Who are the people that our clients talk to, trust, and work with year after year? Get to know more about our agency by getting to know the people through our Employee Spotlight Series.
What do you do here at Wells and how long have you been here?
I work at the Wells Marine Insurance Wrightsville Beach office. My expertise is in the marine side of things. I do everything from boats and yachts to the businesses that support the boat/yacht businesses, which includes marinas, boat dealerships, and boat builders. I've been with Wells insurance now for five years and I've been in the insurance industry for over 15.
How did you get started?
My journey with insurance started working in a call center environment, focused on personal lines insurance which evolved into managing a sales teams. Once that company moved on and relocated to a larger city, I chose to stay in Wilmington and at that point I felt the need to stay within the insurance industry. I wanted to focus on something that I had a passion for, which happened to be the boating business.
Why Wells? What do you like most about working here?
What I like the most about working at Wells Insurance is the size of the agency. It's not a big corporate agency or a small mom and pop shop, but it's kind of the Goldilocks of insurance companies. It's just the right size.
What do you like most about your specific job here at Wells?
One of the things I like the most about my job and the industry that I'm working in is my passion for fishing, spear fishing, and just boating in general. I like being able to have conversations with and help the people that are another caliber above me in regards to those types of hobbies.
How has working here positively impacted your life?
Having worked at Wells Insurance, the thing that's most positively impacted my life is being able to work within an industry that I have a passion for. It's still insurance, which I've done for the past 15 years, but I work with a specific product and I enjoy working with the clients that I have.
What's the best lesson you've learned in your career?
The most important lesson that I've learned in my career has got to be learning from your mistakes and not duplicating those. I think that can be a given for any industry, but I think specifically in insurance it's a little bit more critical because you're dealing with people’s property and their livelihood. I’m interested in reviewing case studies of losses. What happened? How did they pay? If they didn't pay, why? Perhaps it’s learning from others mistakes rather than my own.
What is the most memorable moment of your career?
I think the most memorable part of my career had to be when I actually first insured this particular marina here (Masonboro Yacht Club). That was a start into the industry for me and it was something that I had a lot of fun doing. It ended up being very profitable and kind of led me on the path to where I am today
How have you used your experience to help your clients?
I've been able to use my experience to solve clients' problems from my own personal knowledge. There's a lot of folks that will want to start a business that's geared around the water, whether it's renting boats or doing charters, and it may be something new to them. With my experience and knowing how to navigate the industry I'm able to really assist them in all aspects of making sure that the insurance they are getting is exactly what they need for the risks that they're going to be taking on.
Favorite TV Show?
TV show is a hard one to pin. I'd have to go back in the record books and go with Breaking Bad as the best overall series I've ever watched. 
Favorite Movie?
My favorite movie would have to be True Romance. 
Favorite Podcast?
Probably the Surf Splendor series, which is focused on the surfing World Championship Tour, the various events, and competitors involved in those events..jpg?width=450&height=296&name=Surf-Splendor-Image-Sept-2018-2.png%20(1).jpg)
Favorite Book?
I don't read books. I'm more of a magazine reader, so I enjoy reading the Surfers Journal.
Favorite Band?
Favorite band is a hard one to call because I like all different types of music and it's hard to pick one in particular. If I was on a desert island, I'd probably have Bob Marley in the mix and Led Zeppelin. 
What's at the top of your bucket list?
I'd have to say top of my bucket list would have to be a trip to the South Pacific. Perhaps the Maldives...I think I know a guy that's done that before and it looks like an amazing trip. It's a huge commitment in order to do that trip, but perhaps before I'm 50 I'd like to do that. 
What's your favorite non-profit/volunteer organization?
My favorite volunteer activity now has been involvement with my child's school. He's also involved in scouts, so I help out with that as well. My wife is a pediatric physical therapist, so she also gets involved in some activities that are centered around children with special needs. As a family we will engage in some of those volunteer activities as well. 
How do you define success?
I'd have to define success as having happiness within the job, or role that you have in life. As long as you're happy doing what you're doing, I think you can call that a success.
What do you like to do when you're not working?
When I'm not working I like to spend time with my family. I have two younger children, so obviously that consumes quite a bit of my time. I try take my passions and introduce those to them, and fortunately my kids enjoy the water as much as I do. Our weekends during the warmer months consist of hopping on the boat, going over to Masonboro, fishing, and spending time on the water. 
What's the best advice you've been given?
Know when to hold them. know when to fold them! LOL I'd have to say the best piece of advice I've ever received is to not take things too seriously.
You can reach out to Jason for help with any Marine Insurance (Personal or Commercial) questions at 910.251.5426 or jriley@wellsins.com
