Career understanding videos

00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]

00:02 [SCREEN TEXT] When Hurricane Harvey hit Houston, Texas...

00:07 [SCREEN TEXT] everyone was impacted.

00:12 [SCREEN TEXT] But the students of C.E. King Middle School

00:16 [SCREEN TEXT] lost their library, their school, everything.

00:20 [SCREEN TEXT] William Hicks | Student - Ce.E. King Middle School

00.22 It was one of the worst things I've seen in life.

00:26 [MUSIC PLAYING]

00:28 [SCREEN TEXT] But as a community, we showed human nature is greater than nature.

00:30 [SCREEN TEXT] A rival school shared their classrooms with displaced students.

00:34 [SCREEN TEXT] Books and school supplies were donated.

00:39 [SCREEN TEXT] State Farm, the Chris Paul Family Foundation, NBA Cares and Reading is Fundamental...

00:43 [SCREEN TEXT] made sure the library was re-built.

00:46 [SCREEN TEXT] Linda Yantis | Librarian - C.E. King Middle School

00:47 We did it. We made it. In 10 weeks, we got this library up and running, and-- and we did it.

00:52 [MUSIC PLAYING] [SCREEN TEXT] By turning caring into doing, tragedy became triumph.

00:58 C.E.King Middle School students back in their building, [SCREEN TEXT] Raff Saeed | Principal - C.E. King Middle School

01:01 it took us a while, but guess what? We're back in business.

01:04 [MUSIC PLAYING]

01:05 [CHEERING] [SCREEN TEXT] Here to help recovery go right.

01:06 King!

01:07 [APPLAUSE]

01:08 [MUSIC PLAYING] [SCREEN TEXT] Here to help life go right.®

01:10 [SCREEN TEXT] State Farm logo, NeighborhoodofGood.com®

00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]

00:02 [SCREEN GRAPHIC] State Farm logo

00:05 [SCREEN TEXT] One Backpack at a Time

00:08 For such a small town, it's unfortunate and staggering how many people are experiencing homelessness right here in our community.

00:14 [MUSIC PLAYING]

00:20 Coming to the university, that in particular is something that really broke my heart

00:25 I got some backpacks with some supplies inside--stuff like food, clothes, and toiletries.

00:29 I could not continue to walk to class every day, to walk to a restaurant downtown, and to see this problem and not do something about it.

00:38 Coming here and seeing that really inspired me to want to take action that would make a difference.

00:43 I grabbed a friend, and together, we went into downtown Athens, we slung a few backpacks over our shoulders, and we started walking around.

00:51 All right, let's grab some of the biggest things first.

00:55 Not only do we provide backpacks with essential supplies,

00:59 we also provide personal connections.

01:03 We would simply give someone a backpack and then have a conversation.

01:07 And we would do that time and time again until we ran out of backpacks.

01:10 [MUSIC PLAYING]

01:14 The experiences that we had on that day are what motivated us to make The Backpack Project more than just a weekend project.

01:21 So we're doing 29 female backpacks and 111 male backpacks.

01:26 We got volunteers and wonderful students from the university to come on board and we became part of the community, and hopefully, part of the solution to homelessness here in Athens.

01:34 [MUSIC PLAYING];

01:42 The $25,000 grant from State Farm allowed us to pack more than 1,000 backpacks.

01:48 Since it started, we've handed out over 3,200 backpacks.

01:51 [MUSIC PLAYING]

01:54 Doing something small really can have a huge impact on the community. If we have the chance to go out of our way, and do something for someone who is struggling, we strive to do it. And so handing someone a backpack--it's a choice to be compassionate.

02:07 This is how we can make a difference. This is how we can act meaningfully and directly to impact those who are struggling in our community.

02:14 [MUSIC PLAYING]

02:15 [SCREEN TEXT] Here to help communities go right.

02:17 [SCREEN TEXT]  Here to help life go right.^®<\/sup>

02:20 [SCREEN TEXT] State Farm logo. NeighborhoodAssist.com

00:00 [Music] [SCREEN GRAPHIC] State Farm logo

00:02 [SCREEN TEXT] Planting Seeds to Grow Community

00:05 In Fort Myers, if you think about the beach you think of luxury, but if you think about Harlem Lake community you think of crime. It's one of the poorest communities in the city. There's not a grocery store within a 5 to 10 mile radius, and they don't carry organic foods because the community can't afford to pay them. I feel as though I can give something back to the community.

00:29 I've lived in for Fort Myers roughly seventy years. I really love my community and we're trying to redevelop this part of the area.

00:39 We had this vacant lot and it had a criminal past and we were like ok this is what we can do.

00:46 These gardens can show people a better way of life.

00:51 We came across the State Farm grant, and it's allowed us to lay the foundation for a beautiful community.

00:59 We will have hydroponics and aquaponics. They will provide over 500 pounds of fresh fish every quarter, along with over 1,500 pounds of vegetables and fruits.

01:10 The lab is used for academic improvement and they're learning how to help those who can't help themselves by learning to grow food.

01:20 So we were able to experiment and learn here, and then take it over, and grow it on a larger scale.

01:26 We visited several gardens and we've entered into a collaboration with several of the local farmers.

01:32 [Music]

01:36 [BACKGROUND CONVERSATIONS]

01:39 I'm excited about the garden because I love the fact that our children will learn what we used to do in our culture. We grew things. 01:50 Hey, how are you? Alright, how're you doing? 01:52 Oh, I'm just grateful, grateful, grateful. 01:54 Hey why don't you come and check it out. Let me show you what we're gonna be doing here soon.

01:58 We can proudly say once this garden is up there should not be a family within a 10 square mile radius that can go without food. We're taking a place that was abandoned and became an eyesore, to now a source of pride for the community and a source of resources that can grow and continue to grow for generations to come.

02:16 [Music] [SCREEN TEXT] Here to hep communities go right.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

(IMAGE)
A man, Thang Vo, is seen standing in front
of a white screen with red shapes.

(Text on screen)
Become an agent
Why State Farm

(Speaker: Thang Vo)
Before I was just a State Farm agent,
I was a counselor working for a nonprofit for
at-risk youth. The main thing is just being there
for them, and that's just very rewarding.
I've been there for about eight years.
And I want to do something similar to that,
and I thought State Farm would
be the best choice for that.

(IMAGE)
Thang Vo is seen seated at his office desk,
then speaking into a headset.
Next, he is seen speaking with a member
of his office staff, and then we see him walking
into his State Farm office and interacting
with a man and child.

(Speaker: Thang Vo)
Found that State Farm has one of the best
support systems out there. I didn't know how
to start my business, how to hire a great team,
how to market myself. And at State Farm,
their support system helped me
just face those challenges.

(IMAGE)
We see Thang Vo seated at his desk,
speaking to a client, then a different client.
Then, we see him standing against
the original background.

(Speaker: Thang Vo)
You get the chance to wear different hats
every day. You could be a teacher one day,
or a manager one day. Meeting with a State Farm
customer every day -- for me, it's more than
at business level, because I get the chance to get
to know them as a person, as well as them
getting the chance to know me as a person.

When there's a claim, we want to be there for
them, guide them, help them step-by-step,
and make sure that they're OK if they need any
help at all, and to contact us any time.
It's very rewarding. And it's the best job out
there, because not only are you working for
yourself, but also you're representing the
best company out there. That's what motivates
me to become a State Farm agent
and keep on going every single day.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

00:00 there is no better opportunity than

00:02 being a State Farm Insurance agent

00:05 coming out of the military being able to

00:07 utilize the leadership skills that that

00:10 we're taught being able to have roots

00:14 and stability being able to determine

00:19 your own destiny in my opinion there's

00:22 not a better opportunity out there in

00:24 corporate America I think being a state

00:29 farm insurance agent and doing financial

00:32 services and working in the community is

00:33 a profession it's a calling not just the

00:37 jail beat and I think that is the

00:39 greater value that it presents to the

00:41 military member and I think they could

00:42 be very successful at it as well a

00:44 service person coming into the State

00:46 Farm will know that they got a good

00:48 opportunity they have a company that's

00:50 going to help them succeed they have

00:52 agents that are part of that company

00:55 that will help them succeed we have

00:57 amazing clients that stay firm we have

01:00 wonderful and customers who are just

01:02 like family and being able to reach them

01:04 and multiline or reach them and deepen

01:10 that relationship creates a customer for

01:12 life this is an opportunity that it's a

01:14 once-in-a-lifetime opportunity it's a

01:16 career changing opportunity the economy

01:19 is challenging right now and this State

01:22 Farm opportunity you could you can

01:24 determine your own destiny is there a

01:26 better opportunity than being a State

01:28 Farm agent and you're asking a guy

01:30 that's 38 years as a State Farm agent I

01:33 would have to say no it's an

01:36 extraordinary opportunity if you're

01:39 looking for an opportunity to serve

01:40 other people if you're looking for an

01:42 opportunity to help other people I

01:45 couldn't think of another opportunity

01:47 that would be as as comparable as being

01:51 a State Farm Insurance agent there's no

01:53 better small business opportunity in

01:55 this country today than becoming a State

01:57 Farm agent

(IMAGE)

State Farm logo

(State Farm 4-note sonic logo plays)

(Soft piano music plays)

(IMAGE)
Cristina Ortiz at Falls Park, Maudlin, South Carolina,
walking on a pedestrian bridge overlooking waterfalls.

(Speaker: Cristina Ortiz)
I'm originally from Bolivia, South America and I
came and I found a job with another agency.
It was very lucky. He hired me. He gave me this huge
opportunity. One day, our sales leader, he called me to
the agent office and he asked me,

(IMAGE)
Cristina sitting at her desk.

(Speaker: Cristina Ortiz)
Why are you not an agent?
So that was a defining moment for me because, for the first time,

(IMAGE)
Cristina outside of her office building. She approaches the door and enters.

(Speaker: Cristina Ortiz)
I could see - maybe the Big Dream that I always
had, it could come true!

(IMAGE)
Cristina enters the lobby of her office and greets
a female receptionist and a female team member.

(Speaker: Cristina Ortiz)
They want your success. They will help you, they will
train you, they will give you the tools.

(IMAGE)
Cristina entering her personal office

(Speaker: Cristina Ortiz)
They will give you the support, the marketing, the knowledge...

(IMAGE)
Cristina sitting at her desk talking on the phone.

(Speaker: Cristina Ortiz)
We have almost a hundred years of knowledge that
we can take advantage of.

(IMAGE)
Cristina on phone.

(Speaker: Cristina Ortiz to customer on the phone)
"So let me grab some information from you..."

(IMAGE)
Cristina talking to a male customer in the lobby of her office.
Then we see her talking with a female in another area of the
office. Then we see her hugging a male customer.
(music transitions from soft piano to soft, aspirational guitar)

(Speaker: Cristina Ortiz)
I mean, I love this work. We have so much to offer because
we're a bank, we're an insurance company, we protect families.
We have life, we have health...

(IMAGE)
Cristina talking with her team members.

(Speaker: Cristina Ortiz to office team)
So, just have a brief meeting today. We have a lot of things coming...

(IMAGE)
Cristina in a female team member's office chatting, and then
we see her in another female team member's office chatting.

(Speaker: Cristina Ortiz)
Every office is a culture. You can create your own culture.
You coach, you're a leader. You can be a leader inside of
your office.

(IMAGE)
Christina and a female having coffee at an outdoor
café in Falls Park, Maudlin, South Carolina.

(Speaker: Cristina)
You can be a leader outside of the office. So when
I became an agent, the first thing I did is start getting
very active in the community. I want to say, "Thank you".

(IMAGE)
Cristina sitting at her desk.

(Speaker: Cristina Ortiz)
To the company. To, to, to all the team in State Farm because
(CHOKING UP) – It's a dream come true!"

(IMAGE)
Cristina exiting her office building.

(Text on screen)
Will this be your moment?

(IMAGE)
State Farm logo

(State Farm 9-note sonic logo plays)

[MUSIC PLAYING]

(IMAGE)
We see Princess Brown standing in front of
a red and white wall. Next, we see her entering
her State Farm office, then we see her standing
in front of the wall again. After that, we see her
at her desk, speaking to a client. Then they embrace.

(Speaker: Princess Brown)
I love being my own boss.
I'm Princess Brown, and I'm a State Farm
agent in Alcoa, Tennessee.
The thing I love about being an entrepreneur,
a State Farm agent, is that you get so much support.

My first year was so hard.
But my mom used to tell me something -- if
it wasn't hard, then everybody would be doing it.
And so I really feel like I'm the elite team,
being a State Farm agent.

It is so rewarding. Every year it gets easier.
So I like the fact that I can really put a
personal touch on what I do every day.
I can stand up high knowing that I'm a
State Farm agent, and I am able to
market the best products in the world.

(IMAGE)
Princess Brown is seen standing in front
of the wall. Then she is seen sitting with
colleagues, and then she returns to the wall.

(Text on screen)
Become an agent
The entrepreneur

[MUSIC PLAYING]

(IMAGE)
Another client walks into the office and
Princess Brown embraces him. Then, she
sits at her desk and speaks to him.

(Text on screen)
Become an agent
Meaningful connections

(Speaker: Princess Brown)
My team is the reason why I meet my goals,
because you can't do everything. The key to
it is coaching your team so that way they feel
good about what they're doing. It makes
everything work better. And everybody
gets a great experience.

So you can't wait on every customer,
but you can multiply yourself by training your
team to treat every customer the way you
would treat them. And so every time when
they come into the agency, they have a great
experience, and they don't have to just talk to
you to have that. And so it really gives you the
flexibility to be able to go out into the
community and know that at your office,
people are still being taken care of.

(IMAGE)
Princess Brown is seen standing in front of the wall.

(Speaker: Princess Brown)
You never know how it feels to be a State Farm
agent and to deliver on the promise of
State Farm until something happens.
There was a policyholder that came to me
on a Friday. And he had the unfortunate
situation of his house burning to the ground.
He had a wife, a 3-year-old, a 2-year-old,
and a 1-year-old. And he didn't know what
he was going to do.

It made me feel so good to be a State Farm
agent and to deliver on the promise of State Farm
when I was able to write a check out to the family.
And the husband came to me, and he was crying,
and he hugged me. And he said, thank you for
helping me to take care of my family.
That's the things that you can be a part of
at State Farm that makes you just feel so
good to call yourself a State Farm agent.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

(IMAGE)
We see scenes from sports fields and 
gyms and then we see Monique Ambers 
walking out of an office.

(Text on screen)
Beyond the Game:
State Farm® Agent Opportunity and the Athlete

(Speaker: Monique Ambers)
Because it's a goal that you want to reach, 
and you're going to do whatever you need 
to do to reach that goal. You have 
to prove that you should be here.  

(IMAGE)
Blake Miller is seen on screen.

(Speaker: Blake Miller) 
When you get a direct result, there's 
no-- there's no in-between. 
You either win or you lose.  

(IMAGE) 
A hand is seen holding a baseball, 
and then we see Byron Wilkerson. 
Next, we see him sitting on a bench 
near an athletic field. 

(Speaker: Byron Wilkerson)
Perseverance, hard work, 
discipline-- those things that are built 
into professional athletes' daily routine, 
they really start to pay dividends when 
you're in business for yourself.  

(IMAGE)
We see Andrew Shull seated in some 
empty bleachers, and then we see him 
in an office.

(Text on screen)
Andrew Shull
State Farm Agent, McKinney, TX
Former Pro Football Player 

(Speaker: Andrew Shull)
As an athlete, I think you have that will to win. 
I'm one of those people that I never like 
to lose at anything. I always had a plan. 
I always knew I wanted to be a State Farm 
agent. It just fit my personality.  

(IMAGE)
We see Byron Wilkerson on an 
athletic field, and then in an office.

(Text on screen)
Byron Wilkerson
State Farm Agent, Plano, TX
Former Pro Baseball Player 

(Speaker: Byron Wilkerson)
The rewarding thing about being an 
athlete is when your hard work, 
your preparation meets an opportunity. 
And when you succeed in those moments, 
that's very gratifying.
  
(IMAGE) 
We see Andrew Shull walking 
into a State Farm office. 

(Speaker: Andrew Shull)
You definitely have to be self-disciplined 
to run a small business. 
You're always going to face adversity, 
just like you did in any arena. 
Being able to meet that adversity and 
stare it in the face and overcome is 
something more-- you get a lot 
of satisfaction from doing that.  

(IMAGE)
We see a container full of basketballs 
in a gym. Monique Ambers, 
dressed in business casual, chooses one.

(Text on screen) 
Monique Ambers
State Farm Agent, Sacramento, CA
Former Pro Basketball Player 

(Speaker: Monique Ambers)
It's about having goals, and our 
goal was to have the team under 10 points. 
If we didn't-- I mean, sometimes we didn't. 
Then it's OK. And guess what? 
With the next quarter, we need 
to make up for that. That's exactly what 
I do as a State Farm agent.
We get our goals for the year, 
and then we break them down into 
quarters and make sure that we stay on track.  

(IMAGE) 
We see Byron Wilkerson walking into a 
State Farm office, where he is 
greeted by Blake Miller. 

(Text on screen) 
Blake Miller
State Farm Agent, Austin, TX
Former Pro Football Player

(Speaker: Blake Miller)
State Farm fills a void. The competitiveness, 
the routine, the structure. 
Those are all things that you miss 
when you get out of sports.  

(IMAGE)
We see Andrew Shull speaking to several 
men in an office, and then we see him 
speaking to the camera. 

(Speaker: Andrew Shull)
The great thing about being a State Farm 
agent-- a small business owner, is you 
get to be a coach and a player. 
I still love doing the player day-to-day 
activities. I still love sales, but then I 
get to dictate and exactly align my 
business where I want it to go. 
And I love that part of it.  

(IMAGE) 
We see Byron Wilkerson speaking. 
Next, we see his office signage, 
and then we see him speaking in his office.

(Speaker: Byron Wilkerson) 
State Farm is arguably one of the best American 
brands out. And then all I have to do is do 
my part, work hard, be honest, 
and try to serve the people in my community.  

(IMAGE)
We see Blake Miller speaking.
 
(Speaker: Blake Miller)
When I was a college coach out recruiting, 
a lot of the time when somebody walked 
in with a Notre Dame shirt on, or Texas, 
or USC, they immediately commanded 
respect. And I feel like with State Farm, 
when I put that State Farm shirt on, 
that's what I have. 
We're the biggest, we're the best. 
 
(IMAGE)
We see Monique Ambers speaking, 
then interacting with others.

(Speaker: Monique Ambers) 
I think the recognition comes with the 
high performance. At the end of the day, 
it's seeing the customer leave here happy, 
and that I felt like I actually helped them 
and educated them. To me, that's all 
the recognition I need.  
 
[MUSIC PLAYING]
 
(Text on screen)
State Farm logo

(Music plays)

(IMAGE)
Aaron Sessions walks down a sidewalk and
into his State Farm office. Next, he is seen 
standing in front of a red and white wall.

(Text on screen)
Become an agent
Motivation

(Speaker: Aaron Sessions)
Working in the corporate world I quickly 
learned in order to move to the next level 
I knew that I was going to have to move geographically. 
My family was in California. 
And that's where I wanted to grow my roots.
I'm Aaron Sessions and I'm a State Farm 
agent in Campbell, California. 

(IMAGE)
Aaron Sessions is seen at a customer's door. 
The man opens the door and shakes hands 
with Aaron Sessions. The two men sit at a 
dining room table and discuss the man's policy.

(Text on screen)
Become an agent
Career reinvention 
 
(Speaker: Aaron Sessions)
I wanted to be able to control my own destiny 
and determine my own self-worth. 
I worked with startup companies, did multimillion 
dollar loans. But never really felt what I was 
doing was making a direct impact 
on an individual level.  
 
Do you had any questions about your insurance 
policies or anything that I can answer for you?  

(IMAGE)
Aaron Sessions is seen standing 
in front of a red and white wall.

(Speaker: Aaron Sessions) 
Prior to becoming a State Farm agent I talked 
to a number of different agents and their 
experience with their career, and the overwhelming 
comment that I received from agents was 
State Farm is one of the best kept 
secrets out there. And I didn't really 
understand what that meant until I got 
into the business a little bit more. 
And now that I look back at that, 
I find myself saying the same things 
to people that approach me about State Farm. 

(IMAGE)
Aaron Sessions is seen talking to a customer 
next to an automobile. Next, we see him 
interacting with a staff member in the office, 
and then with a customer. 
After that, we see him in front of the 
red and white wall again. 
In the next scene, we see staff members 
interacting with customers.

(Text on screen)
Become an agent
Meaningful connections
 
(Speaker: Aaron Sessions) 
As an agent I saw that I could make a 
difference working with individual people, 
make a difference in individual lives, 
and I could actually feel really good 
about what I did. When it comes to my 
team, I hire people that have a 
similar mindset. I don't want to hire people 
that show up every day and collect a paycheck. 
That's not who I am. I feel like, yes, this is a 
means to live out the financial goals that 
I have in my life, but while doing so I can 
help people and make a difference in many 
people's lives. And my team feels the same way. 
They rally around that. They feel passionate 
about helping people, whether it be just 
providing great customer service. 

(Text on screen)
Become an agent
Why State Farm

(IMAGE)
Aaron Sessions speaks in front of the 
red and white wall. Next, we see him 
speaking to two customers in the office. 
In the following scene, we see him walking 
through his back yard with his wife, 
and then he's back in front of the wall.

(Text on screen) 
Become an agent
Balanced life 
 
(Speaker: Aaron Sessions)
State Farm offers support to an agent. 
And that's one thing I really appreciate about 
the company. It's that I never feel that I'm 
on my own. And that is one of the things 
that appealed to me where there was a 
process and a system, that I didn't have 
to go out on my own. Thousands of people 
have done this before me. 
And State Farm had a successful track record.  

(IMAGE)
Aaron Sessions and his wife and their dog 
walk through their backyard. Next, the couple 
sits on their patio, and then he's 
back in front of the wall.
 
(Speaker: Aaron Sessions)
So I started this business eight years ago now. 
At the time I was single. And I kept in mind 
that I wanted to live out the family lifestyle 
that I wanted to live. I've been married now 
for four years. My wife and I are expecting 
our first child. And I look forward to being 
the dad that I always wanted to be, and being 
able to be there for my kids, and pick up 
my kids from school if I wanted to every day, 
coach Little League, do all the things that 
would provide as much of a wonderful 
childhood as I can possibly provide 
as a father to my kids.  
 
My decision to become a State Farm agent 
was one of the best decisions that I've 
ever made. I make more income than I 
thought I would ever make in my career. 
I have all the flexibility in the world that I 
could ever want. And I feel really good 
about what I do on a daily basis.

(Text on screen)
State Farm logo

(Music playing)

Crystal Martinez is seen seated in her
office with a client. Then she is seen
unlocking her office door with a key and
walking inside. After that, she speaks standing
in front of a red and white wall.

(Text on screen)
Become an agent
Motivation

(Speaker: Crystal Martinez)
I can still remember when I opened
up my office. It was April 1, 2011.
I never imagined I was going to be able
to do that, see my name on the door,
be able to open it, and set the actual
hours of my own business.
So that was incredible.

(IMAGE)
Crystal Martinez is seen speaking to a
client in her office, and then standing
over an employee’s desk and speaking to him.
After that, she is seen speaking in front
of the red and white wall.

(Speaker: Crystal Martinez)
But I was very motivated to open up,
and just hit the goals that were set,
execute my business plan. I knew that I was
going to meet them, and there was really
nothing that was going to stop me.
I made sure that we hired well, that we trained,
that we did everything possible.
But it was very challenging. At the end of the year,
I'm like, wow, this is how much we accomplished,
wow, this is how much we grew, wow, we won
a trip, wow, they gave us this reward.
Because we put in so much work,
I definitely saw the reward.

(IMAGE)
Crystal Martinez is seen seated around a
countertop with her family.
Then, she is seen speaking in front
of the red and white wall.

(Speaker: Crystal Martinez)
And that's what I love most about being
a State Farm agent, is that you really have
control of what you want in your business.
And I just can't wait for what the future has,
because I'm just getting started. I'm very excited
to keep meeting customer expectations, to keep
meeting company goals, so that I can keep traveling
and visiting the world. I'm definitely motivated
and excited for what the future has
for me as a State Farm agent.

00:00 [State Farm Four Note Sonic Brand]

00:00 [music]

00:05 So, football's been a great learning tool for me in life, family, and, and just work at State Farm.

00:13 [music]

00:15 I was very fortunate as a young person to have great leaders.

00:18 I had two parents that were wonderful and were great role models.

00:21 I had great youth coaches growing up.

00:23 And when I went to college, lo and behold, they got the 1957 Heisman Trophy Winner as my football coach there.

00:29 So I went and played a little pro ball and then I got into coaching.

00:33 And then I started seeing State Farm at that point and so I began doing some research

00:37 and I remember reading one time where it said the

00:40 top three professions in the State of Mississippi and it was doctor, lawyer, State Farm Insurance agent.

00:45 It kind of made me think, \

00:48 [music]

00:52 I left to go take an agency.

00:54 And the that's when they came calling 30 days later to offer me the head football job there.

00:58 [Morning everybody!]

01:00 So, I had a big decision there.

01:02 At age 32, I'd have been the youngest Division One head coach in America at that time.

01:05 [music]

01:08 So, I went through that decision-making process. I made the decision and I've never looked back.

01:12 And I knew that I would be become a State Farm Insurance agent.

01:16 Because those guys -- I knew that they were helping people.

01:20 Everybody in the company, that was our point of distribution

01:23 and we were the quarterbacks in the company.

01:27 [What's going on Lance? How you doin' man? Let's go grab a bite to eat. Good seeing you.]

01:31 And people depending on you. You know, I like to think that you know,

01:34 we're ah, a customer's best friends on their worst day.

01:38 I really pull and draw off of a lot of those fundamentals that I dealt with coaching football

01:44 and even playing football and being coached by great leaders.

01:46 Like goal setting, you know, always seeking talent.

01:50 I've been blessed with a great team for many years and those are normally the

01:54 difference in successful agencies and very successful agencies.

01:58 [Let's get our meeting started like we usually do with production and ...]

02:01 State Farm has provided an outstanding living for my family.

02:04 And team members that we have here -- and you think -- the culture of State Farm has been, ah, it's been awesome.

02:13 [Hey guys, what's going on? Good to see y'all.]

02:15 I think for anyone thinking about becoming a State Farm agent one of the greatest blessings

02:19 is you can bring a lot of your past along, your past passions

02:23 and still do it because you have freedom and balance to be able to enjoy that

02:28 and I think that's what keeps me going, gives me a healthy balance in my life.

02:31 [music]

02:34 [State Farm Nine Note Sonic Brand]

00:00 [Music]

00:01 Charles how you doing good sir

00:03 my first impression should have stayed

00:05 farmed the culture the way that people

00:06 conducted themself they were competitive

00:09 like me and just to sit down and have a

00:11 conversation over a cup of coffee that

00:13 was the moment I realized that these are

00:15 the type of people I want to surround

00:16 myself with it's great walking in every

00:20 single day knowing that you got the

00:23 backing of such a great huge insurance

00:26 company like State Farm

00:30 when the unexpected happens State Farm

00:33 is gonna be there and customers feel

00:35 that when they walk through the door I

00:39 knew from the beginning that what you

00:41 put into this opportunity is what you'll

00:43 get out from it and that's why we hit

00:45 the ground running and take care as many

00:46 people as possible you know every day

00:50 you have a choice

00:51 you know you can be average or you can

00:52 be great the best advice I've been given

00:55 is you know though make excuses provide

00:58 solutions if you will own your own

01:01 business one day be a pillar in your

01:03 community and you only give back and

01:04 when your head hits the pillow at night

01:05 you feel like you're doing doing right

01:07 by people in a state formation it's a

01:09 great opportunity

(Music plays)

(IMAGE)
A State Farm office is seen. 
Brandon Herndon  is working in his office 
when his daughter comes running in.

(Speaker: Brandon Herdon's daughter)
Hi! Papa, look! 

(IMAGE)
The girl gives her father a picture she's drawn.

(Speaker: Brandon Herndon)
What is that? 

[GASPS] 

(Speaker: Brandon Herndon)
Come here. 

(Text on screen)
Become an agent
Work-life balance

(IMAGE) 
Brandon Herndon is seen standing in front 
of a red and white wall, and then we see 
he and his wife and child entering his 
State Farm office. After that, we see Brandon 
and his staff, including his wife, have a meeting.

(Speaker: Brandon Herndon)
There are very few positions in any company 
that really give you the autonomy to build 
your own future, and to build your own 
flexibility, and that work/life balance. 
I think with any opportunity -- especially when 
you open up your own business -- the work/life 
balance is different, especially your first year. 
But the good news is that as an entrepreneur, 
you can make your own schedule. 

(IMAGE)
The camera focuses in on Brandon Herndon's wife, 
and then we see the couple and their daughter 
walking together down a paved trail. 
Next, we see Brandon Herndon and 
his daughter interacting in his office.

(Speaker: Brandon Herndon)
So for instance, my wife works for me, 
which is a blessing. Because honestly, 
she came from a field that had no idea about 
insurance, or industry, or anything like that. 
But for her to jump on board and for her to work 
with me full-time has been great. 
Every Saturday morning, to see my daughter 
running around the office has been 
amazing -- to see her growing up -- and 
that legacy of what State Farm 
is -- I think is great too.

(Text on screen)
State Farm logo