YAC Spotlight: Robbie Sistrunk

My dad's been in the business for just over 20 years, so insurance was always in the back of my mind. I got a degree in Food and Resource Economics at the University of Florida and when I came out of that program, I was open to trying different things in business. I decided to give insurance a shot and got my 2-20 license. And I've been working in the family agency ever since. 

Through high school, I had some fantastic role models, a couple of football coaches and club advisors who were very important to my development. As far as in the business, I work very closely with my dad, Rob, and he's been showing me the ropes. We work very closely every day, me as a producer, and him on the agency management side of things. He’s always right there for me to bounce ideas off of, work on specific accounts, and things like that. 

I attended the Topgolf event last year at FAIA’s Convention and realized there were lots of young agents who were looking to connect with other young agents and get more involved in the industry. After that, I attended the YAC luncheon, and knew from there I wanted to be involved. 

Do an internship and try it, whether it's on the agency side, the carrier side, or whatever facet of the industry you choose. In college, I did an internship in the financial sector and ultimately, it helped me narrow down what I was interested in. So, I would say try everything you can try. 

Closing out a very challenging account with multiple lines of business. It’s fulfilling when you can sit down with them, take a close look at their needs, and help them run their business more effectively, instead of worrying about insurance, because they trust you with their business. It’s truly rewarding when you finally close out that last line of business on a difficult account. It’s also great to be able to help somebody, especially if it's somebody you have an existing relationship with. 

I would emphasize to them that it’s a huge part of everybody's day-to-day life and that almost everybody has a need for it. You can really help people meet their needs and be very successful doing it. It's a broad industry where anybody can find their niche. 

Don't just get in a hurry to make the sale. When you take it a little bit slower, and get all the information on the front end, you end up with a much better experience for everybody. The number one thing that has helped me is realizing that it’s okay to say you’re not 100 percent sure on something and need a second opinion.  

It’s almost always going to be something outside. In the summertime, it’s boating or jet-skiing. In the wintertime, it’s deer hunting with my wife. And in the fall, of course it’s Gator football.  

My best friend would describe me as someone who is always ready to go, no matter what we have to do that day. Whether it's hitting a sales goal in three days, cooking for a fundraiser, or going to the beach, I’m on it. I’m always ready for the next thing.  

I think it’s going to displace a lot. But I think there’s always going to be a place for a real, personal relationship with your agent. At the agency level, there’s always going to be a need for people to come sit down with their agent and talk about their needs. I think AI could have more implications in the underwriting space. In certain aspects of servicing, AI will probably take some jobs, but I don’t think it’ll ever fully replace the agent.