It was my 7th year at Glidewell when a friend’s question altered not just my career…but the entire trajectory of Glidewell itself.
We were reaching out to our customers, offering a quote for umbrella liability coverage. My friend’s (Chuck) response was, “Whatever Paul recommends, I’ll do…I trust him.”
That comment changed everything. For the first time it registered the degree of trust others…my friends and family…were placing in me regarding potentially very impactive decisions.
And so I asked myself: Do I recommend an umbrella for Chuck? Does he need an umbrella? Some people definitely need an umbrella…but does Chuck? What people do really need an umbrella?
As I considered these questions I realized they were applicable to more than umbrella liability coverage. They were applicable to every policy…and the limits on those policies…and endorsements.
It was then I understood that I had been viewing insurance from an unhealthy perspective.
And, unfortunately, I think most people do.
From that day on though, I vowed that Glidewell would always view insurance with a healthy perspective.
What does that look like?
Glidewell’s philosophy can be broken down into three steps:
Step One: Always recognize and remember that insurance is not just insurance…it is a foundational component of every successful financial plan.
Step Two: Therefore…insurance must protect assets AND contribute toward long-term financial goals. An unhealthy perspective of insurance allows it to conflict with long term financial goals.
Step Three: To contribute, each insurance decision must be a result of evaluating one’s overall insurance portfolio, their financial goals and their own personal level of risk so that they have peace of mind regarding their insurance plan and financial portfolio.
This is what Glidewell stands for…and believes in: That insurance should be a tool to help people achieve financial freedom.
