By: Ayana Bryant-Weekes

From selling cars to life insurance, Greg Blackwell quickly became the top insurance agent of Farmers Insurance in Michigan, providing “world class service” to those reaching out in times of need.

What's more stylish than a brand new car, home, studio?… Having the coverage to fully protect it in case of an accident.

Even down to the signature telephone greeting assuring you that a personalized, top tier experience awaits, the Greg Blackwell Farmers Insurance Agency in Southfield, Michigan have every aspect of their services lined with care and empathy for clients reaching out in a time of need, “You’re moments away from world class service.” The promise of world class service allows clients to hold the agents accountable to the standard of tailored services provided at a top performing agency.

“Just because you have insurance doesnt mean you’re covered.”

Much like his expression of style, Greg Blackwell’s work ethic and dedication to his clients are most appreciated by “those who know” – by people who have the insight of understanding, and an ‘eye’ for quality. Insurance isn't the most studied accessory, so Blackwell highly recommends enlisting the expertise of a Farmers Insurance agent to help you create a custom fitting policy that works for any occasion. Insurance, much like individual style, is layered with personal choices, however, it can be extremely beneficial to have someone with professional insight make informed recommendations to compliment and upgrade your style.

If an Insurance agent and a fashion designer walk into a bar, what exactly would they have to talk about? Turns out, more than you would expect. Blackwell detailed an interesting conversation between him and a designer he met at the February DFC Connects networking event. The Designer had inconveniently experienced a basement flood just before heading to New York Fashion Week severely damaging her inventory. Since most Michigan homes have basements, any designer or fashion enthusiast with a large, luxurious inventory will find Blackwell’s experience with Flood Insurance and Ruined Inventory extremely useful.

*Greg Blackwell with DFC Director of Events, Kevin Maples.*

The boutique agency experience, Blackwell explains, becomes even more beneficial the more assets you have to protect, from auto insurance, to property and business coverage, to accident, casualty, and home warranty coverage, the guidance of an insurance agent mimics the intimate relationship between a client and personal shopper building the perfect signature wardrobe.

*Law Roach and Zendaya for* *Vogue Magazine*

After 13 years in the insurance industry, the evolution of Blackwell's business model has not only been reflected in his rate of satisfied clients, but also in the evolution of his own lifestyle, and when it comes to his own insurance needs, Blackwell wants his clients and potential clients to know, “I eat what I serve.” Blackwell started selling cars at 20 years old and was the top car salesman for George Matick Chevrolet at just 22 years old, “It felt like [I was] an athlete getting paid to do what they’ve already done for sport.” The flashy lifestyle associated with (being good at) selling cars kept the educated, young salesman in the latest trends and riding in a new company car every two months. In addition to the motorcycle and Corvette he acquired, Blackwell was housed in a fully furnished home with plenty of financial and social autonomy, which took the “work” out of the job. Ultimately, when the “spend a check and get it right back" mentality started to make work feel like “work” again, Blackwell realized he needed to grow up.

Blackwell eventually met a client with a Farmers Insurance office who by outward appearances and purchases, seemed to be doing pretty well for himself. By the time Blackwell was 31 years old, he was selling cars by day and taking insurance classes at night hoping to find similar success in a more grounded field. After becoming fully licensed, Blackwell reached back out to his client and stepped right into entrepreneurship where he adopted a more long-form view of his life’s assets, utilizing some of the very products he'd be marketing to others into his own lifestyle such as mutual funds for his children. Through the relationships he cultivated in car sales, Blackwell turned 1,000+ active clients into a solid client base and within 8 months, his insurance agency was awarded as the number 2 office for business production in June and December of 2010.

During the beginning of his agency career, Blackwell made sure to adopt a professional sense of style that projected a trustworthy impression, mostly adorning the classic suit and tie combo Monday through Thursday, with a smart-casual Friday to boost office morale. As he became more established (and decorated) in his career, and more attuned to how the fit of his clothes could enhance his professional style, Blackwell loosened the knot on his office attire. Mirroring that same evolution in his off-the-clock wardrobe, Blackwell transitioned into athleisure – a professional look that accommodated the new fitness-driven aspect of his style expression, similar to the evaluation that occurs during the annual review of the client's policy to reassess the effectiveness of its terms after one year.

The subtle signals of high quality luxury woven into the business model of “world class service” began to find their way into Blackwell’s personal wardrobe. Celebrated as the number one Life Insurance producing office in Michigan in 2022 with a private dinner and personal shopping experience at Shinola Detroit courtesy of Farmers Insurance, Blackwell was awarded what he refers to as the “Winner’s Watch", a classically beautiful Shinola sport watch, adding to his collection of 15 luxury watches which are, of course, fully insured.

Blackwell’s idea of success may actually look like one of the worst days of your life, however, the shiny new car feeling – the winning feeling to be savored and shared– kicks in when clients are confident that their bases are covered after severe inconvenience. Thanks to his swift, yet lasting success in the insurance industry, Blackwell has done speaking engagements geared towards teaching other agents ways to perform just as successfully. Though he says, “There is no cookie cutter formula,” Blackwell emphasizes that truly caring about the client, and being equipped to have tough conversations can lead to a harmonious relationship between agent and client.