Kim Braud is a woman of many talents. An entrepreneur, philanthropist, and community leader, she focuses her efforts on serving underserved communities as Managing Partner of Jayde Life Investment Group, President of Grand Champions Foundation, and Founder and Owner of the candle company Fleurty Wick.

Getting Started

Braud’s career in the insurance industry can be traced back to her father—a racecar driver and enthusiast. She learned about cars from her father and used that expertise to become a trainer with Nationwide Insurance. Over the years, she played several roles, including training, marketing, sales, and community outreach. When she founded the boutique candle manufacturing company Fleurty Wick, she didn’t think she would ever go back to insurance. Then, a mutual friend introduced her to LA Lakers player Dwight Howard.

When Christopher Faulk started out in the financial services industry, he could tell there was something missing. As a commercial loan officer, he was helping people, but there were other aspects of his clients’ financial pictures that weren’t being addressed. He wanted to offer a more comprehensive financial service. 

In 2019, Faulk joined New York Life, and their holistic approach to addressing clients’ needs was exactly what he was looking for. Now, he protects families as an insurance agent and helps clients with their investment needs as a registered representative.

For Glenn Walker, providing guidance and hope to his community is what it’s all about. 

Getting Started

When Walker entered the financial services industry, he already knew the importance of planning ahead. Two years earlier, his father passed away from lung cancer without life insurance. He saw his family’s financial struggles and knew he needed to do something to help families like his own. He prayed for an opportunity to be a part of something bigger than himself and found that opportunity at Primerica.

Nicholas “Nick” Romo knows the impact life insurance can have and works to protect families every day.

Romo didn’t start out in the insurance and financial services industry, but he was drawn to it by two factors. First, he saw two of his friends who opened successful insurance offices. They were helping people who weren’t being served by large investment companies, and he knew that he, too, could make a difference. Second, he saw the real-life effects of not having insurance, as several family members passed away unexpectedly without life insurance—or without enough coverage. He knew that, if they had been covered, it would have been much easier for their families. “I thought it could be my role to help people in those situations,” he says.

Dale Handley is a financial planner with a mission: to provide peace of mind to clients through building comprehensive financial plans. 

Getting Started

Handley has been in the financial services industry since 2011. Growing up in small-town Iowa, he always had a head for numbers. When he got a college internship in investing, he knew he had found the right place. “I was really drawn to financial services because I felt like there is an incredible amount of noise in our industry,” he begins. “I wanted to help simplify that for people because I feel like it can be extremely confusing." He watched his parents trying to find answers to their questions about their finances, but not getting the help they needed.

In 2022, Joe Simon, LUTCF, will celebrate 27 years in the insurance and financial services industry. He’s learned a lot in that time and is eager to share his knowledge and expertise with his community.

A Changing Industry

When Simon began working as a group health representative, the world of employee benefits was in a time of transition with the advent of managed care. Despite the changing landscape, Simon learned as he went and quickly rose through the ranks. He became a regional sales representative and worked with top brokerage firms before transitioning to being a broker himself. As a broker, Simon took a two-pronged approach, continuing to sharpen his skills with group benefits while simultaneously learning the ins and outs of executive benefits.

Jacqueline (Jacquie) Proffit is a financial advisor and marketing expert dedicated to making a difference in her community.

Getting Started

Proffit built her early career in marketing but decided after a decade that it was time for a change. That’s when she found her calling in financial services. She knew she needed to get her finances in order, so she attended a financial literacy seminar that taught financial skills from budgeting to planning for retirement. The experience made her realize the need for more financial education. “If more people only knew how to do money, the world would be such a different place,” she says.

For Bob Kelly, insurance runs in the family. Kelly’s father was an insurance salesman and a family man through and through. He instilled in Kelly the importance of using your talents to help others. “He'd bring various instances where he’d sold policies, and something happened a short time afterward and the family was taken care of,” Kelly says. “They didn’t have to worry about anything.”  

When Kelly was a teenager, his father passed at the age of 42. Because of his life insurance policy, his family was protected. Now, Kelly strives to protect other families through his own work. “That’s what motivates me, especially after what I’ve gone through, seeing how insurance protected our family.” He continues, “I just want to be able to go out and do that for the community I serve.” 

Jack Mander, of NAIFA-AK, protects Alaskan families with insurance, financial planning, and a heart for service.

Getting Started

Mander grew up in Nassau County, New York, but found himself on the opposite side of the country for a summer job during college: commercial fishing in Alaska. A life-long nature lover, Mander fell in love with Alaska’s beauty and decided to make his home in Anchorage. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Russian Language and Economics from the University of Alaska Anchorage, Mander began his career in insurance and financial services.

For Michael (Mike) Emmert, serving clients means learning everything there is to know about the products and services he provides.

Emmert has been in the insurance and financial services industry for four and a half years, but he previously had a long career in pharmaceutical sales. He has always strived to learn the intricacies of his industry and develop extensive product knowledge, and he brought that passion and attention to detail to his career in insurance and financial services.