From curling addict to teacher to insurance professional

The path to the insurance industry is not always straightforward, as the career of this Minnesota insurance agent shows

Insurance News

By

Hibbing, Minnesota-based Paul Pustovar has been an insurance agent for more than 35 years, but just like so many other industry professionals, it was not his original destination.

“I was always interested in becoming a teacher,” Pustovar recounted to the Hibbing Daily Tribune. “Nature interested me, therefore, I majored in biology and earned a master’s degree in the curriculum and instruction of biology.”

Pustovar fulfilled that ambition, becoming a biology teacher at his alma mater, Hibbing Community College. While he described the profession as “rewarding,” preparing lectures and setting up labs was taking away from time he wanted to spend devoting himself to another love: curling.

The curious Midwestern sport always held allure for Pustovar, and while he was teaching at HCC, his curling team was “excelling on the National and World level.” In fact, the local team had made it to the World Championships in 1977 and 1980, and it was getting difficult to get the time off he needed to curl at the professional level.

“So I decided to try a job in which I was self-employed while I was young enough to try another job,” Pustovar told newspaper editor Kelly Grinsteinner.

He found MSI Insurance – now known as Country Financial – while the company was looking for an agent in the Hibbing area.

“I decided to try that profession and have been with the same company since my start in 1980,” he said. “Being self-employed gave me the flexibility of working harder in the summer months and taking more time off in the winter when I was curling.”

Mainly specializing in personal lines, Pustovar prides himself on providing financial security to young families particularly through life insurance and disability policies. And he finds his training as a teacher comes in handy.

“The more knowledge I can convey to the customer, the better they will understand the complexity of the insurance products,” he said.

During his time as an agent, he has come to appreciate the value of communication and self motivation.

“There is no one telling you to be at work at a certain time and little direction from someone above you,” Pustovar said. “You truly are your own boss.”

And though he has seen great changes come with the advent of computers, he believes the personal relationships that have helped him build his business will always be relevant. In fact, he’s looking ahead to find someone to take over when he retires – though he’s not quite ready for that yet.

“As of yet, I have not thought about retiring and have made no plans to retire,” the 64-year-old said. “Even after 35 years of this job, I am still motivated.”
 

Keep up with the latest news and events

Join our mailing list, it’s free!