From bartender to insurance agency owner

Jon Susa is an independent insurance agent for Farmers Group. He started the Susa Insurance Agency in 2006. His office is located in Fort Collins and he currently has one employee. Jon’s startup cost was $5,000 with no outside funding. He had no previous entrepreneurial experience. Jon had worked as a bartender for 15 years when he finally made the jump into the insurance world.

Q: What was the genesis of the idea?
A: It was a conversation with a friend who ran a job placement company. The question that sparked the desire was, “What do you want to get out of your job?” In other words, first look at what you need to get out of your job, then look for a career that can fulfill that need. I was literally recruited into Farmers Group by the area manager who saw that I possessed excellent customer service skills, something I feel you either have or you don’t. It is a skill that can’t be taught.

Q: How long did it take you until your business earned a positive cash flow?
A: About two years. I stayed at my former job until I had built up enough clients to make the leap to pursuing my business full-time. I cut my hours back to 20 hours a week as a bartender and worked 40 hours a week building my insurance practice.

Q: Did you use a business plan?
A: I did.

Q: Have you had to modify it to meet the demands of the market?
A: Yes, I update it about once a year.

Q: Where do you see yourself and your company in 10 years?
A: I see my agency having six to 10 employees, doing the tasks that I don’t enjoy. That will give me more time to focus on building relationships with my clients and it will allow me more time to spend on marketing and promotions.

Q: What is the passion that it fills for you personally?
A: Personal relationships. Being an insurance agent allows me to connect at a deeper level with others.

Q: What were your biggest challenges? What do you know now that you wish you had known sooner?
A: Convincing people early on that you are in it for the long haul was the biggest challenge for me. When people pick an insurance agent they want someone who’ll be there for them when the need arises. Early on, I could have utilized better time management. What I mean by that is being productive vs. busy. I found that for the first six months, I was very busy, but not necessarily productive. My philosophy is that in my business, you should treat your office like a boat: you only spend 20 percent of your time actually in it!

Q: What were your biggest rewards? Any unexpected rewards?
A: The transferability of the skills as a bartender to being a good agent. It’s all about customer service. My client base with my bartending job dovetailed nicely into my prospect base for my insurance business. The switch from working nights to working days was a great bonus.

Q: Are there one or two things you can attribute your success to?
A: Being like a chameleon, that is, being able to leave my personal beliefs and opinions at the door. Getting along with anyone and listening to what is most important to them. I also had a strong desire to become an expert in this field in order to help my clients. I have always viewed myself as self-employed, which I believe has also helped encourage me to get to this point in my life.

Q: Strongest core beliefs?
A: That you are always on duty. In other words, you are always maintaining high integrity and a strong work ethic, even outside of work.

Q: What is the most important attribute you look for in an employee?
A: You can find excellent employees in any industry – you just need to look for superior customer-service oriented people. I am proof that it is one of the most vital transferable skills. I believe bonuses are an ideal method to motivate employees to stay with their company and work harder.

Q: Do you recommend any books, resources or an MBA?
A: My wife got her MBA and I felt that it was highly beneficial for her. I was even able to pick up a few tips from her along the way. For books, I would recommend Michael E. Gerber’s The “E-Myth: Why Most Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It” and “The Millionaire Next Door” by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko.

Q: Slogan to live by or what it might say on your tombstone?
A: ‘You can’t learn to swim if you are hanging on the side of the pool.’ If you are not having fun, go find something else to do!

Brian Schwartz is the founder of 50 Interviews Inc. He can be reached at www.50interviews.com.

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