Family insurance

Ten hours was further than Angie Umfleet wanted to be from home. After graduating from Oral Roberts University and teaching in Oklahoma for a year, she headed back to Scott City. She continued to teach fifth grade for seven years before deciding to join her family's business as an insurance sales agent. The career change, she says, had been coming for some time.

"Further down the line I knew I'd always do (insurance); be involved in the family business. We had just opened this branch so it was the perfect time. I've been here in Cape now about 3 years."

The transition from education to insurance was not easy, especially with the birth of her daughter, but Umfleet says she had support in her decision from the beginning. "My father, Chap, who founded the business, and my brother-in-law were both here," she said.

Umfleet spoke with Business Today about being part of Cape's insurance community and the challenges that continue to inspire her work.

BT: What made you interested in selling insurance?

AU: I've always had a love for it. The competition and how nothing stays the same. Every single day is different. And I enjoy meeting people. I'm a talker. Everything sort of set itself up.

BT: What is the best part of the job for you?

AU: Probably the thrill of a new challenge. I am very competitive. If it's something no one else can do or something out of the ordinary, I want it even more.

BT: What do you think is unique about selling insurance in this area?

AU: The biggest asset to us in this area is that this community is a well-rounded community. Giving back is a big deal to us and the community is very supportive of small businesses. For us, getting out there, Cape is a great place to be a part of.

BT: Has your career in insurance taught you anything in particular?

AU: It's taught me to help people more. Sometimes we have insurance but it doesn't meet what we need. It's helped me to be more observant, to help people understand what it is they need. That comes a lot in taking the time to talk to people and understand what they need. It depends on if you've got a family with kids or are an older couple - they have totally different needs.

BT: It's true, insurance can be incredibly confusing.

AU: I always trusted my dad to take care of it, but then I had kids and had to reassess. We take for granted that car insurance is car insurance, and it's not.

When you're young, you think you've got your whole life ahead of you, but for me, I've had clients in their 30s pass away this year. One in a car accident and the other, in their 40s, had a heart attack. We think we're invincible, nothing's going to hurt us until later in life. We just don't plan ahead.

BT: How do you keep track of the constant changes in your field?

AU: I have a number of insurance journals and every producer has to do continuing education hours every year. I try to choose new things. There's always workshops and classes, like on HSAs (health savings accounts) or I just did one in February on commercial insurance liability. There are a lot of online classes right now, which is new for insurance.