Finding your feet in the insurance industry sometimes means following in the footsteps of others.
The
Insurance Business Canada Young Gun of the Year 2017, Joshua Kearley, is proud to have taken inspiration from his father and a number of other influential mentors along the start of his successful insurance career.
The commercial account executive and program specialist at Benson Kearley IFG was given two key pieces of advice by his dad: find a niche and always stay grounded – both of which, he’s certainly done.
“I was not expecting to win Young Gun of the Year,” Kearley, aged 35, told
Insurance Business. “I knew a few of the other finalists and what they had accomplished, so it was a very pleasant surprise to win among such great company. I definitely feel rewarded for all of the hard work I’ve put in over the past few years – all of which I couldn’t have done without the support of my family.”
Are you wondering what else makes this Young Gun tick? We caught up with him to find out more:
How did you get started in the insurance industry?
My dad owns our brokerage. My grandfather Bruce Benson started it in 1969 and then dad bought him out in 1992. I didn’t come out of school and start working in the family business because I thought insurance was boring and it was just a bunch of paperwork and policies. So, I went out and got some experience and did some networking, but then found my feet in the family business about six years ago and really grabbed a hold of it. I’ve had some successful years and I really enjoy what I do.
About this time last year, another broker in our office was up for
Insurance Business Canada’s Broker of the Year award. Unfortunately, he didn’t win, but we did get to chatting about the nomination process. I decided to put my story in for Insurance Business’s Top 40 Under-40 list and I was chosen. I then had a number of people saying I should enter the Young Gun of the Year category at the awards.
One of my goals for 2017 was either to become
Insurance Business Young Gun of the Year or at least be a finalist – and I hit that goal along with many others. It’s been great.
What were some of your professional goals in 2017?
I hit my new business target for the year and had my best sales year ever. I also launched a beverage
insurance program for manufacturers of beer, wine and spirits, and I got involved in education and teaching. After launching the beverage program, I was able to teach a class at a brewing college, which was really cool. I got in front of a class of future brewery owners and taught them about risk management. I also shot an educational video and spoke about risk management at the Ontario Craft Brewers conference.
I focus on getting involved in the industry I’m working in. It’s not all about selling insurance policies but also about getting to know people, being at events and becoming an expert. It’s been a very busy year and I’ve managed to do it all with two young kids at home – a four-year-old daughter and a two-year-old son – who keep me pretty busy.
What advice do you have for other Young Guns in the industry?
The advice my dad gave me rang true and it’s a part of my story. He said pick something you’re interested in (a niche) and become a professional at it. Don’t just have the best insurance policy - go and learn about it, learn the key people in the industry and learn what the industry’s facing. The trick is to become a professional in an industry and then build your career around that. If you want to be a generalist insurance broker, you’re going to have a lot of long days at work because you’re going to get pulled in so many different directions, but if you find something you love to do, you’ll never work another day in your life.
What is it about Benson Kearley IFG that has helped you achieve success?
We have a risk philosophy that rings true with our clients and customers. We consider ourselves not just an insurance broker but a partner in all aspects of risk. We have a great leadership team. Two men in particular have been really inspirational for me: Jeff Paterson (Commercial Lines sales manager) and Jeff Rodin (vice president, Commercial Risk). They’re both really experienced brokers in the industry who help guys like me do things right, and I’m giving them new ways to do things in return.
Does your Young Gun status come with other advantages?
Leveraging social media, especially for someone who’s young and up-and-coming is a huge advantage. LinkedIn is a day-to-day thing for me. It has probably led to a lot of new business accounts just from publishing, liking and sharing. It shows people what you’re doing and keeps you connected with the world.
Tell me about some challenges you’ve faced in your role and how did you overcome them?
One of the biggest challenges is the ups-and-downs you face as a commercial sales producer. Some days you’ll make a lot of sales and have an emotionally high day, and other days you won’t. The key to success and overcoming that is not to let your highs be too high or your lows fall too low. It’s important to keep a balance between work and home life. My dad always tells me to be where my feet are. As funny as it sounds, it’s important to stay grounded. I really want to thank my family – my parents, my wife and my kids – for helping me to achieve this.
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