Challenges. Life’s full of them, right? Around every corner. Children are a constant test, the insurance industry adjusts from incident to incident, and the ball bounces the way the ball wants to bounce. Every. Single. Time.
But that’s just one day in the life of a young man paving his own path because that’s what he challenged himself to do more than a decade ago, and now the best part is every day is different for Brett Andrews. He navigates being a dedicated father to his son and daughter, he’s the insurance guru and a vice president for The Glessner Group, and Brett is an avid sports fan whose found the game of pickle ball, too.
“When Brett came to me, he said, ‘Just give me a chance,’” said Gary Glessner, the founder of The Glessner Group in the Elm Grove area of Wheeling. “He said, ‘Just one year and if you don’t like what I’m doing after a year, you can tell me goodbye.’ We were a very young agency at the time and, to be honest, to bring him on was a little more than what I had budgeted for.
“But now as I look back, I don’t know how we could have ever grown this business without him. He’s extremely knowledgeable about insurance,” he said. “We have grown this business much more than I ever originally anticipated, and he’s a big part of the reason why.”
How often does your daughter Taylor – a member of the record-setting Speech and Debate at Wheeling Park High School – defeat YOU in a debate at home?
With my daughter Taylor currently on the speech team and my son Wyatt being a graduated member of the debate team, the at-home debates take place quite often. I can still hold my own in most instances, but there seem to be more stalemates than ever, and if they are both on the same side against me I have no shot!
What is your best part and worst part of professional sports these days?
I would say the money end of it. I am an avid NFL fan and the players changing teams and chasing the money makes it hard to build a franchise these days. Couple that with the fact I am a diehard Cowboys fan who lose in the first round every year anymore … it’s been frustrating!
When potential new clients call you about their insurance coverage, what is the most popular question you answer?
Focusing mostly on commercial insurance, we usually reach out to most of our clients initially. The aspect they come to realize is we do things a little differently here. We are truly a member of their team and an asset to their business.
Many of my clients have become my best friends and ask my advice on things about much more than insurance related to their business. Some of those clients didn’t even want to talk initially.
What is the one insurance policy most people do not have these days that you recommend?
Cyber insurance continues to be at the forefront of coverage issues for the business owners. We still see an increase in claims and many have no coverage or insufficient coverage.
What meal can you prepare that you believe is of restaurant quality?
It doesn’t really constitute a meal, but I would say my dirty martini is restaurant quality. I had a bartender who made the best martinis show me how a few years ago, and it’s a nice skill to have!
