Back at the blog, albeit a day late. The Leadership meeting in Dearborn wore me out this year. I flew out at 6:30 AM on Tuesday last week and changed planes in Chicago and then arrived in Detroit about 4 PM. We got over to the hotel about 5 and I met a couple of the Managers for dinner at the Big Fish which is on the other side of the mall from our hotel. We walked over and then Ubered back to the hotel afterward.
It was a long week, an intense week and a good week. We were at the corporate headquarters in Farmington Hills Wednesday and Thursday. We had dinner Wednesday at the Detroit Athletic Club, which is located between Ford Field and Tiger Stadium (Comerica Park) in downtown Detroit. We had (every night) cocktails followed by dinner and then Game 7 of the World Series. The game was turned off while we listened to the head of the Michigan Agents Association, who was the National Chairman of the Big I Agents Association in 2014. He was quick with his speech as he knew the World Series was historic.
Thursday night we had Game Night back at the hotel with tacos, pizza, sliders, appetizers and (of course) cocktails. They had football games, skee ball, pool, air hockey, pinball, basketball, and a golf-/baseball- hockey- soccer simulator. They also had the NFL game on and I enjoyed myself until about 9:30 and then headed to bed.
Friday, we had a working breakfast at the hotel followed by speeches by our Personal Lines Director and our Vice President of Underwriting. Following that, we had a surprise speech and Q&A with Tom Izzo, the head coach of the Michigan State Spartans basketball team. He was great, very laid back and funny. He is one of those really great college coaches who is always mentioned whenever there is an opening in the NBA. He was seriously courted by the Cleveland Cavaliers a year ago and decided to stay when he talked to his team and several of his guys said that the only reason they chose Michigan State was Izzo. He felt compelled to stay and honor his word to his players. He was asked about it and said that they were offering him lots and lots of money. He said. "I make lots of money, but this was LOTS and LOTS of money. His salary with Michigan State is $3,450,000.
We have an Underwriting Manager with our company owned carrier who is a HUGE Michigan State fan and she stood up during the Q&A and was tongue tied. She said that she couldn't believe that she was talking to the great Tom Izzo and what an honor it was. He said, off the cuff to "call my wife at 501-555-5555 and tell her what a great guy I am. Sometimes she forgets."
Friday I met with our CEO and we talked about the struggles I've had in Sacramento in losing people and having to compete with people that I spent years training. He asked me what I thought the solution was. I told him we needed to add more producers. He suggested that I approach my best agencies and try to hire a 25 year old to come work for me. I was not thrilled with that suggestion and told him that I'd like to hire a corporate headhunter to find us a current wholesale underwriter who wants to make a move. He agreed. He took care of me financially and we spent about a half hour talking.
Friday night was the Awards dinner. Pete won a Presidents Award for premium production over $1,000,000. I also had my newest producer, Theresa Woods, win a Service Award and she was thrilled with that. I had nominated her when she stepped up when Leah quit. It was a good night and I was in bed by 11:30 in spite of the hospitality suite in full force downstairs.
The gifts this year were very nice. I got blue tooth earphones, a Foot Joy blazer, two signed Jimmy Walker PGA Championship hats and a Foot Joy leather and canvas duffel bag. Jimmy had one of his tour golf bags made up for Alan filled with signed flags from each of the tournaments that he played in during 2016. I'd love to have the Masters and PGA Championship flags. Our marketing manager kept that secret from Alan and presented it to him at the Awards dinner. That is job security.
We will take a group of select agents to the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am in February for 18th hole seats and a private tent for a meet and greet with Jimmy Walker. I look forward to that.
Saturday was a working breakfast with seminars during the morning and a planned Team Building exercise in the afternoon. It turned out to be series of challenges (soccer, Jenga tower building, trivia and an obstacle course). When we got done with that, they had 18 boxed BMX bicycles that we had to assemble. We were in teams of 8. We were building the bikes to donate to the Southeast Michigan Boys and Girls Club. We were building our bike for Steven, a 7 tear old boy in the organization. Being insurance executives, we made a mess of the assembly, could not connect the brake cables and ended up with a nut left over. They had bike mechanics on site that checked over the bikes, but they didn't get a chance to look at ours. We took it up and set it out with the other bikes for pictures.
What they didn't tell us is that the kids were there and they brought them in. Steven was thrilled and wanted to ride his bike. We couldn't let him until the mechanics fixed our mistakes. I told him to wait with the others and I'd get the bike fixed for him. While I was wheeling it over, Harvey told me that I had a shadow. I turned around and Steven was right there. Apparently he didn't trust the big old white guy that took his bike away. We got it fixed up and he was thrilled.
I have several pictures from the day, including a shot with Alan and Steven on stage. It was a powerful way to end our week and I was off to the airport on the first shuttle at 3:30 Saturday afternoon.
I got home to Sacramento late as the flight was delayed and it was after 11 by the time we landed and I got my luggage. Darla and I got home near midnight and it was three in the morning for me. I told Darla that "I love Jesus, but I was sleeping in on Sunday." She had gone to church Saturday night, so she was good. I'm the heathen.
I'm still struggling with some jet lag as I was up this morning at 4:30 to take Darla to the airport. She is in Rhode Island for her conference with Touchstone and will be back Friday afternoon. I had one of the guys from RGC send me a note this week and I agreed to play golf today with Chuck, John and Neil at Winchester Country Club in Meadow Vista in the lower Sierra foothills today. I was in the office at 5:45 this morning and left at 9:30 to meet the guys at the Park n Ride in Roseville.
You can see the pictures from the outing today. It is one of the toughest courses in Northern California and I was very happy with how I played. I had two bad holes, but still managed to shoot 43+42=85. John lost the bets on the day and ended up buying the group dinner at the Black Bear Diner in Auburn. It was a great day and I really love that course. It is so lush and well maintained.
I will play in the Turkey shoot on Saturday at Diamond and look forward to seeing Bob Pando, who will be in town to play in the event. We will go out in the first group with Neil.
Well, that is it for this week. I will survive this week on my own as long as I don't run out of clean socks or underwear and there are always stores for that. Right? Have a great week, Ciao.
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