Nicholas Duncan

Since January 2025, I have been in my role as a licensed risk manager under my agent, Dale Guidry, for State Farm. I am currently licensed under the state of Texas to sell Property and Casualty, as well as Life and Health insurance to clients that are in need of coverage. The majority of my time is spent on the phone with clients who need auto, home, health, and even life insurance. I conduct risk assessments to accurately identify what coverages best suit the individual, while also taking into account their budget. Conducting risk assessments requires the analysis of potential risks such as driving history, tickets, and accidents. A significant part of my role is identifying if a potential risk is eligible through State Farm. Determining their eligibility plays a factor in whether the client will take a risk on the company, whether that's a higher chance of filing a claim or not making payments in a timely manner. Being able to thoroughly investigate their previous insurance history is also important in determining if the client would be a great fit with our agency. Often, communicating with our underwriters is necessary for writing quotes or policies to ensure that I am following compliance. In addition to preparing and creating policies for clients, ensuring that payments are correctly handled is important and required. Setting up billing accounts and taking payments electronically is a vital role so that coverage will remind in force without lapse. Monitoring change in laws and regulations that could impact our agency is important as well. Texas is constantly updating their laws for auto and home insurance, so it is vital to stay informed to stay within compliance.

In July of 2023, I started a role as an unlicensed sales associate at the same agency. This was an introductory position that allowed me to have conversations with clients and their insurance needs, but without the ability to make sales or make risk assessments. Primarily, I solicited clients that went online looking for insurance quotes. I spent all of my time making cold calls and logging information that was important for the licensed risk managers. This role got me comfortable with being on the phone with various types of people from different ages. I also learned to handled objections professionally while also maintaining a positive attitude. This meant being able to gain a potential prospects trust so that they could develop a long term relationship with our agency and State Farm.

In March of 2022, I was hired by my agent Dale Guidry as a agency assistant. Primarily, I ran errands for the agency that consisted of buying supplies, toiletries, and various kinds of office materials. Another part of my role was maintaining cleanliness of our facility by sweeping, mopping, and cleaning bathrooms throughout the week. Often disposed waste such as trash and degrading office supplies. I kept the office organized and up to the date so that my team members would operate as efficiently as possible. One of my main responsibilities was going on "bank runs," which involved depositing checks from clients that made payments for coverage. My agent Dale relied on me as his assistant for majority of small matters that add up and take toll on his already busy schedule throughout the day.

In October of 2020, I started my role as a barista at Starbucks. I was taking college classes online at the time, so this position gave me flexible hours and even provided free tuition to further my college career. The role was very straightforward, following simple recipes and providing excellent customer service. I often worked in different small shifts with employees who required us to work efficiently and utilize teamwork and communication. Communication with my team members was very important so that orders could be fulfilled in a timely manner without error. I had to learn new menu items very often, and craft drinks such as coffee, teas, and food. This position also required cleaning the entire store, such as mopping floors and cleaning bathrooms periodically.