%20(7).png)
Main Street Reimagined Podcast
This is a podcast for dreamers, creators, developers, and entrepreneurs to learn, share, and be inspired to change your community through small business.
Main Street Reimagined Podcast
Episode 24: From Professor to Business Owner: Insurance, Community, and Personal Transformation with Katie Grimes
What happens when a college professor trades the classroom for the world of insurance? Join us as we sit down with Katie Grimes, owner of Shamrock Insurance Agency in Marion, Ohio, who did just that. Katie shares her unique journey from academia to business ownership, revealing how her background in philosophy and social justice shaped her approach to the insurance industry. Discover the art of balancing trust, education, and client relationships in a field marked by rising premiums and shrinking coverages. A lesson in adaptability, Katie's story is one of turning unexpected paths into fulfilling careers.
Our conversation doesn't stop at insurance policies. Katie opens up about her life-altering move from bustling cities like Chicago and Philadelphia back to her hometown of Marion, Ohio. Driven by personal transformations and family priorities, she candidly discusses how becoming a parent and the passing of a loved one spurred her decision to embrace business ownership. With heart and humor, Katie reflects on the challenges of managing an insurance agency, likening the unpredictability of entrepreneurship to parenting, and shares insights on the tangible accountability that comes with wearing the boss hat.
But there's more to Marion than just insurance. Katie paints a vibrant picture of the community's potential and the optimism surrounding Marion's future. From the charm of small-town life to the convenience of nearby urban centers, Katie underscores the unique advantages of her hometown. This episode is a celebration of community pride and the belief that, with the right mindset and resources, Marion can continue to thrive. Join us for an inspiring exploration of leadership, community, and the ever-evolving landscape of business.
Guest Links:
Facebook: facebook.com/shamrockmarion
Main Street Reimagined:
Facebook: facebook.com/MainStreetReimagined
The Main Street Reimagined Podcast, Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqfkmF5bRH0od1d3iiYKs3oEn_gvMYk7N
Henry Development Group:
Facebook: facebook.com/henrydevelopmentgroup
Website: www.henrydevelopmentgroup.com
Developing News Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/33110524eb5c/developing-news
Luke Henry:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/luhenry
Facebook: facebook.com/luke.henry.148
#MarionOhio #SmallTownLife #CommunityLeadership #EntrepreneurshipJourney #WomenInBusiness #FromAcademiaToBusiness #InsuranceIndustryInsights #ShamrockInsuranceAgency #PhilosophyInBusiness #SocialJustice #ClientRelationships #Adaptability #LifeInMarion #ParentingAndEntrepreneurship #BusinessLeadership #ThrivingCommunities #MarionPride #LocalSpotlight #SmallBusinessStories #MidwestLiving
I will figure it out. And again, through that trial and error, you try things. They work, they don't work. You're like, wow, I thought that was going to be awesome and it wasn't right. I just that's. So. That's the confidence in my opinion I need to just give me. I will, I will, I will, I will hang around, I will stay in the game long enough until we figure it out.
Speaker 2:This is the Main Street reimagined podcast, a show for people ready to turn visions into realities and ideas into businesses. Hey, I'm Luke Henry and each week I lead conversations with Main Street dreamers who took the leap to launch a business, renovate a building or start a movement, their ideas, their mindsets and their inspirations, as well as some of the highs and lows along the way. This is a place for dreamers, creators, developers and entrepreneurs to learn, share and be inspired to change your community through small business. Enjoy the show.
Speaker 3:Hey friends, this is the Main Street Reimagined podcast and I am so glad that you chose to listen today. Thank you so much for tuning in again. We've been having a blast over the last several months talking with different doers, creators, entrepreneurs, hearing their stories, hearing how they think what they do and how they're making an impact here on our local business landscape here in Marion Ohio. And so today I have yet another great local entrepreneur, katie Grimes. Hi, katie, hi. Thanks so much for being with me today. Katie has a really unique story and I'm really excited to dig into it and hear how her road has led her to where she is today running Shamrock Insurance Agency. And so if folks haven't heard of Shamrock, tell us a little bit about what you do. Obviously, insurance, what types of insurance you specialize in, and some of that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so we do pretty much everything but health insurance so home, auto, life and business insurance and so we have several carriers insurance carriers that we kind of work with and help people find the right policy for them, based upon kind of shopping them around, Right.
Speaker 3:So you are an independent insurance agency, so that allows you to shop different, different carriers and so somebody can make one one call to you and that allows them to kind of have exposure to a whole bunch of different opportunities and you're going to help, you know, kind of shop the best rate and price and all that. That's right, okay, very good. So, yeah, so people know insurance agencies and I think that it seems like it's a very relationship-rich business and there are differences based on on your relationship with your agent and there's a lot of trust that people put in you in that role to be able to make sure that they're getting what they're paying for and that they're not over or underinsured. And sometimes the really unfortunate reality is that people don't know until it's kind of too late, and so how do you specifically, you know, work with folks to try to make sure that that's not the case?
Speaker 1:Yes, that is a very good question. That's my worst nightmare as an insurance agency owner is when somebody has a claim and thinks that they have coverage for something that they don't. That's the worst. So I mean I try to think of myself and my employees as educators. So, you know, trying to, I guess, empower people to understand what their insurance is for what they have.
Speaker 1:Of course, at the same time there's you know, I mean, anyone who's ever purchased insurance an insurance policy is, you know, many, many pages long. So there's a lot. So there's a certain kind of skill of um, you know people just don't have time for a three hour lecture on everything in their policy. But yeah, try to, um, you know, educate people but also listen to them, um, to try to figure out, you know, what's important to them. Because there's, I mean, I can say what I think they should have.
Speaker 1:But at the end of the day, it's their life, it's their car, it's their business. So you know, kind of trying to help them make the best choice for themselves. But it's tricky because you know all of us, you know I've been a customer in all sorts of industries and you know people are busy, they've got a lot going on. And so, like you said, that trust, I think people do assume that we will get them the right coverage, even if they don't necessarily know exactly what they have. So, yes, the trust thing, it's a big component of it, for sure.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and that landscape continues to evolve significantly. Here recently we had Logan Kirk. On a prior episode we talked a little bit insurance kind of broadly, so we won't duplicate all that same conversation, but just suffice it to say that insurance is changing, policies are changing, premiums are certainly changing for the worst in most cases and so that's making your job even more challenging, because not only are some premiums going up which is an unpopular conversation to have to have but also sometimes coverages are actually shrinking, and so you know, to the point you just made like, even coverage that someone once had under a current policy may go away, and so you really have to be monitoring that on their behalf to make sure that they still have the coverage that they need. Right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's a. It's a. It's a tough time and you know cause. And this is kind of the role of an insurance agency. We're kind of, you know, in between the carrier and the customer, and so you know it is it's a tough cause. I'm I feel I say this a hundred times a day, I feel like all.
Speaker 1:I do is give people bad news, you know, and so you know you do want to empathize with the customer, cause it is a tough time, but at the same time you know you kind of have to, you know, explain what's going on. It's it's hard to find that mix of giving people an explanation, a context to understand, but not sounding like oh, here's the explanation, so you should be happy with it. But, yeah, it's a tough. There are a lot of changes and, yeah, it's tough.
Speaker 3:It's a really tough time. Yeah, so I would define your role sometimes like translator of that information, and then you're trying to translate it into the terms that not only make sense to people but also that matter to them in terms of their world. And just having discussions about, you know, do we want to? Then you're, you know, kind of coaching and counseling them through, you know. So, therefore, if premiums are going up, do we need to reduce coverage or is this something that we can absorb or push mark? You know?
Speaker 1:we do play the role. The other way too and I'm sure you know Logan, evan and all those guys do too is you know our contacts at the carriers. We, you know, we advocate for our customers to them too. We're like, hey, you know, it could be something like this change you made. I want to let you know how it's affecting the people here. So, yeah, we are representing customers to the carrier, but also carriers to the customers. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's really good, because I think that a lot of people may not realize that that really you're advocating on the customer's behalf as well, sort of upstream to the carrier to say, hey, you know, I know that maybe on paper this situation looks like this, but I know this business owner really well and you know there are other like risk management strategies and everything like they're doing everything right, and so I really think that, even though this might be a risk that you don't normally ensure, I really think that it would be in your best interest, because you know, I've seen kind of behind the curtain with these guys.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely yeah. That too, Even, just you know, presenting putting the best face forward, the customer to the carrier, Absolutely yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah. And so several months ago we were having a real estate meetup and we did a insurance panel and you were on that panel and some of our discussion was around like risk management, and I think that that probably doesn't. It's sort of a you know, boring topic maybe for some people that are not in insurance circles, right, but it's really important because some people are like, oh, I have insurance, like I've got that covered. But really, especially in today's kind of changing insurance landscape, people need to be informed as to what they can do outside of their insurance to minimize their risk exposure and just kind of reduce their overall costs, right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely no. Yes, really, you know, insurance is one part of an overall risk manager strategy. I mean even just something like car insurance, which seems it's like the most simple type of insurance I mean you know you could think of. And again, this is how, being an insurance agent, it kind of my brain is is it's all I think about, right, when I'm driving around or whatever you know you think about, well, do I want to park on the street, even though it's closer? I somebody, you know, maybe I'm a higher risk of somebody like hitting me, or do I want to, like, park in the parking lot and have to walk? You know that kind of just thinking about what are the, what are the things I could do that I can control to, you know, reduce the likelihood of having a loss, and that's kind of some of the painful changes that are happening in insurance.
Speaker 1:Kind of that's what the carriers are wanting people. They're wanting people to think twice. They're wanting people to be like, not just be like, oh, I have insurance, who cares? Not that people are that glib, right, but be like, oh gosh, I don't want to have a claim, right, and thinking more proactively about that. So, yes, yes, but that is. But it's tough because you know it does. It requires a conscious strategy. So it's easier to go with a business, right If you're insuring a business. But, um, you know, with home and auto insurance it's tricky, it's, it's, it's a harder thing to do because it's, you know, it's, it's your house, it's your car. You're used to just kind of going about your normal way. But, yes, absolutely.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah. But I imagine the way that someone like you or someone from an insurance company that they're kind of looking at things. You know, if your brakes are bad, well there's a higher likelihood you're going to be in an accident.
Speaker 3:You know if you're not like pumping up your tire when the little dummy light comes on and it's causing you to not be able to steer properly, then you could be more likely to be in an accident or in your home. You know we talked about this at the real estate meetup and the context of like rental real estate and stuff, where you know if there's bad wiring or there's electrical panels that need to be updated or you know there's other like fire hazards that need to be addressed, those are really important part of kind of that overall, like risk management strategy that's going to help reduce costs Because even if you have insurance like, it's still expensive and a huge hassle and of course, outside of loss of life or anything like that to have a fire or some sort of really bad event. So if we can prevent those, we certainly want to.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, and I think that's one of the things people can get frustrated with as a purchaser, as a policyholder of insurance, because insurance is kind of counterintuitive. Insurance only works if, you know, people are disincentivized to file a claim. So it's almost like everybody's incentives have to be aligned against the customer filing a claim and so in that sense, you know, you can see like, oh well, I, you know, I'm doing all of this extra things to maintain my home, I'm paying insurance, I'm not getting anything out of it, Right? So I mean, there it's, it's, it's easy to to. I mean, it's an understandable way to feeling. But that's the weird thing about insurance it really only works if people don't want to, which is why we people have deductibles, and so there's a little bit.
Speaker 1:And so then that's why it falls into risk risk management. So, yeah, it's, but it's. It's easy as the customer to be like why am I, why am I paying these premiums and getting nothing out of it? Right, but that's, that's the only way the system works. Yeah, so yeah.
Speaker 3:Exactly. So I appreciate you going down the rabbit hole a little bit. Again, I will say that a few years ago I didn't know any of these things and I was probably one of those people that was just like we've got insurance, like we're good, you know, but really like, as we, you know, got into more and more different business types and higher and higher risk things and you know growing businesses and with that came some different claims and some of that. And then you know premiums are going up and it's like I got to a point where I couldn't not pay attention and so I started getting around smart folks like you to help me understand some of these things so that I could pay some money on insurance. You know, really that was kind of the motivation at the time and it is fascinating to get into and maybe not everyone is as fascinated about it as you and me. So we won't stay here for an hour, but thank you for engaging a little bit.
Speaker 3:Hopefully, you know listeners, you learned a little bit of something and certainly I know Katie would be happy to continue the conversation. You know, if you have someone you're working with that is not an educator, is not a teacher, then get with somebody who is Because, to be honest, I spent a period of time of my life with an insurance agent that kind of talked at me instead of with me, and that was a long time ago. But I got with someone who was actually willing to explain the policies and really had that teaching heart and have had some good agents through the years and they all had that commonality. So I appreciate that about you and your willingness to help out. So if people were just listening to our last 10-minute discourse they would think, wow, it's amazing how Katie has been in insurance her whole life and knows all of these things.
Speaker 3:But actually that is not the case. Although you are very educated, I know that you've. You've put a lot of dedication into learning the important things for your clients. But tell us a little more about this fascinating journey that you've come, really big, big, full circle, encompassing some other areas of the country and everything. So start us out. You know, born and raised and then kind of the journey that got you here.
Speaker 1:The whole shebang, Okay. So yes, I, proudly born and raised in Marion, Went to St Mary's for grade school and then Baker RIP Baker and Harding for middle school and high school, and then I left Marion, went to college, I went to Notre Dame I know, Ohio State fans, please forgive me and then I mean I don't know, did a bunch of things but basically ended up becoming a college professor Lots of steps in between all of that and I was a professor out at Villanova, which is like a suburb of Philadelphia area, and that's what I was doing most recently. I don't know Because I yeah, maybe I'll just stop there. I'll let you ask, Because I feel like I could talk for 30 minutes, but my wife isn't that Well.
Speaker 3:I mean, I'd like to hear a little more about like where you know between going to college and then becoming a college professor. Like you know, first of all as someone who was in college, I think when I was in college I was like you can't become a college professor until you're old.
Speaker 2:Yeah, fair, so you're not even today.
Speaker 1:So how did that happen? Right right, how did that happen? Yeah, yeah. So how did I become like? Why did I become a professor?
Speaker 3:Yeah, and what were you teaching? Yeah?
Speaker 1:good question. So I will say I never in my life thought I would be doing what I'm doing. I never thought I'd be in insurance. I never thought I'd be owning a business ever. I never thought I'd be owning a business ever. So when I was in undergrad, when I was in college I was a philosophy major I was really interested in that, those kind of things.
Speaker 1:After college I did a volunteer program in Chicago, like actually in the city. That really was transformational. I ended up I was like a volunteer teacher at a Catholic high school in Chicago. But we also, like, lived in community.
Speaker 1:It was a faith-based program through the I was raised Catholic, so it was through the Catholic church and we kind of lived simply. We tried to live not like not that we were impoverished, but live as simply as we could materially. So you know we didn't get salaries from our various jobs and tried to kind of just learn about, you know, how we could be in society, kind of walking in solidarity with accompanying people who were struggling, whether either with you know material, like their poverty or mental health, things like that. So we lived kind of, you know, in a in a poor neighborhood in Chicago and so I taught at a high school where, like my students were most of them I don't know most of them, but a lot of them were immigrants or children of immigrants, or they weren't immigrants at all, but they just grew up in some really tough circumstances and that just was kind of like blew my mind.
Speaker 1:Cause I mean, I grew up in Marion and Marion um, marion was very different, so I went to Notre Dame. Notre Dame and Mary were very different, so that was like one culture culture change.
Speaker 1:And then, um, where I was on the South side of Chicago, that was then again totally different and just kind of seeing the world from that perspective just kind of really, I guess, shook me up and made me want to, um, kind of be on the side of those people that were in those circumstances. And so um thought about, was I going to go to law school, you know, and like represent people that were, you know, in those kinds of struggling circumstances, or what was I going to do? And then, by teaching high school, I realized I really liked kind of thinking about these issues, thinking about, you know, how can we make our society more just, but also teaching, teaching people and helping anyways.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So then that kind of led me on the path to graduate school marking, all getting all the degrees that one has to get to be a college professor. There was a period of discernment about like high school versus college and I decided I wanted to be a college professor as opposed to a high school teacher because I loved I loved the writing aspect of it, which I mean you can write, anyone can write, but you know, as a professor that's kind of like built into your job. So the ability to be in the classroom but also to be thinking about things in a more abstract level, like writing books and papers, going to conference and researching, kind of the nerdy side, as you can see. Now you understand why I like insurance, because that nerd in me was already there.
Speaker 1:So I don't know, that's what led me to being a college professor and I mean I would not have framed it this way at the time. But looking back, there's something kind of entrepreneurial about being a college professor in a certain way, in the sense that you are, you have more ownership of your time and kind of. You know there's a you know you can do a minimum, but you can do a lot more than the minimum and it's kind of up to you to figure out what, like what you write about, how you use your time. You know it's no one, it's not like here here's get these tasks.
Speaker 1:No one's giving you a list of tasks you know, so you're not entrepreneurial in the sense of money or risk, that kind of risk but in terms of how you use your time and thinking about that kind of thing. I mean it was a certain, in that sense, looking back, I would not have thought of it at the time. It kind of did prepare me for business ownership in that sense, even though they're very different in a lot of ways.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, Okay and oh, and I was so I was I, but ethics within theology is what I taught and thought about.
Speaker 2:And I mean those who are.
Speaker 1:If people are interested in more specifics, I mean, message me, you're probably it's. You know I can do. Yeah, I can get more specific, but it's probably boring, yeah.
Speaker 3:Okay, all right, so that's what you were teaching at Villanova, and that was where you taught exclusively.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that was my. That was my when I got my PhD up at Boston college and exclusively that was my. After you graduated, when I got my phd up at boston college and then that was my first job right out of there I was. There was like seven years, so, um, yeah, so long enough to kind of sort of know what I was doing a little bit. Um, but you know there's a learning curve, I think. You know I wasn't just as this is. You know you first start doing something and you're just you're not very good at it. Um, yeah, long enough to kind of get the lay of the land Okay.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and so in 2019, you had a major life event.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:In your family.
Speaker 1:Yes, yeah, oh sure, tell us about that, and kind of the ensuing events then yeah, so, unlike a lot of people I think on this podcast, like I didn't really start a business. So my, my, my dad owned Shamrock insurance agency for almost my whole life, I think as long as I can remember. And, anyways, he always wanted I I'm one of three. He always wanted one of the three of us to come come back and run it, and none of none of us ever did. And he trying to think of the chronology here, what's the best way to tell it he, he passed away at the end of 2019. And coincidentally, it was earlier. In 2019 is when I first started thinking about moving back home, about getting into business and maybe about someday owning his business. Didn't know at the time that he was going to pass away so soon, but then when he passed away, that kind of you know, kind of made the decision-making process a little more urgent. So that kind of is what got the ball rolling to get me back here was his death.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah. So your dad passed away. He had had this insurance agency for your whole life.
Speaker 1:Pretty much Since 1987. So not exactly my whole life. Yeah, yeah, pretty close to it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and I mean tell us a little bit about, like, just growing up with having a business in the family. You know, is this something that was like, you know, dinner table type conversation, or did you ever go into work with your dad, like what was your perception of this business and kind of what it did for your family and, you know, did you feel like he had to sacrifice for the business? Or do you remember you know any of that kind of thing?
Speaker 1:Sure Good question. So my dad also, when I was very little, also was an attorney and kind of had that part-time so in my yeah, so what, what? That's a good question. I don't know if I ever thought about this before. What did I think of of his?
Speaker 1:So I think as a kid at least me, maybe other children a little bit more mature I think you just kind of take for granted what your parents do for a living, like whatever it is. You just don't really think about it. Um, I think and yes, that did visit his office In fact um, our office manager worked for my dad for like over 20 years. So I mean I remember, I mean I was's really like what, what you put into it, you know, like that there is that sense of ownership in the fullest sense of the word, yeah, and the importance of you know you can have a business and just get by or you can really like put your heart and soul into it and seeing the difference, that that effort, again, you know what you can control. So I think that's probably, I mean, a good question. I've never thought of that before, but yeah, I know, but my dad never really talked about insurance or anything at the dinner table. I don't think yeah, so I don't know. That's not a very interesting answer.
Speaker 3:But yeah, well it's. It's fascinating as I talked to different people about especially that grew up in family business. You know some. Some of them were like completely in it immersed and some didn't talk about it as much. And so, yeah, it's just interesting to kind of hear the different dynamics of how people choose to. You know, some are like I don't want my kids to feel like they're obligated to be involved and others, you know, say hey you know, my dream would be having family members be involved in the business.
Speaker 1:So I want to start teaching them at a young age and I think because when I was growing up I never saw any appeal in what my dad was doing and I never saw myself doing it, so I don't think I ever really had a curiosity about it. I was just like, oh, that's my dad's, that's his office, you know, didn't really think about it very much.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah. And do you know where the name Shamrock Insurance Agency came from?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think, I believe. I believe my mom actually came up with it and basically just because my dad was Irish-American.
Speaker 3:So just kind of as a nod to that.
Speaker 1:My mom is not Irish-American, but just as a nod to his, my dad's from New Jersey originally, but just like a nod to his ancestry and I think, like the sound of it, I think you should have her on, have her explain, speak for herself.
Speaker 3:But that's my understanding of the origin of it. Yeah, okay, okay, yeah, maybe you need to ask her and you know, do a little write up to put in the lobby about yeah, because I know most insurance agencies are like people's names, you know.
Speaker 1:So yeah, that is something that kind of sets us apart is we are not a name. You know, it wasn't the Mike Grimes insurance agency or whatever.
Speaker 3:Yeah, Right, right yeah, so so 2019, he passed away. The, and it was unexpected, and so this was not something that there was like a lot of planning for, and so things sort of went into limbo.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 3:And you had just started thinking a little bit about gosh. You know, maybe someday I would move back around Marion, maybe someday, you know, I've talked to my dad about you know kind of being part of the agency and then, boom, this opportunity comes around.
Speaker 3:And so you know that's where I'd really like to. You know kind of go into our leap segment that we love to do and just hear a little more about the thoughts, the emotions, the discussions with family and friends about you know this would be a major life change moving from Philadelphia to Marion Ohio.
Speaker 3:Back home you had had a couple of kids at that time kids at that time, right, and and changing careers completely, and so it would. You know, many, many pieces of that that I'm sure were, were very kind of heavy on decision-making discussions, and so tell us a little bit about you. Know all of that? And then what ultimately drove you to to take the leap?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so it was so. For me it was a confluence of several things, maybe many things, that all kind of happened in that year of 2019. As I kind of alluded to, I kind of had one idea of how you do good in the world, or how you make the world a better place, or how you help people, and I kind of had a wasn't quite as dramatic as an epiphany, but maybe a slower burn epiphany um that maybe my understanding of how to do good in the world was a little bit narrow and I a little bit too narrow, and I started to see business, um, business ownership, just business, you know capitalism, free market, you know all that kind of. I started to see it differently. I started to to see it as really empowering and something that it undergirds a lot of the good things that we have and that have happened and some other things. Kind of disillusioned with the job I was doing, with things that were happening like within the academy which you know, I don't need to, I don't need to say I mean, there wasn't. The people I worked with were absolutely lovely just kind of some like larger trends within it that I just felt kind of out of step with who I wanted to be. And then having kids I mean, all the cliches are true, they like revolutionize your brain, you know, they just everything that mattered like doesn't matter, you know it's just everything changes. And I started to.
Speaker 1:I mean, I think for me I had kids a little bit later in life than a lot of people do and, um, you know, all through my twenties was my life, was pretty much like what do I want to be doing?
Speaker 1:You know, like, what's even like, you know, if I, when I was volunteer teaching in Chicago, like, even though I wasn't making a lot of money but it was still, what do I want to? Oh, I want to be doing this, right. And then, um, you know, once you have kids, I started being like, wow, we're raising our kids here it was a wonderful place, but away from all their extended family. Why, for my job, right, like it was like, okay, I like my job, I don't like it that much, right, you know, it just kind of started that, started to seem selfish in a sense, thinking back on my childhood, like being close to my grandma, my grandpa, my aunts, uncles, cousins, and I'm like, wow, I'm literally taking that away from my kids for my job, which is like you know, and all of a sudden it just seemed so trivial compared to that experience which, you know, in my twenties I would I mean the thoughts that I've had since I've become a mom like younger Katie would literally be like who are you?
Speaker 1:I mean just unbelievable yeah no-transcript started thinking, okay, well, that that would be a way. My dad and I actually, coincidentally, had a couple of conversations in the summer of 2019 about that, but at the time it was, you know, when you retire, which wasn't, wasn't, wouldn't have been that far away, but and then he, you know, got sick and and and passed away. So it just it was kind of a lot of things like changes in who, how I thought about the world, who I was as a person, what was important to me, all these things kind of coming together at once. And then you know, initially, what was then my dad's insurance agency was a means to the end of those goals. It wasn't necessarily like a burning desire for insurance itself, but I mean, that's changed since then. So then I don't know. So then, yeah, so he passed away, and then at first it was, you know, my dad's.
Speaker 1:After he passed away, my dad's agency was owned by his estate and so it was kind of something my family when I say family, I mean my mom, my brother and sister and I were kind of talking about collectively, this potential of my coming back and doing this collectively, this potential of my coming back and doing this. And then you know, over the course of the next year or so, my brother, who was the executor of my dad's estate really the two of us kind of talking about like how would it work? You know, how would I, how would we finance? You know, how would we make this happen? Because, you know, my dad was alive and he set up his will and estate. It was he had no intention of of any of this happening. So my brother and I were trying to figure out you know what's. How can we do this the right way, keeping, you know, all the different obligations that my brother had, and also just my thinking in myself is this really what I want to do? Because, you know, certainly I know.
Speaker 1:Like you know, when people pass away, you know you can be kind of caught up in the moment and you can maybe make you know I want to do this, and sometimes that's good, but sometimes it's just your, it's grief talking or it's the you know the kind of the magnitude of the moment. So I wanted to kind of take time. I didn't want to. I was close to getting tenure. I just wanted to get tenure, just thought it'd be cool to just say I did it. You know, even if I was leaving and and then, through that year, started learning about insurance, learning about business ownership, to say, do I have what it takes to do this? So all of that I mean that was that was kind of a longer process. And then I don't know exactly when I decided Did I officially decide to pull the trigger? Maybe at the end of 2020, so maybe like a year, and then move back here fall of 2021 and did it full-time. So it's been a little over three years.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, that's a great window into all of the decision-making that took part there, that took place there's a lot that you were kind of wrestling with and it sounds like really the kind of business ownership. Part of it was rather the last part. It was sort of like what instigated the whole conversation, but it was probably the last driver of actually making the move.
Speaker 1:Is that fair to say yeah, yes, I mean, it was what.
Speaker 1:Yes, and I will say, even before this kind of change in how I thought about things at the end of 2018, 2019, I always, always, always, it never sat right with me that I did not live in Marion, Like I don't even know why, like you know, when I was in not when I was in undergrad so much but, um, but I always was kind of trying to think or scheme of ways to get back here or what I could be doing here.
Speaker 1:Um, you know, I lived in Chicago, but I just always was just kind of calling at me to be back here, but I didn't really quite know how to do it, given what I wanted to do with my life at the time of being a professor, and I was a theology professor. So, I mean, we've got OSUM and Marion Tech, which are wonderful, but we don't have those colleges here locally. So, yes, that is probably true that, as I said at first, that the business ownership was a way for me to do all these other things that I wanted to do, yeah, yeah, yeah, but still a big decision in and of itself.
Speaker 3:Yes, you have to buy the agency yes. And so obviously there's a financial risk along with that, and you had to get licensed to be able to be an insurance broker. And then there's learning, all the business-y parts which are not necessarily directly translatable from theology professorship?
Speaker 1:Not really at all.
Speaker 3:You know like leading people and running a business and a P&L and a book, and you know, customer service and all of those sorts of things. So where did that come in to the mix Then? Obviously, once you made the decision, that's the big piece. But now there's kind of was there a realization of like, oh, like. Now I've really got to kind of reinvent myself and learn all these business principles get licensed and all of this that I've got to get the ball rolling.
Speaker 1:Yes, reinvent is a good word. Yes, I'm trying to think of where to start because there's so much there. I mean, yes, yes, reinvent. I mean I think I guess I'll say the financial risk part too. I mean, yes, that was something that was. And then the run-up to it, you know, trying to be like, okay, this is going to be harder than you think. But again, it's kind of like having kids, it's harder than you think, but you actually can't prepare yourself for how hard it is, even though it's the best thing ever.
Speaker 3:But, like you say, oh.
Speaker 1:I know it's going to be hard but, like you, have no clue what you're talking about it's kind of the same. Owning a business and I knew that going in you know it tried to be, tried to have like a sober. Not kid myself about how hard it was going to be or even that I was taking a financial risk. But like you, don't really know what you're doing right. Until you do it.
Speaker 1:And then you're like okay, um, so I I tried to be like sober about that, but I mean, you know, you don't know what you're, what you're in for, until you're in for it. Um, and yeah, the, the, the learning part of it, that was another thing that maybe was a little bit different than some people is I didn't really have a mentor in insurance because my dad had passed away and I certainly had employees that had been with us a long time and I mean where would we be with?
Speaker 3:I don't know where we were.
Speaker 1:So in a sense they were. You know. I mean, I still sometimes, you know, I've got two people in the office that have been doing this for over 20 years, so I'm still asking them questions. But I kind of had to figure it all out at once Figure out how to be an insurance agent, how to be a business owner, kind of all at once and all those different facets of being a business owner. There's the customer service side.
Speaker 1:Like I said, I've been a professor and a teacher, but that's totally different than being like a boss. Doesn't translate at all, I don't know. But yes, trying to, you know, I tried to read as much as I could. But I think that's another thing. That's very different too about business ownership from what I was doing before is, yes, when you're a professor or you're writing and you're researching and you're trying to get published, you have, you know, your peers are judging your work and saying this is good enough to get published or it's not good enough to get published. But it's kind of I, kind of it's kind of like being a sports pundit versus playing or being a coach, like yes, there's standards when you're a pundit, right, like there are people who think who are better than worse, but there's really.
Speaker 2:No, I don't know, it's maybe a little bit accountability accountability accountability right.
Speaker 1:Like in the sense. But we know, when you're owning a business, running a business, um and this is part of what I like about it it's like it doesn't matter your theories about anything, it doesn't even matter how the world should be, it doesn't matter, it literally matters. Are you able to, um, convince people to work for you, Are you able to convince people to buy your product at a you know and that's, and that's it in that sense, right, you know, and so you can. It doesn't matter, that's. What matters is, can you actually make it work in the world? And you either can or you can't.
Speaker 1:And it's just totally different than being a professor, right, where you can have your theories and your ideas and you can write it and you can explain it, but, um, and so it's, it's. It's actually there's a certain humility to it and maybe we can talk about this later to owning a business which I think is a little bit again counterintuitive to people, because you're like, you're the boss or whatever, but you're yeah, you're very beholden to what, to other people's, what they think is right, what they think is fair, what they think something should cost, on and on and on. So, yes, it was totally. I mean I could talk for hours and hours about how different all the different components of it. But that's also what I like about it. I like that I have to wear so many different hats. That's fun for me.
Speaker 1:There's so many different parts of it. I'm like the marketer, I'm the manager, you're the strategist. You know, do the customer service. But I like that all that different, all the different hats you have to wear, so that's, really fun for me.
Speaker 3:Not everyone can do it, and I think that some people would be listening to you telling that story and just like totally floored by you know the amount of change that that represented for you all at once. And then you're stepping into this role, like you know. I think the parenting analogy is spot on. You know it's like, you know it's going to be difficult, you know it's going to change, totally change your world, but yet you don't have any idea until yeah until you really get into it.
Speaker 3:But you know what I hear you saying is you know, really you also learned leadership along the way and we were talking before we went on air there about. I have the book Extreme Ownership sitting on on the table here by Jocko Willink, which I super highly recommend not read before. But Katie and I were sharing our affinity for Jocko and his leadership teaching. So if you don't know Jocko, he's a former Marine and he does kind of leadership, coaching and consulting and is an author and all of that, but tells a lot of cool stories about his time in the Marines and then how those relate to running a business.
Speaker 3:And you know people have said that business is war without bullets and which I felt deeply resonates at different times through the years. But you know, hopefully you've been avoiding those, those bullets I think you have. But certainly I can see that you're learning in all of these different aspects because you know you're learning leadership. You're learning customer service and sales and marketing and all of that, along with having to be a student of insurance itself and that's had to have felt like drinking from the fire hose For sure.
Speaker 3:Most days of the last three years.
Speaker 1:For sure, for sure, yes, and so for me, jock. I mean I never was in the military. I mean he obviously lives a very different life than I live in a lot of ways, but what has been very, I guess, empowering and good medicine that I needed at the same time was his concept of extreme ownership. I mean to the point that it sounds like he's kind of being glib or kind of being like kind of joking. You know, his, his, the tenant I take away is you know, anything that happens if you're a leader, or leadership is anything that happens like literally anything like even if you know somebody on your team makes a mistake, that's your fault or, like you, it's your responsibility. And that's what it is, to take ownership and that sense of not blaming other people or not blaming external and saying anything that happens I it's, you know so.
Speaker 1:So what he would say is that the person on his team that made a mistake it's not his fault. I did not prepare him correctly, or her, or I did not, I did not create the right whatever. I'm not saying I live up to that or anything like that, but I think, as a business owner, that's the only way you even have a shot Because, again, people think oh, you're a business owner, you're the boss, you're in control, you're in charge, and it's so the opposite. Because there are so many things outside, it's very easy to say, oh, it's the customers, oh, it's that employee, oh, it's the customers, oh it's oh that employee.
Speaker 1:Oh, it's the economy, oh, it's the government or, like you know, go on and on and on. Oh, it's the weather, it's this, that and the other, and it's so easy because there are so many things in your way. And so the only way you have a shot is to literally say, okay, that did not go well. My instinct is to say no, it's someone else's fault. I want to protect my ego. But the only way of a shot is to say, okay, I did something. I should have done better. What can I do better? Right, and yeah, I mean obviously, please read or listen to his podcast or his. He's got YouTube and podcast. But that to me, again, that's just the only way that you even have a shot at having a successful business, I think.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, I absolutely love that. I know that. You know, teaching like that and really becoming a student of leadership has been absolutely transformational for me personally, and then also you know my business or businesses, and just cultivating that culture and mindset of extreme ownership is just man, it is the X factor in a business. So again, yeah, I totally encourage people if they've not read the book or kind of subscribed to some of his teaching, it's really good.
Speaker 1:And it's very difficult. It feels very self-effacing, very like self-abased. You know like you're. Why are you putting that on yourself?
Speaker 1:But it's actually so empowering because, I mean there are any business you own. I mean there are dark days, there are bad days or good days, and if you, if you actually don't have that, I mean, what's your motive to keep going Like if you don't have control, if you don't have ownership, right, okay, yeah, you're right. Troll, if you don't have ownership right, okay, yeah, you're right you are, you're in trouble, like you're forget it. So, in a weird way, that mentality actually has has allowed me to be like okay, I will, this is did not go well, but then I can.
Speaker 3:I can make it go well in the future by changing what I do and the way I think Right and so, yes, being able to say I am the problem, and I am also the solution is a very empowering statement.
Speaker 1:If you're not the problem, you can't be the solution. Absolutely. And then you're just what, blowing in the wind at other people, exactly, you're just, yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 3:Yeah, at the whim of the economy or the weather, or the stock market or whatever it is. The insurance market is going up, there's nothing we can do. Okay, or whatever it is. You know, the insurance market, you know, is going up, there's nothing we can do. Okay, there are things we can do. We can educate our customers, we can double down on teaching and, you know, just continuing to do the right things.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 3:And we're going to get the right results over time.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:Over time.
Speaker 3:I think the other thing that I've learned and been wrestling with even lately, is, just when we remove the expectation of a specific time horizon, that's also like very freeing, you know because, sometimes we're like well, we want to grow to X in a year or a month, and then when we take away that time horizon expectation, now we can just focus on doing the right things, and then, paradoxically, the right things often come more quickly, which is totally crazy, right?
Speaker 1:Yes, that kind of process versus results mindset, but also growth mindset. I think that's something like talking about taking the leap or doing it is. I think I do have a certain confidence in myself, not necessarily that I'm going, not necessarily that I'm good at X, y, y and Z, but I think that the confidence I have in myself that allowed me to take the leap but also told me to take the leap in the first place, is that like I feel confident that I will eventually figure it out. Like I don't know what I'm doing now, I haven't figured it out yet, but I just I will eventually figure it out and I can, you know, by time, or I can keep things going, or you know, whatever, it is long enough until I figure it out. I know eventually I will figure it out.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And then it will be great.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So I think that's the confidence I needed to do this, not necessarily that I'm like a particularly gifted salesperson or any particular skill set, but just like I will figure it out. And again, through that trial and error, you try things. They work, they don't work. You're like, wow, I thought that was going to be awesome and it wasn't right. I just that's. So that's the confidence in my opinion I need to just give me I will, I will, I will, I will hang around, I will stay in the game long enough until we figure it out you know, and like so there's not, it's not a set four quarters right.
Speaker 1:So it's like you know, sports analogy yes, if you don't figure it out by a certain timeframe, you're, you're done, you lose, but it's not the case of business. You know you just you have to be able to just stay in the game. Stay in the game.
Speaker 3:I love it. I think we could keep riffing on this leadership stuff forever, which I would totally love as an aside, but for the purposes of hand here.
Speaker 3:the other thing I wanted to dig into is just so you moved back here in 2021 and I didn't know you, I didn't grow up here you know, so we didn't know each other growing up or anything, and so and obviously you were away, so I never met you until a year or two ago, and what I have seen, though, is like. And what I have seen, though, is like, once you've come back, you're here and you're like all in, you know, not just like as lip service, like I don't think. I really don't perceive that. Like you've just come back and you're sort of like I own a business in Marion, so I'm going to like be at the right things and network with people and shake hands and kiss babies. Like what I see you doing is just quietly installing yourself in the community and being a really engaged citizen. You know, you and Aaron, your partner and your kids, like I see you, you know, walking the sidewalks, and I see you in the restaurants and in the shops, and you know, especially downtown, you guys must live fairly close.
Speaker 2:We're in town. Yeah, we're not in town here.
Speaker 3:But I see you walking here and just out and about and engaging, you know, yes, personally and professionally in your you know business venture. But also, you know, obviously your business is located downtown, so I just see you totally in. Tell me about you know that mindset and you know how has that been intentional. Uh, you know, is that something you guys have talked about or is it just sort of like hey, we, we like the stuff, so we show up like you know what, what, what, where is that coming from?
Speaker 1:Um, well, first of all, I mean thank you. That's I mean honestly, that's. That is like that's one of the best compliments I could receive from any. What you just said about me being all in on Marion, it's a hundred percent true. And I guess another reason, like I said, it was a confluence of reasons why I wanted to do what I'm doing now, because owning a business wouldn't just allow me to live in Marion, but it would allow me to be involved in the American community in the way that I always wanted to.
Speaker 1:And, yes, I am all in on Marion. I mean, like I said, I was born and raised here, like I played sports for Harding. You know, everywhere we went, we were like you know every. You know whether we went to Kent, you know every. Every place we played at, we were like defective and bad for different reasons, right, like we were. Just, you know, always, I don't know, I just always have this, this extreme pride in Marion, even when other people say that we shouldn't right and that I shouldn't, um, and I, yes, I am all in on this town and, um, absolutely, I mean we do love, we do enjoy what we're doing. I mean it's, it's both right. Yes, um, but that was part of it.
Speaker 1:I wanted to. I mean, we we could live in Delaware or Powell and be like near my extended family, but I honestly truly wanted to raise my kids like in Marion, for sure, and I wanted to be in Marion, be a part of Marion. I want to, however, I want to be giving, like you know, my time, my energy, my consumer dollars, like anything I can give to this town. I want to be giving it, you know, my whole life. I wouldn't be giving it to Marion rather than wherever the heck else I could be living, going to buy gas in Marion. You know all of the things that happen when you live somewhere. Yeah, but also knowing people, I mean getting to, like getting to run into. Getting to run into people that I've known since I was a little kid or that, like my grandpa knew, just like at the grocery store, I mean I don't know. That's just so meaningful. It makes everything in this town so much more meaningful. Knowing I mean that I'm like, I'm living out like generations of history.
Speaker 1:You know, it's just really. Yes, I'm all in for Marion.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I just absolutely love that. And you know, it's sort of surprising on the surface from the standpoint that you left here, as a lot of people do, and you went to Chicago, boston, philadelphia, so like you never lived in another small town that I understand, and then back here.
Speaker 3:And so, like you know, your life like really had to change, change which I mean we've talked about at length, but you know, if somebody else is someone that's you know, went away from Arian and is in a big city, like how is it coming back and especially in the context of raising your kids and just kind of converting from that big city lifestyle to back to a small to medium-sized city lifestyle?
Speaker 1:Sure, yeah, good question. I mean I feel like I mean certainly, well, I don't know, I'm trying to think because I was in such different phases of my life at different, so it's not quite apples to apples, but I mean I think I think living in a town like Marion, I think you have I mean okay, yeah, there's certainly okay, like Broadway's in New York city, I mean what can we do?
Speaker 2:You know, there's certain things fine Right, but like.
Speaker 3:I drew have fabulous arts which we do. Absolutely, Not necessarily Broadway, but there. But there are some that rival. Absolutely. I mean I will say we are extremely fortunate in Marion. No, absolutely, I mean absolutely. But yes, I get what you mean.
Speaker 1:But I mean, yes, like the local production of Rent this summer. I mean that was nuts, I mean that was so good, so good, absolutely. Christmas at the Palace was just recently. No for sure, but no, I will say, living in Marion, I mean, if I do like my pitch as to I mean we're very lucky because I feel like in Marion you can have the best of pretty much everything right, because you have the town of Marion, which, again, I could talk forever about what's great about Marion. But, like you know, we are an hour from Columbus, we're even we even two hours from Cleveland. I mean there are. And you know, if you live like on the East coast, like I did, I mean you know you're, you're, it's not uncommon to have to go an hour for these big draws of big city life, like whether it's a museum or Broadway or concert, like you're still having to go. I mean it's very unlikely that you're going to live a five minute walk from, like, all the awesome things right.
Speaker 1:Just the way that the metropolitan areas are spread out. So you're, you're really, you're not really. I think we have, we have so much here within a very short drive that you'd be having, I don't know. I feel like you can really live. I feel like you can live pretty much any life you want to live in Marion I guess I'll put it that way.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, that's a great way to put it. I think that, yeah, there's big city things. If you're really, you know, into that or you know want to go to a big concert or you know professional sports game or whatever, like that's all within, like easy reach. But yet to me I also, you know, my wife and I have talked for years as well it's like, man, is this like really what we want? And we always land back on. It is because we really enjoy the experience of walking around the downtown or going to the grocery store or going to dinner and seeing people that we know. I mean it's a real joy to us to see that and to know our kind of community neighbors and business neighbors and have the affiliations and friendships that we do. I mean I think it's just a really rich life that we get to have in a smaller community.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, and there's a sense of ownership, of like being a part of Marion, but also ownership over Marion. Again, not in the like I'm lording it over you but, like we were talking about earlier, that this is like our town and I've certainly felt at home. I've certainly loved a lot of places I've lived before but never have I felt like this is my town or this is like my play, or you know our place Absolutely. And I mean we've got. You know houses are relatively affordable. You mean we've got you know houses are relatively affordable. You know we've got like the country. I mean you know you can have. It's hard to find. I mean just the land we have here. It's hard to find that in other places. I mean, like I said, you can have almost any type of. I really think this town offers you tremendous ability to really live the life of your dreams in the way that I think people don't realize.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, and so it was fascinating. The other day or recently we were with you guys at a fundraiser at the Palace and you'd brought some friends from Pal or Columbus or whatever.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And you wanted to give them the full experience, absolutely. So you guys were there for a while and then you were like, hey, we're leaving, we're going to throw axes over at. Ken and Kilt, and I mean tell me about kind of the perception of your friends that came to town from out of town and what they thought and said this kind of new lifestyle that you've created.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, they loved it. They loved it, and they'd actually been to Kin and Kilt Actoring.
Speaker 3:Place before.
Speaker 1:And that's why they were like we got to go back. We got to go back so they had had it and wanted it again, wanted more of the experience. But yeah, I think it's. I mean it's. Yeah, they had a great time and I'm definitely always trying to like secretly convert people to Marian. I'm always secretly like recruiting.
Speaker 1:I think they probably know that it's a secret society here, Definitely trying to, because I do think I mean, Marian is definitely Marianist's own place but I do think, the more that we are both, that we see ourselves and they see us as a part of the Columbus Central we're integrated into all of that that's going on in Delaware the more Delaware people see us as like you know, like we go to Delaware marrying people go to Delaware, we go to Polaris, you know like the more that they're seeing us as part of their orbit too.
Speaker 3:I mean, that's where people come to marry. That's what I'm saying. People don't like realize that but like we run into them all the time. Exactly, there's like way more parking. There's a lot of the same things to do.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 3:And the people are nice.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, so I mean the more that we're in. You know, if you have Not, that people in Delaware aren't nice, right, they're lovely.
Speaker 1:Somebody from Delaware, you know, send me an email, yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yes, they might have a perception about what people in Like, part of the reason there's so much to do is because you're, you're, you're it's. I mean hours and hours of stuff that's all just integrated together, Right? So, yes, I'm all. I think that that is really exciting to me, Like that we are, we're Marion, we're our own thing, but also that we are also part of this larger central Ohio thing that's happening.
Speaker 3:That's absolutely true. You know, we had some friends that lived like in an Atlanta suburb and if you asked them where they're from they'd say Atlanta, right, but like they were like over an hour Exactly From the city center, exactly, and you know, as are we from Columbus, and you know we don't yet say we're Columbus.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 3:But, you know again those days are coming, I think, where more and more that will be kind of the more common vernacular.
Speaker 1:But yeah.
Speaker 3:Well, that's great to hear that. They had a great experience. You know I have the same. You know we have a lot of friends from Columbus that come and visit. They want to. You know they hear us talk about the work we're doing and the cool things that are happening in Marion and so they're like we've got to come.
Speaker 1:We want to come for a.
Speaker 3:Friday night and give us the full experience and we give it to them and they're like we love it and oh, by the way, like we love that like 28 people came up and said hello to you and we're just so friendly and charming and they made us feel very welcome.
Speaker 1:Like we don't get that where we're from. Yes, I'm sure she won't watch this podcast, but there's one. There's well, actually a couple of these friends in this cohort that I was just mentioning. It's like a running joke because, like every time they're out with me and Mary, it's like, oh, there's my third grade, you know, it's just that it's like it's a running joke, it's really, but they yeah, but it's awesome and yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean we all and all that Absolutely, and I love hearing that. So yeah, so I mean you gave your pitch a little bit about why you came here and why you believe other people should come here. I mean, as you kind of look out on the horizon a little bit for all the cool things going on in Marion, I think you're getting to more and more of those tables where some of those plans are being made and discussed and everything.
Speaker 3:What are some things that you're excited about as you look to the future of Marion?
Speaker 1:I'm excited because I think we're on a very good trajectory. I mean, certainly, again, I can remember 2017 or whatever, seeing what you and Alex at you know, at the time we're doing, like on Facebook and being like, oh my, just even more of my like FOMO, I mean but I think I'm excited. I don't know specifically like what it's going to be Like, I don't have a certain you know like what building or what event, but I just think I think people are starting to believe in Marion, the people that live here. You know that, yeah, that we are. You know that people are living here because they want to live here.
Speaker 1:And there's, there's. You know that. You know, I just think we're on a good trajectory. I'm excited, I mean I'm excited to see I'm, I'm excited about Marion on a good trajectory. I'm excited, I mean I'm excited to see I'm, I'm excited about Marion city schools right now. I think they're on a good. I'm excited for the future of that. Um, yeah, I just, I don't know, it's nothing specific, I just, um, it feels like obviously I loved how my town, how our town was when I was growing up, cause I came back here, but it does feel different than when I was growing up.
Speaker 1:Like I think probably you know, in the 80s and 90s it was still kind of the shock, the recovery from all the economic dislocation, everything that happened in the 80s. But you know, people were still kind of getting used to that and I feel like our generation is kind of, you know, we're able to kind of like reset and say not that there weren't always people working for this or everything. It's not not, not a critique of previous generations, but I just feel like we're at, we're at a good point where we are, we're, we're we're having like big dreams, we are, we're having confidence in ourselves, we are um proud of of who we are and I just I don't know, I don't know what it's going to be, but I like I'm excited to be here, I'm all in on the future of Marion. Like I said, I own a house, I own a business here, like I'm in, you know, if Marion, if Marion falls, I fall you know.
Speaker 3:So I, I think we're, you know we're, I don't know, I'm just excited, yeah, yeah, yeah, I totally love that, so yeah. So we kind of wind things down here a little bit. I always love to ask guests. I mean we kind of got into the Jocko discussion a little bit, but are there other things that you've kind of discovered here along your?
Speaker 3:you know, particularly your business ramp up journey resources, whether educational, inspirational books, podcasts, videos, like things that you found especially helpful that you would share with someone else who's you know looking to launch a business or grow their leadership, or whatever.
Speaker 1:Yes, so certainly, jocko, and I was trying to. I was trying to think about this like what even cause? I did do a lot of reading, some of it insurance specific, but you know, I think there's a popular book that a lot of people read called Traction I forget the author's name.
Speaker 3:I should have double checked that.
Speaker 1:Gina.
Speaker 2:Wickman, yes, thank you.
Speaker 1:There you go, which I think that's a good one. I think it also helps you like discern if this is owning a business or starting a business, if that's kind of like who you are. But I think that I think that's a good. I think I think, rather than just something specific, I would read as many different kind of like approaches to business. Um, because you're, you're, again, you're, you're never going to. Even a book like Traction, I mean I don't know which gives kind of like plans of how to do things Like you're probably never going to.
Speaker 1:Nothing from a book is going to be perfectly translate because you have to just trial and error, you have to do it. But I would say, just expose yourself to a bunch of different like business books, business podcasts, reading about different businesses. You know it's going to be very eclectic. So, yeah, I've read a bunch of stuff, but I couldn't think of any besides Jocko and Traction. I couldn't think of anything that was like worth being like the one book. Because I don't think and that's kind of how I thought at first I'm like I'm going to get the blueprint and I'm going to translate it and eventually you just realize all that's.
Speaker 1:It's important.
Speaker 3:But you know, this is not how it works.
Speaker 1:It's not like building a house where you have like blueprint, you have to really just do it or people that are inspiring, like randomly I've been not, for I mean, their politics are completely different, but I've been very fascinated by and they're very different for me. They're two women who had completely opposite politics Margaret Thatcher and Golda Meir. Okay, so one was like a socialist, one is anti, but just these were just two women who were leaders in their respective countries in a time where there really weren't women leaders. I don't know. They're just just like people that are maybe different from you but have have had success somewhere, Just kind of what is it that makes them tick? Or I don't know that. So that's not like super helpful, but I would encourage you to just. There's so much stuff on the internet.
Speaker 1:I mean just something that looks interesting. Read it, but just know that that you're not going to be able to get out of that hard work of like doing it and trying it. So so my, I think the mindset stuff is really good, like the Jocko stuff, stuff that helps you understand yourself or become, take on different traits, which again, I think is why I'm like fascinated by these two historical women, just because, like, how did they do? Like, how did they do that?
Speaker 3:You know Um.
Speaker 1:I feel like they're both very different from me, um, anyways. So that that's. That's kind of like general. But, um, yeah, definitely always be reading, and if it's something in your industry, if you have an industry, I think, um, the more you can know. I mean, it's tricky because you can also that can also be an excuse to not do the hard work. I'm just going to read more about insurance but at the same time, like anything that can give you an edge um of understanding, I mean, the more that you understand, I think, the more it gives you the ability to kind of like creatively problem solve.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean it sounds you. You brought over a lot of the mindset from being in academia, like just this idea of being a lifelong learner. Yeah, I think that so many people just don't have that attitude. You know that I'm always learning, I'm always in growth mode and always trying to get better.
Speaker 3:So you know great, uh, bring up some great points and some good resources there too. Uh, I don't know if I've mentioned on the podcast before, but the book Traction yeah, you know it outlines the entrepreneurial operating system or EOS, and it's a whole framework for running businesses and we'll get into that in a future podcast. But we run EOS in our businesses and it started with reading that book and it was a real breakthrough for me to kind of put some framework towards this idea of business and meeting schedules and roles and all that sort of thing. So really good recommendation. Thanks for sharing that. So, okay, we've covered a lot of ground, katie.
Speaker 2:We have.
Speaker 3:This has been a lot of fun and I think that folks definitely have some nuggets to take away here, whether it's just hearing your story, which is super fascinating, your take on Marian, your leadership and growth, mindset, ideologies, and just the riffing we did around that. It was a lot of fun. Cool yeah me too, so thank you. If people want to connect with you or Shamrock Insurance Agency, maybe you can share how they can learn more.
Speaker 1:Oh sure, so we have a website, shamrockmarioncom. Or you could email me it's Katie K-A-T-I-E at chanrockmarioncom, or send me a Facebook request. Me personally not like the business Facebook so much, I mean you could. But yeah, or stop by, we're just down this. I don't know what direction, but very close downtown. We've got the awning.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yes, I'd love to connect. I love your awning Right. So, and a recent move there new office absolutely great space.
Speaker 1:Yes, phenomenal, one of your, one of your. You're also he didn't say he's also my landlord here. So which is awesome? Yeah, phenomenal space. Yeah, feelings mutual.
Speaker 3:So we love having you down here and just having you and Marion, and thanks for being positive for for the growth here, and we're excited too about what's going on. So, to our listeners, thanks for tuning in. We so appreciate you. I will once again give the request, if you have not done so, to leave a rating or review. So helps our just exposure and helps more people find us here. I'm so grateful for all of you that listen. Please share with someone else who may learn from this episode, and we will hope to have you back real soon.
Speaker 2:Thanks for listening to the Main Street Reimagined podcast. To learn more about Main Street Reimagined Henry Development Group or our work in downtown Marion, ohio, please visit MainStreetReimaginecom If you want to connect or if you know someone who we need to interview. Shoot us an email at info at MainStreetReimaginecom. Until next time, keep dreaming and don't be afraid to take the leap.