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YOUNG PROFESSIONALS
SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT
APRIL, 2014
Brad Rutledge: if you don’t know him yet, you will STORY AND PHOTO BY ELI RUIZ
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Brad Rutledge
So in 2012, “I went back to Keats as an associate agent and have never been happier.” With an insatiable thirst for knowledge, Brad is only getting started in his chosen field. “I continuously seek opportunities to enhance my knowledge in the insurance field to better serve my clients,” he affirms. “I am currently looking to take the classes and exams to become a Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC).” As a man who takes pride in working for Keats, which has been in business for 20 years, Brad says, “I truly enjoy creating ‘aha’ moments for my clients. In other words, those times where I find a need for coverage that a client didn't know they had and I am able to provide a competitive insurance solution to address it. “I love it when my clients truly understand their coverage. Insurance coverage should be customized to each person or business. It is not onesize-fits-all and is not a commodity. I rest easier knowing that I’ve done the CONTINUED ON PAGE 7Y
Congrats Brad! You deserve it! from
The Whole Team at
DR. WHIPPLE’S Jackie, Annabelle & Matthew
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ochecton resident, musician and Keats Agency associate agent Brad Rutledge likes to say he “married into the area.” “I grew up in Cincinnati,” explains Brad. “I married a Sullivan County native, Jackie Weyer, who grew up in Sullivan County. The wedding was held at the Inn at Lake Joseph in 2001, and after several visits to Sullivan County, I found that I loved this area and thought it the perfect place to raise our children. We decided to call Cochecton home and have been here since 2005.” After graduating from Colerain High School (in Cincinnati) in 1993, and while attending the University of Cincinnati, Brad would discover his true calling. “It was around this time that I decided to pursue a career in sales," offers Brad, adding, "I started out selling new Toyotas, which lasted about four months. I sold a new 4 Runner to a gentleman who managed a mortgage company, and he recruited me to come on board as a loan officer. I spent many years in mortgages before deciding that I wanted to learn more about the insurance field. I obtained my insurance licenses and went to work for Allstate Insurance.” Later, after making the move to Sullivan County, he joined the Keats Agency as a Nationwide Insurance agent, and in 2006, as he recalls, "I had the opportunity to expand my insurance knowledge by working with a local wholesale insurance agency.” But soon after, he would realize that he missed his old job. “I found that working with the public was more suited to my approach,” he said.