Page 74 - The UnCaptive Agent

WHAT KIND OF AGENCY DO YOU WANT TO START? 47

with both as clients and employees. They’ll also help
you decide the kinds of insurance companies you want
to work with. And they’ll help you make day-to-day
business decisions. Strong values will help you manage
people. I suggest that you have somewhere between
three and six value statements of core values and that
you use them in your marketing.
As an example, here are One Agents Alliance’s core
values:

• Team First (grateful, humble, caring, thoughtful,
puts others first)
• Committed to Excellence (never satisfied, can al-
ways do better, always do our best)
• Personal Integrity (honest, trustworthy, transpar-
ent, we do what we say we will do)
• Passionate (we are passionate about helping our
team members and member agencies be as success-
ful as they can and want to be)

If you are intentional about your culture and about
your values, then many years after you have founded your
business, you will still enjoy working in it. If you allow
these things to arise organically, it’s a bit like trying to
sail a boat without a rudder. You’ll wander, and you’ll
be frustrated. So, take the time in the beginning to
decide what you want your culture to be and what you
want your values to be. You will develop faster, better,
and stronger over time.