I was a proud new graduate of West Virginia University (Go Mountaineers!) with a bachelor of science degree in business administration and accounting. After spending the last two summers interning at a local insurance firm, I was presented with an incredible opportunity to relocate and open up their first branch in Los Angeles. It was an extremely exciting and nerve-wracking time, knowing that I’d been entrusted with such an important venture by an established commercial insurance brokerage that had been in business for over 30 years. I was not only responsible for managing and cross-selling their current book of over 200 clients (spread over ten states) but for bringing in new business through outside sales as well. In just two years, I increased business by over 50%.

Still, I didn’t do it entirely alone—at just 22 years old, I was lucky to marry the love of my life, and we went on this cross-country adventure together. (Thank you, Nichole, for being my rock all these years!)

I knew that this was my calling in life, but it took some time to understand why. Through the hundreds, if not thousands, of relationships I developed over the last 5+ years, I always heard the same thing: service providers lacked the passion, responsiveness, care, and attention that I gave my clients.

So, that was it. The one simple insight that provided the foundation for building financial and insurance services with a difference—and that’s where Align begins.