Jeff Pomeroy is the owner of Legacy One Insurance Services, Richland

Hometown: Mesa, Arizona

How long have you lived in the Tri-Cities? Five years

Family: I am married to my lovely wife Amanda Pomeroy and we have two sons named Brayden and Ethan. We also have a Maltese dog the boys named Russell, after the one and only Russell Wilson.

Company background: Insurance brokerage that sells property and casualty insurance.

Tell us about your job/career and how you got into it: I started in insurance about 11 years ago doing side jobs for someone who owned a small insurance agency while attending school in Arizona. My wife and I moved to Spokane and started a Farmers Insurance Agency and ran it for five years, before opening up Legacy One Insurance in 2010 in Richland.

Business philosophy: My business philosophy has been to serve the client like they have never been served before! We work very hard on creating a client experience like no other. We don’t sell on price, but on service and value. We go out of our way to make sure our clients are nurtured and taken care off. I truly believe we have a Ritz-Carlton-like experience feel on how we take care of our clients. 

Life philosophy: Everything you do is based on the choices you make. It’s not your job, economy or your age that is to blame. You and only you are responsible for every decision and choice you make!

Community involvement/community service: My family and my business are currently involved in several community outlets, such as the Humane Society, Toys for Tots, Liberty Christian School, Second Harvest, Warrior Sisterhood and the first Mother and Son Dance last year, just to name a few.

How do you stay competitive in your industry? I am obsessed with educating and self-developing myself and my staff. I personally read about 25 books a year, I have listened to over 100 business podcasts just this year, on pace for 200. I usually take in about 5-8 webinars a month. I try to attend 8-10 industry conferences per year. I also have invested in having business coaches and mentors who work with my staff and me on a monthly basis.

Who were your mentors and what did they teach you? My grandma and my dad have been my first mentors. My grandma instilled confidence and self-esteem in me by constantly lifting me up and supporting my dreams. My dad inspired me by his work ethic. I remember he never missed a day of work. He worked his tail off and I remember this growing up as a kid. In the later parts of my life to just recently, Joe Peterson has been a mentor and friend to me in all facets of life, including the insurance industry, where we are direct competitors. Joe is a pay-it-forward guy and I have noticed the successful people in life will always pay it forward to others.

Toughest business/career decision you had to make or obstacle you had to overcome? My wife was nine months pregnant with our second son and I decided it was time to leave Spokane and Farmers Insurance after five years. Walking away from an established book of business to start again from scratch was a very difficult decision. I knew in my heart of hearts that I wanted to be independent and do things my way. I had such a successful career when I was with Farmers Insurance, winning agency of the year three times in a row in my district. Leaving all my friends, clients and family to start all over again was probably the hardest thing I had to do.

First job: My first job was being a waiter/server at Red Lobster back in Arizona. I remember not taking it seriously and taking it for granted to the point that I was fired. I will never forget the conversation with the manager who fired me who told me how many people depended on that job to pay rent and provide food for their family. From that day on I never took a job for granted.

What do you like most about what you do? I know this will sound redundant but I truly love everything that I do to the point work doesn’t seem like work. I probably work 12 to 15 hours a day. I am always looking and responding to emails, working on Facebook, Snapchat and working on our customer relationship management and updating sequences. Being in business in the year 2016 and having technology with you 24/7 is amazing, but it drives my wife crazy that I am always doing something in the background or on my phone.

Least? One thing that has happened to the insurance industry is that people are choosing price over having the correct coverage and protection. Large insurance companies are spending billions of dollars in marketing to convey the message that price is king over coverage. We have to educate people that insurance companies and coverages are not all the same. Once coverage needs are met for a client, then we can look at pricing. One of the biggest benefits of being an independent insurance brokerage is having access to multiple insurance carriers that will meet the needs of most individuals, whether they are highly affluent clients or someone who is still in college.

Biggest flaw? I have some of the worst penmanship and spelling you will ever see. Thank goodness for spell check.

What do you do to relieve stress? Walking/exercising and listening to music always gets my mind back on track.

Favorite book: “The 10X Rule” by Grant Cardone

Favorite movie: “Fast and the Furious” franchise. All of them but the second one.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Exactly what I am doing now. I wouldn’t change what I am doing for anything unless the man upstairs has another plan for me of course.

What thing would people be most surprised to learn about you? I’m not sure. I am a pretty transparent person. I am an open book if you follow me on Facebook or Snapchat. You will see I like walking with my dog at 4 a.m. every day and not going to bed until 11 p.m. I never sleep.