Bret Brummitt | AG Insurance Agencies (Photo: Shane Kislack)

AN APPETITE FOR LEARNING

Bret Brummitt has been with AG Insurance Agencies in Fort Worth, Texas, for 18 years. Now a senior consultant, he admits to a few growing pains when he began his career. "A milestone for me was being able to go to sleep at night and feeling like I hadn't screwed up," he recalls. "It was a matter of getting over the uncertainty of selling a non-physical product. I just wanted to make sure it was all OK."

One of the things that gave him confidence as his career progressed was meeting with clients. "It really transformed the way I interacted with others," Brummitt says. "I had some 'aha' moments about how to communicate. It wasn't too long before I started taking on more roles and more responsibility. It was a process of growing my own communications skill set."

Pushing the envelope

Brummitt says that if he has a criticism of the benefits industry, it's that it hasn't kept up with the rest of the world when it comes to providing clients with a consumer-friendly product. "It's a bit antiquated," he says. "Were in a business where new things pop up all the time, and we have to be ready for that. If we're not willing to learn, we're not good consultants."