Chad Adams played basketball for the University of New Mexico, where he also studied mass communications. After graduation, he went on to play professionally in Chile. Here’s how Adams is leaning on the skills he learned on the court to succeed as an agent.
How Did You Get Your Start With Farm Bureau?
I had to leave basketball for medical reasons, and after that I sold cars for a while and then I got a job at Enterprise. I was happy there, and I had just been promoted. But COVID hit and after a while I was let go. A former teammate of mine, Jamal Fenton, was studying to be a Farm Bureau insurance agent. Soon after he started, he got his first check and he said, “This is life-changing.” That got my attention.
I dropped everything and had a meeting with my district manager within 24 hours. Thank God I found Farm Bureau. It’s been a blessing for me. I feel like running my own agency and helping people is what I was meant to do.
How Does Your Athletic Background Help in Your Job as an Agent?
There's so much communication that goes into this job, and there’s not just one communication preference for everybody. You have to know how to talk to different people and get along with people from different walks of life. Being an agent with Farm Bureau really translates to being on the court because you have to be able to hear things, interpret them a certain way and give them to your client a different way.
Knowing how to take constructive criticism is another big thing I learned on the court. Constructive criticism is supposed to help you. We are all learning 24/7. I've been with the company for four years now, and I'm still learning stuff today that I didn't know yesterday.
What Was the Process of Becoming an Agent Like?
To be quite honest, I was really nervous about passing the exams. It had been six or seven years since I had studied for anything. You have three chances for each, and if you don't pass you have to wait six months. At the time I had a newborn, and I was unemployed because of COVID, so there was a lot of pressure.
One of the exams took me three tries. When I found out, I got out of my vehicle, jumped up in the air and screamed. There was just so much emotion. That's probably the most excited I've been besides winning a basketball championship.
What Do You Like Most About Being an Agent?
I like the work-life balance. In insurance, you're able to determine what parts of your day go toward what, and you have the freedom to make your own schedule. As long as you're self-motivated, it opens the doors to having a good work-life balance.
My wife is a charge nurse, so if something happens at my son's school, I take care of it. This job has allowed me to be the parent who's able to be there all the time. I can drop my son off in the mornings and pick him up from school. I don't miss any swimming lessons. Having that freedom is great.
What Is a Typical Day Like for You?
My days vary, but I would say on the typical day I wake up at 6, get my son ready and drop him off at school at 7:45. On a good day, I get to the office about 8:30. From there, I’m handling requests from clients. I might be managing claims or putting together quotes.
I do that until about 3 and then I pick up my son from school. If I have more work to do, I'll work on my laptop until 5 and then I'm in full dad mode for the rest of the day. My wife usually gets home between 7:30 or 8, and then it's family time.
But rarely do we have the typical days. There might be something going on where I don't get into the office until 10 or 11. And there are days when I work at home all day.
How Has Your Time With Farm Bureau Worked Out So Far?
The cool thing about opening an agency here in New Mexico is that I went to college here, so a lot of people in the community still know who I am from back when I played. I was able to reach out to friends, family and contacts I had made over the years to get my initial business going. I was succeeding, and the money made a lot of things in my life easier.
Late in my second year, I started to experience some retention issues. I learned that not all business is good business. From that point on, I've been redoing my business model and concentrating on the right types of clients. That has helped me tremendously. Now I'm really having a great year, better than I have in the past three years. Everything is going smoothly now.
What Do You Like to Do When You’re Not Working?
My son is five now, and he keeps us busy. He doesn't like to sit around, so on weekends we might go to the jump park or to a movie, have car picnics or do other family activities. My wife is pregnant now, so spending time with her before the family gets bigger is a big priority. But I do love watching sports and playing video games in my free time also.
What Advice Would You Give to Others Considering a Job With Farm Bureau?
Make sure that you are locked in and ready to go. This isn’t the type of industry where you can have one foot in and the other foot out. You have to be 100% focused on building your business and hitting your goals.
I would also say that you're going to have trials and tribulations, but for every bad day there is a good day. Stay focused, find the reason that you're doing it and use that to push you through to the next day.
Take the Next Step
If, like Chad, you’re ready to make a change, consider a future with Farm Bureau. Reach out to learn more today and explore the opportunities.