Jamie Matson serves her clients at The Haney Company with a personal connection. 

Making a Difference

When Matson started her career in human resources, she soon found a passion for employee benefits. Through her work, she became acquainted with several colleagues in the insurance industry. So, when she decided it was time for a change, she took a role as an account executive at a benefits brokerage firm. 

When Cliff Kwartner was studying business administration in college, he didn’t know what he wanted to do. When he graduated, he narrowed his job offers down to two positions: mortgage broker or insurance agent. He decided to go into insurance because he saw it as a career rather than just a job. It was 2008—he made the right choice. 

Making a Difference

Kwartner loved his career from the start—he loved talking to new people and helping them plan for the life they wanted. One of the benefits of being an insurance agent is building relationships with others in the industry, says Kwartner. “Your reputation is your biggest asset. If you do good business and you do things the right way, that will go a long way.”

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.