Hi Folks:
I apologize for the somewhat impersonal way of this notification, but there are just too many of you to call personally. I’m sure I have left some folks off of this email so please feel free to send the link to this blog to your staff.
I will be leaving FAIA as a full-time employee effective December 31, 2020. After a conversation with our new CEO, Kyle Ulrich, we decided that I would remain associated with FAIA (let’s just call it a “consultant”) going forward. I am pleased with that decision and appreciate Kyle’s offer. You’ll likely “see” me on webinars that I’ll continue to do, just on a more limited basis.
In my personal travels (50 states and 15–17 countries), I have often been on a highway with a destination that was planned. Along the way, I decided to take a different highway to a different destination. I suppose the “highway of life” is similar. Things change, and you move to a different highway. A friend once said to me, “One of the certainties of life is that nothing is certain.”
I am fortunate that I have planned financially very carefully my whole life, so I am able to “change highways.” My new highway will have a sign saying, “Reduce speed ahead.” After over 24 years at FAIA, the time has come for a slower pace of life and a bit less stress.
I want you know that this was 100 percent my decision; I was not asked to leave FAIA.
In a bit over 24 years I have flown 887,000 miles, driven at least that much, stayed in hotels over 2,500 nights, presented probably close to 5,000 seminars, and missed more family events than I can count. There were many weeks when I’d leave home on Sunday and return on Saturday having stayed in six different hotels and driven well over 1,200 miles. But I loved every second of it; this was my “Dream Job.” I was proud to wear the FAIA shirt. When I went to national conferences, I always wore the shirt with pride. FAIA is, without a doubt, the best insurance trade association in the country and it has been an honor to be associated with them. FAIA has an amazing team of employees led by a very capable new CEO in Kyle Ulrich who has been with FAIA over 16 years with a proven track record. He has a very creative mind and will lead FAIA very well. Our focus is always to “control the customer experience and serve our members.” I’m proud to have been part of that.
For the insurance professionals reading this, it was you who motivated and inspired me. A lot of you started your insurance career in FAIA classes that I taught. You couldn’t spell “insurance” when you walked into the class, and now many of you are highly successful insurance professionals, ranging from a CSR, to insurance producer, to agency owners, or insurance company executives. A good number of you have become friends over these years. Often, you’d come to me with what was, to you, a confusing situation or a complex insurance coverage question. Complex to you, but easy to me the “Insurance Nerd.” The simple emails that I often received thanking me for the help or commenting on a class I presented is what kept me going 24 years. You’ll never understand what those simple words of thanks meant to me.
Besides remaining associated with FAIA on a more limited basis, my plans at this point are unclear; I suppose I don’t know the next highway I will take. I do know that I will do something, I am too young (yes, 64 is young!) to sit at home all day. I’ll take some time to relax, have a slower pace of life, and take a personal travel trip or two somewhere. Then I’ll look at the map and see what highways out there look interesting. It’s sort of a “new adventure.” It’s a bit scary, but also exciting. Whether that highway is full-time or part-time, or even outside the insurance industry, remains to be seen.
My personal email is DavidRuns@aol.com and my cell is (850) 591-6959. When you want updates on the grandkids (Peep and Rambo) or need help with BBQ, please feel free to contact me. If you are ever in Tallahassee, please let me know in advance and I’ll do my best to fire up the smoker and give you the world’s best BBQ. Yes, I am serious!
While I am not “going away,” my role with FAIA will be reduced. You know, “Reduce speed ahead!”
For my insurance friends, please read the policies that you sell, and always stack the UM even on a single car policy! (You just knew I’d conclude with that!)
I wish you the best and thank you for supporting me all these years.