This month's Tier One interview is a 2-for-1 special as Jay sits down with Todd S. Healy, MSW®, CLU®, ChFC®, AEP®, CAP®, Founder & Senior Partner, C3 Financial Partners
and his son, Rogers Healy, Owner & CEO at The Rogers Healy Companies. The trio chat about Todd and Rogers respective careers, what each learns from the other, and the importance of family.
JAY: This month’s interview with a superstar father and son duo is one I have envisioned for a couple of years and am thrilled you both wanted to participate. At a life insurance conference in September 2019 in Las Colinas, I had the pleasure of seeing Rogers speak and the displeasure of being the speaker after him! His presentation inspired a room full of professional life insurance producers to get out of their comfort zone with the marketing and branding of their businesses and themselves.
Perhaps not coincidentally, since then, we have seen Todd and his firm significantly up their marketing game – especially when it comes to digitally marketing to centers of influence. I suspect Todd took some lessons from his son’s success just as I know Rogers has learned a thing or two from his father over the years. We will talk more about this as well as hearing your thoughts about the techniques you have both applied in becoming successful salespeople.
First, though, let’s hear about your companies. Todd, it has been a couple of years since I interviewed your business partner, Celeste Moya, so we are overdue on receiving an update on C3 Financial Partners. Then, Rogers, you recently celebrated 15 years since founding Rogers Healy & Associates, and I want to hear about the direction the company has taken.
Todd: Ever since you asked Rogers and I to participate, Jay, I have looked forward to this interview. As a life insurance firm, C3 Financial Partners continues to focus on bringing clarity, confidence, and coordination to our clients and their advisors. That is because we find that life insurance is often one of the largest unmanaged and least understood assets. For example, most people’s focus is often on the premiums, maybe the cash value, but very seldom on the ultimate asset – the death benefit.
Our goal is to be a resource to the advisors we work with by being subject matter experts in the use of life insurance as a funding tool.
Aside from in-person meetings, we use videos, webinars, and social media to help convey our messages. Additionally, we host 15-minute “Coffee with C3” events to share current trends and developments in the life insurance industry; as well as hour-long “C & C” events where we bring in subject matter experts in areas that most advisors may not ordinarily be exposed.
Rogers: Thanks for the intro, Jay. Rogers Healy and Associates Real Estate, or RHA has seen exponential growth this past year. We have reached 500 agents and about tripled our staff size. Rogers Healy and Associates Real Estate has also expanded to become your one-stop-shop for all your real estate needs. Throughout the 16 years of growing the Rogers Healy Companies, we have formed four sister companies; Healy Global Relocation founded in 2007, Healy Property Management in 2008, RHA commercial in 2010, and, most recently, RHA Land and Lake last year. The addition of RHA Land and Lake has been a huge success, and in the two months since announcing the expansion, it has set us up for entering markets all throughout the state of Texas.
Jay: I’m always curious about the path people take to get where they are in the life insurance careers. Rogers, you grew up around the life insurance industry and I’m interested to hear not only about your upbringing and your path to your firm becoming the number one largest independently owned real estate brokerage in North Texas but also how your dad’s career influenced you.
Rogers: My dad is the best person I know. Although I never followed in his footsteps by choosing his industry path, I follow his leadership guidance. The number one thing I admire about my dad is that he always shows up. Whether it be showing up to work every day or showing up for the people he cares about. His work ethic and basic human ethics are so inspiring and ones I hope to emulate to my future children.
Jay: Each time I speak with you, Todd, I learn something new about your background. Am I right to say that your parents were social workers and that you lived abroad, including in Pakistan, and did not move to the U.S. until you were nine?
Todd: Yes, you are correct, Jay. Needless to say, that had a significant impact on me by giving me a “total world perspective” to how other people live compared to our lifestyle.
After that, we moved to California where I learned to swim and play water polo.
I was fortunate enough to get a scholarship to play water polo at the University of California at Berkeley and I also received a Master’s in Social Work from there.
Through my parents, I interviewed with United Way and accepted a position in Corpus Christi, Texas. There, I met my future wife; and once married, realized that I wanted to provide my family with more choices.
I sold Cutco Cutlery during college and was the number one part-time salesperson in the eleven western states. That’s when I learned that ‘sales’ is my unique ability. I obtained my real estate and life insurance licenses, but ultimately decided that life insurance would allow me to establish more long-term relationships.
Once entering the life insurance field in Corpus Christi, I realized the market there was rather limited; so, I opened an office in San Antonio, and we moved our family. After a few years, we relocated to Dallas for our children’s educational opportunities. That proved to be the best investment we could make for them and us.
Jay: We agreed to give this interview a name – A Tale of Two Healys – not only because it is a rare look at a father and son who are uber successful in their fields but because you have both learned a lot from one another. In fact, you both bring up one another in business conversations and say things like, “My dad did such and such and really impressed a client” or “Rogers did this neat thing with billboards” – showing that you hold one another in high regard.
Todd, let’s start with you. Talk a little bit about not only techniques you use to be productive but also what you have picked up from how Rogers interacts with his clients and runs his business.
Todd: As I started to work with celebrities, Rogers gave me the advice to treat them as if they are not a celebrity – don’t “act like a fan,” be intimidated, or talk to them about their profession. Rather, talk about their family, interests, or hobbies. Also, as you pointed out, Rogers has influenced me to use more digital marketing in general.
Jay: I want to pose the same question to Rogers. Your dad is charismatic, charming, polite, intelligent, and tenacious and I think it is safe to say that the apple did not fall far from the tree. When we last spoke, you said that although it appears, from the outside, that you are ‘new school’ when it comes to social media and digital marketing, you are actually ‘old school’ in how you approach your work. In addition to talking about lessons you’ve gleaned from your dad, tell me more about your ‘old school’ approach.
Rogers: I consider myself an ‘old school’, traditional real estate agent, but with a modern twist. I start every day off as if it is Monday. “HAPPY MONDAY” is kind of my slogan. I learned from my dad to wake up every day ready to put my head down and work hard - maybe this is the ‘old school’ approach. In addition to that, I like to consider the way I advertise my business, outside of social media, as very old school. It’s almost like the movie “I Love You Man”. The cliche, punny, real estate marketing has been a huge success for me. It’s been fun to see my dad and his company have some fun with their marketing every now and then.
Jay: A lot of life insurance producers I interview are single practitioners or have a few partners and the subject of continuity planning comes up. This certainly does not apply to you, Rogers, at this point in your real estate career. You remain focused on growth, and I’d like to hear how you envision Rogers Healy & Associates growing and how you see your role developing or changing.
Rogers: My next ambition with my companies is to expand across the entire state of Texas and be the preferred real estate brokerage in every market. Everyone knows how much Texas is booming, Dallas and Austin in particular, and The Rogers Healy Companies are growing right there with ‘em. As for my role within the company, I never plan on running my business any differently than I am now. I have an amazing leadership team made up of 34 full-time staff members who are a tremendous asset to our success, and I can count on them to lead the company alongside myself. However, when my wife, Abby, and I welcome our baby girl next month, I may never want to leave my house.
Jay: Congratulations to you and Abby, Rogers – what fantastic news! The life insurance industry is a bit different from real estate in that when a policy is sold, a client may need service on that policy and the structures and planning around it for half a century or longer. This is where the question of business continuity for a producer comes up from clients and their advisors. Some producers hide from this reality, but C3 Financial Partners has met this subject head-on. Todd, why did you decide to take this topic seriously and what have you done to secure continuity for your clients and your centers of influence?
Todd: Another area of focus for us has been in the area of continuity. In the life insurance industry, typically, agents don’t plan for a time when “they won’t be around.” We, however, have actively been pursuing how our firm can continue to service our clients and their advisors. We have worked within the industry, and our producer group, to come up with some very specific solutions.
Jay: You both work a lot but I’m sure you find some time to enjoy yourselves. Rogers, during COVID-19, you got engaged and married – amazing! How do you both step back and relax?
Todd: This is another area where Rogers has done an extremely good job in having his outside interests and hobbies. We own land in East Texas and have horses on it. It’s been a great place to disengage – to work the land and ride horses and four-wheelers and relax by watching the deer come out in the evening.
Rogers: I am probably the biggest homebody EVER. Being at home allows me to unplug from real estate and focus on what really matters to me. Throughout the pandemic, I have really embraced and cherished my time at home with Abby and the rest of my family. It was kind of a blessing to our relationship. While at home we enjoy spending time in our music house, ‘Hotel California’, where we’re surrounded by thousands of amazing and historic music memorabilia pieces. It is the greatest hobby in the world. Music has always been the great escape, and now being able to share it with Abby has been the cherry on top. We cannot wait to have our baby girl there to enjoy it with us.
Jay: Thank you for doing this interview. I feel like an honorary Healy. Maybe we can rename the interview ‘A Tale of Three Healys! We have made it to our restaurant question where I am trying to do my part in diversifying the life insurance industry away from steakhouses and steak as their standard fare. What are a few restaurants and dishes that you recommend? You don’t have to limit yourselves to North Texas!
Rogers: Does a home-cooked meal count? Seriously, I love being at home and sharing a meal with my loved ones there more than any other restaurant around town. Nothing beats it.
Todd: My grandson, Sam, and I have breakfast once a week at Bubba’s. We enjoy the time together while we discuss activities in Sam’s life and solve riddles while enjoying pancakes and eggs. My wife and I enjoy the Cisco Grill, a family-owned restaurant in Snider Plaza that has a terrific grilled salmon; especially on the day they have half-price bottles of wine. Like Rogers, the location isn’t nearly as important as the company.
Since its inception, Life Insurance Strategies Group has solely focused on the individual high net worth life insurance market. We do not sell products. This allows us to offer unbiased, pragmatic advice. Visit us at www.lifeinsurancestrategiesgroup.com.
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