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There’s nothing more refreshing than a success story about someone who works their way from the ground up. Ken Estes (pictured) started his insurance career in the mailroom of an insurance company. Over a 13-year span, he diligently worked his way through various functions, including data entry, commercial lines rating, and home office renewal underwriting, before finally transitioning into sales.
His success on the agency side of the business has been notable. In 2004, he was recognized by the Independent Insurance Agents of Arkansas as Field Representative of the Year, and this year he features as one of Insurance Business’s Top Producers.
Estes has spent close to 12 years at BXS Insurance, where he heads the business and professional division. He is now BXS Insurance senior vice president and senior producer in Little Rock, Arkansas, and is the firm’s leading expert on insurance and risk matters for architects and engineers, lawyers, construction companies and real estate owners/developers, as well as association groups, nonprofits and municipalities.
Success wasn’t handed to Estes on a plate. He describes one of the biggest challenges in his role as “helping clients get past viewing insurance as a commodity.” He added: “There’s more to insurance than price. It’s about working with clients, developing relationships and protecting them.
“For anyone at the start of their insurance career and hoping to work their way up the ladder, I would advise them to learn everything they can. This business continually changes, so you have to stay on top of those changes and always seek out new solutions.”
The best thing about being an insurance agent is “meeting with people and helping them manage their risk,” according to Estes. In fact, he loves the business so much that he told Insurance Business he can’t imagine doing anything else … except perhaps traveling with his family and playing a spot of golf.
