“There are stars in every city, in every house and on every street.”
So went the lyrics in a long-ago rock song. But in Nathan Reid’s case, why settle for being merely a star? The two-time William Woods graduate (B.S. in Sports Management/Business Administration in 2005, Master of Education in Athletics/Activities Administration 2007) is actually a member of the hall of fame in his profession, elected to the American Family Insurance Hall of Fame in 2022!
“The Hall of Fame honor was overwhelming, something that I had strived for every day for 10 years, and something that I had set my eyes on from the day I was hired as an agency owner for the company,” Reid said. “To be in the elite company and be in the Hall of Fame is so fulfilling knowing what we have accomplished not just for the company, but for our clients, and thinking back on all of the relationships we’ve formed over these ten years, the lives we have impacted, and the claims we’ve helped them through, it’s something special that I will always cherish.”
The numbers speak for themselves. Since Reid took over the agency that serves the Lake of the Ozarks, Ashland and Columbia, Missouri a decade ago, he has been able to increase the number of clients served from 2,400 to 3,500, while almost doubling the sales of the business from $1.8 million of annual premium to $3.4 million of annual premium. But he’s not stopping there – his goal in the next decade is to take the number of clients up to 5,000, and increase to $5 million in annual premium.
“Just by how competitive our team is, I’m sure we can do it!” he said. “Every day, we just try to help as many people as possible and be a difference maker in their lives.”
Which shouldn’t surprise anyone who knows Nathan Reid, whose life has always been highly influenced by sports.
Jock of all trades
A Sweet Springs, Missouri native, Reid was a two-time all-state baseball player and all-conference/all-district soccer player for the Northwest High School Mustangs. His passions from a young age were sports and business, and he found a way to combine the two at an institution that would change his life – William Woods University.
“I chose to attend William Woods after attending an ACT Prep Course at WWU in high school,” he remembers. “I fell in love with the campus, the friendliness of the people, plus the ducks, the lakes, the green spaces and the architecture – it just felt like home! My favorite memories are all the relationships created and the time spent with friends, most of us still stay in touch 20 years later.”
While at The Woods, Reid enjoyed a variety of roles that combined his loves. As an undergrad he worked for Coach Bob Jones in Weider Fitness Center and helped establish the intramural sports program on campus. He completed internships with the University of Missouri Athletic Department and YMCA. While a graduate student, he served as a grad assistant in the Athletic Department actually running the intramural sports program. He also served Interim Director of Residential Life, was an Area Coordinator and helped establish the campus leadership program while pursuing his Masters in Athletic and Activities Administration.
“My education at WWU touched on so many areas within my major that it made me so well-rounded for any sports or business/finance career,” said Reid. “I had courses in Risk and Insurance, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Advertising, Economics, Business Management, Money and Banking, plus Leadership courses that all contributed to my success. I use each of these courses every day in my line of work where I wear multiple hats, from insurance agent to business owner, entrepreneur and CEO.”
The competitive sports guy also found time at The Woods to meet his most important teammate – wife Bethany (Campbell), a 2005 graduate of WWU in American Sign Language. Nearly 18 years later, the Reids are together getting ready to welcome their sixth child in June 2023!
All in the family (insurance business)
After spending a stint working for the Kansas City Chiefs as a season ticket sales representative, Reid’s career took a turn to the business side. Over the course of a few years, he worked with mortgages, banking, and real estate with positions such as Production Manager with Veterans United Home Loans, Assistant Branch Manager for Central Bank, Business Development Manager for Joe Machens Dealerships and as a Realtor with Century 21.
“I was always looking to grow professionally and improve my skill set, and one thing I loved with real estate, for example, was the sales and service side of it,” he said. “This was a perfect transition into a successful career as an insurance agency owner. I was passionate about helping as many people as possible, but also being rewarded for your results, which is why it has been a perfect fit for me, my passion and my skill set.”
And so it was that Reid moved into his life’s calling, joining American Family Insurance as a Licensed Insurance Agent in 2011. Just one year later, he became the Agency Owner of the American Family Insurance branch covering Osage Beach, Columbia and Ashland, Missouri, directing the company’s services insuring clients for their auto, home, condo, watercraft, commercial and life. During his time leading the office, his agency has been named Missouri’s Best Insurance Agency the past four years by Missouri Magazine.
“As a business owner, I’m responsible for hiring of staff, budgeting, marketing, advertising, leadership, customer service, sales and customer satisfaction,” Reid said. “Every day is a new day with different opportunities that arise to help our clients, whether it is assisting with a claim, or a billing question, or with coverages they have. I’m blessed to have a great team that works for me, as well as dedicated service from American Family Insurance’s parent company.”
It was one such visit to the American Family Insurance corporate headquarters in Wisconsin that motivated Reid to seek fame – as in the company’s Hall of Fame. There was a physical wall that had a display of plaques of all the agents and greats of the company that had achieved Hall of Fame status at the headquarters. Once Reid’s competitive athlete instinct kicked in, the rest was history.
“At that moment, I just knew that I had to be up there on the wall as well. I had to do whatever it took to make the Hall of Fame,” Reid remembers. “Nights, weekends, whatever it took, I would help as many people as possible to earn this award. I was committed to this goal.”
And commitment is what it took. To earn Hall of Fame status, Reid was required to named an All-American Agent for the Company for ten years in a row. Becoming an All-American Agent was decided by customer satisfaction, year-to-year customer retention, plus sales of signing up new customers. But Reid achieved it, with an experience that provided some valuable lessons for today’s college students.
“Find something that you’re passionate about, use that passion to set a goal, and do whatever it takes to achieve that goal,” he advises. “That kind of determination will set you apart from others in any field. Create relationships and maintain them. As you start out in your profession, stay passionate, and try to make a difference in people’s lives. If you stay passionate, you can make a difference and impact the world!”
Words to live by, that might just might send you to the Hall of Fame. Like Nathan Reid.
