacknowledge its existence.

What is an important lesson you learned when joining aprofessional working environment? Having limitedexperience working in a “professional” environment, most of myobservations and lessons have come from afar. However, what I wouldsay is don't get caught up in the “nickel and diming” of who's whoand what's what. You're there to do a job, not talk about the wayyour job is done. Don't waste your time complaining about what'swrong. Instead, find a way to fix it or work around it.

Michael Charles-Hilson

Vice President, GBG Inc.
Years at company: 12 years
College: University of Illinois atUrbana-Champaign
Organizations: IIA of IL, NAAIA

Read Michael's Q&A from AA&B'sSeptember issue

What advice do you have for millennials struggling in aprofessional environment?
I observe the millennialgeneration struggling with staying confident in a professionalenvironment. The best part about being young is that you are notrequired to know everything during this time in your career. Myadvice is to stay confident that you belong in a professionalenvironment and take extra steps when completing a task or learninga project. A young employee with passion and a hard work ethic willproduce a positive outcome for your career.

What advice do you have when working withfamily?
To be candid, working with my family is thegreatest challenge I face at my office but it is the mostrewarding. It's not easy to live up to the expectations and demandsthat you will have to encounter every day. I know that by meetingthose expectations I am a better insurance agent and have theopportunity to bring value to a relationship where I was the onlyparty receiving the benefits. Enjoy the rare opportunity that youhave to spend time with your family and making a living.

What legislative issues are you interestedin?
The National Assn. of Registered and BrokerAgents Reform Act (NARAB). It's a wonderful idea that any licensedagent can have access to an independent non-profit corporation thatprovides non-resident licensing reciprocity. This legislationeliminates the long process of applying to each individual stateand provides a solution to agents that would like to operate inmultiple states

Anthony Pomerson, UACRM, AINS

Resident Agent/Producer, Laginess Insurance AgencyInc.
Years at company: 4 years
College: Olivet College '12

Read Anthony's Q&A fromAA&B's October issue

What advice do you have for millennials struggling inthis industry?
Learn to deal with rejection. We are the first wave of peopleentering the workforce who grew up receiving a participation medaland the idea that no one loses, everyone is a winner. The result isthat later in life, when we are not selected for a job orpromotion, or lose a big account, we don't know how to deal withthe rejection. I quickly learned that it can really slow you downand prevent you from reaching your goals. My advice to other GenYs: Don't let rejection or losing slow you down. Instead, use theexperience as a learning tool that fuels you to become better,because you will have another opportunity that you'll need to beprepared for.

How does social marketing make you a more productiveemployee?
Social marketing makes me a productive employee because I'm theonly one in the office who uses it to bring in new business andretain current customers. It's something where my age is a strengthfor the agency.

What are some of your career highlights?
Landing my first big account. It wasn't an easy-to-place risk.Throw in high-liability limits required, and I was placing multiplelines of coverage with multiple carriers. In the end I was able toget the whole account placed with great carriers with greatcoverage at a good price.

Eric Tedmus, CIC, CLCS

Founder and CEO, Tedmus Insurance Services
Years at company: 3 years in business, 8 years inindustry
College: Cal Poly StateUniversity San Luis Obispo,2006
Organizations:Board Secretary for Community Violence Solutions; Referral ProsPresident

Read Eric's Q&A from AA&B's Novemberissue

What are your main priorities as a youngagent?
Having your own insurance practice is always challenging, but Ihave always believed in keeping a good work/life balance. You haveto spend time outside the office. With that said, I love spendingtime with my amazing wife. She pushes me to become a better person.I also value the outdoors and making sure to get plenty of exercisewhen I can.

What was the biggest challenge you faced as a youngagent, and how did you handle it?
My biggest challenge was facing my clients directly when I made themistake in the insurance buying process. I can't tell you how manytimes I've apologized to my clients for something that I didincorrectly and tried to fix—mostly underwriting issues.

How did you determine that insurance was a viable careerchoice?
In college, I interned at an independent brokerage and becamelicensed at that time. After helping one of my initial clients withhis portfolio and receiving positive feedback from him, I washooked. I knew I had found what I truly wanted to do.

Adam Rekerdres, CIC, ACI

Vice President, Rekerdres & Sons Insurance AgencyInc.
Years at company: 9 years
College: University of Dallas, 2001
Organizations: Independent Insurance Agents,International Standards Organization

Read Adam's Q&A from AA&B's Decemberissue

How can employers retain youngtalent?
We make great effort to show that thereis more value for the employees than just the digits on theirpaychecks. This includes typical benefits such as healthcare, butalso benefits that might not be at the top of their minds, such asprofessional education and unique experiences that will advancetheir career. We even offer covered parking!

What are some of your careerhighlights?
I arranged for a shipping container to be delivered to the parkinglot at an industry convention. I gave a presentation inside thecontainer on container shipping best practices. It was wellattended!

How does your office reflect how youwork?
Our office is a very open space. We haveno cubicles. Our agents are arranged in teams with CSRs. It may geta little loud sometimes, but the exchange of information thatoccurs is worth it. I also have a desk that can move from a sittingposition to a standing position. When standing I can easily walk toanother desk to discuss an issue—or run for a cup of coffee.