I graduated from The George Washington University in 2002 with a Bachelor's degree in human services, and in 2010 went back to college—to Indiana University for a law degree. I worked during the day and went to school at night. It took me four years to complete and I'll be honest—it was rough. I have three children, ages 8, 7 and 5, and there were days where I wouldn't see them, because I would leave before they were awake and come home after they were in bed. With my law degree, I can review my client's legal needs and provide advice, which differentiates me from other insurance agents. One of my clients hulls cargo and received a new contract with a semi truck company—they wanted me to review it and let them know if it was OK to sign. And that's a service that I provide for free.

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But dad, we need this!

I am the fourth generation of my family to work at this agency—we've been around since 1932. Currently I work with my dad, my uncle and my cousin. I bring new ideas to the table, and sometimes get pushback. It took about eight or nine months to convince my dad that our agency needed an app, and about 18 months to upgrade our website. In the last three years, we also upgraded our computers and software. We are looking into text messaging, which lets clients know if a bill is due. We plan to offer mobile push notifications, probably once a month—like “Have you bought any new jewelry lately?”—and those will just be reminders of certain policies we can write. It's a great way to stay in touch and gives us a competitive edge over other independent agencies, since we are communicating with our clients how they want.

No man is an island

Our main office—where my family works—is in northern Indiana, but I work in the Indianapolis area. All of my clients are referred—100%. It's about 65% commercial, 35% personal lines. My cell phone is my work phone, which is a double-edged sword. I am always available, which is fantastic for my clients. But I am always available.

It pays to double-check

I had a large commercial account and they had a loss—a trailer with equipment was parked off-site and stolen. Their carrier was paying them, but I noticed that the adjuster had missed an endorsement that I had added. I went back to the insurance company and was able to get the client $15,000 more than what the adjuster had said. Because I knew their policy and coverage, I was able to correct it.