We've all heard more than our fill of sad stories lately. Between the sagging economy and increasingly toxic presidential campaign, it's tough to dig out anything to feel good about these days.
So it was with mixed emotions I met with a few industry friends of mine yesterday for a couple of drinks after work. Oh, I knew we'd have a good time, but I also expected a round of complaints, as well.
For once, I wasn't wrong.
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One friend spent quite a bit of time at AIG — until recently. Just days before the federal buyout, he found himself in front of a VP, an HR rep and a severance package. Needless to say, his anger wasn't entirely unfounded.
Another of our colleagues seemed equally disillusioned. Oh, business remains stable, but she's clearly frustrated with the way things are going.
And, honestly, who isn't these days? Carriers are feeling the heat from panicked stockholders. Brokers are caught between them and equally shell-shocked employers. And business owners have their own problems managing skittish employees.
But despite all the bitching and moaning last night, I actually headed home with more than a little hope. There's no doubt things are bad. Setting aside the Monopoly-money mortgages for a moment, we all need to be a little more concerned about our industry as a whole. We're facing an exodus of carrier investment, an influx of uneducated new players and a dearth of new broker talent.
But I left encouraged by just a few of the relationships I've managed to nurture and hang on to here. At the risk of sounding like an old school Charlie Schultz comic strip, I made it to the last frame of the strip with a smile on my face.
Because, honestly, at the end of the day, no investor, regulator or politician can take away what we all build together.
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