THAT SUNNY DAY
That Sunny August Day That Changed My Life
BY : RYAN HAGER , CLCS ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT , JGS INSURANCE
It was your typical Florida morning in the month of August . It was so hot and humid that when you left the safety of the airconditioned car , the heat hit you like a wall . It was only 7 a . m ., and that was not a good sign of what the weather had in store for the rest of the day . For two weeks every August , I would have this daily battle with Mother Nature as I attended camp at the PGA Center for Golf Learning and Performance . For the entire year leading up to it , I would look forward to the golf camp . Just as important , was getting to stay the two weeks with my grandparents and spending quality time together .
Just like we had every morning , my grandfather was driving me up I-95 to Port St . Lucie where I had eight hours of working on my golf game ahead of me . My grandfather always preached the importance of being early , no matter what . This meant that we left every morning around 7:10 a . m . to drive to a facility twenty minutes away for a camp that didn ’ t start until 8 a . m . If you tried telling him that this was a little over-the-top , then he would leave a whopping five minutes later . Like every other sixteen-year-old , I would struggle getting up in the morning and wanted to wait until the very last millisecond to get up and leave . This morning was no different than any other morning , I was half asleep in the car ride to camp ; what I didn ’ t realize was that I was about to have a conversation that would change my entire life .
At this point in my life , I lived and breathed golf . I was the first one on the course and the last one off . During the frigid Jersey winters , I would set up a net in my garage and hit at least 300 balls a day . As a result of my passion for the game , I was interested in seeking a career in the golf industry as a teaching professional . It may not have been the most stable career choice , or one that would have provided me with the best quality of life , but nevertheless it was the path I was set on taking .
We had just turned onto I-95 when my grandfather looked over at me and asked that I promise him one thing : give JGS a shot . After all , he began his role as President of JGS in 1962 where he stayed for over 34 years ! My grandfather spent a career pitching JGS to clients and industry professionals , and on this summer day , he was now making the pitch to his grandson . He discussed the ability to work with my family , the endless opportunities , and the chance to be a part of something great . The request was simple . I didn ’ t have to force myself into a career that made me miserable ; rather , just work at my family ’ s business for a summer and consider it as a viable career path . One thing was made clear from the beginning : no matter what decision I made , I would always have his support behind me . Eight months later , I walked into JGS for the first time as a summer intern . Much has changed since my grandfather was President ; JGS has grown from a handful of employees to over eighty ; we have been recognized by our peers as a top-100 brokerage in the country ; and we continue to innovate our practices . However , there are some things that have not changed at JGS . We are still a family-owned business in an industry that has been dominated by the big guys acquiring the independent voice .
This year I will mark my fifth year at JGS , and even though my grandfather is no longer with us , I still feel his influence every single day . I am honored to be able to work with one of his former clients , a client for whom he and my father traveled to Maryland every summer to present their insurance renewal . Last year ’ s annual drive was different , for the first time it was myself and my father driving down to Maryland to present that long-time client ’ s insurance renewal . When I think back to that day I can ’ t help but think about that one sunny day in August with my grandfather that changed my life . +
Ryan Hager is the third generation to enter into the family owned and operated JGS Insurance . At JGS Ryan has worked with both family owned businesses and large corporations to provide them with Captive Based Solutions . Ryan specializes in providing proactive services to his clients to reduce their losses and premiums in order to gain control of their insurance destiny .
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