Insurance agencies may very well be part of the fabric of your town’s Main Street. There are family-owned agencies that get passed down through generations, and others run by people who never intended to go into insurance but fell into it by accident and have since become passionate about the industry. Many support youth programs and nonprofits to give back to their communities. Two such stories—one involving some happenstance, the other of legacy—offer a peek behind the curtain.
Creative Agency
Weezie Mullaly Insurance Agency
15 years in business – Weezie Mullaly, CEO
Overview: A captive agent owns the business itself but offers only one corporation’s insurance products. (In this case, GEICO.) Though not technically a franchise, it’s a similar concept. Captive agents receive corporate support through zone managers and support staff.
Mullaly’s Backstory: “My first year out of college, I worked for a State Farm agent on Long Island. Then I moved over to work for GEICO corporate, which at the time wasn’t known the way it is now, and spent 18 years working in every department including sales, service, claims, underwriting, human resources, and training. Then an opportunity came up where you could become an independent contractor and start your own scratch agency, which is an agency that has to build their own book of business. It was a risk, but I knew that GEICO had done their research and that Westchester was a good market. So, in 2011, I moved to Westchester and started the agency with two other employees in a 975-square-foot space on Central Avenue in Scarsdale. We acclimated to the community and started to grow pretty quickly. Then I moved a mile down the road to Yonkers. As one of the largest cities in New York outside of the boroughs, it’s a great place to have a business.”
Ebbing and Flowing with the Tide: “At one point we were booming. I had a huge operation with 48 agents. But when something changes within the industry, such as underwriting gets tightened up and corporate has to turn a dial, it impacts us. As a captive agency owner, you expect it. You know that insurance is cyclical, and you’ll have some very big growth years and others that are more just steady.”
Community Connection: “We try to connect with as many people as possible and teach them about insurance through Facebook posts and videos called ‘Wednesdays with Weezie’ on Instagram. Even if it’s not pertinent to them at that moment, they’ll remember seeing something and call when the time comes. Offline, we’re involved in as many local events as we can.”
Last Word: “With technology, I think there will probably be lots of changes coming in the insurance industry, but there’s still a big benefit to having an agent you know.”
Independent Agency
Levitt-Furist Associates
Third-generation, family-owned, established in 1969 – Ken Fuirst, Co-President
Overview: As an independent agency, they represent multiple insurance carriers and products. Being independent allows them flexibility to adapt to changes in the industry. Their customers are a wide range of businesses, real estate and construction companies, and high-net-worth individuals, in Westchester County, throughout the U.S., and around the world.
Fuirst’s Backstory: “My father and his partner, David Levitt, were law school friends and co-founded the agency together in the 1960s. Growing up watching my father work, I saw how much he enjoyed helping clients and being his own boss. But I didn’t go right into the insurance business myself. I got my MBA from Columbia and worked in corporate America for several years, both for Johnson & Johnson and International Paper. In my late 20s, a new generation of management took the reins at the agency, myself included, and we began to grow what was already a very successful small business with 12 employees. My partner Jason Schiciano and I are Co-Presidents, and we’ve used our corporate experience to grow the organization to what is now 80 employees, only five of which are salespeople. The rest are support staff, customer service, and those working within the technical aspects of the business.”
Word of Mouth: “Attorneys, accountants, and realtors send their clients to us. Those professionals want to refer to someone they know is well-educated and who will deal directly with them.”
Last Word: “What I like best about my job is helping people and businesses. We’re here to teach them and help solve their problems, giving them that peace of mind so they can focus on their own growth and success. Some of my clients have been with me for 30 years, and it’s fun watching their businesses grow, knowing that I had a part in that.”
Related: Here Are the Top Networking Events in Westchester This Spring
