Declaration of Independents: Heath Ritenour
After major surgery and a nine-week chemotherapy regimen, Heath Ritenour saw the learning opportunity his ailments presented to him. Now, he’s cancer-free and continues to provide his employees “freedom from the corporate nonsense.”
One month after his latest perfect physical, 39-year-old Heath Ritenour suddenly faced major surgery and an aggressive nine-week chemotherapy regimen. “Halfway through my treatment, I was angry and miserable because I had no control over anything,” he recalls. “I was broken and empty.”
But his faith-and epiphanies during conversations with his 8-year-old son and two fellow cancer patients-turned fear to gratitude: “I started seeing an opportunity for a type-A guy who had to be strapped to a chair all day. I started to see how impactful this disease could be, that I could grow from it, that I could learn from it and that some good could come out of it.”
In April, Ritenour was declared cancer-free.
A CRYSTALIZED CULTURE?
The people in this company are here because they want to be. At IOA, we provide freedom from the corporate nonsense. My job as a leader is to build a better business, run a better company, help build and create tools to make it easier for producers to sell, and then to get out of their way, but fan the flames.
At IOA, producers can out-earn the CEO. They are free to be entrepreneurs, to build something without some schmo looking over their shoulders. We will never micromanage a producer who is not on the draw. And we expect producers to be who they’re supposed to be at home. We’ll never look sideways if a producer needs to leave the office early.
SILVER LININGS?
First, when you have the threat of not getting to do anything, all of a sudden, you see the stuff you ‘have’ to do in a completely different way. I get to take my son to school in the morning. I get to come to the office and be around people I love.
Second, I had really good conversations with my children that wouldn’t have happened otherwise. Third, I believe I have been softened to a point where I will be able to learn from other people’s challenges. Two things softened me: cancer and having a little girl.
WHAT IS OUR INDUSTRY DOING RIGHT?
Creating jobs that allow people to bring real, tangible value to the client experience-and, in doing so, allow them to find value in themselves and in their work.
DEFINING EXPERIENCE?
When the rash of hurricanes blew through Florida over 10 years ago, I watched our clients rely on us to help get their businesses back up and running so their people could get back to work. I quickly realized how critical we were to their businesses. It was the first time the coverages and solutions we put in place for them felt tangible to me. That was the beginning of me feeling like an advocate for my clients, not just an agent.
DO YOU WORK A NICHE?
I am a generalist who works with niche partners to bring value to their clients while protecting their downside. I witnessed a couple of partners take a huge hit on their books of business when their niche became the target of direct writers.
BIGGEST BUSINESS MISTAKE?
Growing too fast. I had to learn that sometimes even a good deal needs to wait. At IOA, excellence is our standard. Planting this flag means sometimes we have to say no to opportunities, so those opportunities don’t become a burden to our most valued resource: our people.
ROLE MODEL?
My father is my most important mentor. He taught me more about life and business than anyone. I watched him and my mom go from the projects and a trailer park to build a successful, generational company through hard work, integrity, perseverance and an unwavering belief that taking the greed out of the business is good.
Originally published at https://www.iamagazine.com:443 on August 1, 2016.
