A STRATEGY FOR SUCCESS

Rough Notes, Dec 2004 by Tolen, Elaine

John Olivieri, Jr., puts his career plan in action

Unlike many youngsters who were dreaming of being firemen or cowboys, John Olivieri, Jr., CIC, LIA, AAI, planned early in life to be part of his family's agency. And he had a strategy for success.

The story begins when John's father, John Olivieri, Sr., ventured into the insurance industry in 1979 after owning a barber shop for a number of years in Brockton, Massachusetts, which is about an hour from Boston. "My dad had a good business," John remembers. "His good friend, Dave Mason, had an insurance agency, and Dad was curious about the business. This led to Dad and Dave opening up a new agency together. It was near the registry of motor vehicles, which allowed exposure to a lot of potential clients, and with his barber shop clientele, they had a good pool of potential customers."

In 1979, John Olivieri, Sr., decided to open his own agency, and the J. K. Olivieri Insurance Agency, Inc., celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. John, Jr., has worked in the agency in various capacities since middle school. He says, "My dad never pushed us into working at the agency. But even as a child, I always had an interest in his work. You get to talk to a lot of different people. You learn about other industries-not just insurance-when you're in this business. For instance, I've learned about elevator contractors, apartment building ownership, various types of distributors-areas that I would not have a. reason to know about were it not for being in the insurance profession."

During summers in high school and college, John worked at the Olivieri agency as well as for Aetna. "Hm-m-m, while my friends were hanging out on Cape Cod, I was working in an office," he remembers. "Did it pay off? Yes."

Part of the plan

After graduating from Central Connecticut State University in 1992 with a bachelor's degree in marketing and education, John worked at Lexington Insurance Company, an AIG subsidiary. His plan was to end up at his dad's agency after learning more about different facets of the industry.

"I suggest that anyone who is interested in being an independent agent work at an insurance company first. It gives you the perspective of the underwriters. You know what they really can and can't do and you know what questions to ask," says John. "For instance, if they say 'no,' I know to ask if it's prohibited-and they really can't do it. If it's not prohibited, then I ask questions to find out if they just don't have an appetite for that kind of risk or if perhaps they need more information."

During John's one-and-a-half years at Lexington, he worked part time-nights and weekends-for five months at Olivieri Insurance. "It was kind of a trial, to see if working at the agency would be a good fit," he explains.

In 1994, John began working at Olivieri Insurance full time. During the first year, he sold personal lines, then moved into commercial lines. John called on his personal clients who had businesses but weren't insured through Olivieri Insurance. As he became more involved in commercial lines, John also became more involved in community business organizations, such as Rotary Club and the Chamber of Commerce. In fact, this year he is serving as chairman of the Cranberry Country Chamber of Commerce.

"The purpose of getting involved in a group like the Chamber of Commerce is two-fold," John explains. "First, it keeps you informed about local business and industry and, second, you owe it to your community to give in a way that will benefit the community."

One way the Olivieri Insurance Agency gives back to the community is by sponsoring an annual golf tournament. "I love to play golf and try to play as much as possible. My brother, Ken, plays on a limited basis, and our dad plays maybe once a year," John explains. "Fourteen years ago, my uncle and dad were talking about a local golf tournament, and my dad wondered if he could play in it. My uncle teased, 'The only way you'll ever play in a tournament is if you have your own.' Sure enough, the next year was the first Olivieri Insurance Agency golf tournament.

"It started very small, with a few foursomes. We invited clients to play and charged enough to cover the fees and an after-tourney cookout. Every year, participation grew, and several years into the tournament we decided to include in the fee a donation to a local charity," John continues. "This year we had the highest attendance ever and actually had to turn people away. Over the years we've given $25,000 to charities. Organizing the event has gotten so big that Dad, Ken and I take turns running it."

Besides golf, John enjoys running marathons and participating in minitriathlons. He has been in the New York, Chicago, Twin Cities and Boston marathons. "Boston was my first marathon. I said, Tm just doing this once.' But you get this adrenalin rush and you're hooked," he explains. The mini-triathlons consist of a .9-mile swim, followed by a 24-mile bike ride, ending with a 10K (6.2 mile) run.

Another interest of John's is preserving his Italian heritage. Several years ago, John's father took the initiative to reconnect with relatives who live in northern Italy and Sicily. Since then, some of the Italian family members have visited the United States and the American relatives have visited Italy. "It has been great fun since they speak little English and we speak little Italian," says John. "But Italians speak with their hands anyway, so we are able to communicate!" In October, John went to Italy to attend a cousin's wedding and afterward traveled around the country, visiting other relatives as well.