Iowa-based young pro develops and
expands agency’s public entity practice
“I think it’s one thing to be good at insurance and know coverage forms,
but the reality is, we want to be applicable to the things our clients are
concerned about and [know the] challenges that they want to solve.”
—Joe Vens
Risk Advisor
First MainStreet Insurance
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.”
Looking at one’s family tree, it may come as no surprise when someone winds up working in a specific industry that’s represented by several of the tree’s branches. This was the case for Joe Vens, risk advisor at First MainStreet Insurance in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
“My grandpa started an agency in Clinton, Iowa, where I was born, somewhere around 60 years ago,” he says. “My dad and uncle took over right around the time I was born and eventually bought the agency from my grandpa. I have cousins, aunts, and uncles who have all been in the business.”
Vens attended the University of Iowa, where he graduated in 2013 with a finance degree. While he wanted to “follow in his dad’s footsteps,” the insurance industry wasn’t immediately in his cards.
“I had talked to my dad and uncle and let them know that I was generally interested in the family business, and they were open to the concept of me joining, but it would’ve required me to move back to Clinton. At the time, I enjoyed the area I was living,” Vens says. “I also knew it would be good for me to build a network and be mentored by other people outside of my family.”
He started his career in financial services, and after four years he went into commercial banking. Three years later, in 2019, he joined the insurance industry, spending two years with Relion Insurance Solutions in Iowa City before joining First MainStreet Insurance in 2021.
In his role as a risk advisor, “I help our clients navigate the risks that they face, give them guidance on expected costs and claims trends, and ultimately place insurance coverage for them,” Vens says.
While he believes that continuing education and earning designations helps deliver great customer service—Vens earned his Certified WorkComp Advisor (CWCA) designation in 2020 and is currently working on his Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) and Certified Risk Manager (CRM), he says, “I feel like most of the applicable knowledge that I have comes from working in the business and with clients.”
“I definitely value designations,” Vens explains, “and if there’s somebody brand new to the industry, I’d tell them to start pursuing a designation, but I wouldn’t tell them to spend 25% of their time doing that. I think slowly learning and having time to comprehend the knowledge while spending time in your craft and working with clients, that’s where I feel like I’ve learned the most.”
Involvement
While Vens attends industry events through the Association for Independent Agents of Iowa, particularly its Young Agents Committee, most of his involvement comes from associations outside of insurance.
“Our team specializes in working with public entities,” Vens says. “We’re industry focused when it comes to our target clients that we want to be working with, so a lot of my involvement comes from industry associations.” Some of these include the Iowa Association of School Boards, the League of Cities, and the Iowa State Association of Counties.
“For me, it’s gaining a better understanding of the pain points and challenges that our clients are facing. I think it’s one thing to be good at insurance and know coverage forms, but the reality is, we want to be applicable to the things our clients are concerned about and [know the] challenges that they want to solve,” Vens says. “I’m finding the most value in understanding that perspective of our clients.”
Outside of work, Vens volunteers with and sits on the community board of Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa. “I do classroom volunteering, which is educating and working with anywhere from second grade up to fifth grade. I teach them about ‘more than money,’ which is basically a Finance 101 class.”
At Veritas Church, Vens is a member of the hospitality team. “It’s meeting and greeting folks and brewing coffee and serving that. It’s a fun way for me to connect with our church family outside of just attending,” he says.
With his kids loving basketball, he also sits on the board of Clear Creek Amana Basketball Club and coaches his daughter’s fifth grade basketball team.
Accolades, achievements and advice
Vens is appreciative of a plethora of individuals who have helped him through his career. To name a few: “Tom Manternach has been a friend and mentor of mine, who has helped me understand how I can incorporate my faith into my business and day-to-day living. He’s been world changing for me,” Vens says. “Brooke Fitzgerald is a personal coach who helps me navigate my day to day and how I’m showing up in the world. She’s been incredible.
“Jordan Montgomery is a friend and mentor who helps keep me driven. Matt Hughes has taught me a ton around process and adding value. And my dad, Chris Vens, taught me to be a good, kind, humble person.”
When it comes to his career, physical awards aren’t overly meaningful to Vens. Instead, his personal greatest accomplishment is the creation and expansion of the agency’s public entity practice.
“Back in 2021, we identified cities, counties and school districts as a group we enjoyed and wanted to work with, and that practice has grown significantly over the last four years,” Vens says. “Building that out and seeing us add people to it, and that practice changing their lives and giving them opportunities is what I’m most proud of.”
For young professionals or new ones starting off their insurance careers, Vens offers this advice: “Get involved with things that bring you energy and joy that aren’t insurance specific,” he says, “and seek personal growth. Get excited about self-discovery; maybe find a coach or therapist to work with. Take your health seriously, which can be tough in this industry.
“Looking for ways to seek personal growth and achievement that’s outside of our specific business really helps drive business in a way that’s hard to see, but they’re directly correlated,” he adds.
When Vens isn’t doing “insurance stuff” or volunteering in the community, he enjoys spending time with his wife Erin and their three children: Lyla, Dean and Rory. (Child number four is on the way!)
“I enjoy spending time with my family, whether at home or going to basketball tournaments,” Vens says. “At home we read, play outside, run around, make meals together and shoot hoops. I have a life that might seem boring to others but, to me, it’s one that I love and truly enjoy.”
Outside of his life at home, Vens enjoys catching up with people in the community, attending weekly Bible studies, and hitting the course for a game of golf.
“Golfing is my one extracurricular activity, and now my son loves golfing, and I can spend time with him doing that. [As parents], we should always be interested in what [our kids are] interested in, but when they gravitate towards the stuff that we like, that’s when it’s super fun,” he concludes.
