“I hope one day my kids will be able to listen to my recorded podcasts
and learn more about their dad’s career. Each podcast episode is like a time capsule.”
—Josh Gurley
HM Advisors
Partner of Georgia agency builds solid
foundation in work and home life
By Christopher W. Cook
In the insurance industry, certain dedicated young professionals stand out among their peers and are members of an elite squad of individuals. These are their stories. “Dun dun.”
The late American newscaster David Brinkley once said, “A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.” When I first heard this quote about “throwing bricks,” I envisioned Kevin McCallister chucking them off the roof and pelting poor Marv of the Wet Bandits in the face toward the end of Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.
My interpretation, perhaps, is a bit too literal. Although, the phrase can also refer to missing a shot in basketball in a terrible way or, according to Urban Dictionary, committing a petty crime in order to return to prison.
I think Brinkley was referring less to the bricks themselves and more about what you do with them. Throughout our upbringing and lives we learn values and receive wisdom from our parents, teachers and colleagues, and it’s with these—the bricks—that we build our foundations for our own lives.
For Josh Gurley, partner and co-owner of HM Advisors in Warner Robins, Georgia, hard work, a love for education and having a strong faith constructed that foundation for his personal life and business life, which began with a nudge from his father.
“Both of my parents were public school educators,” Gurley explains. “My mother taught kindergarten, and my father was a teacher, principal, superintendent and finance director for over 40 years.
“My father also had a passion for risk management. He helped the Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA) create a workers compensation program in 1992; he was also their first chairman.
“Throughout my high school and college years,” Gurley recalls, “he encouraged me to investigate getting involved in the insurance industry.”
Gurley graduated from The University of Georgia (UGA) with a degree in Risk Management and Insurance. “While at UGA, I was able to intern with the GSBA; the executive director, Lee Gaby, was my manager and worked with my father when they started the workers comp program,” he says.
Josh started his professional career with a brief stint at Georgia Farm Bureau as an underwriter before moving to the independent channel in 2012 as a marketing representative with Utica National. “I spent three years there prior to entering the agency business,” Gurley says.
“I was very close with my manager at Utica and will always be grateful to him for taking a chance on me as a 28-year-old whose previous experience was limited to being a farm underwriter for a captive writer.
“I met my current business partner, Andrew Dearing, through playing music at our local church,” Gurley says. “He invited me to join HM Advisors in 2015 and I have not looked back.”
The Warner Robins, Georgia, agency was founded in 1947; Gurley became a partner of the firm in 2018, before becoming its president in 2023. “I am responsible for the overall leadership and vision of our firm. I’ve been an active producer for 10 years and have clients in 31 states,” he says.
“Our entire agency and sales process has been built on a foundation rooted in education; we pay for 100% for all employees to pursue professional designations.”
This was a natural fit for Gurley, who earned his Certified WorkComp Advisor (CWCA) designation in 2012 from the Institute of WorkComp Professionals and his Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) from the now-Risk & Insurance Education Alliance in 2014, during his days at Utica National.
Through his passion of learning and education, Gurley has also been a panelist at Keystone Insurers Group—in which the agency is a member—events. “Most of the panels I’ve done were with Keystone, but I’ve presented at the Insurance Agency Owners Alliance conference a few times and at various trade associations, as well,” he says. “I just enjoy providing education.”
Involvement and accolades
Gurley and his agency are members of the Independent Insurance Agents of Georgia (IIAG); Gurley currently sits on the commercial lines committee. “[Through IIAG] I have been to both the Georgia state capital and Washington D.C. to advocate for legislation that benefits the insurance industry and consumers,” he says.
Charitably, the agency supports its local United Way nonprofit. “They provide a tremendous number of resources to our community,” Gurley says.
Throughout his career, Josh has been appreciative of those who helped him along his way, particularly his wife, Ashley. “She has given 100% of her support not only to our family but to our business,” Gurley says.
“I remember the day I told her I wanted to get into the agency business; she was about five months pregnant with our first child. Without hesitation she told me to, ‘go for it.’ She now manages our social media and is taking a greater role in the agency by helping with our automation and our CRM.
“We have worked with Preston Diamond and Kevin Ring at the Institute of WorkComp Professionals for many years,” he continues. “Preston is one of the most creative people I’ve ever met inside or outside of insurance. Kevin is a wealth of knowledge and a genuinely humble individual.
“What we do as insurance professionals has a tremendous effect on people and Preston taught me to focus on the people first,” Gurley notes.
“Robert Sutter with Keystone Insurers Group taught me the path to professionalism,” he continues. “Robert encourages me as a professional, husband and father. He was my coach for a decade prior to his retirement earlier this year.”
Gurley is also grateful for attending a workshop through Cincinnati Insurance when he was starting out his career as a producer; the workshop was led by consultant Scott Addis with Beyond Insurance. “Scott helped me understand how to keep it simple and gave me four questions that I have used for a decade and that I will use for the rest of my career,” he says.
“David Carothers is one of my best friends in the world. [Gurley wrote the foreword in David’s second book The Dirty 130.] David invited me to be interviewed on his podcast back in 2020 and I was somewhat reluctant at first. That single podcast led one carrier to reach out and offer me an appointment about six months later. Today the carrier has become one of our favorite trading partners.”
Gurley is appreciative of and holds on dearly to all the recordings of insurance podcasts he’s recorded over the years. These have included appearances on:
- Power Producers Podcast
- The Insurance Guys Podcast
- Finding Peak Podcast
- The Insurance Buzz
- Get Authentic with Marques Ogden
- Agency Focus
“I hope one day my kids will be able to listen to my recorded podcasts and learn more about their dad’s career,” he says. “Each podcast episode is like a time capsule. One recording that stands out to me is when I had the opportunity to help David interview Robert Sutter. It’s a special one for me.”
Advice and life outside of work
For young insurance professionals starting their careers, Gurley advises spending your time on what matters the most and building lasting relationships. “We should all have a group of mentors and be willing to give back to others what we have learned,” he says. “I named several people who have made all the difference for me. I also believe success can be made into a moving target if you let it. It can take you away from what matters most.”
Gurley’s advice isn’t just for time spent in the office. “When I look back on my life, I want it to be filled with memories of my wife and two kids. Deals, jobs, clients, they come and go. Building your life on a solid foundation with faith, family, and health is important. It sounds cliché but it’s true,” he says.
When he isn’t doing “insurance stuff,” Josh enjoys spending time with his wife of 13 years and their two children aged nine and six. “We attend church regularly, and I try to instill those values in the kids,” he says. “I used to play music at church for years but stopped a few years back. From 2005 until 2020, I bet I played music at church all but maybe 25 weeks during that 15-year period.”
Gurley began playing music through church organizations while attending the University of Georgia. “I started playing guitar at a college ministry called The Point,” he says. “Through some relationships there, I was connected with Christian music artist Matt Papa. I joined his band, and we traveled about 200 days a year from 2007 until 2010.”
Josh also enjoys traveling and exploring new places with his family. “We always try to take two or three family trips each year; we are always looking forward to the next opportunity to travel together,” he says. “My wife and I have been to Napa, Miami, New York City, Cabo San Lucas, Kansas City for a Billy Joel concert and Tampa to see George Straight.
“With the kids, we usually go to Amelia Island a few times a year and have made a few trips to Disney and Lake Oconee. I think it’s important to slow down and build memories with the people who are the most important.”
While Gurley also enjoys playing a little golf and going bird hunting from time to time, he’d “rather be with the Gurley crew than anywhere else,” he concludes.
