At just 25-years-old, Brock Cousino is in the beginning of his career as an independent agent. However, he quickly learned the powerful impact he can have as a trusted risk advisor from an unexpected family hardship.
IA Revolution: Tell me about your background before entering the insurance industry.
Brock Cousino: I graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a degree in sports administration and a minor in business administration. My first job out of college was working in operations management at the Stroh Center, a multi-purpose arena on the campus of Bowling Green State University.
IA Revolution: What made you decide to take the leap into the insurance industry?
BC: While I was working at the Stroh Center, a family friend, Joseph Beck, reached out to me on Facebook and asked if I had any interest in becoming an insurance agent. Honestly, I knew nothing about insurance at the time! We met for dinner to discuss the opportunity, and I asked him a bunch of questions.
After our conversation, I started right away at his agency, Beck Insurance Agency, Inc. located in Archbold, a small town in Northwest Ohio. That was back in November 2014, and I’m still part of the same agency to this day.
IA Revolution: What experience has been most impactful for you as an independent agent?
BC: My parents were actually my first clients. I sold them a $500k combined single limit policy and $1 million umbrella. For their entire lives, they had coverages of only $300k / $100k limits on their auto policy. Little did I know, soon after I sold them this coverage, it would prove invaluable to my family.
On Memorial Day weekend, my sister was driving home alone from a friend’s house. She swerved to miss debris on the highway, and lost control of her car. She went across the median and was t-boned by a car going the other direction on the highway.
Thankfully, the car hit the passenger side, as paramedics said she likely would not have survived the accident if the car hit the driver side. My sister was in the hospital for three days, and the two passengers of the other vehicle were in the hospital for several months.
The claims process took about a year and a half to get settled. With all the medical bills, it was about a $1.2 million claim. The umbrella coverage truly protected my family from financial ruin.
With all the medical bills, it was about a $1.2 million claim.
IA Revolution: As a young agent, what are your long-term goals for the future?
BC: I grew up in Toledo and have spent a majority of my life in Northwest Ohio, so my hope is to live in a bigger city at some point in the future. For now, I enjoy working near my hometown and meeting with clients in the Detroit area since my agency also writes insurance in Michigan.
I can see myself being an independent agent for the long run. I absolutely love helping people find the right insurance for their needs. The hardship my family went through truly demonstrates that the right coverage makes all the difference when the unexpected happens.
