One of the things that I accepted in my business life long ago was the maxim that “if you are standing still, you are moving backwards.” And after 36 years, there has been nothing to convince me otherwise. Change has been a constant which forced me to make a decision. Was I going to devote the time necessary to research what was going on in my industry, or was I going to be content with the status quo if it seemed to be working at that time?
I would share that I hate insurance trade magazines. Do I read them? Yes, I can’t afford not to do so. I hate online seminars and researching the latest technologies across the industry. Do I do both of these things? Yes, I can’t afford not to. And do I want to hire young people who represent the new generation of clients that we will be serving? No, I would rather just hang on to the “old guard” who knows what they’re doing. But, do I hire these young people that need to be trained? Absolutely I do!
In my 71st year on earth and my 36th year in the insurance business, many days, I do not recognize many things around me. In fact, the business I am in today in no way resembles the business I started in 1983.
I am glad today that our business has “died” many times over the past 36 years because without the death of old ideas and ways, we would not be as successful as we are today. Just like the “life cycle,” the old has to die, so the new ways can take hold. This same “circle of life” applies to our agencies just as it does to the natural order. We can only stay relevant by being willing to let go of our old ways and trust that life within our agencies will always be a regenerative process.
So, let’s get rid of our flip phones, throw our phone books away, shred the paper in our offices, and join the fun of having a business that is not only RELEVANT but continually self-renewing itself in every way!