A Man of His Word

"Live so that when your children think of fairness, caring, and integrity, they think of you."

H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

When I started in the insurance business, I knew nothing about insurance. But gradually, through the help and guidance of many mentors, I got some traction and was doing well, eventually becoming the top guy in our agency.

Then, we received a visit from a new VP from the home office, who was sent out specifically to close our agency. I was sorely disappointed. All the agents and staff were to merge into an agency over the hill and far away.

The guy who closed our agency met with me and told me he would make it up to me. I had never met him before and remember thinking, “Yeah, right,” but didn’t say so.

As it turned out, I saw him again on company-sponsored trips I qualified for as I progressed in the business. His name was Jim Vervack; he was from Oklahoma and had been an agent like me before he went to work for the home office in Hartford. I found out that closing our agency was his first assignment, which softened my view of him a bit, and Jim and I became friends.

One day, he called me and asked if I would like to be in a study group with agents Matt Davis, Kevin Mullane, and Marc Byrnes. I jumped at it because I knew Matt and Marc, had heard good things about Kevin, and saw that this opportunity could advance my career. That was more than thirty years ago.

Little did I know these three guys would become like brothers to me. We’ve met for several days every year since then to share our ideas on business, family, and life, and that has made an immense difference in mine. My career skyrocketed, and my clients, partners, and family still benefit greatly because of my friendship with my three “brothers.”

That’s Jim on the left in the photo above. Jim is gone now, but wow, did he ever make it up to me. And I have been forever grateful for it.

-Hank

BTW- I knew each of the guys in the photo, and that’s one of my “brothers,” Marc Byrnes, in the middle in the white shirt.

Funny how way leads on to way…

"A Man of His Word," from The Saturday Morning Post, at hankfrazee.com