As the great business strategist Woody Allen is famous for saying, "80% of success is showing up." Somewhere along the line, far too many people in the risk and insurance space have lost sight of this simple reality.

In growing numbers, people think that they can email, text and voicemail their way through life. As people look to cut corners, they are regularly cutting their own throat when it comes to their professional success and that of their organization.

In our roles at Schul Baker Partners, we are in the business of recruiting mostly out-of-industry talent to fill the production and account service needs of our clients. This gives us a unique perspective on what companies are looking for in new employees and what it actually takes for them to succeed. While certainly the intellectual capacity to learn the business, professional appearance and a track record of sales success are always in the mix, we are increasingly seeing that our clients want people who will be present and engaged. They need people who are actually not optimistic about their future, but instead are driven to be present doing what it takes to create the abundance of opportunities that a successful future requires.