Meet Derek Griffin

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Derek Griffin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Derek below.

Hi Derek , appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

I can attribute my resilience from overcoming my parents divorcing when I was at the young age of 10 and an only child. I was thrust into adulthood when my mother explained that I had to become the man of the house in the absence of my father. I assumed the role as best I could, considering. I took the challenge to heart and made it a mission to be a better man and father when the opportunity would present itself. It became my purpose no matter the obstacles that I knew I would have to face on my life’s journey. I knew my mother needed me to step up! Therefore I did just that!

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Currently, I’m focused on building my Independent Insurance Agency and qualifying to become a Broker General Agency (BGA) in the industry. With over 25 years of insurance sales experience I can now assist other aspiring insurance professionals to achieve their goals.

My company is very excited with establishing itself as an intermediary with direct relationships both with insurance carriers and insurance agents. Our main objective is to take the heavy lifting off independent insurance agents, allowing those agents to focus on selling insurance policies. We will also help individual agents and smaller agencies gain access to the insurance products their clients want and need for overall peace of mind that they are properly protected.

Furthermore, the most exciting thing is our company mission of educating and advising our clients in how to use insurance products to create, protect and manage generational wealth. We focus on Four Crucial Areas (Life Insurance, Retirement, Long Term Care, and Estate Planning) in our individual and group presentations. Our company has achieved significant success and growth through the aforementioned sales strategy. Our agency can also attribute our success by acquiring strategic partners that provide their resources and expertise to support the mission. One of those dynamic partners is Nationwide Insurance, a Fortune 100 Company with almost 100 years of insurance excellence in the marketplace. I’m very honored to have them on board. I’ve also been blessed with an amazing Mentor and Business Partner, Mr. Derek Campbell of the Derek Campbell Agency in Fayetteville, GA. His guidance, encouragement, and expertise has been invaluable to my company’s success.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

First of all I believe Confidence is very significant quality to have in the business world. Without confidence, you’ll never make it anywhere. In fact, without confidence in your goals and your vision, any other skills you possess – from the technical to the psychological – are likely to be wasted.

Over the years Critical Thinking has proven to be a skill that one should certainly develop, if you want to be successful. You need to be able to analyze situations and problems critically and make logical decisions. Whether in the boardroom, in battle , or on the sports field, quick decision making is one of the most important of all skills.

Lastly, Patience I strongly believe is the most critical of all skills. Success doesn’t come quickly, and when it does it often disappears even faster than it arrives. Most of the world’s most successful people spent years honing their craft and developing their skills before they became the people they are today.

Even history’s ‘overnight’ successes often spent years working in their industry or studying their craft before reaching the heights of success. The reason they made it all the way to the top is because they possessed an important skill: patience.

Patience isn’t something you’re born with or without – it’s a skill that you can build and cultivate like any other. One of the best ways to develop patience is by adopting a mindset that inspires you to be thankful and patient. As a Pastor my Faith and biblical studies has played the most significant part in developing this most needed skill for my life’s journey. It will serve you well in your most challenging moments, dramatic changes, and the dreadful waiting periods prior to success. I encourage everyone to never give up on your dreams and yourself.

When I hear someone say something is impossible, I inwardly laugh, because I personally know that we serve a God who does the impossible! Jesus said, “…If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23).

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

The Holy Bible has played a major role in my personal development and professional career. The scripture or most impactful nugget comes from the Old Testament, Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Enough said!