Safety & Maintenance Tips – Page 4

Lisa Bage, Chief Operating Officer at MAX Insurance®, named KC Business Journal’s Women Who Mean Business 2020 Honoree

By David Wine, CEO & President

I am very excited to share some really good news! It was just announced that Lisa Bage, our COO, has been chosen as one of this year’s honorees for Women Who Mean Business by the Kansas City Business Journal! This award recognizes outstanding professional women in the greater KC metro that have made significant achievements in their business or industry, as well as their community. A panel of six judges selected the 25 honorees. We will get to see Lisa featured in a special Kansas City Business Journal edition coming the week of October 9th and the honorees will be recognized at a later event.

Not only am I excited for Lisa, who is so well-deserving of this award, but it is also good news for MAX! First, it is an affirmation for our team at MAX. Lisa knows and would be the first to say that awards like this may point to an individual but there is always a community behind that individual that helped make it happen. Second, our growth and development at MAX has not gone unnoticed. I celebrate not only with Lisa but also celebrate that this award points to MAX and the really amazing things we have going on!

So, to our team, agents, and members, please join me in congratulating Lisa for this well-deserved recognition. We are grateful for her leadership at MAX.

David Wine

David is the President and CEO of the MAX enterprise, having served in that capacity since its formation in 2001. He has forty plus years of leadership experience in the business and faith-based worlds, being an ordained minister, having been elected to the highest position in his denomination, and receiving numerous awards and recognition for his leadership in the insurance industry. He currently serves on numerous boards in the church and insurance sectors. His hobbies include hiking, biking, skiing and snowshoeing as well as being an avid reader. David and his wife, Sharon, have three daughters, a son, and six grandchildren.

RightSure Insurance Recognized with Community Service Award from MAX Insurance®

(TUCSON, AZ) – RightSure Insurance of Tucson, Arizona has earned the Community Service Award from insurance carrier MutualAid eXchange (“MAX”). The MAX Community Service Award recognizes RightSure Insurance’s significant contributions to their community through their time, actions, and dedication.

Jeff Arnold heads the agency. In December 2019, they participated in the MAX Agent Community Grant Program, where they chose two different organizations to be recipients: Gospel Rescue Mission and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern Arizona.

“At RightSure Insurance we try to fulfill the same values of fairness, faith and social responsibility that MAX believes in, whether it’s at work or volunteering in the community,” Arnold said.

RightSure Insurance is an independent insurance agency representing MAX Insurance® in Tucson and surrounding areas. MAX Insurance®, based in Overland Park, Kansas, is a unique fair, faithful and socially responsible insurance enterprise. Founded on religious principles, the company’s mission is to restore wholeness to communities and individuals in need. It lives out its mission through a variety of quality, fairly-priced insurance products, outstanding personalized customer service and its unique Mutual Aid Ministries program.

“MAX is a company built on faith, strong values and service to others. That’s the kind of independent agents we look for and we’re proud to recognize RightSure Insurance for being among the best of these,” said David Wine, President and Chief Executive Officer of MAX.

RightSure Insurance is located at 5151 E. Broadway Blvd, Suite 100, Tucson, AZ 85711. Phone: 520-915-5295. Email info@rightsure.com. Website www.rightsure.com.

MAX Insurance® is headquartered at 4400 College Boulevard, Suite 250, Overland Park, KS 66211. Phone: 877-971-6300. To learn more about MAX, visit www.maxinsurance.com.

Photo: Shelly D’Amico, MAX Regional Sales Manager presenting the award to Jeff Arnold, Agency Principal of RightSure Insurance (photo taken before social distancing guidelines)

###

MAX Mindfulness: Stealing our Happiness Away…

I was visiting with a neighbor and they made the comment that it was a good weekend, the weather was nice, and they were happy. But then they said, “I know it can’t last.”

I’ve shared before about our brains being wired to look for what’s wrong or what needs to be improved or what danger lurks nearby. Our brains literally work against us trying to steal our happiness away. So we aren’t naturally ‘wired’ to look for what’s good and right and working well right now. Even if things are perceived to be working well right now we are always looking for things that might change for the worse, so that we miss the moment we are in.

There is yet another layer to our brains that causes us unrest or unease. When we are happy, we are always afraid that happiness won’t last, so we are also naturally wired to continue to seek more ways to be happy even when we are already happy. In short, that means again that we are missing the current moment of happiness because we are already looking for more of something in order to keep our happiness. So we get hit two ways when we are happy: We are afraid our happiness won’t last or shouldn’t last, and, at the same time our minds are way ahead of us trying to figure out new ways to keep us happy. Once again, we seldom live in the present moment now!

I’ve found that the current COVID stuff hits me in both of those contexts. If I’m feeling happy I catch myself and can easily go to ‘how is this ever going to end? or ‘I better not be happy given the givens right now’. Or I’m happy but I’m sure that can’t last in this context so I try to think of additional ways I can stay happy because I’m worried my happiness won’t last. If I’m already happy, why can’t I just enjoy that moment and live in that joy?! It is the only moment I’m guaranteed to ever have – the present one! We can enjoy more of our moments – that is where mindfulness comes in – paying attention to our thoughts and changing them. Simply practicing gratitude for the one moment or for those things we see or hear as we look around us, or for life itself, can all reverse the tendency of our minds to go to an unhappy place. In short, gratitude stops the brain's propensity to think us out of our happiness and keeps us centered on this moment now.

I can live in the moment. And I need to be aware of the hardwired aspects of my brain that are working against me. That awareness is the first step to longer enjoyment of anything that is working well for us right now. We have enough challenges right now so I want to make the most of my happy moments.

David Wine

Bergen-Friesen Agency Inc. recognized with Community Service Award from MAX Insurance®

(HENDERSON, NE) – Bergen-Friesen Agency Inc. of Henderson, Nebraska has earned the Community Service Award from insurance carrier MutualAid eXchange (“MAX”). The MAX Community Service Award recognizes Bergen-Friesen Agency’s significant contributions to their community through their time, actions, and dedication.

Mark Dick and Homer Friesen head the agency. In January, they participated in the MAX Agent Community Grant Program, where they chose Bethesda Mennonite Church to be a recipient. The church’s benevolent fund helps individuals and families who have had an illness, financial setback, loss of job, etc. in not only the church family, but in the greater Henderson community as well. A $2,000 grant was given for the benevolent fund.

“At Bergen-Friesen Agency we try to fulfill the same values of fairness, faith, and social responsibility that MAX believes in, whether it’s at work or volunteering in the community,” Dick said.

Bergen-Friesen Agency is an independent insurance agency representing MAX Insurance® in Henderson and surrounding areas. MAX Insurance®, based in Overland Park, Kansas, is a unique fair, faithful, and socially responsible insurance enterprise. Founded on religious principles, the company’s mission is to restore wholeness to communities and individuals in need. It lives out its mission through a variety of quality, fairly-priced insurance products, outstanding personalized customer service, and its unique Mutual Aid Ministries program.

“MAX is a company built on faith, strong values and service to others. That’s the kind of independent agents we look for and we’re proud to recognize Bergen-Friesen Agency for being among the best of these,” said David Wine, President and Chief Executive Officer of MAX.

Bergen-Friesen Agency is located at 1061 N. Main Street, Henderson, NE 68371. Phone: 402-723-4994. Email bergenfriesen@mainstaycomm.net. Website www.bergenfriesen.com.

MAX Insurance® is headquartered at 4400 College Boulevard, Suite 250, Overland Park, KS 66211. Phone: 877-971-6300. To learn more about MAX, visit www.maxinsurance.com.

Photo: John Wearda, MAX Regional Sales Manager; Mark Dick, Agency Principal of Bergen-Friesen Agency Inc.; and Homer Friesen, Agency Principal of Bergen-Friesen Agency Inc. (photo taken before social distancing guidelines)

###

Farmers Union Agency, Inc. Recognized with Community Service Award

(ST. PAUL, MN) – Farmers Union Agency, Inc. of St. Paul, Minnesota has earned the Community Service Award from insurance carrier MutualAid eXchange (“MAX”). The MAX Community Service Award recognizes Farmers Union Agency’s significant contributions to the community through its staff’s and Agents’ time, actions, and dedication.

Josh Vickerman is President of the Agency. In December 2019, they participated in the MAX Agent Community Grant Program, where they chose two different non-profit organizations to be recipients: Farmers’ Legal Action Group (FLAG) and Second Harvest Heartland.

“At Farmers Union Agency we try to fulfill the same values of fairness, faith and social responsibility that MAX believes in, whether it’s at work or volunteering in the community,” Vickerman said.

Farmers Union Agency is an independent insurance agency representing MAX Insurance® in St. Paul and throughout Minnesota. MAX Insurance®, based in Overland Park, Kansas, is a unique fair, faithful and socially responsible insurance enterprise. Founded on religious principles, the company’s mission is to restore wholeness to communities and individuals in need. It lives out its mission through a variety of quality, fairly-priced insurance products, outstanding personalized customer service, and its unique Mutual Aid Ministries program.

“MAX is a company built on faith, strong values and service to others. That’s the kind of Independent Agents we look for and we’re proud to recognize Farmers Union Agency for being among the best of these,” said David Wine, President and Chief Executive Officer of MAX.

Farmers Union Agency is located at 305 Roselawn Avenue E, St. Paul, MN 55117. Phone: 651-639-1064. Email josh@mnfuia.com. Website www.mnfuia.com.

MAX Insurance® is headquartered at 4400 College Boulevard, Suite 250, Overland Park, KS 66211. Phone: 877-971-6300. To learn more about MAX, visit www.maxinsurance.com.

Photo: John Wearda, MAX Regional Sales Manager presenting the award to Josh Vickerman, President and General Manager of Farmers Union Insurance Agency

###