I have been in financial services for some 25 years now. Before I opened this agency, my background was actually in asset management and investment banking.

When my family and I emigrated from South Africa in 2018, we initially spent time at a junior golf academy where my boys were playing, but eventually, I decided to come back to what I know best: financial services. I chose Winter Park as my base because I simply love the energy here, especially in Hannibal Square with its rich history dating back over 100 years.

When I bought this agency in 2021 (an office that had already been established for 30 years) I made a very specific choice about how I wanted to run my business. In the insurance industry, many agencies grow by buying internet leads or paying for “live call transfers”.

The result of that model is that the business becomes entirely focused on making a sale. That just isn’t me.

I decided right at the outset, nearly five years ago, that we would never buy internet leads and we would never do cold calling.

Why?

Because honestly, it would infuriate me if I was sitting at dinner and got a random call asking, “Hey, would you be interested in car insurance?”. If I wouldn’t want that done to me, I certainly won’t do it to my neighbors.

Instead, my philosophy is simple: provide great client service and become an integral member of the community. I have gotten involved in the Chamber of Commerce, I sit on the Winter Park advisory board, and I am active in local non-profits.

Because we are immersed in the community, people meet me naturally. They ask me for help with their home or business insurance because they know me, not because I harassed them with a phone call. We rely heavily on our clients referring their friends and family to us, and that is exactly how we have grown.