TWFG Rolling Strong Issue 5 - Convention 2017

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BUNCH ON BUSINESS

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CONTENTS

The TWFG CAT Team and others in action after Hurricane Harvey hit.

SAVE THE DATE TWFG National Agent Convention

APRIL 12  14 , 2018

The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center

 Play video Click here to watch the TWFG 2017 National Agent Convention video

09 ALL IN THE FAMILY Welcome TWFG’s newest staff members and branch owners as they join us on our journey to #1.

20 TWFG BRAND IS YOU When we launched our new branding, a reflection on how the TWFG brand is extraordinary and a part of TWFG’s everyday life.

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CATCHING UP WITH BRANCHES We love our agents and recognizing those who have personal as well as business successes.

22 RETURN TO THE MARRIOTT Our 2017 National TWFG Agent Convention launched our new branding and much more.

17 OUR FEARLESS WRITER ”Bunch On Business“ talks about “Compliance reflects on your core values.”

12 BLAZINʼ CAJUN At the 10th Annual Muddy Trails Bash, TWFG’s Cooking and Tent teams won big.

14 PRESIDENTʼS CLUB TRIP The President’s Club took in the sights of Cabo San Lucas.

04 RECOVERY AFTER HARVEY Hurricane Harvey was an unprecedented storm, yet TWFG Home Office has been through hurricanes before.

HOLIDAY OFFICE CLOSURES

IS YOUR BRANCH ROLLING STRONG?

THANKSGIVING

Thursday, November 23, 2017 Friday, November 24, 2017

If you have a story that you would like featured in upcoming issues of Rolling Strong, please send an email and photos to Alex Bunch at alex@twfg.com.

CHRISTMAS

Monday, December 25, 2017 3

WEATHERING THE STORMS: HURRICANE HARVEY Kelly Bettencourt Executive Assistant to the President and CEO

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AND IRMA

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We just got cleaned up from serving 1,000 people in Ingleside, TX! We came together from TWFG & Farmers Insurance Agents and the Knights of Columbus from St. John the Baptist Catholic Church to serve a community!

When you see people with everything they own in their cars...we all had to hold back tears, but when they say, “Thank you,” well, you know it comes from the heart. This was the best feeling that I have ever had!

And we agreed, even though we were hot, tired, and not used to being outside for that long, we were ready to do it again! God Bless those people!

My wife and I, along with TWFG agents Angie Guajardo and Cathy Graves, came together as one.

Blessings to all!

Albert & Stephanie Rivera

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ALBERT & STEPHANIE RIVERA

With the landfall of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, the TWFG Family has been tested. It is easy to get caught up in trying take care of everyone and everything, and in that process, we lose sight of the people that have been there for us. It is with this in mind that I write to say “THANK YOU.” Thank you from Darren and I, thank you from our staff and their families, thank you from our clients and their families. TWFG was the only Independent Insurance Agency fully equipped and ready to provide EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE before during and after the hurricane in Florida.

A special thank you to our ARM, Judy Rush for constantly checking in on us and her support personnel that were grinding it out during our outage. THANK YOU. We have always known that our decision to become a member of the TWFG Family was a very good one. You all continue to prove us right. Both agents and staff are extraordinary people and we are proud to call y’all family. THANKS A BUNCH!

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NATANIA & DARREN MONTEITH

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WEATHERING THE STORM: HURRICANE HARVEY Kelly Bettencourt Executive Assistant to the President and CEO

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MULTIPLE CLAIMS? PAY ONE DEDUCTIBLE.

You could save with the Safeco Single Loss Deductible.* One deductible for multiple claims.

When the same event causes damage to your home and your car, motorcycle, boat or RV, having to pay multiple deductibles makes an unfortunate situation even costlier. But with the Safeco Insurance Single Loss Deductible, you may only have to pay once if the same event causes more than one claim. For example, if a fallen tree damages both your home and your car, we may waive your auto deductible after the home deductible is paid.

Fast and easy claims processing.

When trouble strikes, you need support right away. That’s why Safeco’s award-winning claims service is fast, fair, hassle-free and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Contact your local Safeco agent for details. ©2015 Liberty Mutual Insurance Insurance is offered by Safeco Insurance Company of America and/or its affiliates,with a principal place of business at 175 Berkeley Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116. The materials herein are for informational purposes only.

Nothing stated herein creates a contract. All statements made are subject to provisions, exclusions, conditions and limitations of the applicable insurance policy. If the information in these materials conflicts with the policy language that it describes, the policy language prevails. Coverages and features not available in all states. Eligibility is subject to meeting applicable underwriting criteria.

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*If you experience a significant loss, like a fire or storm, that is covered on your Safeco Homeowner policy and have other Safeco policies that are affected, we may waive all deductibles after the home policy deductible is paid. Single loss deductible applicability varies by state.

AP-5149 08/15

WELCOME TO TWFG! Kelly Bettencourt Executive Assistant to the President and CEO Vic Cordone Agency Relationship Manager — Mid-Atlantic/Northeast Region TWFG is pleased to announce the addition of Vic Cordone as an agency relationship manager for the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast Region. This area includes the states of Maryland, Delaware, NE Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. Vic is tasked with helping TWFG expand its national footprint and will manage existing branch offices and recruit new agents. Vic comes to us with an extensive agency background as he was a career Allstate agent in New Jersey for 37 years before selling his agency in 2010 to form FMJ Agency Alliance. Vic and his wife Pat have two grown children, Alexis and Dan, and two grandchildren, Jake 12 and Charlotte who’s 8. They all reside in New Jersey. In his free time, Vic enjoys golfing, fishing, politics and traveling. Please extend a warm welcome to Vic!

Judy Jackson Inside Sales Representative

Mark Sedgwick eVo Trainer/Support Tech

Robert Rodriguez eVo Programmer

Rachel Gauspohl Processor/Back-Up Receptionist

Don Bartlett eVo Programmer Shelby Laniewski Processor

Luke Kemp Data Analyst Lisa Hunt CSR

NEW TWFG BRANCHES Kimberly Kinkaid Training Manager MAY 2017

JUNE 2017

JULY 2017

Sam Rosas

Hazma Harun, Bill Phillips

Oscar Gonzalez, Loren Hernandez, Kenneth Bordman, Kinjal A. Mehta

AUGUST 2017

SEPTEMBER 2017

OCTOBER 2017

Armando Leija, Denise Guthrie, Tara Quick

Tyler Crum, Lottie Boll, Lori Conway, Richard Stuart, Fran White Jr., Fran White Sr.

Sean Luarca, Sabino Sanchez

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SPOTLIGHT ON BRANCHES SUSAN STOVER Susan Stover Branch Owner — TX After the branding explanation from Alex at the convention, I realized that our office staff could represent each characteristic: Integrity, Courage, Honor, Commitment and Strength. I secured a shirt for all of the staff and scheduled our photo shoot when everyone would be in the office. I strategically placed the Million Dollar Club plaque with updated year medallion, to hide baby Emmalyn. It is a great reminder that “Our Policy is Caring” tagline is made up of these attributes to do the right thing for our clients. Sometimes that means reducing our commission in the short run but keeping the client in the long run.

Left to Right: Antonia, Melisa, Emily, Destiney and Susan

THE POLICY POOCH Mark Glaug Branch Owner — TX Meet Ginger Glaug, AKA “The Policy Pooch.” Since dogs in advertising always do well, I decided to use her as the agency mascot. In addition to appearing in social media pictures, she will have her own posts on Facebook and other social media as I expand into other platforms. Her posts will encompass a variety of things including, but not limited to: • Pet Related: Safety, Did You Know?, Recipes and just for fun posts about pets • Local events • Insurance related posts I hope that she will add a sense of humor and fun to what could be an otherwise boring topic; that is insurance. She will also appear in any events that we participate in sporting her Policy Pooch attire.

I also plan on having her create a blog where people can write in and ask a spectrum of questions whether insurance, pet or just life related. The blog will be called “Dear Policy Pooch.”

The Policy Pooch

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CURTIS CASTER Curtis Caster Branch Owner — TX Official Grand Opening excitement occurred on June 15th when the DFW area Metrocrest Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Curtis Caster Insurance Agency, one of our new TWFG Branch Owner & Agent family members located in Carrollton, TX. Among the guests that turned out for this celebration were several members of the Chamber Ambassadors, Carrolton City Council Members, area networking contacts, our own Jennifer Divine, as well as family and friends.

Denise Davis’s sign with the new TWFG Insurance branding

NEW ARRIVALS One of our branch owners gave birth in August. Congrats!

AMELIA ROSE GARCIA DATE OF BIRTH: August 18, 2017 MOTHER: Loren Hernandez, one of our new branch owners from the July 2017 class Tamra Galvan’s new office door sign

WEIGHT: 7 lbs. 4 oz.

LENGTH: 20 in.

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MUDDY TRAILS BASH Judith Wighaman Book Transfer Coordinator/Operations Support Associate TWFG–Twico Tent Team – Judith Wighaman (OPS) & spouse; Lidia Muniz (Processing), Antonio Reyes (audit-OPS), Dan Timmons (OPS), Jocelyn Bush (Commissions), and Merlie Teoxon (Commissions).

Family Runs – Amanda Ingersol (Commissions) and daughters; Lynsey Bryant (Underwriting) and her family; and Hannah Krizza Merino (Processing) and spouse.

5K run – Sara Ramsey (Accounting), Tony Pascente (Accounting), Kelly Bettencourt (Executive Assistant), Lynsey Bryant (Underwriting), Amanda Ingersol (Commissions), Alyssa Krier (Intern), Claudia Mendez (Inside Sales), and Elizabeth Razo (Commissions).

TWFG, a title sponsor for The Woodlands Township Parks and Recreation Department – 10th Annual TWFG Muddy Trails Bash held on Saturday, April 1, a multifaceted event features 5K and 10K trail runs, the Little Muddy Kids’ Fun Run and a 2K-9 Fun Run for a partner and your dog. The festive post-race party included live Zydeco music and the Muddy Bowl Crawfish Cook–Off. TWFG – Twico “Blazin’ Cajun” Cooking Team — Michelle Gibbons (Underwriting) & spouse; Henry Hickford (IT) & spouse; Apprille Moore (Accounting) & family; plus two special guests from Louisiana – Juan and Angela Vaughn; and John Scully (IT) & spouse. The team prepared a succulent and spicy crawfish boil and a “special best Cajun dish — étouffée dish.”

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2K-9 Fun Run – Mark Glaug (Branch) and Ginger; Karl Wighaman and Nike Many of the employees with their families from the home office showed up to dance, eat and vote – enjoying a “fun family day.”

TWFG placed in the following Judging Categories • People’s Choice — Best Crawfish Taste – 1st Place • Best Decorated Tent – 1st Place • Best Cajun Dish – 3rd Place

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LIVING LA VIDA CABO Kelly Bettencourt Executive Assistant to the President and CEO

2017 TWFG PRESIDENTʼS CLUB & TWICO BOARD OF DIRECTORS TRIP The 2017 President’s Club trip was held at the beautiful all-inclusive Dreams Los Cabos Resort & Spa in Cabo San Lucas Mexico.

On April 19th, just shy of 70 of us boarded a plane to Mexico for four nights of fun in the sun! Each couple checked into their suite with a private balcony overlooking the sparkling Sea of Cortez.

That evening, Gordy and Michelle welcomed all of us at our private BBQ beach party. It wouldn’t be a TWFG event without a little “friendly” competition! The hotel staff helped to organize our very own Mexico version of the President’s Club Beach Olympics.

It was a Red vs. Green team rematch and consisted of a string doughnut-eating competition, diving for pool discs and beach volleyball. Unfortunately, the Green team came out on top and officially retired the trophy for our last Red vs. Green competition (for now).

Amstar was on site the entire time to assist us with any excursions that we wanted to go on individually or as a group. We had folks that bungee jumped, raced through the desert in ATVs, rode camels, went deep sea fishing and others that spent their time relaxing by one of the three pools or enjoyed a massage at the marvelous on site spa.

The highlight of the trip was a beautiful sunset dinner cruise aboard a luxurious catamaran sailing over the pristine Pacific Ocean, capturing breathtaking views of the famous Arch. We couldn’t have asked for better weather the entire trip. All in all, there was plenty of relaxing, socializing, and camaraderie by all and we look forward to additional folks joining us next time!

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We had a good time.

Thank you for everything!

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To all the CABO WABO crew, what a great excursion we had that night! Thank you TWFG for the everlasting memories.

Looking forward to Atlantis (wink, wink)

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FOR AGENT USE ONLY

TOP 3 REASONS

to offer Safeco® RightTrack® to your customers 1.

2.

3.

It saves your customers money

It’s easy

It strengthens your customer relationships

Your customers earn a 5% initial discount for enrolling in the program and installing the RightTrack telematics device.1 They can also earn up to a 30% final discount2 based on how they drive during a 90-day review period.3 Participation in RightTrack will never increase your customers’ premiums, and there’s no cost associated with the program.4

Once you register a customer, Safeco takes it from there.

The RightTrack kit will be shipped directly to their home.

The kit includes the telematics device and simple installation instructions to help them get started.

And should they have any questions, Safeco’s customer service team is always standing by.

Questions? Contact your local Safeco Territory Manager, or visit SafecoNow.com/RightTrack.

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Customers who have installed and used the RightTrack device have shown a tendency to stay with their carriers longer. And with the automatic 5% discount and up to 30% savings, they’ll appreciate your recommendation to try RightTrack.

BUNCH ON BUSINESS Gordy Bunch President and CEO

COMPLIANCE REFLECTS ON YOUR CORE VALUES Does internal compliance with rules, policies, and standards impact your business culture and long-term viability? I think it does because compliance reflects on your organizations’ integrity and core values. How you as an owner, manager, or employee follow the rules greatly impacts all aspects of your business. Remember Enron?

What better case history do we need to see than the downfall of a once-praised organization crippled from within? The Enron failure started at the top and trickled down throughout the organization.

As an owner, you set the example for your executives, managers and employees.

They will all take cues from the top. If it is known or demonstrated that you take shortcuts or routinely don’t follow the rules, your people will likely do the same.

Even owners who follow the rules and set good examples still carry a responsibility to ensure those that report to them are compliant. As an owner, there is no benefit in doing everything correctly if your people do not follow suit. Business owners are ultimately responsible for the actions and inactions of those they employ or contract with.

TWFG is in the insurance business. We are highly regulated with standards of operation well established by the industry and governmental agencies. Document retention is one of the critical compliance areas where, as agents, we are statutorily required to retain signed documents for five to seven years. The documents can be as basic as the original application for Gordy Bunch insurance, rejection for coverages offered, documents to validate applied discounts or acknowledgment of coverage exclusions. Everything was paper-filed 20 years ago, while today nearly all documentation is electronically filed which, in some ways, has made compliance more complex.

Failing to maintain proper documentation has many potential consequences for all involved. Employees that fail to comply are usually terminated if counseling and behavior do not correct their performance. Employees are also subject to administrative actions from regulatory entities including potential loss of their licenses. Managers who fail to supervise and ensure proper compliance face demotion or termination.

Owners and executives who fail to audit the activities of their respective direct reports face termination, demotion, loss of licenses, loss of contracts, and the potential loss of the entire business, plus regulatory discipline.

The initial reaction to a compliance audit is usually negative, so that paradigm needs to shift. Noncomplying personnel need to realize that they are jeopardizing their employment, the business, reputations, and potentially impacting their co-workers’ employment as well. Imagine if someone within Enron would have stood up sooner to protect the integrity of that major organization. How many jobs, 401(k) plans, and lives could have been preserved? Some will claim the actions or inactions of one individual does not matter.

I disagree because I believe one person can positively or negatively impact the livelihood and quality of life of everyone they interact with.

My recommendation is to embrace compliance as if your financial security, your company’s integrity, and the livelihood of your co-workers depends on it. Comply correctly and consistently, not only because it’s the right thing to do, but because it matters and can impact the very survival of your business.

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Alex Bunch Chief Creative & CMO

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THE TWFG BRAND IS EXTRAORDINARY, AND THE TWFG BRAND IS YOU. It represents 16 years of bold entrepreneurial spirit and vision.

It has bumps bruises, beauty, breadth, resilience, remarkable growth, and everything in between.

that we continually strive to be the most accessible, authentic, innovative, relevant, and yes, the best independent insurance agency in the country, and the world.

It represents several product companies and hundreds of Insurance Partners, which through your commitment and service, have protected families and business owners in all 50 states.

Thousands of extraordinary people just like you, have worked to build TWFG‘s reputation so that millions of families and business owners have been able to go to bed at night with peace of mind that their lives and livelihoods are being protected by people who genuinely care.

The TWFG brand is full of extraordinary people like you, who are responsible for delivering far more than policies, premiums and promises. At our best, we cultivate peace of mind and trust in our communities that give every one of our customers the confidence that they are prepared for, and protected from, whatever life throws their way.

But, that just leads up to this very moment you are reading this.

TWFG is not a brand that will rest on its laurels —we can‘t afford to. The world and our industry continues to evolve, and it is more important than ever to be clear about, committed to, and fiercely protective of the most important aspect of our business — our relationships with our customers. These relationships must be authentic, honored and nourished. These relationships must grow organically through years of earning our customers‘ trust by serving them with unwavering integrity and commitment. By doing what we say we‘re going to do, when we say we‘re going to do it, and better than anyone else out there.

• At our best, we will earn our customers‘ TRUST. • At our best, we will earn the RESPECT of our customers, communities, peers and our competition.

• And most importantly, in earning this trust and respect, we will then earn the RECOMMENDATION and REFERRAL of our customers, which is all we should ever strive for.

So, from this moment on, start each day asking yourself “What can I do today to earn the trust, respect and recommendation of my customers.” Not most of them…all of them. Not just the ones who stay with us no matter what we do or don‘t do, but also the ones who challenge us to be better–more proactive, more thoughtful, more responsible and more transparent.

Today we are ranked #1 in Texas and Louisiana, and #8 in the nation for Personal Lines as an Independent, Privately owned Agency, and #8 in the nation out of 32,387. Truly extraordinary, and together we have reached a new milestone newly ranked #28 for all lines in the U.S. from #32— a testament to our solidarity, strength, courage and tenacity.

When we earn the trust, respect and recommendation of our customers, all of our business and sales goals will be easily achieved — surpassed. And best of all, the TWFG Brand, which is YOU, will come to stand for integrity, quality and service– unbreakable authentic relationships. And not just in the insurance industry, but for all the companies in the world who know the key to enduring success is having the customer at the center of all they do.

From this moment, you will know that it is because of our ongoing commitment to our customers, communities, families, fathers, mothers, children, teachers, preachers, firefighters and baristas…

The TWFG Brand is extraordinary, and the TWFG Brand is YOU.

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2017 AGENT CONVENTION: THURSDAY Alex Bunch Chief Creative & CMO The 2017 TWFG National Convention in The Woodlands saw a return to the Waterway Marriott. There were several breakout sessions Friday morning and afternoon, as well as a Marketing Breakout session to go further in depth on TWFG’s new branding on Saturday.

With the introduction of the new branding colors and the word association, we had five teams this year for Family Fun Day. The teams were Strength, Honor, Commitment, Courage and Integrity.

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The Family Fun Day at Carlton Woods Club on Saturday brought us all together for “friendly” competition, the champion of which was again Team Green (Strength), much to Gordy’s chagrin.

The Awards Gala Saturday night was spectacular, and several new members were inducted into The President’s and Million Dollar Club. Next year, we plan to have our convention in at The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center from April 12–14, 2018. We look forward to celebrating another successful year.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW AND DOWNLOAD PHOTOS FROM THE 2017 TWFG NATIONAL AGENT CONVENTION

CLICK HERE TO VIEW AND DOWNLOAD PHOTOS FROM THE 2017 TWFG NATIONAL AGENT CONVENTION

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2017 AGENT CONVENTION: FRIDAY

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CLICK HERE TO VIEW AND DOWNLOAD PHOTOS FROM THE 2017 TWFG NATIONAL AGENT CONVENTION

CLICK HERE TO VIEW AND DOWNLOAD PHOTOS FROM THE 2017 TWFG NATIONAL AGENT CONVENTION

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2017 AGENT CONVENTION: SATURDAY

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CLICK HERE TO VIEW AND DOWNLOAD PHOTOS FROM THE 2017 TWFG NATIONAL AGENT CONVENTION

CLICK HERE TO VIEW AND DOWNLOAD PHOTOS FROM THE 2017 TWFG NATIONAL AGENT CONVENTION

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AWARDS GALA

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CLICK HERE TO VIEW AND DOWNLOAD PHOTOS FROM THE 2017 TWFG NATIONAL AGENT CONVENTION

AN EVENING TO REMEMBER

Kendra Miller and Sean Meyers

CLICK HERE TO VIEW AND DOWNLOAD PHOTOS FROM THE 2017 TWFG NATIONAL AGENT CONVENTION

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2016 TWFG AWARD WINNERS PRESIDENT’S CLUB (25 TOTAL MEMBERS):

MILLION DOLLAR CLUB (81 TOTAL MEMBERS):

2016 NEW MEMBERS (5):

2016 NEW MEMBERS (20):

• • • • •

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

John Keefer Marilyn Caldwell Denise Davis Michael Crafts & Mark Morgan Sameer Khan

HONORARY PRESIDENTʼS CLUB: • Tom Blasutta

PRESIDENTʼS CLUB EXISTING MEMBERS: • • • • • • • • • •

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Carlos Cantu Buffy Doiron Hooper Carlton Kon Bobby Counts Mark Bartlett Kelly Lee Rick Rogers Anthony Voiron Marilyn Randazzo Russell Knapp

• • • • • • • • • •

Jenny Xu Darren Monteith Stephen Lovecchio Holland Brothers John Sparks Brian Johnson Betty Loick Brandon Richey Kerry Landry Roger Larson

Jennifer Salinas Daniel Oh Katlyn Sebera Terry Nguyen Karen Sahota Chris Holland Keith Tilghman Wendy Tran & Viet Truong Adam Ayers Sean Meyers Phyllis Benjamin & Sara Fry Dusty Olivier Tim Martin Nick Le Darrell Barfield & Thomas Sowell Albert Rivera & Stephanie Rivera Altaf Ariff Asifa Shamim Ryan Guillory William Waldrep

MILLION DOLLAR CLUB EXISTING MEMBERS: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Chris Forman • Ann Moore Lisa Knight • Amber Pillsbury Ashley Floyd • Brian Stamper Dale Ratliff • Jennifer Ly and Paul Ly Lane McKinney • Shaileen Smith Reed Wilcox • Clay Hudnall Bobbie Gail Torres • Greg Armstrong J.R. Zamorano • Maury Saunders Terry Cauthen • Katie & Jeff Cannon Noel Sanchez • Jennifer Wragge Norma Pineda • Bentley Fitch Lisa Newman • Chad Gunal Todd Golden • Tom Blasutta Wendy Guerrero • Daniel Chang Jennifer Vargas • Monika Mir Harlivleen Kaur • Shannon Hartgrove Susan Stover • Judy Lam Randy Costa • Don Oh & Jeanie Kim Julio Manchego • Alla Mokritsky William Woodall • Derek Benavides Vlada Denisova • Thomas Phan Mike Underwood • Monica Pedraza Alison Cuevas • Lea Ann Leslie Thuy Cao • Betsy Henslee Estela Portillo • Jimmy Goodwin Joseph Vu • Jane Wang Adrian Saman • John Robnett Brandon Mangum • Jason Schmitz Barbara Mitchell • Melanie Head Jean Burridge Jerome A. Offner & Linda F. Rogers

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Nick Le

PERSONAL LINES GROWTH AGENT OF THE YEAR: East: Stephen Lovecchio TX: Carlton Kon West: Roger Larson

COMMERCIAL LINES GROWTH AGENT OF THE YEAR: East: Carlos Cantu TX: Altaf Ariff West: Waqar Khan

LIFE & HEALTH GROWTH AGENT OF THE YEAR: Asifa Shamim

EXCELLENCE IN CUSTOMER SERVICE: Winner: Lea Ann Leslie Finalists: Kimberly Casida Milligan

Brooke Ellis

Stacey O’Dell

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THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR SPONSORS! DIAMOND

PLATINUM

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GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Allstate® Foremost ® National General RPS® Insurance SES Insurance

EXHIBITOR 1. 3Mark Financial 2. AFS/IBEX® 3. Americas Insurance 4. AmWINS® 5. Appalachian Underwriters, Inc. 6. Atlas General 7. Bankers Insurance, LLC. 8. Builders & Tradesman’s 9. Church Mutual® 10. Commercial Sector 11. Craig & Leicht 12. Employers® 13. GeoVeraSM 14. Global Hawk Property & Casualty 15. Guard 16. Hagerty® 17. Live Oak Bank®

18. Maison Insurance® 19. MAPFRE Insurance® 20. Markel® 21. MetLife 22. Midlands 23. Oak Street Funding® 24. Orchid 25. SageSure™ Insurance Managers 26. State Auto® 27. Tapco/SCU 28. The Hartford 29. Twico® Business Insurance 30. UIG 31. US Assure 32. USLI 33. Wright Flood™

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Blanca Escudero

Sales Administrative Leader (832) 286-7971 (mobile) ch7ck@allstate.com

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TWFG Newsletter Q&A Interview Completed: April 11, 2017 TWFG Agent: Alla Mokritsky Your agency was one of the top TWFG locations in 2016, what are some of the keys to your success?

I have been in the insurance business for over 25 years. In 2014, I decided to start a TWFG agency. Throughout my career, both prior to TWFG and now, there are three things that have helped me succeed: • Work hard and be dedicated to your customers – I am here to help my customers with all of their insurance needs and I make them my number one priority.

• Build a strong team – I have two employees who have the same sense of dedication and commitment that I do and I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without them.

• Serve your community – the community where I do business serves a large population of European customers. I’m invested in the community as a local small business who not only does business here but gives back and supports the organizations where my customers belong.

In addition to your success with TWFG, you’re also a leader in offering Allstate products to your customers, can you talk about how you leverage Allstate’s brand to issue business?

People ask me about the Allstate brand all the time. I always tell them if they see the commercial “you’re in good hands”, that’s exactly what Allstate offers. They provide strong customer service, claims satisfaction guarantee and discounts to help you save. My customers want an insurance company that will be there for them when they need it most and that will help them best use their hard earned money. That’s exactly what Allstate does.

What are some of the biggest differentiators you see with Allstate versus other insurance carriers?

For my customers, Allstate provides a personal touch and makes it easy to communicate for the customer. Many of my customers are from Eastern Europe where they don’t have insurance or they don’t necessarily trust it. I need to break that barrier and earn their trust so they know they will be protected. My customers trust Allstate.

On a personal level, I find Allstate so much easier than other companies. They have provided the best support and training I could get versus other companies. I feel appreciated by Allstate and it makes a big difference. My sales leader is always in my office or available over the phone – I know I can get any support I need, and I give that same support back to my customers.

What are some of the specific tools Allstate offers that help you close and retain business?

Two things come to mind that make Allstate stand out from other insurance carriers.

• number of discounts available to help my customers save money.

• claims service – I know my customers will be treated well with Allstate when they have a claim.

Allstate is always the first company to send out information on supporting customers during catastrophes. People know I am here for them and I always tell them Allstate will be here when they need it too.

Alla’s Background: Alla moved to the United States 35 years ago from St. Petersburg. Her first job was with American General. There she spent her time primarily focused on life insurance and annuities, pricing, etc. In 1995 she transitioned to property and casualty. In 2014 Alla began as a Woodlands Financial Group agency. She enjoys the insurance business as it serves her passion of helping protect what matters most to people.

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