CLI DOC Tommy Hoelscher.txt
English (US)

00:00:05.280 — 00:00:09.800
Were you not recording that? Okay. Do that one more time. It cost extra if I have to repeat.


00:00:12.040 — 00:00:17.080
Tommy Holzer at h o e l s c h e r.


00:00:18.360 — 00:01:12.290
What you what do you do here? Um. Just retired this year from farming at Catholic Life. I've been board chair, and I'm also an insurance agent. I started selling in 96 and got on the board for eight years, was chair of the board for four years and got off the board and started conditioning to back selling and is 96 when the first time you you were affiliated with Catholic Life in either in any way or did you have a policy?

No. I bought a policy in 1974 when I was 18, and the first policy I owned from Catholic Life. And can you remember what kind of soldier on it back then when you were 18. Yes, sir. Wilbur Jones is an active agent now, and I bought it from his dad. Elo. Jost and Elo passed it down to Wilbert. And, uh, Wilbert was my,


00:01:13.330 — 00:01:26.130
uh, elementary principal when I went to school. Where'd you grow up? Uh, San Angelo area. And went to all who just won the state championship. So was there mostly.


00:01:27.410 — 00:01:35.410
So what? Uh, three years, then I couldn't figure out what I was doing, so I came home and started farming.


00:01:37.090 — 00:02:07.419
Um, tell me about your your first impressions about where Catholic life is today. With so much change and talk of AI and talk of, you know, some things are exploding, other things are downsizing. There seems to be an incredible amount of change right now. Where's Catholic life in that whole from your perspective?

I think they're on top of it. Our management is doing a really good job of keeping us where we need to be. In the current


00:02:08.740 — 00:02:42.299
physics of the all the changes that are going on. I mean, I came from a generation and my kids are alive left, but I'm computer illiterate and when I was on the board is when we switched from paper apps to computer apps. And so I got off the board and they said, here's your computer, start selling. And I'm like, okay, give me the paper app.

And they said, oh, we'd rather you do it. Apps. So it was I mean we. And while I was on the board a


00:02:43.380 — 00:03:11.500
changes are coming every day. And you either change or you die. And so we're management is very proactive to keep us up and and to anticipate and see what's coming and keep us where technology wise we need to be. Let's just say there are a bunch of change always comes. What do you think is essential to keep the same?

To remain unchanged? We can't change this. What would that be?


00:03:13.380 — 00:04:08.070
It's a specific I'm not talking about so much. I'm talking about a set of either principle values. Something we won't compromise on. A lot of people see change as compromise. I think that's what the main thing is. Values. I mean, we're we're a A-minus and best rated company, and we've been there for 20 years.

And, you know, you get where you go. And by being honest, direct and holding on to the principles that you were raised with. And I mean, as long as you treat people fairly, that's number one thing. As an agent, the, the the first time the banker Tony said that it's agents who are the ones who go and talk to the family members when someone has passed.

Right. What's that line?


00:04:09.550 — 00:04:51.270
It can get hard, because in my community, I know everybody. We grew up. I live out in a little farming community. That's, uh, we're 45 miles from the closest town. So everybody there is family. I mean, we're we're we're tied together. School, church. And so a lot of times, you know, especially if it's an accident and you come.

I had a good friend. Um, he lost his mother in law, father in law, his wife and two kids in a plane crash. Dad was his father in law was piloting it, and, uh, we heard about it. Um.


00:04:53.390 — 00:06:10.489
We went over later that evening, and I cooked up a deer steak because he was a hunting buddy of mine and brought it over, and his daughter or his sister came out and said, oh, he's not eating anything. He's he's not. I said, you tell him Tommy brought him some deer steak because he always bragged on it. She went out and she came back five minutes later and she said, I don't know what you got, but that's first.

As soon as I said it, he ate it, and he ate it all. And I was talking to him. And his wife's name was, uh, Sue Ann. And we were sitting there talking, and he said, you're the only one that has ever called her by name all day. Everybody just said, you know, we're sorry they wouldn't bring her name up. Wouldn't talk to her, and I counseled.

I counsel him, he'd called me up. He said, I'm eating lunch. Come meet me. And there's a little burger shop, a convenience store. And it was a cry for help. So he came out and I'd sit and talk to him for two hours just because he was gone. So, you know, you get some people you don't know, and then it gets close to home and you just I was a volunteer EMT for 25 years.

And so you all in and a lot of friends and neighbors and and some of their worst times and moments. So


00:06:11.810 — 00:06:12.890
deal with it.


00:06:15.250 — 00:06:15.690
Wow.


00:06:17.890 — 00:06:23.010
There's part of that community that can never be replicated through credential, isn't there with your New York life


00:06:24.610 — 00:07:15.860
in your branch that you belong to. What are some of the things that you guys are doing that you're proud of, or that you've done in the past or that to for the community? Well, we're like I said, we're rules. So there we do. Big spring is 40 miles from us. And so we help the women's shelter there, you know, and they have their food, diaper drives or whatever.

Uh, we sponsor a lot of food drives for different things in Midland. Odessa is 40 miles from us, and son Angelo's 80 miles. So, um, we just, you know, come up with something to do because we were not out incorporated town or city of any type. We're just Catholic church, fire department and a gym and that's Saint Lawrence.

Plus who who lives there. So. But women's shelter, we help out a lot.


00:07:17.340 — 00:07:19.820
That's a good cause. Um.


00:07:21.860 — 00:07:54.019
What do you. What do you think? What's your biggest hope for the future for? For Catholic life insurance and the members and the like. The fraternal organs. Just this whole thing. What? What would you hope for people to join? For younger people to understand what it brings. What would it be? Never forget your roots.

Remember where we started and where have we been and where we where we're at now? Um, you know it. Catholic life isn't one person, one thing. It's it's it's the philosophy and the the


00:07:55.500 — 00:08:27.190
the people that that are Our agents, the Home Office personnel. It's everyone. And like I said earlier, it's a big family. And, you know, family is from when I grew up. Families now are a lot different. And there's too many distractions, too much stuff going on. So just hold on to your roots and remember change.

Change is good and it's not good. So take your time and make sure look before you leap.


00:08:28.750 — 00:08:31.350
That's great advice. Um,


00:08:32.669 — 00:08:47.389
can you turn on the board? What? Was there something specific that you worked on that you were really proud of, that you worked on? Or do you remember? Because I know you're involved in so many different things, but is there something specific that you did? Well, like I said, we came up with the IEPs, uh, because


00:08:48.510 — 00:09:04.990
I got on the board in 2010, and that was when it was just starting to come about. And like I said, on some, it was way over my head and I just said, yeah, if y'all think it's good, we'll go ahead and get it going and get it, get it running. But, uh, we did that and, um.


00:09:06.310 — 00:09:26.670
Oh, that's about all. I mean, we did quite a but that was one of the bigger things that came about while I was on the board. And we, uh, started looking at merging or acquiring other companies because that's a new way to survive in this growing market, the way it's going. Yeah.


00:09:27.830 — 00:09:59.920
I want to keep that fraternal opportunity alive. We don't want that to go away. Right, right. Because it brings a lot. And I think one of the things that we're trying to do with this video is to help people understand what does a fraternal organization actually bring to the party, rather than just a policy.

Right. It brings money into the community service hours for the community. So, yeah, I mean, having that fraternal organization is, is, I think, really critical and not just in general for our society. Right. Because it does good while it's doing the things for families as well. Um.


00:10:01.280 — 00:10:55.720
Let's see. Let me jump out of here. Um, one of the things we're going to use this content for is, is for the convention coming up next. Got any good convention stories? Oh, I do, but my wife told me not to tell them. We just heard from your wife, and she said it's okay. I've changed my mind. No, I would just. Yeah.

I mean, you know, New York Live doesn't probably do what it does. Go back to the other mic you had on. That's Jaworski. He was not on the board yet, and I'm sometimes a bad influencer, but we were at the convention in San Marcos, and they had these six seater go carts to help the elderly out though. Mike, I said, I'm on the board.

I said, we can drive these things. So we jumped in and started going up and down the halls, and other people didn't have quite the enthusiasm we did, but we had a good time.


00:10:58.730 — 00:11:16.650
Sounds like you've forged some really wonderful friendships. I have friendships. Yes. And we used to have trainings every year. And agents, I mean, I know probably 60% of the agents that are selling through having gone through, um,


00:11:17.930 — 00:11:53.090
seminars with them and then being on the board and, and yeah, it's that it's sad to say there's a lot of them are gone. And uh, even the I grew, grew up in a little Rowena, which is right out east of San Angelo. And I called them my widow women, because all their husbands were dead, and they were all women that I grew up with their kids.

And to date, there's none of them left. Their husbands all died 15 years ago. They died six or 7 or 8 years ago. So they're all gone. And, you know.


00:11:54.450 — 00:11:55.609
Is that


00:11:57.540 — 00:12:17.860
Somehow a challenge for Catholic life, though the fact that, I mean, is your core group of people who've come through the last 30 years, they're retiring. They're dying. They're moving away. How do you feel that with new people?


00:12:19.380 — 00:14:12.560
It's funny because as an agent, if Mom and Dad only insurance, the kids are going to buy insurance. If the kids have never been or your client has never been exposed to buying life insurance, it's a harder sell and you have to work it a little harder to convince them why buying insurance is in their best interest.

But, um, you know, the youth we have, the JFK's are a product we have, and we offer them 0 to 18, and then it's a convertible after that time. So every grandma and grandpa buys them because it's $100 for $200 for $20,000 coverage. And it's, you know, like I said, if you go buy two Starbucks and you got it paid for it.

So it's been consistent in the interviews we've done, lots of people have bought that particular product. Yeah, that's one thing we did during my tenure on board. Okay. But no, you know, it's a it's a good product and it's it's getting our local or young kids in that might not have came in because like I said, if mom and dad had insurance, there's no problem there.

You can sell them. They know they need insurance and they'll buy it. And I'll I'll even tell one of my daughters she listened to. And I don't know if you got this out, but Dave Ramsey and, you know, Dave Ramsey says buy a term, don't buy any whole life. And and I said, okay, that's fine. Well, she was living in Uvalde.

They moved up to Idaho. She called and she said, dad, I need the insurance. I said, what did Dave Ramsey tell you to do when you left your company that you just need a term at? She said you were right. I need some whole life. And I said, okay. Kick Dave Ramsey out the window and we'll go from there. So, you know, I mean, it's a changing deal.

And.


00:14:14.840 — 00:14:26.159
One guy, he just I begged him and begged him and and he wouldn't buy. And he ended up getting sick and died with without any insurance because it was just


00:14:27.960 — 00:14:32.319
not the way he saw it. And, you know, you went a few, you lose a few. So


00:14:33.600 — 00:14:49.640
one last question I have for you. Is there somebody that kind of mentored you when you came into selling life insurance and kind of showed you the ways or helped you kind of understand how to sell it or anything, or is there is there a specific opportunity that you have that kind of really made you go, this is how you do it?

Or is it


00:14:51.040 — 00:16:03.090
not really. Like I said, we came down to the trainings and it goes back to the elderly group. But there was Floyd, Frédéric and two Frédéric brothers, and I'd ride down with them and we'd go through the training. But no, I mean, I've always my ideal is to treat others as you want to be treated. So, you know, if you respect somebody and you're truthful and you're honest, it comes across.

And if not, it's just you got to look at the situation and talk to your people that you're selling to and feel them out and know get to know them, which people hate to discuss their financials and you know, what their debt load is. And and always I said, well, ballpark it because it doesn't have to be exact. But I said, you need to know that if something happens to mama and you have to buy our babysitters and you're not going to be in our case, they're going to be out in the field.

Well, you can't farm and have three kids at home and continue. And so, you know, sometimes you just bring up true facts of life to them and point out worst case scenario. We had a young girl up there that, uh,


00:16:04.210 — 00:16:41.850
she was 16 and she was feeding her show animals, and the feed wagon fell the feed and it bridged up and the wagon fell over and crushed her, broke her back. She's been in a chair ever since, and I've asked her about it. And I said, can I use your story as an example that, you know, the JFK is especially for $200, you're insured and you can buy up to 100,000 without proof of instability when you're 21.

And I said, you know, your story is one that accidents happen and you never that's why they call them accidents. So be prepared.


00:16:43.450 — 00:16:55.450
Great story. Thank you. I was hoping someone would bring up your ability. So thank you for coming. All right. You did great. No. That's great. That is. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Checks in the mail. Checks in the.