That’s what led Oravetz to found the Friendswood, Texas-based Visicor in 2007.

“I wanted to create something different, unique,” he says. “I really took a hard look at the industry and where it was going with health care reform projected at that time, and I wanted a different approach with clients, so we sat down and really mapped out where we would like an agency to be.“A lot of times in this industry, we try to find that silver bullet,” he continues.

“We say, ‘It must be wellness, or having a clinician on staff, or ancillary or voluntary benefits.’ But I don’t think there is a silver bullet. I think it’s a broad picture of this thing we call employee benefits. I think the difference is, we cannot look at it as just going in and performing a duty. We really have to become engaged. We have to partner with our clients, understand where they want to be — what’s worked, what hasn’t worked, the long-term vision for their employee benefits package — and then we have to dig deep and find long-term solutions.”

That philosophy has created a company that’s known for its unique approach to client management; Oravetz conceived of the agency’s philosophy specifically because he wanted to approach his clients in a new way.

“We’re a value-based organization with a unique set of principles, grounded in transparency,” he explains.

He describes Visicor’s strategy as a pyramid, and at the bottom of the pyramid is all the compliance-related components of insurance sales and maintenance.

“We’re not just educating on compliance,” Oravetz explains. “We’re educating and then providing all the solutions — not for an additional fee, but truly protecting our clients.”

Further up the pyramid is consulting, where Oravetz and his colleagues at Visicor help clients proactively build a long-term strategy that might include ancillary or voluntary benefits, depending on the workplace. Then come communications and administrative concerns.

“We have our own in-house enrollment and education team,” Oravetz says about communications. “We educate our clients about the core set of benefits and really teach employees at the base level how to get the most of their plan and how to utilize it.

“We want to shoulder the burden in all four areas of employee benefits: compliance, consulting, communication and administration. So all employee and employer questions, billing reconciliation, qualifying events, new hires, terminations—we want to manage that for the client. We just want to be really engaged and walk shoulder-to-shoulder, side-by-side, and guide them through the maze of employee benefits.”

Oravetz acknowledges this is more difficult than simply providing clients with information, but it’s how Visicor operates — and it’s what sets Oravetz and his colleagues apart from their competition.

“We don’t want the most clients; we’re not looking for numbers,” he explains. “We’re looking for high-quality, high-touch clients we can actually deliver value to on a daily, weekly, monthly basis.

“I understand being profitable,” he adds. “In this business, we’re not selling widgets. Whatever we’re doing is resonating in the market — we’re getting the attention of some of the largest firms in the country. And we’re very transparent. When we go in with a new client, we let them know about every dollar of revenue, so there’s no wondering. There’s no hiding behind that revenue number. And then we can show them: ‘You’re generating $5,000 a month for Visicor.’ Now we have to create enough value for that to be a positive transaction for you.”

And that means focusing on the client, not the almighty dollar.

“As a business owner, we must be profitable in order to take care of our employees and continue providing value to our clients,” Oravetz acknowledges. “However, if we focus on the money, it’s nothing more than a business transaction. And we’re in the people business, so that’s not a long-term strategy. Our objective is to retain clients for more than 10 years, and in order to do that, we must deliver a tremendous amount of value on a weekly, monthly and annual basis. By doing that, the profits will be there.”

That’s one of many reasons why Visicor will be named as one of Houston’s fastest-growing companies by the Houston Business Journal — the employee benefits brokerage and consulting firm is a healthy, thriving business that shows how Oravetz’s philosophy works in action.

“Long-term profits are best created by delivering value and focusing on the clients’ needs,” he adds. “We’re in this business for the long-term, so what we do today will matter in five, 10, 20 years.”

It’s a concept outlined in “The Go-Giver,” a book by Bob Burg and John David Mann that Oravetz has made required reading for every employee at Visicor.

“The book talks about creating value and focusing on the needs of others while eliminating the ‘what’s in it for me’ attitude,” he explains. “At Visicor, this is at our core. We go all in with our clients and partner with them. We have the same attitude toward our internal team members. It is not about our job, it is about the job — taking care of clients. And we treat our carrier partners and vendors in the same manner.”

Given Visicor’s success, it’s not surprising that Oravetz is optimistic about the future of the insurance industry.

“There just seems to be a lot of ‘gloom and doom’ in our industry right now, and I simply don’t see things that way,” he says. “I realize there are many changes in the industry, and there is no business as usual, but that’s a good thing. The changes in the market are pushing our industry forward and raising the bar on professionalism, which is great for employers.

“I always say, ‘It’s time to get better or get out.’ If we’re not willing to raise the bar and position ourselves for the changes upon us, it’s probably time to find a new way to make a living,” he continues. “However, if we’re not afraid of change, and we’re willing to do whatever it takes to serve our clients and grow professionally, the future looks bright. I believe the agents and agencies that embrace change are the ones that will gain market share.”

He focuses on hiring agents that feel the same way.

“This is not a business that you can just say, ‘I’m coming in because I know I can make a lot of money, and I’m just going to focus on revenue,’” he argues. “You have to figure out a way that you’re willing and capable of serving others, because you’re not going to be successful until you do. It’s finding those individuals who are taking a long-term approach, not a short-term transactional approach, but who really want to dig in, help others, provide knowledge and establish a long-term stable career.”

And for Oravetz, it’s what he thinks Justin would have wanted for him. The picture on his desk is “a reminder that there’s something bigger out there, and we can approach this in a different way. And like-minded people with the same philosophy — those people end up coming to us, whether they’re vendors or carrier reps. Other people in the industry who actually see us walking that walk will come to us in terms of wanting an opportunity to work with us.”