Vinny Dallo, ChFC®, CLU^®, CLTC, LUTCF, serves as President-Elect for NAIFA- New York and has been a loyal NAIFA member since 2005. He practices with Kappan Financial, LLC, in Fairport, NY, where he specializes in personal financial planning.

Vinny’s introduction to the financial services industry is rather unique. He was initially brought on to the MetLife team as a call center manager. He excelled in the position after creating a subscription service that called MetLife advisors’ current clients to strengthen their existing relationships. For a minimal price, advisors both new and established could sign up for these “warm appointments” that ultimately lead to stronger advisor-client relationships and increased production. Vinny’s initial job as a call center manager enabled him to see the ins and outs of a career as a financial advisor with MetLife before pursuing it himself.

At 39 years old, Randall Ball, CLU^®, was looking for a career change and found it at Northwestern Mutual. Ball’s friend James R. Goodrich, CLU^®, ChFC®, loyal NAIFA member since 1971, recruited him to the industry and NAIFA and Ball never looked back. 

The Keys to Success

For Ball, there are three qualities every agent and advisor should have—they should have a sense of intellectual curiosity, be a good listener, and be able to put the information they glean into a solid plan. “If you’re the only one doing the talking, it’s a bad meeting,” he says.

For Steve Berg, AAI, CIC, LIC, helping people always comes first—no matter what. He and his team follow one principle: “Help the people and the numbers will take care of themselves."

When Berg started his independent agency, Berg Insurance Services, it was a homecoming of sorts. After spending three years as an insurance agent, he experimented with other careers, but he always knew he’d end up in financial services. When he reached a fork in the road of his career, he knew it was the right time to come back.

After several years in restaurant management, Erik Mickalson decided it was time for a change. He applied for a job at American Family Insurance, where his aunt and uncle were long-time agents. He got the job, but not because of nepotism—the recruiter who hired him didn’t find out about his family ties until months later.

After 16 years with American Family, Mickalson says the best thing about his job is being able to help people and protect families every day. He’s a multiline agent, but his bread and butter are life, home, auto, and commercial property insurance. While he works with a diverse array of clients, many of his clients are families like his own with middle-grade children. He jokes that his children’s soccer games are a great way to find prospects.

Larry Witzel, CFP^®, CLU^®, has been interested in financial services since his early teens when his father introduced him to a financial advisor. In 1990, he entered the industry when he was 25 years old and later founded Strategic Financial Solutions.

For Tori Chaulk, insurance runs in the family—it just skipped a few generations. Her great-grandmother was an insurance agent with Farm Bureau, and she was fascinated by it when she was growing up. So, when she graduated from the University of Tennessee, she decided to give it a try. 

Being an insurance agent turned out to be a perfect fit for Chaulk. She loves meeting new people every day and helping them find the right solutions for their unique situations. At Trey Bowen Legacy Insurance and Globe Life, she helps her clients with life insurance and property and casualty insurance. She’s especially passionate about life insurance, even though it can be a hard topic to talk about with clients. “[Life insurance] is the guaranteed insurance that you're going to use,” she says. “So, I’d rather help somebody plan for their family after they're not here rather than it be too late.”

Lifetime Financial Group Owner Jay Meneely, LUTCF, has been a loyal NAIFA member since 1983 when the organization was still the National Association of Life Underwriters (NALU). Throughout the years, he’s seen the impact of his work and advocating for Main Street USA.

Like many, Meneely joined the insurance industry almost by accident. He was working in retail management and ran into his insurance agent at the gym. Meneely’s agent recruited him into the business and, 42 years later, Meneely has no intention of stopping any time soon.

Kameron Caldwell, President and CEO of Caldwell Wealth Management, is dedicated to protecting families and advocating for Main Street USA.

Getting Started

When a friend first approached Caldwell to become a life insurance agent, he wasn’t interested. He thought it would be too hard, but his friend encouraged him, saying, “You’ve got the gift of gab; you’re good at sales. Why not give it a try?” Caldwell agreed to enroll in an apprentice course and take the exam to become an insurance broker. He failed the exam on his first try, but that only fueled his determination. He kept studying and, the next time he took the test, he passed.

In 1993, Sheryl Hickerson faxed her resume to MassMutual—by accident. But they called her back and offered her an interview. Nearly 30 years later, it’s the best mistake she’s ever made. 

Serving Main Street USA

Hickerson is the founder and CEO of Females and Finance, a private vetted community that offers support for hiring, mentoring, training, and advancing women. In her practice, Hickerson is especially passionate about helping families. “Women are often the glue in families,” she begins. “I’ve seen far too many friends displaced from their homes because of a lack of insurance.” With so many advisors focused on high-net-worth individuals, the industry doesn’t have nearly enough advisors focused on Main Street Americans, she says.

Tinja Anderson is passionate about serving her clients and her community.

Serving Main Street USA

After spending a decade doing strategic sales and communications consulting for Fortune 500 companies, Tinja Anderson decided to make a change. “In consulting, it's all about business; it's never personal,” she says. When she joined MassMutual Greater Houston in 2018, she found that she liked the personal connection with her clients. Now, she provides comprehensive financial planning services, from fee-based planning to executive compensation to employee benefits.