Similarly, how can employers retain young talent?

I believe that the most important thing for employers to do is to continually discuss expectations and career goals with their employees, as well as stress the importance of the work/life balance. Our organization has done a fantastic job with this on both the local and national level. I’m fortunate to be able to review goals and objectives, as well as discuss my career development, with both my manager and my mentor and it has been a testament to how much our organization values its young talent.

Who do you look toward as a mentor in this industry?

I am fortunate to have two mentors within the industry - Ryan Beavers and Gary Schrock, both of our Houston, TX office. Ryan is the profit center leader of the office and earned “Rookie of the Year” honors as the top new agent in our organization several years ago. Gary is the sales manager of the office, and was recently chosen “Mentor of the Year.” Both have offered tremendous encouragement when I've had successes, but more importantly they have been there to guide me through the failures. They also hold me accountable and remind me of the importance of hard work each and every day.

What are your future goals in this industry?

I am most passionate about working with and developing young agents in order to help them achieve their goals and to become more successful in the industry. Because of this, I would love to transition into a sales manager role in the future.

What are your main priorities as a young agent (work/life balance, charity, support, legislative issues, etc.?)

Work/life balance is the most important priority for me. I have seen the toll that the rigors of the job can take on an individual, and as a result I have worked very hard to make certain that I do not have to confront those same challenges. I feel that I owe it not only to my family and myself, but also to my clients. My goal is to make certain that they get excellent service from me each and every day; in order to do that, it is imperative that I maintain a healthy work/life balance.

How do you balance work and personal life?

When I became an agent, my manager sat with me and expressed the importance of “unplugging” and of taking time away from work. In order to do this, I have focused on employing a work strategy that maximizes my time. For example, I find that between 7 AM to 9 AM, I can work relatively uninterrupted as the majority of business calls and meetings that I have are scheduled after those times. For me, it all comes down to being efficient and keeping the take home work to a minimum. For those times that we do have dinner meetings or events, I am always up front with my family and friends about those commitments. I am also fortunate to have a great support staff at home that understands that often times, my hours are outside of normal business hours.

How does your office reflect how you work?

I try to keep my office extremely organized, as I learned at an early age from my father that time truly is money. I also have several visual aids (dry-erase boards, a wall calendar, sticky notes, print outs of my sales year to date) so that each day, I can walk in and see what is on the agenda, and also how close I am to my overall objectives. I use most of the remaining free space to write motivational quotes. I am a firm believer that if you create a positive work environment, you will generate positive results.

What is an important lesson you learned when joining a professional working environment?

The most important lesson I learned is to utilize each available moment wisely and to not procrastinate! I started in the industry almost 6 years ago as a catastrophe claims adjuster, and a large portion of my time was spent traveling (both in the air and on the road). If I had a 2 hour layover, I would use that time in the airport to respond to emails and catch up on paperwork. If I had an appointment cancel, I would spend that down time preparing for the next inspection or to call other clients and offer to see them more quickly. By doing this, I was able to start each day fresh, and with minimal to no leakage from the day before. It also helped me when I wanted to enjoy my time away from work!

What do you see when Gen Y/Millennials struggle within a professional environment? What advice do you have?

I feel that in recent years, Gen Y/Millenials have become almost too dependent on technology. Recently, I sat in a waiting room, and 8 out of 10 people were typing away on their phones. It’s important not only in our profession, but in any profession, for us to be effective communicators, and to learn to read both verbal and nonverbal cues during conversation. Emailing and text messaging do not offer those same opportunities. I recommend taking time each day to disconnect. Put your phones or computers away for an hour or two a day. Talk to a stranger. I’ve forced myself to do the same, and it’s been a great experience for me.

Where do you hope to take your career? What direction would you like your career to go?

Thirty years from now, I want people to be able to say that I’ve been successful by working hard and by doing the right things. I feel that with increasing success, that there is also an increased social responsibility. My ultimate goal is to be able to continue to assist my clients with the same passion and intensity that I have now, and to also take on an even larger philanthropic role in the community.

Have you ever experienced any “generation gap” issues with your carriers in terms of personal interaction or the products they offer?

I feel that our carrier partners have done a tremendous job in adapting to the next generation of clients and agents. Most now offer aids like webinars and apps that are accommodating to some of the younger generations, and this has been received very favorably across the board. With that being said, our carrier partners (as well as our organization) still emphasize and stress the importance of being readily available and accessible to our customers.

Many young agents enter this industry because other family members work in insurance. What advice do you have when working with family?

I come from a small percentage of young agents that did not enter the industry because of other family members. With that being said, I do have family members that are clients. The most important thing when working with family is to clearly set expectations in regards to your business relationship. My dad is one of my clients, and we make certain to keep our business relationship and personal relationship separate.

What skills do you think young agents will need next year?

Next year, and for the rest of our careers, young agents will need to work diligently to stay up to speed with all of the important legislative changes. One of our agency’s mottos is that “the only constant is change;” this is especially true in the insurance industry! Spending the extra time to read up on these changes will provide young agents with the knowledge to become better risk managers and to help them better inform and prepare their clients of how any changes may impact them.

What do you see young agents struggle with in their first years in this industry? What advice do you have?

Insurance is a very complex concept to sell, service, and communicate, and oftentimes young agents struggle with this. Even though I was fortunate to learn a great deal about coverage by virtue of my previous experience as a claims adjuster, I still needed to devote the bulk of my time learning more about the technical piece of the industry. I advise all young agents to focus heavily on this. While you will never know everything that there is to know about this industry, a strong knowledge base will help you to build a very successful future.

What was the biggest challenge you faced as a young agent, and how did you handle it?

Without a doubt, the biggest challenge that I’ve faced as a young agent has been my age. Prospective clients, on occasion, have been apprehensive to hire someone that is over half the age of their current broker. In order to overcome this challenge, I’ve worked diligently to earn designations that will help to establish more professional credibility. I also inform any prospective client that as a former (and still current) claims adjuster, that I’ve seen various uncovered losses that have devastated people just like them, and that because of my experiences I was dedicated to placing extra emphasis on ensuring that those scenarios would be avoided at all costs. Fortunately, people have been very receptive to that approach.

What do you see as your biggest strength in the industry?

My biggest strength is that I have a relentless focus on personal development. One of my favorite expressions is the Latin phrase “Ancora Imparo” which is loosely translated as “I am still learning.” Michelangelo, the famous Renaissance artist, once wrote this phrase on a sketch of his. He felt that it was very important to continue to focus on personal development, even though at the time of the sketch he was 87 years old! I feel that this not only allows me to pursue the highest level of self-actualization that I possibly can, but that it also helps me to encourage those closest to me to do the same.

Similarly, what is your biggest weakness? How have you addressed that weakness?

My biggest weakness is that my motivation and drive sometimes cause me to have unrealistic expectations for myself. After my first goal setting meeting with my manager several years ago, I was eager to get out and reach my yearly goals in the first month! By setting unrealistic expectations, I was setting myself up for failure. One of my closest mentors brought this to my attention, and reminded me that longer term goals should be viewed as a marathon and not a sprint. I've gotten much better over the years, and it's relieved me of the unnecessary pressure and stress and made me enjoy my work much more.

What are some of your career highlights?

I was voted “Mr. Congeniality” of my resource field team when I was a catastrophe adjuster. Right around that time, my friends, family members, and coworkers started encouraging me to become an agent. They thought that this award, coupled with my technical experience, would make for a natural transition. This was the turning point for my career, as not long after I decided that I would do exactly that. It’s been one of the best decisions that I’ve made in my professional career thus far!

How does social marketing make you a more productive employee?

Social marketing allows me to reach a much broader group of prospective clients compared to traditional media channels, and at virtually no cost (outside of time). Establishing a social presence is critical; most of my clients/prospects get emails/updates directly on their phones. It allows you to reach anyone at any time, and if utilized properly, it can help you to create a positive brand for yourself.

Bryan Fontenot was featured in the June 2013 issue of AA&B. He is the corporate account executive for Brown & Brown of Louisiana.