No great story was ever written about maintaining the status quo. Challenge creates opportunity. Sometimes we choose to challenge ourselves. Other times we have no choice because forces outside of our control challenge us. If nothing else, the last two years have presented their share of challenges, and opportunities to rise to meet them.
I don’t believe there is a team on earth better equipped to rise to the challenges of the last two years than our team at Camargo. When a global pandemic shut the world down 2 years ago, our team was already running full speed ahead towards a new way. A tech charged but people first insurance agency reimagined for the 21st century. The pandemic only accelerated the challenges our team was already transforming into opportunities.
First who then what. We’ve been told over and over again by great leaders that it all starts with our people. But what happens when we take that to heart and live this mantra within our organizations? Gestalt is the only way I can describe it. When we are absolutely rigorous about recruiting and developing the right people, and those people are fully invested in our vision, 1+1 no longer equals just 2; and a team is able to create great things. The impossible becomes possible. Growth numbers that were previously unimaginable become reality… year after year. Opportunities that we were previously blind to, present themselves.
The right people rise to the occasion. They do not stick their head in the sand or deny the reality of the situation. They do not back away from hard conversations, hard work, or hard change. They face reality and take action. The best of the best thrive in this environment.
In 2019, after completely restructuring our company, the Camargo team rose to the challenge and created our best year ever. In 2020, global pandemic be damned, they did it again. In 2021 they turned up the dial yet again, setting massive sales and growth goals… and not just meeting our goals but crushing them. Make no mistake. The path was not a straight line. Whether facing external forces disrupting the property insurance market or the internal challenges of managing and executing the day-to-day in a rapidly growing organization, this team rose to the challenge and found a way to get the job done.
As we look to 2022 and set the bar even higher, I could not be more grateful for or humbled by the opportunity to lead this amazing team of professionals. It took every member of our team, wholly committed to our goals, to achieve them.
What will it take to make 2022 a success? One thing remains a certainty in these turbulent times; we will all be challenged. The question is – how will we react? Individuals and organizations that face the brutal facts, develop a plan, and take action, will be the winners.
On behalf of the entire Camargo team, it is my privilege to wish you a happy and prosperous 2022! Go get it!
President of Camargo Insurance