Second-generation Tennessee agency
owner speaks at industry events and volunteers with horses
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.”
CJ Hutsenpiller is the second-generation owner of his family’s agency, Hutsenpiller Insurance in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. “My mom, Tina Hutsenpiller, opened our agency in 1992,” CJ recalls. “I started full time in 2008 as a receptionist.”
“A rising tide lifts all ships, and having a community of
agents sharing ideas about the industry is always a good place to hang out.”
—CJ Hutsenpiller
Owner
Hutsenpiller Insurance
In 2023, CJ purchased the agency. “My mom taught me everything I know about insurance. [Aside from that], I’m self-taught on most things; my highest education level was high school,” Hutsenpiller says.
Speaking of education, Hutsenpiller believes that “designations are great for agents looking to move up in the industry. They tell other agents that you have more than just basic licensing,” he says.
However, due to the general public’s lack of knowledge regarding what each one stands for and represents, he feels like they don’t hold much value in that sense.
While running an agency keeps him busy, Hutsenpiller dedicates time to other insurance-related organizations. “I am an admin for the Facebook page of Insurance Soup, the largest insurance agent-only community, with 56,000 agents,” he says.
“I’m also a member of the Insurors of Tennessee [the Tennessee Big ‘I’ chapter]. My takeaway from these groups is about shared learning amongst the agent community. A rising tide lifts all ships, and having a community of agents sharing ideas about the industry is always a good place to hang out.”
Accolades, acknowledgements and advice
Continuing with the idea of community, Hutsenpiller is grateful for numerous individuals whom he has pulled advice and inspiration from, people who he calls friends. “To name a few: Michael McCormick and Taylor Dobbie of Insurance Soup, Jack Hertvik and Andrew Ryan of Hertvik Insurance, Bradley Flowers of Portal Insurance, Jeff Roy of Excalibur Insurance, Ron Wadley of Insurance for Texans, and Chris Paradiso of Paradiso Insurance,” he says.
Among his accolades, Hutsenpiller was named the 2015 PIA [Professional Insurance Agents] of Tennessee Agent of the Year. He is a member of the Agent Council for Grange Insurance, and has been a guest speaker at conferences like Soup Live!; One City World Tour; Accelerate, Powered by NetVU; and the IndieTech Showcase Experience.
For a young agent starting out their career, Hutsenpiller offers this advice: “To steal a quote from my friend David Carothers, who I’m pretty sure stole this from someone else, the insurance industry is full of C-level players. Be willing to do the extra work and you will stand out in the crowd to your prospects, clients, and employers.”
Outside insurance
When he isn’t doing “insurance” stuff, Hutsenpiller can be found supporting his wife Shea, who also works at the agency as the staff accountant, on the rodeo scene. “My wife and I live on a farm with dogs and horses. She does barrel racing all over the country, so we spend a lot of time traveling around to those events,” he says.
The couple also spends time volunteering with Hickory Hill Farm, a 501(c)(3) that provides rescue and rehabilitative care to horses and other livestock through foster facilities across Tennessee.
Hutsenpiller also enjoys his sports. “I’m an avid hockey fan and love the Nashville Predators,” he says. And while he claims to be a really bad golfer, “I still love to play,” he concludes.
For more information:
Hickory Hill Farm
www.hickoryhillfarmtnrescue.org
