Insuring Your Peace of Mind: Why we do what we do (Part II)

Greetings fellow Erie-area residents!

Like you, this week in itself could not go by quickly enough. Stress? Nah. My life’s work is in insurance. My job is to give you peace of mind, to alleviate your potential stresses. Naturally, I feel the need to set a worthy example.

But in the event that it wasn't obvious – although I’m not originally from Colorado and therefore cannot claim to be a natural Broncos fan, I’m looking forward to the big game this Sunday. I have one word for the many of you who are… Omaha!  

Hi, I’m John. I’m the President and founder of Pure Risk Solutions. If you live in Erie, you may know me. If not, there’s a chance you've seen me around. Why? Well, this community is extremely important to me. I’m the guy who lives up the street; who you may have sat next to at the last Chamber of Commerce meeting; who you perhaps saw at our tent at one of the many Town Of Erie events. I earned my degree from the University of Colorado at the Leeds School of Business (go Buffs!), and ever since, my family and I have been fortunate enough to call this area home. There’s a sense of pride that comes with that and a certain peace of mind it instills. I couldn't possibly be more appreciative for both.

I also consider myself to be an avid and loyal supporter of local business. Along with Pure Risk, I recently partnered in opening a new cidery and brewpub (The Old Mine) in Erie just below the insurance office. To me, it’s incredibly rewarding to be able to engage with the community. When I see friends, neighbors, and fellow residents come through the door of either establishment, I know I’m accomplishing my goal.

Speaking of small businesses, at Pure Risk, a large number of our clients include those who own them. If you are a small business owner and don’t feel like you’re adequately covered, or if you simply want to see what you may be missing – please call us. We have the expertise in this area to help you get the most out of your money.

Last week, my colleague, Dave Godel, kicked off our two part blog post series on why we’re passionate about what we do at Pure Risk and what drives us as insurance agents. I’d like to continue that discussion.

Simply put – I got into the insurance industry because I like helping people. And insurance is about people. If you were to break it down, that’s really what it was created for: to prepare folks for the future and to protect them from the curveballs that life can sometimes throw.

And what’s worth protecting? As a husband and father of two young children, to me, it’s family. There is nothing more reassuring than to know that I’m doing everything I can for them. Of course, insurance is also about ensuring peace of mind (a common theme at PRS!) in protecting anything that you consider to be important – be that family, your home, car, or business.

Overall, to me, insurance is only successful when it adequately protects the people it covers. You see, after graduation, I worked for one of the big conglomerate agencies. As Dave mentioned in his post – the general focus of those places tend to be “the next sale.” and not providing proper client service.

When I created Pure Risk Solutions, I was inspired to start an agency to take insurance back to the basics. The goal was and is still today, to cultivate a culture founded on integrity, hard work, responsiveness, and an ever-growing knowledge for our clients, our industry, and the ways they can most positively connect. This is what I stand for, and the foundation upon which Pure Risk is built.

So as we get further into the new year, I encourage you to think about the people and things around you that you consider to be most important. I understand the peace of mind that comes from protecting the things I love most, and I want to help those around me to do the same. Please feel free to call me, or stop by the office or brewpub. We are right around the corner.

As a conclusion, I’m going to say it now – Broncos 24, Seahawks 20. Celebrate safely, Colorado!

Warmest regards,

John

303-834-1001

Insuring Your Peace of Mind: Why we do what we do (Part I)

Dear Neighbor,

A belated Happy New Year 2014!

It’s January in Colorado. It’s cold. Your neighbor didn't shovel their share of the sidewalk. Starbucks just discontinued making the banana-ginger-rosemary latte, you so dearly love. You’re kicking yourself for not spending the extra $500 to have seat warmers installed in your new car (#firstworldproblems)… ugh, winter in suburbia.

Obviously we all know that we’re fortunate in some way. But those items – and due respect for lack of political-correctness here – still suck. Funny enough, over my time working at Pure Risk Solutions, I've encountered numerous people who have said the same about insurance.

Why? Well, I get it. I dearly love the industry, and its innovation and ability to help people. But some have had bad experiences - perhaps a claim which was never paid, or three hours spent filling out a mind numbing application. Let me try and counteract the stereotype a bit - or at least show you how you can be proactive in mitigating these common frustrations, by pointing some of them out.

       Confusing Policies

“You need to obtain this policy because of x/y/z, and although this other policy is perfect for you in 99 ways, the 100^th will disqualify you.” It can be smoke and mirrors, and also frustrating, indeed. In an ideal world, there would be one policy perfect for everyone. But it’s important to realize that there’s no one-size-fits-all explanation or policy. Which can become even more apparent if you have...

Bad Agents

Seriously. Not to throw any of our competitors under the bus or write a Jerry Maguire-esque manifesto, but a good agent (such as those you’ll find at PRS), should be someone you can trust and relate to. A good agent will take the time to learn about the needs of you and your family, and through knowledge and experience within the industry, provide policies, understanding (explain the technical jargon!), and results which are best for you. Goals should not be driven primarily by sales, or boxed into quotas, but should focus on the satisfaction of clients.

Insurance is Intangible with no Return on Investment

Hey, we’re 21^st century Americans here. There’s no shame in saying that we enjoy material items. But you can’t hold an insurance policy in your hand or display it on your mantle (and by this I mean the benefits, not the actual paper contract), and unless you need it, it may feel like you’re getting absolutely no return on your investment! The thing is – you don’t want to have to collect that return. Think of it as if you’re paying for peace of mind. It’s not 'glamorous', but it’s necessary, even if…

Some Insurance is Mandatory

Do you drive? Do you like to do it legally? Boom – you need car insurance. Live in the United States? Bam – you need health insurance. It’s a fact we all need to live with. But in an imperfect world, accidents happen. The peace of mind mentioned above is worth the part of your paycheck that is extracted to provide it.  

Please just know that like my colleagues at PRS – I, Dave Godel, am in the insurance business because I’m in the business of helping people. My goal is to get to know my clients and earn their trust, so as to take the guesswork out of choosing a policy by providing them with options. Attention to detail is a big thing to me, and one I pride myself in having. It’s also the reason why I work at a small agency - to avoid the corporate bureaucracy, to be able to do just that.

Further, the insurance industry is important to me now more than ever because I’m a father. If I were to tell you honestly, my main goal in life is to provide guidance for my children so that they can become caring, productive adults, who are hardworking and honest. Their protection and the steps I can take to ensure their future peace of mind and successes are of the utmost importance to me. In this, like with insurance, I’m looking at the long term rather than just the present.

Overall, insurance can be confusing, but it doesn't have to suck. Please feel free to call me, and allow me to take care of the legwork for you. Oh, and of course - all the best to you and yours as we embark on 2014.

Cheers,

Dave

(866) 738-2180